mskami77

Seriously, this post is like beating a dead horse. Is there a way I can stop getting notifications for it? Someone simply said what worked for them, and after rereading it, I see nothing that tells me that she was telling anyone else that what they were doing was wrong. This is exactly why at 6 months post vsg, I am ready to say good riddance to BariaticPal. It has become nothing but people arguing over the most trivial things.

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It was suggested that I start a thread on this topic seeing as I do have first hand experience.

This is the founder of The Pound of Cure, Dr. Matthew Weiner. The link is to his Youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrMatthewWeiner

My story started about 4 years ago I would say when I chose to seek out BS (Bariatric Surgery). I first reached out to a different clinic in my state. But I ended up never scheduling my surgery through them. THANK GOD! Ok now fast forward to January 2018. I got on Youtube and started watching videos and doing more research. That is where I found my saving grace! LITERALLY! I reached out to his office and scheduled my consultation. From my very first phone call into the office its been nothing but a positive learning motivating life changing experience. Every person I came into contact with made an impact. They are so helpful.
My first time meeting Dr. Weiner I really didn't know what to expect with only seeing him on Youtube. But I will tell you that he is the same exact person you see in the videos. It is very easy to talk to him and open up to him about questions or concerns. I had to do 6 months of a pre op diet required by my insurance, so we started right off with ways to start changing my diet and how I really look at food. He is very encouraging and prints out step by step suggestions for your entire process. His idea behind Pound of cure really helped me loose 20 lbs before my surgery. If I was struggling with areas of my diet he had many different suggestions on things I can try. You can tell he really speaks from experience. He would ask me what my trouble areas were and gave me different options to try which I wouldn't have tried before. When eating a pound of veggies a day was first put in play it was quite daunting. I enjoy veggies and I thought I ate enough of them but quickly realized that I just needed to tweak a couple things. I feel like my taste buds have changed a few different times along my journey. Even this past week I have noticed changes.
For my surgery with Dr. Weiner. That took place at Oakland Regional Hospital in Southfield MI. Dr. Weiner is part owner of the hospital. EVERYONE there was great. I went home the next day and did great until about 4 days out. My taste buds changed and couldn't take in ANY Protein. So he told me about his smoothies and I was able to do that for a while until I could take in more food. I also had problems with my Vitamins. The taste was absolutely horrible. So he switched me to the capsules. He listened to my struggles and made one suggestion that helped drastically. He really knows and understands what bariatric patients are going through. This program has changed my mindset on food. I now eat for necessity and fuel for the day. I know everyone has different results from the surgery and their program but I do not feel hunger. I most definitely feel when I am full.

I've seen posts that his program leads more towards a vegan lifestyle but not completely. I will say that is true. I had a horrible time with cheese for instance. The crack of all foods right. Well now I no longer eat cheese and if I do I use vegan cheese. He even suggested recipes to make our own. I would never have started eating Beans if it wasn't for him. And my new tummy LOVES beans. Those around me don't but hey I have to eat what I can eat. I can most certainly get by with out eating animal protein and I think anyone after surgery could. I know for me I have chosen to not eat animal protein if I don't have to. I've had chicken for dinner for example and that next morning I felt completely different. I just knew right away what it was. You have to eat what makes you feel good. With his program I get by drinking ZERO artificial protein. No shakes, no powder. I cant stomach the taste. Even the unflavored is a lie. It is flavored. Greens and beans give me life
I know every program is different and there are those people that strictly abide by their surgeons word and that is fine. That is clearly also what I do. I am not suggesting you do anything different unless your body is telling you that you need to change something. If something isn't working for you WHY NOT seek out alternative options. Only you know your body. Only you know how you feel and what things feel like in your new tummy. Go with your gut. No pun intended I am only speaking my experience and what I went through. If you are in the Michigan area and are looking or someone you know is looking into BS I would say for sure reach out to his office. If you've had complications from a previous BS again I would for sure reach out to his office. He also fixes previous botched surgeries or those with complications.

