esskay77

It depends.... how much control do you have over where everyone eats? If you are the mom, then this is a great time to set a good example and get everyone to agree (though they will fight you on it) to eat at the table together. There are other good benefits from eating dinner at the table together. Communication increases, children (if you have any) feel more connected to the family and feel loved and supported, you create a community and family, not just people sitting next to each other watching TV, have a conversation, and on and on. It's not just about eating. Besides, you would be setting a good example to the kids (again, if there are any). If you are not the mom and you are the daughter, different story. But still, try to get everyone on board. If you can't, then just try it a few times yourself. In fact, try it for one week to see what happens. Keep a journal. How do you feel during dinner? After dinner? If your family sat with you, did you learn something new about each of them? Of course, I feel like a hypocrite since I eat in front of the TV but I live alone. Sitting at the table eating alone just feels pathetic. But when family or friends are here, we always sit at the table. TV is not on at all. Just give it a try to see what happens. Or maybe alternate weeks to see how each way makes you feel and if you do better in one way vs. another. But, as others have said, if you eat in front of the TV, measure your food and eat slowly, putting the utensils down after each bite. Take a breath in between each bite. Let us know how it goes--I'm always curious to see if not eating in front of a TV makes a difference in eating.

Those yoga balls to sit on are great. A lot of people at work use them at their desk instead of a chair. THey say the same thing, it helps strengthen the core.

I'm in a similar situation but I also know that I'm not exercising enough.I have only been exercising on weekends and I need to do more during the week. Go back to the basics (this is also me telling myself). Drink lot's of Water Keep a food journal (very important!) chew a lot chew small bites Protein first 60-90 grams of protein/day stay away from sugar and flour!!! 30-30-30 (the water food numbers) etc. Best of luck. I'lll get back on track, too.

Does this mean your company has a pension? If so, I understand how difficult it is to leave. But if it doesn't, well, I guess the only other reason to stay is because of the pay and stability but, wow. I am so sorry that you are treated this way. I didn't realize we were in the 1950s! lol.

Someone put rubbing alcohol in your water bottle??!!?? That's insane! Don't let it out of your sight for this to happen again. Those people are evil. What kind of place do you work at? I can't even imagine that sort of thing happening but it must. Wow. I'm speechless.

I'm so glad you posted this because it rings a bell for me and the responses have been great. I remember when I discovered that even the "fit" people who are at the gym all the time have to force themselves to go there! That was weird for me to hear. I thought they loved going (some do, I suppose but only after they are there. They still struggle to get themselves there). So, don't think that everyone else has this figured out and you don't. lol. We all have our struggles. And someone said it best--don't expect to feel motivated BEFORE you start exercising. It happens during or afterwards! lol. Crazy, hey? I have major arguments with myself about working out. Today, my laziness won out over zumba. I have to change that, too. Though as much as I didn't want to go to Zumba today, Zumba was the one thing that gave me some of my stamina back! I could barely move without getting out of breath and after just a few Zumba sessions, I was amazed at how much more I could do. It has even enabled me to try running and actually be able to run much more than I ever thought I could, which isn't really that much yet but it's progressing and I can get further than I thought. I also had to play a game with my self to get to the gym. My goal was to just drive there and park my car. I could go home then if I wanted to. Of course, once I was there, I went in and worked out but I didn't have the pressure of expecting to work out. Just get to the gym. That's the hardest part--getting there. There were a lot of great recommendations here and I hope they helped you. They helped me! Let us know how it goes. Or if you need more encouragement. Best of luck--we are all rooting for you!!

30 minutes. The rule is stop drinking water/beverage 30 minutes before you eat. Eat for 30 minutes (small bits, lots of chewing) but don't have anything to drink during this time. 30 minutes after you eat, you start drinking your Water again.

I'm having trouble with exercising so have some questions... WHat time of day do you exercise? What exercises do you do (and when)? If you walk/run in the morning, do you have Breakfast first? Eat anything? Drink coffee? Do you go out in any weather? If so, what is best to wear? I don't have good outdoor exercise clothes yet. Where do you get them? I'm just trying to get rid of any excuse I might have and right now, in the Northeast, it is VERY easy to come up with excuses with the cold weather. Thanks!

No, though this is one of the reasons they want you to lose weight before the surgery--to reduce the size of your liver. The liver is kind of in the way so if they can reduce it's size back to normal, then the surgery is easier to do. Losing weight should reduce the size of the liver, I believe. At least that is what my surgeon told me.

Too funny! I can totally relate. I"m sure we all can. People mean well but they just don't know what to do. pizza is one of those foods that is everywhere. At work, whenever someone provides lunch for one of our long meetings or a team meeting or whatever, it is almost always pizza. There have been times,if they have chicken toppings, I will take a slice and just eat the toppings. But that isn't enough for a meal. I wouldn't say that pizza is my favorite food though it is up there. But my biggest weakness is FREE FOOD. You would think that I grew up in the Depression! I didn't. But I love free food and pizza is usually one of those foods. When I first had my surgery, I was amazed at how often people would start to eat around me and then get a weird look on their face and start apologizing for eating. It was weird. The pinterest recipes mentioned above will be a good reference. I have bought several cookbooks for people who have had the surgery. One of these days, I'll actually make something from them! lol. That might be a good thing to do is put together a series of recipes that you will be able to use later. Put them together in a nice booklet. Sorry, I'm drifting off topic--but I thought it was familiar to go hide but loved that he then dropped the pizza and how funny that must have been--total karmic justice! lol.

At least 3 months. I can't remember exactly because I started in one program and went through quite a bit of it but then switched to another program and had to start some of it over again. They need time to do all kinds of tests and they seem to do them one at a time. Of course, which tests, etc. depends on the facility that you are using. I had to do breathing tests, some people do sleep studies (I was already on a CPAP but had to have them come to my house to make sure my machine was up to standards still), they did MRIs or something to check on the liver, had to go to informational sessions that were required, they check for gall stones in another study, blood work, had to meet with a psychiatrist to get there approval (one facility used a psychiatrist, another used a social worker of some sort), had to meet with a nutritionist, meet with the surgeon, and on and on. Each test was on its own day and each were at least a week or so apart. Once you pass all these tests, then they have to get your insurance's approval. That takes the longest!! And then they have to schedule the surgery and hope that they aren't too booked! It will also depend on your insurance. Some insurance companies have you go through a 3-6 month weight loss program first, some just want to know which programs you have tried and failed at. I think my insurance required at least 3 different official programs. I would think that 3 months would be the minimum.

No, does not make my mouth slough off. That's really weird! Is it only with those drinks or does it happen with anything else?

The clear Isopure RTD are an acquired taste. The first time I had one I thought it was disgusting but now I love them!! The Grape and Alpine Punch are my faves so far though Orange isn't bad. Just don't expect them to taste like Grape or Orange! And they do have an aftertaste but you get used to that. Rite Aid is the only place I have found the small bottles of it and they are usually sold out.

On Sundays, I hardboil a bunch of eggs and take one to work every day for Breakfast. I combine that with a Protein bar and coffee and then for a mid-morning snack I either have yogurt or cottage cheese. On weekends, I have an egg over easy with one slice of multigrain toast. Sometimes I eat the whole slice of toast, sometimes not. And sometimes I make 2 eggs but usually don't eat all of both. Today I only made one egg and I'm good.

Do you find it different to run on a treadmill vs. outside? I've been trying outside for now but only about once a week. I'm in Boston so the weather is definitely getting colder/rainier (and even snow!). I don't know how to dress for that weather yet for running. Also, at night when I get home from work, it's so dark. It's not as safe as I would like it to be where I live. I hadn't been brave enough to try running at the gym but I think that is what I will have to do until I can figure out how to dress for the weather outside. I just don't want to be embarrassed!! lol. I do have a treadmill that I lent to a friend. I don't think she is using it anymore so I think I will ask for it back, Thanks

That's awesome! Congratulations. How did you learn to run? I'm just trying to run now. Getting better but have a long way to go. I bow down to you!! lol

Luckily, they only want you to TRY to get all this in. They do know that at this stage, it is only a goal and you most likely will have to slowly build up to it. Don't stress, just do the best you can.

I think that what they call "meals" might not be how we envision meals. I would suggest attending Overeater's Anonymous meetings as a place to get some support. Does your surgeon's hospital have support groups? Mine has 2. One is led by the nurse and, actually I'm not sure who he is--lol He may be a therapist. He mostly talks about us being food addicts and what that all means, etc. The other is led by the NUT and they talk about food or something. I have never been able to attend the one by the NUT. And frankly, my experience is similar to yours with regards to the NUT. She's a really nice person but she doesn't get it, or she doesn't get me anyway and has not been helpful at all. She just keeps saying to keep doing what I"m doing but that isn't helpful!! I don't know what I"m doing! (that's a rather simplistic phrase--so much more behind that but that's my issue not yours). You need to take what she says with a grain of salt and do what feels right for you. Of course, it will take a lot of trial and error to know what feels right and what works, right? Do you drink any fluids with your meals? This flushes food through your system faster and then you get hungry faster. Do you keep a food journal? Are you tired of all the responses now? lol. Sorry to pile on.

