LilaNicole20

I decided after being embarrassed by the 100+lbs I had gained after going to a 4th of July party last year. Everyone knew how great I looked when I lost all my weight before (maintained 180lb weight loss for 16 years) and now I had to deal with them looking at me and not recognizing me because I had gotten so large. That was also the first time I took an edible (medical marijuana gummy) in about a year and a half (I had been pregnant and lost my babe at 25wks). It was also the first time I ran in a long time - I ran just like a sprint in the back yard and it felt good, I was remembering what that felt like. It was that car ride while leaving the party that I said this, I'm done being fat. This year will be different.

Melba toast is good, though they hurt the roof of my mouth. I really like Wasa crackers. They have a good nutritional value, fiber, and they're a little softer than the melba toast. I like the sourdough 'flavor' of Wasa crackers the best. I haven't advanced to crackers post op but they're a good option down the road.

This egg salad sounds so good. I’m going to try it! Thanks

I’m on my purée phase for 3 more weeks and I have to admit I’m still mostly drinking the shakes. I didn’t like the ricotta bake after the first day and I got sick of it. Don’t want to make it again. I’m eating applesauce and about 3 bites of baked chicken when I make it chewed really well. I did have Kroger’s kickin crab salad the other day, that was good. I’m afraid to wander too far off - and I’ve been in a stall that finally moved this morning. Baked salmon was really good.  I’m liking Soups but the carbs and sodium are high so only like once every few days. Sweet and spicy tuna packet is another perfectly portioned grab. I have the Unjury premixed Protein, love it. My dietician said we don’t have to blend the meats, just chew really well and eat slow. 

I take 10ml of Floradix one hour before I eat in the morning and the last thing before I brush my teeth for bed at night. With a 2 hour min window around calcium. Floradix is a natural liquid supplement. Available on Amazon. Read the reviews, I’m not alone.

It’s hard to adjust your calories based on your activity. If you’ve been working out as you say, then you just need to eat slightly less than you would have typically for the days that you’re on bed rest. Push Water. Oh, and maybe cut out the processed carbs. Go for complex carbs like sweet potatoes. And if you have to have processed, look for options with a high(er) fiber content. 

I think it’s all a mind set. Either you want to go down that slippery slope or you avoid it. I’m hoping to avoid it - but temptation exists around every corner. Prepare yourself.

Ladies with incision pain, are you applying a topical like Aquafor (not antibiotic) to the top of your wounds? It helps to keep the tissues moist and aids in minimizing the scar? If not, it may help. Do not apply to open wounds but once scabbed it’s a go.

I didn’t have to do this… what is it for? To make you go #2?

You'll have to let us know how it goes when you do. I have the best time with my edibles. Enjoy!

It makes me hyper. I burn so many more calories, get so many more steps, and have an incredibly clean home as a result of my activity while feeling the buzz. This allows for me to eat a little extra as a result and still see results. It's hard to not give into the cravings - push water and try to just keep yourself busy. I like sativa and hybrid blends - nothing that is going to make me want to sit there stoned and not moving. I find Wana brand gummies to be the best and there is a Butterfly Effect honey that is sensational, as well.

Hi, I just had surgery 2 weeks ago, so I don't have the best advice for you. But I do think you'd probably benefit from using the If It Fits Your Macros calculator to determine your protein, carb, and fat goals. https://www.iifym.com/macro-calculator/

I was going about once every 3 days, but recently I've been going daily. I added magnesium tablets to my morning routine and it's made a difference. I do believe a moderate level of activity combined with a minimum of 64oz water daily is also part of the reason they're moving. I'm taking iron so the magnesium offsets that.

I was a vegetarian for 3 years before I deployed and couldn't maintain that diet without eating garbage as a replacement. I used to LOVE these Gardein Chicken stuffed with spinach things. I have looked high and low for them and they're not made anymore but man were they good. They came in like single serving packages with one loaf of chicken per package.

I just had my video appointment follow-up with my dietician. She said I should be aiming for 500-800 calories during puree phase - which lasts 4 weeks for me.

I'm sorry you're having trouble. My suggestion would be to keep continuing to push yourself. Increase your activity. Your organs need activity to prevent adhesions and scar tissue from forming - and the activity is cathartic on the existing scar tissue that you may have already built up. Don't overdo it, but push through the pain a bit. Built up your endurance and tolerance.

