Taj

Hi Cherice. I’ve decided to follow the plan posted by SarahSingh, simply because I can only eat 1oz in 1/2 hour. So far that’s working much better for me today. Did take 1-1/2 hours to drink a 6 oz protein shake but I did get it down and it stayed down. I guess it’s down to we have to do what works for our bodies and 3 meals doesn’t work for everyone. My surgeon’s office actually says 3 meals and no snacks for sleeve patients. At 1 oz of food per meal I would be starving on 3 meals and I’m pretty sure that’s why my weight-loss was stalled week 4 when I started soft foods. Take it slow and listen to your body. Our fellow January babies have been a wealth of information and help for me.

Hi Sarah. No message received. But thank you so very much for posting it again. I find it so much easier to follow your and BadWolfGirl’s very detailed instructions and sincerely appreciate the help you’ve given me. I’m no longer trying to do 3 meals per day and actually following something closer to your 8 small meals plan because my sleeve refuses to accept more than 1 oz food or 2 oz protein shake at one time. I was getting frustrated but both your plans helped me understand that not everyone will be able to eat 2 full oz and it’s okay to go back to purée and protein shakes if my stomach isn’t ready for soft foods. Appreciate you both so much!!

Thank you so much!!! This is great.

It’s so nice that you and SarahSingh are making delicious recipes and sharing them with us. I will definitely be trying your chicken recipe. Would you mind posting your week 5&6 diet? I’m ending week 5 tomorrow and still not able to eat more than 1oz of soft food, except snow crab, and after eating it every day this week I’ve even had enough of that.

Unjury southwest taco chili protein powder in 6oz warm water, 1 oz fresh snow crab, 1/2 oz Parmesan, mozzarella cheese blend. So delicious and was able to eat the full cup with no restriction.

Looking great!! Looks like you’ve already lost a couple of inches.

Surgery Day and today

Thank you!! Haven’t seen cheekbones in a while but I think I’ll actually be able to see my entire face by my 55th birthday mid-March. I love looking at before and after pics but always forget to take the before pics. Glad my grandson had his little Polaroid handy. lol

They catch many things on the subway.

Someone suggested using a coffee cup warmer to keep food warm for our 30 minute meals. Tried it and it just didn’t work for me. Found this on Amazon and love it. Would have liked having this when I was working but it’s great for at home. Keeps my food warm the entire meal. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07K7VP9LC?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Thank you!! Went to visit my grandbabies before surgery and my grandson insisted on taking a pic of me and his baby sister. I’m glad he did because I had been avoiding the camera for so long that it’s one of only maybe 3 pre-op pics.

My 5 year old grandson took the pic with my granddaughter on 12/30/19. Other pic taken just now.

It’s funny because Naltrexone was developed for opium addicted and alcoholics and at the time my bariatric doctor was prescribing it off labor because it was proven to reduce sugar cravings. They now have a weightloss drug called Contrave and it’s a combination of naltrexone and bupropion. When I was taking it five years ago I’m pretty sure the pharmacist thought I was a Verizon addict or alcoholic because they always looked at me in a strange way and it wasn’t my imagination. I tried the Contrave but it didn’t work for me because the dosage of naltrexone is too low. My current bariatric surgeon said if my sugar/carb cravings come back she will prescribe the naltrexone again. It really was a miracle drug for me and the first time I really understood what it meant to be an addict and changed my perception of people addicted to drugs. The sense of freedom I felt to no longer crave and eat carbs until I was about to burst is indescribable. I’Ly’s not just about breaking a habit like smoking. There is a chemical imbalance and going months or even years without sugar will not “cure” us of addiction to sugar. 25 years ago I was a body builder and for over 3 years I lived a low carb life. Got pregnant with my daughter and went into early labor. Put on complete bed rest for 3 months so had to stop weightlifting and jogging. My church family was cooking my meals, which was a lot of rice and pasta and chicken. Beggars can’t be choosy so I ate whatever they brought and in those 3 months my weight ballooned to over 200lbs for the first time in my life. I did manage to lose weight after my daughter’s birth but never was able to get back to my goal weight of 145 until I was put on Naltrexone.

That’s really really sweet of you!! I’m 4 weeks, 3 days post-op and on soft foods for two weeks. If not too much trouble, would love to see your instructions for 6 weeks forward. Thank you so much for offering to share your info.

Isn’t it crazy how our body is addicted to the very thing that’s bad for us? The only way I was able to resist carbs was because my doctor put me on naltrexone 50mg daily and for the first time in my life I was able to not only not even want carbs, I no longer wanted wine or any alcohol. I really thought I had the carb addiction beat but as soon as I stopped taking naltrexone the insane cravings returned. Add menopause to those cravings and I put back on 50 pounds in less than 6 months. The worst thing about insulin resistance is that my body couldn’t even process good carbs in fruit and eating fruit triggers my cravings for all carbs. People don’t understand that not all weight gain comes from bad eating. I gain weight even if I eat too much fruit. So glad to have someone here who understands that for some people, even good sugar is bad for us. I absolutely loved the way I felt physically on the Whole Foods diet, my body was so clean that I could actually smell the odor from meat eating people. I could smell everything!! It was as if all of my senses were heightened!! Maybe my new sleeve has changed my physiology, seeing that I can’t tolerate fat I might be able to process fruit now. I’ll definitely try again when I’m on regular foods.

