FluffyChix

@Adjust Your Crown Amen! My sistah!!! I am already up 5lbs. Crap!!!

If you're gonna use them, you should start now cuz they can cause gas as first. It's the only thing that really keeps me regular. So post surgery my RD told me to switch to Benefiber for the early days (like the first 3 months). Then once I'm completely healed, I can try/test if I handle the psyllium husks ok. I would need to start with a tiny amount and test it. It no longer makes me bloat, so I think I should be ok?

@James Marusek James, thanks so much for this very clearly understood food progression! I know I will use it again and again!! When I need to know how much food I should be eating during a given period of recovery, here it is! (I added the italicized measurements at the end if someone is measuring by volume, rather than by weight.) The directions I received after my RNY gastric bypass surgery was: First 4 weeks following surgery - (2 ounces per meal) - full liquids. (Approx. 1/4cup by volume.) Weeks 5-8 - (2 ounces per meal) - pureed foods. (Approx. 1/4cup by volume.) Weeks 9-15 - (3 ounces per meal) - solid foods. (Approx. 1/3-3/8cup by volume.) Months 4-6 - (4 ounces per meal) - solid foods. (Approx. 1/2cup by volume) Months 7-9 - (5 ounces per meal) - solid foods. (Approx. 2/3-5/8cup by volume.) Months 10-12 - (6 ounces per meal) - solid foods. (Approx. 3/4cup by volume.) Months 12-18 - (7 ounces per meal) - solid foods. (Approx. 7/8cup by volume.) 18 months and beyond - (8 ounces per meal) - solid foods. (Approx. 1cup by volume.) Question for James: James, as a pre-surg patient, I routinely eat 6-8oz per meal by weight. But by volume it's dramatically different! My 6-8oz of meal by weight occupies so much more volume than your chart! It's much more than about 1cup of food!!!??? Example: Dinner 3oz ground turkey protein by weight=3/4cup by volume 2oz of baby spinach raw by weight=2cups by volume 1oz grape tomatoes by weight=4 pieces=about 1/8cup 1oz avocado=about 1/8cup=1/8 large avocado. So even though I just consumed 7oz of food by weight, I ate 3/4c+2c+1/8c+1/8cup=3c by volume. That's a dramatic difference!! So with a gastric bypass, do we really have enough room to eat 3c of volume at a meal when it's a mixed meal as described here? I know that dense protein first will fill us up quickly. So assuming at 18months out, I'm making my goal of 3oz of dense protein per meal, that occupies 1/4c volume for every ounce by weight=3/4cup of food just from the ground turkey.

This is awesome, James! I'm gonna go add these values to the food chart in the food area!! The only thing to add, once you're at the point where you are going by weight rather than volume is that 1oz of protein by weight is different than 1oz of anything by volume. By volume, 1oz is made by about 2tbsp=1/8 cup. By weight, 1oz of meat either ground of finely chopped is actually about 4tbsp=1/4cup. Please give this a try. Cook up ground turkey or ground beef. Weight out 1oz. Then put it in a 1/4cup measure. It will fill it up. My concern is that if people think they are consuming 2oz of protein or 12-14g of protein, when they eat 1/4cup of protein without weighing it, when actually, they are only eating 1oz and that's about 6-7g of protein, then they will unintentionally overestimate how much protein they're actually eating. It may not be that big of a deal, but for some, it might represent a tipping point?

Wow! Scary. So glad they were able to get the surgery completed and you didn't need a transfusion!!! ((hugs))

Ok, this is very important!!! Having the certainty that there is an "end" to the suffering is very critical. I'm pre-surg, but have been through really huge reconstruction surgeries on my boobs/back after a double mastectomy. And it hurt so badly, the only way I knew I could do it was because I knew that each day out would/should be better than the one before and that there would come a day when the suckage would be over. We can get through anything for a short time, especially if the reward is great. So I loved the idea someone said about thinking about all the good things coming in your future, as you endure each day and check that day off your list! Right?! Also, I have written this before, but my nephew is a surgeon and told me that any time you go in and mess with the gut (even just touching or moving it), you will deal with post-op transient depression. It releases hormones that jack with your mood cuz it's part of the gut/brain axis. Then too, you're not fully (most of us) keto adapted, so your mood is further affected by having little to no food, you're getting over anesthesia, you're bloated from IV fluids, not sleeping well, and in pain. It's the perfect storm for fatigue, crying jags, and daily naps. Treat yourself gently and with love. Nap when you feel like it. Move slowly. Take it one step at a time and don't forget to breath! ((hugs))