Yep, I eat them all. Love them. They're a daily part of my diet. Sometimes multiple times a day.
OMG, they're carbs!
Yep, they are. But they're not refined, over-processed, or bad.
And you know what else they are?
Excellent sources of plant based Protein and Fiber.
A baked potato has 160 calories. By itself, it has 4g of protein. Throw some vegetarian chili on there and you're in the high teens. Awesome lunch!
Brown rice...half a cup has around 100 calories and 3g of protein. Add some bean or peas and you've got complete amino acids...tons of protein... and a crazy awesome amount of fiber.
Why is dietary fiber important? To grow good gut bugs. Your microbiota and the health of your gut (and metabolism) depend on happy little bacteria. The strains of gut bugs that live in the guts of skinny people....have a favorite food: dietary fiber. Feed your good bugs good things and they'll be good to you.
They like to eat fruit, veggies, Beans, whole wheat bread...
Whole wheat bread? I eat this A LOT:)
For instance.....A lite Thomas English wheat muffin has 5g of protein for 100 calories. This dietary powerhouse has 8g of dietary fiber! Smear that sucker with your favorite nut butter or fruit preserves, and you're in business.
One of my favorite go-to dinners these days...... is fresh homemade wheat bread with 16 veggie soup...and fruit for dessert.
I eat about four servings of fruit a day...and that's not even counting the watermelon I huddle over in the car while hissing "My Precious...." LOL:)
A banana is not "a candy bar" A banana is a wonderful healthy food. I eat lots of them. Hell, I have a Yonanas that makes them into ice cream. They're terrific.


Normal weight does not HAVE to mean giving up carbs. It means being carb smart, balancing, and making mindful choices.
More than one way to do this whole thing.
Weight loss success does not mean ONLY eating meat for the rest of your life with broccoli on the side. That's great once in a while, though!
Not trying to tell anyone they're doing it wrong.....just sayin'....there's more than one way to do it right:)

Extreme thinking, extreme dieting, extreme self denial....is not sustainable.
Work on a forever diet you can live with.
Be mindful, be accountable....but be kind to yourself.

I am a big proponent of whole, healthy food post-WLS and my bariatric team supports this way of eating. I do NOT consume artificial sweeteners at all, am not a big meat eater, and I do not worry about eating fruit. I eat whatever amount of fruit I feel like, which is usually 1-3 servings a day, depending on what’s in season or in my kitchen. I don’t demonize any food except for fake food made with chemicals. This approach has worked very well for me; my yearly labs are fantastic, I feel wonderful, and my BMI is in the lower normal range.
I also just returned from a beach vacation where I wore cute bikinis and was not self conscious about my body, even with some saggy skin.
What I am consuming (veggies, fruit, dairy, Beans, some meat) is working well for me. No dumping or RH episodes. YMMV

Not that unusual when you have the rest of your life to consider.

I'm here occasionally. Almost 5 years post-op.

HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

I'm here occasionally. Almost 5 years post-op.

HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

Sounds like a lovely menu!

Hey Y'all! I'm almost 5 years post-op RNY. I've been vegan for a year. I love to cook and find creative ways to get my Protein in but I'm looking for what others eat on a typical day.
For me it's something like this:
Breakfast: almond butter on sprouted bread toast topped with flax seed/cinnamon or quinoa with soy milk and berries
Lunch: spinach salad loaded with veggies topped with chickpeas or black Beans, roasted barley and pumpkin seeds
Dinner: Small sweet potato topped with 3 bean chili and a cooked veggie or sofritas, roasted veggies and brown rice
Snacks: air-popped popcorn, fruit, hummus n veggies
HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

Hey Y'all! I'm almost 5 years post-op RNY. I've been vegan for a year. I love to cook and find creative ways to get my Protein in but I'm looking for what others eat on a typical day.
For me it's something like this:
Breakfast: almond butter on sprouted bread toast topped with flax seed/cinnamon or quinoa with soy milk and berries
Lunch: spinach salad loaded with veggies topped with chickpeas or black Beans, roasted barley and pumpkin seeds
Dinner: Small sweet potato topped with 3 bean chili and a cooked veggie or sofritas, roasted veggies and brown rice
Snacks: air-popped popcorn, fruit, hummus n veggies
HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

