kayte819

I started eating protein bars around 3-4 wks because like you, I hated shakes. HATE. First I tried premier protein but they were too dense. I tried some others but felt the same. Finally I stumbled upon Power Crunch bars. They are like those wafer cookies. Very light in terms of density & much easier for me to eat. They are kind of high in cals - 210/bar, but they only have 10g of carbs 4g of sugar so I think they are better than Adkins or some of the others which seem to have a lot of carbs & sugar. They have 13 g of protein & while that's a bit less than some I still find the other numbers make them a better choice for me. And they don't make me crazy full so I can usually eat 3/4 in one sitting. I typically polish it off as "dessert". I like triple chocolate or chocolate peanut butter. There is also a vanilla. I buy them at my fry's grocery store (Kroger) or even 7-11. Good luck!!

I wanted to add one more thing abt salad: instead of adding a ton of veggies try to add protein rich toppings. I add some 2% shredded cheese, sliced almonds, avocado & hard boiled eggs & a lean meat. This usually means I only eat a small bite of greens with each bite but this way you are bulking up your protein intake as opposed to filling up w/ veggies to quickly. Just my 2 cents worth

I had surgery on 1/28/12. I've lost 51 lbs & also feel like a slow loser at times. I've had a couple long stalls which can be very discouraging. That said I've done no excercising, so I know I really need to step it up! I love swimming laps & water aerobics but despite the fact I live in a pretty big city (Phoenix) the closest gym w/ a pool is quite a ways away & with my kids crazy.schedules it seems impossible to go there very often. My back is really messes up & I'm supposed to have surgery but my husband took 3 wks off when I got sleeved so its gonna be awhile until I can have another surgery. I know I'm full of excuses lol, but I'm truly not sure what to do for exercise!! Anyone have any suggestions?? Anyway, o think youre doing great!!! Keep up the good work!

I am 12 wks out & I eat, although I eat very differently than I used to. A great too is myfitnesspal.com - you can send friend requests & view other people's food diaries. It's a great tool for tracking your daily calories & Protein, as well as getting ideas of what others eat. Feel free to send me a friend request. My user name is Kayte819 on there as well. Here's a sample of my typical day: Breakfast: large iced coffee w/ a large amt of 2% milk & splenda. (I hate milk otherwise, but it's a good source of protein) A.m. snack: RTD Muscle milk light vanilla latte flavor Lunch: Ceasar salad w/ grilled chicken. Eat chicken first & a couple bites of salad Dinner: seared ahi tuna & sauteed spinach P.m. snack: chocolate power crunch bar I drink lots of Water or unsweetened iced tea. You will eat again! The 1st 5 weeks were really difficult for me, but hang in there....it gets better! And I've lost I've lost 51 lbs since 1/28/12,despite several long stalls & several poor food choices

I was sleeved on 1/28/12.....close enough to Feb to join in? I love the.idea of new friends who can relate! Feel free to email me: Kayte819@msn.com or pm me. I'm Kayte819 on myfitnesspal & love having friends on there who share diaries....great way to get food ideas

I ate candy on Easter...several of the snack size recees eggs, a starburst & a Cadbury egg. I felt soooo guilty which I can't stand. Also ate like 1/2 a cup of cheese grits, an Easter tradition in our family. They were so good the old me came back & I over ate & threw up. I feel like a bulemic when I do that. More guilt. The guilt is the worst. Reminds me of former torturous days of starvation & deprivation dieting gone awry. Well, here's to a better week!! Happy weekend!

I started eating salads at about 6 weeks but I had a really sensitive stomach so I waited longer than I had to....my nut gave the go ahead @ 4 weeks. I haven't had any issues, and eat a spinach, arugala, chard, radiccio mix at least once a day. Obviously eat the protein on it first, but as long as its a vitamin rich type of green it is good for you so eat it!! Def skip useless veggies like iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, etc. No nutritional value so pointless letting it take up space in your tiny tummy! Good luck

I'm with Lissa.....if you eat seafood then I would eat as much of that as possible. I live on fish these days. At 6 weeks I would do seared fish if it was firmer fish like tuna because its moist & easy to get down or white fish which is naturally really moist. Also shellfish. It's all so high in protein, low in cals, fat & good for you! I'm so jealous!!!! Have fun!!

I don't take it but my mom has for years. She almost burned her house down turning on the stove to "cook" in her sleeve & has sleep eaten entire bags of food. She also woke up one morning w/ a bottle of sake that had been sealed shut still open w/ some gone.....which we thought was quite funny actually because she isn't much of q drinker so who knows what she was doing lol. But it can be scary. I also have a friend who quit taking it because she gained 30 lbs over a year of sleep eating & she was a tiny girl so it really showed. She gave it up for good when she woke up to multuple bags from Walgreens where she'd driven & bought over $200 worth of junk. Scary!! I have a horrible time sleeping & I take alprazalam. I took ambien for my sleep study & it didn't even work!! Alprazolam knocks me out in about 15min. OUT. I take 2 of them. They are meant to stop anxiety but I only take them to sleep. Maybe look onto that.or another option. I tried seroquel which is pretty hardcore, but it is another option. Good luck!! Not sleeping is the worst!!

For what.it's worth, my surgeon only required 7 days of pre-op diet which was 5 days.eating low carb high protein like the south beach diet phase 1 & only 2 days liquid. My weight during pre-op was 316 & I'm 5'5 so that will give you an idea of my BMI. I had no complications & my liver looked perfect he.said. I also don't really understand such.a strict diet pre-op if a lot of surgeons do the low carb thing instead. So confusing that.every.surgeon has a different set of rules!!

