UXgrrl

Don't gross out, but those Gerber Graduates Lil Crunchies (we call them "baby cheetos") come in a bunch of different flavors (tomato basil, cheese, veggie dip, etc) are not too bad. You get 19 of them for 35 calories. They melt in your mouth so you could probably have them on purees even, and are great for scooping up hummus, greek yogurt with ranch dressing mix, and so forth.
I would not have guessed this myself but I was crusing around the cupboard half-crazed one night because I needed something with a crunch.

Hah! The normal-sized hospital gown will fit, so I won't be able to have that lovely hallways conversation when I discover, when half my clothes are already off, that they brought me the XL gown instead of the XXL gown.

Hah! The normal-sized hospital gown will fit, so I won't be able to have that lovely hallways conversation when I discover, when half my clothes are already off, that they brought me the XL gown instead of the XXL gown.

I second the advice about small Gladware-type containers (1 cup capacity or less). I have a Magic Bullet food processor, and a Cuisinart stick immersion blender, and you can't really make 1 or 2 oz of pureed food at a time, you have to make a cup or two. Anyway, your leftovers go into those plastic containers. Make sure you label them! Right now I have one for blended chicken noodle Soup, blended edamame hummus, and this blended pea and carrot concoction, and they all look exactly the same :-)
This way it's really easy to do lunch by pulling out your favorite Protein, a veggie side, and a carb side. Poof, insta-meal. In the beginning you're eating such tiny portions that it feels dumb to make normal-sized quantities anyway.
I was given a shopping list in my bariatric nutrition booklet when I met with the dietician right before surgery. Oddly enough she was kind of anti- Protein Powder. She wanted Protein to be sourced from "real food" as much as possible. I still don't know why, and she was also the one who wouldn't tell me a calorie range to shoot for while in the early stages of weight loss.
I'm sure she had her reasons but I hate it when medical professionals refuse to give you all the information, because they are afraid you're going to try and abuse the system or break the rules. When it comes down to it, the whole point of this surgery is to make it possible for you to be satisfied on an extremely low calorie diet -- I know that getting the nutrients and protein are essential to staying healthy during this process -- but I need to know all the facts.
I digress. Other things we went shopping for before surgery:
- The Cuisinart stick blender
- A shaker cup with wire spiral ball inside
- Little disposable plastic 1 oz shot glasses (although I did come home with a pile of medicine cups)
- A Protein Powder we liked pre-surgery and was able to get at a good price (EAS whey Isolate, Vanilla)
- Lactaid Fat Free Calcium fortified milk (because I was already lactose intolerant pre-op)
- Cottage cheese, 1% small curd
- A couple cans of canned chicken and some frozen chicken breasts
- "Better than Bouillon" soup base in chicken, beef and vegetable. I used this stuff pre-op and like it much better than the pressed cubes, and they take up less room than the paperboard cartons or cans of premade broth. You can scoop a little bit out on your spoon and add it to your pureed protein with some Water to add moisture and flavor.
The rest of the food (frozen veggies, fruits, etc) we already had in our house normally. We just buy the normal bags and transfer them to a big zip-loc one we open them, because we're always going in there and scooping out a few strawberries or a handful of peas to add to a smoothie or cool down some chicken soup for the kiddos.
I know this is a thread about groceries but I'm going to talk about kitchenware in general. One really important thing we did, which I would recommend everyone at least considering, was switching out all our plates. OMG it made a huge difference! We replaced all our normal 8" dinner plates and bought 5" hordourves or appetizer-sized plates from Crate & Barrel, then also picked up the dipping plates which are divided in half and hold almost exactly 1oz on each side. We also got new bowls that hold about a cup. We got a set of 4 "normal sized" dinner plates but haven't used them yet in three months. They will likely only come out when we have company or might be used as serving platters.
We also bought a set of spoons and forks from Ikea for our small kids to use. They are about 70% the size of typical flatware but have a nice heft to them. I find myself using them a lot while I'm eating my dainty bites from my absurdly tiny plate and I think it helps to keep the proportions correct.
All our new dishes seem very small but really, it's what you need to hold a normal sized portion. I'm a lifetime member of the Clean Plate Club, so sizing down my plates and bowls has made a huge difference in making me eat less overall. I think the kids feel less overwhelmed at dinner as well, because we're giving them normal sized (for toddlers and preschoolers) portions. My partner, who is working on qualifying for WLS as well, feels this is helping her too.
Whew! Sorry, I tend to ramble!

