NtvTxn

There is method to their madness. First of all, fruits are a 'treat', natural sugar or not, it's sugar, and many have little seeds that can get lodged in that line of staples inside you gut. Not fun, I'm sure of it. An egg will be soon, but from what I understand many people have a hard time with them, some for a while, some forever. Be patient, and take it from someone who has NOT had diarrhea since surgery, enjoy being able to go......I've had the other problem since about week 3, that is over 3 years now. All this protein, sure does get me and a lot of others on here. You may WANT something more, but you aren't going to die of starvation, I assure you. You do not NEED anything more than what your doctor or dietitian tells you you can have.

I eat three meals and I have to have a few snacks to get in enough calories to maintain. If I drop below 1300 for several days, I lose. If I increase the calories for several days, I'll gain. It's a fine line! That said, I don't go too long without having a little something. Candy is NOT a good choice, at least not sugared candy. When I was losing, a couple of bites of cottage cheese is good, but lunch meat is a good choice, good protein and will fill you up. I have 98% FF ham that I love to eat.

You'll probably only eat part of an egg for quite a while. This will be a good time to re-learn something....throw left overs away that aren't good re-heated. Throwing half an egg away was difficult at first, but not now. I threw perfectly good pizza away a month ago. Three pieces of home made that I did NOT want in the frig....so out it went. Very liberating!

My doctor tells his patients, "Don't eat if you're not hungry" - his patients never have a caloric goal to 'meet'. At your stage I did good to get in 350 calories. The problem with his advice, it's three years later and I am still not hungry!!! LOL It's wonderful. I wasn't getting in 600 calories for until month 4 and I never got more than 800 while I was losing. Not being hungry, it's a blessing, a good thing. Pray that your hunger never returns. I am hopeful, my 'new hunger' is an empty feeling once in a while.

Day is going good!!! You'd think a DOCTOR would know, diets don't work. Of course many, if not most of us, can lose, especially on a doctor supervised 'diet' but as soon as we go back to real life, all the weight, plus some, comes back. Oh well.....we all have gone through diets, fad, doctor supervised.....etc. Tell your husband HE will benefit from you having surgery.

Interesting, I keep seeing people post about their 'required daily calories'. I never had a required number until I reached goal, then I had to hit 1300 or else I keep losing. The first six months, while I was losing, I started out at 350 calories and never went above 800 calories per day and I wasn't getting 700 - 800 until the last month, which would be at month 5 post-op. I was healthy, labs were good and I felt great and felt GOOD about eating so few calories. I still under eat my sleeve and love it that calories are so low, even at 3 yrs out.

In six months I went from 18's and 20's to 4's and 6's. It was overwhelming, fun, exhilarating......there aren't really words to describe the feelings!!! That was 2 years and 7 months ago. For almost a year I'd automatically head to the women's section and then "remember". I use to dread having to go buy something new, now, I go for the fun of it, just to try on clothes some times. I STILL hold something up and think 'no way'. I still hold up my size 4 jeans just out of the dryer and think 'no way' - it is still unbelievable. I would consider a size 12 'normal', and by that I mean, you can find size 12's anywhere, unless it's a boutique that caters to really smaller sizes. Personally, I would consider at 14 'normal' but they aren't as available as 12's. I remember going from a 14 - 16 and thinking, 'this is big' that one size made all the difference mentally, to me. Weird, the mind games we play.

I never had it prior to reaching goal, and on the liquid pureed stage, I could have nothing that wouldn't go through a straw....since I am in maintenence I have a measured amount now. I am not sure it is going to "hurt" you, it may not cause a leak, but peanut butter is HIGH, HIGH, HIGH in calories. 100 calories per tablespoon. It is NOT a good choice, at least I would say it is not. I mean, sure, between it and a Twinkie, it will win hands down, but I'd think twice. Remember this, "Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD" Now is your honeymoon period, make the most of it and develop self control and good habits that you will have to adhere to for the rest of your life.

