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Did anyone find that once they lessened their dependency on Protein shakes and stared eating more real food, their weight loss progressed faster? Been stalled for 3 weeks now after 9/29 surgery. Right now, a typical day is... B- pure Protein shake S- dannon light and fit vanilla Greek yogurt (1 carton) L- canned chicken (3 oz) with light mayo S - pure protein shake D - lean protein like fish or chicken (3 oz) S - pure protein shake Usually ends up at about 700 calories and 120g protein. So those numbers are OK per the NUT. But, wondering if the shakes may be causing the stall. Going to start tomorrow having a scrambled egg for Breakfast and some nuts for morning snack, keeping 1 shake a day. May have to supplement with some unflavored Protein powder to get to the number. Just wondering if anyone else stalled due to the shakes. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This is weird but soooo good, it is called Bircher Muslei....it is a cold oatmeal dish that you can make ahead of time. Just search on google for recipes for the exact ingredients but here is what I do: Take a tupperware container and put 3 cups of dry oatmeal in it. Cover with non fat milk, 2 tsp of vanilla extract and a 1/4 cup of orange juice. Chill in fridge at least overnight. The next morning I take a 1/4 cup of the 'oatmeal' mixture, 1/4 cup of greek yogurt or any other non fat plain yogurt, 5-6 fresh berries, 1 TBL slivered almonds and maybe a packet or two of splenda. I sometimes add some fat free half and half. Stir and enjoy. It is really good, easy for me since I work long hours, I have a weeks worth of breakfast made in a snap. Try it.

Do you work or at home during the day I have sf yogurt & low fat 1/4 c granola most days - oatmeal - and who says you have to eat breakfast food for breakfast - I have had 1/2 ham sandwich on lite bread with cheese or 1/2 Peanutbutter sandwich (but I can eat bread just very slowly) - Moringstar sausage - I have had raisin bran & skim milk 1/2 c or cheerios. I just dont eat muffins - donuts anymore :thumbup:

Both of those are up to your doc, but my thought with the yogurt is no bc the fruit may have skin or seeds which could be hard on your digestion... What i did was buy peaches in light syrup, pureed them and mixed in vanilla yogurt.... Additionally watch out for berry yogurt as they may have seeds that could irritate your gi tract if you have them too soon...... Also muller makes yogurt that has fruit completely pureed but is a bit pricier

I hear you on the not trusting yourself! I carefully weight out 13 grams of kashi go lean Cereal into a small plastic container and I bring that with me to work to mix in with my yogurt. I know if I kept the whole bag here at work and just "eyeballed" how much to add to the yogurt, it would slowly creep up to an unreasonable amount! Edit: Of course I only do that on my workout days. No cereal/granola on my rest days!

How much are you getting? I am getting just about 100 grams a day. I had to add in some carbs when I started doing Couch to 5k, so I put some granola in my afternoon greek yogurt now, since that's the last thing I eat before my workouts. Seems to have helped a little, but I avoid carbs the rest of the time.

Uh.. So I admit, I've been watching for that crossover to the under-300# realm: Weight at start (mid-April): 345 Weight going into surgery (30 Jun): 306 Weight @ 1 day: 310 Weight @ 2 days: 304 (dropping about 0.5# every couple hours) Weight @ 3 days: 301 (just measured), 299.8 (lunch) I seem to be losing roughly 2-3# per DAY. At this rate, I'll cross the 300# mark by the time I finish Breakfast. [### EDIT: I went back to sleep, so the best I can say is that I crossed it before lunch...###] This is not an exaggeration: I dropped half a pound yesterday over the course of *consuming* 16oz of Water. Obviously I had 4# of Fluid pumped into me at surgery. I've obviously lost that.. but I didn't expect initial weight loss in the 3#/day range. Honestly, I feel fine overall.. just hungry, not weak. I'm able to consume (water, yogurt, soup .. overall about 300 calories, with plenty of Vitamin supplementation) without difficulty, as long as I don't gulp things down. This, too, seems normal. Am I just lucky, or is this rate of weight loss actually not unusual? I cannot account for it on a simple calories in/calories out model -- it's as if the surgery has told my body to shed a lot of fat up front. I suppose it could be extra energy requirements during healing, but still -- a factor of 3x seems extraordinary. No complaints, of course. I just haven't seen this magnitude of response reported here before.

