pedsnurse120304

Totally agree. Everyone tells me slow and steady is ok. I don't regret it either. That would be fantastic if things would speed up over here too. I'm 9 weeks, 23 lbs gone.. Good luck.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to life after the sleeve, much the way the one-size-fits-all approach to dieting doesn't work. If it did, we'd all pay our Weight Watchers dues, avoid comorbidities and enjoy life as skinny people after successfully completing our first diet.
For people without comorbids, it's usually NOT a health-related choice to have the sleeve. If you don't have high cholesterol or diabetes or high blood pressure, you're not making the choice to do this for the same reason as someone who does.
I really dislike the "food Nazi" attitude. It's one thing to criticize someone that jumps on a board and complains about slow loss, stalls or discomfort after they confide that they're eating off their doctor's nutritional guidelines or that they're doing binges and grazing.
It's another thing entirely to assume an all-or-nothing approach. For some people, that works. For the vast majority of us that have dieted most of our lives, it doesn't work. It didn't work before and it won't work this time, either.
You will see me say this over and over again. The sleeve is NOT A DIET. It's not. If you treat it like one, odds are good that you'll experience the same success you achieved on all those diets you did before you finally opted to have surgery.
The sleeve is a tool. Yes, we should make good quality food choices 90% of the time. If we can do that, why would we restrict ourselves with the other 10% of our choices?
I did not remove most of an organ so I could stay on Atkins for the rest of my life, sorry. It's easy to be a carb Nazi in the first four or five months post op. But at some point, sanity has to set in and you have to learn to eat normally.
This is not about getting to a set weight on the scale. That is the easy part, believe it or not. The challenge is STAYING THERE. It's being out there, post op and able to eat a larger portion of a larger variety of foods and being able to eat without doing it emotionally, grazing or binge eating. Maintenance is infinitely harder than the loss phase, and maintenance lasts forever.
So learning how to eat in moderation, how to deal with the social customs and rituals we've built around food and doing it all without feeling deprived and resentful is a huge part of this journey.
If you lose 100 pounds by eating 400 calories and 30 carbs a day, congrats. Your loss is no less a success. But tell me how you're going to stay there for the next thirty years without regaining if all you learned on your journey is how to diet more effectively?
Good luck. It's important that we realize that VST is a place for us to share a wide range of experiences and feelings about this surgery and life afterward. Attacking someone for choosing a different way to live, when that person has shown success and isn't complaining, is not okay.
~Cheri

I've seen a lot of the negativity and harshness around here talked about for a while. I didn't see it at first, but I see it now. Yikes!
We all have a different path and journey. What works for some may not work for others. This is a lifestyle not a diet for me. Having said that I think that means different things for different people. For me it means make good choice but also don't deprive myself. But I don't impose that on anyone. The goal is to be able to live a normal life like a normal person with healthy eating habits who can live in society.
That means eating Protein like chicken, sea food, steak...and veggies and salads most of the time. I don't totally ignoring a food group like carbs. Not all carbs are bad and normal healthy people don't totally ex them out of their diet. I stick with good carbs most of the time, and If I want some roasted red potatoes well damn it I'm going to make them! That means every now and then things like fast food and desert are going to be eaten by me. I had cake on my birthday, I ate a few pork dumplings from a thia restaurant. I had a few bites of a biscuit. And you know what? I don't feel bad for these choices. Because for ME this worked. Moderation. Something I didn't know before.
Pre op I didn't have healthy eating habits. I could never just have ONE cookie. If I had fast food I had the large meal with the fries. One bite didn't exist in my vocabulary. I didn't know how to leave food on my plate. Now I feel I've found a balance.
I DO however get this doesn't work for everyone. People have food addictions. Certain foods can trigger binge eating- even with a sleeve. Some choose to stay as far away from these foods as they can never to include them in their diet again. Which is commendable and I applaud you all for it because I don't think I have the power to say 'never again'. Thats amazing and truly commendable!
I don't think the problem people have on here is with anyone choosing to not participate in eating these foods. As I've said different journey for all of us. The problem is the way people who DO eat them and admit to it are treated and called out. No one should be belittled, scolded or called a name for their choices on either end. This is directed at no one in particular, but I've seen it in several threads.
No one should be afraid to ask a question or share their input in fear of being called a name or made to feel inferior. If someone is posting things like 'I'm eating cake and Cookies, why am I not losing weight?' Well yes I can see how that would warrant comment. But even then there is no need for snark, rudeness or name calling. People, especially new people see this and become afraid to say anything for fear of getting their head bitten off.
This was longer then I meant it to be, but the point is that this is a different journey for everyone. Some are more strict, some more liberal. But everyone deserves respect and to allow their experiences to be heard. This goes for both sides- left and right wing that's my two cents (this was probably more like a quarter though then 2 two cants though lol)

Hey guys there are more of us slow losers than you think !! Look how many of us complain about it
And turning 40 this month?? I wish I was turning 40 !!! (I'm 46) it's all relative !
At least we did it right? we are here and getting where we need to be...
Forgive I'm in a good place about it today but I get down about it sometimes too.

