Creekimp13

I've eaten oatmeal nearly every day since week two after surgery. 100% approved on my plan. Zero problems.

i'm curious how people would rank these eight factors in importance for success after weight loss after surgery. Which of these matters the most? Which matters the least? If you don't want to do all eight, even ranking the top three or providing some insight into your choices....could make for a fascinating look at how we approach our journeys. Diet Luck Exercise Supportive home environment Will to succeed Emotional stability Skill of surgeon Mental health Are there other important factors not listed here?

I have three scales. LOL. They sit in a row, and I hop on all of them once a week. After I weigh in at the doctor, I write on them with sharpie maker... +4 pounds, -2 pounds, +3 pounds (compared to what the doctor's scale said)....and of course, this changes each time I go to the doctor! The super fantastic scale at the gym also gets documented with how "off" my scales are. I know the general ballpark within a couple pounds if I kinda average it out and eyeball it. Two of my scales weigh a little light, one weighs a little heavy. The doctor's office and the gym don't even agree (have gone within and hour of each other with no fluids or pee breaks)....but it's all within a couple of pounds...so....meh. LOL I'm not sure we ever know what we really weigh. LOL. The important thing is to watch the trend, and make sure it's moving in the right direction:)

This might help:) https://www.oxygenmag.com/fat-loss/the-fit-womans-guide-to-body-fat-9235

Keep in mind that BMI is a VERY flawed measurement. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439 It's a good general ballpark for the masses, but it can grossly misjudge individual body types. To get the most accurate measurement to base a healthy weight goal on....you might consider body fat analysis. I did this, and found my body fat was in the healthy range at a much higher BMI because I carry significantly more muscle than average. Also, setting a goal weight is a personal preference and can change. I've seen a lot of people start with one goal and end up having a second or third goal. It's up to you. Your body, your choice. If you can correct your health issues and are more comfortable a little heavier, so what? I just reached my goal of getting under 28% body fat. I love my weight of 170 pounds and don't want to weigh any less...even though my BMI is incorrectly "overweight". My next goal is to get under 24% body fat. Not intending to lose any more weight, though. Am working on adding muscle:) Muscle=awesome metabolism. Best wishes!

5g per shake. Follow the Amazon link I gave you....it has a pic of the nutrition info.

If you do caramel you can get them on Amazon cheap. Free shipping with prime:) https://www.amazon.com/Premier-Protein-Shake-Caramel-Count/dp/B01LNQ2STK/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1532532156&sr=8-3&keywords=premier%2Bprotein%2Bshake&th=1 $16.66/12.....just like Sam's, but no membership fee. $1.39 each And delivered to your door, to boot! (Am still hooked on these as creamer in my coffee every morning......I dump about a third of a shake in a giant mug of coffee and get 10g or protein right outta the gate)

I very scientifically bought and tasted about 10 different products...had my family taste them, too. Premier Protein, hands down, was the most tolerable (to us, anywho) Some were truly gagworthy. Best Wishes!

About 24 hours:)

I know it's not super helpful advice....but seriously....you can't go off road. You need to make these decisions with the people doing the surgery and caring for you as you heal. Carb restrictive diet before surgery shrinks the liver and gives the surgeon space to work safely next to that spleen. (this depends a bit on the surgeon and their technique) But yeah....gotta work with your program and communicate everything. Safety first. Best wishes!

You need to speak to your surgical team about your concerns and follow their instructions.

My list would be... 1. Health. 2. Mobility. 3. Longevity. 4. Family 5. Looks 6. Romance (Will admit this might rank differently if I were not married to a solid guy for 25 years)

Eat more. Starvation level calories cause your body to halt weight loss to survive. Sounds counter intuitive, I know, but the reason you lost more with weight watchers is that you were eating a more reasonable number of calories and not setting off physiological defense mechanisms that safeguard against starvation.

Pre-surgical anxiety is extremely common.

Eat more. You are starving your body into halting weight loss.

Also, if you go to Mexico...make sure you have a support doctor at home who can help if anything comes up. Keep everyone in the loop.

Also....talk to your group about the calories you're eating and your inability to get your vitamins in....they might want to run some bloodwork to see if you're running short on iron. They'll have some good suggestions for helping you to get your diet straightened out, too. Hang in there...it gets better:)

Avocados and nuts are packed with calories and are very healthy foods that go down very easy. Consider protein bars, greek yogurt, refried beans, baked potato with lowfat cheese on top. All good early foods. Good luck!

