FluffyChix

Derp! Don't know why this double posted. serry.

True, but that's the beauty of threads like this...especially if a wide variety of people contribute to them. Cuz it does give an overview of what successful and unsuccessful people are doing daily. It's a touchstone of sorts. The other site I visit to read does a great daily menu thread and they discuss philosophical questions etc and get to know each other. And the day after day after day food journals is really fascinating. There are all kinds of diets being followed. I know you and I kinda approached our weight loss from a different perspective. You had/have a very large restriction and I did not ever have much restriction. So our perspectives by necessity had to be different. Cuz I had enough room in my new tool to be dangerous and not lose a single pound had I not nutted up and kept my diet very nutrient dense and focused. Right? But you were all very focused and doing nutrient dense food and automatically food restricting in hours--even though you did get to eat more high reward and high calorie foods. Because you were barely eating, you were having phenomenal success. And you still made the transition toward eating the best bite you can for as much as you can given your professional demands. So I think to an extent our restrictions of our tools, metabolisms, medicines, health metrics, and our goals have to determine just how much of a calorie savant we have to be in our post op life. So I think you should post your food here! Give the balanced look at what we all eat!

Thanks for your reply! Will come back and answer more. But just had a thought! I AM such an outlier! Doh. Do you think I'm doing a disservice at BP by posting on this thread? Cuz maybe people will get the wrong idea about food from me and what "normal" might mean to them post weight loss?

I bought a case. Just thought I'd share...

Thought this was very insightful.

This!

No failures. Sorry for your struggle. This is def something to work with your RD and surgeon on as everyone advised!! Hope you feel better soon!

Hello. Do you know me? I have a bigger-than-average pouch/tool and can seriously pack a lot of calorie bang for the buck into every meal! So when I come across a portion size of a meal that I can't finish and I have to recalibrate quantities, I want to save it to my "Seriously Filling Good Meal" file! Cuz on the hungry hungry hippo days...well you know. So here's my latest SFGM experience! I call this my Peanut Butter and Blueberry Chia Slop. I'm nicely full--even maybe 1 bite too many! And so will see if I'm ready to eat some more in a couple of hours. Already, I'm thinking that my afternoon "green soup" lunch might not happen cuz of being satisfied. Weird. Yesterday I couldn't get full and today, bam! Baybee! This has filled me and chilled me! Sorry for the crappy photos and dirty bowl!

