KnicksFan

Piping Rock - 1 scoop weighs 28g. 25g of Protein. Not a bad little supplement. I do about a half a scoop a day except on heavy workout days when I add an extra scoop into my Protein shake.

At 7 months, I still can only eat 1/2 cup of food. About 2oz meat at a sitting. I have to eat 4-5 small meals a day. I just can't eat that much food. At 1 month it was even less.

Everyone is different. There is no way I could eat 4 oz of meat even if it took me an hour to chew it up. A few bites and I'm full. Too much more and I vomit. It's just they way it is for me.
Watch out for the carbs, they catch up around 5 months and did slow my weight loss. I have more hunger now too.
Lose it while you can. Keep in simple.

I did try a free sample of it that I received and it mixed well with my greek yogurt, so if you are just looking for a taste-free option that mixes well, it seems like a good source of at least 15 grams of Protein. In their videos they say it doesn't mix great with straight Water (didn't try it myself), but does mix well with any flavored beverage like Gatorade and with hot beverages like coffee or tea.

I use it because it's the only one I have found that has no flavor and mixes well. I am not so sure I believe it's 30 so I count it around 15 like Jamie says. I am pretty lose with my counting though. I just always make sure I have Protein with whatever I eat. 14 months out and have been using it a year. Never had any problems with my lab work. I mix it in my coffee every morning.
~LA

The only "studies" are ones they have done themselves. I have found no third party confirmation of their claims. If you want to use GENEPRO, I would advise counting it as 15 grams of Protein toward your daily total instead of the claimed 30 grams. Logically, it's not physically possible to fit 30 grams into 15 grams. Grams are a measure of mass. The claim is that their specific formula of Protein is absorbed and utilized by the body at a much higher rate than "normal" protein supplements, thus you allegedly get the BENEFIT of twice as much protein in half the mass. But again, there are no independent studies to prove their claims at this point. So you would be totally taking it on faith and running the risk of only getting half as much protein as you think you are.
That's why I recommend counting it as just the actual and real 15 grams of protein. If you are getting the "benefit" of more protein because of their special process, then great, but at least you can be sure you are still getting your minimums in by counting it as only 15 grams.

I wear squeem (waist chincher). I have Spanx but they never seem to stay in place like squeem. Also the leg ones roll up and that's just not cute.
I was able to comfortably wear my Spanx tank at 6 weeks out with no problems. Now it is by far one of the least constricting of the Spanx line, so understand it does not bind really well, just kind of "looks" smoother.
I was back to my favorite Squeem by the end of week 7. I like that more because it makes my back feel great (I have a large chest).

I wore the spandix for the first few weeks after my surgery and it worked wonders for me, but now I am happy with my new look and I don't think this would be for me but nice to know it works for others.

Whether you track or not, you should definitely get a kitchen scale. I don't track my food anymore (did back when I was dieting over the years pre-op). But I still weigh a lot of my foods daily, just to measure out servings or partial servings. This was ESPECIALLY true in my early days post-op when I wasn't supposed to eat more than 2 oz. at a time. I would weight out 2 oz. of cottage cheese or whatever. Not for tracking purposes, just to be sure I didn't eat too much at once.
Now that I'm 9 months out, I weigh food just to get correct serving sizes. Like I always pack a little Kashi Cereal or granola to add to my afternoon yogurt at work. I measure out 13 grams (1/4 serving) of that. First of all, because it's carbs and I do try to be mindful of carbs, even though I don't track them. And second of all, because loose stuff like that is hard to eyeball the right amount. I also use my food scale every single day when I add soy milk to my coffee to make sure I'm only adding 2 oz. Any more or less than that and it doesn't taste right!

At the beginning, it is very hard to learn but you will get it once you get sick. Hard lesson but we all go through it. My technique was small pieces (size of penny or smaller) and I was using a baby spoon. Then I would take a bite, but the spoon down and wait until mouth is completely empty before taking the next bite. Over time this gets easier and now I still put the spoon down between bites but I can use a normal fork or spoon and my pieces are now bigger.
Early on I learned another indicator. My left shoulder would get pain if I ate too fast or my bites were too big. Turns out this is from my hernia repair. Even now at 8 months, I still get the shoulder pain. This continues to be my gauge.
Finally - I know I am full when I start burping. They are small burps but this is how I know I am full. Be on the look out for your indicators. And TRUST ME - YOU WILL have them... just need to learn how body is behaving now.
Good luck.

I try to keep beef Jerky handy. I know it's high in sodium but it has so much Protein and I love it.
I make egg salad (which is basically lazy deviled eggs), tuna salad and buffalo dip. Buffalo dip is canned chicken with Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce, a little cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and shredded cheddar. I usually scoop it up with celery (that luckily I can tolerate). It's a little bit of heaven and worked well for me on the puree stage (without the celery).
I also like ground beef. Sometimes I use it as taco meat and mix it with lettuce and shredded cheese. Sometimes I like to add a little A1 to it and eat it plain.
I haven't tried any steak yet, I probably need to wait until my sleeve is a little more mature. LOL I am going to look for the quiches.

