CarolinePT09

Tonight it's mock shepherd's/pot pie! I use chicken strips from costco, Heinz chicken gravy (low cal), a tad of cornstarch, chicken stock, 3 cups of mixed vegetables and topped with mashed cauliflower, bake at 375 degrees F for 45 min or until gravy is bubbly. Tastes just like mashed potatoes and the dish is so yummy!

I think that you can make your goal

Awesome! Congrats! Focus on the basics: Water, Protein, walking....you can get to goal!!!

I'm 13 months out now, lost 104 lbs. I stalled out completely until I connected here again recently & read some advice. I also started fitnesspal & realized I was eating nore calories than I thought. I went back to 800 calories, Protein first (even bought the powder again) & am still walking. Lost 2 lbs this week, first loss in months, has to be the portions! I want ti lose 35 more pounds. I have to repeat my mantra & live it too! Eat small, Be small! Either way, like you, I am so thankful!

Today marks 365 days since I had my sleeve! I have lost 102 lbs! It has been a long bumpy happy healthy road! I would like to loose another 30-40 lbs to reach my surgeons goal! I am eating a lot more now and nervous about future weight loss. I need to up the exercise. Anyone out there cont to loose weight after the first year and if so how many lbs a month usually? I'm loosing very slowly now and kinda getting discouraged if I will ever make it to goal! Overall I am so happy and thankful for the sleeve. I would never have lost this weight without its help!

I also have Lupus and June 26 is my one yr surgiversary! I have lost 101 lbs so far. However I can't say that it has helped a lot with my joint pain and fatigue. But some days I feel like I have more energy. I'm very happy I had the surgery. It saved my life. I went off two of my lupus meds and doing ok one ur out. Labs are the same for a year. Good luck with everything.

I also have Lupus and June 26 is my one yr surgiversary! I have lost 101 lbs so far. However I can't say that it has helped a lot with my joint pain and fatigue. But some days I feel like I have more energy. I'm very happy I had the surgery. It saved my life. I went off two of my lupus meds and doing ok one ur out. Labs are the same for a year. Good luck with everything.

I also have Lupus and June 26 is my one yr surgiversary! I have lost 101 lbs so far. However I can't say that it has helped a lot with my joint pain and fatigue. But some days I feel like I have more energy. I'm very happy I had the surgery. It saved my life. I went off two of my lupus meds and doing ok one ur out. Labs are the same for a year. Good luck with everything.

I also have Lupus and June 26 is my one yr surgiversary! I have lost 101 lbs so far. However I can't say that it has helped a lot with my joint pain and fatigue. But some days I feel like I have more energy. I'm very happy I had the surgery. It saved my life. I went off two of my lupus meds and doing ok one ur out. Labs are the same for a year. Good luck with everything.

I am 11 months post op and it amazes me how my taste buds have changed. The foods that I loved to eat taste so blah! I keep telling myself "you liked this?" It's a good thing though bc I find myself craving healthier stuff!

It is very normal. At 3 wks I totally stalled for 7 days I was panicking! I called my nutritionist and she said its very common at three weeks. It should break in about 10 days. It did and I went to loose steadily until 8 months and I had another 6 wk stall an I'm loosing again now. Don't worry it will melt off. Just enjoy ur restriction!

Hi Cheri,
Thank you so much for your post! I am totally in your boat! I am 8 months out and loosing very slowly and was starting to feel like a failure again. I felt like I stretched my stomach and I was eating too much. But now I feel so much better bc I also want to have kids next year however my doctor wants me to loose another 45 lbs. knowing that the weight loss won't stop is reassuring. Plz post how ur pregnancy goes. How much weight u have gained! U look awesome in your pictures!
Carol

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

I am not but I'll give a typical day....
Breakfast: Caribou medium iced latte 190 cals
1 turkey bacon mini egg ciabatta 190 cals
Snack: apple 80 cals, 1 string cheese 90 cals
Lunch: 1 slice of toast with Peanut Butter and jelly 250 cals, 1 can of Soup 200 cals.
Snack: 12 baby carrots with dill dip 130 cals, 1 yogurt 150 cals. Dinner: 3oz of meatloaf with ketchup, 1/2 cup of veggies and a couple bites of potatoe, 400 cals. Dessert: real fruit bar Popsicle: 100 cals and popcorn 200 cals.

