NickelChip

Yes, my daughters were of differing opinions about the chicken sausage. I put it in for the extra protein and the older one loved it, but the younger one thinks it would be much better without. I think I may agree with her, as the precooked chicken sausages have an odd texture, although the spicy flavor was nice. I wonder if there's a way to get that extra kick in another way.

If you have the days to take, take them. I am self-employed and work from home. There were certain things I had to do within a couple days of getting home because nobody else could do them, but it was a struggle. I was sore and exhausted. I'm three weeks out and doing a lot better but I still get very tired midday. It would have been great to have at least a full week to two weeks to recover. Also, figuring out what to eat and when to drink and all that really takes up most of your brain for a while.

I've been making a smoothie most mornings with frozen fruit, spinach, and unflavored protein powder. I was having that most mornings before surgery, so I've just tailored it to be a little thinner now with water or milk, and I seem to tolerate it well. I've done well with eggs of every variety, and also smoked salmon, which is so delicious. I can generally eat 2 eggs or 2oz of the smoked salmon. Cheddar cheese is good, as is cottage cheese with peaches. Oh, I also adore edamame! They have it shelled and lightly salted in the produce section of my grocery store in a small tub and it is so pleasant to eat, kind of snack-like, I guess. Tuna salad has been nice, too. I've done okay with ground turkey and chicken, but it's not as appealing right now, although I do like a turkey sausage breakfast patty. I made a ricotta bake that was really good. I mixed 8oz ricotta, an egg, and some chopped spinach (thawed from frozen with water pressed out), and spread it into an 8x8 baking dish, topped with some diced Italian chicken sausage, then covered in marinara (look for one with no added sugar), sprinkled with mozzarella, and baked for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese was a bit browned. Like a lasagna without the heavy noodles. I wouldn't be able to hit 90g without significant use of protein shakes, which I also can't stand because of the artificially sweet flavor. But maybe you can try making some soup, like a pureed bean or carrot ginger, and add unflavored protein to it? I plan to try that next week for variety.

Hey there! Would love to hear how it's going for you! Here's where I am: My highest weight was 251 back in the summer, which is when I was referred to the surgical program. I started making changes to my eating following the Pound of Cure book by Dr. Matthew Weiner and was down to 238 on Feb 7 when I started 2 week pre-op liquid diet. I was 223 the day before surgery, so 15 lbs down in two weeks. That's compared to 13 lbs in 6 months, which is crazy, but I also know that I wasn't trying to lose weight during those months so much as make healthy choices. I didn't count calories or other macros. I just made an effort to reduce processed foods and eat a pound of vegetables most days. Whereas the liquid diet was pretty much me starving for 2 weeks. But I survived! Since surgery, it's gone a bit slower, which is in part due to the fluid shifts from surgery (according to my meeting with surgeon last week). My weight this morning, 3 weeks post-op, was 217 lbs. So, 6 lbs down since surgery. I'm healing pretty well, meeting my 60g protein goal and 64 oz water goal daily. I did have one incident of foamies / vomiting two days ago that set me back a little on food tolerance, but I think I'm doing better today. I go in to see the dietician on Monday. The first week I was getting around 400 calories per day. Last week and this week have ranged between 500-700, depending on the day and what food choices I make. I haven't really experienced anything I would call hunger. As for non-scale victories, I had to pull out one of my smaller bras yesterday that I still had from about 5 years ago! I also fit into an outfit I bought last year that I wasn't able to try on at the store and discovered was too small when I got it home. But not anymore! And I'm officially off blood pressure meds!

You probably should stop taking them if that's the case! I was told to hold off restarting them after surgery. Otherwise I probably would have passed out because I was on a pretty strong dose.

I'm officially off my blood pressure medication! I haven't taken it since the day before surgery because my blood pressure was normal in the hospital and low when they released me, but the final decision needed to be made by my primary care. I went to see her today and was at 110/78 so she officially removed the med from my chart. All my readings have been normal the past three weeks, which feels like a miracle. I've been on it for at least 10 years, and even with medication I usually measured 130/85.