Hey Y'all! I'm almost 5 years post-op RNY. I've been vegan for a year. I love to cook and find creative ways to get my Protein in but I'm looking for what others eat on a typical day.
For me it's something like this:
Breakfast: almond butter on sprouted bread toast topped with flax seed/cinnamon or quinoa with soy milk and berries
Lunch: spinach salad loaded with veggies topped with chickpeas or black Beans, roasted barley and pumpkin seeds
Dinner: Small sweet potato topped with 3 bean chili and a cooked veggie or sofritas, roasted veggies and brown rice
Snacks: air-popped popcorn, fruit, hummus n veggies
HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

Hey Y'all! I'm almost 5 years post-op RNY. I've been vegan for a year. I love to cook and find creative ways to get my Protein in but I'm looking for what others eat on a typical day.
For me it's something like this:
Breakfast: almond butter on sprouted bread toast topped with flax seed/cinnamon or quinoa with soy milk and berries
Lunch: spinach salad loaded with veggies topped with chickpeas or black Beans, roasted barley and pumpkin seeds
Dinner: Small sweet potato topped with 3 bean chili and a cooked veggie or sofritas, roasted veggies and brown rice
Snacks: air-popped popcorn, fruit, hummus n veggies
HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

I'm here occasionally. Almost 5 years post-op.

HW 314 SW 296 GW 177 CW 169

I appreciate your honest reply, I'll do my best to answer your initial questions, as far as how it works for me. Praying is an interesting thing even in the Christianity world. There are those that believe you say them over and over again for doing something wrong, there are others that believe you have to kneel down and pray in a formalistic way. In the bible, there is a "template" if you will, the "Lord's Prayer" (The one that is prayed in times of trouble, vigils, etc...). I believe some people believe you pray that exact prayer. I look at it as a template, however I suppose I am a bit "progressive" as I believe that I can have a pseudo conversation in the car "Hey Jesus, please help me remember what I studied for the test today". Obviously I wouldn't close my eyes.
I don't mean to sound preachy, but I think this helps address why we pray. In the bible we are told that if one has the faith of a mustard seed, it shall be done. It also tells us that if two or more are in agreement, that God will answer your prayer. So we are not only told we should pray, but encouraged to pray.
This next part will probably be hard to wrap your head around. I/we(?) believe that God always answers prayer, sometimes in the affirmative and other times not so much. One preacher has a saying (I'm paraphrasing here) 'Sometimes God says "go", sometimes God says "no" and sometimes God says "slow"'. One could question why we pray at all if God is omnipotent, and can answer any way in which He desires, and this questions ponder even Christians. One group says that because God is all-knowing, that he knew that John will not believe and therefore go to hell, while on the other side, he knew Sally would believe and go to heaven. Another believes that God gives us free-will. I believe in both actually, and when combined with the above reasons, that is why I pray.
Praying is a comfort for us Christians. It gives us "hope" and allows us to "do something for" a person at any time, from any where, and in any language. I quote the above two words because I'm trying to explain this as how I think an atheist would view it. We don't believe it is hope, we believe that it seriously helps. Some people tend to pray last; I'm guilty of that sometimes, but that's not really the way it should be.
I believe that sometimes Christians are guilty for using prayer as an excuse for laziness. We are told to give up everything to God, but I believe that if I am to lose weight (for example) I don't keep eating 10,000 calories a day, while praying for God to help me lose weight. Instead, I believe you pray about it, but do everything within your means to make it happen. I'll give you a real life example. I found a car that I wanted to buy on Craigslist. I prayed that "God's will be done" (So, I'm not saying God, gimme gimme). After that, I called, texted, and emailed. I didn't get a response, so I did it again and again. (Maybe once per day, not like a car stalker). After a few rounds of emails, I was set to go look at the car, however the person agreed to let another person look at the car first. Did I get it? Nope, the other person bought it. I'm okay with it and I rationalize it as God telling me "no" - but, I did everything I could do to make it happen.
I believe you are 100% correct in how we feel the same physiological feelings when it comes to needing/providing prayer (good thoughts) for someone. I'm not sure how much stake an atheist might put into it. I think if they follow "principles" then it might have more substance, while I would imagine other atheists might think it's a nice thought but thinking something doesn't do anything at all. With Christians, we really believe that it helps.
I also agree that a lot of the circumstances have atheistic analogues. For example we believe "Judgement is mine saith the Lord" whereas an atheist might(?) say "Karma gets you in the end".
The afterlife is perhaps the toughest thing that I struggle with. I had a good friend die two years ago from brain cancer. He went through two intensive surgeries (They literally split his brain in half to get to the tumor). The entire time he went through it, he was comforted by the fact that if he died, then he would exist in heaven with his friends and families (Who were also believers). He was as calm as a cucumber to be honest. Many of his friends and family were very upset when it happened, but speaking for myself, I do find comfort in that I believe I will see him once again in heaven. So for Christians, death on earth is really a pause in existence. Some believe it is instantaneous "Gone with the body, present with the Lord" (I believe this) and others believe that the person's soul is not "released" until the rapture. I suppose one could look at it just like anesthesia in that time to the observer is not observed, but instead is nearly instant.
As far as right vs. wrong, I think it is hyped up because of political-correctness, and the speed/power with which modern technology makes possible. If I go out there and say what I feel, then I feel like I am being a bit forceful. If, on the other hand, I am asked a question, and I answer it truthfully, I feel like there should be respect for my answer. Debates are great, but I have a problem with the fundamentals of them. If I say "Pluto is a planet" and use a publication which says so, and the other person rejects that book, then there is nowhere to go with it unless both sides can come to a mutual agreement on a particular text. How do I evangelize? If religion comes up, and I am asked about it, I give my response, and usually I will return the question. If said person answers (dare I say "not what I believe") then usually I will probe further and try to get a dialog going. Sometimes the other person is not interested and there is really no point to discuss anymore (And I believe I am halfway decent at sensing that) while others are genuinely open to talking about it.
I am an introvert, and generally a pretty humble/non-confrontational person. I say that because while I can understand that you might be aggravated, honestly, who cares. I really like the quote of the fictional food-reviewer Anton-Ego ["Ratatouille", 2007, Pixar] "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so..." (Emphasis mine). I fully expect other people, whether they ask for my opinion, or I freely express it, to discard it as they may - truth be told, most people tend to ignore what I say anyway. To clarify - I am not advocating for one to stop fighting for their right/cause, doing so would be foolish; however, for non issues (As I perceive this thread) and I will repeat myself "Who cares?"
Again, I want to thank you for answering respectfully, (And putting some real thought into your response) and at the end of the day, although we have completely different opinions, I respect your opinion.

