LisaMergs

Ok folks, you all heard of cravings right? Sometimes things come to mind that you actually know are not what u are supposed to eat but it's a thought. I don't come here to get a reaction out of anyone, I come on here to get different points of views from those who have done it before me and/or are currently at my stage. Suggestions are always welcomed and alternatives.

So for example one gentleman said not chips but try cheese squares. And for the record I can ask about French fries 3 weeks out but it doesn't mean I'm going for it...i look for what people are doing or have done to replace those cravings. I never said I was eating those things already.

Thankfully, with the help of this tool (sleeve) and by the grace of my God I have lost 30lbs in just a little over 3 weeks by eating the right things and following my diet. So I do take my choices very seriously.

Lastly @@LisaMergs I can laugh because I actually thought that starting your sentence with "not to be rude" was funny. I cannot control other people's emotion and how they react to whatever anyone posts. So if they chimed in that's their choice. The same affect follows with people looking at your post with how you started and would chime in just the same. These are open forums and it's part of it. The best thing in these places is to never take it personal.

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Um yeah. I've heard of cravings. My opinion ? Get over it. You (globally speaking) were overweight, had surgery and are supposedly trying to get better. Why TF anyone is going to blow it is beyond me- and they should have been flagged as not ready for surgery by their psych eval.

I find it minblowingly STUPID that people ask about chips tacos etc early on or during weight loss. And even MORE idiotic that they don't have BASIC COMMON SENSE.

So yes. I know what cravings are...

And I also know that I can run a 15k and wear a size S dress and 6/8 skinny jeans 7.5 months out because I GAF about myself.

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I'm allergic to latex, as well. Steri strips after a section sent me into my first full blown anaphylactic reaction

Thankfully they've developed ones now that are latex-free!

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Not to be rude but why on earth are you asking about chips?!?! How can they possibly fit into your weight loss efforts? They are nothing but carbs and fat! They will provide you no nutritional support and definitely not a good choice that is going to provide you weight loss and a healthy body. This surgery is not a miracle weight loss gimmick it's a tool to be used wisely.

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Lol, I was waiting for the one.

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U always have to have this one. I promise you to GOD I didn't get fat from eating chips but from over eating chips. I will not deprive myself a snack sometimes as long as my sleeve likes it. Omg. Ppl kill me…… so what she askes about chips. Who are u to judge.. Woww

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Because of the comment...

"I was waiting for the one.."

Seriously- I have to think some people come on here to post things JUST to see what reaction they can elicit from people.

Truth is- I had NO intention of telling you not to eat a chip. My diet did not allow- nor did I ever WANT to allow it that early out. And I was right in my initial impression that you were interested in shaking the hive. People who take their surgery seriously will not only try and tell you it is likely a bad idea, they will worry about newbies coming on reading it thinking it is ok... Not a good thing.

But the fact that you laughed and made that comment?...

You were gunning for bear.

And got the chorus to chime in to complain about anyone who "passes judgement" by telling you the truth.

Ugh.

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I add Protein powder to anything I can lol. Can't STAND shakes much, will drink them if I have to. I target 80-100g Protein per day. And can't eat more than my 1/2 c at a time.

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I'm following. As a woman I AM interested in strength. I work out with free weights to build endurance. Don't want guy muscles- I'm too feminine for that- but having muscle tone to keep up with my need to run, is important.

I'm not a BCAA person- only WP isolates for me- casein if I'm working out. I'm also a firm believer in taking in 30 ish G of it at a time-

So. Again. Following this for more info.

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Oh sweetie.

Get to KNOW him first! You have no idea who or what he is actually about yet. Go sllllloooooowwwww. And then slower still.

No amount of anything can take the place of knowing what makes a person tick, what brings them joy, or sorrow. Only time gives you that. And hey! You may 1) not like him after you get to know him or 2) find yourself with a casual, occasional date/partner OR 3) find the person of your dreams.

But the only thing that will get you there is time... Talking, sharing, and such.

He is actively dating- and so, too should you be until you mutually decide differently.

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Wondering what your restriction is like now?

I'm 7.5 months out and and am still restricted at 1/2 -MAYBE 2/3 a cup of food. I definitely can only tolerate 1/2 c if it is dense Protein but can finish an entire 5 oz of Greek yogurt if I wanted to. I try to stop before I finish it to keep at the 4 oz. I'm still around 800 cal a day. My exercise is a bit less these last couple weeks after running a 15k and then spraining my ankle. ( Chipped a little bone in my foot too but oddly that hasn't bothered me much.)

