Berry78

I was just joking, sorry it didn't come across that way! Lol! You're all good We Marchers are all doing great! So happy to be part of this group!

That's a nifty calculator. Has me at 44, and my hubby at 65.

Perfect! That's what I want to hear! "I drink my protein shakes so I can relax and eat whole, unprocessed foods the rest of the time" is absolutely the right thing to do. I keep playing around with my options so I can also enjoy these foods... but for me, relying on fish and a bit of eggs and milk will take the place of protein shakes. My newest creation: Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 cup beans (22g prot.) Lunch: 2 cups cooked veggies (have to eat in 2 sittings) (4g) Snack: nuts and fruit (8g) Dinner: 2oz fish and small sweet potato. (16g) 50g protein! I always aim a bit over because the different types of beans and nuts don't all contain the exact same amounts. I'll try it out.. not sure if I can squeeze in that much food or not...

Now I know what people REALLY wanna hear.. no boo-hooing... my life is sooo hard.. Nope.. just the stats, please! Lol! Do keep in mind the 91lbs is for 6 months and 5 days. Those 5 days can make a difference

Well, I appreciate having things 'splained to me. Now I guess I have to watch the movie again... no promises, though. One of the funniest movies I can think of is Meet the Parents. First time, wasn't so funny. But upon repeat viewing, danged if it didn't get funnier and funnier. My hubby remains unimpressed.

My feet are still as long too.. keep running my toes to the end of my shoes...(was really lookin' forward to buying a smaller size )

Umm.. maybe you didn't add up my given quantities of protein. Oats: 10 Beans: 32 Nuts: 8 Total: 50. The minimum protein required for an average female is 46g, so this only has 4 more grams than the bare minimum... and not enough for a man (who needs 56g). Nowhere in the veg-based conversation have I stated people need 80g of protein. What I keep saying is with our limited stomach size, it's really, really hard to meet our protein needs through UNPROCESSED plant based foods. News alert: protein shakes are extremely processed. "Boca burgers" probably are too..I don't know what they are, so that's an assumption. Since we are talking about a "whole food, plant based" diet, I'm trying to show just how difficult it is to meet our nutritional needs that way. Add in a bit of animal protein or processed veggie-protein shakes, and you'll be covered. But if people want to be purists, they pretty much have to rely on beans and nuts all day (or processed bean noodles and tofu). I'm not saying it's impossible.. I'm saying it is HARD and takes planning and what I keep hearing is people saying, "don't worry, it'll take care of itself" and. it. won't.

Very nice video! Just remember, for us bariatric folk, when at themac and cheese buffet, that big bowl of lentil soup turns into a cup of soup, with no mac and cheese!. The concept of calorie density is a GREAT lesson, and it goes both ways when bariatric people are meal planning. During the weight loss phase, we have to keep calories low, nutrients high. During maintenance, we have to increase calories and keep nutrients high, and do it all in a small space. Remember, for the first year we are working with eating only about 3-4 cups of food a day. Non-bariatric folk can eat that much at a single meal. Our protein, vitamin, mineral, fiber needs are the same, but we have to meet those goals in 1/3 the space. Food for thought.. Good news is if we only eat 1400 calories, we should live 40% longer! Lol!

Everyone is doing so well! I also have trouble getting motivated to exercise. I WANT to, and It feels good to move.. I just have some sort of mental block about it. I'm actually afraid to leave the house (phone) long enough to go out and enjoy myself in the gym! It's an old anxiety, stemming from having a lot of sick people around me. Just in the last month, there has been: A total knee replacement with hospitalization and nursing home rehab for my MIL A stroke + necrotic esophagitis in my FIL.. with hospitalization and he'll be going to rehab soon, A kid almost breaking his finger in the car door.. another Dr.s visit plus x-rays A daughter that has missed 3 days of school due to nondescript illness, A husband with an extremely stressful/important inspection at work, A different daughter with a torn ligament in her ankle... probably looking at surgery All these people live with me, so everyone of their issues impacts me in some way. I'm the "manager". ---- The thing is, I'm ok.. don't feel the need to turn to food, thank goodness.. but I'm also immobilized and can't do the things that I should be doing (like mowing the lawn, painting the living room, etc. etc.). I'm either running around doing what HAS to be done, or I'm waiting by the phone for the next call.... On a good note, I've lost 91lbs! (305 down to 214).

Have you seen the GI specialist yet? How did it go?

You are doing great!!! Happy six month to you too! It's funny, I really haven't experimented too much yet. Just a couple things.. but for the most part everything has remained the same for the last 3-4 months for me! Lol! I did try fresh bread for the first time a few days ago.. it's heavy and uncomfortable. Blah... Wine tastes good, but man, it hits HARD! Stumbling after 1 glass! I think we've come close to the end of "the easy part". I suspect it's all uphill from here on out!

Exactly.. I don't get the 3 stooges either.. looks painful!!

Don't feel bad, I don't get it either...

I also prefer the delayed chat feature the message board provides. Can walk away and not miss anything...

′ 7″ 123-136 133-147 143-163 Catwoman, I kinda got the applicable part of the metlife chart up for you. At 140, you fit squarely into the middle of medium frame. Remember you have to add an inch to your height, so this is 5'7.

