CrankyMagpie
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Everything posted by CrankyMagpie
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Unsupportive partners make me so angry!
CrankyMagpie replied to CrankyMagpie's topic in Rants & Raves
By the clear light of day, I can tell you with certainty: those posts will still make me angry, even when I'm feeling better. They made me angry when I was eating real food. They'll make me angry when I'm eating real food again. I might find it easier to brush them off, then? But these aren't new emotions. My being willing to say "feminist rage" on this forum is the only new thing, this week. @GreenTealael is right: it's better to be alone than to be with some of the partners I've read about on here. If my partner were half as awful to me, about all of this, as some of the stories I've read, I'd be single again. (I love him. I'm committed to him. But I expect him to treat me as an equal partner and someone worthy of respect. Happily, he does, which is no doubt a large part of why I love him.) -
Oh hey, just in case anyone else is feeling the chill in the air (northern hemisphere :)) and wanting some hot chocolate, you can do it with chocolate protein powder: https://www.foodcoach.me/recipe/protein-hot-chocolate/ I used Fairlife milk instead of almond milk. (Nut allergy. Also almond milk has crappy environmental and protein profiles, so I probably wouldn't use it even if I could.) I also threw in some cinnamon and (shh, I don't know if this is 100% OK on the pre-op liquid diet) a splash of vanilla extract.
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This is me sharing how I'm lucky in my housemate, which isn't going to make anyone who is frustrated feel better, probably. Feel free to skip. ❤️ My spouse isn't into the sugar substitutes, so "my" stuff is safe. He will also--I say this having done Ideal Protein (meat and low-carb veggies), Weight Watchers (low carb, low saturated fat), and Paleo-but-with-beans, but not having done purees for a month or more--generally eat whatever I cook. This week (liquid pre-op diet) has been a little hard. I nearly had to leave the room when he had an apple this afternoon. But we've got lots of foods I won't eat anymore for him to work through, and he is apparently perfectly happy to make himself a bowl of pasta and pour undoctored (uggghhhh) spaghetti sauce on it for dinner. Or to add frozen fruit to some yogurt and granola. So. I'm hoping that, once I'm back off of liquids, maybe he'll be OK with eating the ricotta bake on pasta, or with refried beans in a whole grain wrap--stuff to bulk up my meals and make them more like "normal" food, and also to let us eat together. I know he's happy with eggs/omelettes for dinner, so that's an easy one. He is not a super picky eater, and on the occasions when I make something he doesn't like (like a tuna salad or something with too much zucchini) he is capable of taking care of himself. He's not perfect--I married a human, after all--but he's good and supportive, and I appreciate him.
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If you aren't already, I'd grab a sharpie and start labeling all of the stuff that is yours with your name. It might not stop them, but at least they won't have plausible deniability, "oh, I didn't know that was just for you." And maybe they'll feel a tinge of guilt when they do it.
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Not doing great in pre-op diet
CrankyMagpie replied to sleevemebaby7781's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
@Spellbound a lot of us are liquid-only for the week before surgery. That's the boat I'm in and it sounds like where @sleevemebaby7781 hopefully is, now, too. Mine's 3-4 protein shakes per day, and I can swap one out with a strained cream soup, plus unlimited clear liquids (broth, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, protein water). Nothing solid. So, yeah, big salads and bunless burgers sound amazing right now. I would punch someone to have one of those. -
I'm on day 4 of liquids and have lost 6ish pounds. (I mean, on top of the three months of dieting.) If I can keep losing at this rate, I'll have hit my surgeon's "10% of starting body weight lost before surgery" goal before my surgery next Wednesday. I got him to let me slide in at the beginning of flu season, whether I hit the goal or not, because I work in public service and get bronchitis every winter. Bronchitis would push my surgery back to ... like, April, maybe, by the time I got better and they got me back on the schedule. But hitting the goal would still feel good.
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Meetup is nice, and you don't have to use it through the app unless you want to. It works equally well through the browser. Also, in a lot of places there are Meetups especially for singles, if you're feeling bold.
