FluffyChix

Dang! Feel better soon. Glad your doc was on top of things and knew how to fix it quickly!!

Well, you know...where 2 or more Jewish mamas or grandmothers are gathered...seriously. Also on the married couples wanting to fix their male friends up with "nice Jewish girls" just saying. At least it's that way here in Houston. Tight. TIGHT communities.

So maybe it is just that we've weakened it and it's just taking me longer! That gives me hope it will improve, cuz it's tough and scary right now to cough!

Hi y'all. So I have a bad cold and am coughing. But dang, it's so difficult to get a productive cough and move stuff up out of my chest. It feels like I don't have the muscle or diaphragm "ooomph" that I need. It's pretty wimpy. I also can't do a sit up even though I exercise and have been doing core exercises. Do any of you who are healed also experience this lack of diaphragm strength? It's dramatically different from my pre-op strength. (Oh I am 6+ months out from RNY.) TIA!

Gosh we're all so different! I actually was cleared to eat whatevs at 3 weeks. And ate a tiny bite of steak without problems!

Yep, I was cleared for fish on Week2.

Supposedly not. I didn't have a hernia fix. But you know, I can eat a LOT without feeling restriction, so I'm wondering if I might have a hole in my diaphragm or dilation in my esophagus. I sent my surgeon a MyChart question about this. Will be interested to see what she says. I was hoping it was just that our diaphragms need retraining or something... f**k!

Here are some menus: I get up around 5am fyi. B1 - protein decaff coffee (6oz Premier Protein across 3 cups of decaf) B2 - egg white puff with mushrooms, baby spinach, turkey sausage crumbles, lite cheese wedge, egg whites L - leftovers from dinner or turkey roll-up with cheese or a salad D - protein, veg, avo + tomatoes Here are some screen shots (click to enlarge). The whole day doesn't fit on one shot. The first breakfast is the protein coffee and I list all my vitamins in my bedtime "snack" to track them too. April 3-yummy day love salad April 10-love salmon veg and shrimpies!!

So I just averaged my 6-8 week numbers. At I think it was about 5-6 weeks I have no restrictions whatsoever from a diet standpoint. If I wanted raw veg and fruit I could try them. My RDs goals for me were 64+oz liquid with about 36oz coming from water. She wanted me hitting 60-80g protein daily (ideally around 74g). And she had no other goals for me. I could eat so easily and drink so easily. My pouch is called Iron Will. To this day I fear that I can eat too much. So we really might not be apples to apples if you have a lot of restriction. I rely heavily on healthy, nutrient dense, but not not calorically dense foods for about 95-98% of my foods. At this time, I could easily eat: 2oz protein (by weight) = about 1/3-1/2 cup by volume depending on how much you cram it down into the measuring cup. 1oz veggies cooked (by weight) = about 1/8-1/4cup by volume depending how you pack it and how well cooked they are. 1oz of combined grape tomatoes and avocado (by weight) = about 1/8 cup by volume (these are just sliders to me). I was also still drinking 6oz of protein shake in my morning decaff cuz I loved it, but also cuz it helped me know I didn't have to do protein only meals in order to meet my protein targets for the day.

So first off, if it were me (from my RD), drop the notion of "hitting all your calories." Instead focus on hitting your fluid goals, protein goals, vitamin/mineral goals (all of these are MANDATORY at your juncture). All liquids (in addition protein drinks) add up and are combined to help you meet your fluid goal. And the protein drinks also help you hit your protein goal too. My RD said she still has patients 1-2 years out drinking a shake per day. Well, I can tell you what I ate around your time so it's a little more of apples and apples. Hang on lemme go get that information.

Um, not me. About 90% MAYYYYYYBE 95% of the time, I'm on a pretty strict plan for success both with diet and exercise. It's working for me.

