DLCoggin

Sugar free chocolate pudding is another alternative.

This is the best video I've ever seen explaining the importance of not drinking when you're eating or for at least 30 minutes after. In the beginning everyone struggles with it but as you'll see, it's quite important to develop the habit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0VM3mnsgM

For what it's worth guys, I can say with absolute sincerity that my experience has been exactly the opposite. The first year post-op is when you're in "training". That is the time when you're working on, and developing, the all important lifestyle changes. Follow your plan as closely to the letter as you possibly can, and those lifestyle changes, over those first twelve months, become second nature. They become part of who you are. You're learning about what eating healthy really means. You're learning the difference between "head hunger" and real hunger. You're learning about the surprising abundance of healthy and delicious food options that you simply never took note of before. You're learning about nutrition labels and what all of the information on them means. You're learning about all of the changes your body is going through as the result of the surgery. You're learning about the importance and the power of all of the macro nutrients - both positive (protein) and negative (carbs). You're learning about how to use your new tool - be it band, sleeve or pouch. You're discovering, in my case for the first time in my life, that you really can manage your weight instead of your weight managing you. You're learning about the importance of exercise and, in my case for the first time in my life, actually enjoying exercise and all of the benefits that come about as a result. You are seeing dramatic changes in obesity related comorbidities like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, cardio vascular disease and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) just to name a few. Hopefully you're learning about the countless benefits of maintaining a food log - which next to the surgery itself, I believe to be the most powerful tool that you can have in your arsenal. Your confidence multiplies exponentially. Your self esteem multiplies exponentially. Your joy and your zest for life multiplies exponentially. Recognize those changes. Embrace them. Celebrate them. Reinforce your commitment every, single, day. Do those things and when you reach your goal you'll discover that maintaining the new you is simply doing more of the same. You've graduated. The "hard part" is done. It's who you have become. And who you will be for the rest of your life. It is so amazing, so exciting, so fulfilling, so delicious that sometimes you feel like pinching yourself just to make sure it's not all some kind of weird, crazy dream. Then you look in the mirror - and you know, with all of your being, that you have arrived at your destination. And you are lovin' the new you!!

Totally agree with Dorian! Liquids are magic for getting past the head hunger. I love decaf coffee but there are lots of options. I recently found Nestle Pure Life Splash flavored waters. They come in a bunch of flavors, zero calories (and just about everything else) and 25g of sodium. Try the liquids and give those nerves (stretch sensors) time to heal. Usually only takes a few weeks so you're getting close. You'll be amazed on how full you get and how little you ate!

You're doing everything absolutely right and you have the weight loss and the numbers in your log to prove it! Great job!! I doubt that there is one of us on this forum that doesn't understand your fear. I try to examine my fears by answering the question is it rational or irrational. If it's rational, I try to do something about it. If it's irrational, I make a conscious choice to recognize that I have no objective basis to justify it. That doesn't mean that it instantly goes away. But continually reminding myself over time that it has no basis usually alleviates the fear. I think there is great value in keeping it as simple as possible. The laws of science and the universe cannot be denied. As long as you are meeting your calorie goal average on a consistent basis, it is not possible to gain weight. That does not mean that you won't occasionally exceed your daily calorie goal. Life is meant to be fun and enjoying a special meal on a special occasion is part of enjoying your life. When that happens, I simply make a mental note to reduce my daily calorie goal by 100-200 calories for a day or two and I'm right back on track with my average. You'll see the results in your log. And on the scale. Just as you have been all along on your journey. You're managing your weight instead of your weight managing you. You are in control. And that's a great feeling. Persistence, along with absolute belief, can never be defeated.

