KarenLR75

@FluffyChix - here are the macros from my dr's office (he has on staff nutritionist). I'm unsure how I feel about the 30% from carbs. I seem to lose better at the 700 or less range but I think they are pushing a bit for me to go higher instead which baffles me. I am tracking in MyFitness Pal (just started this week - previously I was logging in a spreadsheet): Track your intake in MyFitness Pal and aim for about 800 calories with 40% of total calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 30% from carbohydrates this should help increase your rate of weight loss Here is what I put in fitnesspal as my goals (they don't line up with dr office info, I would have to lower fat and the fat I have in my diet are the healthier fats...and I don't hit the goal often. I'd have to increase carbs to THIRTY PERCENT! ACK. I'm ok with taking fat amount down as there is no way I currently get even that much 'good fat' in my diet. I agree with my doctor on % of protein - 40%. Where the heck do you set a goal/limit for sugar grams? While I don't consume processed or regular sugar..there are sugar grams in some items although I try to keep them limited as popsicle. WHY WHY WHY do the outshine 'no sugar added' popsicles have to taste so good!!?? I've never been a popsicle eater until after surgery....they have SIX GRAMS OF CARBS EACH. I about passed out...my prior weeks have been so limited in calories that having 1 or 2 didn't impact me but I think they might be now.... I'm going to start making my own frozen popsicles..probably from the 1 million bottles of the Clear Premier Protein drink - tropical punch...or crystal light popsicles...I DO truly love the outshine popsicles (no sugar added) and I can deal with the sugar grams from them but not the SIX grams of carbs EACH.

Thanks for responding, Fluffy, especially with such a well-thought out post. I understand now that I may be 'too early' in the process. I'm such a slow loser and am hitting multiple stalls...that I was looking for anything I could do that would help. I have started tracking my food/water/liquids intake in the myfitness tool now that I was given macros by my dr's office but their plan has me consuming more carbs than I am comfortable with as I'm a big keto devotee and I lose better when I keep carbs low as a general rule. I did 'Atkin's' way back in the day and lost 80 lbs and kept it off for a decade. I restarted a keto WOL 15 months before having surgery as this way of eating helps my body feel better. Now I'm wondering should I follow dr's plan & not attempt to modify to be lower carb...unsure if only being 2 mos post op if my body would prefer that...but having had this body for a number of yrs (lol), I have such a difficult time losing weight...period. Usually it comes off much faster when I keep carbs below 20 ideally...or 30 for a stretch. Below is your list and I just wanted to put my responses in but I get what you are saying about it being too early for me to do IF. I'm hoping some of the things on your list that I'm already doing will have me better prepared should I go down the IF route later in this process: 1. FOLLOW your doc's and RD's plan for you and the stage you're eating at. You MUST be able to easily get the required protein in per day that they prescribe for you. And the amount of fluids you're told to consume. 2. Follow the rules of WLS. No eating drinking 15/30 or 30/30 depending your doc's plan. 3. Get ALL of your daily Vitamins in without skipping a single dose. I've been fortunate that I haven't had an issue with this even directly after surgery 4. Get to walking. And maybe even get to doing core strengthening exercises. Started hiking with youngest daughter several weeks ago. We've been consistent to this day. We currently do 2 x's a week and are looking to increase this but waiting for temperatures to cool down so we can do so..I also swim in my pool a couple times a week. 5. Protein first at every meal/snack >> al dente veggies >> a tiny bit of healthy fats (and that's it). Protein always first, especially since I'm only 2 mos post-op. If protein goes down ok, then I eat whatever veggie if i have one. 6. Cut out ALL C.R.A.P. (google it)--that means no sugar, grains, starchy root veg, starches, refined products, fake stuff, "treats" such as Protein Bars or Water drops. Severely limit the use of sugar substitutes. Did this 17 mos ago when I embraced keto WOL although I never believed in enormous intake of fat so my version had fats limited to ones that are healthier. I tended during this time to stay away from protein bars but if in a desperate pinch as I had a bad habit of not eating regularly (working so much I'd forget to eat, etc.) I might have one. I was a big user of artificial sweeteners during this period although I kept an eye on the research about them possibly causing hunger and many other things about them. Currently my limitation is 2 to 3 packets of splenda (or another fake sugar) a day in my post-op world. 7. Start drinking green tea now (I use decaff) and look into Earl Grey Tea. Ironically I just got a tea brew bottle and a pack of..I think it is green tea in a subscription box that I get. 8. Try to keep your carbs to <30g net per day (subtract Fiber grams of carbs from the total carb count to get net carbs. Yes, I'm a big believer in this! Trying to figure out how to fight myfitness pal as it does not have food listed in its DB, from what little I've seen, with net carb count. I may have to hand add all my stuff 9. No "snacking". Eat 3 meals + 1-3 small mini meals per day in order to limit meal portions to the volume recommended by your doctor and to reach your protein totals each day. A mini meal is an organized, orderly, planned event. Snacking is not. Snacking is hedonistic and reckless and it's possible to do a lot of damage with a single snack event. Since I'm 2 months post-op..this is usually covered although I am not yet this structured as I'm still having occasional issues at mealtime. My mini-meals are not yet planned, thought out events. Well, it's more like I know I will have a carbmaster yogurt in between my breakfast premier protein shake and my next 'meal' which is always an intake of real protein (i.e. meat that I can tolerate and is not a fatty meat). I also will parse out 7 almonds, etc. I think where I'm at is more like 'practicing for where I need to be'? I DID find myself recently..and it is always late at night as often don't eat my 1st meal of the day until almost 11 AM...going to get sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles but I was NOT hungry. It is old habits trying to creep back in. Was really upset that I started to 'go there'..this is a very slippery slope for me! 10. Aim to get 2-3oz of protein per meal (lean dense protein, no casseroles, no deeply satisfying gooey cheesy high reward meals. Keep is simple: grilled chicken, sauteed chicken, poached or sauteed fish, etc. No meat lube or stuff that adds to the pleasure of the food experience. My protein meals are much like what you said. Haven't had a casserole yet...wait, I did. It was shredded chicken I made in crockpot with chicken broth,fat free cream cheese and salsa..but no cheese involved. It is one of the few ways I can get 'moist' chicken. The macros do fit into my keto version including keeping the fat down more than most keto plans.

