Hiddenroses

I just reread the recipe I posted and saw that I said 'half a head of lettuce' instead of cabbage lol - I'm sure you caught that but wanted to make sure I really enjoyed the ricotta bake and unstuffed cabbage rolls; I think I might make one of both today / in the coming days. I've gotten pretty flexible with what I eat and have suffered the consequences via extra gas and stool issues, so I ought to get back on track with these kinds of recipes at this point.

Hello everyone! I'm checking in - @ShoppGirl- It sounds like you've really been through the wringer! You are a superstar for managing both chemo, a virus, and surgery recovery all at the same time and I hope you're being gentle with yourself and giving yourself lots of pats on the back! @Chatterbox - YES - portion sizes have gotten more flexible; for me taking an ADEK supplement has helped with the hair shedding; I've gone through that to a point as well and typically have VERY thick hair and I've noticed some extra shedding but even with that it hasn't thinned my hair dramatically. @Justarwaxx - You're doing great!! Please be kind to yourself! With increased activity level the calorie consumption does have to go up so you can keep up your energy! Now that I'm using my Fitbit I am able to better see my activity levels - I haven't hit 10k in a day but I got close a couple of days and my average went below 5k per day while I was sick as well (Gosh it's going around!) but I think the important thing is to LISTEN to your body, give it fuel, and just try to have more calories spent than you take in. I'm burning over 3k calories more days than not so if I eat a few carbs, a piece of bread once in a while, a half a sandwich, some veggies - that's ok. I think a lot of it is knowing and understanding the difference like so many have said on 'head hunger' vs 'physical hunger'. Usually at a given meal I eat maybe a total of a cup of food; I try to aim for at least half of each meal to be protein, then veggies, then maybe a little rice or other starch. I'm hit and miss on my food logging; I slipped for a few weeks and am trying to reset. I wanted to repost these recipes I used during the puree period because I don't know about ya'll but I tend to find things that work well and then totally forget they exist! Lately I've been doing lots of soups for myself and my family. I made an easy chicken noodle soup yesterday with half a rotisserie chicken breast, I steamed carrots and celery in the microwave until they were soft, sautéed some diced onion in garlic and onion with a little chicken broth, then added it all together with the cooked chicken breast cut up and more chicken brother. I threw in a small handful of egg noodles and let it all simmer. When I do something like a soup with meat I try to serve myself up a bowl that is heavy on the chicken and light on the veggies. You can do basically the same thing with broccoli, cabbage, and canned or fresh diced tomatoes. Fluids and healthy veggies with a protein is my go to; and I'm doing pretty well with my personal progress. You all got this! Don't get discouraged when you go through stalls; some weeks I will lose about 2 lbs and then the next week I might lose 6 lbs; it's all a process and the weight loss will slow and become more steady as long as you watch your calories, eat healthy at least 80-90% of the time - it's about getting your nutrients and staying at a calorie deficit. ❤️ Reposted recipes from earlier: "I'd say the hardest part for me continues to be the 'No drinking 30 mins before/after meals' but I use the Baritastic app to set a time. I also use the timer to make sure my 'meals' take at least 30 minutes. Want to make sure I don't rush and end up feeling poorly afterward. Things that have worked well for me during my puree stage include egg drop soup, chicken/tuna salad made with puree chicken or tuna, light mayo, and sometimes a bit of relish, and for added protein a boiled egg or two, with or without the yolks per preference. (Dill relish is healthier than sweet relish). I did allow myself 2-3 saltines with those, usually about 3.5 oz of the tuna or chicken salad makes me feel sated. Other recipes that have worked include the ricotta bake and unstuffed cabbage rolls, pureed low fat/0 sugar yogurt or cottage cheese with Genepro powder and cooked, strained strawberries or blueberries (I added a bit of 0% Milk to make it more of a smoothie), Riccotta pureed with either a bit of fruit or avocado, small serving of oatmeal pureed with fruit (test yourself with an ounce or two less than you normally eat for oatmeal because it sits heavy and often swells - add some zero or skim milk to make it thinner if needed. Other recipes include homemade no-noodle chicken soup of sorts with rotisserie chicken, chicken broth, and pureed carrots w/a little bit of onion powder or diced onion. I also made a homemade 'philly cheese steak' filling of sorts with some sautéed bell peppers and a bit of diced onion, some roast beef lunch meat, and cream cheese. Others speak highly of pureed refried beans with a bit of seasoning to taste more like taco meat, adding either a bit of mild salsa or a combination of onion powder and perhaps a bit of cumin. That's a personal choice, and definitely suggest going slow with your seasoning due to possible heartburn. You could add a bit of shredded low-fat/skim mozzarella or even low fat sour cream to round it out. Today I made 'chicken pot pie w/no crust' which was basically just cooked carrots and finely diced celery and onions with finely diced rotisserie chicken with a can each of 98% fat free cream of celery and 98% fat free cream of chicken. I haven't had any yet because I'm a little unsure about the celery, even cooked, but pureed and in a small serving I'm sure it would treat me fine. The Ricotta Bake I made was super simple and I know there are a lot of variations to the recipe online. I made my own marinara sauce by peeling about 5 smallish tomatoes, dicing them, and simmering them with a little less than equal parts water, Italian seasoning, and a bit of diced onion. The ricotta mixture was easy; just used 8oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan (I used the shaker but fresh is better) and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. I put a layer of half the mix on the bottom of a buttered baking dish, topped it with 1/2 lb cooked and seasoned ground beef, then put the rest of the mixture on top. Poured about 3/4 of the homemade marinara over it then covered the dish with aluminum foil and baked at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. It's basically a no-noodle lasagna. The Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls I made were equally easy - I used a rotary grinder (Works SO well, bought on Amazon for around twenty bucks) to grate half a head of lettuce. Instead of canned diced tomatoes I once I again peeled about 5 small/medium tomatoes and diced them, adding to the skillet along with maybe 1/8 cup diced onion and another 1/2 lb of the ground beef. For seasoning the recipe I used just had me add a packet of Italian Dressing Seasoning mix. The family enjoyed it and after pureeing the ground beef a bit I found it fine to eat, although slowly and very well chewed. Both it and the Ricotta bake probably make about eight 1/3 cup servings with about 22g of Protein each.

