KarenLR75

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????

OK, I have a fairly decided variety of face care products I've used for past couple of years (due to being over the age of 40) that I like and that I KNOW make a big difference in how my skin looks, feels, etc. I spent a LOT..and I mean a LOT of money trying everything from drugstore creams to higher end skin care lines (Sunday Riley, Dr. Brandt, skin care sold in higher end dept stores), etc. and have honed it down to my 'A' list items (my 'must haves') I really do not want to nor can I really afford to...spend yrs trying to find what other lotions, tapes (silicone), etc. will be even POTENTIALLY helpful to minimize what comes from rapid weight loss. I REALIZE for the largest 'skin' impacts of rapid weight loss...that if things like an 'apron stomach' that sags and causing yeast infections, etc. - this is a whole different CATEGORY of 'issues'. I'm looking more for things that can reduce to some extent..things like: Lessening the color of stretchmarks (I have some mederma products that I use on a large scar on one arm where I had an area of malignant melanoma removed) Lessening the additional creases/fine lines that appears everywhere (leaning towards Bio Oil?) Doing anything that can be done to improve elasticity of skin short of professional treatments (also willing to consider professional intervention) -1 of my daughters is slowly working on losing weight and since she's in 20's - I'm hoping since she still has PLENTY of estrogen flowing, her skin will bounce back better than mine but she has asked about what lotions, etc. she should try. Someone had suggested coconut oil to her?? I realize at end of day these types of things are limited in what they can do, but we don't want to leave any stone unturned. For myself, since am older than 45, I know some of the things I will need help with, I will possibly be turning to plastics. My upper arms were always saggy even at 16 & I weighed 135. Had been on the swim team for years. We also lifted weights so I KNEW as I got older, that this was a hereditary issue (which of course I compounded). Any experience - positive or negative that you are will to share is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks GreenTealael! You brought up critical points I didn't even think to mention - we (my daughter and I) are big water fans..and I know I need to keep my protein up. Thank you for the reminders that if these common health 'FOUNDATIONS' are overlooked, then you already have put yourself at an even greater disadvantage. I'm very pro avocado/healthy fats. In fact, I think I am missing fat out of my diet so I've been dicing up avocados each day but have been wondering about putting some type of the healthy oils I have in my pantry over my chicken, etc. I am a 'slow' weight loser and always have been except for one brief 2 year period in my 20's. I think it is..Sophia Loren? maybe...who attributes her skin, etc. to olive oil? I have often wondered if I can just take the 'food grade' olive oil I have and put on my skin or does it need to be formulated for skin? I've thought of doing side by side comparisons on some of my stretch marks using mederma scar stuff on one side and another product on the other side. My dermatologist was supposed to give me a sample of something he said was better than Mederma the last time I went in for my 90 day check up. I wonder if he meant the silicone tape (tape? is that right?) that I saw mentioned on the board the other day. Guess I need to do a quick search.

I personally vote for what gives you the most time with medical coverage during what can sometimes be the harder months/weeks of this journey and that is the post-op recovering and moving on through the different stages. Not saying you will have any complications, but I'd rather know my insurance was 'there' to handle such things...if I'm reading your email correctly about your insurance situation. Critical to still do prep and headwork even with or especially with a smaller countdown window

See - you have many victories! You can ABSOLUTELY do this. It also takes bravery to be honest on a WLS forum about cheating. I admire your honesty. I hovered on these forums since late in 2017 and didn't actively post until April of this year (2019) so I have seen many many ppl just start to give things up (cigarettes, caffeine, soda, carbs, etc.) at the start of their pre-op diets and I always feel for them as it can be a bit overwhelming especially if they start to feel what some call the low carb/keto flu. Yes, you are close to my youngest's age so age is on your side which is GREAT!! Please don't think I was giving you a failing grade on your pre-op diet or trying to judge you. The only thing that kept me on mine was being older and like I said...being scared. That does not make me better than you. And I always, always defer to a person's individual doctor unless a poster posts something that sounds hideously.um..dangerous. You WILL be ok! I do hope you can do whatever his/her directions are for the rest of your pre-op (I say this as I couldn't drink anything after 10 PM the night before (so not even 'liquids' on my liquid pre-op) as I was up first at 6 AM the next day as it will also help prepare you a little bit for post-op...without the feelings from having had anesthesia, and some of the bloating and gas pains you may or may not have to deal with. Most of the ppl that I have participated on their topics that have cheated, I'd say about 95+% of them go on to sticking to whatever their pre-op plan was and they took pride in that even though it wasn't 'the whole time'...meaning they didn't have to be perfect, they could take pride in what they did do. Focus on what you can do from here on out. No matter what happens in the next few days though, I AM rooting for you! Us women are STRONG. Whether we are 24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, or 84+...we are STRONG.