Ok, the plot is officially as thick and opaque as molasses.. Apparently most studies use the Metlife height/weight charts to determine "ideal body weight". Interesting reading: http://halls.md/met-life-ideal-weight/ For those that don't read the page.. basically it says that your height should be measured when you are wearing 1" heels. Weight measured wearing 3 pounds of clothing. Small/medium/large frames are subjective. But, in an effort to find my own "ideal" weight, I persevered. Take my height, add an inch. Look on the large frame side to accomodate extra skin and bone mass from being obese virtually my whole life. Then find the middle of the range, and finally, subtract 3 pounds. My ideal weight should be 153lbs. Which happens to be 6 pounds less than the top of the normal bmi range. But, remember all those studies didn't figure it that way. They just take your height and do the middle of the medium, which for me is 143lbs... assuming they don't forget the 1" heels! Arrrgggg... But if we're talking clothed weight, then my starting weight was 308, ideal weight is 143 and so after subtracting 65% from my 165lbs of excess body weight, I'm left with an expected loss down to 200lbs. .... .... Remember what I said about the dart board???

Hope you got out of bed ok. If things are ever that bad, always have someone else drive you.. friend, taxi, ambulance. [Hugs] fingers crossed for you...

Amazing, surgery bud! You ARE definitely way closer to goal than I am Hope to catch up in the next 6 months! I dunno.. walking 13 miles? Nowhere near that yet! Lol! All my surgery buddies started out 40 or 50lbs lighter than me, so I keep feeling like I'm lagging behind (even when I'm not). Sigh...

I agree with James. Things should feel the same or better than when you left the hospital. There should be a gradual, but consistent "getting better". If suddenly you are feeling worse and worse, that's a sign that there could be a problem. Call your doc now or go to the ER. Hope everything is ok!

Oh sweety, whatever it is, we're here for you, even if it isn't sleeve related. {Hugs}

Sorry, still not a guy, although @painter88thought I was..so that counts, right? I just had a thought, and so had to share. Fluffy, your post is on-point. You say "guys only" in the title, so I actually SAW it! From now on, guys should do the same when posting in their own forum (there should be directions for them to do so). At least that way we ladies have NO EXCUSES to be butting in where we don't belong...

I was having this conversation just yesterday. We are so used to hearing, "Weight loss happens through diet and exercise", that we think the two are BOTH required.. glued together in our heads. But it's not true. Exercise can help. But people that can't exercise can still lose weight through diet alone. Your doctor mentioned watching your diet (red meat and iced coffees).. not exercise. So your medical condition that prevents you from going to the gym is not preventing you from losing weight. A wholesome diet is about getting small quantities of real food. You need to be aware of the nutrition that is found in the various food groups, in order to make informed choices as to what to eat. Sample meal plan: (Assuming you have not had bariatric surgery) Breakfast: 1 cup 4% cottage cheese and 1 whole piece of fruit (banana, apple, cup of grapes, etc.) Lunch: 2 eggs and a cup of pinto beans with 2 tablespoons salsa Snack: 1oz nuts or seeds and a whole piece of fruit Dinner: a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, 1/2 medium sweet potato, and 1 cup green beans. This has 2 servings dairy, 2 fruits, 5 vegetables, 3 protein, and the nuts provide healthy fats. No grains or added sugars (both of which aren't really needed until you are done losing weight). Feel free to add salt and pepper, cinnamon and spices. Don't add fat (each meal already has fat in it). All beverages should have no calories. Once you start eating this way, you'll find the weight should start coming off, and this meal plan is very flexible. Replace the chicken thigh with 4oz of any meat or fish. Replace the green beans with any non-starchy vegetable. Replace the pinto beans with any other type of bean... etc. If the weight DOESN'T start coming off, then I need more info about you as an individual to formulate a better plan.

Katie Bear... at a month out it would be good to start transitioning away from so many protein shakes. It doesn't have to be immediately.. a good way to use them is eat 3 meals and a snack, and use the shakes to fill in any deficit. If you want to change your sleep schedule, the best way to do that is by using an alarm clock. Wake up an hour earlier each day. 10 hours before wake up, turn off the screens.. computers, tv, phones, and minimize your house lights. Soothing music and a warm bath (when permitted for your incisions) can help set the tone for sleep. Reading something boring can help too.

Sorry about that. Ok, so food in general doesn't stay in your new stomach as long as it used to. Liquidy food leaves very quickly. A normal stomach holds food for several hours after a meal. Our sleeves and pouches empty in a matter of minutes for liquids, and POSSIBLY an hour or two for solid meat. So because you ate soup over the course of 40 minutes, the first spoonful that you ate had left your stomach long before you ate your last spoonful. Keeping meals to 20 minutes will minimize this issue. Personally I used this to my advantage because it allowed me to reach my goals in those early days. Constant sipping on my protein sources allowed me to consume quarts over the course of the day.

Your diet is way better than mine was. 3 cups of skim milk mixed with 3 scoops of protein powder. For the day. For 4 weeks. Yeah. It sucked. 6 months postop and I've lost 90lbs. Couldn't be happier. Preop misery is a distant memory...