Okay, I decided to start the BFL challenge AGAIN...I've only done it once completely. Usually I don't make it to the end of the 12 weeks, but this time, I'm going to do it! I did it about 18 months ago and had good results, so I need to focus on the results I had and not the "working out 6 days a week". I know I can do it, I just need to do it! I took my before pics last night, so I can compare my pics every 4 weeks and compare my changes. I brought my workout clothes with me to work, so I can workout during lunch, there is NO EXCUSES. Menu today Bfast yogurt mixed with cottage cheese Snack hummus/carrot sticks Lunch 3 0z chicken spinach salad Snack cantelope 1 string cheese Dinner soup Exercise - Upper Body work out Wt - 159.1 - Yay, in the 150's!!!!!

It has been 5 weeks post op and so far I am feeling OK. I see lots of folks who say they now have tons of energy and feel great. I feel OK but my energy level is still low with a few periods of a little more energy during the day. I just need to know am I being too hard on myself? I am not sure. I get between 60 to 70 grams of protein a day and on most days I do get 64oz of water. Yet, I still feel that I do not have enough energy. I am still on protein shakes and have started on yogurt, swiss cheese, scrambled eggs (once in a while not everyday). I have been avoiding vegtables and fruits and I have been told not to heat any bread or ceral. I am taking all my vitamins that have been given to me by my nutritionist. Is there anyone else having the same issues? I am trying to wene myself off of protein shakes but maybe it is still too soon. Does anyone have any thoughts that could help me? Thank you

1. I don't cook much. Neither do I. I get a lot of pre-cooked meats from Trader Joe's and frozen veggies. I also used things like cans/pouches of tuna and salmon, canned sardines and mackerel, bags of peeled and hardboiled eggs, cartons of yogurt, string cheese, etc. There is no rule that says you have to become a gourmet cook! I can't be bothered. 2. I work at night and the options for ordering in are limited. I realize it will be better to bring my food most of the time anyway, but as I said - I don't cook much, so this will be new. Get some tupperware type containers. Add in a few ounces of meat (pre-grilled chicken breast, packet of flavored tuna, etc.), an ounce or two of thawed frozen veggies, and a tablespoon of salad dressing. shake. Or bring in yogurt or a hardboiled egg (you can buy bags of hardboiled eggs at Trader Joe's and other places). If you don't want to turn your life into slaving over a stove, don't! 3. I've never been one for chewing my food thoroughly. I tend to swallow my food in large quantities and one reason that accompanies that, though certainly not an excuse, is that my teeth aren't great. If there is any way you can, start working on getting your teeth fixed. Just as a general rule, this will be great for your overall health. If you can't do that, then at least practice taking in smaller quantities. Your teeth should not be too much of an impediment there. One additional reason you may want to look into getting your teeth taken care of -- many surgeons and anesthesiologists will not do any elective surgery on someone with a tooth infection or a loose tooth. So if those are issues for you, you may *need* to get them taken care of before your surgery, and preferably as much before the surgery as possible. 4. I have an over 2 liter a day of Diet Coke habit. I actually think I can kick this one This isn't a "think I can kick this one" item -- this is a "I will kick this one." It isn't optional . . . start practicing good mental habits now as well as good physical habits. Don't debate with yourself whether you can make the changes necessary. Tell yourself it isn't up for discussion and come up with a plan as to how it will happen. 5. I love food!!!! - I feel like I'm giving up my best friend, but it does feel similar to other addictions and I do want to be healthy. I can see myself in a new lifestyle regarding food - though, for me, it will mean changing everything. I think that's true for everyone here! We can all relate. We all love food and had to change how we expressed and indulged in that love. So make the best use possible of your medical team as well as resources like this forum and hopefully we can all learn and change together. Good luck!