Nutritionists just don't get it sometimes!! lol. From what others tell me, it isn't that you should have a "meal" 3 times a day but that you should be eating some Protein 3 times a day at meal time, plus 2 more times for Snacks. BAsically, the way someone told me was to eat some protein every 2-3 hours. And, instead of counting calories, which we are all trained to do, count grams of protein instead. I don't know how much you need but I was told for me (or maybe for women) to get between 60-80 grams of protein in a day. That's the measurement I use instead of calories. And its's an "eat your protein first" rule. I'm also supposed to be counting grams of carbs now but am having trouble with that. So, my day generally looks like this (when I'm doing it right) Breakfast: 1 kashi bar, coffee, about an hour later: 1 hard boiled egg about an hour or 2 after that: yogurt (the Fit and Light yogurt) Lunch: 2-3 oz. of chicken with some veggies from the salad bar, balsamic vinegar is my dressing Around 3pm: cottage cheese Dinner: 3-4 oz of chicken or ground turkey, or shrimp, or some kind of protein (sometimes edamame). Some veggies if I can. Dessert: Protein Bar (the type I have depends on how many grams of protein I still need to get in), and some frozen grapes. I have no idea how many calories that is but I do know this fulfills my protein intake. I also sometimes throw in some multigrain crackers with some Peanut Butter on them but I need to stop that nonsense! Each ounce of protein has about 7 grams. (I also just looked at my spreadsheet that I keep and here is what I was told: I would start with your post-op diet routine and track all the you eat. Postop diet is 60 to 80 grams of protein, 30 grams of fats, and no more than 100 grams of carbs. Eating Proteins first, then carbs and finally fats. Counting calories drives me nuts but it is familiar. But I am now getting better at counting grams of protein. Best of luck to you and don't stop doing the right thing!!! You can do it!

I wish my doctor had recommended the surgery to me. After I had it and started to really lose some weight, I asked her why she had never suggested it and she said that it is a very sensitive subject and it is hard to bring up with patients because some people get really offended. I had approached my doctor and am really glad I did. They got me right in to the surgeon and it just went from there. All very supportive but don't expect them to ever bring it up first. And don't be embarrassed! This is just part of their job and they really don't judge.

Ugh. I feel so bad for you but completely understand. You have other options. Obamacare is one option. Another option is getting health insurance through other means. There were too many posts above and now I forgot if you were working or not. I know there are several places that offer part timers insurance (Starbucks, Home Depot). Anyway, it's also about how you frame your answers to the questions they ask you. I started off in one program because that is the program that my PCP is associated with. I jumped through all their hoops but at the end, they said that I would need to go through therapy first before I would be allowed to have the surgery and it would be a year or so away. I don't know if they said why but it was from the social worker and I am assuming (or they told me and I have now blocked it) that I was an emotional eater and had to deal with that first. I was furious! It wasn't until I talked with others that have had the surgery that I knew where I went wrong. They said that when you talk with them, focus on your health, that this is why you are having the surgery (which is true), that you are concerned about your health, you don't want diabetes, etc. that comes with obesity. Only focus on your health. Don't pick a really small goal weight, tell them that any weight you can lose is going to be awesome if it means being healthier. I now that sounds stupid and it is though these really are reasons you want to lose weight so it's not lying, it is just reframing the answer to a medically approved answer. I switched PCP's so I could switch to a new WLS facility. I told my story to the PCP and she was very sympathetic. (She was also my former PCP from a while ago so she knew me a bit). She was affiiated with a different program so she set me up with their surgeon. I had to go through all the hoops again, but this time I framed my answers around medical issues and I passed with flying colors. Had the surgery about 3 months later and have not looked back. Now, having said all that, I am aware that emotional eating is part of my problem so I am making sure I attend support groups in person and on this list to get some support and work through those issues. As soon as I am more financially solvent, I will find a therapist to work with one on one. So, find a new program, new insurance, or new way to pay for this. Frame everything from a medical point of view since that is what they understand. Don't think they are your friends, no matter how nice they are (in other words, don't tell them your deepest darkest secrets or thoughts--they will use them against you). Of course, any medical issues, you should be up front about. We're all pulling for you!!! Best of luck.

I eat a whole hard boiled egg every morning and my cholesterol levels have improved beyond belief! Not because I'm eating the eggs of course but they aren't hurting me. Your eating habits will change a bit and finally settle down but you are still too soon out of surgery so be patient.

Congratulations and best of luck to you!!

The above are all right. You aren't supposed to feel full. You are supposed to be satisfied, or not hungry. Your head will play tricks on you so be careful. Protein helps satisfy hunger. If I get hungry beyond my normal times, I eat a couple spoonfuls of cottage cheese and am satisfied. And I got some of my protein in. Eating sugar and white flour items make you think you are hungry more than you are. You need to focus on your protein.

Well, that's difficult. So, physically, the cravings are not as strong and sweet things do not taste as good. But the head hunger--well, that's different. My head still craves those sweets. It is part of my food addiction. I would strongly suggest finding a good counselor and/or support group that deals with food addictions because this is what should help you to battle and understand those cravings. The main thing to know is even if you have those cravings, you should not be eating them. Of course, that is easier said than done. lol. I'm currently trying to find healthy alternatives so that when I do get those cravings and know that I'm not going to win this round, I can have something healthy that will still satisfy those cravings. For me, Sugar Free Chocolate pudding helps a lot. It's not the best but it's better than having a candy bar. Frozen grapes are another sweet substitute. Freezing them makes them a bit sweeter but also takes longer to eat. I would love to hear if anyone has good healthy alternatives to sweets! Also note that sweets can drag you down--stamina-wise.