YES, I hadn't had a normal period in 3 years before surgery. Then BOOM right away I get a flow from hell, and then another one 3 weeks later.
I visited the tampon asle at the store for the first time in years and discovered they made "ultra" absorbancy tampons now (one step above "super plus"). Let me tell you, they may seem like a good idea at first, but they swell up to the size of a baseball which makes getting them back out kind of tough.
Ahem... sorry, TMI. :biggrin2:
ETA: I think the period that came right after surgery was heavy because of the blood thinners I was on... I had the same thing happen after I had hip surgery before... but that doesn't explain Auntie Flo #2....

Something to remember, too, is early on, until you can get your carbs up, your body may be in some varying degree of ketosis. Search the site for ketosis for lots of discussions on it.
One of the by-products is a funky taste in your mouth that throws the flavor of everything off. Once I got my body out of that, things started to return to normal.

Well, the bottom line is calories consumed vs calories burned.
This is my understanding of it based on my research. Please correct me if what I type here is inaccurate
Let's talk about calories for a second. A calorie is a unit of energy. 1 gram of carbs(Error here, meant to say fat) will give you 9 units of that energy. 1 gram of Protein will give you 4 units of that energy. Your body will convert that to glycogen and use it, whether that be for running or sitting on the couch breathing. You are always consuming energy and that is different for everybody. SoS mentioned the resting metabolic rate, Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). That is the energy your body requires ... well ... resting.
If you have more of these energy units (calories) than your body needs, the body will store them first in your liver and then out to your body as visceral or subcutaneous fat. (Fancy way of saying fat deep in your organs or just underneath your skin) If you don't have enough, then your body will tap the liver (hence the pre-op diet) and then tap the reserves stored in your body (visceral/subcutaneous/muscle ... yup, muscle is a candidate ... remember, 4 units of energy)
It is widely accepted that 3,500 calories make up a pound. Burn 3,500, you lose a pound, consume an additional 3,500, you gain a pound.
http://www.caloriesp...orial_pound.php
OK, so what does this mean? Calories consumed vs Calories burned. For our purposes, here, we'll say I consume 1,400 calories/day.
Let's say my BMR is 700 and I am moderately active through the day walking to the mailbox and such. We'll say I burn an additional 500 calories doing that for a total daily burn of 1,200 calories. So, I have an overage of 200 calories/day which, if I continue like this, I will gain 1 pound in 3,500/200 = 17.5 days.
If my BMR is higher ... this changes. If I increase my activity and burn 1,000 calories/day, then I lose.
So, with this out of the way, to your question. If I typically eat 1,200-1,400 calories per day will I start gaining ... for me, I doubt it. As far as BMR goes, there are theories out there that say the more fit you get, the higher this number becomes. I am WAY more fit than I was 7 months ago. I broke a hard sweat going up the stairs at a basketball game, for crying out loud! So, I have to believe I have improved my BMR. I don't work out everyday, but I do most days and they are pretty rigorous. Running 3-5 miles at a pretty good pace (under 9 minute miles) and keeping up with the instructor for the Spinning and Tabata classes, plus lifting weights 3x a week. Averaging it all out, I'm probably burning at least an additional 500-600 calories daily. This activity allows me to eat more and still lose. But, again, notice in my signature, I did not lose this past month, but actually gained .5 pounds, but I do attribute that to my weight lifting efforts. My jeans are looser than they were a month ago, so I know my fat deposits are reducing.
So, for you, can you eat 1,200 - 1,400 calories a day and still lose? I don't know. I don't know what your BMR is and your activity level. Getting your BMR calculated accurately is an expensive proposition, though, if I am not mistaken. I used to have the BodyBugg which told me, with 90% accuracy, the number of calories I burned daily. Perhaps something like that might help you determine how many calories you can each each day.
I hope this answers your question, and before the firestorm rages, please just know this is my opinion based on my research. Nutrition is a highly debated topic. I know. But this understanding of how things work does work for me. If it doesn't work for you, that is OK.