I'm fairly certain I got fat out of convenience. I am not lazy by any means, I am actually super busy. I have two kids who go to different schools, neither in our district so I have to drive them both and pick them both up. They both do activities after school and are on totally different schedules. I own a business that I run from my house that has me in the car most of the time and I spend a few hours of each day at my martial arts school. I'm fairly anal about keeping my house in order and I like to have dinner most nights for my family, even if we don't all get to sit down and eat together. I barely have a minute to myself but I know that my lifestyle is not at all unusual.
You'd think I'd be like my best friend, super skinny because there is no time to eat, but I was the queen of fast food. I loved Wawa because of the huge variety of chips and Snacks and convenience foods on the go and it was nothing for me to go through a drive through for myself 2-3 times a day. I didn't feed my family fast food because I know how unhealthy it is but that didn't seem to apply to me in my mind.

One of my biggest obstacles after WLS was the lack of convenience foods for quick grab and go. I need a lot LESS food at a sitting, but I need quality food now or I feel miserable. After 19 months, I have finally found some staples that I can keep in my fridge for convenience and now that it's cold out, my cooler keeps my snacks fresh all day. My capacity is VERY small, so I do eat 5-6 mini meals a day which is a bigger challenge and I really prefer real foods over Protein Drinks and bars as does my NUT. When I want to eat, I want REAL food, not snacks.
Suggestions to make your busy life easier and healthier. I would love you to add yours, too. As you will see, I do high Protein, low carb and I don't give a flying fart about fat. High fat is OK in my book. These are the foods I keep in my fridge, prepped and ready for a quick, I'm starving "meal/snack".

cheese. Full fat, yummy delicious REAL cheese. Cubed up off a block.

Shrimp. Steamed or in a shrimp salad (aka mayo and spices).
London Broil. I marinate and grill a London Broil every other week or so. I slice it thin, serve it for dinner and then snack on the leftovers for the rest of the week. Happy girl with my read meat.< /p>
Deviled eggs. Yum! Not just for Easter anymore.

Browned ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. I keep a bowl of it cooked and ready. I add mozzarella or cheddar to a quarter cup or so, pop in the microwave, heat and eat.
Refried Beans. Add cheese or the browned meat above and YUM!

Good quality hot dogs. I know, yuck, right? But roll one up in a paper towel, nuke it for 45 seconds and it's all meat, no carbs and delish. I do all beef and light. They don't go bad so a pack of six will stay in my fridge for three weeks or so safely.

Ham Slice. I grill and cub one of those Smithfield ham slices that's about 1/2 inch thick. The kids and husband will throw it on salad, in a tortilla or eat in an omelette and I just eat out of the container.
I'm not a fan of chicken, it sticks terribly, but my kids love rotisserie chicken so I cube up the leftovers into a curry chicken salad that's almost always ready. I can manage anything with mayo. REAL MAYO.
Bacon. I cook a pound and keep it in the fridge. It goes just like the ham.

Frozen mini quiche. At Target and Sam's they even have crustless quiche. YUM!

What are your convenience REAL foods?

Looking back, I don't think my nutritionists (NUT) added all that much to my journey. Both of them offered very basic information that I learned in high school back in the dark ages and already knew from a lifetime of dieting.
I don't especially regret the 3-4 hours I've spent with them over the last year, but wish they'd offered more.
Plus, I see threads here from time to time that make me think some NUTs don't understand much about bariatric surgery or the differences in nutritional requirements for bypass patients and sleeved patients.
Your thoughts?

Hello fellow sleeves
This is my road that I traveled, my trip started in 2013. My sugar went out of control, my BP was uncontrolled on 5 medication. My port on my lapband was starting to bother me( yes lapband that I was never able to use due to the fact that it rubbed my outer stomach raw. I had come to the end of my road. Started on my trip I did all of required testing, than the insurance denied me for surgery. My doctor was very upset due to the fact that I was really hitting rock bottom. He called and spoke with the insurance and they approved my surgery. My date was schedule for August 20,2013. I was so excited. I was schedule for 3 pm my surgery went well and I was in my room by 8 pm after the recovery room. I was walking that night due to anesthesia rolling in my back. The surgery consisted of removing the lap band and port and having a sleeve done. First week home I rested. I was unable to keep down food with artificial sugar. So Protein in my diet came from meat and food. My first trip to the ER was 3 months later due to dehydration, than I had 2 more trips between November and March. I was still struggling with artificial sugar. In May my gall bladder had to come out. This was about the time I started feeling good. A set back not to bad. On my 2 week check up I had another gall bladder attack. Come to find out there was stones that was left and had to be removed. I was still not able to slow down. But after the last gall bladder attack I was willing to stop and sit. So I was finally on my way to recovery. I went from 285lbs pre surgery to my current weight of 135lbs. I wanted to stay at 160lbs but my body new best. So after my gall bladder was removed and the stones removed I was at 135lbs and over a year since that I am still at 135lbs. My health is great. My sugar is gone , my BP is under controlled with no meds. My eating is healthy and I am not eating to feel full. I am eating to be healthy. I am at 21/2 years out and I am loving the new me