Following this for future reference. I'm 12 ish pounds from goal and yup. It's slowed but I'm not concerned. Knew it would happen.

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Hmmmm. Checked that app out...

Ok- top left HW

Bottom left- silly pic but recent

Upper right 2 months out

Middle right 7months out

Bottom right 6 months out.

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1478930207.185501.jpg

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Amazing

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God Bless you.

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Why thank you!

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Premiere shakes are NOT your best choice for this early out.

I do NOT do milk based shakes either... Get some Syntrax or unjury if possible- like the chicken broth and DEFINITELY get some UNFLAVORED whey Protein powder. You can add it to anything- yogurt, crystal light drinks- sky is the limit....

But you want and NEED a good 100% PURE whey Protein ISOLATE powder. It is your best bet for success. Those "protein blend" drinks are suspect. You don't know what percentage of what kind of protein you are actually getting.

I WISH they would stop recommending Premiere to people!!!!!!

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Lisa.. can you recommend a brand of powder you like?do you ever do shakes?

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If I'm doing a shake powder, it is usually the Syntrax Nectars. I've come to like caribbean cooler as its flavor is very mellow- just above neutral. I always add a half scoop of an unflavored powder to it, as well. Brings those 8 oz up to around 35g of whey isolate.

There is a RTD product called Protein2O that I love as well. Over 20g whey isolate in it as well. Flavors are EXCELLENT!!! And no whey -forward taste at all. Pretty clean flavors. Again, no milk to it which I prefer.

As for the unflavored...I really like Unjury, but it needs to be ordered, so I keep a stash of other brands at home to use if I run out.

I add it to anything I can- usually by the half- scoop. Works well in my Oikos Triple Zero yogurt!!! I'll add it to coffee, tea, you name it.

Hope that helps!!!

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It does! Thank you. One more question...is there one site where I can purchase samples first instead of buying in bulk? I would hate to be stuck with it if the taste wasn't for me.

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Don't know about specific sites that allow you to purchase single packs, but i DO know that the Vitamin Shoppe stores sell them for most brands- which, by the way, is exactly what I did when I first began this journey.

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Premiere shakes are NOT your best choice for this early out.

I do NOT do milk based shakes either... Get some Syntrax or unjury if possible- like the chicken broth and DEFINITELY get some UNFLAVORED Whey Protein powder. You can add it to anything- yogurt, crystal light drinks- sky is the limit....

But you want and NEED a good 100% PURE whey Protein ISOLATE powder. It is your best bet for success. Those "protein blend" drinks are suspect. You don't know what percentage of what kind of protein you are actually getting.

I WISH they would stop recommending Premiere to people!!!!!!

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Lisa.. can you recommend a brand of powder you like?do you ever do shakes?

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If I'm doing a shake powder, it is usually the Syntrax Nectars. I've come to like caribbean cooler as its flavor is very mellow- just above neutral. I always add a half scoop of an unflavored powder to it, as well. Brings those 8 oz up to around 35g of whey isolate.

There is a RTD product called Protein2O that I love as well. Over 20g whey isolate in it as well. Flavors are EXCELLENT!!! And no whey -forward taste at all. Pretty clean flavors. Again, no milk to it which I prefer.

As for the unflavored...I really like Unjury, but it needs to be ordered, so I keep a stash of other brands at home to use if I run out.

I add it to anything I can- usually by the half- scoop. Works well in my Oikos Triple Zero yogurt!!! I'll add it to coffee, tea, you name it.

Hope that helps!!!

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@@LisaMergs Lentils with arugula...that's heaven to me! The bruschetta...that's in a jar, right? I'm going to make this for a party we're having next weekend

Get thee to Trader Joe's post haste! lol

People go NUTS for this... I would suggest doing the corn chips with it for others--- like the Fritos scoops---it is a sturdy vehicle to hold the lentils and the salt balances things beautifully.

Yes the bruschetta is in the jar. Some people use the one in the plastic container. This one tastes better! And those pre cooked lentils EXPLODE out of the bag...like triple in volume!!!

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Great topic!

At almost 8 months post op, I find eating to be a huge inconvenience still. Don't really care for food, don't care about it either. It is a necessary evil as far as I'm concerned.

Making certain I actually eat is just as big of a PIA.

