Bob_350lbs

Have not had a problem losing my hair, thank goodness. I get about 70-90 gms. I want to enjoy more whole foods; corn, red potatoes, grains, and still keep my calories around 800. So, to do this, I would have to limit my Protein to around 60. 1 oz of red potato is only 25 calories. I fried it in PAM w/my egg this am and it was darn satisfying. If I can put tuna salad on whole grain slice of bread, it's doesn't feel like I am dieting. I am just fooling myself?

You were so lucky to be so close to Dr. Aceves. If I were that close, he would have been my surgeon. I am in NorCal, near Sacramento though. Mexicali is a long way from my home. For you guys, you saved a fortune, not to mention your health, priceless.

You guys are making me hungry, sounds like Sunday dinner is on, just always loved Sunday dinner.

What was the total cost of the whole enchilada for you and your family? Does this include air for all, plus the families hotel, meals and spendingmoney, and your sleeve?

I would have sold my house to get the sleeve. Dr. Aceves sounds like a great option.

You are right, at first it is swollen and healing from the trauma. When you allowed to eat soft foods, about 3-4 weeks out, take tiny bites knowing this. Stop at the first sign of fullness and do not try to force it. You can get your protein from shakes, protein soups, protein pudding, etc. Slowly, your stomach can hold 2 oz of dense protein, up to 4 oz of soft protein, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese. I was told that my stomach will, by one year, stretch to 8 oz. That is why we need to take advantage of the first 6 mos.

Congratulations on your one year surgiversary Mac, this is a fun post. 1. Any weekend plans? Just finished 5 hrs of OT, maybe..going to support group this afternoon, and driving Sunday to visit family. 2. What (if any) challenges have you had this week? Haven't lost any wt in two weeks, yet exercising and sticking to the program. Because of this stall, I gave in and had a small cone and don't want exercise today, I am so demoralized. 3. Tell us about a small victory you had this week. Finally, someone mentioned at work that I look like I am losing wt, I make eye contact w/people now, and I am starting to like the way I look in the mirror. 4. Tell us something that makes you happy. interacting with my 3 yr old niece, sleeping in, watching a good movie, my 2 kitty cats and dog, that high you get from working out really hard, aerobically to great rock n roll, fitting into smaller clothes :=)

So what was the result of your cottage cheese test, Mac? How 'bout the others?

Mac, do you know the statistics on those who attend the monthly support vs those who don't? I haven't been able to make one yet. This Sat, I have OT, again, so it's doubtful I will make it. And, I feel weird saying this, but I am a little afraid of Dr. C. It seems like I am not losing fast enough, I am eating too much, etc. But, Amy & Tara are going to be there this Sat . Tara always has good advice and is very supportive. And Amy does too. Does Dr. Jossart ever hold the support group?

I did that too, the compulsive overeating prior to the VG. It is not the same after the surgery. You will think you are pigging out if you have 800 calories, a big difference. And, you will not have the same compulsion to overeat as before, in fact I didn't want to eat at all the first two weeks. But, I did get very tired of only liquids towards the end. I followed their plan, and when on mushies, I also blended lunch meat w/light mayo. But, I could only eat 1 oz per meal and it took 20 minutes. Your stomach is very swollen the first couple weeks, and the hunger hormone is gone. I did miss the taste of food by week 3. But if you put it in a blender, eat just a bite, very slowly, when allowed to do so, it will satifies you. Go ahead, don't worry about it right now. You will get everything back in time, but in moderation this time. There is a great book out there called "Exodus from Obesity" and other great books I can email the names of later, if you want. Counseling helps too.

He just not that into you *** (I liked this musing on dating) Slumdog millionaire **** (great must see, poor boy in India overcomes all odds) The Wrestler *** (raw, and hard to watch at times) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button **** (wonderful movie, makes you think) Milk **** (reminder of struggle of gays 70s) Marley & Me *** (good romantic comedy, ending is hard for dog lovers) Obsessed *** (modern day fatal attraction) Revolutionary Road *** (deep, a newlywed's relationship in changing 60s) Grand Torino **** (great movie, overcoming generational & racial barriers) ....okay, your turn!

That is so true, Susan. Even my NUT and counselor from LapSF said it is ok to taste something now & then when you are allowed to have reg foods. During the liquid phase, nothing, not even a bite. That could put you back in the hospital w/serious complications. But, in due time, your stomach will be completely healed, and you will eat like a skinny person! Yay!

oohh, Daisy, I love the mix of fruit/meat and fruit/cheese. Great idea for chicken salad, I like to add apples too. It reminded me of something I cooked when staying with my mom. I modified a recipe using pork tenderloin, browned, then stuffed w/cranberries and a little sf apricot jam and roasted it. Gosh, that was delicious. But, just like you, I cook for one. So normally, it's very simple. Tonight, I bought some precooked shrimp at Target and made my version of shrimp scampi. I just love to eat good tasting food. But, I have been divorced for so long now, I am used to cooking for one.