Yeah. It's not unusual for me to see it 2-3 days out. So I'm not recording my weight again until I'm over the cold. Especially since the sf cough drops and sf candies tend to affect my blood sugars (or at least then did pre-op). This is the first time trying since surgery. I'm eating about 4-5 of either sf cough drops or sf cinnamon drops right now. And I do think they wake up my hungry and desire to "feed." *annoyed* But I'm trying not to make myself crazy. The great news about being with you guys (see @Matt Z), is that I'm building a little confidence that I can f**k up and get right back in the game with my head, eating, and exercise. I honestly didn't see that one coming. And I'm sure it's delaying my progress, but I don't think it's so significant that it's gonna add months or years to goal. I think it might add weeks though. But I'm trying to get my head out of Crazy Town and think in terms of life plans...of course that could also be major rationalization goin' down round heah too.

present.

How about single's groups at your synagogue? Or see what using a matchmaker would cost.

Congrats! You look wonderful! Happy Birthday!!!

This is how fucked up the scale is. So yeah you know I've got a cold. @GreenTealael gave me her's I'm sure. Thanksnotthankful. And yesterday I reverted to old behaviors using that as an excuse--I feel like crap, so I'm gonna take the day off of everything and play hooky. And I did nothing more than drink hot green tea, hot coffee, watch the Hallmark channel and nap. I also ate and ate and ate--some good stuff--some bad stuff like peanut butter and pita chips (damn you Lex Luther, come get your damned pita chips-yes! They are STILL here from my birthday hijinx! And I haven't been able to muscle the will to throw in the trash and pour dish soap over them. They sing to me at night. Me=massochist). And also leftover white rice and Chinese delivery. *le sigh* Didn't even track foods cuz it would be too gruesome for words! UGH! I even ate at midnight last night (seafood gumbo with white rice) and had 3 SF chocolate assorted candies (which I NEVER do)!!! And this morning I cowboy-up and step on the scale prepared to see me weigh 165lbs or some shenanigans. And the scale is down to 159.2 from the previous day--when I ALSO ate like crap, but this time, basically ate popcorn...

I wish we could double emoji. I'd pick at least two for you! Good times!

Late to the party! WAhhhhhhooooo! Congrats!!!!

Bahahahaha you guys slay me! Thank for the "fun with flags exercise" this morning!

Oh doh! I missed the measuring tape selection! So they measure the waist 2 inches above the belly button and I have been tracking mine at the belly button. 2" above is actually the curve or smallest part of my waist. Ok, so here's my print out: (click to enlarge) All of these numbers seem pretty preposterous if you ask me. Maybe I'm just measuring incorrectly?! It's easier to accept the USNavy one or the BMI one, that it is for me to believe any of the other ones. Meh...

wait, so you use calipers???

I also have a larger pouch with quick movement. So I also focus on dry dense proteins, LOTs of al dente and leafy veggies, small amounts of healthy fats. And I don't drink for 2 hours after a meal and 15mins before. I stay super hydrated and then 20 mins before I water load and drink probably a whole 16oz bottle of water, finishing with sips at the 15 minute mark. Then nothing until after the meal for 2 hours. Then drink with sips until right before the next meal. It's really helped a lot. But they say you should not do this until at least 3-4 months out or even 6 months when your pouch is healed.

The Hell!!! It says at 159.2lbs and 5'4", 56, female, 13" neck, 31" waist, 41" hip, that my body fat % is 59.8% and that I'm in the obese category still???? ALL kinds of crying over here, cuz I think my doc's office is like 33% fat maybe? @GreenTealael what are your numbers that you are using please and what does it show for BF? SHEW!!!! DFU Error!!!! So apparently, if they ask for feet, they expect you to express your measurements in feet/inches (so strange)!!! So I re-input stuff in those terms and it comes out about what my doc's office shows: 32.7%, still in the obese range to be sure, but not as sad as 60% fat! That's a WHOLE lot of fat after all this hard work! LOL.

I haven't been using one. My docs office is some professional grade Tanita with a print out and they use that. But hell's maybe I need to run and do mine now?!! Do you have the link for the YMCA one as well as this? (Haven't clicked the link yet--thanks @Matt Z!)

I just love this guy! Thanks for sharing and talking me off the ledge. LOL!!