I am 6 months out:
Breakfast (6am): 8 oz Protein shake with chia seeds during work week or feta eggs and turkey sausage links (2) on weekend.
Snack(9am): 3 oz chicken sausage
Lunch(12pm): 4-5 oz chicken patty with seaweed salad
Snack(3pm): 3 oz chicken sausage
Dinner(6-7 pm): whatever the wife is making or eat out. Try and aim for 3 oz Protein and 2oz veggies. She works hard to make sleeve friendly meals.
Snack(9-10 pm): 8 oz Protein Shake with chia seeds
I drink flavored Water all day. I have a 32 oz water bottle and refill it about 8-10 x a day.
Exercise is about 1 hour a day alternating between running and weight training (DVD with bob Harper called inside out)
Heaviest: 360 lb
DOS: 335 lb
Current: 195 lb.

I've never seen our grocery bill so low. We pretty much shop for 1 person bc I don't eat much at all.

Happy for you, but I'd also like to slap you!!! LOL!!! (You men)

I can't tell u exactly what my meal portions are.,, I'm almost 7 months out and my diet still confuses me.... there are certain types of food I can eat easily, and with no restriction (u can guess of course ) like chips or Snacks, but when it comes to real meals, my portion is very limited... I can't tolerate chicken anymore, or fish... maybe half a plate of steamed vegetables with 2 spoons of ground beef will do...Sometimes for breakfast when I'm really hungry I make an omelet with a bit of olive oil, using 2 eggs, and a piece of cheddar cheese.. very filling.. I also love Special K Cereal with skimmed milk...I have a small bowl and I drink the leftover milk.... I went to a cousin's wedding which had an open buffet... I actually went around the very large buffet 3 times wondering what to put in my plate... passed chicken, meat, lamb & fish, also passed the Pasta, rice cause I don't like them anymore... I finally settled near the shrimp plate, took 5 medium sized ones, 2 spoonfuls of a weird salad that had grated cheese & salami... that was it.. i tried eating a piece of cheese cake after that, but one bite was enough .. SO my advice is, don't measure your food, you can eye it, and in the end, you're still at the beginning, so you have to experiment, see what can sit in & what can't.. and don't be afraid to binge once in a while... in our position, binging is a way of our body telling us it needs food... so don't feel guilty... I don't... when I crave chocolate, I don't feel guilty having some, because I don't put any sugar in my drinks anymore... when I crave chips or Doritos, I don't feel guilty, cause I don't eat rice or pasta anymore.... SO cheers

The first two items are the only ones I get from fast food. Though there are some other options that sound good, they aren't as healthy as that might first appear.
Panera low fat chicken noodle Soup - 13.5 oz - 120 calories
1.5g fat, 1380mg sodium, 22g carbs, 3g Fiber, 8g Protein
fruit and yogurt parfait from McDonald's - 130 calories
4g Protein, 25g carbs, 2g fat
fruit and maple oatmeal from McDonald's - 250 calories with changes below
(It is actually 2 servings of oatmeal.)
ask them to skip adding in the sugar and substitute hot Water for the cream
add in the fruit
5g protein, 5g Fiber, 49g carbs, 2.5g fat
(That's a ton of carbs!)
Wendy's apple pecan chicken salad - no pecans, no dressing - 350 calories
As served - 570 calories
Wendy's spicy chicken Caesar salad - no croutons, no dressing - 470 calories
As served - 770 calories
Wendy's small chili - 210 calories
6g fat, 40mg cholesterol, 880 mg sodium, 21g carbs, 6g fiber, 17g protein
Panera low fat vegetarian black bean - 240 calories
2.5g fat, 1270mg sodium, 50g carbs, 9g fiber, 12g protein
You can go to just about any fast food/restaurant web site and see their nutritional information.

1 package fat free cream cheese
1 package taco seasoning
1 can chicken breast
1 can rotella
1 can drained chili Beans
Great crockpot meal with lots of Protein and freezes great too! Enjoy!

Wow. You are an amazing and strong person..hopefully the leak will be fixed for good..

Some kids have sensory issues (separate from the physical/medical inability to swallow/eat. I don't know a lot about that), and are unable to tolerate certain textures/tastes. It makes feeding them difficult, and sometimes you just get in whatever you can - anything you can.
My son has Down syndrome and has some sensory feeding issues. For example, he will not (cannot) eat bread, but will happily chow down on chalk or crayon. How revolting

Happy holidays. Sleeve family. Quick update yesterday while finishing up some shopping I opened a scale and to my amazement from the start of this process until today I am down 85lbs and 65lbs from my surgery date. As of last week I have started eating more items and drinking more. I think a lot of it was my personal fear of eating but now eating like 4 small meals a day and a few cups of juice & Water a day.