Oh my gosh I get this so much!! I get SO cold. My favorite Christmas gift is a heated blanket my Mom got me with two remotes as it is Queen sized - I set that thing on a toasty 118 degrees and will say pulling myself out of that warmth and into the days has been a real struggle! These cold temperatures are absolutely an obstacle for me to want to set foot outside and my joints are all achy. Makes me wish I gad scheduled my surgery for the Spring! I do have an exercise mat and an exercise bike but I have to work around the holiday clutter in the spare room still. Keeping up activity is a true challenge when the cold hurts my face. What warm comfort dishes have you have that are high protein? It's hard not to eyeball the calories vs protein content of things like soup and chilli these days for me.

Thank you! Yeah, spreading it out does seem to help a bit, or literally 'eating' the meds with something that barely needs chewed, like yogurt or cottage cheese. The three I am supposed to take in the morning are Prilosec, Strattera, and Chantix. Something about those three together is a recipe for ick and I'm not sure why. I wish I could ditch the Chantix but to keep from relapsing into smoking I don't dare yet. I've already slipped up a few times on the smoking; have to really focus on redirecting myself after eating to keep from lighting up while my food settles. I thankfully don't have issues with my chewable vitamins and do space my Calcium out at least three hours from my multi with iron; I mainly need to focus on mindfulness regarding all of my intake. I am glad my relationship with food is getting better though! I don't completely restrict myself from any food but just keep in mind how the food will make me feel. WIN: I'm definitely getting better about noting the difference between brain hunger and physical hunger and reach for a protein before a salty carb to sate cravings!

Love LOVE seeing all your wins!! I'm excited by the way my clothes are fitting now, especially when I wear something that actually FITS - I feel like ITKYK - sometimes my belly just isn't feeling a snug waist band or a bra tightly cinched around my chest. (Usually after a meal, when I accidentally gulp too much water too fast, or after taking my morning medicine. Something about taking my three pills in the morning just leaves me feeling icky. I think it's the capsules before they make their way down, IDK) I like that the tops I was comfortable wearing pre-surgery (and kept)can pretty much be worn as nighties now. The other day I was able to wear a big poofy sweatshirt OVER a huge oversized flannel and look like I was swimming in both. I'm was into more grunge style clothing in my youth and it was absolutely something I would have worn as a teenager when I was hiding my body. Conversely, I can wear a properly fitting shirt now in a 2x, down from a 5x, and it be flattering. I took a look at myself closely in the mirror yesterday and could see how my hips and back have changed. I definitely can tell the difference in the size of my arms and the way bras got too big. Keeping up with bras that fit is my biggest challenge right now!

