Dee_1111

Thank you for this article!!..I'm 4 years out and maintaining. This actually made me laugh!...cuz that's exactly what I heard before and after surgery. Eyes & Ears WIDE open. I was focused and determined. I did my research, got educated to the ways of becoming a WLS patient, Picked my surgeon, got my 5 PhD's in order. Packed my bag, and headed off down the YELLOW BRICK ROAD!!...What she's saying here people, is LISTEN to what your life is about to become! It has RULES, trials and tribulations. WLS comes with a price, it aint a free ride sista's ( and brotha's)..lol

I forgot..I have to look it up..but are you suppose be eating fish at 1 month??? Your pouch is still in the healing process??..I always like to mention this to newbies--> just because you cant see the trauma and the stitches/staples or whatever procedure you had, like a abrasion on your skin, you have had MAJOR surgery and it takes MONTHS for your innards to heal. There is no air in there, so it can't form a scab and heal in 2 weeks...If your pain is still that bad, you get to your Doc right away. Fish at one month out?? curious?

I drown my aches with Water, I flush away the ache, seems to work for me..although, this past Sunday evening, I thought I was gonna die..The grandkids were over, and they had beef dogs w/ mac & cheese. I ate TWO piece of dog, 20 minutes later, I was like-->WHAT THE HELL????... my stomach hurt so bad, that my neck and right arm hurt also?????..I downed a 1/2 bottle of water, it took an hour for that stabbing pain to settle down enough to give me a bit of relief...NOTE TO SELF...walk away from the beef/hot dogs..go figure????

Ok..so my daughters over my shoulder reading as Im typing..she says I evaded the 6:30pm meal..sorry she said you want to know what I eat. ok well some days on my plate is a salmon filet, w/ broccoli, and a small side fruit bowl (blueberries, pineapple, mango) Other days, Baked chicken filet, w/ steamed kale, carrots, & avocado slices, w/ a side bowl of fruit (apples, bananas, blueberries)...you get the idea. Im a bit of an extremist, I don't put any butter or sauces on my food. BUT>>> I AM A SPICE-A-HOLIC!!!!...I eat every veggie I can get my hands on, I bake them, sauté them, broil & boil them..lol

4am: Wake up, shower & coffee and a lot of it!!!..lol 8:30am: @ work..like clock work: Oatmeal w/ blueberries, ground flax seed, bananas, & unsweetened applesauce..(I eat the same thing EVERYDAY just so it takes the guest work out of my busy mornings) . 10:30am: Snack, is 2 Quaker caramel corn flavored rice cakes w/ Smuckers Natural creamy Peanut Butter. Lunch: a 16oz 'flavor of the day' shake (sometime a fruit smoothie, sometimes a coffee deluxe flavor, or creamsicle flavor..I have some great shake recipes) 2pm: I gotten out the habit of eating at this time, maybe a banana to curb the hunger, if I feel hungry...just a personal preference, it interferes with my going to the gym and my vigorous workouts. 5pm: finally at home, another shake. 6:30pm: This meal varies a lot, but my plate size stays the same, a small salad plate. I NEVER exceed or stack my plate. I concentrate on chewing my food to a complete mulch. I swallow and wait till my food hits my stomach before I take another bite. This meal takes a while. I usually don't eat after this meal, if I do, I grab a piece of fruit or micro popcorn. Of course it changes from day to day, but this was my routine today...thanx for asking..

Im so all over this one!!! Thank you!!!..let cha know if I like..

Amen to that, Brothers and Sisters!!!!...Easy my A$$!!!..Thank you Bloreorbust..tell it girl!!!!

Love all the comments..EXACTLY CORRECT!!!..and remember 'Stalls' have a lot to do with you body playing 'catch up'. I wish when people are researching which surgery there going to have, they'd also research 'Stalls". Stalls are important. They give the body and brain time to catch up on whats happening to it. Its the body way of getting use to it's fat reserves being depleted. Let it do its job and stop worrying about the darn scale. Damn that scale, it negatively effects so my people. Concentrate on your new lifestyle, concentrate on your new eating habits, concentrate on how to fill your cabinets with new foods, concentrate on you new exercise regime, look to your future. keep moving forward. The rewards are there, not on your scale. (stepping down of my high horse AGAIN..sheeez Dee, lighten up!!!)

ANNDDD..lol..This site is FILLED with yummy recipes and food ideas, The Article section is wonderful!!!!

Oh... P.S. Im am LOVING my carmel corn flavored rice cakes with Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, the only ingredients in the PB is PEANUTS!!!! yay...its my snack...ALOT....lolol