85% of your tummy was removed, you will be successful, this isn't WW or Medifast!!! You are swollen and starting to heal. Stay away from anything sweet, and sip Water and broth.....SF popcicles and SF Jell-0!!! You'll be fine. I weigh every day, I have for three years. The scale will go up and down, but you cannot let it bother you. It is what it is.....if you are following the plan, you have NOTHING to worry about. Enjoy this, every pound that vanishes, do a happy dance!!! Congrats, welcome, now you're with the rest of us "losers"!!!!

OMG - you poor thing!!!! I haven't thrown up 3x's in the past three years. I hope you'll do much better with the sleeve!!!! Good luck!

You are hurting yourself. Higher protein aids with losing weight and also aids in NOT LOSING HAIR!!!! It's that simple. Try and get as close to 60 grams per day as possible. I'm three years out, reached goal in six months. I still keep my protein up between 60 and 90 grams per day. It's easier the further out you get. I also log my food, weigh and/or measure my food. I weigh every single day. All this keeps me aware of what it is going on "under the hood" - my weight, calories, protein......knowing those number are like looking at my dashboard in my truck. Lets me know if something needs to be changed, tweaked or adjusted!!!!

I had surgery in June 2010 and reached goal in Dec of that same year. I didn't do any "formal" exercise at the gym, but I have a weighted ball at home, go up and down stairs and park as far as I can when I go shopping. I walk the mall.....as one doctor said, JUST MOVE, and I do. That said, my calories were LOW during that six month losing period, starting out with less than 300 there for a couple of weeks, but from about week 3 on, I got a little more in. I slowly started getting more calories as time went on, between 350 and 800, NEVER more than 800 when I was losing and only that many off and on that last month. I have been maintaining for a little over 2.5 year and only get 1300 per day. You'll have people tell you to UP your calories, bologna. Upping calories = weight gain, it isn't rocket science. I was at a WLS support group two nights ago and the PhD doctor said the same thing, but was a little more elegant about it. He said the 'starvation mode' and our bodies 'holding onto calories' is a myth. No proven statistics, ever. He said unless we are in a prisoner of war camp, low calories are not going to disrupt our metabolism. Now THAT makes sense.

I agree, I agree, I agree!!! I weigh and/or measure my food, weigh every single morning, under eat my sleeve and log my food. My new normal, it's as natural as breathing to me!

Hopefully you aren't hungry. Under eat your sleeve, stick to the plan laid out by your doctor. You'll lose, I promise you!! I never had a "stall" - but I went up and down, up and down.....a few days, all the way to ten days, before letting go of a pound or two, then on to the next pound or two. I knew I was doing EVERY thing I should and NOTHING I should not. For me, I've always tried to under eat what I can hold. It's a lot more comfortable, if I stop when I FEEL full, it's too late and I'm uncomfortable, or worse.

My nose starts running like I've eaten something spicy!! It is sooooo weird, and especially strange when I DO eat something spicy, am I full or is it the salsa??!!! LOL

Don't get angry, enjoy every double take, flirting etc. It's fun and I discovered, at age 53, no matter HOW OLD YOU ARE, you can always be the 'younger woman'. I had an old guy, my daddy's age openly, shamelessly, flirting with me at church. I was "greeting" and ended up with his undivided attention. Would I have had his attention prior.....who the hell knows, but it was fun/funny/cute now. Love it, love my marriage and husband, but it's fun to be noticed. Get back on track, today is a new day. This is forever, not WW that will end and end up in regaining as soon as you go back to 'real life'. Hang in there!

Seeing my collarbone. Buying size 4's and 6's. Not being the biggest girl in the room. Feeling like I am in control now, food is not. Someone referring to ME as being small, skinny or petite. The chubby girl inside smiles!