Hello everyone! I kind of disappeared during the holidays but came back by to poke my head in and see how others were doing. Seems like most of us are plugging away at this 'getting healthier' thing. Reminder (and FYI for any who read this and didn't know) I got the SADI surgery, which is the intestinal revision with the sleeve all in one go initially. This makes me feel extra obligated to update for some reason - maybe because I had to dive so far into my journey to find this option and how eager I was to hear about the results from others. So - my surgery was Sept 5th, and I lost 10 lbs in my pre-surgery liquid diet, which I had for one full week. On the day of surgery I was 352 and now, about four months out, I've lost right at about 70lbs. The weight loss has slowed a bit as I found my balance but I'm still losing 1-3lbs per week on average, about 7 lbs lost in the last 30 days. I got through my weight loss stalls by eating more, as I was only getting around 500 calories per day for a while as I maintained ketosis, with VERY few carbs. That was nice, but my energy was lacking. I shifted to included more fruits, veggies, and upped my protein from 60g per day to more like 75g. Now I get around 900-1200 calories per day, try to really focus on getting my water for the day, and angle for simple protein snacks with a small carb total when I get hungry. I have found cottage cheese to be a life saver as a replacement 'side' - and stirring it into my salads gives the salad more bulk and makes it easier for me to feel full. Eggs are not quite as weird for me as they were for a while - I still prefer boiled eggs over scrambled or fried. I do aim to get at least 5k steps per day and usually make that goal.I definitely slacked on exercise around the holidays and did snack more than a few times on things I shouldn't have. I feel lucky that my intestinal malabsorption keeps me accountable for poor choices. I have gotten the foamies once - and have overeaten like three times by a few too many bites. I feel like my relationship with food is much healthier and am far more likely to cook now as opposed to grabbing greasy garbage food. However your path feels like it's going - this is a great time to correct the course if it feels a bit off track. Your bodies are working for you, and you are working for those bodies! Kudos to all of us for taking these steps to a healthier lifestyle! Remember, too, that no one day of slipping up is going to sink you. As I said to my perfectionist son the other day - an A in school is 90%-100% (generally, anyhow!) so it's still an A even if you slip up one out of ten times ❤️✨

It looks like you've already got some great suggestions! I had my surgery back at the beginning of August, and have since found that I do have to set the timer to pace myself when eating. I also will play a simple game or do a basic activity while I'm eating for those minimum thirty minutes; a crossword on my computer, or a puzzle on my machine, or pick up and flip through photos on my phone - just something to keep my hand busy when I put the fork down. I know we're supposed to eat mindfully but I think my racing brain really needs some form of stimuli to keep me from automatically eating until my food is gone. I've been guilty more than a few times of putting more on my plate than I should eat, too, so I suggest going back to measuring your food, if you're not doing that, and then eyeballing the amount to split it into sections before you start your timer. A meal is supposed to take at least 20-30 minutes I believe, so I divide what is on my plate into either two or three sections - you could always put most of your protein in one section and then eat that section first over the course of ten minutes in case it ends up filling you up. There are times I can eat more than other times, so I am never really sure how much to get. This post reminds me to be mindful and follow my own advice! OH - the other thing that helped me was moving up to eating at least every three hours. Even if its just a little bit of a protein after three hours, then wait another hour and a half for a meal - by eating a little bit every three hours I'm not as likely to start eating way too quickly due to hunger. Hope this helps!

I'm so relieved to see that I'm not the only one flagging here and there. I was doing great up until about midway through last week, going on my walks and trying not to look at the scale because I REALLY wanted to see it tick from just above 300 down into the 290s - finally I weighed in and was SO frustrated that I sat at like, 301 for several days. I'm still there now, too. Another thing - I had bought a pair of size 22 jeans and they fit great so I bought a couple pairs of size 24 I found at a thrift store and was heartbroken when they didn't fit! I'm coaching myself as to the reality that the size 22 I'd bought were super wide leg all the way up vs the ones from the thrift store that were more 'fitted' - being the reason they didn't go up over my thighs. I can see the 'bat wings' on my arms, constantly am having to shift my rings around, and am losing in my back/bum area but my thighs are still my problem. I looked up some exercises I have been trying to do to promote a strong core and hopefully reduce visible belly fat/ excess skin in the thighs and arms, but I backed off some on my exercise over the weekend for sure. Per my Fitbit my average is still high, but I feel awful if I don't get in at least 5k steps per day now. I know I'm getting ready to start my period any day so HOPEFULLY after this comes and goes my weight will have another significant drop. @Justarwaxx and @ShoppGirl - You are both doing so great! It's always nice to pop back on here and see your updates

