I need help and advice

[T O P 11]

I made a post about being on semaglutide shots. There aren't working as I weighed at the weight doc's. and I gained 4 pounds since last month.

I don't know what to do. But I will be honest.

I have eaten nothing but a crispy chicken salad from the Publix which last me for 3 days since I still the restriction with the shots and surgery. I am over year out from surgery. My salad had peppers, cucumber, cheese and tenders with ranch. Only sugar drink I drink is sweet tea no sodas.

What am I doing wrong? What should be eating. Dietician aren't helping.

[Jonathan Carlson 73]

You're only eating one salad every three days?

[GreenTealael 25,383]

semaglutide (and other various GLP-1 agonists) effectiveness can be dose dependent. 4 weeks is likely not long enough to see changes especially if you are still at the starting dose. Here’s a link with some decent easy to understand info: https://www.richlandmd.com/cosmetic/semaglutide-dose-for-weight-loss/

Also these meds are used in conjunction with lifestyle modifications. According to a meta analysis reviewing multiple trials “We observed that aside from the administration of semaglutide, reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity were also part of the intervention. Hence, semaglutide alone probably will not be able to achieve an 11.85% weight loss” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9758543/

Take a look at your early post op diet plan and give that a try again. If you didn’t have one, I can share that mine was Protein forward (80g minimum) with minimal carbs (under 50 g and mostly complex) and low fat (20g) and almost no calories from drinks unless they are Protein Shakes.

*edited to add: These meds can cause Constipation so any weight gain could be due to that

You really should consider checking in with the prescribing/administering physician to ask about your progress.

Best of luck!

Edited December 14 by GreenTealael

[NickelChip 1,254]

That doesn't sound like enough food, or a very healthy choice, to be honest. Crispy chicken is fried. Sweet tea is nutritionally the same as soda and can provide a shocking number of empty calories. You aren't getting enough Protein and if you're only eating once a day, that's probably messing up your metabolism.

Just based on what my dietician has told me, I suggest three meals per day, a minimum of 60g protein per day, 64 oz Water, and little to no sugar or simple carbs. You might try cottage cheese with fresh berries for Breakfast, a spinach salad with 3oz grilled chicken for lunch, and 3oz baked salmon with steamed broccoli for dinner. Maybe add in a serving of raw almonds for a snack. Make sure you weigh all your portions.

[T O P 11]

11 hours ago, Jonathan Carlson said:

You're only eating one salad every three days?

No no, the salad is enough to where I can scoup out and put in tiny bowl and eat off it twice for two or three days. On day three I go get another salad and do the same thing. My stomach still gets full quick.

[Spinoza 1,403]

This sounds so frustrating.

Could you track everything you eat, even for one week (on my fitness pal or similar) and get a handle on what you're actually taking in?

Do be careful about drinking calories - so easy to do with sweet tea etc. Totally empty. I do that with alcohol sometimes 😟

NickelChip is absolutely right - it might be really helpful to eat more whole and freshly prepared foods. Protein first (it really honestly does fill your sleeve up), veg second and carbs (including coating on chicken, etc) a very long way behind.

[ShoppGirl 4,864]

Well if you’re only eating one salad every two days and buying another on the third you are probably eating too little calories and your body is in starvation mode which sometimes you can actually gain. BUT, if you were to eat THAT same salad a couple of times a day and had breakfast too you would probably be eating too many calories to lose. Salad is very deceiving. They can actually have more calories than a bacon cheeseburger meal if you just add the good tasting stuff without measuring and counting and nutrition wise you aren’t getting a whole lot of what you need in a tiny portion of one salad as prepared.

If I was you I would talk to a dietician about what choices are healthier options and how much Protein you need. What you’re eating even though it’s a salad which sounds good is not the most nutritious option. First start by measuring and tracking what you’re having in an app. You would be surprised what you learn about what you eat by doing that. Most prepared salads have more than a serving of things like full fat cheese and croutons and the dressing packets they give you is far more than one serving as well.

it sounds kinda silly but if you bring home your favorite salad and take the time to deconstruct it just once you can measure each thing and figure out exactly what’s in it (assuming they make it the same way each time). It’s always best to make your salad at home if possible so you can use lean or reduced fat protein and lower calorie dressings and choose healthier toppings but if you have to get it while your out you can use less of the dressing and ask for them to go light on the cheese and skip the croutons. Also, opt for grilled chicken and if possible ask for an extra fillet of chicken or two and add that to your leftover lettuce for your next meals.

I do that at chic fila all the time. I make two meals out of a salad by getting a second fillet of chicken and making a grilled chicken Cesar salad with my leftover lettuce. But your focus will always need to be protein first since you do have a tiny stomach. Ask your doctor your personal goal but You should get probably be getting around 3-4oz of lean protein a meal and then fruit and veggies and then the lettuce is a filler if you have room. I prefer to bring my salad home so I can take off all the toppings and add just a tiny bit of lettuce and put that into a container. I prefer the toppings to the lettuce anyways.

Also a good way to use less dressing is to mix any salad in a bowl like you would do ceaser salad and you get a bit on all the lettuce using less than you would if you just pour it over. And try to avoid the sodas like mentioned above. If you must eat and don’t enjoy Water, try to find a drink mix that you like and keep a box of drink packets in your car to grab when you go in. Order water and mix in your drink packet. It’s way less calories and it’s cheaper. Note that the drink packets do have artificial sweeteners and there is evidence they aren’t the best for you either so plain water is best but they do have some made with stevia which my dietician says is the best option if I must have them. Tru lemon is one of the better ones.

So many of us think we are making good choices when we are eating a salad or Soup but they are not all created equal. And just eating a tiny portion of a less nutritious food isn’t the best option because you may lose weight this way but you’re not getting all the Vitamins and protein your body needs. If you don’t get enough protein you may actually just be losing muscle mass and as we get older that is really hard to build back up. If you aren’t doing strength training this can be really bad.

Measuring and putting things Into the Baritastic app and really looking at how much protein is In something and how much fat and carbs are in there as well as added sugars has really helped me to learn what foods are more nutritious choices. I think my protein goal with my sleeve was 60 grams minimum and with the SADI revision it is 90 grams. I was told that protein was the very most important thing but you also need to get fruits and veggies for the vitamins. And check your labs regularly to make sure you are getting what you need. I hope this helps.

Edited December 15 by ShoppGirl