ShoppGirl

Thanks. I’m actually looking for shorts that are to be seen but just something basic to walk around the neighborhood for exercise. I broke down and bought some bike shorts to wear until I find something I like better and I guess they aren’t awful. I just don’t feel super confident in them.

Btw you magic quiche looks good. 😊

I have actually been sleeping better. I think it’s because of the exercise BUt, my sleep schedule is off. I stay up later and sleep in ever since the surgery. If I wake up early I have to take a nap. If you are prone to tossing and turning a lot during the night I could see where you may be moving in a few at that hurts a bit and wakes you up though??

Awesome. Thank you both. I need to check to see which of those I have available to me. Especially since I know that I will be eating them again and I will eventually eat more than one meatball. I did figure out how you can enter a meals name then enter in all the macros yourself but I would definitely rather just use one that calculates that all for me. .

Thank you for validating what I was feeling on the treadmill. I was trying to watch tv which was not directly in front of me too because it’s angled from the corner of the room but the treadmill was too close to it (kinda hard to explain) anyways, it did hurt my stomach worse so I had to quit. Also, mine can’t really go 2.0 mph. Anything less than 3.0 and it sputters…..is that the right word? I thought maybe it was my weight because I remember I was close to the high weight for it last time before I had surgery but that would make it 250 and I’m 228 now and it worked then at 335. In any case it’s really hard to keep my balance when that’s going on so I upped the speed and that didn’t hurt at first but caught up to me. I just don’t understand the bar that you cannot reach, lol, that thing makes no sense to me as I’m wishing I had something to grab and keep my balance. Awesome job sticking to just your protein and nothing more at the hospital. Especially when bored and worried about him and probably tired and all the things that would make us want to eat before all of this. Congratulations on getting cleared for soft foods. I started mine yesterday and it was so nice to be able to chew something. On that website that was suggested the fitness coach said she told her patients to do two bites of protein and one of veggie and I sorta stuck to that. I still obviously have to supplement with shakes that way but I would anyways so I figured it’s good for me to get into that habit. Hopefully my team will agree that is a good strategy. I’m not sure how early you get up but my time varies so I set alarms beginning at 9AM for my vitamins. I have been getting up at 8 and that works great I drink my protein shake and take my multi vitamin and stool softener by 9. Then the three calcium’s are 12, 3 and 6. Then at 9 I take my magnesium and stool softener. Basically every 3 hours I take something. I also added reminders in the Baritastic App so I can check it off each time which helps me to not question if I just turned off the alarm or if I actually took it. I’m really hoping they don’t add anything else or I will have to wake up in the middle of the night to take vitamins 😆 Congratulations on your non scale victory. I’m sure that others can see your 30 pound loss. It’s sometimes difficult for us to see in the mirror. It’s called body dysmorphia. People chat about it all the time in here who have lost 100 pounds and don’t see it. Three things that may help are side by side photos, taking measurements and if you look on Amazon they have a replica of one or five pounds of fat. You can visualize SIX of them big five pounders and see that IS ALOT!! it’s great that you are evaluating your hungry feeling to see if they are from the actual need for nutrition. When the hunger came back for me post sleeve that’s when things started to go wrong for me. I started giving into those feelings and I hadn’t changed my diet enough so the larger portions and more frequent meals and snacks added up quicker than if it was healthy foods. That’s why this time every healthy meal I make and actually like is a huge win for me as something to put into my Arsenal for when I am feeling hunger again. it sounds like you are really starting to get back into your groove. I’m so glad to hear it. Keep allowing yourself to take them little naps if you need them. It takes a while to get back to 100%’ from any major surgery. Never mind on the reduced calories we are taking in.

I’m so sorry to hear about the lasagna. If that’s your favorite I bet you will really enjoy the ricotta bake when you get to purée. It’s basically lasagna without the noodles Just be sure the marinate doesn’t have chunks or that you purée it if it does. I’m so glad to hear that you finally feel ready. Good luck tomorrow.

First of all Happy Birthday. 🎁 and congrats on your 20 pounds loss and your first non scale victory (the stairs) 🎉. The chili was a really good choice and good for you sticking to a couple of bites of the cake. Your husband sounds super sweet and supportive. They actually have a birthday cake yogurt too. I can’t remember what brand it was but went I seen it I was like ooh I’ll have to remember that. I do log my food. I actually use the Baritastic App and it has worked great so far but i ran into a snag with it tonight. I made Turkey meatballs and it does have Turkey meatballs in the database but I’m pretty sure they are smaller than mine were because one meatball was way less calories than I estimated. I wish it had a way to add a recipe and say how many servings you had. I like the app because my phone is always with me and it also notifies you to take your vitamins and to drink and all that if you set it up. Plus you can log your measurements and weight. The book certainly is sufficient too if that’s what works for you though.