Glad you mentioned that...when I finally stood up and looked in the mirror, my face looked..reddish-purple...I was actually worried I had burst some blood vessels. I am SO relieved someone else has gone through this!!!!!!!!!

Ironically I work in the software development field and am usually working with ERP & warehouse systems, especially those used by grocery stores - although right now we are selling more in Europe. Just finished testing an enhancement to allow picks to grocery store 'grid patterns'. I actually love supply chain logistics..it is fascinating My family rolls their eyes as I get so excited when I pass a huge warehouse and am busily trying to count the # of dock doors they have...and don't get me started on my passion for barcoding. I think my family plans to put me away some day...but I truly love what I do.

Ditto what AZHiker said. I'm back on keto with exception of fat %. I use vinaigrettes for salads and some salad dressings that straddle line between low carb and low fat. I use spray butter instead of butter, avocado mayo mixed with low fat mayo or greek yogurt and I use sparingly. Instead of full fat heavy cream, I opt for a splash fat free 1/2 and 1/2 )or vanilla protein drink). On rare occasions if overall carbs are low, I will use 1 TBSP of heavy cream in something but that is rare. I use fat free cream cheese, etc. - I think you get the picture. On top of this, since my calories are between 700-800 a day I still can be in ketosis sometimes partly from lower calories & part from low carbs. I notice when I stick to this, I lose weight faster. If I do some of the 'low glycemic carbs' like oatmeal, sweet baked potato, beans, I notice slow down in loss but I've had these items sparingly.. My surgeon is a keto fan after full healing when he lets his us start eating "regular food" . On the ongoing nutrition plan I just received, they had the macros as follows: 800 calories with 40% of total calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 30% from carbohydrates this should help increase your rate of weight loss. I can understand 800 cals & biggest % being protein but I was a bit surprised by 30% from fat part although I know they mean healthy kinds of fat like avocado, etc. Here is what plan says about fat: Limit fats to 2-3 servings a day; avoid unhealthy fats such as cream, lard, butter. 1 serving of fat should = 5g fat. Some examples include: 1 tsp. oil, 1 Tbsp. regular salad dressing, 2 Tbsp. reduced-fat salad dressings, 1/8 avocado, 6 almonds, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter. In looking at sample meal plans, I will revise it for me by removing some of the bigger carbs that the list has like once a day having oatmeal or 1 pc whole wheat toast as I need to keep overall carbs down to lose more quickly.