My surgeon explained it and so did another doctor that was originally my surgeon is that they literally have to move your liver out of the way for part/all of the surgery. BOTH surgeons expressed concerns about nicking patients with larger livers as us just having larger livers makes things much more difficult. What I want for both of you, @brandimichellexo and @NagathaChristieis is that you have successful surgeries with positive outcomes and hopefully little to no difficulties. I wish this for everyone who undergoes what I call the 'nuclear detonation option'. WLS is not for wimps that is for sure. WLS is NOT the 'easy way out' no matter how often we might all hear that. I takes COURAGE and commitment, bravery, perseverance, will power, 'higher power', power of good relationships, and sometimes literally blood, sweat, tears, puke, and many many other things. I also think fear when not used in unhealthy ways, can also help keep us on the path we need to go and when we stumble, help us get back to where we need to be. My surgeon had an UBER strict pre-op diet. I also changed surgeons late so I literally ended up doing liquid 800 pre-op diet for 34 days. I've shared though that I did actually have 1 day 'off' during the 34 days. My new surgeon told me to start on 7/5 so I had 7/4 off & I had 1/2 a hamburger, no chips & later that night 1 hot dog. I had been on liquids already for so many days, it felt surreal and weird. Prior to qualifying for WLS, I did keto for 15 mos as my health had deteriorated to point that I knew if I didn't make drastic changes and also do the headwork, I was not going to be here in 5 yrs. Ironically despite my heaviest weight, I had normal BP, NO high cholesterol, NO diabetes, etc. I knew though it was a matter of time. It was WHEN, not IF. I have other very serious health issues& realized that I wasn't ready to die any more prematurely than I needed to. I have a daughter who really really still needs her Mom. More than what most young adults do. I was TERRIFIED that if I did not commit my best to the pre-op, I would put a variable out there (my liver) that my surgeon would not be in complete control of. The 1 thing I told him & my anesthesiologist and that was "I'm at peace with not making it, if that should happen, but my wishes are that you do everything and anything to revive me as I have a child that would not make it through my loss'. So..I didn't cheat as I was terrified. Also, WAY back in my late 20's, I did the Oprah Winfrey "Optifast Diet' and drank 5 of those dang protein shakes (they were so bad back then) for NINETY DAYS. Don't ask me how I did it back then as I literally don't know!! I lost 80 lbs and kept if off for a decade. My Dad was known for having an iron will when he needed to. Likely that is what I had back when I was young. When I count pre-op& post-op diet together (in terms of liquid diet with 800 or less cals), then I roughly did over 46+ days (Dr put me on pureed food 3 days earlier than planned). This does not make me better than either of you. I shared the raw truth of why I adhered to the pre-op diet like there was literally no tomorrow. If I have an 'will' to give at all, is to spend some time on FluffyChix headwork thread....and that I wish you both nothing but the best. Love yourself (and your surgeon..lol) enough to do what you can with your pre-op diets as dictated by your doctors with the days you have left leading up to your surgery. And keep us posted!! BEST WISHES!!

Fluffychix - I'm sending all my eggs in my near future over to you...lol. I love eggs...why don't they love me back anymore? lol..... I'm patient (sometimes..lol)...I'll try and woo my pouch in a few months with maybe a deviled egg..see if I can sneak one in

Lord have mercy...would one of you be interested in adopting a woman who may be even older than you are? You folks absolutely rock the heck out of making amazing looking food!! I wish there was a 'LOVE' emoticon...right now I could use an "I bow down to y'all" icon as well..

I don't know how high your BMI is but mine was SO HIGH, I was terrified of them calling the surgery off due to size of my liver (which my surgeon makes clear to all patients..well, at least the ones my size..that he might have to do). I was terrified of cheating, terrified of the surgery getting called off (and the embarrassment with my boss and family when I have to figure out "how do I manage this delay?"). My family would know as they were waiting for me so there would be no keeping that quiet. I also had the other thoughts that you've experienced, the 'if you can't do pre-op, how can you handle this whole lifestyle change' I DO KNOW there have been others who post on here that had some cheat days, then finally committed hard core to the rest of their pre-op...so I honestly don't know what to say except to encourage you to do the same.