Hi! Good job on getting yourself together to move past the trauma and towards getting your life back on track. You can read some of the posts I have made on here - on various threads to understand that I, too, know loss. I maintained a 180lb weight loss from 2005-2019 with just diet and exercise. my suggestion for you in the gym would be to start with stretching. Stretch in between everything you do there. While you're walking on the treadmill or doing cardio, stop after about 10 minutes and stretch. Get into your body! The stretching will allow you to feel your body in ways that you may have not before. This can become like a meditation and also improve your flexibility. You body will love it and it will help to propel you. Feel free to reach out if you want a more guided approach.

Oh man, I am so sorry to hear this. That sucks. But... hopefully they will get you all fixed up so that you can safely have the surgery.

I had my hair appointment 3 days before surgery... get it done!

brothers can be the worst, can't they?!

Also, eat the sugar free brownie dip. Just don’t over do it all at once. Quench the craving and then save it for next time. Brownie often has a lot of oil, so you want to avoid that. 

What sucks about this is that you’re still in a trauma environment and it may be the stress that you’re feeling that is causing you to want that brownie dip. We could  learn to break the unhealthy relationships we have with food - and that includes not using food to Celebrate life but instead using food to nourish and sustain. I’m not trying to correct you - just an analysis. The trauma keeps repeating. How old are you? Can you move away from them? It is hard to establish boundaries with our primary families but that is what is required here. They need to know that they cannot talk to you like that anymore. You need positive support or no support. Not passive aggressive comments that tell you they’re betting against you. That’s not a fair starting place.  I think they are afraid to see you succeed and they’re unaware of what their words are doing to you. Prove them wrong. Prove yourself right. This is the season that we bet on ourselves! Chin up. You got this.

I read this post earlier and it hadn’t applied to me. Until now. I tried to eat this Sunkist chicken salad packet with lettuce - I tried the tuna salad packet, too. And it was the same thing. The chicken had no taste to me. I didn’t take another bite. The space available isn’t to be wasted on things that don’t quench. 11 days post op today. The ricotta bake was good but that was the opposite situation. I had to change containers and put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow. It did fill me, too. I’m putting all my food and recipes into MyFitnessPal for accurate tracking of macros and micros.

I’m just 11 days post op and i can drink more than just a few sips. I seem to be able to drink about 3-4 swallows at once, equalling around 4-6 Fluid ounces. I just keep drinking it when I’m not in the window immediately after I ‘eat’. Still technically on full liquid, but advancing slowly to puréed. I have been making Soups using Bone Broth (Swanson or the like) instead of Water. It provides Protein and Fluid intake (along with sodium, so be careful). I’ve also been mixing one spoon scoop of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, one spoon scoop of nonfat cottage cheese and mixing that with tbls sugar free Syrup. That’s what I have been having between my shakes. I also only mix 4oz unsweetened almond milk for 1 scoop Protein. Make it concentrated so that you get the Protein and don’t overwhelm yourself on the drink. V8 is a good option for liquids. Today I am making ricotta bake. I hope you turn the corner soon! Best

I am slowly advancing myself to the puree stage a day or so early. Yesterday, I had a sweet and spicy tuna packet - tolerated well. Then I got carried away and ate small bits of watermelon, apparently too fast. Because restriction hit and I was so uncomfortable. I couldn't eat another bite of anything for the rest of the night. I couldn't even handle water. I am going to love this! I was so uncomfortable but I never want my pouch to expand beyond what it is now. So I won't be doing that again. But I did go buy some real crab meat (I am craving crab legs like no other), imitation crab meat, salmon, perch, all stuff for ricotta bake, tuna packets, chicken salad packets (these packets are perfect for on the go). I'm so excited to eat today. I've also ordered Unjury pre-made protein shakes. They're tasty and convenient. 8oz serving size has 110 calories and 20g protein. How are you guys doing on your vitamins? Have you started? I found a huge uptick in my overall energy and feeling when I started taking iron again. I use a liquid supplement called Floradix, 10ml in the AM and 10ml before bed - taken with vitamin C. Then taking my calcium chews throughout the bulk of the day - at least 2 hours apart from the iron. They've also sent me a powerful multi-vitamin and sublingual 500mg tabs of B12.