DanaInNewOrleans

I have at least 1 Protein Shake a day, usually for Breakfast.

I haven't tried a huge range of foods yet--- I've stuck to chicken, fish, eggs/egg whites, soft veggies, Laughing Cow Baby Bell cheese, cottage cheese....

I just started trying things with ground beef (a few bites of a hamburger, Italian meatloaf, etc) and I've tolerated it very well. I haven't had any issues with foods other than when I tried to eat one of my husband's awesome grilled/bbq ribs. I took a few small bites and immediately realized it was just too heavy.

I kind of just improvise with whatever we have on hand. Tomorrow I'm going to make a crab quiche from a recipe that was posted here on VST.

I do need to start experimenting a little with recipes to get a little more variety. Oh, and I'm making roasted garbanzo Beans (another recipe here on VST)...apparently they come out crunchy and delicious and make a great little snack.< /p>

For lunch I do stuff like just slicing some chicken off a Sam's rotisserie chicken

(I always make sure to have 1 in the fridge). Usually about 1.5 oz to 2 oz and I dip it in low calorie Salad Dressing. Sometimes I'll scramble egg whites with a little cheese and green onions.

I still have trouble getting enough water/liquids in -- I average only about 30 oz, which I know needs to get better...

I LOVE those! Do you make yours with olive oil? That and Kosher salt is how I've made it, but I'd love to know if you can forget the oil. Healthier.

Olive oil is extremely healthy!!

I am making these tonight!!

Thank you Karee!!

If it was me I would wait, mostly so that you can be more relaxed and at ease around the time of surgery. If you try to squeeze it in you'll probably be uptight worried about the new job and whether you'll be able to go on your (already paid for) vacation. If you wait you can then relax and put your energy into healing and starting a new way of life....

Matrix nectar Protein powder - chocolate Truffle

Awesome with a few ice cubes and Hood low carb milk in my personal blender. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of frozen cottage cheese. powder plus milk equal about 28 grams of Protein.< /p>

They have lots of flavors and every is good.

http://www.amazon.com/Syntrax-Nectar-Sweets-Chocolate-Truffle/dp/B0016685YU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361593552&sr=8-1&keywords=nectar+chocolate+truffle

popcorn is fine, just as long as you wash it down with a martini or two.

Margaritas!

I have to eat more in order to lose. When I restrict I stall and don't lose any weight. I've been eating 5-6 meals a day, drinking about 100oz of Fluid, getting in 80+grams of Protein, and doing moderate exercise. I've been losing steadily since I've figured out that I should be eating more. I don't eat high calorie stuff or slider foods but I eat until I'm full (not stuffed) and so far it's been working great.

What do you think your daily calories are?

I am only 5 weeks out, so I wont try it yet, but I am finding that my tastes have changed so much! I wonder if I will even love popcorn anymore! I used to go find a movie to watch just because I craved movie popcorn, then get a huge bag with extra butter and down most of it in one sitting. I am sure that won't be the case, as greasy things make me want to vomit now. I can't even handle mayo or sour cream. This may be because my gall bladder was removed at the same time I had my sleeve. But, I have also always been a heavy coffee drinker, quad shot, 12 oz breve coffee drinker, and now, even weak coffee does not taste good anymore. I have become a tea drinker! And chocolate is ok, but i prefer berries! What is that? I mean, i guess it is a good thing, but I feel like I am having an identity crisis. I guess that goes to show how much I identify myself with food... scary...

I'm jealous -- I was hoping I'd have all the aversions to good stuff but sadly no, so far I have tolerated anything I've tried ( except a pork rib -- way too heavy).

I was still having considerable heartburn/acid, even though I was taking Prilosec 2x day and Zantac in the evening. I had already tried Prevacid 2x day and Prilosec worked better but I still had the issue.

Nurse Practitioner gave me Nexium -- she said it is considered the strongest PPI. I'm taking it once a day ( if I need to go to 2x a day I can).

IT WORKED! I have not have any heartburn( other than in the morning before I take my Nexium!)

What a difference not to have the nagging heartburn......

congrats, my new doberman puppy is flying in on saturday, I am only at day 5 so hubby will have to tackle puppy stuff for a few days. Her name is Deja Vu Du

With a name like Deja Vu Du I had to check to see if you were from New Orleans.... Florida isn't too far away though!

Omg...how awful! My only hope is that this was meant to be...meaning maybe there is another little one out there who needs a home and will only be complete if you choose him.

That is the perfect way to look at it!!! There is another darling baby waiting for you!!!

I'm dramatic -- "obsession" is just me being a drama queen. Let me put it like this...I would love to have some popcorn. And I've been thinking about it like, I would really like some popcorn....can't wait till I can have popcorn....

I agree, the Portion Control is the key. I'd rather had a small amount of yummy popcorn than a large amount of dry Styrofoam balls!

I really haven't had a craving for anything since surgery... my husband makes awesome grilled/bbq St Louis Pork Ribs...I was looking forward to it. I took 1 rib, had a couple of bites and was done. Way too heavy.

I forgot to mention -- I'm looking forward to making Crab Quiche next week. Someone posted the recipe here and it sounds good! I try to make something yummy each week to have throughout the week... this week it was meatloaf...

The one constant thing for me is that I fix one Protein shake ( nectar chocolate Truffle) every day which gives me about 30 grams of Protein to start my day.

lunch is usually simple - an egg or egg salad, sliced roasted chicken, sometimes an Atkins bar. Or whatever I have in the fridge. Yesterday I fixed a low carb pancake (Dixie Diners low carb pancake mix) with sugar free Syrup ( Joseph's 0 Sugar Syrup). It was awesome!