The only person not taking accountability for their actions is him. You already demonstrated accountability by pursuing WLS and doing a dang fine job at it even though it is the hardest action to undertake out of them all. He likes to fight dirty it seems. Just let him wallow in it. I'm sure you were very distressed when he made that comment...I'd have been so tempted to say "wow, thanks, you solved it for me!. I never thought about doing any of that. I think you should write a book since you are now an expert in solving things you have no experience with". I say TEMPTED to say it as often when ppl fight dirty like that they are trying to get a reaction so often the best course of action is to give them NO reaction. So much easier said than done though! I'm sorry he did that to you though..sorry you went through it. I think life will be better off without his poor behavior in the mix.

FINALLY! Am at lowest weight in over 15 years. Don't know what we call finally getting out of the '300's and in to the '200's on the scale, but I'm going to call it 'MAGICAL'!! LOL...am barely into the '2's but I'm claiming it!! Still a slow loser but I'm just grateful at this point. I could still be continuing my eventual 'gain into infinity/death'... I'm so happy...relieved...so many other emotions...but a good jumble instead of a bad one.. Love this PICTURE!! I was so surprised as I had been stalled for past week and kept showing between a 1.2 lb gain or that I was staying the same. I got on and off the scale like 5 times as I didn't trust in what I was seeing (and my scale is weird sometimes but usually 3 tries gives me the correct #)..

Always happy to help. The cherry chewable gas-ex tablets were almost like having DESSERT in the first few weeks, and it felt so DANG good to be able to CHEW something!!

I'm on a blood thinner but also still weigh a LOT. Mine ranges from high 70's and then will spike up to high 90's but this has stayed fairly consistent before and after surgery.

It took me over 10 days to get rid of all the gas. I walked and walked and walked. Chewing Gas-Ex tablets (approved by my dr) did help some. I felt NO hunger at all for a BLISSFUL TWO DAYS. Since Day THREE after surgery I have experienced true hunger AND head hunger. Sometimes I could tell the difference, sometimes I cannot. My restriction however, always kicked in so I RARELY exceeded 1 to 2 ounces of liquid the first few weeks. Then I could sometimes hit around 2 to 4 ozs. After that, I could feel the restriction kick in hard. Some ppl CAN take in more around these timeframes but I deferred to my dr's plan which indicated I should NOT consume more than this so I didn't. I'd follow whatever your dr's plan is...and if still hungry, try drinking water (I'd read FluffyChix's post on Doing the Head Work and/or searching on this forum about how to tell if what you are feeling is head hunger (IT can be VERY VERY similar to the 'true hunger' sensation). Mainly wanted to assure you that what you are going through is normal! Congrats on getting to this part of your journey!!

I hadn't checked my Dr's nutrition info now that I'm officially past the 6 week mark (where they indicate full healing should be although I've also heard ppl in his office state 8 weeks?). Much to my shock this is the ONLY thing in the 4 pages that addresses what to do AFTER WEEK SIX: After 6 weeks from your surgery date, your stomach is officially healed and it is time for you to advance your diet further to dense proteins. Remember to focus on your meal pattern to help you reach your daily protein goal and to help you feel your best! Protein first, followed by non-starchy vegetables, then fruit or starch (if desired) NOTHING is stated about amounts, how often, calorie limit or any other macro related suggestions. I mean what ??? There is not even a reference to WEEKS 4-6 which is all about eating 1 to 2 oz up to 4 to 5 times per day and is limited to only SOFT SOFT foods. I'm a bit baffled..