For my weight loss I was higher than your average sleever.... 1200-1500 a day. 15 months out now, maintaining goal for 7 months at 2000 cals. I don't count carbs, I don't eat low fat, or sugar free.< /p>

Work out four hours a day?! That's hilarious. And ridiculous.
Yes, take advantage of the do-called "Honeymoon Period" to make healthy, PERMANENT changes. Going to extremes is what got us all here. And going to new extremes will not serve us well either.
Be aggressive, but be smart, too.

EVER?? IT is THE BEST ALL NATURAL fiber EVER!!! IT is so healthy and good for you!!!- Steel cut oats are the bomb.. I have this amazing recipe that I put in the crock pot with rice milk, peaches, raisins and nutmet and all spice- Smells so good and is so yummy- 1 batch is for at least 10 days bkfst's...

Heres my criteria for Protein bars:
- more grams of protein than carbs
- no added sugar
- low in fat
- under 150 cal
- gluten/grain free
- 17 grams protein per bar
pumpkin Protein Bars
makes 9 bars
gluten/grain free, sugar free, low in carbs and calories, and of course high in protein!
4 TBS coconut flour
3/4 cup vanilla Protein powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice to your preference [i used 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 t of p.p spice]
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
6 egg whites
1 cup pumpkin puree
1.5 t vanilla extract
stevia to taste [ I used fresh vanilla bean]Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (flour –> salt).
Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl (egg whites, pumpkin, vanilla, stevia).
Add wet to dry.
Spray 8×8 pan, and bake for 30 minutes at 350F
Love it!! I know whats going into the bar, and I can control the sugar amount. In this case: none!
After cooling in the pan, I cut into 9 bars, wrapped them up and put them in the fridge so they last for the week. If you try these let me know how they come out!

1/2 cauliflower chopped finely
1 bunch of green onions chopped
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen carrots
1 egg
Soy sauce for taste
Sauté vegi scramble egg mix add soy sauce for taste enjoy

Try reading these books: Mindless Eating and Intuitave Eating. It really helped me to re- evaluate my eating habits. I still have these urges, but I am much more aware of the choices I make.

I make these for my husband - I make the English muffins (I can't buy them here) and I use egg rings to cook the eggs on the griddle. I use no meat and two slices of cheese. I make about sixteen at a time, wrap them individually in paper towels, let them cool and freeze them in gallon size baggies. When he wants a fresh, hot Breakfast he pulls one out, nukes it for 90 seconds and has breakfast on the go.
They freeze/reheat remarkably well if you wrap them in paper towels before freezing and when reheating.
If you are carb sensitive, this food could be an issue but for pre-op and even post op, in moderation it shouldn't be an issue. For me, until I was pregnant I couldn't eat the whole thing. It was just too much bread. Now that I'm pregnant and my capacity is somewhat bigger, I can eat one but it takes a while and fills me up for a long time. Prior to pregnancy I could eat half of one and had to reheat the other half for later in the day.
Oh, and my homemade English muffins have 22 net grams of carbs.
~Cheri

Oh girl I feel your pain!!!!! I had the worst pain for about 12 days straight!!!!! No amount of pain meds helped. I regretted doing the surgery and felt the same way. However.... There is a bright side!!!! Today I am 13 weeks out and lost 61 lbs and eating and drinking whatever I like. It gets better! The doc kept telling me to give it time and I was so annoyed by him! But he was right. Hang in there. It DOES get better!!!