Definitely increasing your protein and fluids will help with energy. You can also probably up you calorie intake a bit. I found that in order to really sustain my workouts, I needed to be right at or a bit above 1000 a day. I also started adding a little Kashi cereal (1/4 of a serving) to my greek yogurt in the afternoons, because I found that having a little bit of carbs pre-workout really helped me get through. Then I would have a high protein dinner shortly after my workouts. I always work out in between when I get home from work and dinner. I find that's the best time for me to work out, because instead of changing out of my work clothes and into my house clothes (pajamas basically) I would change straight into my workout clothes. Once my pajamas are on, I know working out is NOT gonna happen, so by changing into my workout clothes right after work, it forces me to go ahead and do my workout!

Unless you develop an eating disorder (see @@miller1109 's post above), it's quite simple. Every few days or every week or so you just eat an extra 100 calories ... until you stop losing. For those who don't track their calories / macronutrients / food using a tool like My Fitness Pal and who don't really know how much they're eating, it can be challenging. But even they can add a handful of nuts to their daily menus or an extra Greek yogurt or some bread at dinner. For me, the challenge in maintenance has been to eat a little more nutritious food and not just over-processed foods. I have so learned to appreciate since I was sleeved which foods are full of nutrition and which are full of ingredients that just make me crave sugary, high-carb, over-processed crap. Slider foods will push all your craving buttons, making you struggle not to regain.

Here I go...cover your ears: Woooooooohoooooooooooo! I am NOT alone in this BATTLE <<insert dramatic battle music>>. Fact: I have YET to get in 80g of Protein a day Fact: I must be a weirdo 'cuz I can't stand the protein drinks, shakes, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese slices, unflavored powder, skim milk Fact: I get about 30-60g of protein a day. And that's IF I totally focus on it. Fact: I LOATHE the word 'protein' Fact: I'm only a month post-op and I'm FREAKING OUT that I will be BALD Fact: Again, I'm only a month post-op and I'm FREAKING out losing muscle mass Dream: that someday, some scientist will invent a GOOD TASTING protein that I can take in 1 gulp...once a day. I suppose the closes to that is the Bullets. 42g of protein in 3.5 ounces. But...OH MY GOODNESS....try smelling those and tasting those. VOMIT!!!! I eat chicken. The only fish I like is blackened fish...but have you ever had spicy fish and not allowed to drink with your meal? ON FIRE!! Apparently, my taste buds no longer like tuna (LOVED it before). BUT....I do like Peanut Butter. Some of you can put a spoon in it and eat it like that. I can't. I need a cracker. So, I do that and get at least 5-6 protein with a TBS and 2 crackers. (and I love it) You're not alone.

well i traveled to my fill doctor on tuesday for my second fill. Before the fill I could eat without getting full. what a horrable feeling! so I went in, I already had 1.5cc in and he added .75cc to bring me to 2.25cc in a 4cc band. I am still on liquids till about lunch time (but I did break down and have a yogurt last night after church, I was hungry). I just want to get to onederland before thanks giving. I have a lot of family coming in and want to show them a big healthier differance. Im sure I can get there it is only 24 more pounds! Oh but still having a little trouble with my fills. My first fill they couldnt do becasue they thought my port was flipped over. Then I went to a differant doctor who did it under flouro and after an hour of trouble he told me my port was turned sideways. He layed me down and pushed extremely hard on my portsite to lay it down and then was able to do the fill. Well this time he imediatly had me lay down and said it was still on its side so he still had to push extremely hard to lay it down and then still had problems with the angle and bent the needle but did get it in. He recomends I have the port resutured to my stomach because he said some of the sutures that tie it to the stomach have come undone and I will continue to have problems with my fill. Im not sure if I want to go through with surgery again or put up with a more difficult fills. what would you do if you were in my situation. by the way I am self pay and would have to pay out of pocket to get it done. Look forward to your input!:w00t:

I have a dry gallon of them on my counter (they have been there for 6 months no issue -1/3 of the way done now) so I add them to everything, dry.I cook then into bean dishes, falafel, salmon croquettes, smoothies, on yogurts, in salads. I add a dry sprinkling to almost everything (they fluff up quickly depending on the food it's added to) that hempseed, and tumeric goes into almost everything I eat. VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

