ATLGirl

So I am 10 days post op and I am wondering if everything is on track. I just started Protein shakes and I can only get about half down (so I will say its 28 grams of protein) and I track my calories on MyFitnessPal and I am averaging around 450 cals a day. I know I'm early out so I'm not sure. I am moving on to Full liquids for the next 18-20 days, but I think I am not on track. I only weigh myself twice a week (Wed, Sat) so I don't know what the lost had been since Saturday (-7 pds). I started Your Shape Fitness yesterday and burned 100 cals (about 10 mins). I am starting out slowly, but my job is pretty stationary (at my home office) so I am trying to do something. Any tips or suggestions?

So I needed a space where I can come, vent, and move on without looking childish. The past couple of weeks a particular topic about Dr. Ramos-Kelly has been getting a lot of attention. First, let me say I heart my doctor and what he has done for me. He is an excellent surgeon. The DRAMA that has occurred is because a VST member was advocating to ONLY go through his "personal" assistant for the best price and service. I did not go through this assistant and had a great experience and the price is the same. What irks my nerve is ANYONE who did not go along and praise this assistant was talk to in an unfriendly matter. We're all grown and have opinions. BUT the icing on the cake is the information I found out in the wee hours of the morning. So this particular VST member is telling people to PM her and she will connect them to this "coordinator." She provides no info in her signature like most of us. She is getting a referral fee from this "coordinator." Which I have absolutely no issue with. My issue is bashing other coordinators and companies like you give a darn about connecting people to other good people. You are getting money for the people you send the coordinator and to me your opinions are not genuine. You are a grown women, conducting yourself as a child, and deceiving newbies to the site. How dare you claim to not know said coordinator was starting her own business when YOU supplied her with her new laptop. I was beginning to wonder how, someone who you were only around for 3 days, deserves such high praises and esteem. Its because she is cutting you into her new business model. Be honest with the people. YOU are turning people off from Dr. Kelly (I have PMs to prove it) with YOUR "car salesmen" mentaility. Geesh! Whoosa! I feel better now. Back to the regularly scheduled program. .

I tolerated this one before surgery but afterwards it was toooooooo sweet. Maybe just me, but I sweets and my sleeve don't go hand in hand. At least no yet.

I LOVE your hair in your avatar. I am natural but since surgery I have been keeping my hair in tree braids since surgery. I just found out that Target carries CURLS, so I am looking forward to trying more in the summer. Oh yeah... CONGRATS on approval!

Dr. Ramos Kelly patients: I thought I'd update here since no one is really revisting my other post. As someone who is 2 days out from surgery. I wanted to let you all know that Day 1 is going to be hell. This is not to scare you but more so comfort you. When I woke from surgery I was out of my mind. The gas pain was enough to have me think I was dying. In the midst of the all the dram, one thing popped in my mind... WALK. From the hundreds of post on here, there was one common thread... WALK. So I asked to walk, The nurses thought it was too soon, but Dr. RK said It I could manage itm then let me. Walk I did for 7-10 mins every couple of hours. And gurggling burps later, it got better. While there aren't any words to explain the feeling, I want you to remember what you have been reading on the board for the past few months. Suck it up and ealk (my attempt at tough love) Day 2 is better and Day 3 is great.

Hi all! Doing a check in. its been 10 weeks and im down 44 pounds. Not as much as many but I am happy with my progress. No skin issues yet and I have been helping my hair in a sew in. I do 4 weeks with a sew in and then about 4 days out. Then repeat. No abnormal lost yet. I have went from a DD to a D. I am hoping not to go below a C. Tilapia, cheese, milk, and Poweraids are my best friends. I have an appointment during week 12 to get my blood drawn and levels checked. I dont get my multi in everyday, but I am getting better. I feel great and wanted to check in. hope all is well. Via EVO

I am also experiencing this... I has lost over 40 pounds but still fit into an 18 and tightly into a 16. I use the eliptical(sp?) 3 times a day for 50 mins. But I think my stomach is starting to shrink. I lost a lot of weight in breast, butt, thighs, and legs so I think my body realize that the stomach is the next best place. I am 10 weeks out today and still can't see a major difference besides the numbers on the scale. My Easter goal is 230 or below. I am going to post a before and after pic (of different areas of the body) to see if I see a difference.