Me toooo! Well, I'm almost 3 mos out, but in the last week I stalled, then gained 2lbs. I'm so bummed. I'll be the 1st to admit that I ate.a couple tiny peicea of candy, but really?!? C'mon! I used to eat 2 bags of candy on Easter & I've weighed the same amt for 4 yrs! So now a few pieces & a bagel thin & I gain 2 lbs? Depressing! And, like you Dooter I'm not losing inches either. I've lost 46 lbs & still have on the same tight jeans I wore before surgery......and they're still tight. I don't get it. I eat.anywhere from 700-1000 cals a day, low carb, Water.....wth? Boo.

I am 12 wks post-op on Sat. I am constantly feeling like I'm doing this.wrong, guilty when I eat, etc. I want to know if this looks ok or if I am on the wrong path, so here is my info from yesterday. Please weigh in even if it's criticism. Thanks in advance! Cals: 1030 Carbs: 92 Sugar: 31 Protein: 61 My.day.consisted of: Sf latte 1/2 of a kids z bar 1/2 of rtd muscle milk light Taco salad (ground beef, lettuce, Beans, a tbsp of sour cream, a tbsp cheese) Salad w/ ham, tbsp cheese, 6 olives, 6 cherry tomatoes, romaine, almond slivers, tbsp of green goddess dressing 1/2 whole wheat bagel thin w/ 2tbsp cream cheese So???

I never get over about 55. NEVER. I drink one rtd muscle milk a day. I also *try* to eat.some fish everyday but I don't always (carb devil calling my name...grrr). That said I've seen people here that get 80+, even 90+. I'd like to know what you eat to accomplish this incredible feat!!

I couldn't agree more!!! You've helped me on many,many occasions. Congrats....you've earned it!!!

And btw- I am one of the ding dongs that thought this would be easy! I *ass-umed* (spelling intended) that I would be magically no longer hungry, made sick by any sugar.consumption & unable to overeat. WRONG!! Just a tool, just.a tool, just.a tool.......my new mantra.

I really struggle with this too! It's a problem that I bring on myself because I let myself get super hungry before I take the time to eat....so when I do I just shovel it in. I did it just last night & 10 min later I had to pull over my car & throw up on the side of the road. I feel like such an idiot for doing this time & time again. Actually, I feel like a sleeve failure. I told myself last night that I am going to realllly work on this. I need to eat.in the day, but I get super busy & I'm not very hungry.....then by the time my household is ready for dinner I am soooo hungry. I am going to have to put a 3 hour timer to force myself to stop & eat. Protein shakes don't seem to stave off the hunger for me either. I'll feel full after about 10 oz of a 14 oz rtd then starved 2 hours later. I'm about 10 weeks out & realize I still have so much work to do still to readjust my bad habits!!

Me too What really sucks is prior to surgery I hadn't had a TOM for 3yrs becuz of my IUD. Now it's back w/ all the cravings that go along with it

Any chance you has a hernia repair??

Well, so far I'm the biggest loser - and not in a good way! I ate.horribly yesterday. I ate three Reesees eggs, not the biggest ones but not the smallest ones.either. I also ate a Cadbury egg & about 1/2 a cup of cheese grits which are loaded w/ carbs & Velveeta. I felt sooo guilty all night. I have alway been a candy junkie -its my drug of choice- but last year I would have eaten an entire bag of reesees eggs & more. To that point its an improvement, but its still a massive fail in my opinion Boooo.

I was scheduled for a RNY & had studied every bit of info about the procedure I could get my hands on. I was so prepared & had jumped thru hoops to get insurance to cover it. I knew NOTHING about the sleeve & had never even considered it. One week prior to my already scheduled surgery I went for my final pre-op appt & my surgeon told me he had decided he no longer would be performing any RNY's. He told me the sleeve was my only option w/ him now or I could find a new surgeon. That would mean going thru the entire approval process again. I bawled my eyes out in his office. A week later I semi-blindly had my sleeve performed. I don't have any regrets now, having learned more about it vs. The RNY. It was a shock initially, but now I think.it was for the best.

Agreed! I drink coffee every morning & am never constipated. Good old fashioned morning.constitutional

P.S. I was a serious party girl at that time & drank A LOT & while I did south beach & drank 20 cocktails a week I never gained or stalled as long as I ate according to plan. Even late nigjt binging I'd eat ham & cheese roll-ups or worst case a cheeseburger w/o the bun

I haven't had a drink since surgery, but many, many.drinks while doing south beach & I always had either a vodka w/ soda water w/ lemon & lime ( It tastes like perrier) or vodka & sugar.free red bull or monster. Vodka has no sugar or carbs so it is said to be your best bet...its about 90 cals per 1.5 oz which is your average cocktail. I've been told that Brown liquor has a much higher sugar content. When you use a sf mixer I can't see the harm ?? Calories can be alotted for.....

Surgery day: 316 Current: 268 Surgery date: 1/28/12 Have been stalled for over a week and not losing inches!!

Well for what its worth I have done this too post-op. Oranges just seem like they'd be so hard to digest so with oranges only, I will chew a piece up & then spit out the "casing" of an individual segment. I've never eaten more than 3 segments of a cutie, and the weird thing is I never ever wanted oranges before surgery. Must be some vitamin deficiency ? Anyway, I personally woyldnt worry about it unless you start doing it w/ other food or continue doing it w/ oranges well past the typical healing period.....but that's just me