I think the thing is people get frustrated. You're right, if you really could control your eating you wouldnt have needed the surgery. But if surgery and the possiblility of mucking it up isnt enough to keep you on the straight and narrow, I really dont know what anyone can say to you. Everyone goes through it, true, but really, how committed were you? Were you ready for this? That's not judgemental but for heaven's sake, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on the program. Support is not going to come in the guise of people validating what you're doing. That does you absolutely not good. Support comes from people suggesting what you can do to make this easier. Just becuase you're on liquids is no reason you have to starve. Liquids can be calorific, contain fat and Protein and keep your body going. Make yourself some Soup with real meat and some Pasta in it, for example, blend it up really well, thin it out with broth to a consistency you can handle now, and have as much of it as you can handle at a time, as often as you need not to be hungry. Make a real smoothie with real fruit, yogurt and milk rather than a Protein shake, get some fibre into yourself to feel some satisfaction. You can even blend up family dinners with broth to get the flavour or real food - NO food is off limits, just in solid form! There. There is no reason to go hungry. And as for "wanting to chew something" as so many people say, you just have to suck it up. Its only a couple of weeks.

I could not even have meat the first 4 weeks post op per our guidelines and it said skin was distressful and to avoid it. In this case you would had been better off to grab a yogurt to eat once you got there. I was stuck in the ER room the other week with my husband who had a gallbladder attack.. I did not plan and did not bring any food and the vending machines did not have anything I could even think or want to eat. I did finally go down to the cafe and got just a single chicken breast. I cut it up but still ate too quickly so I could get back to him. He is having surgery on the 11th so I will plan much better in taking foods I know I can eat. A hard lesson to learn but thanks for sharing so we can learn from you.

Prior to my surgery, I had to attend one general informational session, one support group, one psychological assessment, got clearances from a heart doctor, a pulmonologist, and my PCP, and attended a 3-hour seminar on what to eat during each phase of the process. I started my pre-op diet on May 15, and follow the diet to a "T" -- twelve days of the following (no more, no less): 1 cup low-fat soup (cream or tomato) 1 cup veggies (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, or iceberg lettuce), with optional 1-2 tbsp fat-free dressing ½ cup of each of the following: sugar-free pudding, sugar-free applesauce, fat-free yogurt, and oatmeal. 3 protein shakes 48-64 oz. water The doctor said the pre-op diet was to reduce the fat around my liver, but it had some great psychological benefits as well. I savored every bite I took, took my time to eat and enjoy it, used smaller utensils and plates. Surprisingly this filled me up, thanks to the protein shakes and yogurt. I went to a restaurant with family and ordered only water, I brought my own meals to barbecues with friends and did not cheat once. It felt very empowering! Also a bit frustrating as my friends tried to push their food on me -- "Are you sure you don't want to try this? It's really good. One bite won't mess up your diet." I sat there very happy with my soup and salad, and finally shut them up by asking if they wanted to try my delicious iceberg lettuce and cream of tomato soup. The final day of pre-op (the day before surgery) was clear liquids only. I drank a gallon+ of water, and ate about 4 sugar-free jello cups. I did go to bed hungry that night but happy to do so because I knew what was coming next. My husband and I are avid boaters with lots of friends in the boating community who we spend most evenings and weekends with. Two days before my surgery, we had 7 of my girlfriends on our boat and one of them took a group photo. There they all were looking cute in their bikinis, and there I was looking fat and frumpy in my t-shirt and jean shorts. Any nerves or qualms I felt about the surgery were instantly gone when I saw the photo. I was ready! The surgery itself on May 28 went well. It took about 2 hours, and my surgeon also repaired a hiatal hernia. I did have one problem in the recovery room. Apparently my body can't handle opioids very well, and every time I pushed the pump for more pain medicine I would fall asleep and then quit breathing. I had a dedicated nurse who was closely monitoring this. She quickly contacted my surgeon who recommended a dose of Narcan to reverse the effects of the opioids, and then ordered only manual doses of pain meds. If it weren't for the constant care of the recovery nurse, it could have been a bad situation. I spent one night in the hospital, where they encouraged me to walk the halls, and even refused to discharge me until I did so. I took and passed a second leak test the 2nd day. They sent me home with an abdominal binder (#gamechanger), a pill crusher, and prescriptions for pain, nausea, cramps, and reflux. I have 6 purple incisions on my belly -- they aren't bruised, the glue they used is purple. It feels like a scab, and will fall off on their own in 1-2 weeks. I am up and walking around, even up and down stairs, although more than about 8 minutes at a time is exhausting and painful. But each time gets easier. Tomorrow I start the puree phase of my post-op diet. Protein shakes, applesauce, pudding, cream of wheat, yogurt. Nothing with anything but a smooth consistency, so I can puree canned fruits & veggies, fish, etc. Twenty days of that, then on to soft foods. At 6 weeks I will no longer have restrictions but plan to eat most of the same (eggs, fish, lean chicken, veggies, etc.). Thanks to everyone here who have shared their stories, challenges and victories. It really has been helpful for me, and I'm sure many others.

