heidikat72

there are several great cookbooks and blogs. On the blog end, I really like bariatric foodie and the world according to eggface. Eggface periodically does posts titles "a day in my pouch" - she had RNY over 10 years ago. In those posts she lays out everything she ate that day and includes recipes.
I also plan my week's meals ahead of time - usually saturday evening, then shop sunday morning and meal prep sunday afternoon. I log everything into my fitness pal ahead of time - that way if i need to make adjustments to get my carb level down or Protein level up on a given day I can adjust before the actual day. Then I stick to that plan. It helps deter me from making mindless choices during a day. I already know what I can have that day and if on the day, I want something additional - I already know where I am macro-wise and whether I can fit it in my plan.
I would also suggest some counseling - quite a few of us need it - to get at the root of why you struggle with the freedom and to help you figure out good coping mechanisms for you on getting past the carb addiction. It really helps.

Everyone heals at different paces and have different feels of restriction. It doesn't matter if you are eating more than your friends, it only matters if you are eating more than your surgeons plan. Talk with him or her about it as they can best provide feedback for your expectations.

@@Tootsietoes So, if you're 600 lbs, there IS a one-size-fits-all solution, but not if you're 300 lbs. Got it.
And if I'm not mistaken, you just produced a gorgeous example of the straw man fallacy. Congratulations, you managed to both create a fallacious argument AND oppose it all in one comment! Bravo!
@@Hammer_Down ...I got it right, no?

Dunno. I've been pretty vocal about not doing low carb, and I don't feel I've been attacked for it.

@gr2016. lol I know I shouldn't be laughing but I have been having 2 Protein shakes a day and chicken with broccoli or green Beans since 12/11/16 and today is my second clear liquid diet. Surgery is sometime tomorrow. But I would admit I went to Kroger and picked up a lemon pie. I threw it back on the shelf and said no I have to be strong. Then yesterday this liquid diet had me starved. My husband had a bag of chips and a jar of sliced pickles. I kept thinking I'm going to suck the chip and drink the pickle juice. But I just took myself to sleep. I am happy to say I didn't cheat.
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Wait, whuuuuuuut?

There is a BIG difference between creating your own path by eating what you choose to eat on/off plan both pre and post op and eating something that could potentially cause serious health risks 3 or 5 days post op.
I really don't give a rat's patoot if you choose to eat a cupcake, a pizza, a taco or an entire pan of brownies if you so desire once you are cleared for all foods. That said, I am certainly not going to help you justify that behavior, especially if you know it's a poor choice and you are looking for permission to make said choices.

If you are on liquids or mushies and eating pork chops and swedish fish and come here looking for validation or a stamp of approval? It's probably not going to happen.
If it's working for you, AWESOME! I can make poor choices, too, at 3.5 years out because I learned good habits along the way by sticking to my doc's PRESCRIBED diet.
But that's just me. It says so in my signature.

that is great! I'm hoping for a similar reaction when i meet up with two guys I used to work with on wednesday. I haven't seen them since february and march respectively - so a couple months before my surgery and at least 120lbs ago! One knows I had the surgery (but still hasn't seen me) and I think he told the other one. Will be interesting to see what their reaction is.

Yes PLEASE!!!!! No stretch marks, perfect elasticity.....What I would give for that fairy godmother!

I think I got called back to prep for surgery at 9:30am and I know I was awake in the recovery area before 1:00pm. Now it took until after 10:00pm for me to get an actual room - long story but the person whose room I was supposed to take ended up not getting discharged that day.

i second the tuna and salmon pouches. easy to carry, dont need refrigeration, lots of flavors, lots of protein/low carb/low calorie. I lived on them during the soft foods stage!

my pre-op abdominal ultrasound showed I have gallstones. But the surgeon said since they haven't given me any problems - i've never had a gallbladder attack/pain from it, he'd prefer not to take it out during the surgery. If I was having gallbladder attacks, he said he would take it out during surgery and told me what symptoms to look out for but I didn't have any of those between then and my surgery. So, I still have it.

my pre-op abdominal ultrasound showed I have gallstones. But the surgeon said since they haven't given me any problems - i've never had a gallbladder attack/pain from it, he'd prefer not to take it out during the surgery. If I was having gallbladder attacks, he said he would take it out during surgery and told me what symptoms to look out for but I didn't have any of those between then and my surgery. So, I still have it.