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Diabetic Burnout
CrankyMagpie replied to Queen Grandma's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
The American Diabetes Association has pretty good information. Here's a short article: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/bariatric-surgery.html I also read their book: https://www.amazon.com/Things-About-Diabetes-Weight-Loss-Surgery/dp/1580406149 The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery has a longer article: https://asmbs.org/patients/surgery-for-diabetes If you're interested in wading through medical studies, I'm happy to point you at some. I know that isn't everyone's cup of tea, so I didn't want to start there. The short version of what studies are finding is that many people (above a BMI of 35) experience a very fast improvement, so quickly after surgery that the drop in body weight can't possibly be the cause. There are a lot of theories about what the cause is, but there are enough pieces of evidence both in favor of and against each of them that it seems like the best answer is "it's a variety of mechanisms." No matter the reason, because of the speed of the change in people's diabetes after surgery, you might find that your current need for 100 grams of carbohydrates per day to keep your numbers stable may not be the case after surgery--almost certainly won't, in fact. (I'm not saying you will definitely be able to control your diabetes with diet alone -- it happens for some people, but some others are merely able to decrease their reliance on medications. Just, the things you know about your body will change.) Someone posted the Kaiser Permanente list of post-surgery foods on here, not long ago, which I only remember because they were throwing carbs in there right away, where my surgeon's nutritionists are very focused on protein, then vegetables and fruits, and only much later carbs. So different places will have different rules, and if you want a look at that particular set, to see how it matches up with your needs (keeping in mind that those may change!), that might be worthwhile! Anyway, best of luck in making your decision! -
350 degrees until soft, or ... ? Do you take off the skin (from either)? I had never considered combining apples and pumpkin, and I am intrigued! Thanks for sharing!
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Updated list for people to find their surgery buddies! (Please don't quote this whole post to get added or removed; just @ me to get my attention. But also, I'm following this thread, so I'll probably see it. ) Oct 1: aapb79Gmail.com chicagogirl74 chuckwalsh clara1900 cw19147 irishgal21 JennieJuniper momofmjbm Red Alicia Yare_2018 Oct 2: cindy t Deanayeah Lizzieming Marla522 nikoleroze Oct517 Oct 3: boringtessa crankymagpie mamadownsizing sekud02 Oct 4: AriesMary25 btrfly kerbear1980 mspink702 rnchaveri1 sleevemebaby7781 swisskath Oct 5: rafc100 Suesloosinit Oct 8: Crystalmartin82 jhojho90 Oct 9: bigcurt mailchickie76 Oct 10: busyforever fandangle MeeAhhh oct102018 Oct 11: aussie Ange healthygirl05 kathy060464 UncleBeezy willowfinely Oct 12: afer0841 zpratt Oct 14: katiemarie22 Oct 15: allyb15 annaisbananas JessLess MegsNiko (or maybe the 17th?) recreating_courtney Oct 16: 2shea beccaconaty87 br3n Thisismytime Oct 17: Chello219 Grapefruit JustKeepSwimming OpsMatt Oct 18: shazz73 Oct 22: clb164 kimberlymi laceco marciamae3474 Oct 23: kdiddle31 mimi tahoegirl96118 Oct 24: Beachladee3 GirlShrinking tuttlemomma Oct 25: AndreaK. kiwiangel23 Oct 26: carebear38 shany1567 Oct 29: 1BigHeart jflower88 kjallen nedawson1908 Rgiannos Oct 30: sleevegirl88 Oct 31: relaxrelaterelease
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Pre-Op - Full vs Clear liquids...
CrankyMagpie replied to sleevemebaby7781's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
My surgeon's clear liquids list looks similar to @MargoCL's, but I asked, and protein waters are also OK for us. They also listed Powerade Zero and watered-down G-2 (or the new zero sugar Gatorade!). Also, we are allowed to have caffeine. It's weird how different all the programs are. (I mean. It isn't. There haven't been enough studies done for a common set of best practices to have emerged, yet.) -
On day 3 of the pre-op liquid diet. As predicted, those days of low-carb beforehand probably made this all easier. I was foggy yesterday, but it could have been any number of things (the rain, chronic illness, low calories, or no caffeine). The hunger has been there, but not totally unmanageable (I say, having eaten 8 servings of sugar-free jello in three days, because that's on my "unlimited" list and it fills in nicely around the shakes). Maybe it's because I've been sleeping so much this week, though--I'm not awake long enough to be hungry 😂
I gave in and had one bag of caffeinated tea today. Don't look at me like that--my surgeon allows up to 16 ounces of coffee or tea per day, at all points during our program. I was only cutting it out because I don't much want headaches when I'm healing from surgery. I do, however, find that I need a little bit of caffeine to do my homework. Maybe not every week, but this week we're doing ... complicated things you all don't care about.