I am 5-5 went from size 18w or 20 down to size 4/6 or small. I have been at 135 for the last year and a half. And I would do it all over again

Sorry about the multiple

Different techniques work for different people! Personally, I eat pizza, bread, etc, drink beer occasionally and GASP... enjoy desert! I've been in goal range (size 4) for well over a year. I lost during my first year eating pretty much what I like in small quantities, Protein first. They key is you have to change your behavior enough to have a lasting impact. My old behavior was to knock out half a pizza and a bottle of wine and finish the pizza for my next meal. Today its 1 piece of pizza and a glass of wine and it takes me a loooong time to get it all down! I typically won't repeat that meal anytime soon after. Sometimes I still make a mistake that makes me sick. I use those times as educational experiences and times to re-focus on control. That's kind of what I paid for when I let them cut out 90% of my stomach, eh? I exercise regularly now and miss it if I can't for a while. (Who knew?) If my weight creeps up, (its never gone more than 5 pounds out of range) I make adjustments until it comes back down. I didn't go thru all of this to be on a diet 24x7 and have guilt all the time. For the first time in my life, I feel like I actually have control and a fighting chance at maintaining my health. Not perfect, but it's a GOOD life I enjoy now!

Your eating 1200 calories a day at 2 months post-op? Is the calorie goal from your surgeon/nutritionist?
That seems really high to me-- I am a bypass patient, but at almost 3 months out I can only get in 500-600 calories a day. (65-80g protein)
My sister is a sleeve patient she is 8 months post and she eats 900 calories a day.

Yes I think that doctors need to say something about the possibility of having to have your gall bladder removed. My surgeon never mentioned this and it would have been something that I would have liked to have known.
I am 6 months out from surgery. So it must be around the 5-9 month mark where this happens.

I think there are hormones at play here also. The body has shoved some "junk" into our fat cells for long term storage. Now that we are burning through the reserves, the stuff is coming g out. I was overly tearful over happy and sad stuff the last few days. I'm tense and jelly in waves. Things that I would let slide before, seem more in need of a response now. I know how you feel.

There is no reason to tell some dude you are banging for the winter your life story when you are going to ditch him as soon as the weather changes.
I doubt he is passing his credit report and recommendations from former lovers across the table.
If you aren't in a serious relationship there is no reason to disclose.
People lose weight naturally all the time, the majority of normal people don't assume you are losing because of surgery especially when you work out and eat properly.

People who lose fast, like some of you folks are losing, usually are heavyweights to begin with, men (with more muscle tissue), and younger people (who may be more active and have a higher metabolism).
I certainly didn't lose fast. I just ran all my monthly weight loss numbers, and they look like this:
Pre-op loss:
In 2.5 months - lost 20 pounds
Post-op losses:
Months 1-4 - averaged 10.5 pounds/month
Months 5-8 - averaged 5.6 pounds/month
Months 9-12 - averaged 2.2 pounds/month
Months 13-16 - averaged 1.5 pounds/month

Definitely look at your Protein and carbs. My doctor told me at my 9 month check up to be careful because this is when the carbs start sneaking their way back into the diet. I looked at my intake and it was happening and my weight loss was very slow at the time. I made adjustments and refocused on Protein and I'm having one of the best months in regards to weight loss. It's not too late to turn this around.

You need some psychological healthcare. Simply sounds to me like you weren't ready for this and jumped into it way too fast. Too many people don't really think about the consequences of what this surgery means. See a counselor or psychiatrist. You have made some HUGE misstatements. You say you can never eat a healthy portion? and you've done so well, knowing what a healthy portion is, in the past? Healthy is a lot smaller than you think it is, otherwise you would not have been obese to begin with. This surgery takes the fun out of food, with good reason.
food is what you live ON , not what you live FOR.
This may sound like I am uncaring but I care a lot more than many might think. This surgery saved my life, no even more than that, it has given me a life to spend with my wife and friends.
A whole new world has opened before me, and it can for you too.
That life does not include being addicted to, and to run my life around, food.
Think about it, and go talk to someone.

You cannot look at daily fluctuations as a true indication of what is actually happening with your body. You could be retaining fluids, you could be about to start your period, you could simply need to take a big old poo.
I'd suggest you stay off the scale and only weigh once a month or so and track that to keep yourself from focusing on little fluctuations that are out of your control.

This was an issue for me until a very wise trainer told me to either drink a Protein shake or eat 1/2 cup of oatmeal 1 hour before my workout. What's happening is that your body is using every ounce of energy and leaves you starving at the end of your workout. Now, without the starvation feeling I can concentrate on restriction and feeling full. My workout time is after work and with the added nutrition has made a huge difference for me. Hope this helps. jake