sillykitty

I read somewhere that over time the lower areas of the small intestine adapt, and that in a few years absorption is close to pre-surgery levels. Helps explain why maintenance is so hard.

Hello ... it's me Yes, right before my vacation my schedule was hectic, and work travel makes it harder for me to get all my protein in. Plus when my hair loss stopped, I stopped being as diligent with protein or supplements. Then vacation was a free for all, so not getting sufficient protein then either. I am and always have been terrible with fluids. Before this surgery I probably only ever had 64 oz a day if it was beer But I do believe that protein and supplements are necessary for long term health. I don't push to get exactly 60g of protein. If I get 50g I'm good with that. I know 60 is better but that takes even more protein supplementing, and I can only drink so much Muscle Milk . Pre WLS my diet was very starch based, so I can imagine I rarely hit 60 g then either. As far as IF, and the 4 hour window. Well, I only do IF on days that are easy, and it comes naturally. I don't force it. If I'm hungry, I'll give it a half hour or so to see if it passes, If it doesn't I eat. If I'm traveling and food temptation triggers hunger either physical or head hunger (hard to differentiate sometimes), then I eat. So really, IF is just a function of my lack of hunger, some days. The only thing I have changed since learning about IF is I wait for a half hour when I feel hungry, and I try not to eat too late at night to extend my window. But even then, I'll eat late if I'm truly hungry. So in reality I'm just manipulating my eating times very slightly, and sticking the IF label on it. I would do this whether or not IF was a thing. The fact it may increase weight loss and or diminish hunger, is just a bonus. I really try not to eat if I'm not hungry. Sometimes there is a social obligation to eat. But being around food makes me hungry usually, so I'm then eating while hungry, lol. But if I'm just working at home, or running errands, or whatever. I'm not going to eat just to get my protein in, or to eat a set number of meals, or hit a certain number of calories. I think if my body isn't telling me to eat, then I should listen to it. If on the rare day I go all day without any hunger. I will have a protein shake plus something else protein dense, like a yogurt, or protein soup, or jerky, in the evening to get close to that 60 g goal. So yesterday was a not hungry day, so that's why I did the 4 hr window. My body was really done eating. I seriously couldn't finish that protein soup I had made, with the intention of getting to 57g. No need to be scared for, or worried about me. Although I do appreciate it!

I have a HUGE amount of restriction. But you can definitely gain with that restriction. For instance I went on a 12 day vacation, and gained 4.5 lbs. Slider foods, alcohol, eating frequently, eating high calorie foods, all can and do lead to gain, no matter how little or how much restriction you have. It's cliche, but this surgery is a tool. You have to still make good food choices.

You are more up to date than I am @jess9395, the last I had read was the $25K donation, not the rescinded call for boycott

I am usually happy with my tiny stomach capacity and am glad I am satisfied with so little. One of the few exceptions is when I go to little Saigon, I just want to keep eating!

If I had just finished the soup, I would have been almost there, lol! I'm not much of a coffee drinker, or a tea drinker, although I do like chai, but mainly the sugary kind . I'll have to try the PP Caramel again, and try making faux Vietnamese coffee. I was on a Vietnamese coffee kick are returning from there, so maybe it's time to revisit. Or the caramel or vanilla in some traditional chai tea. Hmm ... good ideas. About a month post op I became intolerant of whey, so that eliminates a lot of protein shakes, bars etc. But that could have changed in the last 6 months or so, so it's worth giving it a shot. I can't stand the vanilla Muscle Milk, so if the PP doesn't work for me I'll have to find a non-whey, non-chocolate shake that I can tolerate.

Yesterday was a good IF day. Did all my eating in a 4 hour window. Low cals, and almost met my protein goals (I have a hard time meeting these). I also did more than my 64 oz of fluids, and got back on my supplement program. Staying on plan is sooo much easier for me when I'm at home. Today is a travel day, so no IF for me today. And my log will not look nearly as clean and healthy, lol! Unlike @GreenTealael, I definitely have food temptations

@FluffyChix ... damn, I need you to be my personal chef! I am super impressed how you plan out a whole day. I have no clue what I will eat from meal to meal, much less a whole day ahead!

Matt, I've never discouraged you from using the patches. You are confident in them, and that's fine. I just take issue with you touting them as working because of your test results. I feel that is very misleading. As I have said in the links above, your labs do not test for all, or even most of the supplements in the patch. Many of the ones that were tested for, the body has the ability to store. I never said it was "impossible" for your vitamin D levels to improve. Higher vitamin D levels does not in any way prove the patch is working. Especially considering this blood test was done near the end of summer and our body generates vitamin D from sunlight.

I don't think it easy, or even possible for app only users.

Not encouraging it ... but I eat off plan pretty frequently and I still have tons of restriction. After a nearly two week vacation eating anything I wanted, I came back and was only able to eat 1 oz of meat, and even that was one bite too much.

Love these. They taste like totally normal tortillas

You need urgent help. I would get on a suicide helpline tonight and get an appointment with a counseller absolutely as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow 1-800-273-8255

Quesadillas, soups, ceviche

You can also take a liquid antacid like Gaviscon, it's OTC

Not that I have ever heard of. Google only comes up with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) as causing weight gain. I definitely have slow motility, but not really any other SIBO symptoms. I'll have to ask my gastroenterologist ex next time we talk ....hmmm ...

Well that is inconvenient. Off topic, but .... I have often wondered if the speed of one's digestive track effects how many calories they absorb from their food?

Oh no! Is this only post sleeve, or have you always had this issue?

Has Trader Joe's made it to your neck of the TX woods yet? Their Red Argentinian Shrimp is by far the tastiest shrimp I have ever had. After the first time I used this shrimp in a dish for an ex he refused any other type of shrimp, even at restaurants. It was a huge PIA because it's not always in stock (wild caught) and he was a pescatarian. https://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/4172

I think for most people, it's a good thing. I think i had a different job I may have considered RNY, but I just really can't deal with potentially dumping while on the job.

I know ... Cracker Barrel ... Chick-fil-A ... now In-N-Out

I wonder if that is a sleeve vs. bypass thing?

It's all part of your pattern of making poor choices, defending them, then lamenting your lack of weight loss.

Actually that was me, not @AshAsh1 If you are fine with slow weight loss, then that's fine. But don't complain about it and say that the surgery didn't work. You realize that most people on this site are super motivated to make this surgery successful? So most of us don't think that 96 servings of Raisin Bran, or mega boxes of Cheez-its, or 10 lbs of dates are good ideas. So when you post up these purchases and then defend them as good choices, you are not likely to get many people agreeing with you.

Late to this party, but WTH ... OP is probably not cleared for solids yet, most likely, so should be relevant My sleeve handles everything, no joke, spicy, fried, whatever I throw at it, no issues I LOVE ethnic foods, so I get missing them and craving them. Sometimes I have exactly what I am craving. But I usually try to get the flavor while still making better choices. Like getting an Indian curry, but just eating the meat out of it and having no rice. But it depends if you have a slippery slope problem. Does making poor choices lead to you making more and more of them? I'm fortunate, I am able to consistently reign myself in. I can eat poorly for one meal, or one day, or while on vacation, but then be able to get back on plan, and start losing again. Who knows if I will be able to do so once I'm in maintenance. I may lose a lot of my current restriction and have to be stricter about what I eat. My hunger might return more than it currently has. If that happens I'll have to re-evaluate and adjust. My point is, you can still enjoy some of your favorite foods, on occasion, and in moderation. But you will have to monitor if you can do so and still lose.