(originally from Allrecipes.com)
By the time you get to the mushy/soft food stage, you'd probably rather poke out your eyes with a stick then see another Protein shake. chicken seems to sit well with lots of sleevers, but it's hard to get the meat moist enough to eat comfortably. This is a fabulous recipe that gives a chicken that great rotisserie style flavor and makes it moist and tender enough to eat or puree.
Original yield: two 4 lb whole chickens
Ingredients

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 onions, quartered
2 (4 pound) whole chickens

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
Place chickens in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

My variation: Place one chicken directly into a pressure cooker on a wire rack, and cook for 25 minutes at high pressure. When finished, quickly release pressure. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.
I quadruple the spice rub and keep it on hand, we make this so often.

I fought for the sleeve vs the RNY for 3 main reasons:
1. I need to take NSAIDs post-op for osteoarthritis, and with RNY you cannot take NSAIDs ever again.
2. The sleeve just seemed so much simpler and involved less messing around with my insides. I can understand the concern about wanting to make damn sure that this surgery works and you lose the weight. Originally I was considering the DS, because the stats made it sound like way more of a sure bet, until the surgeon's PA talked me out of it, citing all sorts of problems. The outcomes for the sleeve are turning out to be pretty comparable to other forms of WLS, but like any procedure, it's possible to "eat around" the sleeve (or eat around a RNY pouch, too) and not lose enough or (horrors) gain back weight.
3. I knew my own personal food demons involved eating too large a quantity of food at one sitting. I didn't make bad food choices, I just ate too damn much. I longed to be satisfied with small portions. I felt the sleeve was the answer for me.

I fought for the sleeve vs the RNY for 3 main reasons:
1. I need to take NSAIDs post-op for osteoarthritis, and with RNY you cannot take NSAIDs ever again.
2. The sleeve just seemed so much simpler and involved less messing around with my insides. I can understand the concern about wanting to make damn sure that this surgery works and you lose the weight. Originally I was considering the DS, because the stats made it sound like way more of a sure bet, until the surgeon's PA talked me out of it, citing all sorts of problems. The outcomes for the sleeve are turning out to be pretty comparable to other forms of WLS, but like any procedure, it's possible to "eat around" the sleeve (or eat around a RNY pouch, too) and not lose enough or (horrors) gain back weight.
3. I knew my own personal food demons involved eating too large a quantity of food at one sitting. I didn't make bad food choices, I just ate too damn much. I longed to be satisfied with small portions. I felt the sleeve was the answer for me.

My NUT told me last week that I could be eating the steel-cut oatmeal that I used to eat before surgery. (This was right after laying into me about how I shouldn't have advanced my diet so fast... hello, don't these professionals talk to each other???)
I actually really like my oatmeal but I don't like the idea of so many carbs. She told me to eat more white potatoes too. I just looked at her and said, "oh really?" And she went on about how much Fiber and potassium there is in potatoes.
"Yeah, in the peel, which according to you I can't eat right now anyway..." That shut her up, and she got that look like she just sucked on a lemon.
I got out of there as fast as I could. She was about 80 years old, and probably still had the original USDA food pyramid (the one based on carbs) stuck on her wall.
Sorry, the only time in my life that I felt like I was eating right for my body was when I was doing Atkins. High carbs gives me GI trouble and makes me want to sleep. I'll pass, thanks.

