Susanne

I stayed home 2 weeks but started to work from home after about 1 week to 10 days. I could have gone back after a week I guess, but I can easily do my job from home and I have an awesome boss, so it wasn't a problem.

Chilo, do you weigh everything? I sometimes feel that people who REALLY don't lose when they should lose, are eyeballing it or using "volume measurements" instead of weight. Not sure what the recommended measurement unit is in the UK, but in the US the main measurement is a "cup" which is volume and not weight. I don't mean to be a smart-ass (though my husband keeps reminding me that I am just that) On a general note - and I know I am repeating myself, so bear with me or skip over the rest. It is so easy to cheat yourself when measuring Cereal, Pasta and rice with a cup instead of a scale. Doing that, you can easily double the mass and thereby double the calories accidentally. Cereal and pasta gets broken and crushed during transport and storage, and the bottom of a cereal/pasta box always has the small pieces. If you measure a cup from a fresh box of cereal and compare it to the last cup of a cereal box, the last cup easily has twice as many calories. Another thing that always trips me up is Protein, where I easily scoop out 50% more. I always have a food scale on the counter. I put my bowl or protein shaker on it, hit the tare button and pour in the recommended amount BY weight. I often switch it to grams because it is a more precise unit of measure for small amounts, but that's just because I am anal. I do the same with basically everything, if I make a toast with jelly, I place the bread on the scale, hit tare and then add jelly. It's not much more work at all, and takes not more than seconds but you will be amazed at the difference - an possibly see where some calories started to creep in that remained unaccounted for. Here is a post by someone who went through this revelation: http://community.act...e/329982#329982 Unfortunately, this is always occurring more on carby things than proteiny things because there is much more variance in carbohydrate heavy foods than in protein heavy foods because protein heavy foods naturally seem to have a higher density than the looser carb foods. The one place where I got confronted with that was while studying construction engineering, in my materials classes. All the sand, gravel, rocks and what not had to be tamped tamped tamped all day long to make sure they have as little air in between and that the measurement is accurate...oh the boredom of manually tamping sand and gravel in class -- but I believe everyone has done that at home too when trying to pour coffee meal from one container into another. If it doesn't fit and there is just a little left, it helps to just smack the can onto the counter a few times to get a little more room on top.

That's what I am saying (and admitting) - but is loosing faster at the cost of health (lack of fiber/whole grain) really worth it? I would assume (and hope) most people here had their surgery to get healthier, not to just lose fast. Cutting carbs to below recommended values for whole grain and Fiber doesn't seem the way to go either. I am actually having my 4 month doctor's appointment later today and I'll make sure to ask how I am ranking with my weight loss and eating.

I do eat all the carbs I want too - as long as I get my Protein in. I refuse to cut out carbs just for the sake of low carb. First of all, with the carb levels I read here, you can't even get a remotely healthy level of whole grains and Fiber. I believe getting good nutrition trumps fast weight loss right now. I did not get surgery to lose weight fast, I got it to be healthier - cutting carbs out to less than 40g seems unreasonable and counter productive. You are supposed to have 40 to 50g of whole grains (not whole wheat, whole wheat means nothing) and as a woman at least 25g of fiber (which usually overlaps with the whole grain). Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol, helps you stay fool and regulates blood sugar. I may not have the staggering weight loss that some others may have - I lost 52 pounds since November 2nd (from a BMI of 42.8) but I feel extremely good and not deprived of anything. I don't feel like I am on a diet, since I am not cutting out anything. I am making some smarter choices by using more "whole foods" vs. diet/processed foods and I feel I am finally eating like a normal person. And I am working out 5 to 6 times a week on my treadmill but that amount of exercise is recommended for anyone, young, old, fat or skinny simply for cardio vascular health. Those who say they can't lose when eating carbs, what carbs are you actually referring to? Can you really not lose weight when eating Beans, whole grain bread (in moderation) or whole grain rice? Cutting out white carbs and sugar is one thing, cutting out carbs to less than 40g seems not healthy to me. Here an article from Harvard - hey, it's Harvard, I assume they know what they are talking about :-) http://www.hsph.harv...tory/index.html

Why does that sound crazy? If you reduce everything else, you'll probably lose weight. You lose weight if the caloric intake is less than the caloric expenditure. 1 g carb has 4 calories, so if you can have up to 300 g of carbs, that's 1200 calories and you should be able to lose on that...but you would have to be on very restricted fat and Protein diet. So yeah, it sounds stupid and definitely not recommended for a VSG patient...so maybe a little crazy :-) Most people say they have 1200 calories to maintain, so considering that you have to have 60g of protein (= 240 calories) and probably 50 g of fat (= 450 calories) you end up with 510 calories from carbs which is 127 g of carbs Some people advocate a split of carbs/protein/fat of 50/30/20 which seems a little high on carbs for many. Here is an interesting article about that ratio: http://www.muscleand...ers-part-I.html Example: Total calories required 2600 calories per day: * 30% of 2600 = 780 calories for Protein * 50% of 2600 = 1300 calories from Carbohydrates * 20% of 2600 = 520 calories from total Fat For 1200 calories, you can almost cut that in half. That said, I posted this article a while back, that shows the different ranges: http://www.verticals...s-should-i-eat/

Awesome, thank you so much! I generally think the topics are a good idea to show what people with sleeves can eat at all the different stages! And I am very happy I didn't get flogged...

