Stalling so soon????

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Everyone goes through stalls at different times - your body's gotta do what it's gotta do - so try not to worry! Just keep doing your thing! As far as the small chili.... I hate to tell you this but I can't finish it at 4 months post-op. I wouldn't be concerned though - I think the answer to that is that you are taking 30 mins to finish it. I was told to finish my meals by 15 mins max. If you wait longer, you begin to digest, and therefore can fit more in. Try stopping at 15 mins. It's ok to get hungry more often, I eat every 2-3 hours, 5-6 times a day usually, and that's what my surgeon recommended. I don't know if any of this helps, just thought I'd throw it out there!

Christie, thanks that is really valuable info. Once I start hitting my solids or foods with more calories and substance I'll stick to that rule too.

[WildIris 4]

Ditto Kiddo. I am with you in thinking this would be breeze. Watching and reading everyone's wt seemingly just melting off gives one a false sense...

But, on the other hand, in many ways, it has been a breeze. I cannot cheat. I cannot overeat. Even if I want to. And, the fact that this is a permanent solution to a permanent problem gives me incredible mental strength that I cannot explain to anyone who hasn't gone through this. I have seen people hit goal in 6 months. As a heavyweight starting out, I know this isn't going to happen for me, but I know that I will get excellent results in 6 months just the same. Considering in less than 6 months I have already lost 71 (due to the 40 pre-op while waiting for my surgeon). and only 31 of that has been post op (6 weeks yesterday) I really cannot complain. I believe by Christmas I will lose another 50 which will put me down 120 and that's about the same as lighter weights getting to goal. Christmas will be 4.5 months post op. So that is a good case for celebration! I am so happy with my sleeve. I plan to work it a full year and hope to get within spitting distance of 150 lbs. When that happens, I will be down 230# from my heaviest wt (March 2010). Of course, my short term goals are much smaller as the 230 number is just too overwhelming to think about by itself.

But the part that really gives me the giggles is knowing that this time I can prevent the wt from returning. Because, there's no way I will ever be able to eat the quantity of food I ate before. Never. It's just not possible. And that is sooo liberating.

GG

Should I be feeling guilty because I've started nibbling on tortilla chips with homemade salsa? I keep going back and forth: I can't eat very much at all, but corn chips have lots of carbs.

[WildIris 4]

Everyone goes through stalls at different times - your body's gotta do what it's gotta do - so try not to worry! Just keep doing your thing! As far as the small chili.... I hate to tell you this but I can't finish it at 4 months post-op. I wouldn't be concerned though - I think the answer to that is that you are taking 30 mins to finish it. I was told to finish my meals by 15 mins max. If you wait longer, you begin to digest, and therefore can fit more in. Try stopping at 15 mins. It's ok to get hungry more often, I eat every 2-3 hours, 5-6 times a day usually, and that's what my surgeon recommended. I don't know if any of this helps, just thought I'd throw it out there!

:biggrin0::biggrin0::biggrin0: THANK YOU, GOD!!! :biggrin0::biggrin0::biggrin0:

Heheh, sorry, I just had to say that. I have been freaking out that I'm eating too often. It works out to about every 2-3 hours. I go with relatively harmless stuff--usually a stick or two of low-fat string cheese, or a handful of nuts--but I was freaking out that I was eating too often. I've found also that I have to finish eating in about 15 minutes or so, despite what the nutritionist said about taking a half-hour to eat.

Something weird: it's oddly reassuring to go out to eat at my favorite local restaurants and order meals that were--still are--favorites (salads, especially--I have a thing for fresh veggies). Stuff that I used to clean up and practically lick the plate, I now eat like a tenth of it (if that) and I'm full. I'm getting really familiar with the questions from wait-staff coming up to me when I request the check and asking, "Didn't you like the food? You've hardly touched it..." :001_smile: I probably shouldn't, but I tip extra for every wait-person who asks me that, just because I love to hear it. :thumbup1: I don't tell them why, either. I just say something bland like, "My eyes were bigger than my stomach." Which is probably true, now that I think about it. :001_tongue:

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

Dear WI,

First, don't 'should' all over yourself! Guilt didn't work for us before...it just perpetuated the cycle of guilt-eat-guilt..Not good.