TBH I havent got tons of sleep since the surgery. Im highly annoyed but im sure this will pass once I hit the 7 day mark? UH!

This weekend I was reading that some people need to sleep in a recliner for a while. Others were able to sleep in the bed with the help of pillows. Hope you get comfortable soon & have a speedy recovery.

I was in a the same boat. I'm back to the basics and working out 5-6 days/week. I'm down 14 pounds of 25 I gained plus I wanna get to my goal weight. I started at 314. I'm at 188 now. We can do this!

Thank you both for your responses! I have checked the forum that @catdaddy suggested and I will be joining soon. I sent an email to my nutritionist today and I will call tomorrow to make an appointment so I can get some guidance.
@smooshycheeks since you are a seasoned vegetarian, what are your preferred sources of Protein? The ones that have the most protein?

FWIW, there are several active FB pages geared towards plant-based dieters who have undergone WLS. Also, Dr. Garth Davis prescribes a plant-based diet for his patients and he posts many before/after pictures on his FB page.

I wouldn't necessarily base the idea of success for those who follow a plant-based diet on the number of active plant-based posters here. I didn't post here much at first, due to the lack of veg posts when I signed up, but have found other ways to give & receive support here.

For anyone who may be interested in plant-based wls support:





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I was in a the same boat. I'm back to the basics and working out 5-6 days/week. I'm down 14 pounds of 25 I gained plus I wanna get to my goal weight. I started at 314. I'm at 188 now. We can do this!

I was in a the same boat. I'm back to the basics and working out 5-6 days/week. I'm down 14 pounds of 25 I gained plus I wanna get to my goal weight. I started at 314. I'm at 188 now. We can do this!

Sent from my SM-N920P using BariatricPal mobile app

When your 13 years old son is helping with laundry and keeps hanging your shirts in your 9 years old daughter's closet. Its flattering but i can never find my clothes lol

I'm definitely trying this! I've been making my pizzas on low carb veggie wraps. This would totally boost my Protein count

I'm definitely trying this! I've been making my pizzas on low carb veggie wraps. This would totally boost my Protein count