I used the same protein shakes I had pre-surgery for my 2 week diet, and I bought some protein water. I found the premixed Premier Protein were very convenient the first couple days. As time went on, I became more and more disgusted by the artificial sweetener and chemical flavor of just about every protein shake I had. Luckily my liquid phase only lasted a week. After that, I started mixing unflavored protein with milk and blending in some frozen fruit for a smoothie. Much more palatable. I have a ton of protein shake mix leftover that I will likely just throw away.

Interesting. Mine didn't say anything about salmon, just beef, pork, and lamb (3 months). I've been enjoying smoked salmon with no issues, and the baked salmon was great when it was fresh. But you can even see the texture difference after it comes out of the microwave. Luckily my daughter loved it (even reheated) so it won't go to waste. But I may go with tilapia next time just to be safe.

That was four hours of agony. I will never do that again. Adding water might help, but I think to be safe I will just cut raw fish into portions and freeze so I can cook it one meal at a time instead of cooking a big piece and freezing it after. It's finally starting to let up after much pain and throwing up multiple times. Wow, not an experience I will forget.

Made the mistake of reheating a piece of salmon. I knew from looking at it that it was way drier than when I had it last night, but I took a bite anyway. Now I want to die. So much pain! Lesson learned. It's a shame because I'll have to throw away the rest of it, but in the future I know not to make more than a single serving at a time because it absolutely does not reheat.

Thank you!

My words of encouragement are these: Know why you're doing this and don't let yourself forget. I am long past my teen years but I have kids at that age now, and I know what a hard time in life it can be. It seems like everyone else can make bad choices and have zero consequences. It's the age where every meeting you go to for school or extracurricular activities has pizza and soda, where ramen is a legit choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and where even the skinniest kids pack on 20 lbs thanks to college dorm food, pulling all-nighters, and overindulging in alcohol. Swimming against the stream is going to be a struggle. So stay focused on that reason or list of reasons that you're doing this. Have faith and confidence in yourself, and don't be afraid to be different. Young people often have no filters. They say things that are mean because they are insecure or unaware of how it will sound to others. If they're eating wings and beer for dinner and you have some poached salmon and broccoli or only drink water with lemon in it, they might feel bad about their own choices, but they're instinct may be to make you feel bad about yours instead. Be strong and remember why your health is important. God willing, you have a very long life ahead of you. You also have decades of hard times, stress, and the temptation to turn to food for comfort. Work on that now, and don't stop. Take care of your mental health while you're young because life is a challenge. The good news is, you will never be so resilient physically as you are right now. Your body wants to be healthy. Your skin wants to bounce back like a stretchy piece of elastic. You're going to do great and you've got a brilliant life ahead of you!

One of the healthiest ways of eating (I don't want to call it a diet) I have come across is in a book called the Pound of Cure by Dr. Matthew Weiner. Last summer, I hit my highest weight ever. That's when I started looking into WLS. I was watching a lot of YouTube videos about it and came across an interview with Dr. Weiner, which led me to his books and videos. He also has a weekly podcast that I love with new episodes every Wednesday. I started implementing a lot of the advice in Pound of Cure (you can get the book on Amazon) and lost close to 15lbs between July and January, which on the one hand is slow, but on the other hand it felt completely natural and not like a diet at all. It's just a sustainable way of living that focuses on healthy foods and good habits that lower your body's set point. He has a lot of resources for dealing with weight regain, too. Congratulations on still being over 100 lbs lighter than where you started! I have every confidence that you can continue to do well and meet your goals over time!

You had surgery almost 50 days ago, and your worst "transgression" is one instance of drinking tea with your food and consuming 2 fries and half a small onion ring? I have a feeling if past you could see this, she would not see much resemblance to herself. If eating those things felt triggering, like you're afraid it will be a slippery slope to undoing all the changes you're making, that's definitely something to work through, either on your own or with a therapist. I totally get that fear. But the hardest mindset shift, I think, is to realize we're not on a diet. This is life. Carb counts and protein goals and fat limits and daily calories are helpful guidelines to be mindful of, but they aren't laws that must be followed 100% of the time or else. Instead of beating yourself up, congratulate yourself on being more than halfway to your weight goal! And next time you have an event, decide ahead of time how to handle it if there's nothing there you can eat so you can go in feeling confident you won't have a slip.