When I was going through my healthy eating class, it struck me that all the habits that we are being encouraged to adopt (smaller portions, Protein first, stop when full, etc) were things that we were routinely trying to "train" our kids NOT to do. We were fighting with them to stay at the table and finish everything on their plate, we were giving them things from the kids' menu which were fried or covered in cheese or primarily starches, we were expecting them to eat according our hectic, mismanaged schedule which frequently led to poor choices (like last-minute pizza or fast food).
My partner and I are both planning to be sleeved eventually; I ended up going first. My new diet has caused a complete revolution in our household and has totally changed the way we eat and how we treat our kids with regards to food. They are 5 and (almost) 3 so we are lucky that they still in the impressionable stage and still have time to learn better habits. They of course turn their noses up at unfamiliar foods and regularly request things like mac & cheese, but now we make mac & cheese with SmartTaste Pasta and serve it with equal quantities of broccoli, or mix in a handful of frozen peas to cool it down quickly, or maybe toss in a little leftover diced chicken.
We also invested in a couple of "Sneaky Chef" - type cookbooks. We're super lucky that our kids don't refuse to eat vegetables (in fact, my 3 year old won't eat anything but right now) but these books gave us great ideas for pumping up the nutrient and Protein quotient of everyday foods. This is helpful for sleevers as well, since it packs more nutrition in to a smaller quantity of food.< /p>
Anyway, we learn our eating habits at an early age and we unconsciously revert back to them during times of stress. There's a reason why "comfort food" exists. My parents weren't the best at healthy eating and I'm sure I picked up some bad habits during my childhood, so I am being extra vigilant to model good habits to my children. Maybe then they won't inherit my trouble with weight as well.

I have been FREEZING since surgery. I used to get all hot and sweaty all the time, and I slept in cotton capris and tank tops with the fan on (in winter, in Minnesota), and I swear I can not get warm now. I always have a hoodie on around the house, socks, and I wear my long yoga pants to bed now. My partner huddles on the far side of the because because she fears my cold feet. Even my kids have commented on how cold my hands are.
I don't know if i buy the "less insulation" theory because I haven't lost all that much, really... just 30 lbs, and I wasn't this cold when I was 30 lbs lighter. I think our metabolisms have taken a major nosedive to coordinate with the drastically reduced calories we are eating.
Hmm, by my own logic, I should be exercising more, if I'm sick of being cold.
Dang it, I hate when I lose arguments with myself.

Last couple of months was artificially inflated because of the holidays, and because of buying supplements for the early post-op period, but I bet it will be a lot less.
More money to spend on new clothes!

I have been FREEZING since surgery. I used to get all hot and sweaty all the time, and I slept in cotton capris and tank tops with the fan on (in winter, in Minnesota), and I swear I can not get warm now. I always have a hoodie on around the house, socks, and I wear my long yoga pants to bed now. My partner huddles on the far side of the because because she fears my cold feet. Even my kids have commented on how cold my hands are.
I don't know if i buy the "less insulation" theory because I haven't lost all that much, really... just 30 lbs, and I wasn't this cold when I was 30 lbs lighter. I think our metabolisms have taken a major nosedive to coordinate with the drastically reduced calories we are eating.
Hmm, by my own logic, I should be exercising more, if I'm sick of being cold.
Dang it, I hate when I lose arguments with myself.

Last couple of months was artificially inflated because of the holidays, and because of buying supplements for the early post-op period, but I bet it will be a lot less.
More money to spend on new clothes!

Your plight is interesting. Our daughter had a gastric bypass about 8 years ago. Her starting weight was 300lbs and she was 5'4". Her weight came off pretty fast. What happened to her was that her husband became very critical of how she dressed. It was normal dressing for anyone that was a normal weight. However, it was a problem for him. What actually was happening is that this person who had been very large for all of their marriage (and most of her life) and was very self conscious was beginning to "bloom" during her weight loss. She became a very beautiful girl, very. She did not dress in any way that was inappropriate but I think that he was afraid of the changes he saw. All of this happened at about six months after her surgery. They, like many couple, had some pretty rough times. She wanted to "live" a little (never had) and he was worried about all of it. So, long story short, they both realized that they were the same people and everything was fine. So many couples find that what they are searching for is right there in front of their face. Then when a friend of hers had the surgery and went through the same thing she told her to wait for a few more months and everything would work out. Which it did. This surgery is about more than weight loss, it is about finding the person you really are. So, your husbands reaction is probably a combination of blaming someone else for his weight problem, worrying about the changes he sees in you and what you will do next. So, hang in there and don't let him or his reactions worry you. He was not responsible for your weight problem and you are not responsible for his. Once he realizes he is responsible for his own unhappiness, i.e., being overweight, and does something about it he will be fine.
I am sure that after you read this you will realize that I am a grandmother, and as everyone knows, we are the smartest people in the world. Full of great advice that we give whether we are asked to or not ! haha. If you don't believe it just ask our kids.
Good Luck and remember, You are a beautiful person inside and out.