I always use the soap the hospital gives. Usually it is Hibiclens soap, I think? You can also buy it at Walgreens. I buy Hibiclens wipes and use them for cleaning wounds with my family sometimes in lieu of hydrogen peroxide. I've noticed that every hospital that has great grades/points due to super low incidents of patients getting infections seem to adhere to protocols like this and others which in the end is what WE, the patients, NEED. I was delighted I was given Hibiclens soap free from the hospital and didn't have to break into my 'got it on sale at Walgreens's suppy'..lol

REALLY? I hadn't done as much RNY research as up to a few weeks before original surgery date, I was scheduled for VSG. Ended up with an RNY and my date getting pushed back a few weeks but was so into getting thru pre-op diet that I didn't get a great deal of research done on RNY to be honest. Watch me be a 30-percenter I'm pretty hard core on the keto front although I'll have to reconsider the use of artificial sweetners down the road when I'm ready to introduce more things into my 'way of eating....

Eggs..can't eat scrambled eggs. Haven't tried fried yet. Was in such utter agony from both times I have tried eggs that it will be a DANG LONG LONG LONG LONG time before I try again. I was amazed to see ppl posting that they could eat popcorn. Having not tried as I'm still only 6 weeks after post-op, I just think of how 'hard' popcorn feels to me...but I guess, well heck, it's a carb so does it...go all soft when it is in your pouch?? Not knocking anyone for eating a carb! I'm truly fascinated as I don't trust my picky pouch and am amazed that some folks can actually eat popcorn! So weird and amazing. Was never a huge popcorn fan either and since I'm on mostly a very low carb way of eating, I probably won't try it but my curiosity has been peaked. Just like I'm still stunned that my 'Ms. Picky Pouch' has an issue with a dang scrambled egg!

I don't even like ice cream but was watching my husband eat some and had an odd craving (odd as stated before...I don't really care for ice cream)..to have a bite some time in the 'Near future'. Thank you for your post - my odd craving is gone for now. Have NO desire to encounter my first dumping episode although it seems we are all bound to have it happen at some point. I just PRAY mine happens when I'm at home!

It gets better. I survived for several days into week 2 on ice chips and sugar free popsicles. My stomach was VERY bloated..and gassy. I ate gas-ex chewable tablets (ironically my pouch..'Ms. Picky Pouch' decided she was ok with the cherry chewable gas-ex). I WALKED a lot to help with the gas pains. The overall bloating...my abdomen felt as hard as it did when I was 9 months along in my pregnancies years ago - that went away in Week 4, I think. Unsure how much water you are getting in. I disliked water ONLY because it triggered some spasms which mimicked the restriction so the simple act of 'drinking' whether it was water or a shake..made my 'everything hurt'. Stay in touch with your doctor/team if you are not getting your water in and let them tell you if they think you need to be checked out for anything. Maybe you have already done so. Ironically, I would have random days during this period when I could sip on warm broth and it went down ok..this was not EVERY day, but it was a relief to just have 1 more option during this time period. IT GETS BETTER!!

I'm in my 6th week out so am not even close to where you are at yet but I CONSTANTLY over-estimate portion size. I have a dang kitchen scale and measuring cups of all sizes so I'm going to have to start using them. I end up with roughly 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of 'meat' (chicken minced to pieces, taco meat, pork minced to pieces) and I inevitably hit my 'restriction' about part way through whatever I'm eating. I'm losing track of all my mini-leftovers in the fridge at this point. I have learned NOT to even try to cross my restriction - there is NOTHING that tastes good enough to risk another bite and then be in pain....sometimes agonizing pain. My first few weeks out I was getting the restriction signal a bit prematurely my doctor finally work out due to my esophagus having spasms along with some other things so while we all knew my pouch did NOT have even 2 oz of anything in it, I would feel almost the same type of pain as if I had tried to eat 1/2 a cup of food this early into the post op journey. I got a 'pain/discomfort preview' so when I eat...I am chewing and chewing and chewing..and swallow..then hesitate/look for time to ensure I wait a few minutes before the next bite. Food gets cold all the time but that never bothered me much pre-op and still doesn't. Somewhere between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup seems to be my high maintenance pouch's acceptable limit..

I personally had huge issue with egg which is what my dr told me to try first. Posted here and found out it was not uncommon for eggs to be an issue for some. It may work well for you, but I've tried scrambled egg again since that one very painful day and had repeat of same experience. Unsure why it impacts some folks this way. I've tried refried beans, pieces of sliced avocado with a little garlic. The avocado was the first thing I tried after my bad experience with the egg. Then I tried some refried beans (2 ozs)

So true...I am a 'daily weigher' and I really need to have my husband hide the scale (yes, this would actually help) and only bring it out once a week. The most I've been able to go without weighing is 2 days.