I agree. When I look at my weight graphs vs my measurement graphs it is interesting. The wt drops down dramatically, then levels off and gets slower. The measurements are slower then drop down more dramatically when the wt stalls. I think recording both stats and comparing them will help you get the true picture of your progress. And, remember, muscle weighs more than fat. You are losing fat and maintain or even building muscle. Yay!!

oohh..thank you. I bought some ricotta today and mixed it with Splenda and chopped almonds (the ones with cocoa on them)..yumm..but I'm not buying the almonds again..a trigger food for me, I can't control myself.

Constipation...seems like my new friend nowadays. I put 1 tbls of benefiber in each 32 oz water bottle I drink, and I eat veggies w/every meal, and still..ugh..I think I will try the stool softener and see if that helps. Bob, not to get to personal or scare anyone, but straining while trying to have a BM is called the valsalva maneuver, and it impedes the flow of blood back to the heart, some people with heart disease strain like that and have a heart attack right there on the toilet. I remember that from my days working in a hospital. Anyway, I need to take my own advice, and take Colace. Milk of Magnesia is too strong a stimulant for me, I am in the bathroom constantly, and it's like water. T.I.M...I know.

I think the bypass is good for those that cannot resist sugar/refined carbs, because you cannot absorb them and they go right through you. But, over time, the body can adapt, and then you can't depend on dumping to get rid of the calories. As for the band, I am totally against that after reading too many stories of slippage, damage to the stomach, and that they really aren't reversible as advertised. So, that leaves the VG. I am happy with it, even though I still have *head* hunger at times. I really think it is the way to go.

yum..recipe please. That sounds like something I would love.

yes, anything over that causes a lot of pain. And, sometimes it comes up through the esophagus, they call it *foaming* I believe. It has only happened to me once, but it was horrible, so glad I was at home at the time.

PCA is a patient controlled anesthesia. You press a button and it gives you pain meds. Oh, d/c = discontinue. So I got to pump in pain meds until the min I was discharged. I slept much of the way home. OT (off topic) Have you post-ops had any weird food dreams? I had a dream I started to binge on a big bowl of popcorn, dripping with cups of that digusting bright yellow diet margarine. Yuk, then I tossed my Cookies.

Do you have any fav meals to share? I am at 8 wks now, so anything goes..but am looking for high Protein meals w/low carbs.

I was told, when I started regular foods, to only eat 2 oz of dense foods (meats) and up to 4 oz if it is softer foods (cottage cheese) at a meal. They used a 32 french bougie, so my stomach is only 2 oz. It will stretch to a max of 4 oz, but I am to never to eat over 4 oz or a 1/2 cup. AND, wait 45 min before drinking fluids again.

Jane, I think that they can also do the DS after the VG, if you really need that extra control. I know that eventually my demons will come back, but right now, I am feel under pressure to lose as much wt as possible before the 6 mos mark. My fear is that after I get to my goal wt, that I will start back on that slippery slope of eating refined carbs. I think the rest of our lives, we will need to monitor our protein intake and H20, right? If I eat my required protein, I don't have room for anything else. It's grazing on refined carbs that is the problem. I can easily eat Hershey's kisses w/o difficulty, between meals, but that only makes me crave more and a vicious cycle starts. I guess that some of us (me) will always just be in remission. Even the RnY folks can gain the wt back once their digestive system starts to absorb w/o dumping refined carbs. And, then you are stuck with malabsorbtion of vitamins and have to take supplements the rest of your life. This is just a tool, I am learning. But, my hunger is 90% controlled. For me, it is head hunger. The wanting to taste and eat good food. It isn't about hunger at this point. But, it is so much easier to keep calories down now. You can lose wt still if you want to just take in refined carbs, right? But then you get muscle wasting. Some people don't care, they just want to lose the wt. So, who am I judge them? It's a choice we make.

You can find the fillets at Target in the frozen section. Each fillet is indiv wrapped. I don't like cheese on my fish, though. Another recipe I love is 1 oz lean beef, chopped onion, broccoli, salsa, sauted, and then topped off w/2% cheese slice, stired in. If you are only using 1 oz lean beef, 1 slice LF cheese, and I think it's around 10 gms Protein and about 100 calories.

I don't trust myself w/starches like bread. I do now eat a few tablespoons of corn and chopped red potatoes w/my dinner. It is very satisfying. And, for lunch, I sometimes chop up a little bit of apple to put in my cottage cheese or tuna. That way, I don't feel totally deprived. Mashed potatoes are too hard for me to control, they go down way too easy. Those slider foods are dangerous for me. Bread is a slippery slope for me, but I have eaten Wasa light crisps, on occasion, but never buy them. I am also at the 2 mo mark today. So, really, I can eat anything I choose. If I visit family, I have been know to throw out Cookies and chips and replace them with whole unsalted almonds and nobody has complained yet. I think they get the message. When I super-duper crave choc, I go for the choc Protein bar. But, I have to becareful, because they are trigger foods just like candy bars. I usually keep that stuff way up in the cupboard where I would need a step stool to get to it or in the trunk of my car. Well, we do what we have to. What if you just don't buy pita or any processed starches? Try whole food starches, in tiny amounts, maybe that is all you need to get back on track.