I think these are really valid and helpful observations and questions. I know they help me really think and own my spit. You know? I never want to rationalize my own "poor" behavior or stinking thinking by convincing myself that my viewpoint is the only right one. I also am hopeful that this might benefit someone else who might not want to post their stuff here--be able to work through some things and gain insight into their eating behaviors that both keep them thin/losing or are contributing to gain. Right? So there is no doubt that I am goal driven. I've never in my life reached my target weight goal--even as a young kid dieting (dieting since 9). 😕 And it became very important to me as I went "all in" with this surgery, that I achieve my goal weight--even if it's only for a day--or an hour. It's just a milestone that psychologically I feel like I need. And knowing what my sis (who is 2 inches taller than me) looked like with a similar build to me -- at 120lbs, she did not look anorexic. Knowing that at 23BMI today on the scale and that in real life, I still have very jiggly fat filled aspirin bottle and thighs, makes me feel like I do still have extra fat available that I can at least achieve that burning drive to 130lbs. At the very least. *I'd have to review the BDG once I get to 130lbs. Cuz it really may not be realistic for me to even hit it. There is NOOOOOO doubt I have body dysmorphia. No doubt. I work on it daily. And the struggle is real. I def don't see myself as super thin. Just normal for a 56 year old woman. Flabby flat as* and all. TY for telling me how awesome I look! Sometimes I can actually feel it - nowadays. Yesterday (no pic) I felt great in my outfit until I looked in the mirror in my white shorts. And felt I look huge in my thighs and ass--so didn't bother snapping the pic. I still wore the outfit and got so many complements including a, "You are so skinny" comment that I was a little "proud" of. I've never been a member of the you-are-so-skinny-"normal"-girl-barbie-tribe. You know? And I'm not gonna lie. It's a seductive group. Great T & A and tiny waists among all of those bi*ches! hehe. I do think I will be thin enough. That's why I think 130lbs will be end of the line for me. Cuz when I was sick just before surgery, I was 131lbs and I felt "right". Even though I was craptastically ill at the time. But yeah, that BD funhouse mirror plays wicked mind games. So the only way to tell is once I get there. I know I have no interest in going deep dive to the low 120s and maybe not even anything under the 130lbs. I keep cals that low and deeply nutrient rich cuz I flat out maintain or even gain weight in the >850 range. And that terrifies me! I'm not like @ms.sss who is having issues deterring weight loss at these levels. I WISH! Right? Cuz if you look at my graph, I'm maintaining. And I'm super terrified I've forked my metabolism. I also know I take a hormone blocker for cancer remission that puts me in supre menopause. So I am trying to restore my body fat hormones while having one hand tied behind my back via the blocking of all female hormone production. Which really sucks cuz the regulation of those hormones really drive a lot of the insulin and hunger hormones response to fat loss. Also being hypothyroid also contributes to the lowered metabolic rate. Sorry for the book. I didn't want to just blow off your question, but rather offer some glimmer of where my thought process and logic is taking me. My hope is that once I hit my 130 Goal #3 weight, then I can officially say, "I'm goal baybeeee!" And then I will be able to maintain at 1000-1400 cals with a day or 2 of fasting thrown in per week like Dr. Fung discusses. Cuz that would be sweet! But my body is resisting going lower right now. And it does not reward me with a scale drop when I up cals and give a treat day--rather it rewards me with the predicted weight gain. Also, I'm not going quietly into that good night. I will fight that fuc*ing bounce like a demon. I am not gonna accept that it has to happen. And if I start looking like I'm eating crap I really want you guys to call me on it and hold my toes to the fire! Cuz I will need y'all more than ever if/when backsliding enters the equation. Right? Ok, so yeah. There you have it. My full 10lbs of crazy shoved into the 5lb can! Certifiable? Yes or no? Here's my weight graph of the past year. The last big jump is from surgery and IVs. But you can see, I'm having trouble maintaining right now post surgery and struggling with huge hunger. I attribute it to IV antibiotics and disruption of gut biome/gut hormone disruption and insulin surges as a result. There is a study just out about this. I think @catwoman7 may have posted this on another board? Can't remember...

I think a rule of thumb, is to follow your doc's progression plan for you that includes any special thing for the GERD and esophagus healing. And, after 6-9 months when you are safely able to easily consume your daily protein in 1-3 meals per day, start looking at compressing your eating window. If it were me, I'd start by only eating 3 meals (will all/most protein coming from food sources and not protein drinks) and start with doing an 13/11 TRE (13 hours fasting/11 hours eating, time restricted eating). Then when comfy, I'd move to a 14/10, then to a 16/8, then to an 18:6). Within those later frames consider if you are easily able to consume most of your protein from food sources rather than protein drinks. The purpose of fasting is not only to have weight loss, but to tighten up your health by not eating "less" rather, eating less frequently so your body and mitochondria have time to properly process the food you do put in. And that the food you put in is as nutritionally dense and healthy as possible. (ie clean food). Cuz that's when you not only get weight loss, but you also get a reduction in cravings, appetite, meal sizes normalize, and you get a whole slew of health benefits!! I'd say, just spend the next few months healing and reading here on this thread and in books to educated yourself and learn about IF. Welcome btw!

Yes, I was super duper happy until I stepped on the scale. I just feel "guilt" eating that many times and that many calories cuz I know that at minimum, those are "maintenance level" cals for me or a slight upward slope on the scale.

Yeah, me either. But I was glad about that, cuz it made the post op period SO much easier! Cuz I was already adapted to only protein drinks and went through any carb withdrawal, or caffeine withdrawal BEFORE I also had to recover from the surgery!

