kimbernada

From a post I made yesterday....
You know I never really discussed a "goal weight" with my surgeon. And if he did.
It probably sounded like the teacher in "Charlie brown"
Wha wha wha... Approved
wha wha wha...surgery date
I picked a number (in the healthy BMI range) not really putting my full belief into it really being possible

So i used to be obsessed with beef stroganoff hamburger helper so i was playing around and found a decent replacement!
take 1 lb of 90% lean ground beef and brown it.
add 1 cup of peas and 1/2 a bag of baby spinach and sautee it until spinach is cooked.
then mix 98% fat free cream of mushroom Soup w/ 1/4 cup of skim milk and mix until thinned. Add the soup to the other ingredients and simmer together for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it thicken and it tastes amazing! it's all the tastes of hamburger helper with minimal fat and no pasta!
you can season to taste

There is a surgery group in my local area that does same day surgery. I knew a few people who have gone through them and have done great. I think I would have done better recouping in my own bed rather than the hospital with all the noise and interruptions.

^^^ THIS! Why even question it or worry about it? The local doc won't give you a food plan because they aren't your surgeon. There are hundreds of different diets out there. Don't compare and just do what your surgeon tells you. Mine was longer than a lot of people who were sleeved at the same time, but if you trust a doctor to remove 85% of your stomach, you should trust them to provide you with the appropriate diet!!!

I thought you got a lot of good answers on the other thread you started.....
But ok here's my answer again
You choose your surgeon for a reason.. I think the best thing you can do is follow his or her plan.
Because you will drive yourself crazy comparing to others plans and if you find a plan you like better how are you going to explain that to your surgeon should there be a problem.
"Well I thought your plan sucked so I followed this other girls plan I liked better"

Each food is going to feel a bit different. With my program, we had to eat our 3-4 oz of Protein first, then get in up to a 1/2 c of veg & then if there was room left over we should be getting in some (healthy) starch. At 3 months out, I'm usually just doing the protein & veg. I don't usually feel the restriction so much when I'm eating my meals. Ironically.. first time I really noticed it was when I had some sugar free Jello an hour later (I consider that to be more of a liquid). THERE IS NOT ALWAYS ROOM FOR JELLO!

I'd say just make sure to track EVERYTHING you eat and make a point of getting at least 80 grams of Protein. I had a stall at about six months. However, I also weighed almost 100 pounds more than you at my starting weight. Are you exercising on a regular basis? Walking, weight lifting, etc.
I'd just suggest to not do anything drastic or starting any fad diets. To me, the whole point of this surgery was to get a handle on losing weight without fads.

I think it all depends one which Protein bars you are eating. As others have mentioned, the Quest bars are pretty dang awesome. They aren't full of crap fillers and you get a lot of Protein for the calories. I still have a shake for Breakfast every morning (around 40 grams of protein) and may have a snack at some point during that day that involves a Quest Protein Bar (20 grams of protein). The cookie dough or brownie flavors are amazing when microwaved for about 12 seconds. I'd much rather have one of these than, say, a Dairy Queen ice cream cone or some other higher calorie treat. Just KNOWING that I'm getting all that protein goodness in a tasty treat..... yum!
But there are other Protein Bars out there that have almost as much calories and half the protein (Luna protein bars). They don't necessarily taste like candy bars, but since the protein isn't as good, I no longer get these unless I REALLY need a snack and that is the only thing available.
I also like the Pure Protein bars (some, anyhow, like the S'mores flavor). Higher in protein than the Luna and the calories aren't bad.
Detour protein bars taste more like a candy bar. They are okay in a pinch, but they have sort of a nasty "inhale" taste. You know, like when you breathe in through your mouth while eating one of these. (I think the Pure protein bars have this too.)
To be honest, I don't track sugar, carbs, or fat. Total daily calories and protein are what I care about. (I have never had diabetes.) I'm into the "keep it simple sweetie" mode of tracking. I do use My Fitness Pal and it DOES track those other things, but I don't consciously say "Whoa, nope, not going to eat that because it has xx carbs. I might say "Whoa, no protein and 200 calories? No... I don't think so."

I'd say just make sure to track EVERYTHING you eat and make a point of getting at least 80 grams of Protein. I had a stall at about six months. However, I also weighed almost 100 pounds more than you at my starting weight. Are you exercising on a regular basis? Walking, weight lifting, etc.
I'd just suggest to not do anything drastic or starting any fad diets. To me, the whole point of this surgery was to get a handle on losing weight without fads.