This is a topic I'm a bit concerned with, honestly. I was heavy all of my life, and normally was the one to initiate contact with men. Men giving me 'the gaze' made me feel uncomfortable, and assertive men who talked about my body made me want to run and hide. I didn't like my body and didn't know what they thought they saw, but it usually made my skin crawl. Now, I'm starting to dress better with more form fitting clothing. I'm excited about looking better, but I don't really WANT attention at the same time. It's a confusing time. Meanwhile, my fella - who was one of those 'chubby chasers' has actually been gaining weight due to temporary inactivity. I've come to realize that he used to be chubby and was picked on for it, relentlessly, as an adolescent. I can definitely see the self consciousness growing in HIM now and it's made it challenging for me to find a balance and feel 'valid' and attractive since his decline in sexuality is matching my increase in confidence. I know that this, too, shall pass, and he'll get on track again - he's already been cutting back on carbs and joining me for my long walks and such, but it's a weird transition. I was never one who was very comfortable receiving compliments or attention I didn't initiate, so I'm kind of dreading the 'male gaze'.

Hello everyone!! I know I did a bit of a vanishing act, but I have things to report in. First of all - I hit a really frustrating plateau that lasted about 3.5 weeks from around weeks 7-10. That had me feeling pretty bummed, as it was post-two month check in and I had been feeling great about my progress before switching from purees to solids. I had last posted about hearing somewhat contradicting information from the nurse and Nutritionist. I had been told that I didn't need to really worry about staying on keto because I wasn't eating much as long as I hit my protein goal and by the nurse to try to stay Keto because eventually I'd get this great burst of energy from going into ketosis. WELL -- After doing some research I found out that the thing your brain tells you would be the worst thing to do - EAT MORE - was actually the solution. I started bringing in more vegetables and an occasional grains while sticking to mostly lean meats, plus using a protein shake for breakfast to keep me on track with my protein goals. I was already using Genepro; and I since picked up one of the Whey protein powders in a chocolate plus some of the PB2. That did the trick! I have started allowing myself an occasional 'cheat' type meal on days that I'm locked in on my protein, and find myself often meeting my protein goal and then some - more like 70g of protein per day rather than the minimum of 60g/day. The result of spreading my meals out - breakfast, three hours later lunch, three hours later 'dinner' and three hours later 'protein snack' if I'm still hungry - DID IT. My energy is up now that I've been walking more and giving my body more fuel. I am seeing the weight loss finally, and even when the scale doesn't show it right away I'm seeing my measurements shift and the way my clothing fits feeling different. I had purchased a cute pair of jeans about a week before my surgery and a button down short sleeve gingham shirt. At the time I couldn't get the jeans all the way up over my thigh; and now they fit loosely. My bras don't fit properly and I already had to buy one in a smaller size. I'm turning down plus sizes clothes I like that I find at the thrift store for pretty much the first time because - they're too big. I'm borrowing shirts from my Mom that I handed down to her previously and other friends handed down to her rather than me because she was a 2x/3x for a long time (mostly due to her chest) and I was a 4x+. I can feel where my arms have gotten smaller in the way shirts don't feel snug in the arms, shoulder, and chest area. I've gone down 2.5 ring sizes! All in all, I've found that portion control is still a big deal, but so is listening to your body and remembering that if it sends you a message about hunger, there is a reason. I DO have to focus on making sure I drink enough water, but the Baritastic app has helped me keep my sugar low. Even if I do hit over 30g of carbs in a day it's rare and because of something like beans, rice, or vegetables. I'm feeling more comfortable loosening the reins a bit on how strictly I adhere to my diet - although I still don't do anything carbonated, do minimal caffeine, and keep sugar very low. The idea to bring your own tupperware to restaurants along with a cooler is really smart. I'm not in an organized group exercise of any kind yet but I do have personal goals like trying to get in over 10k steps three times per week. I'm working my way up and have gotten to an average of around 5k steps each day, which I'm very proud of. My calorie deficit is usually 800+ calories less taken in than what I'm burning via exercise per day, and this week I have lost almost 6 lbs due to exercise and losing the bloat from my first period post surgery. I wanted to mention that - I did miss my first month's period and my second month's was late. As to exercise - I feel the activity in my back and as a low ache across my lower abdomen mainly, which I think is a result of using those core muscles and the way my figure is redistributing the weight on my joints. I'm shopping Marketplace to add weights to my exercise and still use my exercise bike when the weather isn't nice enough to walk. OH! And Old Navy has an amazing 50% off sale on their website right now and I just finally ordered myself some pants in two sizes below my pre-surgery size! I'm so excited for them to get here. Best wishes all, keep up the amazing work and be kind to yourselves!