DEFINITELY let us know what the reactions are! I know they're going to be great! Don't look back, turn the page, and let your next chapter begin!

that is great! I'm hoping for a similar reaction when i meet up with two guys I used to work with on wednesday. I haven't seen them since february and march respectively - so a couple months before my surgery and at least 120lbs ago! One knows I had the surgery (but still hasn't seen me) and I think he told the other one. Will be interesting to see what their reaction is.

that is great! I'm hoping for a similar reaction when i meet up with two guys I used to work with on wednesday. I haven't seen them since february and march respectively - so a couple months before my surgery and at least 120lbs ago! One knows I had the surgery (but still hasn't seen me) and I think he told the other one. Will be interesting to see what their reaction is.

Bumped into a casual friend this past weekend that I hadn't seen since May (I had my surgery in September and I'm down 80lbs) in the parking lot of a local store.
I waved.
He stared at me blankly.
I walked over to him and his eyes were masks of confusion with not even the slightest bit of recognition.
"Matt... it's Rob, you f-ckin' drunk!"
"HOLY SHIT! MATE, WHAT THE F-CK HAPPENED TO YOU?"
Best reaction I've had. I'll never tire of that kind of thing.

I am almost 2 years and there are still periods of time when I just cannot eat. I've found that its typically because I am dehydrated and my Water intake has NOT BEEN GOOD! Once I get back to sucking down the H2o...eating and eating good resumes! Hope thos helps! Sent from my VS987 using the BariatricPal App

Cuddle Duds have become my new best friend, I layer with them daily! I am even happy we went from -2 to 28 degrees today...thank goodness!

tuna pouches are an easy solution. How about a boiled egg? Rotisserie chicken is good cold. I assume you are carrying a mini cooler since you take cheese and yogurt. I would still do a Premier shake during the workday so you know you are getting adequate Vitamins, nutrients and Protein. My Dr. actually requires a shake from here-on-out.

haha yep get used to being cold - you don't have as much insulation and with the limited fuel (calories), your body focuses on your core temp and you'll notice your hands and feet stay cold. I had surgery in June and in late july went on a garden tour with a friend with actual temps over 100 - she was sweating and miserable and I was fine, felt warm but not unbearably hot and barely broke a sweat (which actually made me a bit nervous that I wasn't sweating!). I'll take have to put a few extra layers on clothes on the in the winter if it means I'm not sweaty and gross just stepping outside in summer!

haha yep get used to being cold - you don't have as much insulation and with the limited fuel (calories), your body focuses on your core temp and you'll notice your hands and feet stay cold. I had surgery in June and in late july went on a garden tour with a friend with actual temps over 100 - she was sweating and miserable and I was fine, felt warm but not unbearably hot and barely broke a sweat (which actually made me a bit nervous that I wasn't sweating!). I'll take have to put a few extra layers on clothes on the in the winter if it means I'm not sweaty and gross just stepping outside in summer!

Some people can only feel good about themselves by making others feel "less than". It's sad. And if you're on the receiving end it's hurtful.
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She sounds a little insecure if she has to point that out, just smile and hold out for the prize. You seem to be doing amazing, if shes not happy for you achieving what you have then block her out and just focus on what you are doing.
Her journey is hers and yours is yours and we all do it at different speeds with different results.
Kate x

haha yep get used to being cold - you don't have as much insulation and with the limited fuel (calories), your body focuses on your core temp and you'll notice your hands and feet stay cold. I had surgery in June and in late july went on a garden tour with a friend with actual temps over 100 - she was sweating and miserable and I was fine, felt warm but not unbearably hot and barely broke a sweat (which actually made me a bit nervous that I wasn't sweating!). I'll take have to put a few extra layers on clothes on the in the winter if it means I'm not sweaty and gross just stepping outside in summer!

stay off the scale right now. your body is trying to heal - let it heal. I didn't lose anything the first two weeks. you were pumped full of iv fluids in the hospital and you just had major surgery - let your body focus on what it needs to. the weight loss will come.
also, on full liquids - you are not going to trigger restriction. you'll feel the restriction once you move onto dense Proteins. Some people have issues getting their liquids in initially but that is due to swelling not the true restriction of the sleeve. It is important early out to measure the amount of liquids/food recommended by your practice and stick to that. (non caloric liquids being the exception - consume as much of that as you possibly can).
900 calories seems like an awful lot that early out. I wasn't really tracking calories while on full liquids but I was definitely below 600 calories a day. Even now at 6 months out i'm at 700-800 calories a day.