I'll be 29 months out in two days. I have "hungry days" and not so hungry days but haven't noticed any pattern of being more hungry than before. I never eat less than two or more than four hours apart. Less than two is head hunger. If I'm hungry and it has been less than two hours since I ate something, I bridge the gap with fluids. My Fluid of choice is decaf coffee but there are lots of other options - tea, Crystal Light, flavored waters, some even drink just plain Water to name a few. Are you getting enough fluids? The signals to the brain for "hungry" and for "thirsty" are very similar. So similar in fact that it can be very difficult to tell the difference. You might consider increasing your fluid intake up to the recommended 64oz a day and see if that resolves some of the hunger issues. Are you maintaining a food log? I've been using My Fitness Pal for well over two years and it is an amazingly powerful tool. Hunger is a normal, perfectly healthy response to your body's need for something. MFP keeps you on track and accountable for ensuring what you eat or drink is the right something. It also helps eliminate a lot of stress and worry about "what if?". For example, I don't think I ate well last week. I know that I averaged just under 1700 calories a day last week. I know I averaged a little over 100g of Protein a day for that seven day period. And I know that my consumption of fats and carbs were in the healthy range. And I know that I exceeded my 40g daily average of sugar (ugh!) by about 6g. Commit to logging for 90 days and you'll be amazed at what it does for your confidence!

Deep breath. Relax. No matter what happens, just keep following your plan as close to the letter as you possibly can. The weight will take care of itself. You have to allow your body to find its own way in its own time. It's going to do that anyway no matter how much you stress over the number on the scale. Your journey will be so much less stressful if you just focus your energy on following your plan. Celebrate every day that you do that. Every day is a success. Stay away from the scales for at least a week and two would be even better. You're gonna love the new you!!

One of the best features about My Fitness Pal is that you can customize most of the settings to anything you want. Most of the changes require that you go the their website but it's quite easy to do. Once you've logged in, click "My Home", then "Goals", then "Change Goals", and choose the "Custom" option. On that page, you can change your individual nutritional goals. When you have finished make sure you click the "Change Goals" button at the bottom of the page. If you are also using a MyFitnessPal mobile app, those changes will be reflected in the app the next time the app syncs. MFP is a great app and the fact that folks who maintain food logs lose more weight, lose it faster and are more successful at maintaining their goal weight is well documented. You're gonna love the new you!

Thanks so much Judy! My number is 99 (I'm 5' 9") and my surgeon told me 100g of protein. Very interesting!

I would love it if you could share the formula your doctor gave you for calculating your protein. This is the first time I've heard of a protein formula and I think a lot of folks would be interested. Thanks so much and you guys have a great day!

Great question. I've used a simple formula right from the beginning to this day. I never eat less than two hours apart or more than four hours apart. Less than two hours is head hunger. More than four hours and you run the risk of being overly hungry which in turn increases the likelihood you might overeat. I should note that when I say "eat" that does not necessarily mean a full blown "meal". I always eat three meals a day but supplement with one or two healthy Snacks if I'm hungry. Fluids are very filling and the perfect bridge for those times when you're "hungry" but it's been less than two hours since you ate. To say nothing of helping you meet your 64oz daily goal of fluids. My Fluid of choice is decaf coffee but there are lots of other options including tea, Crystal Light, flavored waters or just plain Water to name a few. I recently discovered Nestle Pure Life Splash. Zero calories, fat, carbs and Protein and 25g of sodium. They come in several different flavors. I like the Acai Grape and the berry. My wife likes the Lemon. Works like a charm!!

Hang in there and don't stress too much over your lack of appetite - it's temporary! Congratulations on your weight loss! Great job!!

Me too! Fluids are the perfect bridge between head hunger and your next meal or snack. My choice is coffee but there are lots of other options including the all important water!

Stay positive, stay patient, maintain a food log and follow your plan. There will be times when you lose weight quickly, times when you lose more slowly, and times when the scale stubbornly refuses to move. No matter what is happening, follow your plan. Forget about second guessing why your weight is doing whatever it's doing - follow your plan. Every day that you follow your plan is a success. Celebrate every one. That is your definition of success, not what the scale happens to be doing on any given day. During the rapid weight loss period, stay away from the scales for at least a week and two would be even better. You have to allow your body to find its own way in its own time. Follow your plan as closely to the letter as you possibly can and before you know it... You're gonna love the new you!!