Hash browns Substitute: Squash for potatoes Summer squash (the football-shaped yellow kind) tastes similar to potatoes when cooked—but has just a fraction of the carbs. Grate the squash, mix in an egg as binder, make patties, and fry them in olive oil, says Mary Dan Eades, M.D., co-author of The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook. Carbs eliminated: About 15 grams (g) per hash-brown patty The taste: "Not as firm and crispy as regular hash browns, but the potato flavor is there." Mashed potatoes Substitute: Cauliflower for potatoes One of Dr. Agatston's favorites: Steam some fresh or frozen cauliflower in the microwave. Then spray the cauliflower with butter substitute, add a little nonfat half-and-half substitute, and puree in a food processor or blender. "Salt and pepper to taste and you've got something that quite honestly can compete with the real thing any day," says Dr. Agatston. To make it even better, try adding roasted garlic, cheese, or sour cream to the mixture. Carbs eliminated: 30 g per cup The taste: "After a couple of bites, you forget it's not potatoes." Lasagna Substitute: Zucchini slices for noodles Slice four to five medium-size zukes lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick strips, instructs Lise Battaglia, a New Jersey chef whose past clients include Jon Bon Jovi. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp. "Then simply make the lasagna as you normally would, replacing lasagna noodles with the baked zucchini," she says. Carbs eliminated: 36 g per serving The taste: "Delicious. The zucchini provides texture that you don't get from noodles alone." Spaghetti Substitute: Spaghetti squash for spaghetti A cooked spaghetti squash is like Mother Nature's automatic spaghetti maker — the flesh becomes noodle-like strands. "All you have to do is cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Then place each half — cut side down — on a plate with a quarter cup of water," says Elizabeth Perreault, a chef at Colorado's Culinary School of the Rockies. Nuke the squash for 10 minutes or until it's soft to the touch. Let it cool, then scrape out the "spaghetti" strands and top with pasta sauce and cheese. Carbs eliminated: 30 g per cup The taste: "Great. Spaghetti squash has exactly the same consistency as real pasta." Pancakes Substitute: Oatmeal and cottage cheese for pancake mix Here's a can't-fail recipe from The South Beach Diet. Mix together half a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal, a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese, two eggs, and a dash each of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process in a blender until smooth. Cook the mixture like a regular pancake. Carbs eliminated: 45 g per pancake The taste: "With syrup, you could never tell the difference." Scalloped potatoes Substitute: Tempeh for potatoes You may think you don't like soy-based foods, but that could be because you don't cook them right, says Beckette Williams, R.D., a San Diego-based personal chef. "Tempeh can be really bland, but if you jazz it up with herbs and spices, it's a great substitute for potatoes." Her recommendation: Saute a couple of cups of thinly diced tempeh with garlic and onions. Then pour a cheese sauce (sharper is better) over the tempeh cubes and bake for half an hour. Carbs eliminated: 11 g per cup The taste: "Just like a slightly nutty baked potato." Macaroni and Cheese Substitute: Diced vegetables for macaroni Even instant mac and cheese can go lower-carb; use only half the pasta in the box and bulk it up with a couple of cups of frozen mixed vegetables, says Sandra Woodruff, R.D., co-author of The Good Carb Cookbook. Carbs eliminated: 13 g per cup The taste: "I hate broccoli, but I wouldn't mind eating this." Pasta salad Substitute: Mixed vegetables or black beans for half the pasta Same idea as the mac and cheese, but try black beans, diced tomatoes, and chunks of ham, tuna, chicken, or hard-boiled eggs, suggests Richard Ruben, an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. "These kinds of salads are a blank slate, so you can top them with anything from a creamy blue-cheese dressing to vinaigrette, or even lime juice and slices of avocado," Ruben says. Carbs eliminated: 10 g per cup The taste: "Awesome. I don't miss the extra pasta at all." Cheese-flavored chips Substitute: Low-fat string cheese for chips Just crazy enough to work: Cut sticks of string cheese into quarter-inch-thick slices and scatter the rounds on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick spray, leaving them an inch or two apart. Bake at 375 degrees F for 4 to 5 minutes or until the cheese melts and turns golden brown. Let them cool, then peel the chips off the tray. Carbs eliminated: Up to 90 g per serving The taste: "Like the cheese you pull off the top of a pizza." Pizza Substitute: Portobello mushrooms for pizza crust Cut the gills out of the inside of the mushroom, says Ruben, "then place the mushroom on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes so it dries out slightly." Add tomato sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni or other toppings and broil until the cheese begins to melt. Carbs eliminated: About 20 g per slice The taste: "Like pizza, but moister. Give me a fork!" Beef-a-Roni Substitute: Eggplant for pasta Mixing diced eggplant with ground beef is healthier and more highbrow than this old skillet special — call it moussaka American style. You have to soften the eggplant first, says Williams. Cut it in half, brush it with olive oil, and then broil for 10 to 20 minutes. "Let it cool, dice it up, and mix with hamburger, tomato sauce, and spices," she says. Carbs eliminated: 26 g per cup The taste: "Exactly like Hamburger Helper, in a good way." Sandwiches Substitute: Napa or Chinese cabbage for bread Slap your turkey and Swiss onto a leaf of cabbage and roll it up. "I've made some great-tasting BLTs using cabbage instead of bread," Battaglia says. Dip the roll in low-fat mayonnaise or mustard. Carbs eliminated: 29 g per sandwich The taste: "Better than eating plain cold cuts." Source: Some Low Carb Substitution Ideas

I NEVER had back problems before surgery and now it seems like the more weight I lose the more my back hurts. I mean really hurt. It is concentrated in the lower region. Has this happened to anyone else. Does it go away with more weight loss?