I've gotten creative a little with dinner.... I divide up a pound of 93/7 ground meat into 2 oz portions and freeze them. Sometimes I'll brown my little portion and throw some scrambled egg whites, mushrooms, green onions, a little cheese and make my own concoction. Last night I had meatloaf ( I make an a really good Italian Meatloaf) -- I had about 2 oz with about 2 tablespoons of smothered cabbage. Last week I ate on a Five Guys Little Cheeseburger for 3 days -- I ate 1/3 of it per meal. I'm not really actively restricting anything at this point. Just making choices based on what else I had during the day.

For Snacks it is usually a Laughing Cow BabyBell Light.

I was at 800 calories per day and losing very slowly - 25 lbs 8 weeks post-op. The NP was concerned that 800 was too low and asked me to try upping it. I protested but I told her I would try it for a week and see what happens. I've doing about 1000 calories the last few days and I've lost 2 lbs. Could be just a coincidence but I haven't lost 2 lbs in 3 days since week 1 post-op -- it is usually 1 lb at a time (over days -- sometimes a week)

My main concern was gaining if I upped to 1000 so this is a relief.

~Dana

Oh my God, that is horrible! I don't know what to say. You know, I think that given the circumstances you should have been allowed to keep Buddy. He was already in your loving home, had bonded with you (and you with him).

I don't know.... I'm just so sorry....

Dana

for years, prior to WLS of course

DH would say to me - "i want some popcorn", lets go to the movies

doc gave me "permission" to have popcorn a few months post op (sorry, don't remember when)

now when DH and i go to the movies he will still have his GIGANTIC tub of BUTTERED popcorn!!!!

(he knows he needs to loose about 75 lbs, but he doesn't have the will or the motivation )

i will get a plain SMALL popcorn (i luck out, not big on butter, NEVER butter on popcorn)

i know movie popcorn is not the healthiest, and i know i COULD bring from home some better popcorn

but..... i don't want to

the "mental" aspect of having movie popcorn is great for me

for home, i will buy a box of orville redonbocker small popcorn bags that have 100 calories , never have a problem with digestion

i know, i know, too many carbs - but as a treat on an occasion - popcorn won't kill me!!!

tomorrow going to movies - bruce willis die hard sequil

woo hoo - popcorn city

Let me know how good/bad the Die Hard sequel. Not that it matters -- just knowing it's a Die Hard movie will be enough -- it's one of my favorite movies. Sort of like Raiders of the Lost Ark...when it came out with the old Harrison Ford in Crystal Skull ( or whatever it was) I was excited. I didn't really care whether it was good. It was just great to see Indiana Jones again! (And yes, it did pretty much suck)

This is my philosophy about popcorn - I do not love popcorn enough to eat un-buttered, dry Styrofoam balls --if I'm going to eat popcorn I am GOING TO EAT POPCORN!! Know what I mean? One of the benefits (to me at least) of having this surgery is it has a lot of self correcting behavioral benefits. I'm hoping I will only be able to eat a certain amount then must stop because of sleeve restriction. BUT if it is a slider food for me, ok then I will adjust to that - Instead of eating a meal I'll have popcorn. Is that the healthiest? No, but that really is why I had this surgery. I want to be able to live normally and adapt accordingly! Make sense?

At this point, I have obsessed enough about popcorn that I have now come believe that that POPCORN IS THE GREATEST food IN THE WORLD and I am being deprived of it. LOL

By the way, I sometimes think that all the nutritionists/docs/NPs doomsday predictions about certain foods are just a way to keeps us in line! Unfortunately sweets and breads have so far not had any negative effect on me. I've had a biscuit -- no problem. I had a piece of cake - no problem.

Vitamins can cause body odor, weird smelling urine, breath, etc....

For weeks my urine as been smelling metallic-ly.... I was driving me nuts. I suspected the vitamins...especially B Vitamins. I stopped my vitamins for 3 days and yep, no more metallic smell....

You know how you start thinking about some particular food and pretty soon you've convinced yourself that it is the most fabulous food in the world (even when you don't normally "love" it....just enjoy having it once in a while) and you cannot live without it? When I was kid a a got obsessed with having to have a radish. Yes, a radish. No idea why -- maybe I saw it on tv and thought it looked good. I kept asking my mother to buy a radish to put in my salads (yes, I was on a diet as a kid). But once I started thinking about it I became obsessed with having a radish. She told me that I had the wrong idea about what a radish will taste like... she was right...yuck.

So anyway, I've been thinking about popcorn for a few days and I have now convinced myself that it is a terrible tragedy that I cannot have popcorn....I like popcorn but suddenly it is my favorite food....and I can't have it....

Just thought I'd share...

I remember wishing every day was surgery day for months... the time did go by quick though and now I'm 2 months post-op and it feels like my surgery was a long time ago...

Hang in there!

~Dana

Ask for Zofran......

Got my iv in and am just waiting for my turn. Gwtting bored waiting. Hubby has much more patience then me

Good luck! Sweet Sleevin' Dreams!

I am so excited!!!!!! Approval took 24 hours. Thank you Jesus, ready for skinnier me!

YAY MK!!!

Congratulations! And welcome to VST

It took two weeks for my approval from Aetna.

Surgery check in time is 630am tomorrow, I'm packed, showered, shaved (story I read here about showing up to surgery with hairy legs n pits really stuck in my mind), anti nausea patch in place, biggest looser picture taken aka:sports bra & bike shorts, & bags packed. Not nervous anymore, now my focus is on being all layed out on the table in front of strangers with my belly all exposed. No one has seen my arms since the mid 90's let alone my belly!!! Knock me out and get this done!!!!

Pammy you are going to do great! I was begging the anesthesiologist to not look at my stomach ( he was a gorgeous guy about 40) -- I had everybody cracking up! The last thing I said before they put the mask on me was "don't look!!".....