So sorry that so many of you seem to be having trouble with waitstaff. The city that I typically go out to eat in is home to a large medical institution and the waitstaff there seem to be trained to deal sensitively with people who might be going through a hard time... at least that was my first impression when I was interviewing for jobs in that town.
We recently went out to Red Lobster and the adults ordered a shrimp cocktail each and an order of stuffed mushrooms to share, and the kiddos each had a kid's meal and a skewer of grilled shrimp. The bill came to $45 for the 4 of us and I STILL brought home enough shrimp for a 2nd meal. The waitress didn't bat an eye when we ordered so little food for the family or when I asked for a to-go box after eating about 4 shrimps and 2 mushrooms.
DAMN, I can get used to this. Certainly easier on the wallet!

When using a public restroom, I won't have to stand on the toilet to get the door open and closed.

(originally from Allrecipes.com)
By the time you get to the mushy/soft food stage, you'd probably rather poke out your eyes with a stick then see another Protein shake. chicken seems to sit well with lots of sleevers, but it's hard to get the meat moist enough to eat comfortably. This is a fabulous recipe that gives a chicken that great rotisserie style flavor and makes it moist and tender enough to eat or puree.
Original yield: two 4 lb whole chickens
Ingredients

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 onions, quartered
2 (4 pound) whole chickens

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
Place chickens in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

My variation: Place one chicken directly into a pressure cooker on a wire rack, and cook for 25 minutes at high pressure. When finished, quickly release pressure. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.
I quadruple the spice rub and keep it on hand, we make this so often.

It's not all pretty - it's not all easy to go from morbidly obese to...well..not morbidly obese. I know when I was pre-op I was always looking for the terrible side effects so I had in my mind the potential of what difficult steps I had ahead for me. Now that I'm 7 months out and down 109 pounds, I know the reality of what I had to adjust to.
1. Cute shirt in department store ad catches my eye. It's plus sized, it was drape over me, it's not an option.
2. Lane Bryant emails are now just more spam.
3. Can't say "LMAO" anymore cause it's already gone...
4. Automatic toilets scare the crap out of you! There's no longer that one minute delay after my big ol fat butt gets off the toilet. The immediate "Whooosh!" is so unexpected!
5. Bummed out MIL when she offered to give me the 16's she had gotten too thin for an was now in her goal weight of a 14 and had to tell her I was now at a 12 (okay, so maybe I did kinda enjoy that moment...PS- now a size 10)
= )
Post ops, feel free to add to my list.....

Quoting meg ryan... YES< YES< YES
Yes, you will be able to eat this food again, just not in large quantities. I have had wings, street tacos, Indian food, jalenpenos (although not as many whole as before), BBQ, popcorn with butter, all of it.
Nothing is forbidden any more. Because of this beautiful sleeve I can easily control quantities.
Love this sleeve and being at goal. Patience to those of you in the process. Your time will come, sooner than you ever dreamed! Promise.

Ugh. This is mine. I don't know how I am going to be able to go to a movie and handle not being able to have popcorn.< /p>

Pookeyism, that's great advice about the zinc oxide treatment for the towel... I will definitely look this post up again if heat rashes become a problem (and I suspect they will).

My nutritionist told me to mix dry ranch dressing with nonfat plain greek yogert and use it as a veggie dip. I am hooked. I actually craved it. Weird, because I am one that does not like any kind of yogert at all.