I will be turning 50 exactly 1 week from today and had RNY surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago. The surgery went well and I'm doing fantastic! If it weren't for the incisions on my belly and the desire for a quick afternoon nap when that wasn't my habit before, I would almost forget I had surgery at all. So far the recovery has been far easier than I imagined. A few days of pain managed with Tylenol, some fatigue, and that's it. My blood pressure, which has been high even with meds for a decade or more, has been back in the normal range without meds since the minute I woke up from the anesthesia. I'm not sure age is as important as your general health, immune system, etc. I've been lucky in that I generally don't get sick when others do, never had food allergies or digestive issues, and am in fairly good health except for the obesity related concerns I was hoping to reverse/ward off.

I did not skip the liquid phase, but my program does skip purees. They emphasize adequate protein and nutrient dense, natural foods. Here is what I ate, according to the directions my doctor and dietician gave me (for comparison, not giving you medical advice, obviously!): Hospital, 1 day post op (gastric bypass): Water, Jello, Chicken broth, sugar free popsicle. These all went well and I was able to finish them at a slow pace. Home, 2-6 days post op: Protein shakes, bone broth, sugar free yogurt, applesauce, plain kefir, Fairlife skim milk in decaf tea, herbal teas. Nothing that required chewing during this stage. Spoke with nurse via phone call, who confirmed I was meeting my 60g protein and 64 oz water goals consistently. She told me to start taking my vitamins and to incorporate soft proteins as I was able and to continue to consume 60g protein from shakes in addition to food. Days 7-13, here is what I added: Tuna salad with low-fat mayo, poached eggs, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, refried beans with melted cheddar, baked haddock, feta cheese, ground turkey with taco seasoning, cottage cheese, pickled herring. 2-3 shakes per day to hit 60g protein total (in addition to what I got from food). Met with surgeon in office on day 13. Based on having no issues with water, protein, or any of the foods I had tried so far, and healing nicely, I was told to start incorporating non-protein foods in the following order: non-starchy veg, fruit, starches/grains. I was told I could use protein shakes as needed if the food I consumed did not equal at least 60g protein but could skip the shakes if I hit 60g. Raw veg is fine. I need to wait until 3 months post op to add beef, lamb, and pork. Starting Day 14, these are the new foods I have tried: spinach, strawberries, edamame, turkey sausage, ricotta, chicken salad, steamed broccoli, kalamata olives, smoked salmon, black beans, cucumbers, matchstick carrots, tomatoes, grapes, sliced almonds. Today is day 18 post-op, and this is my menu today: Breakfast: A smoothie made from 1oz power greens, 1 cup frozen berry blend, 8 oz Fairlife skim milk, 2 scoops Syntrax Nectar unflavored protein, 1 Tbsp hemp seeds, 4 small pieces frozen avocado. 16oz total, 36.5g protein Lunch: 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 4 no sugar added peach slices, 1/2 mini cucumber, 4 grape tomatoes, 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. 14g protein. Ended up eating half at noon and half a few hours later because I filled up very fast. Dinner: 3 oz baked salmon with pesto, 3 pieces steamed broccoli. 18g protein. I also will have had 64oz water, 28 oz decaf tea, and 4 oz skim milk by the end of the day. I have not added in any grains at this point because I can just manage to finish a serving of protein and a few bites of veg or fruit right now. Once I get 20-25g protein at lunch and dinner instead of 15g as I'm averaging now, I'll add sweet potatoes, but I'll hold off on white potatoes and breads. I really hope this helps! I would be very mindful of getting in enough protein and fluids in this first week, with an emphasis on fluids first. But as you can see, in another few days, it's very possible to be able to tolerate a variety of protein rich soft foods.