Ok. Rules are SOMETIMES meant to be broken. So, Here's the deal. I am 2 weeks post op today. I am one of those who had zero issues and had a smooth ride from recovery room to date!! This post is not intended to mean I am sure I will have a long term good go at this! It also doesn't address the future, but really ONLY the many threads that I have read regarding the preo op and post op liquid diets and the Pre and post few weeks Do's and Dont's!
I have read almost every post on here before and after surgery, lol. Here is the point that I will explain. Your/Our obsession over following diet rules is what got us here in the first place.. isn't it?? I mean, it's great to have black and white rules.. Do's and Don's. can and cant's.. That's why we were ALL great on Atkins (remember the carb counting obsession), and South Beach (remember how carefully we chose the meals), weight watchers, low cal, grapefruit, slimfast , yada yada yada......RIGHT?
Sure, it worked. THEN WE WENT OFF THE WAGON and got sick of the rules and restrictions and put weight back on (and then some).... That's because it was a DIET.. Why do so many of you do that on here? I'm not judging, but trying to help! Yes, it's easier for me, since I have had no issues. I come from a strong medical family (i had bio as a minor,4 docs and 2 nurses in immed family) and I always love to understand WHY the rules are in place. If something doesn't make sense, I want to know why and not just follow a rule because it was put out there.
My surgeon told me that "rules" are on here for the lower end of reaction spectrum. meaning, many need not follow them, but since 30%, for ex, will have issues with some things, they want to make a general rule......
As EVERYONE says on here, as well as EVERY doc, ALL OF US ARE DIFFERENT! We heal differently, We tolerate pain differently, foods differently, weight loss differently, etc..... EVERY SINGLE ONE So, the rules need not be applied to the T!
Now, as a caveat and from feedback so far on this post, this is not an excuse to eat junk NOR stay on bad habits. I don't mean to enable anyone. here is what BUTTERTHEBEAN wrote:
"The only reason I say "enabling" is because I think there are some people waiting in the wings to hear someone tell them it's okay to eat whatever they want. They haven't tackled their food addictions and they are hoping for "permission" to go back to their old ways. I know there are some that can learn to eat "all things in moderation." I have no problem with that. For me, I chose to embrace my inner health nut. It's not fear or weakness or lack of self control...it's the desire to live a long, healthy and active life. I'm not depriving myself, or sacrifing. The things I'm doing and the life I'm leading now feel way better than eating pizza and cupcakes ever did (even in moderation). By that I mean that food did not give me pleasure (never did, I just thought it did), so I no longer look to food to satisfy my needs, except nutritionally."
Ok... Back to the post. Specifically, here is what I have had debunked by my brother (Anesthesiologist for bariatric), My mom (nurse and nutritionist), my bro's good friend and bariatric surgeon, and my surgeon..........
* Yes, the liquid PRE OP diet is not to be messed with. It sucked, but we need the liver to be soft and looking like liver in a supermarket. That will happen in most cases with one week.. Many docs do one week only and many do 2 weeks..... So, if you have a 2 week doc, don't worry if you cheat a little and wants some low calorie food.. It's OK!! have the Soup... etc. I didn't cheat as mine was only a week and I did not want to have a lifetime of liver issues if it was frail and broke a bit/injured while being moved for my surgery....
* Most docs on here POST OP put you on liquids for 2 weeks.. Why?? NOTHING medical. Really? Many docs, including mine, put me on Clear Liquids only day 1 in the hospital and then put me instantly on pureed foods (tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, greek yogurts, ricotta cheese, etc).. Yes. DAY 2! He does this for EVERY patient.. He has had NO MORE COMPLICATIONS than anyone else ever.... It is NOT true that eating this will cause a leak.. It can't get caught in you stitches, lol, as they are on the outside and you can't see them even in your stomach.. The ONLY risk is a)that you eat way too much and thus can cause leaks, so don't do that. and that is WAY too much. Meaning you go out of your way to test the limits. As any surgeon will tell you, stretching the stomach to break the staples is no easy task.... easy enough to follow that rule .. and the risk is that you get nauseated.. Ok.. we are all different. Some take 90 minutes the first time they eat to get down 4 oz of chicken salad.. I didn't . I got it down in 15 min and could have done it in 5..... But the point is, listen to your body. start slowly and if you tolerate it, then screw the rules.....
What does this mean? It means so what if you doc put you on 2 week post liquid. That is soo hard.. so, do it mostly, but don't obsess about cheating. have a friggin plate of tuna salad.. It will taste yummy.. Add some great yogurt. If you can handle it, you are good to go! I did.. They also want you on this liquid to max your weight loss for motivation up front? do you really need that?? I don't care if it takes me 1 more week than you to hit the same goal? Frankly, I decided to keep my calories around 800ish anyway for my first 2 weeks. It was a little hard, but nothing like your liquid nightmare and i lost as much weight... I'm now on 1200 cal full diet plan (less hard carbs and hard veggies) as of last night.