Go get one - You won't regret it, I promise!!! I read on one of these forums prior to my surgery that we should get a disposable camera and have somebody take your picture the day before or the day of surgery. Every month on your surgery 'date' have someone take your picture. After you 1 year anniversary picture is taken, take the camera and have it developed. I did this and I am soooo glad I did. There is nothing quite like laying those pictures side by side and seeing your transformation over the past year. One of the best suggestions I got beforehand!

I highly recommend WW's too. I did it three times and lost weight. 50 pounds twice, 30 the third time around. Of course, just like with Medifast, Phen Fen, Atkins, seeing a nutritionist weekly who had some sort of plan where you only eat certain things on certain day and can only eat this with this and that with something else....I lost another 30 pounds. Before WLS, I should have weighed what I did when I was five years old. Oh, except every time I went back to eating normal and not counting points, or drinking two shakes on a 800 calorie a day, doctor supervised diet.....I gained it all back, and then some. Diets do not work unless you can do them for the rest of your life and with me, if I am hungry, starving....I'm going to eat. It's that simple. WLS is by far, the best decision I've ever made, it was life changing. Never in my wildest dreams could I have dreamt how exciting things could be. There is a lot of mental stuff, I STILL don't see "ME" like others do. I don't see the OLD me, but I don't see what others do. I "THINK" I eat a lot, in reality I do not. I "THINK" there is no way I can slip into a size four jeans. I can. The list is endless, but it's all small potatoes!

Y'all are all rays of sunshine! LoL

I heard the same thing about protein shots, but I used them, only 3.5 oz, still just as nasty, but so little to get down. I had a sample in my going away bag from the hospital. 42 grams of protein, a few sips in the morning, hold your nose and rinse your mouth out, just like a kid taking bad tasting meds.....a few sips at lunch and then I'd finish it off in the evening. I had good labs, lost weight and NEVER lost any hair!!! I called it a win/win!!! It worked for me and beat getting less than half of what I needed because I was sending 3 hours trying to gag down a protein shake or *gag* Isopure!!!! Like I said, it worked for me.....it is why I worked and worked on getting all my protein in with food....and managed to do it pretty early on.

As soon as you get off liquids and full liquids, it is easier. My "go to" foods early on....and even today to some extent.For just over three years, I start and end each day with a cup of skim milk. (9 grams) Tuna fish - I mix one can with 2 TB of Miracle Whip. One fourth cup is about 13 grams of protein. I keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer. Fish goes down the easiest and this is packed with protein. I liked to steam it and dip it in a little cocktail sauce. 1% cottage cheese - you will not eat 1/2 cup for quite a while I suspect, but a half cup is 13 grams of protein. eggs, a scrambled egg and once in a while I'd add a half oz of 2% cheddar It's a job, but it CAN be done. I stopped using any protein supplement at 2.5 months. I hated those things!!! If you're not on My Fitness Pal, get on and log your food, make it a habit, a part of your new life, and weigh every day. I was up two pounds yesterday and so today, I am cutting calories by 100 and it will be gone in a few days. Use logging your food, weighing yourself and weighing or measuring your food like a "dashboard" - all those things keep everything running smoothly and will also let you know if something needs to be changed. These things let you know what's going on under the hood..... This is my new life, habits, just like breathing. Good luck, you'll do Great!

Find a support group or two and go EVERY time they have a meeting. It's a good habit, it's good support. A great way to meet others who KNOW what you are going through and can answer your questions and give you moral support. Good luck!!! This is life changing, enjoy it!

I was getting between 300 and 400 calories. I was on full liquids, 98% FF Cream of chicken, I made a baked potato Soup, that I discovered probably wasn't wise, potatoes should be limited. I wasn't getting 800 calories until I reached goal, 6 months out. How much can you eat at a time? No sugary stuff, right? Do you have a guideline from your doctor and/or dietitian? Don't panic, but reassess what you are eating and the quantity. Under eat your sleeve, it is a good habit.

I started counting (logging on line) calories and protein at week 3, that is when I started full liquids, so up until then, big deal. Right?? I'm three years out and I still long on line daily. It's just routine, part of my new life.