Zoey716

I am not on a diet. I am on a program that is to last me the rest of my life. I failed miserably at diets and so I don't do them anymore.
I eat everything. Just not so much. I eat the same food my husband does but eat it in this order. Protein first, veggies, fruit and then carbs.
If I am going to eat carbs I make sure the are a complex carb so that I get the best value. I have never counted calories. But have tried to make sure I drank my Water. Took my Vitamins and got 60-80 gm of Protein in a day.
I eat like a skinny person and plan to continue that way.
My nut said that we live in the real world and that we better learn how to eat in that world as well. I have taken her advice and run with it. If I want a cookie I eat one. Not the box. That is the difference.

Oh my!! You look FANTASTIC!! And I bet you are feeling SO much better too!! Congratulations and keep up the great work!

Many times I could not complete a session, so I would go back and start that week over...so a 8 week course took me maybe 12 weeks to complete....
But now, I run anywhere from 3-5 miles at least 5 days a week, and have been for quite some time now...
It's worth noting for beginners, I did not decide one day I'll start training to run...I worked thr elliptical 5 days a week for some time until it wasn't doing anything for me (cardio wise) no matter how much resistance or speed.
Then I knew I was ready to step it up.

Hey Nicolas, Dr. Caruana from Synergy Bariatrics did my surgery 8/18/14. I have had no problems at all & I have lost 25# since I started the pre-op diet on 8/8. It is by far the best decision I have ever made for health!!! The best advice I can give you is to listen to YOUR Dr. & your body!!! :-)

Hi, just found out today that after months of doing everything required and soooo scared about my insurance covering my VSG I got the approval that I will be covered! So excited but very scared at the same time. Still don't have a definite surgery date but would so appreciate connecting with someone from Buffalo, NY going through the same thing. TY

One thing I have learned on this adventure is calculating ones caloric intake and out take means very little. I use the numbers only as a way to gage intake. My weight comes off in steps, but I average it by the week or month. In other words, I will drop 3 to 5 lbs over night then stall as my body catches up then I take another drop. I wish it were as easy as addition and subtraction.

Hi all!! I'm a newbie from northern Niagara co. I am a patient of Dr. Caruana. Just waiting for insurance approval. I am uber excited!!!

You cross your arms a dozen times a day without resting them on top of your boobs just because you CAN.

old habbits die hard.... was feeling a little low today just not myself so went shopping during lunch... out of habbit, i went to the plus size clothes till i held something up to me and the light went off... so i scooted out of that section and went to larges... still too big... found a few tops size MED scored a pair of Jeans size 8!!! bye bye mush mush mood... and hello size 8!!!!

When a few months after the sleeve, a typical spring gust that used to end and dissipate when it made contact with my body, now nearly blows me of my feet and pushes me around. When this happened a few months after my sleeve, I think it was the first time the wind physically moved me since I was a teenager.

When you finish your fitness kickboxing class and think...thats it???
When you cut 10-15 minutes off of your 3 mile walk from work to home!

When you HAVE to put your jeans in the dryer because they're too big! I'm with ya on that one!

When you stop being afraid to put your jeans in the dryer.

When your collar bones come out of hiding

When your 21 year old daughter answers her apartment door and greets you with "God mom you look like a starved orphan!"

Forgetting something upstairs and running up the stairs to get it with out stopping at the top gasping for air.

some of us are lucky (as my name says) and have sleeves of steel! Nothing bothers this sleeve. I eat salad nearly everyday :-) and I have since 2 months out.

Everything you mention are regular parts of my diet. As a matter of fact, for lunch I brought a salad with romain/spinach, diced chicken, blue cheese crumbles and honey mustard dressing. It is about 1.5 cups, and it will stuff me full taking me about 1/2 hour to eat. I started with salads at about 3 months and didn't settle too well at first. You have to remember, the stomach is the mechanical part of digestion and it is difficult to break down, especially the more fiberous it is. So, I introduced slowly. Iceburg at first, then romain, then spinach. Now, I think I am ready to add kale. I bought a package two weeks ago, but chickened out. Oh, well. All we can do is try.
Other veggies? You bet. They are my primary source of carbohydrates, so I gotta eat 'em. Squash, okra ... name it. I'm eating it.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure the sugar content is lower than the Protein content. Also, try to stay under 8 grams of sugar per serving. Danon Light and Fit are great!

For the vast majority of us, we are gradually able to eat a little more as time progresses. How much and how fast that happens really varies, and it doesn't mean that you have done anything to stretch your stomach. Did your surgeon provide any guidance as to how much you should be eating?
My rules for the first six months (in terms of how much to eat) were to eat three meals a day, no more than three ounces per meal. I followed the rules and didn't try to eat more, but I think I could have towards the end of the six months. I know I can now, although my restriction is still good.

At 4 months, I was eating about 4 oz per meal (4 to 6 times a day) - as opposed to the way I was eating, which could be measured in tablespoons per day. As your stomach heals, the swelling will go down and it can hold more and tolerate more types of foods.
At 9 months, I could suddenly hold 8 to 12 oz per meal easily. And at a year I was able to hold up to 16 oz, depending on the density of the food.
I don't believe it's easy to stretch your new stomach. From the research I've done, you would really have to deliberately work at it constantly to stretch your new stomach. And it would be painful. It still hurts when I take one bite too many, so I'm very mindful about how much I've eaten.
So make sure you get into good eating habits now, because I found it pretty easy to slip into old habits after my 1 year mark.

During the weight loss stage the Special K shakes have way too much sugars and calories for only 10G Protein. Down the road when you hit goal and move to maintenance, these probably would be acceptable.
As others have said, Premier Protein shakes are probably the best premixed shakes. I have been using them for months now. But if you have the patients and time to mix your own, there are many other great brands.

18g of sugar is way too much. My nutritionist recommends no more than 7g of sugar with anything that I consume. I drink EAS AdantEdge Carb Control shakes. 17g Protein. 100 calories. 2.5g fat. 0g sugar. 3g of carbs. The chocolate fudge is my favorite flavor. I buy mine in bulk from BJ's, but they do carry them at Target or Walmart so you can try the different flavors.
Keep in mind 1 TEASPOON of sugar = 5 GRAMS. So 18 grams would be about 3.6 teaspoons of sugar.

@@VSGAnn2014 - you will require different levels of carbs/protein and fat depending on where you are post surgery. Also your levels may be different depending on your activity level. Check with your surgeon or nutritionist for those guidelines. Best of luck to you!

@@VSGAnn2014 - you will require different levels of carbs/protein and fat depending on where you are post surgery. Also your levels may be different depending on your activity level. Check with your surgeon or nutritionist for those guidelines. Best of luck to you!