biginjapan

I felt like I was literally going to faint during the last week of full liquids, I added in a few pureed/soft foods in conjunction with the full liquids and immediately felt better. I don't want you to deviate from your plan, I shared this information to say that my body needed a little bit more at that point in my journey. I would also consult with your bariatric team to determine whether or not you are ready.
Ariel (my stomach) loves refried Beans and a scrambled egg. Not cooked together, in separate meals. Protein is our friend. The cream Soups were delicious, but didn't givr me the substance and nutrients that I needed. I'm still drinking Protein Shakes, I only had my procedure on 3/3/20.

It is confusing. I was supposed to be on soft foods/purée starting my 3rd week per my nutritionist and my surgeon’s paperwork, but at one week my surgeon said I could move to full liquids and start adding in soft foods slowly. Wait...what???
Lol, so for me...I listened to my surgeon and my body. I started adding in soft foods around day 9, I think. My body wanted something more substantial than just liquids. It was different than a craving for something, it’s like I needed it. Good luck for both of us figuring this out. 😂

smoothie science is not easy Try core fitness these seem to be the best tasting I have found - But really get away from the store bought and make your own - Become a mix master of Protein Shakes - You got a long road and doing it yourself is much better and tastes better

Oh honey, lack of Protein is definitely going to affect your body and your mind. Have you talked to your surgeon about not being able to keep down the shakes? I’ve been using this Bone Broth and it’s really good and it’s 10 grams of protein per 8 ounces.

NO NO NO-
None of you are hungry! You are addicted to food like everyone else on this site! You are bored and you head is playing games with you. You do not need to eat and consume non stop.
We all had to get thru this phase! You are in the head game stage and you are not hungry! You head is tricking you to think you are hungry. Your nerves and sensors were cut out. So how the heck are you getting hunger pains when you only have a 4 oz pouch. Tv marketing and packaging is everywhere. There are so much more things in life then a box of Cookies or chips. However all of us addicts are caught in the food industry nightmare@
Ok now that i attacked you ---- You guys got this ,,,,,,,Change focus from food to something else. Slowly you need to sip something to get your mind tricked to think your not hungry. This is a b***h to do! I crashed and crashed big time The post is here way back. I was saved but my key was a puppy! Yes a lab puppy. I started focusing on him and training him and walking him and getting my abusive behavior towards food and vodka Under control. I also have chosen to Fish a ton and Travel a ton.
You guys do the same - Mix up you life. The old life sucked you were out of control with food and unhealthy. Now its time to change. Look up Fluffy Chick here and she has great posts on changing you lifestyle. Find something new to add to your life, hobbies, craft, outdoors, Partners, Pets, movies, Like Nike JUST DO IT!
This is not going to be easy, but once you do it the best journey gets even better!
Not know here for being the snuggle member more of the right at you member

It's so strange, isn't it? I was on full liquids/purees from the moment I left the hospital. Now that I'm past two weeks I'm allowed soft mushy foods but I'm mostly staying on liquids/purees because I had a couple of issues last week (not sure if it was overeating or lactose intolerance, maybe both). Generally speaking I have a full Protein smoothie that I make every morning (my favourite is almond milk, chocolate Protein Powder, Peanut Butter powder, and maybe half a banana), then miso Soup with a few chunks of tofu for lunch, and either canned tuna with shredded cheese (not pureed, I just chew well) or an egg bite (mini quiche - muffin size) for dinner. I drink Water or clear Protein Drinks in between. I don't drink coffee but my doctor said it was okay for me to have a cup on the day of surgery (!) as well as my second day post-op. Maybe it's a European thing.

Wow, I learned so much, thanks for explaining!

Thank you for your support, this site is a life line for me as well. I reciprocate what I receive, love and respect on here. This is a phenomenal group of people who are all going through life and trying to improve, aren't we all fighting for strength and survival.

@Krimsonbutterflies I just read about your loss. I don’t know what to say other than the strength and support you are providing to us on this site is amazing. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. Thank God for women like you.

@Mello1 so good to hear from you! Im glad you made it thru surgery and are on the road to recovery. In a few days you’ll start feeling better. I wish you best of luck on your journey!! ❤️

My dr and nut did not take coffee off the table as it were. I’ve been having my morning cup of Joe every day since day 2. Some days I don’t drink it all and I’m using fat free, sugar free Creamer and Splenda with no issues.

