AngieBear

We played hooky and went to the coast. It was a very low tide, so my walk was on the beach, with some fun rock scrabbles thrown in.

That would be awesome with tofu!

This is wonderful, thank you.

“I recently had bariatric surgery and am on a restricted diet.” I say it matter of fact, with confidence. If it’s someone I know well, I don’t care if they know. If it’s a stranger, well, what do I care if they judge me?

Those grilled cabbage steaks look AMAZING! I’m saving that one for when I can eat all the veggies again.

My dietician cleared me to try small bits of whatever proteins because I’ve had no issues yet. And tiny bits avocado, etc. I’ve been going to the fancy schmancy grocery store and getting things from the salad/hot food bar. They are much better cooks than I am, and it’s fulfilling my want for flavor and variety after a month of protein shakes and whatnot. Today I had tiny bits of: meatball, salami, tempeh, tofu, edamame, and mushroom, with a smidge of blue cheese on top. It felt very decadent.

I’ll be following this with interest. I’m only a month out, but starting to build up my cardio again in anticipation of an active summer. I can restart lifting in another week and a half (yay! Maybe my belt will actually fit again). I went in to my last dietician appt. with a list of questions, looking for ideas on how to fuel my adding distance onto my trail runs, hike long hikes, and backpacking trips. She was absolutely no help, she just kept saying “you are so much more active than we generally see”. I’ve got some things figured out, but I know that there will be a lot of trial and error. Prior to surgery, I did need to deload every 6 weeks or so, once I got into my 2nd year of lifting. I am fully expecting to do that again. For fuel, though, I have ideas but nothing solid. I’m interested to see what you figure out and what works for you.

It’s frustrating, no doubt. It WILL pass, though.

I had a list of goals/behavior changes to check off and maintain for a month to qualify through my program. A weight loss of 5% of my body weight was one of the goals.

This is exactly what happened to me. I expected it, and my logical brain was okay with it, the rest of me was freaked out that I’d be the one person that has surgery, follows the plan and doesn’t lose. Its tough not to stress about it. I’ve found that having fitness/exercise goals also can help give you something to “win” at even when the scale is being uncooperative.

I am right there with you. I cannot wait until I’m cleared for veggies.

One more!

Went on a little walk yesterday with my partner. It was lovely. This garden is a series of ponds and creeks hooked up to the wastewater treatment plant that help lower the water temperature before it enters the waterways. The green stuff on the ponds isn’t algae, it’s duckweed. There are a TON of ducks there, lots of babies right not.

I’m a powerlifter and know the impacts. I have a cage in my garage, that I actually use. I am ALL THE WAY IN on lifting. It’s one of the best things you can do for your body. My issue I brought up was with the daily calorie count. I’ve been stalled due to overestimating burns and underestimating intake. It’s a VERY frustrating place to be. As questioning the burn count was not something other posters had brought up, and it’s the first place I’d look given the extremely high burn numbers he cited, I thought it relevant.

James Fell is pretty trusted in the fitness/nutrition communities, and he does cite his sources in that article. The numbers he states are close to the numbers you gave: 6 cals burn for muscle, 2-3 for fat. We are in agreement, and have been apparently? That the watch numbers are most likely off. That’s what I stated in my original post. Your initial “correcting” me by pointing out that he burns more due to muscle mass (not in disagreement, never said he doesn’t, just not the outrageous amounts his watch claims) gave the impression that you thought my initial assessment to not trust his watch was off. If that’s not the case, I wonder why you jumped in to disagree with me, when we are clearly not in disagreement? The advice you gave to get his BMR tested is solid.

On the high end, depending on his actual muscle mass. Which is FAR different than the 4500-5500 his watch is claiming. 800-1800 cals a day different. Also of note is that your body will become more efficient at certain exercises - like walking, lowering your calorie burn while doing it. Unfortunately, adding muscle does not increase your rmr like what we would like. This article by James Fell breaks it down pretty well. https://www.latimes.com/health/la-xpm-2011-may-16-la-he-fitness-muscle-myth-20110516-story.html

Do you have access to a barbell and weights? If so, hip thrusts are very effective. You can check out Bret Contreras’s videos on YouTube.

