NtvTxn

I'm a firm believer in under-eating my sleeve. After all, how can you know you can eat over a cup of food if you never try it? I measure EVERYTHING. I'm only 3 months post op and feel stuffed with 2-3 oz.
And as for soft foods... My aim was 2oz. And my doctor recommends 3 meals & 1 snack per day (if you need the snack)

Don't I know it can happen quickly. Prior to surgery I could wake up and realize I was ten or twelve heavier, or yikes, my jeans are tight and I needed to go up a size!!! This is exactly why I am a micro manager....For over three years now, I weigh every single morning. I go to the bathroom, wash my hands and weigh. It is what it is....a habit, part of my new life!

For the first five or six weeks, I could only eat an eighth of a cup of food at a time. I did this 3 x's per day, in addition to a Protein 'bullet'. I have always measured my food, I still do. Calories were very, very low in the beginning, 300 - 350 calories, but I felt good and at six weeks, labs were good, and have been ever since. Slowly but surely I could eat a tiny bit more, when I got to the scrambled egg stage, i could eat one half an egg. I loved it that I could eat so little, but I had to work on how I was THINKING because I hated wasting a half an egg!!! I'm way past that now. Throwing food away makes me feel in control. LoL
I heard about under eating your sleeve, at a support group prior to surgery, a nurse suggested it. I highly recommend it, eat less than you can hold. It's good for losing weight and it also ensures you don't eat "one bite too many" - which is NOT FUN AT ALL!!!!
You'll get the hang of it, enjoy!! Just an FYI - I am over 3 years out and cannot eat a full cup of food, about 3/4 cup. My doctor doesn't want his patients to EVER eat more than a cup. I hope I can't ever eat that much!!!

I've stalled at 85lbs. My starting weight was 324. How can I kick start loosing again. I've been stuck for about two weeks. Please tell me this is normal. Just a little down.

I am on soft foods and I'm wondering, how much and how often should I eat? I read somewhere if you over eat or eat too frequently your stomach can stretch again. I know it's early to worry about this BUT I am trying to retrain myself and get rid of all the bad habits.. Thanks!

Don't I know it can happen quickly. Prior to surgery I could wake up and realize I was ten or twelve heavier, or yikes, my jeans are tight and I needed to go up a size!!! This is exactly why I am a micro manager....For over three years now, I weigh every single morning. I go to the bathroom, wash my hands and weigh. It is what it is....a habit, part of my new life!

That 6 can turn into 20, believe me! Take a hard look at whats up.... write everything down, Protein first... You can do it! Easier at 6 than 20.... (I gained 22 pounds last year.... in a blink of an eye!) I have been using the 5:2 plan and have managed to get the weight off at last (still 2 pounds away... but that close!)

I go up a pound or 2 now and then, and then it comes back down plus extra. I am 4 months out.

That is HOW I lost weight during my entire losing phase. Down a lb or two, then up a lb or two. I could go up and down for a week before letting go for good and then on to the next lb or two.
A couple of questions, 1) are you tracking/logging all your food, even the stuff you wish you had not eaten? If not, I highly recommend it. 2) Do you weigh and/or measure your food so you can track accurately?
When I was doing the up and down thing for a week, it was time to make a change to kick start it. Upped my Protein and Water and get everything going again.
Now days, since I'm maintaining, if I'm up even a half pound above my 'comfort zone', then I cut my calories back by 100 - 200 calories per day. It is, without fail, gone in a few days.
I hope this helps!!!

I was glad to see my old, ugly "fat" clothes go to Good Will....and watch my closet, slowly but surely grow with more stylish, smaller clothes!!! I kept one pair of shorts, either a size 18 or 20. Every so often, I will drag them out and put them on. Two of me, literally, could fit in there comfortably!!!! Let go.....keep one thing to remind you where you were!!!! Congratulations!

I was only weighing myself twice a week pre-op until my nutritionist suggested I weigh daily to try & track down why I would gain 4-5 pounds of Water weight every so often. It made it much easier to figure out what might be the culprit. Of course, like most people, salt can be a problem but it seems I'm sensitive to preservatives. Even now, post-op, I still weigh daily for the same reasons. But I don't obsess over the numbers, I just use them to make adjustments.