I've had this happen 4 to 5 times now in the past 6.5 weeks. I spent most of today curled almost in a fetal position on my bed with horrible cramping/aching in my abdomen area. Have had no food issues in most recent 48 hrs. Start to get really bad abdominal cramping like I'm going to have diarrhea...sometimes there is a small BM & it is not the signature 'hard/rocky' type BM, but the pain just continues on and on. Have decent pain tolerance but if I was asked to walk upright, I'd have to pause and bend over if there was anywhere to do so. In the end it is usually concluded that I was not necessarily: Constipated Experiencing a bad food/rejection/pouch issue An upset/irritated pouch that is possibly swollen I still have some medicine on hand that my doctor prescribed for abdominal pain - methocarbamol (Robaxin). That doesn't even put a dent in it! I also have another med for abdominal pain/spasms - hyoscyamine that I have not been able to find today but it has never seemed to help much either. This med is supposed to "Gut antispasmodic and anti-tremor". I wish I HAD found it today to at least give it a try as I was at 'desperation level'. Only way I can think to describe how it feels is that it feels like my lower intestines/colon are twisting themselves into knots. Is this just something that is part of the healing process/that just stops over time. It's the whole 'intense pain without a causative factor that I can put my finger on" part that is driving me crazy. This type of pain usually lasts at least 8 hrs and knocks me out of the majority of the day which is NOT good when you need to be working.

OMG, I forgot to respond to everyone's replies. I actually get this..like every 2 to 4 weeks it seems. The first 2 times was before I had healed very much (I'm...7 weeks out now?)...and I got so dehydrated I was sent to hospital for a long duration of IV fluids. They also gave me some meds for abdominal pain/cramping (I had already taken the 2 different meds my surgeon had prescribed for this and he prescribed Tramadol as well, but Tramadol does nothing for me). When the 'meds' I had at home were not enough to suffice and after hours of enduring the agony, I actually did call dr both times. That 1st hospital visit also gave me some type of pain relief but I have no clue what it was. It was not what I had on hand, nor was it a heavy duty narcotic. The 2nd time I had this kind of pain I was sent to another facility to drink soapy water (I was only a few weeks out and it was one of worst things I've ever had to try to drink, esp with being not even 1 month past operation. Scan showed no leaks, etc. The 3rd time, I was told to go back to hospital I had scan at. Was kept overnight. Was in awful pain. Scan done again and only thing they could see this time was that my esophagus tended to spasm which answered question of why I felt my throat and 'restriction' were locking down sometimes after even a small mouthful of water. Only thing the hospital offered me for pain relief was IV tramadol. I didn't even pay attention as I was so completely miserable..I just noticed that I had NO pain relief during the 15 hrs I was @ hospital, unlike 1st one i went to where they gave me something that helped. THUS, I have resolved to NOT go back to a hospital I do not let my dr know any more when I have these..episodes? It seems the ONLY test that can be run during these horrid events is just the soap drink/check your GI tract/pouch? No thank you. If I am going to spend almost a full day ((or what ends up being a full day out of commission), with no way to even take the edge off the pain..then I'll stay home and keep trying to get through it. I don't know if it is the dang opioid crisis or what, but my prescription history shows i do not take ANY pain pills as a general rule. They just are usually not worth it. They could check previous hospitalizations and see that 90% of the time I turn down heavy duty pain meds and opt for 'less powerful' pain meds (tylenol, etc. and no, not tylenol with anything added). That is why 10 days ago...on what I now see was the 4th time to have the exact same symptoms I just posted here. I should have given the backstory.... My fingers are crossed that I never have another episode again! If i do though, I'm just staying here. It hurts enough that if I could drink alcohol and IF that even helped anything, I MAYBE would do so...but that is not my preferred way to handle things.

YES!! I love them too..so so much! Our surgery dates were within weeks of each other. Hopefully one of our veterans that had a similar issue can assure us we can ONE DAY eat our beloved eggs. I have seen ppl post that they were able to eat eggs in other 'forms' like boiled, deviled....but I'm kind of gun shy right now...

My surgery was 3 days after yours so we were in the same week! I actually had this same feeling last week. When I start to get overwhelmed, I actually almost go back a phase. And....I have found for ME since I've been such a slow LOSER, that I have to be careful as I cannot eat the same things even at this phase as others...so I tend to repeat meals that I know are within my personal calorie target, protein target, and especially carb target. I have to do something that may actually not be easy, but I honestly make my meals almost boring at this point during the week as I need FAST and EASY and "I don't want to have to calculate/think about it" (and I love tracking #'s). What helps is that I know now I'm hitting my protein goals (I drink at least 1 shake a day still). So on the weekends is where I try to incorporate some of the wonderful and still easy ideas that everyone posts. However, I totally get the feeling of have to constantly monitor things. Since I've started being more active with my youngest, that has helped shake my weight loss up some...so maybe that is also where I've found a little bit more freedom from where I was at last week and the week before - exactly what you said. Hang in there, from everything I've read, it gets easier...much easier. Although our key veterans also seem to monitor what they eat, but I think it is from a much less overwhelmed perspective.