I had gastric bypass June 26, 2017. I’ve lost 180 pounds and maintained my weight loss. I’ve decided to share my journey with the world.
I share recipes, grocery hauls, what I keep on hand in my kitchen, Q & As, and many more things related to my journey. I also have a blog where I share recipes.
Come join me! This journey is much easier with support of those who have been in your shoes! My Instagram name is Maddie5088 - I also have a public Facebook page called Mornings with Maddie.

I had refried Beans last night, it was delicious and Ariel (my stomach) loved it!!!! I bought the smooth style by Rosarita, which is totally pureed and no lumps of beans. I added a little cheese on top and a little ground Turkey and chewed it until it was no more to chew. I had a few bites too much, but it has been my best meal since Ariel was born. I even slept good, I will eat this for the next couple of days.

I feel much better today. The sick feeling only lasted for about an hour but it was still pretty terrible. I’m sticking with fair life milk for now and not trying anymore dairy-based products for a while. I’ve done well with Refried Beans, prunes, butternut squash Soup and eggs. I tried turkey sausage a couple of times and I understand the feeling of “cement” in my tummy so that’s something I can’t handle yet. It’s trial and error at this point. I don’t like the error part.

They do and they don't. If there is a woman at home (mother, grandmother) then they usually prepare healthy meals. But many people who live alone (like students and young workers), or salarymen on a busy day, will stick to fast foods like ramen, which is so full of calories and fat one bowl of it will almost make up your entire daily calorie limit! The bentos at my university (all universities are the same) are geared to be cheap, so every single one of them has some kind of fried food (chicken or pork usually) in addition to at least a cup (or more) of rice. If you want something other than that the little cafe has curry rice. The department store next door doesn't have any healthier options, it's all noodles or rice-based dishes.
Japan is a mountainous country, only 11% of it is arable land, and many people live on that. There are fruits that are grown here - apples, peaches, grapes (muscat - the kind used for wine, for some reason), and watermelon are the most common, but they are so babied (each piece of fruit has a little bag hand-tied around it to protect it from birds and the weather) which makes them quite expensive. If the fruit is not perfect, it doesn't go to market. I've seen watermelon fields where about a third of the crop was left to rot in the sun, especially after the crows got to them. Students at my university (and some teachers!) would sneak into the fields at night and go grab perfectly fine watermelon for a snack. The reason they were left to rot? Either because they were not perfectly round, or they had a patch of yellow on them (in Japan they should be 100% green). The further south you go the more citrus fruits are found. Vegetables tend to be a lot of starchy root vegetables which take a long time to prepare and/or may be quite slimy, other veggies like Chinese eggplant, tomatoes, and pieman (a kind of green pepper that most children hate) and leafy vegetables like lettuces, spinach and cabbage. OMG, they love cabbage here! I can't eat it, which makes it almost impossible to eat pre-made salads here since about 98% of them are mostly cabbage. Also everything is grown really big - big apples, big peaches, big carrots - they look good, but the taste is meh. The apples and carrots are not that sweet. Tomatoes look good, but can be mealy and tasteless.
I think the reason many Japanese are so thin is a good part genetics (fast metabolism) and the fact that they eat smaller meals than what is available in most Western countries. For example, large drink here is the equivalent of a small back home. Sweets are not that sweet - when I first came here I didn't like them because I couldn't "taste" anything, but after being off sugar for almost a year I found that they were much more palatable than Western sweets which were too sweet. Also, they walk or bike a lot. In fact, they move more than almost any other people on the planet so that helps too.

It's so strange, isn't it? I was on full liquids/purees from the moment I left the hospital. Now that I'm past two weeks I'm allowed soft mushy foods but I'm mostly staying on liquids/purees because I had a couple of issues last week (not sure if it was overeating or lactose intolerance, maybe both). Generally speaking I have a full Protein smoothie that I make every morning (my favourite is almond milk, chocolate Protein Powder, Peanut Butter powder, and maybe half a banana), then miso Soup with a few chunks of tofu for lunch, and either canned tuna with shredded cheese (not pureed, I just chew well) or an egg bite (mini quiche - muffin size) for dinner. I drink Water or clear Protein Drinks in between. I don't drink coffee but my doctor said it was okay for me to have a cup on the day of surgery (!) as well as my second day post-op. Maybe it's a European thing.