I’m thankful that I can do both warm and cold. What’s weird is that I used to hate warm drinks, I would heat my coffee in the microwave right after it was made. Now I can’t tolerate anything too hot. I was also a HUGE straw junky. The only cup my lips touched was a paper coffee cup, everything else I needed a straw-one of my ocd issued of not wanting to put my mouth on a glass or cup because some people don’t thoroughly was glass and cup rims. My solution is my toddler sippy cup. Feels just like drinking from a straw and I do take it with me everywhere and don’t care if people wonder why a 54 year old woman is drinking from a sippy cup. lol

I’m obsessed with details and would have loved having a book like this.

Sarah Singh and BadWolfGirl, your tummy’s might surprise you, as mine has with rejecting all fats. A few years ago I did an intensive bariatric weightloss program through NYU and learned that my body was insulin resistant. I did the weightloss program because I had done a Whole Foods diet for six months and even though I felt fantastic and my skin was glowing, hair was shiny and beautiful and allergies completely cleared up, I DEVELOPED HIGH CHOLESTEROL and only lost 6 pounds in six months, despite also doing 1 hour of intensive cardiovascular exercise five days per week. I was overweight but at every physical my pcp said my numbers were healthier than healthy (her words). The bariatric doctor put me on a low carb diet and I lost 50 pounds in five months and my cholesterol dropped to normal. I put the weight back on in the last two years because I stopped eating low carb and menopause and I stopped working so no more daily commuting on the NYC subway which is walking blocks and climbing stairs daily. At any rate, not sure what I’ll do if my tummy doesn’t want any fat so hoping it will get better for me. Today my husband felt so bad that I haven’t been able to eat anything but snow crab that he came home from work (on the crowded subway) and drove me to Stop & Shop in rush hour traffic to buy me snow crab. And yay!! I was able to eat it!! And I didn’t overeat, even though I felt like I was starving.

I’m also doing the intermittent fasting. No food after 6pm and no liquid after 9pm (to help me not wake up every two hours to pee). I wake up between 6-6:30 and have decaf coffee black or hot lemon water until 8:30 and a protein shake at 9am for my first meal. I’ve wanted to be able to do this for years so I am so happy to have this tool to help me vanquish my late night eating.

Omg!! That’s a lot of eating!! I had the same issue with snacking and that was a major habit I had to break so I’m doing 3 meals per day. For now it’s still two protein shakes and one “meal” if I can get down 1 oz of something. So far, stomach still rejecting everything but snow crab-of course something expensive. Thank you for positing your dietary plan!!

The fake crab is disgusting to me. It’s hard to describe but it’s like an intense burning in your sternum. You will definitely know it when you eat something your stomach doesn’t want. Thank you for posting your dietary plan. It is so much more detailed than what my surgeon gives. I mentioned before, even though she wrote a very informative book about wls, her only focus, IMO, is performing the surgery and her instructions given at the nutritionist’s office are vague and disorganized. Thanks to you for posting the Dr. V link because those videos, plus all of the information and tips from the people here have helped me tremendously.

Here’s a pic of the box. They sell it everywhere-GNC, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Whole Foods, and many grocery stores

Smooth Move been using it for over twenty years and no dependence developed. Before surgery I was regular and using the tea maybe once a week. I’m having a hard time now simply because my body is freaking out. lol

Noooo. Don’t be scared. I’m wondering if my tummy is rejecting everything because I was so afraid of stretching my pouch. Our head really does controls our body. I’m just taking it very very slow now. I see recipes of what other people are eating during soft foods and regret ever worrying about not feeling restriction while on liquids. So far the only thing I’ve been able to eat is snow crab. But it’s sooooo expensive!!! A little sad after eating one tiny bite of other stuff that tastes so good and tummy rejects it. But I know one day, when I’m able to eat more, I’ll look back and wish I had more restriction. lol

Neither did I during the liquid stage. I was able to sip so easily that I was afraid my sleeve wasn’t small enough. Began soft foods and boy oh boy-restriction doesn’t even come close to describing how little I can actually eat. If I get try to get down more than 1 oz in half hour I feel like I ate a whole pig and I’m lucky if I don’t get the foamies. I have to walk around after every bite. It’s now taking longer to get down a full protein drink. Used to be 1/2 hour for 8 oz protein shake now it takes 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Apparently my new baby tummy is very finicky. I guess my biggest fear is stretching my sleeve so if I feel restriction after two bites I wait half hour and try something different or just drink a protein shake (learned that from Dr. V). When you take a bite and feel that burn the second you swallow you’ll ask yourself why you were ever concerned about not feeling restriction.