Until you have your poopy stuff figured out...stay far far far away from cheese! Seriously. I just sauted them gently in a pan with a TINY bit of olive oil. Kept them wet but above 165degrees for safty. Took them out and ate them. You can add a spoon of Greek yogurt or sour cream at the end to keep them moist. Add nutritional yeast for a cheese flavor.

crabs have some carbs in them I think. Go look them up on MFP. Don't over eat. It's not an "all you can eat" thing cuz that can also be bad on your liver. But I'd think that a small 3-4oz serving of picked crab + a low carb salad or veg would be ok.

I'm sorry for the postponement. ((hugs)) But yay on getting this taken care of now!!! Get on your new meds it may help with hunger/insulin resistance and energy to help you really apply yourself on the pre-op liquid phase.

Ok, well, that slight slope down is way easier to arrest than the more aggressive losses you were experiencing!!! So I think your fluctuations are working right? Don't you feel good about your success? You are winning maintenance and working out!!! And on no bathroom joy in 4 days. I have a much lower tolerance for potty shenanigans. If the trains aren't running on schedule, they have 48hours to correct themselves before I call MOM. And ha! I woke up thinking that maybe I need to have some chia in yogurt to break my fast and "bust a move." LOL!!! I am also doing psyllium husks again each day and Mag Citrate vitamins along with a colace. But so far I haven't involved Miralax. So you and I may be throne divas today!

Like @ms.sss I felt like I ate all day yesterday--cuz um, I did!!! It was a planned UP day for me, so wasn't too concerned about it and gave myself permission to eat when hungry--whether it was legit hunger or head munchies/stress hunger. But the only rule is that it had to be legit food--no crap. And predictably, yesterday was a hungry hungry hippo day (AGAIN! LOL. And I found all your (ms.sss') extra cals!!) ((hugs)) Today will be a DD for me until at least dinner. Trying to defer TRE for 16-18hours IF. So far I woke up not hungry. Yay! And I'm gonna ride that wave til it breaks! Ha *snort!* 5"4" 👵 17m PO (WLM) 136.4lbs (pre-poopy)=I knew it would be up (wt) cuz um, hello, 2 glasses of wine were involved in the concert and extra bedtime eating...that stops today. But to be fair, not really worried cuz I have at least 2lbs of high fiber poop that is due for delivery today. Thursday August 8 Menu: B1-6am-Mocha Protein Latte (8oz decaf + 4oz PP) (58cals; 11g p; 1g nc) B2-11am-Egg white puff (85g ew + 28g crimini + 29g power greens + 14g turkey saus crumbles + 1/2 slice 2% DD American cheese + 1tsp Gringo Bandito Hot Sauce (111cals; 15g p; 2g nc) L-2pm-1 hb egg + turkey rollup (30g BH lacy swiss + 45g BH peppermill turkey + 8g arugula + dijon) + 60g cucumber slices + 2oz baby carrots + UACV) (ate this over 1 1/2 hours) (247cals; 27g p; 7g nc) AS-5:30pm-1 turkey rollup (30g BH lacy swiss + 19g BH peppermill turkey + Lowensenf mustard) + 28g baby carrots + 16g raw pecan halves + iced cinnamon apple tea with 9g psyllium husks (270 cals; 15g p; 2g nc) D-8:00pm-grilled chicken salad with ranch (28g iceberg + carrot shreds + cucumbers + purple onion + 2 bites gchix + cheese shreds + 1tbsp ranch dressing) + 2 glassed cabernet sauvignon (352cals--thank you wine; 2g p; 13g nc) BS-10pm-19g BH peppermill turkey + 1 lite mozzarella string cheese + 1 hb egg + 28g baby carrots (152cals; 17g p; 4g nc) (I may have a baby carrot "issue"...)

How is your weight with you being under on your cals? It looks like it's pretty stable from here? WTG on getting such great protein in and keeping carbs low!!! You rock!!!

