lauraellen80

I'm interested in hearing how people do this, as well. I had my 3-month follow up appointment recently, and the PA said this is the time they want to see their patients phasing out the Protein shakes. But I can't really figure out how to do it without going over calories and fat (700-800 calories at this point per my surgeon's guidelines; for fat, 20-30 grams). My Protein Shakes (Syntrax nectar made with 1 cup of Fairlife skim milk) have 36 grams of protein, 180 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 6 grams of carbs. My protein goal is 100 grams a day, but I almost never make it... usually it's in the low 80s.

There are some people who have trouble with the Protein shakes giving them diarrhea, but it seems like more people have the opposite problem, myself included. The anesthesia and opiate pain meds you get in the hospital tend to cause constipation, and then I found that for the first couple months after surgery, I wasn't consuming enough Fiber to keep regular. Now I eat half an apple or a couple of prunes each day, and get fiber through oatmeal and Beans, but there for awhile, it was quite unpleasant.

I typed up a list of questions in a Google doc and kept adding to it whenever I thought of something else I wanted to know, then printed it out and took it with me to my appointment. I also made a binder to organize all my pre-op info, post-op instructions, insurance stuff, etc. and brought it with me. I am now known as "the girl with the binder" in my surgeon's practice, but they also say they wish more of their patients were as informed and prepared as I am.

I've found the Explore Asian brand at Wegman's and Giant grocery stores, in the organic/gluten-free sections. The Modern Table brand I found at Wegman's and also at Target.

You look great! My husband is sleeping better now, too, since I've stopped snoring. What I've learned so far in this process is that there is no such thing as "typical" in WLS... everyone's experience varies so much, you really can't compare yourself to others. Like @@DisneyDreaming, I use MyFitnessPal to keep track of everything I eat and drink. I also have my husband take photos of my progress each month (no glamour shots, just front, side, and back mug-shot pics, always wearing a black tank top and bike shorts) and write down my measurements each month also.

My surgery was on 6/15, so I'm nearly 4 months out. I thought for sure that I'd be a slow loser (having a "lower" BMI to start with), but so far I've lost 80% of my excess weight. I'm doing water aerobics/toning classes 2-3 days a week, and walking my dogs or gardening a couple days a week. I'll probably have to start kicking up the exercise for these last 20 pounds.

I've had the Explore Asian soybean spaghetti, and Modern Table's lentil rotini. I liked them both and plan to have them again and try the other flavors. They fit into my protein/carb/calorie limits. I've seen a lot of people say that they don't crave Pasta ever again after surgery, but for me, that has not been the case... so I feel like these are reasonable alternatives. I do not like zucchini, and the thought of zucchini noodles makes me queasy.

I've been buying my tubs of Syntrax Nectar on Amazon. I had just ordered one of chocolate a couple weeks ago, no problem. I went to order a tub of vanilla today, and when I tried to check out, I got a message that the order can't be shipped to my address. What? Has anyone else encountered this?

Wow... we are about the same amount of time out from surgery, close to the same number of pounds down... but you sound much more relaxed than I am! I'm very Type-A, and I log every single thing that goes into my mouth and have done so since a couple months before surgery. I would be completely terrified to not keep track. I try to be super-careful to keep my calories under 800--on the 3 or 4 occasions where things got away from me and I forgot to log a packet of Splenda or a couple tablespoons of milk in my coffee and I went over by a few calories, I spent the next few days worried that I was on my way to screwing it all up. Wish I could have your attitude! I don't know that I'll ever feel like a "normal" person, I may always feel like a fat girl trying to "pass."

I'm over 3.5 months post-op and have one in the evening every day (been making them hot-chocolate style lately with the cooler weather). I also add 1/2 a scoop of protein powder to my oatmeal at breakfast every morning.

Most people will say "none" because it doesn't have enough protein and has too many carbs. However, I choose to eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning to ward off constipation. I use Quaker Lower Sugar packets, made with Fairlife skim milk. I have 1/2 a packet with 1/2 a scoop of vanilla protein powder stirred in.

I am trying to buy the 2-pound tub, though.

Nope, same supplier!

I'm 3.5 months post-op, and I have found the following most helpful: digital food scale--I use this more than anything else set of measuring cups and spoons Laptop Lunch bento box, which I take to work every day I use my salad-size plates for meals small Pyrex lidded containers 1/2-cup Ziploc plastic containers (especially in the first month or so) snack-size plastic baggies child/toddler size utensils (I bought a set on Amazon that look like "real" silverware--they're marketed to people raising their kids with Waldorf methods)

I had a lot of trouble with constipation early on, but it's improved incredibly since I started eating either a couple of prunes or half an apple (with skin) every day. I used Smooth Tea for awhile, but I found that the results were... unpredictable.

I'm a little over 3 months post-op, and here's what I tend to keep around... Pantry: Refried Beans (both pinto and black bean) Lentil & black bean soups Bean Pasta (I recently tried the Explore Asian brand and liked it. I have a Modern Table lentil mac-and-cheese kit that I'm looking forward to trying) oatmeal (Quaker lower sugar packets) Prunes Canned low-sodium green beans Jarred marinara sauce (I found that the Giant store brand has less sugar than others--unless you go for one of the expensive $9/jar kinds) No sugar added peaches, pears, applesauce Mixed nuts (pistachios, cashews, and almonds) Parmesan cheese crisps Quest or Pure Protein bars (for when I'm on the go and am not sure when/where I'll be able to eat) Premier or Pure Protein ready-to-drink shakes (for when I'm on the go and for in my coffee) Syntrax nectar and unjury protein powders Torani sugar-free syrups Mio Water enhancers Apples Justin's almond butter single-serve packets (I eat 1/2 an apple with half a packet for a snack) Olive, canola, and sesame oils Various vinegars All sorts of spices and herbs Fridge/Freezer: Turkey pepperoni Deli ham, turkey, chicken Light Babybel cheese, light string cheese, Laughing Cow cheese Full-fat cheeses like Parmesan, cheddar, etc. (I eat a lot of cheese...) Baby dill pickles Greek olives Salsa 100-calorie Wholly Guacamole packs (I eat half of one at a time) Morningstar Farms veggie and bean burgers (I like to heat one up and spread with a Laughing Cow wedge for a quick dinner) Frozen chicken breasts

I've bagged up all the clothes that don't fit me anymore to this point, but I'm terrified to actually get rid of them. I've gotten rid of my "fat clothes" so many times, only to end up fat again but now with nothing to wear. Part of me feels like I'll jinx myself if I toss them, like I'm getting too cocky!

I actually seem to have a greater tolerance for spicy food now than I did before surgery for some reason. I got a spicy tofu dish at a Chinese restaurant awhile back (I think I was about 6 weeks out from surgery), and when my husband tried a bite, he couldn't believe I was able to eat it... but it didn't seem that spicy to me!

Thanks!

They are in the non-refrigerated area with the boxed gelatin and pudding mixes.

Hunt's sugar-free Snack Packs do not have aspartame.