I think the sub forum is an awesome idea! Maybe call it "What a sleever eats" or so!

LOL, I had the smell thing too! I actually sent my husband to brush his teeth a couple of times during the first weeks. It had never bothered me before...and never bothered me again after a couple of weeks. But a few times I was thinking "phew, ripe". I also smelled all kinds of other things that I was never that aware of -- including myself (also phew, ripe). Otherwise, I would stay with the light foods - just because you can have full solids right after surgery doesn't mean you MUST have them. Take it easy, most people get full solids after 2 weeks, so if you get to it in a week, you'll be fine!

Hi all, I apologize if I am nagging, and please don't hit me! I am wondering if the "Whatcha eating today" topics can be combined a little? I feel like they are pushing other topics out of sight - every third or fourth topic on here seems to be a Whatcha eating. I know we are all trying to find inspiration and to keep our menu plans "fresh", but I am wondering if we can make that a weekly topic or reuse the Monday/Tuesday etc. topics every week? We have two Mondays, two Thursdays and two Fridays up on the first page. Maybe I am the only one but I feel it pushes other topics out that offer a little more "variety" to the food & Nutrition section. If this is not a good idea, I was wondering if there is a way to block those or remove them from my feed like on Facebook? Thanks and my apologies - I am not trying to be trouble, just an idea... Susanne

Girl, you gotta look for sales! I just got a great bra from Lane Bryant for $11.99 during their 40% off sale!

LOL - I hadn't seen your post, but I just posted my own post about not taking my Vitamins. At the same time, I posted my new attempt to try and get me take that stuff: See my topic here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/14716-reviva-the-vitamin-conundrum/ I am only taking the Reviva liquid vitamins for less than a week now, but it is so much easier on me. Maybe that's worth a try - it's not cheap but goes down much much easier than those multi Vitamin horse pills. You didn't really say why you are not taking them, but if the swallowing is part of the problem, liquid may be the way to go.

Eating 10 Sun chips has never and will never be an issue for you...if you can stop, and apparently, you did :-) Now, what floored me that on Fat Tuesday, I was able to eat a whole Pazcki!!! I looked it up, around 400 calories - yikes. BUT...since it was early in the morning, I just switched stuff around, went for highest Protein density so I can finagle my 60 g of protein into the remaining 500 calories. I had a shake and 93/7 ground beef and I made it through the day OK. I had some extra Water just for good measure. Thank God I had spent 40 minutes in the morning on the treadmill and I was able to walk to the bank cause the weather was OK enough. What I am trying to say is: 1. 10 chips are OK and nothing to worry about 2. being good after being bad is much easier because of the restriction 3. protein protein protein -- OK, that has nothing to do with your post, but it's a mantra for VSG so I threw it in for good measure :-)

I am with you, I had really high hopes for the Alpine Punch and when I tried it all I was thinking was WTF??? I haven't tried it but for $1 I will buy a bottle and if it sucks, I'll trow it out.

Seems like there is a new Protein in town - Isopure Smoothie: http://www.gnc.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=isopure%20smoothie&origkw=isopure%20smoothie&sr=1 In store only, find a store: http://www.gnc.com/storeLocator/index.jsp?csm=190787512&csc=545929&csa=191046850&csu=547112

Just try to find good deals. I just got my first pair of regular jeans - DKNY for $20 at Macy's. Look for coupons and deals! The thing is, getting clothes that fit and look good is awesome, because they boost confidence and spirit in so many ways. First of all, you fit in new clothes that you never fit in before. With my new jeans I was standing in the dressing rooms and kept turning and prancing - and I am usually not that type of girl. I just loved the fact that I fit into the normal size 16 (big girl 16 is MUCH bigger) and I just looked sharp! The other thing is that it actually helps people notice change in you. I know some don't want people to comment or so, but I was talking to our HR lady yesterday and out of the blue she said "You look good". I was wearing a new cardigan and my new jeans, but in all honesty - I don't think strangers ever told me I look good, husband, family - yeah. But in order for a colleague I barely know to say that, I felt the change must be very significant...and it made me feel fuzzy and happy all day. Would she have said the same if I wore my old jeans pulled up by a belt and an old sweater that was way baggy? I doubt it! So, squeeze $50 of the budget and spoil yourself. Let everyone see what you know inside all along, you are getting better, feeling better, looking better!

So, I hate my supplements, especially my multi Vitamins. I have the Kirkland brand from costco and they are HUGE. If it was just that one pill, I could probably such it up, but as for most, they are just part of the deal. There is also the B12, my 2 "hair and Nails" (with Biotin) and then I take Zyban - those are all big dumb pills. I am also taking D3 and E but those are the soft caps which I don't have a problem with. Now, my main problem is that I really have the hardest time getting those big ones down. I dread taking my pills in the morning (but it'a not like it is better in the afternoon) because let's be honest, who wants to start the day gagging - or gag at any time of the day? I checked at CostCo after a lot of people recommended the MultiVites but their Vitamin panel is just really poor I think. I feel like I would have to double, if not triple the dose to get to where I need to be. I looked at some of the other ones, like Flintstone complete and they are a little better but there I am worried that they are those chalky chewables that are just a different way of miserable. I then took a look at the liquid vitamines, and they have a product called Reviva which looks like it has a lot of good stuff: http://www.revivanutrition.com/product_more.html#p1 Has anyone tried this? The vitamin panel is still not comparable to the big old daily multis because it is better than the MultiVites. I will still think I'll double up or at least get 3 tablespoons (or a shot glass and imagine I am doing shots at 7am!!!) You can just dump it in your beverage and drink it that way. It has a lot of goodies I like the fact that it actually has 4 g of Fiber because getting in fiber is difficult. It has Super Fruits and antioxidants, zinc, ginko biloba, lycopene - here is the full panel: What's the experience with liquid vitamins? Is anyone taking this product?

Malcolm, can you write down what you really eat all day? I think for many of us, portion size and appropriate portions are really skewed and what we consider "no a lot" is more than we should have. And in your case, since you had been banded and possibly eating lower amounts already, it is difficult to say what can help unless you tell us what you do now. For me, replacing breakfast with a Protein shake at least during the week helps a lot. I am getting 30 g of protein for 140 calories right up front to start my day, it's easy, I find it tasty (or tasty enough) and it seems to help my weight loss. It also gives me peace of mind because I already have half my protein done!

Peanut Butter is always a thing to add calories, maybe add a banana to your Protein shake. If you have soup, you can probably add some cheese or Greek yogurt, or some hummus And yes, follow your instinct, try to avoid diet food - eat real cheese instead of low-fat rubber. Much tastier and better for you in moderation, but moderation seems to be fairly easy for you since you are trying to "un-moderate" Your exercise calories seem very high too, 15-20 minutes of cardio are only 225-275 calories if you go for VERY high intensity. I am running at 4.5 mph and burn 200 in 20 minutes. I find that elliptical is often very exaggerated in calorie burn. 800 to 900 calories per hour is a hell of a cardio workout!

MFP is "My Fitness Pal" - sorry, I assumed it was a known site here. They are a calorie and fitness tracking site, and their list has those shrimps: costco - Shrimp W/Cilantro-Lime Serving Size 4 oz. Calories 194 Sodium 253 mg Total Fat 8 g Potassium 279 mg Saturated 1 g Total Carbs 0 g Polyunsaturated 1 g Dietary Fiber 2 g Monounsaturated 5 g Sugars 0 g Trans 0 g Protein 26 g Cholesterol 221 mg

There - dragon, I agree. It's the easier way -- AND WHY NOT? I don't know why everyone wants it to be "just as hard" when it isn't. I failed the other way because it was MUCH harder than I could do or handle. So what? I have other talents I am bilingual, I just got a BS in Computer Information Systems (with HIGHEST honors I might add) in a foreign language while working full time, I have a successful marriage to my husband for 12 years now, I have a nice home, I have friends and family who love me and who I love, I am smart, I relocated to a new country for my man and successfully found my way here, I found an awesome job (first try). So self-control when it comes to food is not my forte, whatever -- skinny bitch, if you can put the other shit I have down to your name, you can come back :-)

Why not go with what it says on My Fitness Pal? Or is 194 richer than you bargained for?

There is no problem for me to eat steak post-surgery. Actually, it has become my new all time favorite (mine is the little plate):

Don't ask - I have yet to find someone who can explain to me how I can weigh more in the morning than at the night before - I don't "sleep-eat". MORE. Or I weight a lot less at 6pm than I did at 8am and I have been eating and drinking (in moderation, but still). But let me ask you this - isn't a human body pretty much the most incredible "machine" in the world? I am not talking about some religious or spiritual thing here, but really from a technology point of view. Brains, motor skills, physical strength, love - is there anything in the world that can do all those things? OK, a computer may be smarter, a car may be faster, steel may be stronger -- but what can do all this in one machine? And what can do all those things and hasn't been invented by a human? I am not trying to scare you, but it will most probably get worse and even less understandable. You are only a few weeks out, and if you start over-analyzing your body's behavior, you'll kill yourself. Just go with the flow, take it day by day and if you are stalled or your weight fluctuates more than you understand -- just be sure that as long as you stay within the calories you are prescribed and do good on your Protein and Water, you'll lose weight. Don't try to find a reason because in most cases, there simply is none. Your body is a mystery, but in the end and looking at it over a larger time span, it is calories in vs. calories out and you'll be fine!

They once told me that there is a number on the sticker, and you can call costco and ask for the nutritional stats on the product using that code. And if you find out, please post a reply because I have been eyeing them for a while now and am just too lazy to do it, LOL On MFP, it says 194 calories for 4 oz.

I am with Dawn, I am not saying good bye to anything and if you budget for it, you can have whatever you want... That is one of the reasons why I am getting this surgery to start with, to help me wiht the "moderation" part