Looking at the jerky that @Orchids&Dragons recommended now. Trying to see which one has the lowest amount of carbs even though I know jerky is something I used to eat when doing keto before surgery. They definitely sound DELICIOUS, the protein is awesome and the calories are low enough! My youngest daughter and I..even though we never exercised (well, I swam) before my WLS, are doing what we have learned is basically called 'day hiking'. I'd like to have something I can put in our little pack to take with us and I think @AngieBear also mentioned putting some type of snack like this in as she was going hiking. I need to follow this thread as it has given me so many ideas. I'm getting a little tired of the same 4 to 5 things..lol You guys are so awesome. Such amazing ideas and willingness to share!!

LOL...is that a 'bad word' to BP? I actually did invest in some pretty things...one issue now is they are starting to get to be too big! They are more 'gowns' but they are appealing ones. I just wish there was less um...cushion in a certain place.

I've used patches when I couldn't keep things down.

I am a SLOW LOSER. Have been no matter what I tried since I hit my 30's. For the image that GradyCat posted..for the starting weight of '300-400'....I've been roughly on target for the smallest weight loss of the possible 'ranges'. i.e. at 10 days out I may have even been less than projected..maybe 7-8 lbs For 6 weeks out - I was at about 22 or 23 lbs. This is with no cheating, no big calorie intake on any day and with increased physical activity. Some others that I follow that had similar starting weight as I did (or roughly similar weight at time of surgery) and are within + or - 7 years of my current age, have ALL blown away what I've managed to do by leaps and bounds. They lost more like at the high end of the ranges. I wish it was different for me, but I keep continuing to work on NOT being disappointed. Who knows, maybe with me losing more slowly, when some of my 'faster losing' friends....if they start to 'peter out a bit'..maybe mine will keep being continual. In other words, maybe 1 to 2 years out, if we stick to what we know we should be doing, our losses may match more closely (assuming similar physical activity as well). I know that the way I was going, I was staying stagnant and then gaining lbs here and there and at almost 400 lbs, I was on a fast track to what is almost...like a slow death blow to my body..bit by bit. Also, I lost 45-50 lbs on previous 15 months of keto WOL before I ever walked into a surgeon's office. Before I ever started any 'pre-op diet' and my body was VERY stubborn in shedding the weight during those 15 months even when I was HEAVY into ketosis (based on the urine strips). Decades of yo-yo dieting, etc. seem to have just turned my thermostat to 'OFF'. It is up to me to reignite it and for ME, that means I have to be more active - not just having an RNY. I had been walking with my daughter & noticed that was adding an extra lb a wk loss which may not seem like much but over a year that is 52 EXTRA lbs lost from just walking 3 times a wk.

This actually has what I call a 'small scoop'. It is from a small bag of Genepro unflavored/medical grade protein powder that I THINK i got from BP, but I may have gotten from Amazon. Will have to check. I'll attach pictures showing the scoop next to a Premier Protein shake so you can get an idea of size. A 'scoop' (small scooper) is 7.2 grams which is roughly equal to a little over 2 tsps so you can see that it is a LOT of protein (30 grams) for a small amount of "powder" although I still calculate all of the calories, etc. that come from it. Sometimes I don't need an entire '30 grams' as it is = 58.7 calories. Sometimes I do a 1/2 scoop or roughly..a little of 1 tsp. It all depends on where my calories are at for the day. However, if I am not hitting my protein or need a boost, then I don't worry about the extra 58.7 calories. There were days when I was having an issue getting any 'real food' in and then I added this stuff to diced peaches, yogurt, you name it. However, my calories were very low so the addition of the extra 58.7 calories didn't matter. For 1 scoop if you use entire amount - besides 58.7 calories, there is .3 grams of fat (negligible to me), 0.6 gms of carbs (negligible to me). 0.6 sugars (negligible to me) and 30 gms of protein. Here are the pics of the nutrition info and the baby scooper next to my premier protein drink (I do NOT add anything to the premier protein drinks as they already have 30 grams of protein..lol).

