February 2019 weight loss buds

[Everything 388]

Sheribear- ok you are 14 full days ahead of me. I was like “1/2 c of food... what?!” I’m getting teaspoons here and there. When did you start being able to eat up to 1/2 c?

[Sheribear68 3,200]

On 03/02/2019 at 16:49, Gottajustdoit said:

Thanks for the encouragement! I tried a bit more smashed egg today...I added salt and pepper and somehow the salt made it more appetizing.

You know, the more pizzaz I give something, the easier it goes down.
Earlier this week we made tuna steaks and I shredded mine up with a small bit of wasabi mustard and it was excellent.
Disclaimer: I LOVE spicy food so this is how I would’ve had it pre-surgery.

[Dubchild 42]

I’ve been adding tobasco to cottage cheese and small dabs of siracha to my miso Soup

[Sheribear68 3,200]

On 03/02/2019 at 16:52, Everythinganna said:

Sheribear- ok you are 14 full days ahead of me. I was like “1/2 c of food... what?!” I’m getting teaspoons here and there. When did you start being able to eat up to 1/2 c?

Honestly it just kinda “happened” a couple of days ago.
I still can’t stomach more than 1/4 cup before noon, but by lunch and dinner, I’ve drank enough and I walk enough since I’ve gone back to work that it’s easier.
I’m on my feet for my entire work shift - between 10-12 hours- so the food and Water go better the longer I’m on my feet.

[Gottajustdoit 220]

1 hour ago, berryfam said:

Last night I had an egg and it was delicious. I paced my eating, paused between bites, made sure to chew thoroughly and stopped when I felt full. But when I went to clear my plate, I ate another bite. Big mistake. It felt like my food was stuck in my chest. The feeling didn't go away for hours. I did some research and found these chewable enzymes help you break down food. Worked wonders! Just wanted to let y'all know in case you're struggling. Obviously the best thing is to stop when full, but I really didn't want to throw up.

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi berryfam--do you think this will help with Constipation. Not to be too graphic, but I have a horrific case. I was taking Benefiber but that did not help at all. Last night I gagged down Phillips Milk of Magnesia (I really hate that stuff) and this morning I emptied a Colace gel tab into a bit of my Protein Shake. No luck yet--nothing seems to be working. I have been taking my multivitimins, but not my calcium citrate of Iron + C because I heard those two can make the constipation worse. Now I'm wondering if my Celebrate softchew Multivitamins are causing it. Might these help? Anyone have other ideas?

[berryfam 14]

Hi berryfam--do you think this will help with Constipation. Not to be too graphic, but I have a horrific case. I was taking Benefiber but that did not help at all. Last night I gagged down Phillips Milk of Magnesia (I really hate that stuff) and this morning I emptied a Colace gel tab into a bit of my Protein Shake. No luck yet--nothing seems to be working. I have been taking my multivitimins, but not my calcium citrate of Iron + C because I heard those two can make the constipation worse. Now I'm wondering if my Celebrate softchew Multivitamins are causing it. Might these help? Anyone have other ideas?

It might help with constipation. I used some Natural Calm in a small amount of warm Water and it helps get things regular without cramping or discomfort. Make sure to up your water intake, that should help as well.

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

[Pattianne 21]

On 1/11/2019 at 11:27 AM, Recidivist said:

You are more disciplined that I am by easing into the liquid diet. I'm currently in my "farewell to food" phase and am enjoying my favorite foods before I give them up for good (hello, ice cream). I'll go cold turkey when I start the liquid diet.

Hi! Newbie here.... my BIG concern is my NEED for food. I often do also have the farewell to food thought that worries me when surgery comes. The dietitian preaches don't think of this as your last supper LOL. but I love food. NOW MY QUESTION TO YOU..... how are you fending after surgery.... do you have cravings? do you cheat? I would love to know how you are doing.....

[skyguy 11]

15 hours ago, Gottajustdoit said:

... I was taking Benefiber ...

I know everyone may be different in this regard, but my post surgery instructions specifically said not to take fibre... isn't it odd how there's so much variation in pre and post op programs!

[Sheribear68 3,200]

I was also told that Fiber was a no-go

[Everything 388]

1 hour ago, skyguy747 said:

I know everyone may be different in this regard, but my post surgery instructions specifically said not to take fibre... isn't it odd how there's so much variation in pre and post op programs!

Yes- which is why I stopped beating myself up about not following mine exactly and revising it to fit my needs. How do these surgeons come up with the post op plans? Mine says I can drink alcohol 4 weeks post op; other people have to wait 6-12 months? Some are requiring 80 g of Protein beginning immediately after surgery and others are 15 g for the first week? Some people are supposed to start with multivitamins day 1 post op and others wait 1-2 weeks to integrate them?

Are these surgeries so radically different that the post op diets need to differ this much? I’m listening to my body and pushing to get max protein but I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t get in 80 g of protein. Sorry.

[Everything 388]

1 hour ago, Pattianne said:

Hi! Newbie here.... my BIG concern is my NEED for food. I often do also have the farewell to food thought that worries me when surgery comes. The dietitian preaches don't think of this as your last supper LOL. but I love food. NOW MY QUESTION TO YOU..... how are you fending after surgery.... do you have cravings? do you cheat? I would love to know how you are doing.....