I don't think they are going overboard. I think we are all different in what works for us.
About 8 weeks after surgery, I could eat just about anything I wanted in smaller portions. There are some things that agree with me more than others. If I just eat smaller portions and cut out the Snacks, I will lose weight because I have so much to lose. On the other hand, if I cut the carbs and greatly increase my Protein and Water, I will lose weight much faster. All of this was true before and after surgery.
Here is where you have a personal choice to make. You can lose weight faster or slower depending on which route you chose to go. Personally, I don't feel that either route is right or wrong. The one thing you MUST do is figure out how to be healthier for a life time.
I can eat the same things as before, but I also chose not to do so. I made a choice to use the sleeve as a tool to correct the bad habits that led me to this point in my life. Since I am not starving and having cravings all the time, I use it to make better choices. Before surgery, I ate a lot of fast food, drank nothing but soda or sweet tea, and could eat candy, chips, ice cream or Pasta as a meal (often my only 'meal' of the day). Now, I get in a Protein Shake in the morning mixed with my coffee. For other meals, I eat my protein first, veggies second, fruit third, and treats (breads, sweets, etc) last if there is room. I rarely skip a meal. I drink more water and less soda. I do have a treat most days of the week - half can of soda, part of a candy bar, some ice cream. I take my Vitamins. I move my body more. This is what works for me. I know I could lose a lot more weight if I was a more diligent, but I am not in a hurry. I am happy every day.

I cant wait to...
be able to buy cute clothes instead of baggy t-shirts
To actually have a social life
To go hiking
To be able to enjoy the gym
To get rid of the fat hump on my neck
To actually wear a swim suit and not feel like a beached whale
To casually run into my ex that called me a fat cow daily
to finally have confidence and not be the fat girl in the corner
Cant wait to get this started!

If you have access to a refrigerator and a microwave - can you bring turkey and cheese roll up-no bread, maybe add some avocado, Soups, FF yogurt, leftover chicken with a yogurt based dipping sauce, hard boiled egg mashed with a little low fat mayo, soups, leftover casseroles that you made at home. Pre pack the night before work, portioning out the proper sizes for you. Check out the blog www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com she has great ideas. It will take some planning, but you can do it!!!

Breakfast: Yogurt smoothie. Get yourself a bullet blender and blend it in the cup and drink on the way to work .
lunch and dinner: Soup, such as split pea or veggie. lunch meat wrapped around string cheese and a few crackers, rotisserie chicken, tuna salad, hebrew national low fat hot dogs, littie smokies (turkey), low fat cheeses, meatballs, pulled pork. You can buy small amounts of prepared veggies and meats from the deli and then use them for lunch and dinner.
At 6 weeks out, if you eat Protein first you will not have enough room to eat much bad stuff.
Lynda

So glad to hear i am not alone. Im am also 4 weeks out.. I had trouble in the begining that resolved on its own. Now i am experiencing it again. I am ambarrased to admit it but today is day 12 for me without a bowel movement. I took 2 doses of mirilax so far. Whats more concerning is that i dont even feel that i have to go. I dont have a stomach ache or feel bloated or anything...any further advice..

Hello everyone I am a 65 yr old widow from Central NJ and was sleeved on Nov 29th. My goal is to lose 150 lbs and become a "cougar" Surgery was Thursday...Friday I'm home feeling wonderful. Then bam...starting Saturday night something hit me...I had a Migraine, nothing staying down pain and misery. It took until Monday to realize the pain and nausea medication was giving me side effects. As soon as I stopped taking them I'm back to normal.
I even went back to work a week early:) In no way shape or form is this an easy fix as many ppl believe....I'm just glad I had the opportunity, an excellant doctor, nutritionist and a family who supports my decision. As we travel on this road to a better life may I just say I never want to hear the words "CLEAR PROTEIN" ever again!

Passion is the energy of life. It is directed love.
The passion that we have for food is still passion. We don't need to do away with passion. We need to make it a servant. Redirected, passion is power.
We need to focus on the use of food's energy, not put all of our energy into getting more food.< /p>
Too much food did not give us more energy, it robbed us of it.
Now we will get less food and do much more with it.
We were stuck in a room with a TV that ran the same show over and over and over. Now we turn the TV off and go out into the big world where possibilities are endless and we are free to explore ourselves and our abilities.
Find something beneficial to focus your passion on. Make food energy your servant.

Thanks for posting it... Im 3weeks post op and honestly not doing very good with getting enough protein... Im scared because protein is very important for many things including preventing hair loss..