Now I suspect, (if you're anything like me) that what you really are craving is the salt and the savory spice of salsa and not really the chips. Can you eat salsa with something else, like maybe cucumber slices? Or throw it on a scrambled egg? One thing that satisfies me is an egg scrambled with shredded cheddar. I nuke it and it turns into a souffle. Then I put salsa on it. I usually cannot eat the whole thing, but it gets my Protein in and satisfies my hot spicy craving at the same time. I caution against the chips however for a few reasons...yes, high carbs will stall your loss. 2.) the salt in them will help you to retain fluids and that will artificially cause wt gain. 3.) most corn was not intended for human consumption and it is extremely hard for humans to digest. (I personally cannot digest corn and have a great difficulty with corn products.) Suffice it to say that if I eat corn, it isn't pretty (even before surgery so I am certain it would be worse now.)

In order for me to have a sense of normalcy with all this, I need to get creative to get my old favorites in, even if they are in smaller portions and slightly altered (like scraping the toppings off my favorite pizzeria pizza and only eating two bites of the crust--haha). It still was heaven and I never felt deprived.

Be kind to yourself..inside and out!

GG

Should I be feeling guilty because I've started nibbling on tortilla chips with homemade salsa? I keep going back and forth: I can't eat very much at all, but corn chips have lots of carbs.

[WildIris 4]

Dear WI,

First, don't 'should' all over yourself! Guilt didn't work for us before...it just perpetuated the cycle of guilt-eat-guilt..Not good.

Now I suspect, (if you're anything like me) that what you really are craving is the salt and the savory spice of salsa and not really the chips. Can you eat salsa with something else, like maybe cucumber slices? Or throw it on a scrambled egg? One thing that satisfies me is an egg scrambled with shredded cheddar. I nuke it and it turns into a souffle. Then I put salsa on it. I usually cannot eat the whole thing, but it gets my Protein in and satisfies my hot spicy craving at the same time. I caution against the chips however for a few reasons...yes, high carbs will stall your loss. 2.) the salt in them will help you to retain fluids and that will artificially cause wt gain. 3.) most corn was not intended for human consumption and it is extremely hard for humans to digest. (I personally cannot digest corn and have a great difficulty with corn products.) Suffice it to say that if I eat corn, it isn't pretty (even before surgery so I am certain it would be worse now.)

In order for me to have a sense of normalcy with all this, I need to get creative to get my old favorites in, even if they are in smaller portions and slightly altered (like scraping the toppings off my favorite pizzeria pizza and only eating two bites of the crust--haha). It still was heaven and I never felt deprived.

Be kind to yourself..inside and out!

GG

I absolutely LOVE the cucumber idea!!! You're my hero for suggesting it! Actually, it's a combination of two things, now that I think about it--the need for some "crunch," and the salt craving. And of course the salsa.

I found some really, really good soy crisps (low cal, low-carb, and a fair bit of Protein per serving), but they don't taste good with salsa. The cucumber thing may just save my day. :biggrin0:

You got any other ideas on snack-type foods? Sometimes I just don't have time to fix a full meal, and so far I've been relying primarily on low-fat string cheese because it's pre-packaged, and mixed nuts--which are okay, but still rather high-calorie, high-fat, and high-carb even if they do provide protein. Maybe I'm just lazy.

I really do love cooking, but I just don't have time during the day. You'd think working from a home studio would make it easier, but it doesn't really in a way.

I haven't dared try pizza. That's one thing that I absolutely love--I pile mine high with veggies--but even before surgery sometimes gave me heartburn. Heck, I still can't eat avocados!

At the farmers market yesterday I picked up some absolutely marvelous apples--some kind of heirloom variety which I cannot remember now--that made me want to sit up and howl at the moon it was so yummy. I'm going to dry some of those. Maybe I ought to keep carrots and celery around again for snacking on. I bet I could eat celery with salsa too...hmmm...I keep meaning to try dried yam, too. That would be crunchy, high-Fiber, and full of Vitamins. And low-fat, since I'd do it myself. OK, now my creative juices are flowing again.

Anybody else got any healthy snack ideas? I'd love to hear 'em.

[Classiladi13 0]

What an AWESOME group of people. This is absolutely the BEST support group on earth. This has been VERY enlightening to say the least; and best of all, I feel much better knowing that others have experienced this same type of thing. Congrats to you all and much continued success.

XOXO

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

Sometimes I take fresh mozarella (the one packed in water) and eat a couple slices with Tomato and a leaf of fresh basil, sprinkle with just a touch of balsamic vinegar. Again, if I need a vehicle for those yummy toppings, cucumber slices or thin slices of jicama does the trick nicely. Since I gave up most breads, I can't have a true caprese, but it's close enough. Occasionally I snack on a 1/4 cup of seeds or nuts, or a few slices of avocado. On rare occasions, I just eat a tblsp of Peanut Butter. That satisfies nicely. :laugh0: But that's high calorie, so only on certain days when I need the extra cals (like if I forgot to eat--which sometimes happens.)