Ok, gotta ask...is dry brine a rub? No pies here. But I am making low carb tiramisu that owe Mr. Fluffy for his birthday. So we will have that on Tday with my sis and BIL. (We're old people now, so won't have any of the kids around.) Made dressing yesterday with sis. Today am making Daddy's meatballs and sauce for friends Christmas presents with my pagnotta bread.

Honestly? Me too! I really look forward to the day where I am not fighting a constant battle with thinking about food, but when I can still take joy when I do cook, in cooking for those I love!! If you're naive, then I am too! I'm so happy, this has touched a chord with all of you, and that so many have participated in this thread! I hope we can keep the discussion going!!!

I use them to keep me regular. They are soluble fiber. I use NOW brand whole psyllium husks. They make the shakes thick and filling.

Good news I was able to get back on track yesterday after my shambolic weekend. Bad news, I was STARVING all day and am still hungry today. But I'm pushing through--doing a lot of deep breathing and "chanting": Hunger does not constitute an emergency. Hunger does not constitute an emergency. LOL. Followed shortly by: I will not die from hunger. I will not die from hunger. And lastly: Serenity NOW! Serenity NOW! Hahahaha, and I just made this one up: That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Because of the weekend indiscretion, I'm not sweatin' making 1500cals/day. Monday Menu: B-big ass green smoothie (12fl oz So Delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut milk; 18g Isopure Banana powder; 5g psyllium husks; 35g frozen blueberries; 2oz frozen chopped spinach; 1/2 eyedropper vanilla stevia-Vitacost; 4 ice cubes; 2oz ice water) MS-28g hummus; 2oz baby carrots; 1 string cheese L-low carb fish taco (1 Mission Carb Balance tortilla; 3oz leftover blackened tilapia; 1/2c shredded cabbage blend; 2tbsp red fat feta; 40g HEB fresh salsa-medium) AS-psylli tea; 2tbsp LS smooth peanut butter; 2oz GS apple D-meatballs and sketti (4oz Daddy's meatballs; 1/2c Taste of Italy Central Market marinara; 3oz miracle rice, 1tbsp grated parm); chopped salad with 3zeros Greek dressing BS-8g toasted almonds; 7g SF Lily's dark choco chips Daily Totals: 1325cals; 73g protein; 67g fat; 97g carbs; 39g fiber; 58g net carbs

Oh I'm so excited for you!!! We woulda been surgery twins! I'm so happy and relieved that it went through without a problem and now you've been doing your pre-op like a trooper. It will be here and over so quickly hon!!! ((hugs))

hehe Let's keep 'em guessing! *snort*

Thanks for the support y'all!!!! ((hugs all around)) So after the surgeon's appointment yesterday, it seems that even though it's worded vaguely (3-6 months supervised WL plan), Texas has a requirement of 6 months. Also, I think my insurance requires a Center of Excellence hospital. So they will resubmit and offer the 3 months from the other docs and a new COE hospital as the facility and we will see. In the meantime, I'm gonna go ahead and have the sleep study done and will continue with my monthly RD appointments. So at the worst, I will just continue the RD appts for an additional 90days. She seems to feel very confident that I have co-morbidities even if my sleep apnea is in remission. I'm feeling a little more reassured, and will just keep working the plan, with as little holiday shenanigans as possible.

We love piccys!!!! Congrats on doing so well!