I had the same issue! I thought what I had was dumping, but after emailing my surgeon he thinks the same as catwoman7: lactose intolerance. I was in pain/discomfort for 8+ hours after eating it, which is way too long for it to be dumping syndrome. The thing is, I've been eating other things - yogurt, cottage cheese, adding cheese to different dishes, even my Protein Powder is whey based - none of them cause the same reaction (well, except the Greek yogurt I had once I returned to Japan. Maybe different from the ones I had in Europe?). Despite the awful reaction with the ricotta bake, I still add cheese to other dishes. Shelly's egg bites have a lot of cheese in them and I made my first ones (in a long, long time) last night and had no issues. So my takeaway from this is don't eat a primarily dairy-based dish - it will cause too many issues. But adding small amounts of cheese (or other dairy products) to a non-dairy dish (like eggs) is okay. For now. I may try again in a few months time and see how things go then.

Just got my labs back. I have been eating WFPB for about 7 months and the results are pretty impressive. First of all, my Protein, Calcium, and Iron levels are well within normal limits, which proves to me that plant sources are perfectly adequate to meet these needs.
Best of all, My lipid panel has just blown my socks off. Here are results from pre-op, 6 month and 12 month labs. Please note that I was at goal, having lost 100+ pounds at 6 months.
CHOLESTEROL: 223, 219, 153!
TRIGLYCERIDES: 133, 56, 34!
HDL: 64, 71, 78!
LDL: 132, 137, 68!
CHOL/HDL: 3.5, 3.1, 2.0!
The disappointing part is that my Vitamin D level has continued to drop, in spite of daily supplementation and plenty of outdoor time. I am sure this has to do with my fat malabsorption since surgery, so I guess I will be taking the super doses for a while to get it back up.

I would suggest two videos for anyone remotely interested in WFPB lifestyle. "The Game Changers" and "Forks over Knives" are the two that piqued my interest initially. They just made sense. Michael Greger was the medical consultant for "The Game Changers." I have really liked his books, "How not to Die" and "How not to Diet." They are practical and all evidence based. My favorite cook books so far and the magazines that are put out by Forks over Knives. The recipes are really pretty good, no artificial ingredients, and nothing so exotic that I can't make most of them right from what I have in my panty. The Forks over Knives website has some great recipes, as well. My family (all carnivores) actually like most of what I throw at them! The "How not to Die Cookbook" is also good. I am having so much fun with new recipes and new ways to prepare food.

A list of resources for pre- and post-surgery bariatric patients interested in a whole food plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle. Let's build up this list into a comprehensive resource, and keep it updated. Please add your own tested-and-approved recommendations.
Processed Foods and Ultra-Processed Foodstuffs Nutrition Database
An open source (read: imperfect but continually evolving), collaborative, global food products database (there's also an app) that anyone can use to make better food choices. Assigns all processed foods a Nutri-Score grade from A to E in terms of nutritional quality, and ranks processed and ultra-processed foodstuffs by NOVA group levels (1 for minimally processed up to 4 for ultra-processed): https://world.openfoodfacts.org/ Plant-Based Nutrition Studies
Cornell University Distance (entirely online) Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies: www.nutritionstudies.org Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Guide (the basics): https://nutritionstudies.org/whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/ Plant-Based Sports Nutrition: Expert Fueling Strategies for Training, Recovery, and Performance by D. Enette Larson-Meyer The Healthspan Solution by Julieanna Hever and Ray Cronise Plant-Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever and Ray Cronise Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T. (plant-based dietitian) website: www.plantbaseddietitian.com Plant-Based Nutrition Books
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. M.D. How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger M.D. How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Greger M.D. Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It by Garth Davis M.D. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell M.D. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell The Campbell Plan by T. Colin Campbell The China Study Solution: The Simple Way to Lose Weight and Reverse Illness, Using a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet by Thomas Campbell Healthy Eating, Healthy World: Unleashing the Power of Plant-Based Nutrition by J. Morris Hicks Eat for Life: The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel Fuhrman M.D. The End of Dieting: How to Live for Life by Joel Fuhrman M.D. The End of Heart Disease: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Nutritarian Handbook & ANDI Food Scoring Guide by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health by Neal Barnard M.D. Power Foods for the Brain by Neal Barnard M.D. Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight by Neal Barnard M.D. Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight by Neal Barnard M.D Breaking the Food Seduction by Neal Barnard M.D The Blue Zones, Second Edition: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner Plant-Based Nutrition Cookbooks
Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moscowitz and Terry Hope Romero All cookbooks by Terry Hope Romero All cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moscowitz Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier No Meat Athlete Cookbook by Matt Frazier Plant Strong by Rip Esselstyn Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn The Plant-Power Way by Rich Roll The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn The Plant Based Diet for Beginners by Gabriel Miller The PlantPure Nation Cookbook by Kim Campbell and T. Colin Campbell The PlantPure Kitchen Cookbook by Kim Campbell and T. Colin Campbell The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard The China Study Cookbook by Leanne Campbell Eat to Live Cookbooks by Joel Fuhrman The Buddhist Chef by Jean-Philippe Cyr My New Roots Cookbooks by Sarah Britton Oh She Glows Cookbooks by Angela Liddon Minimalist Baker’s Cookbooks by Dana Shultz Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor The First Mess Cookbook by Laura Wright Forks Over Knives Flavor by Darshana Thacker The Blue Zones Kitchen by Dan Buettner Vegan 100 by Gaz Oakley Clean Food by Terry Walters How Not To Die Cookbook Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbooks China Study Cookbooks Forks Over Knives Cookbooks Thug Kitchen Cookbooks Plant-Based Whole Food Cooking Blogs (recipes)
www.nomeatathlete.com www.loveandlemons.com www.mynewroots.org www.ohsheglows.com www.thefirstmess.com www.veganricha.com www.plantstrong.com www.minimalistbaker.com www.halfbakedharvest.com www.veganyackattack.com www.dreenaburton.com www.thugkitchen.com www.theppk.com www.deliciouslyella.com