Well tonight was kind of a bummer. Started off great when my Turkey meatballs were so INCREDIBLE and even my hubby was like you made these? Like not from a bag? And they are healthy?? I was like yes, yes, seriously yes. He was like these are really good. He actually eats relatively healthy but it’s all just chicken or fish and a vegetable. Nothing with more than two ingredients. 🤣 So now for my dissapointment. I have walked two nights now and last night messed up my time but the rain stopped. Tonight it is almost dark and still raining pretty hard. Well my husband moved my little folding treadmill onto the back porch and set it up for me. I did ten minutes before my right side started to hurt (like in my belly) so I stopped. I am thinking that it is because that thing is so narrow and it uses core muscles to balance on it?? It’s not like the big wide ones at the gym since it’s portable it’s much smaller. Anyways I am Just bummed. I set my alarm for early tomorrow at sunrise. I’m already in my workout clothes and I didn’t sweat so I’m just going to sleep in them and the plan is to get up, put my shoes on and go. I imagine I will come home and nap after I shower but thats okay I guess. Well, enough from me. I hope everyone else has had a really good holiday weekend and didn’t eat too far off plan if you went to any holiday BBQ’s. I was invited a couple of places but they were just courtesy invites. They know I can’t ever handle the heat. I used to go and leave in 20 minutes but now I don’t even bother. With any luck, next year that will be different. 🤞

How are you doing?

I was one to think the purée phase was awful too. In fact when I had the sleeve I at the same two things over and over just because it sounded so repulsive to me. This time I got a food processor and was so glad. I still wasn’t a fan of the meat being puréed but I did purée almost everything else and after all the liquids some of it actually tasted pretty good. You can do it either way though. It will fly by. Ugh, teenagers can be so stupid sometimes. I remember doing some pretty disrespectful things as a teen that I am still ashamed of when I look back though. They just don’t get it yet. I’m glad that you didn’t let it stop you. I am one to worry about what others think which is why I am only starting to exercise outside now because I finally decided that this is for me and only me. If someone doesn’t want to see me trying to get healthier they can look away. Good call on the recipe books. Someone in my August surgery group also posted a really great website for recipes. I will share that one too. Most of it is free but they do have a subscription deal so some of it is blocked. I have been scrolling through since they shared it. There are over 600 recipes it says but like I said some of them are blocked unless you pay to be member. The lady is a dietician that creates the recipes so they really are good and healthy. Good Luck at your appt with the surgeon. 🩵 https://www.bariatricfoodcoach.com/weight-loss-surgery-recipes/

Found another product that is really awesome. It’s called a running belt by HAWEEL, but I got it for walking. It’s like a Fanny pack but it’s flat and has three pockets. The middle one holds you phone and the one on the left zips opens at the top and the bottom and has a mesh pocket sewn into it that drops out so you can put a bottled water in there. It has an adjustable band so it I’ll work for many sizes (although I only have maybe 4 or 5 inches to spare with it loose enough to not bug my incisions and my waist is currently 45” so I’m thinking it goes up to 50” but will go down to our goal weights). It has another pocket for like a key and some cash and it’s water resistant plus it has a reflective strip across the front for if you get stuck out when it’s dark (doesn’t go across the back though so if you plan to be out in the dark I would get a sash or vest or whatever that’s reflective). Anyways it’s only $16!! There are others on AMAZON that only fit a certain size, won’t fit a water, don’t have the reflective strip and they are like $40 which we would need a new one every couple of months. I am so thrilled with this thing. Ooh and it also has a spot where your headphones can come out if you use corded ones. This is exactly what I needed to walk all around the neighborhood. The mesh bag also has a little strap to better secure the water so it doesn’t shake if you wanted to use it to jog or run. Just thought I’d pass it along. https://a.co/d/74c2Yps