For those of you wondering about calories- most docs/NUT don't focus on that. If you follow plan, portion size and target your Protein, you will usually end up between 750-900 cal. I'm typically at 800.

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I decided not to chance it

I've taken that route MANY MANY times! lol. Better safe than sorry! I still- at almost 8 months post op, eat very little meat. Too dicey/ why bother?

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Sounds DELISH @@ShelterDog64 !

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@mobello

Northshore was a dream- specifically Dr. Linn, my surgeon.

Likely the most well-organized bariatric team around, and I checked them all out.

Found them to all be on the same message- from the doc to the nutritionist and every one in between. I see him at Glenbrook Hospital but he does all his bariatric surgeries out of Evanston. He has his whole surgical team there and likes working with a group of nurses and techs that do just that.

Hope that helped. As an aside, I know several people who went thru Northwestern down in the city, and all of them, oddly enough, had post op complications. Not saying anything specific other than I can only hope it was coincidental.... Needless to say, I did NOT choose that bariatric team.

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Hi Lisa,

How are you doing? We are neighbors somewhat I live in Jefferson Park. Curious when you had surgery? Mine is coming up.

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We are neighbors! I grew up near you and am in the Park Ridge area!

My surgery was March 23, 2016...almost 8 months ago! I've done so very well and am so happy and grateful that I did this!!!

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Okay- mine is definitely stolen from Trader Joes, but it is OH SO GOOD!!!

Using their ready to eat lentils, crumbled feta ( I often used crumbled goat cheese too!!!!), their bruschetta and chopped arugula, I mix it together by eye--- no measuring needed.

Depending on my "mood", I'll add more or less of the bruschetta or cheese, and sometimes I will use basil instead of arugula.

For a party everyone loves it, especially if served with pita or tortilla chips. But it is Bari-friendly without the carby chips- and I often make a meal out of it.

The other thing is I often warm up my portion instead of eating it cold or room temp. And you can make as large or as small a batch as you want!!!

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Ok-- in the spirit of, well, keeping us connected, here is a new topic starter...

Post-op, what is the tastiest, most creative meal/dish you have prepared?

Get ready for people to ask for the recipe and post pics if you have them!

And for goodness sakes---no ricotta bakes lol. Be CREATIVE!!!

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@@LisaMergs

I have looked into all of my options. I have alot of very loose sagging skin on my neck specifically. (I call it the turkey waddle) LOL.

Anyway, I have had two plastic surgeons look at it and a third that used to do plastics and the only way to deal with mine is surgery if I want an excellent result.

So......We will see if and when I have the money to do that. First comes my tummy and boobs.

Cool sculpting!!!!!! Couple friends have had it on their waddle. Ah- maze-ing!!!!

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Premiere shakes are NOT your best choice for this early out.

I do NOT do milk based shakes either... Get some Syntrax or powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury if possible- like the chicken broth and DEFINITELY get some UNFLAVORED whey Protein powder. You can add it to anything- yogurt, crystal light drinks- sky is the limit....

But you want and NEED a good 100% PURE whey Protein ISOLATE powder. It is your best bet for success. Those "protein blend" drinks are suspect. You don't know what percentage of what kind of protein you are actually getting.

I WISH they would stop recommending Premiere to people!!!!!!

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You left the hospital with stitches? Not steri- strips?

Very uncommon to be allergic to stitches. Not impossible. Just RARE!

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If you purée it well. Use a chicken stock to help emulsify it.

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Its funny what weightloss does to some folks both highfunctioning fatman and lisamergs look so young and vibrant. Just awesome yall.

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Wow. Thank you!!! ( she says as she is looking down the barrel at 50....)

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Hmmmm. Checked that app out...

Ok- top left HW

Bottom left- silly pic but recent

Upper right 2 months out

Middle right 7months out

Bottom right 6 months out.

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ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1478879830.304428.jpg

Okay so it's a bit tight haha BUT look! It's on! Haha Like I said, I won't wear it out yet but it's such a big change that I was overwhelmed with happiness

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Fantastic!!!!!!

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I had a moment in a clothing store that was so overwhelming. Thank GOD it was on a Friday- my mom's day off from work.

I was literally sitting in the dressing room sobbing. She drove 30 minutes to the store to "rescue" me...

I had moved from the plus sized side to "regular" sizes... And had even skipped over the larger 14-16's to 12's. It was HUGELY emotional. Life altering, shook to my core emotional.

At that moment I knew this was not only possible, but HAPPENING, and I haven't looked back....

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