I was never told 'no peanut butter' but I discovered early on, the amount isn't worth the calories most of the time. I have ALWAYS measure ONE tablespoon, but ONE TB of Smucker's Natural is 100 calories! YIKES!!!! I almost never eat it now, I've discovered PB2, it's powdered Peanut Butter. I add a half TB of Water to 1 TB of PB2. This is one of my favorite Snacks, I'll put it on a graham cracker Lite.
Peanut butter, nuts and cheese are two things I had to stop early on, just way too many calories for me and not nearly enough Protein to justify eating any of those!!

I think every doctor is different. Mine says I can drink up until I start eating, then wait 30 minutes after eating. I some times stop about ten minutes before and some times I wait 45 minutes or an hour.

I recall being in college and happy about weighing 145lbs. Had nice curves, but was not fat.
My surgeon's office set my goal weight at 155 and said I could go lower if I chose to. The way I figure, when I get to 145, if I seem sick looking I could gain a few pounds. Heck, I am a weight GAINING expert! Putting on a few pounds shouldn't be a big deal!!! Just want to be at a stable weight.

My BMI is 22.6 - that is at 5'7" and 144, I do go up and down a pound a pound or two, but 144 - 144.5 is about normal for me. I've been 11 pounds lighter and it was waaaay too low, although I didn't see it at the time. Everybody else around me was freaking out. I look at pictures now and know why, I looked gaunt. If you go strictly by the 'healthy BMI' range, I could have gone done to 118 pounds, but I'd have been a walking stick. I'd have looked like a cancer victim. I purposely gained back up to 145 and I stay within 143 - 146.5, it is an easy range to maintain for me and I look and feel healthy!!! I think we use the chart and then use common sense!!

No idea. I'm allowed Peanut Butter. No crunchy at this point (smooth only) but by 6 months crunchy is OK. PB2, a powdered peanut butter with much lower fat, is also a tasty treat. You might want to ask them their reasoning. My dr office is a Center of Excellence (not sure about Kaiser), so that might be something you could get clarification on.

Yikes. I think I'd rethink that particular NUT. I eat PB a few times a week. Yesterday and today I had an apple with a tablespoon of Smucker's Natural (just peanuts and a trace of salt) for a snack. I guess I am careful to measure and to buy the least processed PB, but a life with no PB ever sounds like hell.

It's not a daily food! Lol my NUT has us watch total fat grams
Sugar grams
And Protein grams
I log everything to keep an eye on fats sugars and Protein if I do that calories and everything else fall into line
Avocado has high fat too and like nuts it's a better fat than animal fat so they'd rather us have those than animal fats... But we just have to watch our total fats...
Each place is different. And you should follow things you are comfortable with or like another poster said follow who you paid to know what's right for you!

Cheeree "maybe" since you are only 4 weeks PO??? NUT doesn't want you to have PB??
as bigsleeve56 said "its a slider"
i have chosen not to eat PB - its too delicious - little bit of a trigger
but............my NUT/and it sounds like others too............do permit PB
if "your" NUT says no about the PB - oh well, gotta follow her orders
but...............i would still ask her why the heck you can't have PB
good luck
kathy

You'd have so much fun, but I'm afraid you couldn't make it home by six. Darn!!!!

I have Kaiser and my NUT says no Peanut Butter ever. Have you guys heard the same or are you allowed? Whats so harmful about PB?

hey Tex Woo hoo bud
nice to see your smiling/cute face again
its been awhile
group sounds great
count me in............
I just remembered...............
i live in baldwinsville ny and i have to be home by 6:00 pm
i'll be thinking about you though
in long distance
kathy

My BMI is 22.6 - that is at 5'7" and 144, I do go up and down a pound a pound or two, but 144 - 144.5 is about normal for me. I've been 11 pounds lighter and it was waaaay too low, although I didn't see it at the time. Everybody else around me was freaking out. I look at pictures now and know why, I looked gaunt. If you go strictly by the 'healthy BMI' range, I could have gone done to 118 pounds, but I'd have been a walking stick. I'd have looked like a cancer victim. I purposely gained back up to 145 and I stay within 143 - 146.5, it is an easy range to maintain for me and I look and feel healthy!!! I think we use the chart and then use common sense!!