Okay for anyone who is interested that skinny scampi was amazing. I just made the sauce for my snow crab legs but if you like shrimp I bet it would be good with “zoodles.” According to my book shrimp is not the best choice for super early out and small shrimp is usually better tolorate when you do try it. But bookmark this recipe if you want for future reference. Takes 15 minutes and It’s makes a pretty small batch. If you were putting it over any kind of noodles you may want to add more broth. For what I wanted it was more than enough though. I went ahead and took my crab out of the shells and spooned a few tablespoons of it over my 1/4 cup of snow crab and had it with a 1/4 cup of mashed cauliflower and it is absolutely divine. I’m still working on it. As my first soft meal I’m taking it super slow just to make sure everything goes down okay. Anyways, here is the recipe if anyone is interested. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/15-minute-skinny-shrimp-scampi-recipe/

Well my book says one thing, the papers the hospital say something else and then the support group meetings say a third thing so that’s equally as frustrating as too little information I’m guessing. Glad to hear about your losing and I can’t wait to see where we all are in 6 months either. I’m sure it will be here sooner than we think. I can’t believe it’s almost a month for me already. I think we all should commit to checking in at least like once a month after we are all healed and busy just to post an update and see how everyone else is doing. I know that I plan to stay active on here because it really helps to keep me motivated.

That’s awesome that you got some cleaning done. I said I was going to clean my bathrooms and kitchen yesterday but hubby was home and kept me distracted. I probably should do that today. The energy is kinda crazy for me because I wake up so wide eyed and ready to go but then I get tuckered out just as easily. I guess it’s probably the exercise giving us the endorphins but the low calories still limits it a bit. Either way, I’ll take it if I’m at least getting the exercise in and still dropping weight. Sorry to hear about the bathroom issues. I really think once we get to where we can regularly get In a bit of fiber In our diets that will balance out. I know that we are not alone though because they even have a tracker for bowel movements in the Baritastic app. I laughed at first but now I’m actually using it.

I never did start to actually use them after my sleeve so congrats on making a plan this early out but they do sell adjustable weights if you end up needing more. It’s quite a bit more compact than having to store all the different sizes. I can’t recall the brand name but I found mine on Amazon. They aren’t quite as cheap as a big set so if you have the room for weights then these may not make sense but if storage is an issue they have a few brands that make them now and some are cheaper than others. Also keep in mind that the price may be for one. Mine was at least. Good Luck finding your weight training groove.

My best advice is to be prepared to put yourself first for around a month. It didn’t take that long for the pain to get better but it does take a little while to get your stamina back and get into a groove with all the vitamins, protein and water and then each of the stages are a little adjustment. Take your time and allow your body the rest that it needs and prioritize yourself and your recovery for the time you need. The good news is that you should also see a pretty big drop on the scale as in your measurements. Which leads to my second suggestion which is to take photos and measurements as well as recording your weight beginning preop. They will help keep you motivated later down The road when the scale stalls. The third thing I would suggest is to check out an App that allows you to record your progress. The Baritastic App lets you record everything from food and water to vitamins, exercise, measurements, weight, and even your bowel movements which will become something that you think about more than ever post surgery haha 😆 and it is fairly easy to figure out. I wish I had started before my preop or my surgery. Also, make sure that you have whatever stool softeners, laxatives or soluble fiber your team suggests on hand and begin whatever preventative measures they set for you immediately post op. When you are in the hospital don’t hesitate to tell them if you are in pain. And Walk ALOT. Especially if you are in pain. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, it’s just the movement. I promise you that passing gas is your biggest goal in terms of relieving pain and the walking helps with that.

Okay so tonight was night two of my walking exercise and I got only two minutes down the road and it started to rain. I turned around and made it just before it poured. Well I’m the past that would’ve been a perfect excuse for me to not do it and a couple more things like that and it never would have become a habit but not tonight. I stayed in my clothes and kept checking outside until It slowed to a sprinkle again and went and did my other 25 minutes.