Cutting down from the amount of coffee I was having to one bag of tea is still something I'm proud of. And the headaches I get when I skip it are manageable enough that I'm not stressed about this one thing, post-op, anymore. (I maybe can't concentrate like I'd like to, but I can read and go on walks!)
Anyway, three days (almost) down, three more to go, then one of only clear liquids (jello, broth, and protein water), and then the big day! ... And then probably several more weeks of liquids only, but I'm not focusing on that right now. 😁 -
Just protein shakes, for more than a week, seems cruel. Broth is a nice change from sweetness, and you do get some protein from that... but it's not exactly a meal substitute. And it's such a weird rule, when appropriate soups are available. I guess people aren't awesome at following directions, though, so the worry is that people will sub in Campbell's when they should be having one of those high-protein diet soups. Anyway, that stinks, and I'm sorry.
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@JennieJuniper I'm only on day 2, but I will say the high-protein cream of broccoli soup mix I had yesterday really saved the day for me. I'm going to do that every day. It was not sweet, and I could eat it with a spoon--delightful! (Though I'm going to have to strain it, because the brand I bought has tiny pieces of broccoli in it, alas.)
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My advice is to figure out what you want from it. If having a semi-accurate heart rate monitor with you all the time is important, that'll drive you one way. If having something that doesn't get in your way and maybe isn't even obviously a tracker is important, that'll drive you another way. Do you need it to serve as a watch? How important is sleep tracking? How many other things do you need it to interact with--a scale or your smart lightbulbs or something? (Look, I don't judge.) The apps vary in quality, but most of the big names integrate with MyFitnessPal, if that's important to you. I'm pretty into my Misfit Ray which I can wear with a bracelet on the same wrist. It seems accurate enough on the step counts. The app is OK? It's not as fully featured as, say, the Fitbit app, but it works well enough for me. I can't get the swimming functionality to work right, but that might just be that I'm a crappy swimmer, with bad form. 😂 It talks to MyFitnessPal and Baritastic. It seems to give me a decent read on sleep time and quality. I've tried out several, so depending what you need I might be able to point you in the right direction, if the Ray isn't the right tracker for you.
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Going out to eat
CrankyMagpie replied to photogirl70's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
This may not be relevant for photogirl, since her question was specifically about restaurants, but we've wandered into "you can do other things to spend time socially" territory, and I just want to bring up my new favorite "meet friends and hang out" alternative: coffee shops! And tea shops, too, of course, if you have them. Sharing a beverage with someone is as good as sharing a meal, I find. -
My team doesn't require that we stop coffee, either. It's fine. The diuretic effects are strong for people who don't drink coffee much, but if you're a regular coffee drinker, the effect is minimal. Acid is a concern, so I went ahead and weaned myself off. I mean, I was still having two cups of tea for caffeine as of yesterday, so maybe that past-tense verb isn't accurate. Anyway, when I venture back into Coffee Land, post-op, I'm going to start with cold brew concentrate or pick up one of the low-acid coffee blends they sell here. (Though I'm not sure? if any of them are bird-safe? I'll have to look into it.) One added benefit of not drinking coffee is that it's easier to hit your goals with hydrating fluids, early on. So, if your team doesn't ban coffee, you aren't alone. And you can decide how you want to handle that!
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Not doing great in pre-op diet
CrankyMagpie replied to sleevemebaby7781's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
My liquid-only diet is only a week, so (I am not a doctor but) I would guess you can still salvage it if you stay liquid-only from this point forward. I know it's a scary option, but to be certain, you could always ask your team? -
Today is day one of my liquid only diet. (For me that's four protein shakes and unlimited sf jello, sf popsicles, and broth.) I did myself a favor and went no-carb (except for some vegetables) for the last three days, to try to stave off hunger a bit and make the transition easier. I think I will thank myself for that.