It's so strange, isn't it? I was on full liquids/purees from the moment I left the hospital. Now that I'm past two weeks I'm allowed soft mushy foods but I'm mostly staying on liquids/purees because I had a couple of issues last week (not sure if it was overeating or lactose intolerance, maybe both). Generally speaking I have a full Protein smoothie that I make every morning (my favourite is almond milk, chocolate Protein Powder, Peanut Butter powder, and maybe half a banana), then miso Soup with a few chunks of tofu for lunch, and either canned tuna with shredded cheese (not pureed, I just chew well) or an egg bite (mini quiche - muffin size) for dinner. I drink Water or clear Protein Drinks in between. I don't drink coffee but my doctor said it was okay for me to have a cup on the day of surgery (!) as well as my second day post-op. Maybe it's a European thing.

I had the same issue! I thought what I had was dumping, but after emailing my surgeon he thinks the same as catwoman7: lactose intolerance. I was in pain/discomfort for 8+ hours after eating it, which is way too long for it to be dumping syndrome. The thing is, I've been eating other things - yogurt, cottage cheese, adding cheese to different dishes, even my Protein Powder is whey based - none of them cause the same reaction (well, except the Greek yogurt I had once I returned to Japan. Maybe different from the ones I had in Europe?). Despite the awful reaction with the ricotta bake, I still add cheese to other dishes. Shelly's egg bites have a lot of cheese in them and I made my first ones (in a long, long time) last night and had no issues. So my takeaway from this is don't eat a primarily dairy-based dish - it will cause too many issues. But adding small amounts of cheese (or other dairy products) to a non-dairy dish (like eggs) is okay. For now. I may try again in a few months time and see how things go then.

a lot of this sounds like lactose intolerance rather than true dumping. And LI is WAY more common...

I tried the Ricotta cheese bake and now I’m so freaking sick! I bought two tubs of ricotta cheese because I was so excited to try it and I loved Ricotta before surgery. What a waste! This is a learning experience. I feel like I’m having the dumping syndrome again. So apparently anything with milk is going to mess with me right now. Thank God I’m at home when trying it out.
It smelled so good at first and now I’m nauseous from smelling it in the kitchen. This really blows.

Definitely work with your therapist on this. A lot may be your perception of your body image. But it is also possible that you are not losing the weight consistently throughout your body yet, but if you stick to the diet you will get there. I know I lose my boobs long before my belly. Arms before legs. Doesn't mean the changes aren't happening and that you won't lose your belly. But I agree with others, you are probably losing more than you realize. That is where the therapist can help you. Do you track measurements? I measure every month on the 1st of the month (surgery was on the 4th of September so it is close to the anniversary day... but I can remember the 1st better). I haven't lost a whole lot of weight in the past few months. I lost a ton the first 2 1/2 months and now I am lucky to lose a pound a week (mind you, I AM close to my goal weight now too). While the scale moved slowly the last couple months... the measurement changes have still been very noticeable. If you aren't taking measurements and tracking, it is harder to "see" the changes. Measurement are how I know I am still making progress despite the lack of pounds shedding. Measure today and start tracking! I put my measurements in the bariastic app. It tells me how many total inches I have lost. It helps a ton. I measure chest, hips, waist, biceps, thighs, and calves. It tells me total inches lost when adding all those areas together, and I can look at the actual measurements if I want to see changes in one part of my body over time.