Hello Jane..Let me reassure you, that at this stage of your journey, if you didn't lose weight, you'd probably be the first in WLS history not to do so!...I cant even imagine what one could eat or not eat, at this stage to STOP the natural progesssion of WLS... I don't even want to do my research and find out. Cuz there's always someone out there who CAN buck the system because they didn't follow instruction. That's not your case. I am 4 years out and still cant eat freely like most WLS people can. My "CANT EAT " list is so fricken longggg! now THATS depressing. You, like me, might be one that has to eat 'organic' as much as your wallet will allow, I heard you say 'migraine'. Now that your a WLS person, you might be more sensitive to foods then you were before, I am. It has been a long ass journey to find foods that DONT make me sick or drowsy. Im still looking. I now have staple foods like--> chicken, all veggies, oatmeal, and some very specific fruits ( I don't like them all). So longs as your don't eat gobs of sweets, treats, and crappy dead process foods, you should be ok. My Doc says if something makes you sick this month, try it again next month. I don't eat breads, pasta's, sugar, potatoes (only sweet potatoes) rice, or any dairy (the surgery made me Lactose). At first it was a down right FIGHT not to eat those things. It was what I was use to. But now I don't miss them. Im still holding at 115 lbs, 4 years later. The food struggle is on going but I plow threw the sick feelings, and makes notes to self. Oh and KEEP A FOOD LOG!!!!!..it is sooooooooo important to look back on later. Its my survival and accountability guide. I know what you mean about Protein. I make my own shakes, I never buy them. I use rice protein, Water, blueberries (frozen) mixed fruit (frozen) bananas, ground flax (keeps the pipes clear, if ya know what I mean..lol) and cinnamon..blend the hell out of it in my 'bullet' and Im good to go. NO chemical in my shakes, and I trade off..I have choco flavor also and make that with coffee instead of water, for a 'starbucks' flavor cofffe shake..yumm..the combos are endless. Think outside the box. The food world is at your fingertips, we just have a lot of experimenting to do. Your taste buds are waiting, don't be afraid...good luck

Great start Fergie..that is a wonderful habit to get into. When I get sideways, and prob will forever..lol..I do look back at my logs..If what Im doing in the present isn't working, I can look to the past. I promise you, logging is a most efficient way to get back on track. Great luck to you all, keep posting, the help is here if you become unsure about something.

sorry bad typing...'Soon enough you wont want sweet or artificial sweetners... the cravings get lesser and lesser. I only think about sweets (mainly Reese's peanut butter cups) when Im bored. But I know Im just bored, and move on.

Hi, Im a recovering sweet/sugar addict..I so know what your going through. unfortunately for me, that particular fight is a minute by minute struggle. I finally understand 'Stickin' Thinkin'. Your only 4 months out, try sugar free pudding. Your brain is visual. Give your pouch a fake sweet, the brain doesn't know sugar free. It just wants to satisfy. Cheat the pouch...lollol..it all takes mastering. soon enough you wont sweets or artificial sweetners. This to shall pass.. ..Determination will get you threw this..Look closely at the future you!!!

Awesome!!!..for me it wasn't about 'willpower'...it was more about 'Determination & Discipline"..This surgery has taught me that!

Its a head game. Stay focused on the bigger picture. You come this far. Keep your eye on the future YOU!!!..ask yourself how bad you want this? Don't forget, you have been given a once in a lifetime chance to do things differently..Dont let food make you miss this train again!!!!..good luck..btw, this body feels better than any food tastes!!!

After I posted this..I re-read it..Im sorry, its sounds a bit harsh..no harshness was intended..your question is a very important concern..sometimes writing words does not convery concern. :/ so sorry bout that.

yes..your question is a little scary to me...Your focusing on the wrong thing. Forget the scale. Time for you to heal and get started on your food phases..and getting on with your journey to becoming successful. Detach from the scale. You will lose in time, its what this surgery does.

olololololol....Mr. Coggin...I do love the eloquent way you put things!!!!!...PERFECT!!!!...not to mention, you are in every way correct. Pouches aren't very smart and I out-wit my ALL THE TIME!!!...I give it more 'no calories' that it actually expects!!!!...Ha Ha pouch!!!!

Hello..Im Dee and Im 54..4 years out..feeling AWESOME..no complaints either (well not today anyway) Welcome..chime right in ..or babble like me...lolol..

Oh darlin'..get yourself to you surgeons office pronto..not your GP..Your only 10 months out!!!..Fever is telling you your body is trying to fight something off..Don't wait. Bad things happen when we wait..scoot woman scoot!!!!

These are good..I make them..minus the mayo..I just add water for creaminess, but yep good stuff!!

Oh, just cuz Im thinkin it...... I don't jump up right away when I feel hunger, I let my self get HUNGRY. In my fat life I'd jump up or order in, immediately when my hunger button went off!!!..now I wait, drink something first, a coffee, or tea, whatever..Then, I attack a (already made in the frig ahead of time) 3 bean salad w/ broasted chicken, mushrooms, blah blah blah..sorry for the babble, I was just thinking..lol

In order for me to "maintain" my weight, I listen to my body..I eat something about every 2 hours..I always drink a liquid first..for me its ALL ABOUT WHAT I eat. I NEVER eat sweets, or just grab something mindlessly..my frig and cabinets are filled to the brim with my staple foods. There isn't a chance in hell that Im gonna grab a sweet treat, or Dead Process garbage, I cant, my life and weight depend on me not doing that. So Im always chomping on something, I carry food with me, in my purse or truck, a banana, or flavored rice cakes. But I listen to my body..otherwise I will eat mindlessly. Or find myself standing in front of my frig and forgot or don't know why Im there!

Sounds delish..but I have found that if I go hunting for foods from my fat past, and tweak them to fit into my thin present, I set myself up to begin old habits. ALTHOUGH, I did find a cauliflower pizza crust I now cant live without!!!..So sadly I have to leave this (which sounds delish) recipe to those of you who don't mind 'Healthy' ice cream :/ (Dee walks away sniffling with envy)