I'm going ahead and cutting out the last of caffeine now, too, even though my surgeon doesn't require it. I can't imagine coffee settles well on a newly post-op stomach, and black tea can mess with opioids' effectiveness--who needs that?! I was down to two tea bags' worth of caffeine, most days, so I might? not? get horrible headaches?
I'm having a decaf coffee now, though, in the hopes that I can convince my body that we're OK, we aren't depriving ourselves of anything we need.
Anyway, cheers to other early October surgery folks who have started or are about to start the liquid diet! We've got this! 👊-
I think you're going to do amazing, you have a lot of discipline. You definitely got this!
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Cash cost in the US
CrankyMagpie replied to 2Bsmaller18's topic in Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery
That's going to vary a lot by state. It's cheaper in Las Vegas, I hear, but here in Pennsylvania a self-pay surgery is going to cost me around $12k for the sleeve (which is an easier surgery to perform, so RNY would cost more; sorry, I'm not sure how much). That includes one night of hospital stay and the surgeon's and anesthesiologists' fees, plus 1-2 post-op visits. It doesn't include any of the required testing or the required meetings with the nutritionists and psycologist beforehand, but a lot of time insurance will help with those things, even if they're not covering the surgery itself. -
Updated list of October sleevers' surgery dates. Reminder: don't quote this whole post to get met to add you; just @ me or really just comment in this thread, and I'll see it Oct 1: @aapb79Gmail.com @chicagogirl74 @chuckwalsh @clara1900 @irishgal21 @JennieJuniper @momofmjbm @Red Alicia @Yare_2018 Oct 2: @cindy t @Deanayeah @Lizzieming @Marla522 @nikoleroze @Oct517 Oct 3: @boringtessa @crankymagpie @mamadownsizing @sekud02 Oct 4: @AriesMary25 @btrfly @kerbear1980 @rnchaveri1 @sleevemebaby7781 @swisskath Oct 5: @Suesloosinit Oct 8: @Crystalmartin82 @jhojho90 Oct 9: @bigcurt @mailchickie76 Oct 10: @busyforever @fandangle @MeeAhhh @oct102018 Oct 11: @aussie Ange @healthygirl05 @kathy060464 @UncleBeezy @willowfinely Oct 12: @afer0841 @zpratt Oct 14: @katiemarie22 Oct 15: @allyb15 @annaisbananas @MegsNiko (or maybe the 17th?) @recreating_courtney Oct 16: @2shea @beccaconaty87 @br3n @Thisismytime Oct 17: @Chello219 @JustKeepSwimming @OpsMatt Oct 18: @shazz73 Oct 22: @clb164 @kimberlymi @laceco Oct 23: @kdiddle31 @tahoegirl96118 Oct 24: @Beachladee3 @GirlShrinking @tuttlemomma Oct 25: @AndreaK. @kiwiangel23 Oct 29: @jflower88 @kjallen Oct 30: @sleevegirl88 Oct 31: @relaxrelaterelease
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Surgery in 12 days...Do I buy things beforehand?
CrankyMagpie replied to Oct517's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Bone broth has extra collagen and nutrients, compared to standard broth. But standard broth is fine, too. -
Chicken Noodle Soup
CrankyMagpie replied to melrey521's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
A lot of my surgeon's patients order strained chicken noodle soup at a local restaurant chain during the liquid phase. The restaurant doesn't mind taking the noodles and meat out and just serving you the broth (hey, it makes some other customers really happy to get the extra!), and you get the full flavor profile and some of the comforting aspects of chicken noodle soup without anything that might hurt you. In the puree stage I'd be tempted to make my own, instead, and to use veggie noodles instead of, you know, pasta noodles. And then run that through a blender, of course. You can also buy chicken noodle soup mix from this site, I think? and from DietDirect. That'll have more protein than Campbell's. -
Liquid diet phase.. loose stools?
CrankyMagpie replied to Anita watson's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
If it does, you can add some salt to your diet to help mitigate it. -
Can we please talk smell!?!?!
CrankyMagpie replied to fmellnick's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
When you say "brush," do you mean that literally? Do you use the same kind of brush as, like, a back brush, or something else? I'd love to transition to natural deodorant!