When I gain a couple of pounds, I reduce my calorie goal by 100-200 calories for a day or two and my weight comes right back down. I've done it many times. But failing to log your food in MFP every day dramatically reduces the value of the log. For example, one of the advantages of a food log is that it makes you accountable to the most important person in the equation - you. Log the good days and not the bad (or vice versa) and you're only getting half of the story. Odds are good that your weight is responding to the half that you aren't logging. Logging also gives you confidence that you are managing your weight as opposed to your weight managing you. Nothing builds confidence like making a calorie adjustment and then seeing the results on the scale. When you do that three or four times and you see the results every time, your confidence soars. You know you are in control and that is a great feeling. It also works the other way. If your weight drops below the number you have established as your minimum (I have a five pound "window"), you simply increase your calorie goal 100-200 calories for a day or two and you'll see your weight come back up. One of the strongest features of MFP is the ability to customize almost every aspect of your weight management. For example, you are struggling with sugar. Go to the MFP website and login (you cannot do most customized values from the phone app), go to My Home > Goals > Change Goals and then choose the Custom option. My daily sugar goal was set (by MFP) to 60g. A few days ago I decided that was too high so I changed it to 40g (20g would be even better but "baby steps" are usually a wiser way to go). Just knowing I made that change increased my awareness. In the last few days I have consciously chosen to pass on relatively high sugar temptations that I was pretty sure would have resulted in my exceeding my goal. So far I have not exceeded my new 40g goal. Perhaps a small victory. But in my mind an important one. And one that has been relatively painless. MFP increases your awareness which in turn encourages you to make better choices. I believe that it's crucially important to treat not only your calorie goal, but all goals in MFP as "averages". Using my new sugar goal as an example, I want to "average" 40g a day. That doesn't mean that I can realistically expect to never exceed that goal. Special occasions are part of life and often involve food relatively high in sugar. So when (not if) I have a day where I exceed my sugar goal, I simply make a mental note to reduce my goal for the next couple of days and I'm right back on track with my average. As long as you log everything you eat, every day, your weekly summary of all of your nutrition information is a tap away. Divide any given number by seven and you have your average. Next to the surgery itself, food logs are the single most powerful tool that you can have in your arsenal. Commit to MFP for 90 days, get to know it, experiment with different values for calories and nutrients, and it will teach you the numbers that work best for you and your lifestyle. You'll see the results where it matters the most - on the scale!

Great post Jen! Thank you!!

From one Texan to another, you're certainly welcome! :-)

One of the best articles I've read in a long time and I read a lot of articles. Great job Alex!

Now may well be the ideal, perfect time to examine your approach to your journey. You're measuring your success by the number on the scale. And you're disappointed in yourself as a result. I understand. We ALL understand. And it's still a bad idea. Every day that you follow the protocol, that you follow your plan, is a success worthy of celebrating. Every day. The key is no matter what happens, follow your plan. Sometimes you'll lose weight quickly, sometimes more slowly, and yes, sometimes not at all. Your response is always the same - follow your plan. No matter what happens - follow your plan. To understand what makes this so incredibly powerful you only have to look at what I call The Prime Directive - lifestyle changes. We've all heard it a million times, the surgery is only a tool. Long term success requires lifestyle changes. The medical community does a great job of stressing the importance of lifestyle changes. But perhaps not so great when it comes to helping us understand how to accomplish those changes. What is the process? I believe the answer is - follow your plan. The first year following surgery is often referred to as the "honeymoon period". You're excited about a new beginning. A new life. And in most cases you're losing weight. A lot of weight. And losing it faster than you ever have. It is indeed very exciting. But something even more exciting is taking place. Something that if you recognize it, embrace it, practice it, love it and live it - is even more profound than the weight loss itself. Think of the honeymoon period as being in training. You are training yourself for - lifestyle changes. And you do that by - following your plan. Every day. Day after day. Week after week. Repetition. Again and again. In the beginning it can be challenging. But even though most of us are not aware of it, every day, every week, every month, it gets a little easier. Every day, every week and every month, you have to think about it a little less. With every day, week and month you are literally making lifestyle changes. And before you know it, your plan and those changes have become second nature. You have accomplished your goal. You have arrived at your destination. It's who you are. And who you will be for the rest of your life. And it all started with - following your plan.