This is 100% true. I have never had better fish and chips anywhere than in the UK. We have nothing even close in the States. In fact, despite its dodgy culinary reputation, I have had nothing but delightful food in the UK. Even your prepackaged sandwiches are amazing, and as much as I love American diner breakfast, nothing beats a full English.

I totally get it! I am 2 weeks post op and I am only down 2 pounds from what I weighed the day before surgery. It's hard to say if it's a stall after dropping 15lbs rapidly on the preop diet, or if it's because I had so much fluid weight coming home from two days on an IV. But it messes with your mind, either way. It's easy to panic and think this is it, it's not going to work. But the truth is, stalls will break when they're good and ready to break. All you can do is keep working on living the healthy lifestyle you want to live and give yourself a break when you fall short of it. You can't expect to be perfect every minute, but I do think if you beat yourself up about it, you reinforce the idea that you will fail, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where you're more likely to give in to temptation again next time because you're feeling demoralized from all the negative self talk. 2 dress sizes down is amazing!

I'm going to say this as gently as I can: stop feeling guilty. You are not on a diet. You are living a new post surgery life. A life that sometimes has room for half a tuna sandwich. And even some chips. They didn't make you sick, so that's great news. You got lots of good protein. You enjoyed them. You've lost 43 pounds. Stalls happen. Weight fluctuates. Follow the guidelines as best you can and embrace a life where you can make sensible choices (like half a tuna sandwich, I mean, it wasn't a triple cheeseburger and extra large fries) and not have to feel scared about it. I would bet the head hunger and the guilt are all connected somewhere deep in your psyche. (They usually are for me, anyway). Maybe spend some time reflecting on why you are craving what you are, and why at that exact moment, and what might make you feel the urge to self-sabotage by making choices you believe you will regret. Those would be good questions to get to the bottom of. But when you do make a choice you don't like, just chalk it up to experience and try to do better with the next choice. It'll be okay! Remember, this is a life journey, not a crash diet.

You're looking great, and it's fantastic how the scale keeps inching in the right direction! And congrats on the excellent lab results!

I didn't have a formal list, but about a week or two before I started the liquid diet, I did make some plans to go out to eat at favorite restaurants. I ordered a particularly rich meal at a local Italian place that I love, and at one place I split a bunch of appetizers (all fried, naturally). I also had a couple of big breakfasts at diners because I love diner food. Oh, and I accidentally ordered a Wendy's Baconator hamburger, which is three meat patties and a ton of bacon. I say accidentally because I'm not a person who goes to Wendy's on the regular, so I had no idea of the menu and had to make a quick decision because I was in the drive-thru. A burger with bacon sounded nice. I had no idea it was the size of a house! It was the only thing I ate all day, but I was laughing when I unwrapped it because I knew I would not be ordering another of these in the future! My only advice is not to let your "last meal" turn into a month of "last meals." Allow yourself a limited amount of time. You can do a lot of damage in a month!

I went with the bypass because it had the better chance of resolving my issues with hypertension, cholesterol, and blood sugar, and much better chance of not developing GERD. I also know the 10-year weight loss/regain numbers are a bit better for bypass. And, just a minor consideration, but I felt better not having part of my body removed. I know, I had my intestines rerouted and all that, but my stomach is still in there and somehow that made me have more peace of mind. 2 weeks out today and my recovery has been fantastic. My doctor moved me along to basically a regular solid food diet at my appointment, with just some restrictions regarding excluding beef/pork/lamb and raw veg for a few more weeks. I've had no issues, only minor pain the first few days, and I feel fantastic. I can walk for an hour or more at a time with no problem. My recovery has been much easier than my brother's when he had the sleeve several years back, though not sure if that has anything to do with the surgery type.

At this point, the only protein supplement I can still tolerate is unflavored. I have so many protein shake brands and flavors and I hate all of them. But soup or a smoothie with a couple scoops of unflavored Syntrax Nectar works great. I've heard Isopure is good too.

I have two capsules and a small pill. I crush the pill and empty both capsules into a couple tablespoons of applesauce and take them that way.