I've heard people say they are craving one Dorito chip.. Then the advice replies were "lick the cheese off" or "take a bit and spit it out...." LOL. Really? This is your diet/lifestyle for the rest of your life. HAVE A CHIP.. See if you get a lot of gas.. Chew it well.. If not problem, then enjoy the one chip. You got here because you at a half bag . One or three chips won't kill you! You need to find a way to eat what you will do.. The docs want you to build your healthy habits now.
*The first year is where you get your max weight loss- Ok. For sure,, so, as noted, build your healthy habits now.. but make it last. So, if I want a Dorito chip. I have one or two.. On my pureed phase, my kids had pretzels at a game. I took 2 small ones....I had a qtr of his hotdog meat.. The point is, if we can seriously lower the number of calories we eat (which, for me, they figured i was eating between 3500-4000 per day and needed to be at 2400 or so.. Now, with 1200, which believe me, with the sleeve is a mini feast, I will be eating half the amount and will lose a lot of weight. So, yes, build good eating habits and i'm working on good food choices that I can live with! Can I eat white bread. Damn right?should I// nO?? it's a waste of calories and spikes your sugar and appetite. But, I sure will if i want a hamburger or great sandwich. A month ago i would have had 2 cheeseburgers and 2 hotdogs at a bbq. .So, guess what, i'll lose weight. Can't make it a daily thing.. But, again, stop obsessing..
*Eating and drinking slowly eating- well, you don't HAVE to eat slowly, but as we have been told our whole lives, eat slowly so that when you are really full, you know it! Also, you need to see what your bod can tolerate and if you eat too quickly, you may not have realized you were about to puke. If you can tolerate it, you can eat and drink quicker than others, but not a good idea for reasons mentioned. so work on it, but don't obsess.. At the hospital, they told me I had to drink in in little tiny medical cups a few cc evry 20 min. I laughed, as Water went down easily in recovery even. ALL NURSES TOLD ME NO. When I saw my doc, i asked why I can't just drink as I can tolerate it at home and get my 64 oz is. HE said dont' chug, but do whatever you can do without discomfort. So, 8 oz bottle of Water went down in 5 minutes... etc....
*Chewing your food- ALL true... We have that banana sized stomach.. So, the doughy breads, and stringy veggies and large pieces of non chewed enough food INDEED often get stuck! Not stuck like a lap band, but rather, they move toward the pyloric valve and are too big to pass through it, since there isn't as much acid, etc in your stomach and, well, the route to the valve is now MUCH shorter.. So, it sits in front of it and as soon as the next item goes there, it waits in line. your body puts out gas and then knows there is a problem, so will signal you to vomit it up. not fun... So, chew! All true! Also makes us take longer to eat and thus enjoy the tastes more than ever and have the full signal sent to our brain while we are still eating or pretty close to that!
*Caffein is bad... Ok. Google whether it's an appetite suppressant or stimulant.. It's hysterical.. You'll get equal replies from GREAT sources that say the opposite. I WANT my one cup a day. I'm not an addict. I asked. I am now sipping on my first REAL one. It is indeed a diuretic for some. So, drink a half cup more water than a day! If you feel it makes you hungry after you have it and you don't want to hold back, then stop the coffee.. It doesn't for me. It does for some... But what will you be doing in a year from now??/ There is NO medical reason why you can't have caffein after a few weeks
*ALCOHOL is a no no for 2 months. NONSENSE.. Again, just there so we don't put empty calories. BUT what if I WANT one drink or two on a date tonight?? I am told, go for it, but just know you will have ingested 400 wasted calories. Ok. I get it, but I WILL drink in my life, although never drank a ton and that was not the cause of most of my weight.. Watch the calories and don't do it twice most weeks.. Or if you will, then cut back a bit on your Snacks, etc. Anyway, looking forward to a martini with my date tomorrow at dinner.. Oh, most people on here for a while, will tell you since there is less food to bind with alcohol, it goes into your intestines/blood stream much quicker and you get a nice buzz faster with less! way cool!
* Most other rules and comments on here are just not universal and again, if you feel the NEED to cheat, then well, cheat! How can it be cheating if this will be your new life! WOrk hard at right food choices and don't make this soooo hard. The harder you make it, the more YOU WILL revolt and end up going off the wagon like the good old days... Since I have had no pain, etc and pretty much eat what I wanted (and cheated on my puree period even), I feel this is just toooo easy. I hear so many of you struggling (not because you have pain, but because you want to break a rul) and so many of you "supporting them" to stay strong, that I just wanted to add this post! Also, again, much of the medical advice that our well meaning friends on here provide, just isn't true. Sorry, but it isnt.
I hope this helps some of you enjoy your Pre and Post diets much more than you may be now!
Best, my friends!

This mornings coffee Protein treat:
1/2 a packet of Starbucks Via
1 scoop chicolate Protein powder
SF French vanilla Creamer
Splenda
1 cup of Almond Milk
1/2 cup of Water
Stir stir stir. Add lots of ice. = Iced Mocha coffee. 30 grams of Protein.
Yummy!