It honestly isn't a matter of "having self control and making choices." At the best of times, many of us are able to make these choices...but when you're in the grip of it--things get quite dicey. You aren't less of a person because you struggle--I want you to have that as a take away right now. Ok? @Sosewsue61 This is great mindfulness/CBT advice!! I love it. I would add to this, start deep breathing exercises while performing this reflection/processing work. The simple act of inhaling with pursed lips like you would take a long drag from a cigarette, holding it, then expelling through pursed lips to fully empty your lungs works soooooooo well! I do it 3 or 4 times and it never fails to lower my anxiety immediately. It's so calming and allows you time to really think. You can also google 4-square breathing techniques. I bet you'll find how-to vids on YouTube. You don't mention what or how much you have been eating, or at what intervals. Maybe you could share a couple of days worth of menus and someone might be able to spot something that you might be able to tweak so you don't have to live a life of constant willpower battles. You know? I for one can't wait to get to my nutritionist in early December. Since starting PT a couple of weeks ago, I've had a huge surge of hunger in the afternoons/evenings. I come home from PT and I about want to chew my hands off, I'm so hungry! And I know I'm eating plenty, overeating actually. Hope you can figure it out so things get easier!!! ((hugs))

So sorry for Elode's loss. Devastating! Thank you for letting us know!

((hugs)) Sorry about your miscarriage and happy about your 2 children. If it were me, I would do 2 things now. 1. Go see my WLsurgeon and get them to send me to a nutritionist and a therapist in that order. Start the 6 month documentation with the therapist now. Get to finally working on the eating behaviors that are keeping me heavy and down. Get all of my blood work done to r/o thyroid, endocrine issues and/or underlying medical conditions. 2. Start working on getting an approval for revision to DS and find a surgeon in my network that can do that revision surgery--not all surgeons will or can do revisions to DS or RNY. Honestly, at this present weight and with the problems you had losing to goal with the VSG and if it was me, I'd go nuclear on my weight. DS is THEEEEEEEE most effective wl tool from a malabsorption standpoint--especially given what I think may also be the emotional/psychological eating issues associated with the regain and present weight. BTW, no judgement here. We all deal with emotional/behavioral issues with food relationships that simply MUST be fixed if we want to have any hope of losing and keeping the weight off long term.

TY but what is it short for? sic=???

Ok, dummy here. What does the [sic] even mean? TY! Me=toopid

((hugs)) Dayum, I hate them, but they are often necessary evils!!! Hang in there hon! Glad they caught it. Arteritis is difficult to dx!!! The weight will come off and the moon face will resolve. Please be gentle and patient with yourself. The moon face might take as long as 3 months to resolve.

I'm doing PT right now and it's the core building strength exercises and stretches, then doing mindfulness to retrain how we walk--and not be pulled down and forward into our protective position. The therapist also said she felt Tai Chi would be an awesome exercise practice for me to do daily as well as therapeutic yoga when I'm strong enough down the road.

I got the official rejection letter from the insurance company yesterday. I can't even decipher the reason for the explanation and I have about 3 days to understand if I need to file an appeal or if I don't do anything and simply continue 3 more months and refile. Tomorrow is the surgeon's appointment, so I will beg them for help and enlightenment. The surgeon actually spoke to the insurance company herself. Right now they are saying I'm not "medical necessity." So I fell off the wagon big time. I've been struggling this week cuz of the extra hunger (I think from stress, but also from PT and the additional exercise. Strength building exercises always have made me super ravenous after workouts from the time I was in athletics.) Yesterday, I just lost the will to fight it any more. And I'm super sad - not only about the situation, but also at myself for giving into the habit of comfort with food. Today I'm up 3lbs to 233.8lbs. So there you go. My accountability. Saturday' Horrific Menu: B: 2 eggs fried in 1 tsp evoo; 2 applewood bacon; sauteed super greens (2oz froz spin, 2oz super greens, garlic clove, 1oz gr toms, 2oz mushrooms, 1tsp evoo) MS: none L: leftover blackened fish and shrimp (5oz pangasius, 1.5oz shrimp); 5oz leftover broccoli and garlic AS: (here's where it all went wrong--snack monster got me) 308cals; 20g fat; 18g carbs; 4g fiber; 14g net carbs UGH! 1 pck HEB Toasted Seaweed Snacks; 28g hummus, 2oz baby carrots; 2oz On The Boarder Salsa con Queso, 1/2oz pork skins D: (more shenanigans) 2 slices homemade cauli almond crust pepperoni mushroom pizza; chopped salad with 3zero's Greek dressing; 1c Stouffer's mac and cheese (Yes, I said it...STOUFFER's Macaroni and Cheese!!!) BS: 6g SF Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips; 6g toasted almonds Daily Totals: 2080cals; 134g fat; 113g carbs; 29g fiber; 84g net carbs; 106g protein Pretty craptastic day. Now the big issue is to stop the hemorrhaging and isolate it to one day and 2 meals. That's gonna be hard, cuz I hate throwing food away and this morning I get up determined to start a new, fresh day. So I make my black coffee, get a fork, walk to the fridge, open the mac and cheese tray and take 2 gigantic forks full of mac n' cheese--probably about 1/3c in 2 bites. In. 2. bites. *waves buh bye to the elephant penis* *sigh* *smacks head emoji here*