I hear you! I almost bought some of the calcium chews of one brand (can't remember which one) and at last minute I decided to look @ label (just like I check any 'gummy item') and was shocked at the total that taking 3 of those suckers would cost me in carbs! It was just like you said..roughly 20. So, no thank you to those. I will say if I'm having problems one day eating meat (like I made my chicken too dry) or for some reason I'm really nauseated, I do try and work in some yogurt from Kroger - the line is called CARBMASTER, I think. The carbs are reasonable, sugars are low (sugar free technically)...and the protein is ok, but I put a chunk of protein powder into each one if needed (counting the calories from the powder...still less calories for me than most things)..and stir them up. I've easily gotten 15 grams ...maybe even 20 grams of protein from just one yogurt.

I had been wondering about this. It seems to often be done with lower abdomen? Is that correct. I know it sounds maybe stupid...but I was horrifically dismayed when I realized on this forum that the excess weight in this specific area was 'not going to go away'. I'm unsure why I thought it would be different...but I was and still am fairly upset as I was hoping I would not need plastics for that. Even though as of this week, I weigh less than I've weighed in a decade, I'm not comfortable being..physical with my husband...despite the weight loss...because, well let's be real if you were as large as me or maybe wherever you are at...all the saggy skin...just not attractive on me. I'm so particularly embarrassed about this area specifically.

One thing I've found that helps bring up protein without adding so many calories is I add protein powder (unflavored) to almost everything including my shredded chicken I made yesterday which has a salsa/broth poured on top of it. I noticed when I did not add the protein powder, I ate a bigger 'helping' of chicken..probably closer to 4+ oz & generally my pouch only tolerates UNDER 4 oz's well....I have no idea why with this food item I can 'stuff more in'. The reason I say it like that is because I was following old/bad habits, eating quickly, not chewing as much..not putting down my fork. This is where I find I need to do WAY more head work. I can tell when I've HIT my restriction, I need to REMEMBER to measure/weigh as when I do NOT hit my restriction, my old 'stinking' way of 'thinking' starts to wonder..."hhmm..can I take another bites?". The question should be DOES my body REQUIRE another bite? So, I realized I had forgotten the protein powder, I went back to adding it tonight & eating MINDFULLY - something I can forget from meal to meal even ONLY 6.5 weeks out! SCARY! I know this is the honeymoon period but short of trying to ensure I get 60+ oz's of protein, I should be doing whatever I can to keep calories LIMITED (this is my own feelings) AND ontinue to try to keep carbs limited. I;m a super SLOW loser & I noticed when early into pureed stages, when I had the ONE and only helping of 'mashed potatoes'...that I was in TROUBLE. Carbs like this are a big trigger food for me and CONVENIENTLY..my 'Ms. Picky Pouch' did not signify it was full when I expected the restriction to 'kick in as normal'. It's like 'she' (my pouch) decided she could fold and flatten the dang potatoes! I decided after that to love myself enough to kick this trigger food to the curb. You will not find a trigger food in my house normally as I had been doing keto WOL for long, long time. I like your idea of smaller plates. I notice when putting my shredded chicken into my regular size 'Dixie bowl', I was constantly hesitating as it 'looked like less'. I must weigh/measure so I KNOW how much it is. I think I will buy the small..well, ppl would call them dessert plates..whatever the smallest size is, and put my food on that instead. Heck, I have saucers I NEVER use..I can use them..lol..what a CONCEPT!

Girl, you are rocking it, LITERALLY! I'm both proud and THRILLED for you!!!

YES! I am not even a huge ice cream fan but my husband is and before my RNY, we had been doing a keto WOL for 15 months so I looked up a few recipes for easy keto ice cream and EVEN using real whipping cream, what I made for him had less carbs, LESS FAT and less calories even then the 'retail' items being billed as 'low carb' or lower carb. I just get blown away trying to figure out where the BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP did all the 'bad numbers' i'm seeing on the nutrition labels of these products come from????