I think it all depends one which Protein bars you are eating. As others have mentioned, the Quest bars are pretty dang awesome. They aren't full of crap fillers and you get a lot of Protein for the calories. I still have a shake for Breakfast every morning (around 40 grams of protein) and may have a snack at some point during that day that involves a Quest Protein Bar (20 grams of protein). The cookie dough or brownie flavors are amazing when microwaved for about 12 seconds. I'd much rather have one of these than, say, a Dairy Queen ice cream cone or some other higher calorie treat. Just KNOWING that I'm getting all that protein goodness in a tasty treat..... yum!
But there are other Protein Bars out there that have almost as much calories and half the protein (Luna protein bars). They don't necessarily taste like candy bars, but since the protein isn't as good, I no longer get these unless I REALLY need a snack and that is the only thing available.
I also like the Pure Protein bars (some, anyhow, like the S'mores flavor). Higher in protein than the Luna and the calories aren't bad.
Detour protein bars taste more like a candy bar. They are okay in a pinch, but they have sort of a nasty "inhale" taste. You know, like when you breathe in through your mouth while eating one of these. (I think the Pure protein bars have this too.)
To be honest, I don't track sugar, carbs, or fat. Total daily calories and protein are what I care about. (I have never had diabetes.) I'm into the "keep it simple sweetie" mode of tracking. I do use My Fitness Pal and it DOES track those other things, but I don't consciously say "Whoa, nope, not going to eat that because it has xx carbs. I might say "Whoa, no protein and 200 calories? No... I don't think so."

Malabsorption is an issue for bypass patients but not for sleevers. I am quite surprised your doctor is so misinformed. My surgeon takes out more bands than he puts in due to the complication rate and tries to dissuade new patients from the band. The maker of the band has been buying up a lot of ad time to counteract the bad publicity the manufacturer has been getting lately. Not to bash your doctor, but a change may be in order.
I went with the band after research by my wife, support from this forum, and from knowing three people who had complications with the LapBand. Good luck to you.

Yes you can drink more as you get further out. I personally did not have much trouble all along but now at 7 months I drink a minimum of 120 oz a day.

It's frustrating, but the more I learn about VSG the more I learn how different the *rules* are for every surgeon and every patient.
I had NO pre-op diet at all. When I asked why, the answer I got was, "At this practice, we don't believe the benefit of a pre-op diet outweigh the punitive aspects of a pre-op diet--your food intake will be so restricted after surgery, why prolong the agony?"
Interesting answer, right?
That being said, I DID change my diet on my own, pre-op. I cut out all caffeine. I stopped drinking all sodas and all coffee. I gave up processed junk food and processed carbs, and I lost 16 pounds over the course of two months.
Now I'm post-op, and for the next two weeks, all I can eat are Clear liquids and full liquids. Nothing else. It's not easy, but y'know what--swallowing liquids is a big enough challenge for me right now. I know that if I even tried cottage cheese or egg whites, I'd be running for the loo faster than you can say "gastric sleeve".
So, yeah. I wish it was all one rule for everyone, too. I'm jealous of my sleeve sisters who get to eat Cream of Wheat and cottage cheese when we're all on Day 4 of the post-op diet. But rather than throw the plan out the window, stomp my foot and flounce off, I'll just square my jaw and follow the plan, whether I agree with it or not.
After all, in MY case, doing it my way is one of the reasons I needed this surgery. I relinquish control over my diet for a couple of months in order to regain control over my LIFE. For me, that's more than a fair trade.
But I sure would love a dollop of cottage cheese right now. (I'm weak!)

I had to do 14 days of liquid shakes only, plus a cup of Soup each day. I can honestly say the pre-op diet was tougher than the surgery, or the diet after. The cravings were horrible! I was so crabby! After day 4 it got easier. I did lose 18 pounds before surgery, so it worked! But my surgery took almost twice as long as it should have. The Dr said my liver and spleen were both large, so it was hard to get around in there. So shrinking the liver is important! It makes the surgery easier, you don't want to be under anesthesia any longer than you have to. My surgery went well, and I had no complications, but the pre-op diet is for a good reason. I know its tough, it was honestly the toughest part of this whole process. After the surgery you will be on a liquid diet too, but you wont have the cravings like you do now, so its easier to deal with.

I could swallow them from the start.

^This.
That's always been my advice too. Just keep following the doctor's plan. Don't "up your protein" or "lower your carbs". Just follow the plan. Our body's need the stall to catch up.
Do I LIKE the stalls? No, but knowing they happen helps. I'm glad I read about the stall that usually happens around week 3. Mine lasted three weeks. Did I get upset? No, because I knew it would happen.

^This.
That's always been my advice too. Just keep following the doctor's plan. Don't "up your protein" or "lower your carbs". Just follow the plan. Our body's need the stall to catch up.
Do I LIKE the stalls? No, but knowing they happen helps. I'm glad I read about the stall that usually happens around week 3. Mine lasted three weeks. Did I get upset? No, because I knew it would happen.

