WhoKnows

Every doctor has their own timetable for when you can be eating what, but I don't think any doctor would say chicken is ok after 5 days, no matter how much you chew. Also, if it hurts, why keep on doing it?

We all have different reasons for getting into a situation where we needed surgery. For some people it's portion control, for others it's injury, for some it's making the wrong food choices or not knowing with choices would be better. Others deal with a combination of any, all or other issues. We all have different things we need to learn or relearn after surgery. I'm aware that I was very, very lucky to already have had a handle on healthy eating. I was privileged enough to grow up with hippy parents who made sure 90% of the food I had available to me was both healthy and delicious, so lots of olive oil, pretty much no butter or cream. But a lot of other things went wrong. Because of their relaxed parenting style, they felt like I'd learn to control my own portions and figure out my weight for myself. Well, that didn't go too well. Avocados are healthy, but eating four avocado's worth of homemade guacamole, even with veggies, is still a crazy amount. *sigh* Anyway, you'll get there. Like I said, it's a lot about experimenting with new things. Especially spices. Get a Middle Eastern or Vietnamese cookbook. Try new curries. Try cooking veggies you didn't think you liked in a different way (I never would have known how awesome brussels sprouts are until I tried roasting them!). Best of luck on you food adventure!

Sure thing! Well, for starters, you gotta know how to cook quinoa right: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-quinoa-63344 I sometimes use a bit less Water than they suggest, so it stays a bit firmer, but that's just trial and error. Like I said, I usually also use veggie broth (chicken broth would work as well) instead of or mixed with water. As for recipes, this salad was a big hit a bbq I went to recently. It's very simple: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/04/quinoa-chickpea-and-avocado-salad.html Here's one I've been wanting to try: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14642/quinoa-fritters-with-garlic-aioli-gluten-free.html I think you could add other veggies as well, and also more spices. And you could use a yogurt dip too, if the idea of almonds or cashews is too hippy-dippy at this point. There's also this quinoa a pizza crust. It's a good way to add some extra Protein and cut out processed flour if you feel like splurging on pizza! I think for us, one slice is enough, and the rest can go to whomever you're sharing the meal with: http://www.oatmealwithafork.com/2014/03/03/5-ingredient-quinoa-pizza-crust-vegan-primal-gluten-free/ And finally, here's one for a black bean and quinoa chili (you could also add meat to it, I'm sure). I haven't tried this exact recipe, since when I make chili I tend to just wing it, but I know that cooking quinoa in chili or curries is really yummy and the reviews on this one are excellent. With this sort of thing, the quinoa sort of dissolves a bit, so it might be a good first recipe for you: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-bean-chili/

I'm not saying stop the B12 shots. But you probably can't have one everyday, so in the mean time, there's no reason to use sublingual B12 as well.

@@Cody's mom your tastebuds might be so used to processed foods that "whole foods" just don't taste like much. Having the surgery will force you to detox and this should help. Even though I ate pretty healthy before surgery, I still ate a lot of white sugar. For the last three months, not a bit of it has passed my lips. At four weeks post-op I started eating fruit. I'd always like fruit, but it's not like it was amazing or anything. Now, after not having eating white sugar for so long, fruit is my crack! That sh*t is amazing! Just give your body a chance to forget all the processed crap (it's engineered in labs to get us practically addicted, after all) and then try adding in these things you don't care for now again. You might find they have more flavor than you think. But even so, don't forget to add spices! Spices are the best. I'd never make a quinoa salad without plenty of cumin, paprika, lime juice, black pepper, and a little sea salt. I also cook the quinoa in low sodium veggie broth. And even if quinoa isn't your thing, there are plenty of other whole foods to discover!

If the B12 seems to help, then it would make sense to try getting in some extra B12 between shots. From what I hear, sublingual tablets are easiest for the body to absorb. Give it a shot and see if it helps. B12 isn't something you wanna be lacking.

Have you been building sufficient muscle? Your body fat percentage might be way different than it was in high school, and that can make a huge difference with how you look at a given weight. Here's a progress pic of a woman (admittedly thin to begin with) who gained ten lb of muscle: http://i.imgur.com/uqHFK.jpg

Just make sure when you start doing strength training (which I definitely suggest you do when you're ready - maybe in two weeks or so?) that you get enough calories/protein to rebuild the muscle you break down while training. On the days I don't weight train, I get around 600-700 calories. But on the days I do lift, I get closer to 1000 or even 1100. I get between 80-90g of Protein every day. If you do decide to up your calories, I'd say don't do it through more animal fats (full-fat mayo/cheese, etc). Not all calories are equal, and you should be aiming for something more nutritionally dense, not just something that has more calories. So you could adding a little more carbs through fruit (berries!) or a nice whole grain like quinoa, or go for plant based fats like avocado or healthy nuts (walnuts or almonds, for example). Or, of course, you could just add more protein, maybe through another shake (which, of course, some of the above options could be added to, within reason). All of the options I just listed would give you essential micronutrients along with the extra calories. Full-fat mayo would just be fat. (I have seen some studies that suggest one serving of whole fat dairy a day can aid weight loss though, but still, that's a single serving, not an extra serving, and I don't think it was all dairy, I think it was just yogurt and certain cheeses.)

@@kvdme has it started growing back?

I think there's something to be said for trying new cooking methods and new flavors, especially those from a different sorts of cuisines. It can put old ingredients into a new light. For example, I was vegan for a long time* (right now I'm vegetarian, and when I hit goal, I'd like to cut eggs and dairy back out, but we'll see). Before I became vegan, there were sooo many things I didn't like. It's not that vegans are so limited in what they can eat (it's way less limiting than people think), but it terms of the Standard American Diet, yes, it can be a bit limited. So I started trying things I never would have imagined (quinoa, peppers), and started trying things I thought I hadn't liked (like tofu, lentils and mushrooms) in different recipes. For starters, I had some really good cookbooks that helped. Looking at vegan food blogs helped a lot too. I just learned a lot about flavors and textures I'd never considered before. And the funny thing is, I a much wider variety of foods now than I ever did when I still ate meat. It forced me to be creative. So if you decide you want to learn to like, for example, lentils, I'd spend some time looking at different lentil recipes, and then trying different kinds of lentils (seriously, there are so many!). You might find you don't like lentils when they're more firm, but that you like them when they're cooked so much they sort of dissolve into a puree. Or maybe you'd like them when they're in a patty with a yogurt/mint sauce or something. The only way to find out is experiment with new recipes. Consider it an adventure! *Not why I was/am overweight, just for the record. Much more to do with lack of exercise and inability to control portions than because the food I was eating was unhealthy.

I'd love to avoid plastics, but despite my intense workouts and heavy weight training, I still see loose skin coming on my upper arms and inner thighs. I'm cautiously optimistic about my stomach though. We'll see...

Whoa, whoa. All I meant was if you're looking for yummy things, that are healthy, that aren't going to waste your precious food space, those are good options. Obviously if you don't like them, then this is a moot point. I just wanted to offer a different option than the usually meat, dairy, meat, dairy stuff we tend to get around here.

It's time to fall in love with Beans, lentils, quinoa and other healthy grains! Do a search for a nice quinoa black bean salad. Healthy, pretty high in Protein, and totally packed with flavor!

Yeah, two weeks could be a bit soon.

You guys, I'm under 100 kilo! Still 19lb away from being under 200lb, but I'm thrilled to be under 100 kilo for the first time since 2010. When I'm under 200lb, then it'll really be time to celebrate...

At about one month post-op I started working with a trainer. I've been lifting heavy ever since. But I should also say that I healed very clean, and when I started lifting, I had no pain or anything. My surgeon told me that after one month, I can do anything that doesn't cause pain. You should check with your surgeon for whatever she recommends.

Right after surgery, my energy was very low and I was super weak. Slowly but surely, I got my energy and strength back, and by week 3 I felt pretty much back to normal. Now two months out, I feel better than my old normal. I don't know if it would be right to say I have more "energy" (I might just not be that energetic a person), but I have more endurance, I'm much fitter (I'm working out a lot), and I sleep better.

You might just be drinking more. I was someone who always drank a loooot of water, so post-op hasn't been much of a change there, and the resulting bathroom needs are the same as well: frequent

@@sleeveme4152 is Nioxin something that needs to be used forever? If I were to use it for, say, a year and then stop, would I end up losing hair?

So, I'm not superstitious, but out of pure habit, I always wish on eyelashes when I find one on me (which is frequently). I have always, always wished to be thin. Today, without even thinking about it I said in my head, "Please let me get my term papers written on time." Oh, hey, look at that!

Yeah, it's so funny! I mean, I'm still far from thin, but I've been feeling really awesome lately. My headspace has just changed so much in the past three months! Now I can spend my wishes on the the important things: school work!

I think everyone worries about that. Just remember to follow the rules and trust the process. Of course, we're all built differently, and our bodies each have their own "ideal" weights. Maybe mine will be 170, even though I'm hoping for something more like 130 or 140. Who knows? No matter what though, wherever any of us ends up settling, we'll be better off than we were before we made this change. Chin up.

I would say though, at least in the beginning, that if you can scrape together the funds, seeing someone one on one (especially someone used to working with people with obesity) is really helpful. One of the things that held me back in previous weight loss attempts was relying on the staff in bog box gyms. They're fine with normal people with normal fitness goals, but often don't know how to work with people prone to weight related injuries. I've hurt myself so many times because these kinds of trainers made me feel like a lazy hypochondriac. Not that everyone who is just a regular old gym trainer is a total meat head, but, let's be honest, many of them are, and when you're not paying for personal training, you don't always get to pick whom you're working with. If you can afford someone who is more familiar with sports medicine or physiotherapy, I'd say do it, even if it's just a few sessions to get you back in touch with your body and help you learn your own limits.

I joined a fitness club that does semi-personal training. It's basically classes with fewer than six people, plus supervised open hours where I'm more on my own. I'm sooo thrilled. It's been expensive, but I have all this extra money from the food I'm not buying anymore. I wish I could afford to include totally personal training sessions in the mix, but as a poor student it's a bit much for me. Even so though, I've been thrilled with the results. Anyway, a good personal trainer is the best asset you could have! I totally suggest you go for and get lifting!

This sounds kind of judgy to me.... Everyone reacts differently, and different kinds of pot also have different effects. If I lived somewhere where I could go to a shop and talk to an expert who worked there, I'd be pretty confident that I could find something that I could have a hit of without getting the munchies. For me, I also find that if I don't start eating while high to begin with, the munchies aren't a real problem, and even if they are, it's not like I'm totally out of control. There were plenty of times where, for whatever reason, I chose not to eat while stoned or not to eat much. I'm still only two months post-op, so I haven't tried it yet, but I see no reason why in the future I won't still be able to smoke from time to time. Anyway, all I'm saying is, don't assume people who choose to use weed post-op are sabotaging themselves. There are plenty of reasons to use marijuana (or to choose not to), and on the long list of things we can do to set ourselves up for failure after surgery, I'd say this one is pretty low on it (for most people anyway).