Okay so I feel like I’m the only one posting this weekend but I have to update that I am so proud of myself again. I started my walk for the second night and got like two minutes down the road and it started sprinkling but the rain was picking up and the sky was really dark so I turned around and asked my husband who is the weatherman amongst us and he said yep it’s going to pour. Well my friend who was walking “with me” is in another city so it’s nice where she is and she decided to walk anyways. I said I will talk to you while you walk and see what the weather does here. Well it rained for like 30 minutes then slowed to a sprinkle and I went back out and did my other 25 minutes. I had the perfect excuse to not do it and I waited and did it anyways because I know that it’s not going to become a habit if I’m missing days this soon. I did want to do a little more than 30 minutes tonight but my friend was already home from her one hour and it was muggy after the rain so I didn’t increase the time but still. I did my 30 minutes which I said was going to be my minimum. In the past that rain probably would’ve totally derailed me because I was looking for any excuse to not do it. Anyways, I also wanted to say for people a little behind me that it’ doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy new clothes right away. At least not ones that are real fitted. I bought some new track pants and tried them on and they fit great but they don’t have a very elastic waist so when I wore them and tried sitting down to play cards they were pressing in on my abdomen quite a bit which I assume is not a very good thing right now even above or below the incisions. And I threw the tags out so I can’t return it I would because by the time all that is healed I probably will need a smaller size again. My husband said you know I forgot but I’m pretty sure you did the exact same time with the sleeve. Just something to keep in mind for the first size drop. And one last thing, I know a few people have mentioned the Baritastic app but I just realized that it has a place to send you reminders for your vitamins too. It’s sent via notification. Just thought that may help someone.

Hey everyone, it’s me again. I woke up early this morning feeling pretty good and refreshed. I think I’m still proud of myself for doing my walk last night. I told my husband that I was proud and I know that it’s not really that big of a deal but it feels huge to me and he reminded me that after my sleeve I never exercised so it is a big deal. When he would mention it I would just tell him what my surgeon said that it’s really a pretty small part of weight loss. I left out the part where he said that it is still important for physical and mental health though. So I guess the fact that I am less that a month out this time and trying a different approach already is a pretty good thing. I went to do my grocery pickup this morning and got my supplies for my first week of soft foods which I get to start tomorrow 🎉 I ordered a lot more that I need for sure. The guy just kept adding bags to the trunk and my fridge has never been so full. I got out my book that my Dr gave me and it doesn’t mention a portion size for soft foods. The handout the hospital gave me says 1/2 to 3/4 cup though so I guess I will stick to 1/2 cup to start and make sure that’s okay. I just took a little nap since I woke up early and plan to walk again tonight. I have been scouring the Internet for a solution to my shorts riding up. The best thing I can find is to put a boning in the seam so I think I may order some and give that a try. I guess I have to drag out my sewing machine and relearn how to thread it and all that so I’m not sure how long I will procrastinate before I do it. I did order a pair of inexpensive yoga shorts to wear in the mean time and good news is when I measured my waist and hips to get the right size I realized that I have lost two inches in both. My only concern I have now is that one incision that’s dented in still. Everyone says that they think It will be fine but i just don’t know I think it’s going to stay like that honestly and worry that when I lost and it’s extra skin it’s going to look even worse. I guess no one but my husband will ever see it but I really wish it would just flatten out I hope everyone else is having a wonderful holiday weekend and feeling better and better each day. I know that I am.

You are actually further out than me. I am only 3.5 weeks out now but I found a really good vitamin for SADI/DS. My surgeon was quite impressed with it. It’s Pro Care Health SADI/DS Multi with 60mg iron. I also take Calcium Citrate. I had sleeve previously and I love the Bariatric Advantage Calcium Chews. I am still needing Chewable so I am on another one that tastes pretty gross for now. Anyways, their fruit flavors taste like Starbursts and the caramel is like a chewy Worthers Original. There is a post in the DS area that i started titled “SADI is so Lonely” that I started when I couldn’t find anyone else who had the surgery. There are a few people there who have had the SADI.

@Onemealplan I just want to thank you again for that site. So many of the recipes sound really good. And to unlock the recipes that aren’t available to be a member it’s not astronomical. Cheaper than the dieticians I have seen that didn’t give me anything in terms of food ideas beyond the purée stage.

Another good tip on that site is to season two pieces of meat differently and cook them together so the leftovers will be different. Thought that was a pretty good tip too. Honestly not sure why I never thought of it.

Good point. Didn’t think of that.

Tonight was my first exercise. I just walked around the neighborhood for 30 minutes but it’s a start.

Got my new Walking Shoes today and they are really cute and Super comfy. I’m pretty excited that I did my first big walk tonight. I was a little nervous about how I’m going to look all sweaty and gross walking around the neighborhood but I’ve decided that’s something I’m just going to have to get past somehow and I did it. This is for me not anyone else. I only went 30 minutes and it wasn’t super fast. According to my watch it was 1.26 miles but so far I’m not hurting!! I haven’t walked around the neighborhood in so many years so this is a pretty huge thing for me. When I had my sleeve I did the treadmill and that got boring so it didn’t stick. I’m hoping that this is something that I will keep up and maybe it can lead to biking or something else eventually.