Sometimes I get tired of cottage cheese. If I want some extra flavor, I will mix in some green onion dip mix. Just for something different. Another thing that's pretty tasty as a snack or lunch...chop thin slices of turkey (lunch meat breast works well) mix with El Pato sauce, and throw on some grated cheddar. If you're craving something medium hot & spicey--it does the trick!

GG

I absolutely LOVE the cucumber idea!!! You're my hero for suggesting it! Actually, it's a combination of two things, now that I think about it--the need for some "crunch," and the salt craving. And of course the salsa.

I found some really, really good soy crisps (low cal, low-carb, and a fair bit of Protein per serving), but they don't taste good with salsa. The cucumber thing may just save my day. :confused:

You got any other ideas on snack-type foods? Sometimes I just don't have time to fix a full meal, and so far I've been relying primarily on low-fat string cheese because it's pre-packaged, and mixed nuts--which are okay, but still rather high-calorie, high-fat, and high-carb even if they do provide Protein. Maybe I'm just lazy. :thumbup:

I really do love cooking, but I just don't have time during the day. You'd think working from a home studio would make it easier, but it doesn't really in a way.

I haven't dared try pizza. That's one thing that I absolutely love--I pile mine high with veggies--but even before surgery sometimes gave me heartburn. Heck, I still can't eat avocados!

At the farmers market yesterday I picked up some absolutely marvelous apples--some kind of heirloom variety which I cannot remember now--that made me want to sit up and howl at the moon it was so yummy. I'm going to dry some of those. Maybe I ought to keep carrots and celery around again for snacking on. I bet I could eat celery with salsa too...hmmm...I keep meaning to try dried yam, too. That would be crunchy, high-fiber, and full of Vitamins. And low-fat, since I'd do it myself. OK, now my creative juices are flowing again.

Anybody else got any healthy snack ideas? I'd love to hear 'em.

[Robeania 0]

Wow Georgiegirl, you have some great menu ideas! Thank you for sharing! What is jicama? A snack that I like sometimes is a slice of lean lunch meat. Inside I either put a slice of cheese or I spread on hummas. If I put cheese on it I will melt it just a tad. Then inside I will put some cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes...whatever sounds good, then I roll it up and eat it like a taco. It is good with only the cheese and hummas too.

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

Jicama is popular in the southwest. If you have a Mexican market you will likely find it there. In AZ we buy it in the produce dept. I have found if you slice it really thin using a meat slicer, you can use it as taco shells, or even load them up with humus! Jicama is crunchy. Another way I make it is to slice it into 1/2 logs and sprinkle liberally with fresh lime juice, then sprinkle with a taco seasoning or something we call Tajin. Which is a chile powder. Again, Mexican market. Another good snack is chunks of green coconut. (I know where to buy it here, but have no idea elsewhere.) It has the consistency of mango, very soft flesh, not like the brown dry coconut they sell in the grocery store. Fix it the same way, with lime juice and chile or taco mix/ powder. It's incredible. I also take salami slices, add some chevre (goat cheese) sun dried tomatoes and green olives. Roll it up like a cigar and enjoy!

These are things I have eaten my whole adult life. The problem is, I ate a lot and everything else with it. I am learning to eat like a French lady now! A bite of this and a bite of that. I am enjoying all the stuff I always ate before....just less and without the breads and pastas. I am sure I will eat wheat products again someday, just not now, and not the portions I had before.

GG

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

Wow Georgiegirl, you have some great menu ideas! Thank you for sharing! What is jicama? A snack that I like sometimes is a slice of lean lunch meat. Inside I either put a slice of cheese or I spread on hummas. If I put cheese on it I will melt it just a tad. Then inside I will put some cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes...whatever sounds good, then I roll it up and eat it like a taco. It is good with only the cheese and hummas too.

PS: peel the jicama first! Don't eat the skin, it doesn't chew well.

gg

[Robeania 0]

Thank you! I will have to try that. We should have this in Houston. I just never knew to look for it! You have some terrific ideas! I hear you on Portion Control. I have learned to measure everything because my guess work is not the best. I just ordered the Perfect Portions food scale recommended by Dr. Oz. That sounds as though it will help me even more in that regard. Thank you again for the information. They are on my grocery list for this weekend.:001_smile: