Daisee68

@@cseidman - Congrats! I love cooking now! I never did it before. Cooking for one can get very boring but now I really enjoy researching and then making healthy recipes. Enjoy your new "diet for life"! Oh and just a little tip - early on, sometimes I could eat a food one day and do fine and the next day it didn't go well. Never made sense. (I don't have that issue at 1 year post-op). So if you find something doesn't sit well, just put it on the back burner (so to speak) and try again in a few weeks. If it doesn't work once, it doesn't necessarily mean it is off the table forever. Lastly, my very first recipe was Ricotta Bake - http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html Shelly's Ricotta Bake 8 oz of Ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 large Egg, beaten 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish. Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly. I usually made it first in the oven and heated the leftovers in the microwave.

It takes a while. Take it easy when you do go back. I experienced weakness and dizziness for quite a while even just when walking. I just wasn't getting enough calories or carbs to have enough energy.

Make sure to keep track of measurements! That was a huge motivator for me especially when in a stall. AND though I wouldn't be comfortable posting them myself (I'm old school), I wish I had taken more pictures along the way (the same day I took measurements which was generally every 3 to 4 weeks).

@@audaciousmarie - Completely agree. I couldn't decide if I was more angry at her or sad for her. She is definitely in a state of denial about her life and the choices she is making. Can't say I would watch this again. I found her "excuses" to be very frustrating. Having said that, maybe because it is all a little too close to home and reminds me of me a little over a year ago. Wonder what she thinks if she ever watched these shows back. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

I may have turn it off. Very uncomfortable to watch...

Congrats!! You will be at goal before you know it!

@Inner_Surfer_Girl - are you watching this? I just turned it on and they are talking about doing an intervention with Whitney. That will NOT go over well and I gotta say it wouldn't have gone over if someone had done it to me either. So sad!

I was 47 when I had surgery and diabetic. I stayed only 1 night after bypass.

@@taracutch - You are SO right! I am 1 year post-op and less than 2 months ago, my NUT said to me that a "serving" of meat should be 3 to 4 oz. I was FLOORED! Seriously, I thought I was supposed to be working towards higher amounts! I since have limited each meal to 3 oz of meat and Snacks to less than that and it was eye-opening. I realize now that pre-op I easily at a 10 oz steak. I mean even the "petite" portions of filet mignon at a fancy steak restaurants are sold as 6 oz and I was always so sad to only get 6 oz but felt if I ordered the larger portion, I would look like a pig! Now, I realize I am only supposed to eat half of that?! Learn something new every day... @VSGAnn gave some great responses re true portion size.

Are you still in touch with or can you maybe contact your NUT? I am just starting maintenance and my NUT tells me I should stay around 1200 calories per day for the rest of my life (which seems a little low given my frame and the fact that I am 5'10") but I am trying it her way for now and see how it goes. Others on here maintain at 1500 calories per day or maybe slightly more. I sort of think it will vary per person. Are you maintaining or are you trying to lose? Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

No but what a great idea!! Have you seen the charts that help you compare parts of your hand to ounces? For example, end of your thumb is a teaspoon. Your whole thumb a tablespoon. Palm is 3 oz of meat, etc.? Far from perfect but it does help a little visually when you cannot actually measure.

@@WitchySar - Even after post-op I questioned myself as to why I couldn't have done it without the surgery! But it was too late. I am going to disagree with some of the other posters and say again, the tool somehow, someway managed to strengthen my willpower. It was NOT something I had under control prior to surgery. When I went to my "class" that I had to attend prior to surgery, I talked to the RN there and she said something that stuck with me in helping me make my decision. It was "Just do it and get it done. Get the weight off and then use the habits you built in that time to maintain." Let's face it, I have lost weight a ton of times (as many of us had) but I had never gotten to the point of "goal". It just took too darn long and I would give up. With WLS, I wasn't really able to give up. I had restriction that stopped me and the brain changes came. I think you are on the right path and asking all the right questions. You sound like you are like me in that you have to process something over and over and ask a lot of questions to get your mind set and then once your mind is set, you are off to the races! Don't be afraid to ask these questions and don't be afraid to still be questioning your decision. You will know when the time is right. I remember setting up my appts for pre-op stuff (EGD, sleep study, etc.) and saying "even if I don't go through with WLS, these are things that need to be done" Before I knew it, I was headed in to surgery. And the first month or so is TOUGH. Not gonna lie. But man this year has flown by and I cannot believe I am sitting here at 170 pounds! Seriously never ever thought it would happed but like my dad always told me "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." (Probably not the right metaphor here but hopefully you see what I am getting at....)

Ok first - my mouth is watering now. There should be some sort of warning when you and @@Dub are going to post pictures like that! Holy cow! I have been CRAVING brisket! Having said that, I too eat bacon and cream cheese. (Now I eat the lower fat version of cream cheese but not everyone does that.) I made some stuffed jalapenos (not nearly as appetizing as yours though) that had a mix of reduced fat blue cheese and 1/3 fat cream cheese and a little Franks red hot. Yummy! (If you can't handle super spicy post-op, you might try those mini bell peppers which don't have the heat. I also use the same mixture in baby bella mushrooms.) As @@Christinamo7, as long as you are eating smaller portions, some of these higher fat choices are not that bad as your intake is pretty limited. Just make sure to concentrate on the Protein. Smoked turkey and smoked chicken are GREAT options.

@@WitchySar - One more thing - and a lot of people don't like to hear this - but honestly, therapy has been a stronger tool than my pouch (I had RNY). I had tried to do that before and never found the right therapist or would give up and stop going when it got hard. I credit the work I have done there to getting to goal so fast. I still go twice a month. I know not everyone can afford it. I get that. But if there is ANY way you can participate in therapy, I strongly suggest it.

Thanks @@ridgerunner - The cucumbers somehow helped me with the "crunch" even though they aren't really crunchy? Seriously, I remember asking my NUT "When can I have cucumbers?!" I saw it on a post somewhere of how someone used cucumbers instead of crackers (i.e. with cheese on them or with tuna on them, etc) and I just couldn't get them off my mind! I think I was probably 3 months out when I started eating them and I kid you not, I eat them NEARLY every day! Very strange.... Oh and raw onions. LOVE the crunch I get from that too. (Weird I know.) And just to be clear, I have had my share of chips and cheez-its and it is only in the last few weeks that I have started to understand and be able to deal better with my "addiction" to them. I was in therapy today, and even the therapist commented that even though my addict voice is still there, it seems to be getting a little weaker than my "healthy choices" voice. It is all a process....

Ok, I didn't read all the posts but I do agree with @LipstickLady. For me, it was sort of a reset button. You will hear over and over that surgery is on your stomach not your brain but I was SO determined to make it work this time especially after all I went through to get the surgery (and a complication afterwards) that the "willpower" became easier than it was pre-op. And all the new habits (weighing and measuring food, tracking intake, exercise, fluids, Vitamins, etc.) you put in to practice really help limit those "choices". Have I made some bad choices post-op? Yep but they are much fewer and further between and mostly thanks to my therapist who helped me realize and work through some tools to make better choices and "crave" a healthier lifestyle. PLUS once you start losing, it is so motivating to keep going and making good choices. So I am not sure I explained myself very well. I have tried to explain this to many people and I can never quite get there. Yes, the surgery is a tool and it is on your stomach not your brain, but somehow, if you put in the effort, the brain joins in the process...

@@Teresa in Texas - I have always been instructed to use Calcium Citrate not Calcium Carbonate due to the way it absorbs post-op.

I incorporated veggies as soon as I could and tried to concentrate on some good carbs like Beans (which also have protein). My plan was to continue to drink 1 Premier Protein shake per day to make sure I was meeting my protein goals while still allowing me to get meals with some protein and some carbs. For example, I would have 2 oz of deli turkey or 2 oz of tuna along with cucumber slices and a small piece of cheese. I eat a lot of berries (every day at breakfast). I never liked Pasta or rice to begin with so it wasn't hard for me to avoid those. I struggled with staying out of chips and crackers. I just preferred getting more "balance" and the Protein Shake per day allowed that. I lost 120 pounds from surgery date to my 1 year post-op (150 pounds total with 30 of those before surgery) and am at goal and in fact still losing and trying to figure out how to make the loss stop!

https://www.amazon.com/BariMelts-Calcium-Citrate-Bariatric-Vitamins/dp/B00OKNCI0S/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1465955372&sr=8-4&keywords=barimelt $16.95 for a month supply - 4 tablets a day (2 at a time is acceptable so only twice a day)

I don't follow a keto diet but I have a cousin (non-WLS) who is doing so. 30g of fat is definitely not Keto. Her fat intake is the highest (more like 60-70% of her diet I think). Her Protein is "moderate" and her carbs are less than 30g daily. I don't know her total calorie count but it is more than we take in. My point just being that if you are wanting to do keto, your fat is too low. For what it's worth, at 1 year post-op, I am about 1200 calories with 115g protein / 45-50g fat / 80-85g carbs. Some here are able to do higher carbs once in maintenance. My NUT says my carbs and protein should be equal (but I have never really followed that).

Do you hate the chewables? There is a brand BariMelt that is quite good tasting (like sweet tarts sort of - not as good of course). It is sold on Amazon or even on the Bariatric Pal store (though they are out sometimes).

Have you tried any other foods? Salads can be tough to digest and fill you up without giving any Protein. You need to concentrate on protein first. Some suggestions would be thinly sliced turkey deli meat, tuna salad , chicken salad, soft cheeses, baked fish, etc. At 7 weeks you should be able to tolerate these type of foods. If not, you might want to visit with your surgical team. Give us some ideas of what you have tried and what has or has not worked and maybe we can give you some more suggestions. Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

Thanks guys! Sent from my HTC One M9 using the BariatricPal App

I LOVE and have cooked for my dad before - Peppercorn Pre-Seasoned Pork Tenderloin. He is a meat and potato guy though so I will probably make some sort of potato (that I will likely avoid) and then a salad. . (My recent favorite is tomato, cucumber, green olive and goat cheese but he won't eat that either....) I think for another side I will make cheese stuffed jalapenos (reduced fat blue cheese and 1/3 fat cream cheese makes a great filling which I also love in roasted mushrooms!)

BTW, maybe one of our nurses will weigh in, but I think you aren't supposed to have anything red (or blue I think) the day before.... I drank Isopure Coconut Protein Water (was not very good admittedly but it didn't have red or blue in it which I was instructed to avoid) and had a LOT of chicken broth and just a lot of water and tea (unsweet).