mamamc32

Premier is the only one I like!!

I am 5 months out, and I have no regrets. I'll admit there are times that I want to eat more than I can, and it can be frustrating. Those times are few and far between, though, and this tool has helped me manage that in a way I wasn't able to before surgery. I am eating well, and I feel so much better since I have lost some weight!

For these guys...I use La Banderita Carb Counter whole wheat wraps for the tortillas.
I'm not a carb counter...but these low carb whole wheat wraps taste great, only 50 calories per wrap, 4g of Protein per wrap, and a whopping 11 grams of awesome dietary Fiber per wrap! Go fiber!
This recipe will make a BIG quesadilla. You'll only be able to eat a quarter to a half of it...so enlist help:)
Throw one whole wheat tortilla wrap in a very hot pan.
Top with the following:
2 T. Fresh chopped Tomato
2 T. fresh chopped red onion
1 T. Black Beans
2 T. frozen sweet corn kernels.
1/4 cup of shredded reduced fat colby jack cheese
Any kinda shredded meat that you like...chicken, pork, beef,...optional, but gives you extra protein bang for your buck and tastes great. (this is an awesome way to use up that little bit of grilled chicken/steak that you brought home from a restaurant cause you don't need a lot)
Also great to eat these vegetarian style with just the cheese.
Put another whole wheat tortilla wrap on top...cover to melt the cheese before you flip it....and cook both sides until it starts to brown and get crispy.
Cut it into 8 wedges with a pizza cutter and serve with salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, gracamole, whatever you like on a quesadilla.
Calories and protein for the whole recipe:
Two whole wheat wraps 100 calories 8g protein
1/4 cup reduced fat colbyjack 90 calories 7g protein
2 T Black beans 80 calories 6g protein
2 T Tomatoes 4 calories
2 T Onion 8 calories
2 T Corn 20 calories
2 ounces chicken Breast 94 calories 17g protein

Total= 396 calories 38 grams of protein

Remember... You'll only be able to eat a quarter to a half of one of these monsters. They're SUPER filling.
1/4 serving 99 calories 9.5 grams of protien
1/2 serving 198 calories 19 grams of protein

Good family food, cause you can eat the fancy whole wheat wraps and the family can eat regular tortillas. Add other toppings. Maybe you like olives or cactus or hot peppers? Everyone make their own:)
You could serve with refried beans, pico de gallo, lime, whatever your family enjoys.

I drink Decaf every morning . . . yum!! The funny thing is, I didn't really start drinking it until after surgery. It just tastes so much better now that I don't have a taste for soda or extremely sweet drinks!

Truthfully, you have to give it time for your taste buds to get used to the Premier Protein as your Creamer. When I first started using it, I didn't like it at all. Now I love it!
You might find that after surgery, you don't like the sweeteners as much, too. Give it time and see if you adjust.

I have backed off weighing myself so often, too. I was stressing because I keep gaining/losing the same 5 lbs. Now I just weight myself after I have a Water "whoosh" day because that gives me my new low weight. It works for me!

I take my lunch to work every day. Today, I am having a tuna Creations packet, two light mini babybel, and a couple of mandarins. I take leftovers from dinner quite a bit, but I also like to make salads with taco meat, chicken, or turkey. P3's are a little pricey, but they are easy to grab and take for lunch, too.

T-shirt for me? I'm not lazy' I'm not stupid- I'm soft and squishy like your favorite sponge.

I was hornswaggled and bamboozled away from the primary argument and transported, LEVIOSUM, to the dimension where you're tugged into the bullying bs. (And I've no doubt there is a need to get down on REAL bullying, especially to kids in school and on the internet.)
Sigh. I'm about as sick of this #bullytoo stuff as I am the #metoo stuff. Sorry. Color me insensitive. Apologies in advance.
Anyone with four eyes (like Harry and me) can see that JK Rowling does not portray fat people well. She may very well have a bias against us. Who the frick cares? You do you. I'll do me.
Didn't like the writer at all. Plus she KNEW that she could pick a bone with 'em and probably was going for the free rides at Universal angle for being thrown off HP...

I went on this exact ride last month. First, there are seats outside of the ride entrance and signs that encourage any guests to try the seats before they get into line. There's literally no one standing there, so that could easily be done without any embarrassment.
Second, for safety reasons, they can't make the seats "one size fits all." Depending on the type of ride, a seat that fits a 400 lb. person may not securely accommodate a 75 lb. teenager. Somebody is going to be unable to ride.
it's not discrimination. It's a safety issue. It sucks that she was embarrassed, but it sounds like they handled it as discretely as possible.