Calorie burns on Apple watches are notoriously high. It is on all fitness trackers, but I’ve noticed my watch is the worst I’ve had. Walking a mile burns approximately 80 cals, if that, lifting less than a couple hundred in an hour, depending. Of course both are still awesome things to do. About 5 years ago I lost 100 lbs through just diet and exercise (it came back, of course). I was powerlifting and trail running. I remember stalling because I didn’t realize how far off the exercise burn counts were. A LOT. Of course, bodies are different after surgery. But it’s a good thing to keep in mind.

It was easier to get in warm liquids (broth), a bit at a time. We picked up a little one cup hot plate (I think they are usually for keeping tea warm). It was really helpful.

Healthy_life2 and Fluffy gave some great advice. They are very knowledgeable, and a treasure to this board. I’m only a month out, but the memories of the first couple of weeks are very fresh. It was rough. I felt like getting my liquids and some protein in was a full time job. Drinking is a lot easier now. By week 3 I could eat very soft cheese (like laughing cow), eggface’s ricotta bake (that recipe is LEGIT), high-protein low-carb yogurt, soft scrambled eggs, puréed salmon spread. Week 4, last week, I was able to add in some softly cooked brown meat chicken (I have a Sous vide, so it’s easy to keep it soft and not overcook it, I highly recommend that gadget) and softly cooked salmon. I could get in about 1/8 - 1/4 cup in. I have to go very slowly, like taking 20-30 minutes to eat it, and chew the daylights out of it. I’ve progressed to being able to try little bits of most types of meats. I’m still learning to listen to my body’s signals that it’s full, so I go by measurements. 1/4 cup of food per meal, 3 meals per day, and 1 protein shake for a snack (half in the afternoon, half in the evening/night). I can add bits of salsa, etc. for flavor, which keeps down the monotony. I’m still going to be chewing for a long long time, and may forever. It’s not a bad thing. I enjoy my meals a lot more. I can add in non-starchy veggies in at the 3 month mark, as long as I’m getting the protein in. The chewing a ton and not drinking water 1/2 hour before and 1/2 hour after a meal were some of the behaviors that I had to develop prior to surgery. My program was pretty rigorous, but I think it prepared me fairly well. You’ll get used to this new way of being. There are so many wonderful proteins and non starchy veggies out there. I’m still going to indulge in fruit here and there, but it will be a bite of fresh strawberry, or a blackberry off a vine or a huckleberry or two while I’m hiking. And I will enjoy the hell out of it.

Every month for 6 months before surgery, and every month for at least 6 months after. I had a list of behaviors to incorporate prior to approval. My program is pretty rigorous. I am glad I had that time and coaching prior to surgery, I think it helped get me prepared for life after surgery. On Friday I have my first post-surgery appt. with a dietician. I have a list of questions, like suggestions for on long hikes and backpacking. She’s a great resource, and specializes in surgery patients and their needs. I’m a fan. I’d hunt one out that you can work with longer term.

Most of my swimming is in lakes and creeks while hiking/backpacking or kayaking. So what I wear needs to be adventure ready. I have some new swim trunks that are like bike shorts, sports bra, and an athletic top that dries fast. That’s if there are other people around. If it’s just us, then the sports bra and shorts come off, as just undies and the light top will dry faster. I love tankinis, and have a couple. I just never end up using them.

I have been giving away my clothes as I shrink. My pictures span decades, and it’s part of who I am. There are so many amazing memories in them, they stay.

I didn’t need help, but it was nice to have.

Ok, I started running again last week. It was slow and I walked up some hills, but it felt so great being in the woods. Western OR in spring: