tiffnie

Oh yah...and when your mom calls you "Skinny" as you walk away...never heard that one before

LOVE THESE!

- When you dont really bother cooking fancy meals anymore - cause they will just be leftovers! (I stick with chili, meaty stews, or chicken, I can store them in the fridge/freezer for awhile)

- When you buy your first ever pair of skinny jeans, and wear them for a night out with some sexy stilettos - and feel fabulous! (And actually get attention from the opposite sex)

- Also wearing said skinny jeans and actually being able to tuck them into a pair of Uggs, I have wanted to do that for so long but my legs were always too meaty

- Crossing my LEGS

- Trying on a bathing suit and actually feeling ok in it (the kind with the little skirt, but still!)

- Shopping at Target for clothes, nothing would fit me before, not even the 2x, and now Im in a 1x or large

- Looking forward to spending time outdoors in public, and not feeling like everyones going to stare at you/avoid you cause youre fat

- *ahem* the sudden increase in interest from your hubby...

Im normally that way too, when I do eat bread I use those orowheat thins with some thin shaved turkey and lettuce. Ill take one slice and cut that in half and make a sandwich and Im good. Thats why Im so so surprised that I was able to finish 3 rolls...I think it might have to do that with the fact that they have almost no substance, basically just fluffy grease. To quote myself, never again! lol

Speaking of slider foods I need to NEVER EVER buy Pillsbury Crescents EVER AGAIN! I made them for my son with ham and cheese and ended up eating THREE :/// I have stayed away from carbs pretty well, and I never had a problem with slider foods until today. Now I understand!! That was 330 cals just in the bread, not to mention the cheese that was packed into those suckers. I feel so super guilty, I hit close to 1200 cals today which is an absolute first since I was sleeved 2 months ago (Usually Im between 600-800 a day) I will never ever buy those or anything like that again period. And Im getting my butt up early for a jog tomorrow.

Speaking of slider foods I need to NEVER EVER buy Pillsbury Crescents EVER AGAIN! I made them for my son with ham and cheese and ended up eating THREE :/// I have stayed away from carbs pretty well, and I never had a problem with slider foods until today. Now I understand!! That was 330 cals just in the bread, not to mention the cheese that was packed into those suckers. I feel so super guilty, I hit close to 1200 cals today which is an absolute first since I was sleeved 2 months ago (Usually Im between 600-800 a day) I will never ever buy those or anything like that again period. And Im getting my butt up early for a jog tomorrow.

They wake you up with the tube still inserted to make sure that you are conscious enough to breathe on your own before they remove it. I remember waking up and I didnt have the tube in, but I was very groggy, and I kept falling back asleep and would stop breathing. The nurse would have to wake me up when the machine started beeping because I wasnt breathing. So maybe the tube isnt such a bad thing, you will be so out of it you might not even notice....maybe... lol

Either way goo dluck with surgery, it is an amazing journey. Im only 2 months out and my life has changed so much already

Hi

Im about 2 months out and Im starting to get the same feeling. I was around 600-700 cals, but this last week Ive been up in the 800-900s. Not so bad but I am getting worried about how it will be a few months out. I do know - when I dont get my fluids in it makes a huuuuge difference. I try to drink a few chugs if I get hungry too soon after a meal, and that usually helps.

I am also a night snacker, and my go-to is SF NF Jello - I will let myself eat as much as I want, along with 2 tbsp whipped cream (15 cals). I think an entire package of Jello is 40 cals, and I think I might be able to finish half (1 cup) in one sitting, but really thats better than gorging on ice cream or something else. AND it increases my fluids, which I struggle to get in. Or I go for the SF NF pudding, I think half a cup is 40 cals with NF milk, but it really helps with the sweet tooth, and if you mix Protein Powder in its more filling.

Good luck and hang in there

YUM Protein ice cream This I gotta try!

B - I was on the run, has 2 slices shaved turkey

L - Soft taco from Taco Bell - no cheese, ate meat (?) and a little lettuce, half a Pintos and cheese w/o cheese

S - Other half of pintos and low fat string cheese

D - 2 oz grilled chicken over a few salad greens with half a piece of Laughing Cow light Bleu Cheese flavor - sooo good I didnt even need dressing

S2 - 1/3 of a small apple, used the rest in chicken waldorf salad for tomorrow

The chocolate is delicious!! I think that is my favorite flavor.

But - I bought the chicken Soup and dont like it at all! For some reason I can deal with Protein if its sweet, maybe because I am used to the flavor. With the chicken soup it has a bit of a creamy taste that I just cant eat. Plus I dont like the fact that it cant be heated too much or the protein will coagulate. I got some recipes from them and I know the powder can be mixed into greek yogurt as a dip or cream cheese as a spread, I might try that.

That said, you might try it and love it.

Just keep the big picture in mind. If you loose 10 pound a month, that is amazing. Some question

1. Are you getting all you liquids in?

2. Are you getting all your Protein in?

3. Are you taking Vitamins?

My doctor said that if I wanted to loose weight I would have to do all of the above and then start exercising three weeks post op. If my calorie in take is 600- 800 a day and I exercise and burn from 300-400 calories a day I will see the scale move in my favor. Keep up the good job 10 pounds is good

Hope this helps.

-Sharon

This is true. Im a little over a month out, and I have stalled twice. Once for a week and a half, and the second for almost a week. I am pretty positive that both times it was because I wasnt getting my required fluids and Proteins in. Also, when I dont get both in I tend to eat more calories.

I was on a 5 day stall until yesterday. I wasnt getting in my Protein or my fluids, maybe half of each. Then after 2 days of getting in all my protein, all my fluids and keeping it under 700 cals, I lost 1 lb the the first day and 1.5 lbs the second. So just hang in there and do your best to follow dr's orders, and you will lose

-I went shopping for scrubs yesterday (having just found my first job as a nurse) and while my pants would normally be in a 2 or 3 x ...

I FIT INTO A LARGE!! Woweeee I did have a little muffin top but that would have been there in the 2x too...

- I have wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle FOREVER, like since I started driving over 10 years ago. BUT I always told myself that I would not be "a fat chick on a bike"...I know it sounds horrible but I am a self conscious and extremely sensitive person, and didnt want to deal with the feeling of being laughed at (whether real or imaginary). Well, my dad has a couple motorcycles and yesterday I decided to take one out and learn how to ride. It was so exhilarating and just seemed like a natural thing to do, no weirdness or self consciousness. Granted I am by no means thin, but post-op I just feel like an invisible cage has been lifted off of me and things I would have never done before I am now doing without hesitation. Also my mindset has changed a lot and I am not so mean to myself anymore

- A weird mental thing I had was that I hated to meet with people in person. At the park playground when other parents would come talk to me I would clam up. I even hated talking on the phone with people. I would always communicate by email. It was some self esteem thing that I had. In the past few weeks though I felt that changing, I am not afraid to go up to new people and start a conversation, and I am reaching out to people as well. I used to avoid social situations, but now Im starting to let myself go and not be so controlling and restrictive.

- AND I am now actively planning my wedding to my fiancee of over 3 years!! There were a lot of factors in play with this one, as I got preggo right after we got engaged and put off the wedding for a year or so, then I went into school and that put it off even more. BUT the underlying issue in all of that was that I wanted to be the beautiful blushing (thin) bride, not walk down the aisle looking (in my opinion) pudgy and awkward. I know I am being super harsh, but this is the way I felt, strongly enough that I just kept putting priorities over my wedding. I was always planning on it being low budget and intimate, so I know I could have had my wedding long ago, but I kept it on a back burner. Now planning is on full speed ahead, and even though I am still a big girl my mindset has changed a bit. Its amazing to me how much freer and full of options my life has now, as opposed to before VSG when I had more of a negative and bleak attitude. I am so so so sooooooo thankful that I had the sleeve done, it has only been a month - ONE MONTH - and changed my life in so many ways Wow.

I have been listening to my doctor and am almost 5 weeks out, but more importantly I have learned to listen to my body. I eat fast and have always eaten fast. The last two weeks since I have been introducing solids back into my diet I notice that different foods go down differently. chicken and eggs, for me, is 2 to 3 small bites, but I can take 6 small bites of Pasta. Sometimes I eat so fast that I dont realize I am full until I am vomiting. So learning what this new full feeling actually feels like is different for me. I take it slow, very small bites chewed well and one swallow at a time. Then when I feel the density in my stomach I quit, I probably could eat a few more bites but I hate to vomit. Listen to your body and you will do well.

I am almost 5 weeks out and the same happens to me. I take small bites like Im supposed to, but I take them too quickly. I go from hungry to stuffed in literally like 5 or 6 bites, and on SEVERAL occasions I have had to run to the bathroom and throw it up, which I absolutely hate to do. And I have never ever been one of those people who threw up for anything, not the flu or while I was pregnant. Right now Im really working on slowing down my eating, but its a hard habit to break. But Im getting better at eyeballing portion sizes for my new tummy so I dont get to that stuffed point.

" I am part Filipino and rice is SUCH a huge staple"

Most of the time that rice is White or Jasmine right? Maybe switch over to Brown Rice. Basmati Brown Rice is really good, and does not seem to taste as strong as regular brown rice. It is also a very healthy carb. It might give you the satisfaction of eating what your family is eating, and satisfying a desire for a carb at dinner without really giving you "bad carbs" or much carb at all since you would only be eating a small portion of it. Just pay attention to what your body is doing. If you slow weight loss with any carbs at all, or start craving more and more then I would stick to as little as possible. However, if your body can handle some small portions of good carbs then add them in. Just make sure you are eating the Proteins first.

Thanks!

You know what, I had sushi today, and I decided it was ok to sample a little rice...well I took a tiny bite and I realized I didnt even want it Wierd but totally fine with me! I think I will try the brown rice eventually, I still need to get into the groove of cooking full meals instead of just preparing bits of this and that then I will incorporate more (good) carbs into my diet along, with the Protein of course. I have been craving something saucy and cheesy, maybe I will hunt down some whole wheat pizza dough and make myself a mini pizza.< /p>

I have lots of dark chin hair that I tweeze. Has anyone lost a lot of weight and had the hair stop growing in? Or lighten up?

Thanks!

I have had a problem with chin hair since high school, which is when I really started gaining weight. A few months before I was sleeved my dr put me on Tri-sprintec, a type of birth control that she said would help control my high testosterone/low estrogen levels. I noticed that my chin hair started coming in a lot more slowly, but unfortunately for some reason I started to lose the hair on my head!

Post op I have lost 28 lbs and the chin hair is definitely growing a lot slower, maybe half the rate as before, even though Im not on the pill anymore. The hair on my head is still thinning though, and I know it will continue for awhile :/

HEEYY! Im so in

Im in So Cal too, but wouldnt mind traveling, maybe Ill make a road trip out of it

the other night I made Protein style burgers. Basically it was a mini slider (very lean ground beef) wrapped in lettuce. My husband loved it. I just ate the cheeseburger (I am still not cleared for raw veggies yet). If you live near an In-N-Out burger, this is on their secret menu.

Ohhh that sounds so delish. I do miss In n Out, to think I used to have Double-Double with fries - both Animal style :/ YIKES!

The slider sounds like such a good idea, esp with the hot Cali weather coming, those would be perfect for a BBQ. Grilled chicken strips w buffalo sauce would be good Protein style too. Yum.

I love wraps, and during my losing stage I did skip the tortillas and used romaine lettuce hearts, or other hearty lettuce varieties instead of tortillas.

Oooh good idea

Thanks!! Im definitely gonna try that.

Ok so I was browsing The World According to Eggface and I came across her "Master List" of wraps, using low carb whole wheat tortillas. Being an on-the-go person, I am always lugging little containers of healthy goodness everywhere with me, and I can appreciate the simplicity and convenience of a wrap. Even though I have sworn off carbs for now, I think I ill make an exception for the tortillas mentioned here - 80cals/12 g carbs/2 g Protein. (They are more like soft taco size Im assuming) I think that one of these puppies with some turkey, cheese and veggie inside would probably last 2 meals with me. Anyway heres the link:

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/its-wrap-and-product-review.html

She also uses these tortillas for homemade pizzas, which look so so tasty!

Link here:

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2010/03/pizza-sex.html

Enjoy

Comfy clothes, blender, CHECK!....heating pad or ice pack?

What is your recommended list of items to buy before surgery?

Honestly, I dont think you need either. The only pain I experienced was from gas, and the only thing that helps that is walking

I think you should add to your list basic toiletries like a mini shower gel and lotion, those made a huge difference for me after not being able to shower after 2 days. Also, I brought some knitting, my laptop for movies/wifi and a book. BUT I was in from Monday morning to Thursday so I definitely needed entertainment. Im not sure how long your stay will be.

THANKS for all the helpful info!

Im finding now that I can actually eat meat instead of just mushies, its not too bad staying away from carbs. And now that I know that it is ok to eat the right ones in moderation, I dont feel like Im being deprived. That said, I dont know if I have room in my diet for carbs, Ive reached a kind of balance where I end up right around 60 g of Protein while keeping in the cal range I want. I think for me to give in and have a couple bites it would have to be a special occasion. (Sushi is the exception!) So Im gonna keep it mostly carb free for now. I found a recipe for a tuna melt where you just slap the tuna and some cheese on a slice of Tomato then stick it in the broiler for a bit. I had that for lunch and it was yumm! Im also gonna try the tips from Tiffykins: use cucumber slices, also salami in the oven until crispy. I also remember making stuffed peppers back in the day, that would be soo good, and I think I also might be able to use big tomatoes or even maybe a small squash and stuff it with something good and healthy and bake. I might buy some low fat whole wheat Wheat Thins in case a craving hits really hard

Oh BTW my stall is now at an end! Ive lost a pound a day for the past 3 days, I think mostly from cutting the excessive snacking AND increasing Protein and fluids. Yay!!

It depends on the time of day for me. In the morning I usually cant eat too much, maybe a half a scrambled egg and half slice turkey, then I come back and finish it maybe half an hour later. lunch today was 1 oz of tuna salad w 2 black olives. I usually have 2 Snacks a day, one was a Protein shake and the other was 1 oz of plain shredded chicken. dinner was 4 oz of cauliflower and chicken Soup, recipe off bariatriceating.com.

Question: I will sometimes set out a specified amount of food, say 2 oz of meat, and work at it over an hour or so until it is gone, considered as lunch or dinner. Technically it wont all fit in one sitting, but if I just eat what will fit (sometimes a little less than an ounce) I know Ill be hungry again in an hour or so. Is it better to just eat what I can in that specific sitting, then STOP and ride out the hunger w fluids until the next snack or meal, OR eat a reasonable amount (1-2 oz of meat, and thats it) over a timeframe? What are other people doing?

So Im wondering how everyone else is doing carb-wise. I am COMPLETELY avoiding them, somewhat reluctantly but I have always been more of a Protein person so its not a huge problem. I do get carbs from the carrots etc. in my Soups as well as the occasional few oz of juice so its not like Im totally carb free. But I would love to have someting to place my tuna/chicken salad on - like a Saltine or some toasted bread -- without feeling guilty. I am part Filipino and rice is SUCH a huge staple, and I am pretty much just making the "good" dishes and eating them w/o rice. And I love love sushi, but I have avoided any and all rice, as well as bread, Pasta, etc. So is the the occasional carb ok? Also, when eating carbs and protein versus just protein, do you get fuller faster and/or stay full longer?

B: hard boiled egg w slice deli turkey

S: Muscle Milk light

L: tuna w LF mayo and some black olive chopped in, maybe 2 oz

S: 2 tsp SF pudding

D: 4 oz Cheesy chicken and Cauliflower Chowder (SOO GOOD, here is the link -- http://www.bariatriceating.com/BEhealthnutrition/recipes/cheesychickencauliflowerchowder.php )

Maybe it's because I feel so down and discouraged. I have posted about this before, but I will be 4 wks out tomorrow and I lost 20 pounds the first 2 weeks and since then...NOTHIING..NADA.. it's really starting to depress me.

I've been noticing I'm grazing a bit...and I do feel actual hunger after my 3 main little meals. And it is making me nuts. I keep thinking, is my body not EVER going to go below 240?? HOw depressing that I've had 80 percent of my stomach removed and still am not losing. I just want to cry. I know I need to stop this snacking/grazing before it becomes a bad habit. Any advice?

HIEE!

I am in your exact situation

I lost 26 lbs post surgery getting me to 236, but Ive been stuck there for the past 2 weeks. I lowered my cal intake from 800 a day to 600 a day a few days ago, dropped 2 lbs since, but I was expecting a bit more. BUT like Im reading on countless posts, stalls are common at this time, and the weight loss will continue!! Logically, there is no way that we can be eating what we are and not lose, so just hang in there, we'll get through it!

As for the grazing, I had the same problem and really had to take control of that. I log my food meticulously, and make sure I always know where Im at calorie wise. If I absolutely feel the need to eat and Ive hit my 600 cals, which usually happens at night, its ONLY Jello, which does make me feel full after 6-8 oz and it helps w Fluid intake. Also, Ive heard from many people that sometimes when you are feeling hungry just increase fluids and it will help. Ive been doing that the past few days and it DOES. I dont know how many cals you are on a day, Im hearing anywhere from 500 to 800 a day is normal, but if you are feeling hungry and want to eat, it probably wouldnt hurt to just have a piece of low fat string cheese or maybe a tbsp of Peanut Butter in there. I am definitely a snacker, but as long as its good for me and within my cal limit then I don't feel bad at all.

Good luck!

Yay for you!

I weigh myself every morning and It does frustrate me that I keep losing and gaining the same two pounds. :/

I might take your advice and just STAY AWAY! lol