I went on this exact ride last month. First, there are seats outside of the ride entrance and signs that encourage any guests to try the seats before they get into line. There's literally no one standing there, so that could easily be done without any embarrassment.
Second, for safety reasons, they can't make the seats "one size fits all." Depending on the type of ride, a seat that fits a 400 lb. person may not securely accommodate a 75 lb. teenager. Somebody is going to be unable to ride.
it's not discrimination. It's a safety issue. It sucks that she was embarrassed, but it sounds like they handled it as discretely as possible.

I went on this exact ride last month. First, there are seats outside of the ride entrance and signs that encourage any guests to try the seats before they get into line. There's literally no one standing there, so that could easily be done without any embarrassment.
Second, for safety reasons, they can't make the seats "one size fits all." Depending on the type of ride, a seat that fits a 400 lb. person may not securely accommodate a 75 lb. teenager. Somebody is going to be unable to ride.
it's not discrimination. It's a safety issue. It sucks that she was embarrassed, but it sounds like they handled it as discretely as possible.

I haven't had any major complications, but there are definitely mental aspects to post-surgery life that I didn't really think about.
First, you can't overeat - even if you have the worst day ever, you can't turn to food for comfort. Is that a con? Not really, but it does mean you have to find new ways to deal with your issues. Prepare yourself.
Second, there are times that you are going to be pissed off that you can't eat what others are eating or as much as they are eating. I didn't expect that at all. You just have to change your way of thinking!
You can't take a break from your new lifestyle. You will get sick and/or potentially cause harm to yourself if you don't follow your diet guidelines. This is 100% commitment for the rest of your life. I'm not saying you'll never eat normal foods, but you have to be committed to eating nutritious foods in the right quantities. Make sure you are ready for that before you take the plunge.
I didn't have any major food issues before surgery . . . I just neglected myself for too long, which led to my weight gain. That being said, the mental aspects have still affected me from time to time. They are all manageable, but I definitely think this is more of a head game than people realize before surgery.
Good luck with your decision! Even with all of the above, I do NOT regret my decision. I feel better than I have felt in years, and I'm really happy I went through with my surgery!!

It sounds like you have been through a lot in your life, and you recognize that those things have caused some emotional damage. It could be that you are gravitating towards the wrong men for some reason. Two things that I think might help - 1) If you aren't seeing a therapist, starting seeing one. You seem very self aware, and talking things out could help a lot. 2) Make a list of what you want in a boyfriend/spouse, and seek out men that fit your criteria. Don't accept less. You deserve happiness. It sounds like a lot of your trouble has come from settling for men that you knew weren't right for you.
I really don't think the majority of men are creeps . . . you have had some bad luck!! Hang in there, and good luck to you!!

I can't eat bread (it makes me uncomfortably full), but I don't think you should worry. If it fit into your macros/goals for the day and your plan allows for it, I don't see any harm.
My plan allows a sandwich - I just can't eat them!! LOL!

Ice cream is soft, so you should be ok. That being said, you know you probably shouldn't do that, so you need to think through how to avoid it in the future. Can you take one serving out, put the rest back, and be ok? Or do you need to avoid it all together?
Nobody is perfect. The important thing is you realize you slipped up, and you plan for how to make better choices in the future.

I ate a whole grilled cheese yesterday. It was terrific. Had some Tomato Soup, too.
Whole wheat bread with reduced fat cheese, and reduced sodium Soup. For like a total of 300 calories. Big whoop.
We're not birds. We do eventually eat again. Sensible, nutritious food.
Oh, and I'm less than four months out...and my doctor and nutritionist are 100% in approval of my lunch.
That said...my doctor and nutritionist wanted me eating 1000-1200 calories a day at 3 weeks...so schools of thought vary. I will say I've always felt like my doc has based his recommendations on empirical evidence supporting long term weight loss...rather than the fastest weight loss possible (though I admit, walking advertisements are a hell of a way to advertise your clinic).
I'm losing weight and doing well.
Horrors...
LOL:)

