MrsSugarbabe

I registered to receive my copy of the Fresh Start Bariatric Cookbook, but when I received the email and click the link for the download, The Best Bodybuilding Cookbook downloaded instead. I'm waiting to hear back from the publisher as to why this happened. There should still be some good recipes in it and let's face it, we are in the bodybuilding business as we adjust to a new live with our sleeves.

I was sleeved in August 2015. My weight the day of surgery was 349 and I currently weight 217 I'm 5'9. My goal weight is 165/170 depending on my clothing size. I always wanted to be a medium sized women's 10/12 and I'm a 16 now. I fell off the program a little bit and carbs have slowed my weightloss. I'm getting back on track with clean eating meal prepping and exercising moderately for 6 days a week with HITT cardio and strength training. I have 50 pounds to lose before I get to goal. Let's do this together and hold each other accountable.

It sounds like you are committed to getting back on track. Take time to reflect on the things you can improve. you probably already know what you've done "wrong" but you need to work out how you are going to fix them moving forward. A lot of people have some success resetting themselves with the 5 Day Pouch Test. I haven't done it, but it seems to help people get back to basics and refocus.
The good news is, your sleeve is still there! It's ready for you to start wielding as the tool it was meant to be once again!

And I guess the two replies really do point to the fact that the BEST advice will come from your medical/surgical team...
As @@Dub stated, he wasn't allowed milk on his 14 day pre-op plan...
My pre-op was 4 weeks and milk was allowed...
So you will get conflicting replies...
Best to take the advice of your team, because they know YOUR specific situation...
Good luck to you!!!

That's precisely why the doctor has returned...
He feels that some lightening up should take place..
And let's face it - the doctor is the man to facilitate such lightening...
So bring your questions common-folk...
No problem too big...
None too small...
Remember - the doctor knows stuff!!!**
**The doctor really knows nothing.
He's pretty much full of sh*t..
But you all know that...

Welcome back. A little excitement was happening on BP these last few days, but nothing that "the doctor" can't fix.

I registered to receive my copy of the Fresh Start Bariatric Cookbook, but when I received the email and click the link for the download, The Best Bodybuilding Cookbook downloaded instead. I'm waiting to hear back from the publisher as to why this happened. There should still be some good recipes in it and let's face it, we are in the bodybuilding business as we adjust to a new live with our sleeves.

@@Walter.Sobchak
I concur with everything everyone has already said, esp. @ShelterDog64.
Like others have said, the person I see in the mirror isn't the same person I see in photos. Those pictures are a rude awakening.
Your health is more important than anything. There's no time like the present to make the lifestyle changes necessary toward being healthier. I had to have the surgery for health reasons, also. Much has improved since that day, but I have to be vigilant and disciplined and stay the course or I will lose ground. The struggle is real.
Wishing the very best to you as you travel along this road.....nothing but success!
I read this article earlier today. It's something to ponder on; I know I will be.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/articles.html/_/support/weight-loss-surgery-is-not-the-solution-r651

@@fatontheinside - Thanks for the info on the Fitbit Flex! My little tracker clips to my shoe which is one thing I love about it. I don't want to have to wear something on my wrist. I'll check it out.

THIS!!

@@MrsSugarbabe I just have the fit bit flex. The reason that I like it is because its like a little piece of plastic that you can put in an armband. I actually take that thing (the tracker) and put it in my sock so it is on my foot. The reason I do this is because my dad has the fitbit charge and he HAS to wear it on his wrist. He gets like 20k steps a day but its because he's moving his ARMS and not his legs/body. I find that mine, in my shoe, is FAR more accurate.
I sync it daily with my Iphone so it keeps track of my sleep, calories, Water intake, etc. You can do challenges with friends too. I love it!!!

Which Fitbit do you have @@fatontheinside? There are so many to choose from. I don't think I need all the bells and whistles. I'd prefer one that automatically syncs with my SparkPeople page while on my PC at home since I tend not to us apps on my cellphone. I'm open to suggestions.......