You can get a pill crusher from the pharmacy...crush your pills and swallow the powder with a little sugar free Cool Whip. Works terrific! Get your protein in, even if you hate it. You need to protect your muscles from wasting....one of your muscles that can be harmed is your heart...so work hard on your protein goal. (drink the gross shakes if you have to) Make sure you're drinking enough water, too. Best wishes!

Isn't feeling sexy af...like....the best feeling in the world? LOL! Thanks! I'm pretty excited:)

WOOT! Lookin good, Sillykitty!

As it happens...I just took a poo...and hit goal:) LOL! I've already talked to my nutritionist about stopping the loss (knew goal was coming in the next week or two and discussed it last week). Will up my calories to 1400-1600 and see if that doesn't do the trick:) Still planning on eating really healthy, but it will be nice to have an extra calorie budget for more whole grains, fruits, healthy snacks after work outs. Will not be slowing up on my activity. Have started running again, and I'm addicted. Feels so damned good to be able to run again!!! Bring on the oatmeal with dried cherries and pecans for breakfast! Throw a little more avocado in my BLT wrap:) A yasso frozen yogurt bar after dinner? Don't mind if I do:) Will still keep my refined carbs under 75 calories per day, and will eat tons of beans, nuts and delicious stuff. LOVE my forever diet:)

1200 calories per day since week three after surgery. Will be upping calories to 1400-1600 for maintenance.

Man, I've got a lot of rants... LOL Got to thinking about kids and food and how we often say "I don't want to put my family on a diet just because I am...that's not fair" "I want to be a fun mom and give my kids a childhood...they don't need restrictions. They're kids, for Pete's sake!" And ya know....I was this Mom. And so was my mom. Ouch. She taught me that food=comfort and love. Ouch. She taught me that food=happiness. Ouch. She taught me that fun and celebration and warmth and good times were based around food. Ouch. She taught me that treats like candy and McDonalds are what you get for enduring the doctor's office, going someplace unpleasant, have a bad day, get hurt, need comfort. Ouch. She taught me to cook for everyone, bring treats to neighbors, feed people at work, list everything in the pantry to house guests, make their favorites, cook exquisite resplendent meals.....because feeding people means....you love them/appreciate them/want their respect/want to comfort them and put them at ease. She taught me to find out everyone's favorite drink and favorite snack...and to stock it when they visit. Everyone's favorite candy had to go in their stocking. Everyone's favorite snack at the slumber party. Everyone's favorite topping on their quarter of the pizza. Everyone's favorite ice cream... it didn't hurt me, did it? Wait...I ended up needing bariatric surgery for being morbidly obese. Oh. Crap. We need to rethink some of this stuff, folks. The thing about our kids? They share our genetics. Think about that. They've already got a genetic predisposition to obesity, even if they're thin now. We can't change that. But we CAN change their eating habits. We can change the ideas around food at our houses. We can change what we buy and what we teach them to eat regularly. We can give our kids a legacy of shopping farmers markets and helping them learn to cook really fun and satisfying foods with fruits and veggies. We can teach them to feed themselves good quality foods in appropriate amounts. We can pack them healthy lunches with more whole foods and less crap. We can change the theme of our home food culture....push for more activity and less candy. More walks and hikes and exploration, fewer video games and Netflix marathons. More bowls of cut up veggies in the fridge and fewer bowls of chips and cookies on the counter. We can change our celebrations to showcase fun activities, healthier snacks, more focus on togetherness, less focus on stuffing each other. "I don't want to put my family on a diet just because I am".......might need more thought. "I'm changing our entire household's eating habits because I want this cycle to end. I don't want them to face the issues I did. I want their lives and their relationship with food to be better than mine." Sometimes I think when we continue to feed our families junk while we diet....we create this feedback loop of longing for the comfort we feel we're giving them. And it's messed up...because again, it lacks compassion for ourselves. It continues to give food power and emphasis. Worse...it TEACHES that food is comfort and love....And it doesn't break the cycle:( I'm not saying kids shouldn't have treats and balance and junk food once in a while. God knows they will. LOL. And it's fine. I'm just sayin....we could do a lot to improve their everyday diets in ways that would serve them well in life. We could give them better skills and better prepare them for taking care of their health. We can provide a better normal. Do some thinking today about the food culture at your house growing up, the food culture you give your kids currently...and the food culture you hope your kids will have when they grow up. It's worth considering.

By the way....when you put your whiskey and water in a 16 ounce glass as described in your post......how many ounces of each are you using?