Mamamc32, Great feedback, thanks

I am 6 months out, and we go out to eat about once per week.
When were you able to start eating out?
As soon as I got cleared for regular food (around three weeks, I think), I was able to go out to eat. At first, I had to really focus on ordering soft/easy to digest Protein and eating that and a bite or two of veggies.
What kinds of restaurants did you find it easiest to be successful in?
You can literally eat anywhere. You might find that there are some foods that don't sit as well after surgery. For me, that's bread and Pizza Crust. For me, I adapt by ordering my burgers without Buns or getting my sandwiches served as lettuce wraps. I also do thin crust pizza or eat just the toppings. You can make any restaurant work for you if you make smart choices.
Did you have a "strategy" in approaching eating out?
Protein first. Now that I can eat anything, I still do protein first and I also try to get a small amount of veggies/fruit and healthy carbs with each meal. When I go out to eat, I try to undereat my sleeve a little bit. At home I measure portions, so I know I'm not overdoing it. When I go out, I may more attention to how I feel and try to stop short of that "full" feeling.
While I understand the diet requirements going forward when were you able to eat a normal meal at home? Meaning a meal that would have a Protein, vegetable and maybe a starch at one sitting. Smaller servings certainly.
Pretty early on - I think I got to start soft Proteins at 2 weeks and then adding soft fruits/veggies at 4 weeks. You slowly build back up to tolerating crunchy stuff again. At 6 months out, I can eat anything.
I guess maybe the real question is when could I expect to eat some of the same things for dinner my wife could or would eat?
You can eat "normally" about a month out as long as your wife doesn't mind softer cooked meats and veggies/fruits. I ate with my family at that time, and they didn't mind the stuff we were eating. There are a lot of options in that phase - most crockpot meats, ground beef, etc. You probably won't be eating raw veggies or crunchier foods for a couple of months, but that isn't too long in the grand scheme.
Your surgery really shouldn't affect your social eating long-term. You can still go and have fun - you just eat smaller portions and focus more on nutrition.

Ice cream is soft, so you should be ok. That being said, you know you probably shouldn't do that, so you need to think through how to avoid it in the future. Can you take one serving out, put the rest back, and be ok? Or do you need to avoid it all together?
Nobody is perfect. The important thing is you realize you slipped up, and you plan for how to make better choices in the future.

Yum! Borrowing this idea!!

There's no way in heck I would get a lap band. My father-in-law had one that shifted and was causing him to repeatedly get hospitalized with pneumonia due to aspirating food. It took them forever to figure out what was causing it, and he has some damage from it. Eventually, he got it removed and had RNY. I also see a lot of things about revisions and problems with the band.
I had VSG, and I am doing great. Yes, it's scary to think about have 85% of your stomach permanently removed . . . but it's scarier to think about all of the problems associated with being obese.
After recovery, you just don't eat as much food, and you focus more on nutrition. You also feel better, so you're more physically active. It's pretty awesome, actually! You feel so much better.
You have to make this decision for yourself (regardless of what your family thinks). When they see the weight coming off and your health improving, they'll understand why you made the decision to have surgery!

I'm almost 2 years out, so not sure if you can have this yet. But, I slice very ripe bananas thin and freeze one per zip top bag, then put them in the food processor and it is delicious, not to mention you can customize in many ways. Other fruit, Peanut Butter, small amount of nuts, small pieces of very dark chocolate. So much healthier than the store bought stuff. Right now it is so very important to work on your food choices. I highly recommend working with a bariatric nutritionist because there is so much to learn. I am at a place where I am 100% happy with what I eat and I don't count or measure anything. I had to be at a point that was sustainable for me. I do watch portions and I know I will always have to be mindful of my choices, but I have found substitutes and new foods that are absolutely as satisfying as what I ate before. Follow the rules and your tastes will change. I still see my nut almost monthly and have no plans to stop. The very best to you.

Ice cream is soft, so you should be ok. That being said, you know you probably shouldn't do that, so you need to think through how to avoid it in the future. Can you take one serving out, put the rest back, and be ok? Or do you need to avoid it all together?
Nobody is perfect. The important thing is you realize you slipped up, and you plan for how to make better choices in the future.

Can I just say how much I LOVE salad, from a position last year where I hated it and considered it rather a sinful waste of a good eating opportunity.
Now clearly while I was unconscious and under the knife, one of you successfully petitioned God to change the recipe of lettuce and tomatoes to include sweetener, and red bell pepper to get rid of that disgusting bitter backtaste it used to have, and Mayonnaise so that a teaspoon goes a hugely long way and it no longer requires 1/4 cup to ale a serving palatable.
I thank you for your successful partitions to the almighty.

I am interested in other changes we are experiencing in our food tastes - so that I can try them out!