I have the Fitbit blaze, tracks food and fluids,exercise, has silent alarms to remind you to eat and drink and move, how much sleep you are getting, makes this process much easier
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

What I'm about to say flies is not always well received, so I will issue the standard disclaimer of this is my opinion, and is what has worked for me (whew....):
A lot of time we want to simplify "carbs" much like "fat", but not all carbs are equal. On one had, I am almost zealot like in avoiding "carbs" - I do not eat any sugar, Pasta, rice, bread, etc. etc. In fact, the only grain I eat at all is a cup of steel cut oatmeal maybe a couple of times a week.
That being said, I eat a TON of carbs. I eat lots and lots of vegetable, fruit, Beans, lentils, etc. These all can be very high in carbs (they are universally high in carbs with the exception of some vegetables).
A lot of this has to do with the way that the body processes carbs. When you eat a highly processed carb source (pasta, white bread, etc) your body essentially treats it just like you are eating sugar. It dumps insulin causing sugar spikes (and crashes) and quickly stores the excess as fat. I consider both of these results to be very undesirable!! However, when you are eating more natural, unrefined carbs, your body does not react that way. Because these foods come with bound with lots of natural Fiber, it slows the intake of the carbs/sugars, trickling out insulin and avoiding the blood sugar spikes/crashes.
I regularly consume 150-200 grams of carbs a day on a 1200-1600 calorie diet (now that I am trying to figure out how this whole maintenance thing works!). This has worked very well for me. Even at lower calories along the way, I consumed large amounts of natural, unrefined carbs.
As he was mentioned above, I should note that I'm a patient of Dr. Weiner's, and this is very much aligned with his plan. I am a huge fan of Dr. Weiner's, and love his recommended diet. Lots and lots of delicious food, and I've had fantastic results.
Welcome back @@KindaFamiliar!

I belong to a Facebook group run by a sleever who is a nutritional counselor. She recommends a balanced macro plan for losing weight.
She suggests: 35% carbs, 25% fat and 40% Protein (just set up your macros that way in my fitnesspal). if you want to go deeper and look at sugar and Fiber the two should cancel each other out ideally. This is total carbs, not net.
My own dietician says less than 100 grams of carbs is extreme low carb and wants me to up mine. I'm comfortable in the 30-35% range (which usually puts me around 70-75 grams. As I continue to be able to eat more I'll get more complex carbs in (probably mostly from vegetables, maybe fruit) so I will be in the 100 gram range, but still in the macro range she suggests. I have noticed that my memory and frankly, thinking has improved since upping my carbs to the 30-35% range. the facebook group is called recipes for weight loss success...of course it is a great source of bari friendly recipes. she's also doing a month of Keto recipes for those who follow keto.
I was worried I'd gain or stall when i added back in more carbs (in the form of berries and oats) and I was wrong, did not stall or even slow down.
Dr. Matthew Weiner has good youtube videos on post surgery diets and has also written a book. He is a big fan of vegetables and talks about the impact food has on resetting your internal thermostat (metabolism) and how some foods raise it and some lower it. He is a fan of legumes and vegetables as a primary dietary source, suggests limiting grains and dairy and some other of my faves (lol). but it all makes sense. I have greatly cut down on cheese since following the macro plan because it drives my fat macros up pretty quickly. other than 1/4 cup of oats with 1tbs chia seeds in the morning I have no grains in my diet.

Oh, and I forgot to state for the newbies; I am coming up on my 2 years in February. Down 130 lbs to 198 lbs until I started lifting weights. Now maintaining and struggling to gain any weight past 215.

Nice to have you back @KindaFamiliar. 12 grams of carbs is insane! You must feel pretty damned lethargic without something in the tank to burn. Carbs are nothing to be afraid of when they are eaten properly. Oats, bran, shredded wheat, sweet potato, fresh fruits; all of these are OK'ed by my surgeon. The key is to only eat the daily recommended amount. Which incidentally is usually about the same as your Protein intake.
My intake over the last week has been 100 - 200 grams per day. My Protein intake is about the same as well. Of course I am also very active in the weight room and I need those carbs to give me enough energy to finish the workout. If you are trying to lose weight still, low carb is fine. Dangerously low carb is impossible to keep up long term though.
Are you working out at all? Reason I ask is because I have to really try hard to gain weight at this point. Let me rephrase that, I am finding it difficult to find HEALTHY nutrient & caloric rich foods to help me gain muscle mass. If you are hitting it hard at the gym and keeping your intake the same, those last few pounds/kilos will start coming off again.

I am over a year out and in maintenance. I do about 100g of Protein a day. While I was losing I kept my carbs under 50g now I keep them under 100g, anywhere from 50 to 80 usually . I've added healthy carbs in only, fruit , veggies , and Peanut Butter.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Just a couple of points you've raised @@skinnyjeansatlast
Firstly, there are carbs in cauliflower
A quick Google search tells me that there's 5g of carbs per 100g in there..
There's also 7g/100g in broccoli and 9g/100g in brussel sprouts..
Yep, they're all less than mashed potato but they're by no means carb-free options.
Secondly, you say "what do we need carbs for, really"...
In short, the answer is 'fuel'..
Yes, there's much more to it than that, but again, a quick Google search of "do we need carbs' will answer that question much more effectively than I can..
Next, I don't believe carbs are "a slippery slope back to" anything.
Poor choices and lack of will-power are much more 'slippery'...
Remember, there are good carbs too...
And they're nothing to be afraid of...
Lastly, you're right, there are many "truly yummy things" that can be eaten...
But carbs is what I'm asking about at this point..
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
I genuinely appreciate the effort.
And congrats on being only 10-15 pounds from goal after just 5 months...
You must be well pleased..
Thanx again...
Jason

Ok, a little about me and my situation -
Nearly 2 years post-op
Lost around 120kg (264 pounds) so far
Well pleased with the result
No complaints at all
HOWEVER...
I still have another 30kg (66 pounds) or so until I'm "happy"
I've had stalls and fluctuations just like everyone else.
I keep my Protein up MOST of the time
I'm just getting back into exercise/gym after a break over Christmas (ok, ok - November and December)
What I want to know is this -
Simply put, what is YOUR carb intake like?
How many grams per day?
What about your protein/fat/carb percentages?
You see, I've been trying to keep my carb count as LOW as possible
This has meant that, on occasion, I've been consuming as little as 12 grams of carbs per day
It's only recently that I discovered how low that actually is
Obviously, I'm hoping to get info from some folk who are at a similar stage as myself, but I'll take whatever info I can get and will just discard what I don't need.
I know this is not an exact science...
That's why I'm hoping to hear ideas from a few different angles
And don't forget - play nice...
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion; no matter how wrong they may be
Thanx for your anticipated assistance...
Jason

If you're not tracking what you eat, you really don't know how you are eating. I'm highly conscious of what I eat, have a great deal of knowledge about how many calories/macros a certain food has, but I still would be way off of my goals if I didn't log every bite. I weigh and measure everything. It's a pain but nobody said it was easy. In fact, all info is to the contrary. Surgery is merely a tool, without serious eating modifications and hard work it ain't gonna happen.
You can't compare yourself to others. Some people can lose weight without logging, exercising and breaking the rules. It's pretty obvious to me that I can't. But that's okay. Following a "diet" is the least of my problems. When I'm feeling sorry for myself, I think about a friend who has diabetes. Or another friend who has to have a colostomy bag. That really puts my poor pitiful me feelings into perspective.

Start tracking your calories in myfitnesspal.com. Chances are, if you're not losing it's because your calories are too high.
Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App

have you done any exercise? maybe some spurts of exercise will get you going. not necessarily a whole 30 minutes but ive seen and used some pretty good 10 min videos

Thank you all for the encouraging words. I am feeling better about taking the steps to see if I can qualify for the sleeve.
Cosmetic reasons aside, I need to get weight off for health reasons.
Surprisingly I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic but if I don't make changes I could end up being diabetic.
I do have several other health issues that need to be addressed though.

Photos of myself pre-surgery reduce me to tears every time. Even when I see them now. Breaks my heart. Keeps me in check, now.
Let us know how it goes with the surgeon!