I had egg drop soup sans eggs during full with no probably

You can try very low carbs, high protein to put the body in ketoisis. I was able to eat all the protein, fresh veggies, and sugar free drinks until about 3 days before. Then mainly liquids with 1 protein.

Here is a real interesting article about carbs: http://www.marksdail...rate-continuum/ I was looking for a threshold of what constitutes "low carb". I am usually teetering around 100g. I was never scared of carbs, but I guess since it seems to work for others, maybe I should try it. But then, I just hate the thought of trying to figure out good carbs, bad carbs in my log. I mean, an orange has 20g of carbs, and I don't want to fear those - how do I split that in MFP. Anyway, I found the below really interesting, here is part of the article that I'd like to share. From that, I will really try to stay between 50 and 100g: 300 or more grams/day - Danger Zone! Easy to reach with the “normal” American diet (cereals, pasta, rice, bread, waffles, pancakes, muffins, soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweets, desserts). High risk of excess fat storage, inflammation, increased disease markers including Metabolic Syndrome or diabetes. Sharp reduction of grains and other processed carbs is critical unless you are on the “chronic cardio” treadmill (which has its own major drawbacks). 150-300 grams/day – Steady, Insidious Weight Gain Continued higher insulin-stimulating effect prevents efficient fat burning and contributes to widespread chronic disease conditions. This range – irresponsibly recommended by the USDA and other diet authorities – can lead to the statistical US average gain of 1.5 pounds of fat per year for forty years. 100-150 grams/day – Primal Blueprint Maintenance Range This range based on body weight and activity level. When combined with Primal exercises, allows for genetically optimal fat burning and muscle development. Range derived from Grok’s (ancestors’) example of enjoying abundant vegetables and fruits and avoiding grains and sugars. 50-100 grams/day – Primal Sweet Spot for Effortless Weight Loss Minimizes insulin production and ramps up fat metabolism. By meeting average daily protein requirements (.7 – 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight formula), eating nutritious vegetables and fruits (easy to stay in 50-100 gram range, even with generous servings), and staying satisfied with delicious high fat foods (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds), you can lose one to two pounds of body fat per week and then keep it off forever by eating in the maintenance range. 0-50 grams/day – Ketosis and Accelerated Fat Burning Acceptable for a day or two of Intermittent Fasting towards aggressive weight loss efforts, provided adequate protein, fat and supplements are consumed otherwise. May be ideal for many diabetics. Not necessarily recommended as a long-term practice for otherwise healthy people due to resultant deprivation of high nutrient value vegetables and fruits. Source: How many carbs should I eat?

I am almost a month out and protein drinks STILL make me ill. I did not do well during my liquid phase with protein drinks. You'll get through it though. I focused on skim milk during my liquid phase and low carb smoothies from Smoothie King. Now I try to eat all my protein. To get to my daily requirement I am eating about 2 Low-fat string cheeses a day and drinking about 16 ouces of milk. Cuple that with my breakfast (egg) lunch (tuna) and dinner. I think I am getting all my protein in. Do a search on "protein drinks" and you will see you are not the only one.

Since you are so close to your date, I would recommend going on an all liquid diet. The point of the pre-op diet is not to lose weight but to shrink the liver some and remove some of the fat from the outside. Just my thoughts

Looking good...

I was just getting ready to post something similar. I had surgery on Jan 22 and I am down about 35 pounds since then. i see people who went to surgery around the same time and weighed less down at least 10-15 some 20 pounds than me. I never wanted to loose super fast (because of the whole skin thing) but I wanted to be out of the 200's 4 months post op (5 months max). I CAN NOT stand Protein shakes. I have wasted about $200 on different ones and the foam, the smell, everything makes me gag. I do eat a good amount of protein a day. I eat 2 boiled eggs (12g) 2 Sargento skim milk string cheese (16g) I drink about 12 oz of skim milk (15g) and then Water protein I eat for dinner usually 1/2 chicken breast (15g) or fish (12g) and most days I have tuna fish thrown in the mix. I get at least 64 oz of Fluid daily and I work out 40-60 mins. i knew it was going to be slower for me because I work from home (telecommuting) and spend most of my day in front of a monitor or a conference (video conference) calls. I read the post of others who are on the fast track and they are downing a Protein shake in the morning and i wonder if that's where I am missing the mark. I am hoping to lose 15 pounds by April 15. I really just want to be out of thr 240s and close to the 220s so I can stop beating myself up. I feel like that will put me back on track. I am losing inches and a "shape is appearing BUT I really want to well into the 100s when I go on my cruise in November. I am super psyched that my body is changing and I look/feel better. Not to many people asking questions, but you can't help but to feel a little down when looking at sleevers who went from flab to fab leaving you in the dust.

Congrats