I absolutely LOVE the Quest Protein bars. My favorites are the cookie dough and the chocolate brownie. I also like the berry, Peanut Butter supreme, and chocolate Peanut Butter (or are those two the same?). I didn't like the coconut one at all. The strawberry cheesecake and almond crunch were sort of "meh"..
I went to GNC and bought one of each flavor to see which I liked. (This was after I've had the cookie dough and chocolate brownie ones -- so I already knew I LOVE those.)
Mmmmmmmmm.... YUM! Not sure what kind of magic they use to make these without a ton of chemicals, etc. but they are awesome.
BTW, you can also put one in your pocket for awhile to heat it up if you don't have a microwave. (Keep it in the wrapper though.) Oh, and make sure you take it OUT of the wrapper if you plan to nuke it. Yeah, the wrapper shrivels up and gets weird if you don't.

I don't know if I'm the only one who gets EXTREMELY annoyed when reading complaints about alleged "stalls". *sigh* sometimes I feel empathy for folks but most times I feel extreme aggravation. Listen folks...we aren't gonna lose weight every day or every week for that matter. If that was the case we would lose 365 lbs in a year! This surgery was not intended to be a "quick fix". I personally don't believe in "stalls". Have I experienced weeks of no loss??? SURE! What did I do to "break my stall"? NOTHING!!! Im 8 month's out and still follow my doctors orders and exercise...REGULARLY. That's it...that's all! When the numbers don't move I don't give into fear...I simply "stay the course". I really get dissappointed when I read about folks being taking on an emotional roller coaster by the scale. If you are eating what you're suppose to be eating and exercising like you're suppose too...YOU WILL LOSE!!!! This is not a race...its a lifelong journey. Our main goal should be to optimize our health and live better lives..not chasing a number on a scale or a size. We have to have the mindsets of those who've lost weight and maintain healthy lifestyles without surgery! I hope I don't sound harsh or judgemental...that's not my intention. I just want to encourage those who are feeling down about the "sta lls" or "slow loss" not to give up! I send my "cyber love" to all of you!

Unfortunately this wasn't surgery on our brain, it was on our stomachs. It is a lot of work to change the triggers to the thoughts of our old eating behaviors. It is the hard part of this journey. i'm determined to work on it.....It is so hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am 9 months out (down 83lbs) and to my knowledge and based on my weight lost (which is slow but sure 2 lbs per week) I have never seen a stall or weight gain. The secret is simply and I will share this with you. ONLY weigh once a month (and I have since surgery) if you do this you will never know if you have stalled or not by the time you weigh your stall should be minimal or non exsist. Do your part keep up the Protein, increase Water, maintain low carb intake eat something every 3 hrs (small) to increase matablism and workout. This I believe has been successful for me oh my doctor concurs. Try it let me know what you think. Good luck to all

I think it depends on your doctor's plan as well as your body. I'm almost 11 months out and bread really doesn't appeal to me much. I still follow the "protein first" rule, and by the time I done eating my Protein, there isn't much room left. (Except when we are talking about popcorn - and I try only eat the light stuff.) I still love the smell of fresh bread, but knowing that it will probably just sit in my sleeve as sludge keeps me from eating it. I do like the Special K Multigrain crackers. I can take 6-10 out of the box, put a little tuna salad on them and eat... but the box doesn't call out to me like, say, Wheat Thins. (I loved Wheat Thins pre-surgery.)

Yep! My taste buds changed and I like some of the foods I didn't before. (Although I still don't like any kind of olive.) I could eat grilled fish every day. I don't care for bread or rice anymore. I still love the smell of freshly baked bread, but the flavor and consistency turns me off. I also really don't care for eggs anymore. (Except egg salad.)

How about eating raw veggies to help fill you up? Have a big lettuce salad with veggies and some sort of low-fat dressing between meals. Or try some of the Light Progressive Soups between meals? Or add an entire can of green Beans to your meal for filler. I think it would be pretty hard to gain weight from most raw or cooked non-starchy vegetables.
Just stay away from any calorie-laden food. If you are truly starving, then some baby carrots will take care of it. If the only thing that your brain tells that will fix the hunger is, say, chocolate cake, then it's a craving.

It takes a lot of discipline not to cheat which most of us don't have that's why we had to get the sleeve. Cheating is understandable but you have to remember why you had this surgery.
If you cheat you are only cheating yourself. You have to gain control over your cravings. It's not easy but u can do it.
My mom always tell me that this food will be here forever. mc Donald's isn't about to go out of business and one u reach ur goal then have some. Good luck and hang in there.