Congratulations!!

Well, we went on that last nature walk and it was NOT supposed to rain but in the middle of it, we got hit with a deluge of rain and wind (rain coming in sideways). Made it back to car after what felt like forever, completely soaked. We managed to walk 1.7 miles that day and it may have been more if it hadn't been for the rain but that's for another time. It's been 38 days since surgery now and I've lost 19.8 lbs. I'm made peace, at least for now, with the rate I'm losing as I was a very slow 'loser' prior to surgery (did keto for 15 months) so I have to remember without this surgery that I definitely would NOT have lost 19.8 lb in 38 days. Yes, in my first month or two of my 15 month keto journey I did lose a LOT...close to this same rate, but that was probably at least 10 lbs of water weight and that pace was not sustainable. Current weight loss rate is roughly .52 lbs a day which is actually pretty great in my mind. I do feel STRONGLY that I have to keep up the physical activity multiple times a wk. And I know there are more stalls in my future & even gains as I continue to walk with my daughter and am working on a plan to join a friend at a local gym to walk an air conditioned track with her and also to have access to other machines/weights/etc. For now I just wanted to give an update. The 'vent' that I left here the other day helped me to get things out so I could start breaking past the negativity that was going on in my mind and thinking. Thanks for the support.

That is SO AWESOME!!!!

Thanks for the tip on this. My daughter and I went to a new trail (we try to find parks/walking trails that are NOT all pavement as it feels more like an 'adventure' and not like the dreaded word "exercise". I'm ok with both words but youngest daughter is not in that head space yet and I'll call it whatever so she and I can have this time together and in turn, help each other with our 'self care'. The first time we walked on an actual trail instead of like Sam's Club etc. due to the heat, we shockingly did 1.5 miles. We were surprised as we've both been very sedentary. Went to a new park/trail yesterday and 25 mins in, my abdomen was cramping badly - thankfully they had on site (VERY HOT) bathroom)...but even after that I felt shaky and just...puny feeling. Very dizzy. Was initially disappointed when I realized while I was sitting in the shade but it still felt like almost 100 degrees, that I was going to have to 'call it' and we had only done .82 miles. We decided to call it a "win" though as previously we would not have walked to begin with. So .82 miles is better than 0. I took Friday off and we are looking at another easy hike/walk trail that is supposed to have a butterfly habitat and some other cool stuff (including benches and shade along the way..I'm not too proud to stop if by stopping I can get a quick drink from my water bottle and it enables me to be able to keep going). I'm going to make sure I have a decent amt of protein and some amt of carbs on board

Actually I have not taken my measurements. I have even read posts today where that is discussed and still no 'light bulb' went off..lol. I do remember 3 week stalls...and that is what I first chalked everything up to plus the 2 quick hospitalizations in week 2 and 3 for IV fluids but now I'm 5 weeks out. One of our other July siblings MeowAMR posted a reply that resonated with me...what I guess is at the heart of what is nattering away at me is that for 3 full weeks...I have not lost more than 1 lb. For OVER 3 full weeks. I'm so numbers driven that my head just keeps getting wrapped up in that at some point it is calories in vs. out. Well, I know the calories 'In' and have rough grasp on calories "out" and the math just does not work out. I'm not saying the net effect of the 2 is enough to signify that I should have lost another 10 lbs...but it is enough to have equaled at least a 4 to 5 lb lost. I've been thinking of replacing, outside of 2 protein shakes to get in my protein (320 calories together, 60 grams of protein) any other 'food' and go back to sugar free jello, sugar free Popsicles and bring my calories back to 400 or less. I will say when I was on 400 or less, when I went to do any activity, I felt woozy. Can we get used to it though? I haven't seen my dr since my post op visit and then him seeing me in hospital a few weeks ago. They are 2 hrs away with traffic so that is why I'm seeking a nutritionist and a therapist closer to home. My car is NOT reliable enough to drive that far and the last time I did, I ended up on the side of one of the busiest rush hour freeways for 3 hours in 105 degree heat and thought I'd pass out.

Wow, gal...you are working it with walking 3 miles a day!! Yes, your calories are right on spot with mine. I haven't even finished reading your post as I was just so....enthused about how much you are walking. I am admiring you. I can tell I'm not completely flatly down as I actually get bursts of joy from reading the achievements of others. Even when I envy the weight loss...it never stops the surge of joy I feel for what each person is accomplishing. Sorry for quick reply...going back to read the rest of what you posted.