Way to go! Great job getting out there, doing the class! I'm still on the fence about organized group exercise - I tend to be excessively self conscious so don't feel ready for that - yet. I do have a friend who keeps inviting me to Jazzercise, which I would love to do - one day. For now I'll keep walking and using my exercise bike in addition to the stretches I do in the morning and before/after. Also - about the missed period - same! I didn't have mine last month and have been wondering if it was related to my surgery; seems so!

I was going to say some of the same things @Justarwaxx said! I watched a reel on - I think maybe Facebook? - that addressed the notion that some people have on a Monday after having a couple of cheat meals over the weekend and suddenly the scale says they gained 5 lbs - and the fact that thinking like that isn't realistic. You don't gain 5 lbs in 48 hours unless you are eating something like 4500 calories per day and not moving AT ALL. There is a LOT of wiggle room in what the scale reads. When it comes to weight loss, the goal is to create a calorie deficiency so if you are burning more calories than you are putting into your body consistently you're GOING to lose weight. A lot of factors are at play with what the 'scale' reads, including digestion, fluid retention, even hormonal changes. Plus, yes, with the extra exercise you're doing I bet your body is simply trying to find it's consistent expectation so it knows how much energy you need, how many calories it can expect, and how much fat to break down to keep you running like a well maintained machine! Plateaus are GOING to happen throughout this process. It's a marathon, not a sprint, too -- keep in mind that you're going to be losing weight for the next 18+ months more than likely. Just keep at it, and try not to weight yourself too often. I know it's hard, because we want to see those RESULTS, NOW! (At least *I* do ) but... be patient. We're only a couple of months out from our surgeries!

Wins -- Well, I let myself have a few more carbs yesterday, bringing my net carbs up closer to 30 when they have been running in the teens or single digits the past eight weeks (one other time in the 30s on a day I had chili) and seems to be so far so good. I started spacing out my three meals to having more like 4-5 meals per day every three hours and find that works SO much better for me. It also helped me get past my 3.5 week stall that lasted about a week. I went out walking a couple of times this past week and also started using my exercise bike. Noticed that walking around is not leaving me as sore and my stamina is increasing. I also had a couple of NSV - I had to scoot up my car seat a bit, was able to wear a pair of jeans that were WAY too tight before my surgery, and I tried on a shirt yesterday that used to be tight in the arms and across the shoulders and found it fit comfortably! I'm starting to get comments on the weight loss being visible, so that's nice. Portion sizes remain very small - I don't dare eat more than 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of combined foods per meal. I did add in a few bites of things that aren't just protein based, and that has been a nice switch.

She didn't ask much about my activity, but then again I'd mentioned that i was still working on getting active and that my energy had been hit and miss. Since then I've noticed I have some days where i have more energy than others, and I did start on my exercise bike! I started with just 5-10 minutes every day that I don't go for walks. I think it has helped with my digestion, and i feel like allowing myself up to 30 carbs on some days has helped my energy level. It's nice to eat a little bit of fruit here and there - I'd mainly been doing dairy and either meat or beans (very small serving, if beans!) Rounding out my diet some has been helpful. I'm still not eating any garbage foods - the most I've indulged in was a couple pieces out of an order of honey chicken and maybe 1/8 cup of the rice that came with it. Everything else has been very low or zero sugar so far. I've also let myself have one cup of coffee per week - all things considered, I'm feeling a bit more human. The walking has been nice, especially when I can do it outside in cooler temperatures. I think we've got one more week of 80s, and then back into the 60s and 70s. I can't wait!

Seeing this gave me an idea! I think I will make some of these tomorrow but put laters of sliced zucchini rounds in each muffin tin! I'm hungry just thinking about them!