I've been using My Fitness Pal for over two years and highly recommend it. But like most food logging apps on the market, MFP uses a "one size fits all" formula for calculating calorie goals. And that formula was NOT developed for bariatric surgery patients. The good news is that MFP is extremely flexible and you can adjust values for just about everything - calories, macro nutrients (Protein, carbs and fat), even micro nutrients (Vitamins and minerals). So the key to using MFP is to experiment a little until you find the calorie goal that results in the weight loss that you are trying to achieve. There really is no "one size fits all". For example, if your goal is to lose two pounds a week, you can configure that weight loss goal in MFP and it will give you a calorie goal. Try that goal for a week or two and see what happens with your weight. If you lose two pounds a week, great. If you lose less than that, adjust the calorie goal down, nice and easy, try a 100-200 calorie reduction. Then try that for a week or two and see what happens with your weight. It's a great way to customize MFP to your goals, your body and all the variables in your lifestyle. And it works like a charm! I lost 130 lbs in 14 months averaging just under 1300 calories a day. That was my number. With a little experimenting, you can find your number. You can make some adjustments in the app on your phone. But the real power in customizing MFP is on their website where you can enter customized values for practically everything. Give it a try and if you have any problems post your questions or PM to me and I'd be glad to help. Congratulations on your weight loss so far. You're gonna love the new you!

My condolences as well on the loss of your grandfather. The hunger (apart from the emotional challenge of losing your grandfather) is almost certainly head hunger and will pass quickly. Most RnY patients have little or no appetite for several weeks up to several months following surgery. Sounds crazy and I found it quite bizarre when I experienced it but that's the way it usually works. We all applaud your strength and your commitment. Hang in there. You're gonna love the new you!!

P3 has 11g of fat (3g saturated, 0 trans), 420mg of sodium, 3g of carbs (1g is fiber), and as stated above 13g of Protein and 160 calories. http://www.shopwell.com/p3-portable-protein-pack-turkey-breast-colby-jack-cheese-almonds/lunch-kits/p/4470007202 The Hormel Rev wrap has 10g of fat (6g saturated), 950mg of sodium, 14g of carbs (1g of Fiber, 4g of sugars) and 18g of protein. https://www.hormel.com/Brands/HormelRevWraps.aspx

Marginal ulcers are a fairly common complication following RnY. They can occur at any time but often develop in the one to two year post-op window. Mine developed at 6 months post op. The good news is that they usually respond well to medication with no further surgery required. In my case, once the ulcer was identified with the endoscopy, my surgeon increased my Prevacid from one 30mg capsule a day to two. Three months later they performed a second endoscopy and the ulcer was completely healed. The diagnosis is a little nerve wracking but the treatment is most often pretty straightforward and the prognosis is excellent!

Very good chance that what you're experiencing is head hunger. Most RnY patients have little or no appetite following surgery and it can last anywhere from weeks to months. Keep in mind too that the trauma from the surgery temporarily numbs the nerves in your pouch that function as stretch sensors. As a result your brain does not receive "full" signals from the pouch. The nerves heal relatively quickly and you'll be amazed at how little you can eat and be full. Hang in there and follow your doctors' recommendation as closely to the letter as you possibly can. The challenges you're facing right now will almost certainly pass before you know it. You're gonna love the new you!!

Yup, my doctor said the same thing. And added that it's best if you spread your 64oz fluid intake over the day - sip, sip, sip. Drinking too much too fast can be problematic. Great job getting your fluids in!! It's very important and many (including myself) struggle with it.