It gets better. And it's normal to have food fantasies (head hunger and cravings) as well as mood swings (sadness, depression, anger, snapping, regret, euphoria). So many moods coming from surgical recovery as well as the hormones being released from the fat. If you are not hungry, then the surgery is doing it's job. That's the beauty of the honeymoon period. Embrace it! But, do what is YOUR responsibility to get the protein in at whatever stage--especially the early stage. Don't get tricky, don't try to game the system. Just eat "boring" and bland and highly nutritious foods and geterdone. Just get your protein in each day and be done. If you are gagging on the protein drinks--try another brand. Mix it up! Try diluting it in decaff black coffee or decaff black tea. Vary the temperatures of your protein and liquids to see which hits your stomach easier. Thin out yogurt (Greek plain zero fat) wtih protein drinks. Get the clear protein drinks and dilute with bottled water--drink it hot, room temp, or ice cold depending which goes down easiest. By diluting your proteins, you are thinning them down so that's easier on your new healing tool and also making them less sweet. I LOVE the Premier Protein Fruit Punch Clear (15g per bottle) and I dilute it 50/50 with bottled water. So good--like Hawaiian Punch. I add protein to things like peanut butter powder added to Greek yogurt and add 2 ounces of Premier Protein drink to make it into a yogurt soup so it goes down easy. Eat cottage cheese with canned fruit. Eat protein puddings, soft scrambled eggs, egg/tuna/salmon/chicken salads that use canned meat, hardboiled egg, and low fat cottage cheese in place of the mayonnaise. Add a little pickle juice and spices like onion powder and garlic powder and salt. Eat creamed soups and add a scoop of unflavored protein to it while it's cold, then dilute it with Fairlife Milk to up the protein content of the food. Then warm only the portion that you're gonna eat at that meal. It will all add up quickly!!! Add unflavored protein powder to every thing!!! Don't get tricky with your puree stage. Advance food slowly. Be patient. Embrace the suck. Cuz this is where you will lose the MOST weight!!!

At 287lbs and 49BMI, I started trying to get serious about weight loss and weight loss surgery on my own with only my PCP on board. My oncologist had been trying to talk me into WLS for 2 years and I resisted his offers of referral to a program. I wasn't ready to change. So it took 2 years to get my head in the game! And when I did, I didn't look back--even though the fear of affording the post WLS life gripped me! My first visit with the surgeon, I weighed 256 and was just over 41BMI-ish. She required I lose 10% of my total body weight in the 6 months leading up to the pre-op liquid diet and I was so fearful of not being able to comply. Cuz if I could lose on my own, why would I need WLS? But WLS doesn't just help us LOSE the weight, it helps KEEP IT OFF longterm. I had to pay my nutritionist for each of 6 monthly visits out of pocket. It was so worth it and worth cutting corners elsewhere to help. I can still see her whenever I need to. BUT, she runs a weight loss support group where I get to see her for free once a month at a hospital. It's a great group of ladies who meet to talk and offer support. And there is no cost. Most hospitals offer free support groups and allow outsiders (people from other surgeons) to attend, cuz you never know when someone is gonna need a revision. So look up all the WLS practices in the area--especially ones centered around large teaching hospitals, and see if you can find one! I didn't go to a gym or work with an exercise physiologist--no funds to do so--but I was prescribed PT a few times for pain and rehabilitation. So see if you can start there and get that covered. Throughout the losses, I have walked daily and do sporadic core strengthening exercises at home using bands and isometrics. I now weigh 135.2lbs today.

I've lost about 150-155lbs throughout this process. All I've done is walk and do sporadic core strengthening exercise. I think exercise and movement is crucial! But diet drives the weight loss bus. 80% of loss comes from diet. Weight loss begins in the kitchen (or farm) and allows you the energy to get physical. Exercise drives the condition of your body and mind (and spirit). But that's beyond the food choices.

I'm thinking your body is telling you that at 5'2" and 134lbs it's not ready for you to stop losing. Most of us enter a "near-equilibrium" state where the rate of loss really slows down dramatically when we are near our own personal ideal weight. For some of us, that's not a true statement, but I've seen it happen with a majority of WLS peeps. Here's what normal BMI looks like for AVERAGE (you may NOT be average) women: I wouldn't be worrying or upping my cals until I was at least at 120-125lbs. I'd be thanking God for every pound continuing to fly off the shelf! Cuz regain IS a thing.

Yes.