I can’t speak for anyone else of course, but it’s going good for me so far. I’m almost 2 weeks post op. The first week was very very difficult for me. Almost anything I ate caused pain. I’ve healed and can now easily drink Water, shakes, etc. I’m still keeping eating to a minimum by choice.

Before surgery I did not have a good diet. I’m a stay at home mom, and my kids are older and in school, so I had a lot of time at home alone which led to lots of snacking and I generally made poor food choices. I wouldn’t say I NEEDED food. I mean, we all need food... But my daily intake usually did include at least one “bad” meal, be that a hamburger/fries combo meal, lunch at a restaurant or pizza delivery.

Since surgery, and due to having kids around, I’ve been exposed to those temptations twice now. In an earlier post I confessed I chewed up and spit out a few of my sons Wendy’s French fries. And I took a pepperoni off of my family’s pizza Friday night and ate that. But largely I don’t “cheat” and don’t want to. My hunger has been largely reduced. Had those things not been right in my face, I would have never put them in my face to begin with. So there is that.

At this stage it’s still risky to me and can be actually PAINFUL to cheat, so that’s a good deterrent.

I do find myself craving salmon sashimi, crab legs and shrimp. So maybe there is some nutrient in these seafood items I’m short on.

Thats my 2 cents. Hope that helps. I paid $10,000 for this surgery and I’m happy with the results so far. If things keep going this way it will be money well spent. My self esteem has already improved and I’m looking forward to a smaller “me” this summer!

[AZhiker 2,252]

I agree that every program seems to have a different set of guidelines. My biggest frustration is that I have a big vegetable garden, jam packed full of all kinds of veggies that I can't eat! It makes me depressed. I finally started taking the greens from the garden (turnip, radish, mustard, collards, beet, bok choy, spinach, broccoli, kale, chard) and blending them with Water to make a slurry. I strain out the fiber and even filter the Fluid through a coffee filter. I then have a clear, non caloric liquid that I add to smoothies, and just drink. Tastes like salad, is rich in phyto-nutrients, and makes me happy. At my follow up appt, the NP saw it and at first said I was cheating. I told her it met the clear liquid criteria and was a heck of a lot healthier than Crystal Lite, Diet Jello, or sugar free popsickles. She couldn't argue with that and said it was OK. Sheesh! I have 6 weeks to go before I can actually eat a real vegetable! Meanwhile, I have to freeze, can, and dehydrate them.

Other programs say you can start on soft mushy veggies in week 3. I'd give anything for some mashed turnip or broccoli!

[Dubchild 42]

All programs are different and I think that’s why these forums are so helpful. I am 19 days post op and successfully had a 1/2 glass of wine last night in very small sips over the course of about 1.5 hours. No problems or trouble today. Two bites of Tim hortons chilli on the way home last night chewed up to the max. Live your life

[Gottajustdoit 220]

4 hours ago, Pattianne said:

Hi! Newbie here.... my BIG concern is my NEED for food. I often do also have the farewell to food thought that worries me when surgery comes. The dietitian preaches don't think of this as your last supper LOL. but I love food. NOW MY QUESTION TO YOU..... how are you fending after surgery.... do you have cravings? do you cheat? I would love to know how you are doing.....

Hi Newbie. This is a great question and the same one I had prior to surgery, and as you can see, it's different for everyone. For the first few weeks I had no desire to really eat anything. I had "mental" cravings when I smelled certain foods I liked, but I'd call that more of head hunger...you want it, but not really. In this sense, it helped me not to cheat. Hard to explain. Today I went with my family to a Mexican place where I LOVE their burritos. I ordered a side of refried Beans and ate about 1/3 of a cup of them. They tasted soooooo good. My husband and two teens ordered burritos and although they looked good, I was satisfied that (1) I could still go out with them at a restaurant and (2) I could slowly enjoy just a small serving of the beans. The other food looked so overwhelming to be honest. Sadly, I don't think my cravings for certain foods will ever go away, but I know that in a couple months I'll be able to enjoy tiny bits of them to satiate the cravings. Also, when I looked around at what other people were eating, I was amazed to find myself thinking "Wow, are they really going to eat ALL that?" I'm trying to embrace the "less is more" philosophy. I will say, though, that while walking through the grocery store the other night I was a bit bummed thinking, "oh, I will never be able to sit down and just eat [fill in the blank] to my heart's content" again. It was depressing, no doubt, but I'm taking one day at a time. Have your food funeral if it helps. I did my favorite foods each night for the week prior to Clear Liquids and enjoyed them to the fullest.

[Recidivist 1,141]

6 hours ago, Pattianne said:

Hi! Newbie here.... my BIG concern is my NEED for food. I often do also have the farewell to food thought that worries me when surgery comes. The dietitian preaches don't think of this as your last supper LOL. but I love food. NOW MY QUESTION TO YOU..... how are you fending after surgery.... do you have cravings? do you cheat? I would love to know how you are doing.....

Hi, Pattianne. I actually haven't had surgery yet. I'm having it tomorrow (March 3) at 7:30 a.m. I'll definitely let everyone here know how it goes.