I'm fast. I like to do most things fast! (I said MOST!!! hehe @JerseyJules--ok HERE. HERE I'm being naughty! Oh, you know what I'm tawkin' 'bout! hehe) I also eat incredibly fast! INCREDIBLY. Am I yelling? It feels like I am. So yeah, turns out that may not be so good for the ticker!!! This is just emerging: Heart and waistline impacted by speed eating. Here is the study from Japan. Yes, it's an association study and associations can never prove causation--but it seems like a small enough thing to change just on the "what if" side of the argument. And because it only takes 2 years for the AHA to jump on board with policy statements, here's their article on it. What do you think? Are you a fast eater? Do you have metabolic syndrome? Thoughts please?

Oh my gosh. I know! Even now I am eating large quantities of healthy food to hit some "seemingly arbitrary" caloric number from my surgeon. She wants me eating 1500cals. Well, if I was eating crap, that budget would get used up very very quickly. But since I'm consciously eating "healthy" high nutrient, low caloric foods, you'd be surprised how much food you get for 1500cals per day. The RD wants me eating 3 meals + 3 snacks to get used to eating at regularly scheduled times. Consequently, I often eat when I'm not hungry now. I am still slowly losing weight, which is what they want, but not losing my 8-10lbs a month like I was when eating 850cals/day. But it's psychologically difficult at times to make myself eat. It's a huge difference from the old days. I do still have a full tummy most of the time, but usually it isn't a stuffed feeling. Yet, I still juggle hunger, now that I'm working out in PT. And of course, I still battle the whole comfort eating cues! Ick! But I can't wait for the day when I don't have to chase or feel that stuffed feeling!!! You=lucky girlie!!!

I so agree--even before surgery--it's a constant evolution. I some days wonder if I will "ever get there." You know? It often feels like 1 step forward, 2 back--with near-constant challenges to derail and chuck it all to the curb. I kinda look at this as a chicken or egg study. You know? Yes, how could I not have metabolic syndrome from my weight. But more importantly, did the rate at which I ate contribute to my metabolic syndrome which in turn impacted my severe and morbid obesity? I so get what you're saying also, about not having the full sensation until it was too late. I don't know about you, but I used to actively "chase" that sensation. I wanted that feeling of a beyond full, replete tummy. It mean't "all was right with the world" and God was in His heavens. LOL. Ugggh!!! Talk about stinkin' thinkin'!!! I absolutely was either in denial about it or rationalized that behavior. And thinking logically, controlling how quickly food hits your intestines determines the rate of glycemic response. We use all sorts of eating behaviors to address this like: eating vinegar foods prior to a meal, eating fats and proteins with fruits and carbs to slow stomach emptying, eating protein first to increase satiety and also slow stomach emptying. So this study makes perfect sense! Why not simply train ourselves to eat mindfully with awareness to early fullness and eat slower. It's one of the "easiest" (relatively) things to do for ourselves. Right? But for some reason, the lightbulb finally went off for me with this article. Funny, huh? I was told for years to quit eating so quickly. To put my fork down between meals. It was an old WW mantra. And yet, I didn't get it!