@@Hey Man Losing weight is such a SMALL part of WLS. It's actually the EASY part. We get very short sighted as newly sleeved or bypassed patients. It's all about the scale, how fast we are losing, stressing about stalls or small fluctuations in out weight. But the main thing we should be focusing on is how we can change our eating habits enough to keep the weight we lost off and live a healthy, happy life. At almost 2 years out, I can eat SO MUCH MORE than I could even a year out. I find myself over eating frequently, and have to actually force myself to weigh and measure most of the time to prevent it. I feel almost like I didn't have surgery at times. ESPECIALLY when it comes to snacking. I have to be very mindful. This is the reason I am choosing to eat edamame instead of chips for a snack, or eat a chocolate Greek yogurt as opposed to a cookie or two or three (because that's what it will end up being) I couldn't utilize moderation before surgery, so what makes me think it will work for me now that I feel like I can eat almost normal amounts of food? It won't. If I did a cookie here and a few chips there, I guarantee it won't stop there because I don't have my precious restriction and lack of hunger to count on anymore. That leads to weight gain. Ask anyone who has gained weight back, they will be the first ones to admit it. Like I said, it's not the amount of food that makes us successful, it's ultimately what we choose to eat that does when the honeymoon is over.

I had "The Last Supper" before I started my liquids only. It was a grilled steak, baked potato and salad and I didn't feel guilty one bit. I was super strict for the liquids after that and ended up losing 20 lbs pre-op. It didn't affect my surgery at all. You'll probably be surprised and not be able to eat as much as you used to. And you're right, it's gonna be a looooooooooong time before you eat that kind of food again. I'm almost 2 months post-op and still eating soup, yogurt and oatmeal. So far I'm down 67 lbs and going strong. (So enjoy you're meal today (and have a little bite for me please)!!!

I recommend sticking with a line about recent tummy troubles for those that don't want to share sleeve stories. Covers why you can't eat pizza and wings. Just throw that line out there and order the most bland soft thing on the menu or if there is truly nothing that will work, sip your drink and chat everyone up. I also recommend a blender ball cup, Protein powder and some flavoring. I used vanilla Protein Powder, starbucks instant decaf and Water when traveling. Mixed with room temp water, it tastes like a latte. I also packed sugar free drink mixes to blend with water. I had a Protein Drink two to three times per day to get me to protein goals while traveling. Easy protein food choices include fish, yogurt, string cheese, and cottage cheese. Enjoy your trip! Lynda

I'm almost a year out - Protein shakes to this day are my most filling staple. Tuna Yogurt Fruit Lettuce Seafood- fish, oysters, shrimp, crab. Also all work too - but NOTHING gets me like a Protein shake. Sits in me like a brick.

From the very beginning I have had zero problem with liquids & pudding, jello, yogurt, etc...now that I"m on to soft food, it feels a little like it gets stuck in my chest and there is some discomfort. Some foods are easier than others - I had a hard time with scrambled eggs but was fine with chicken salad, go figure. But I'm keeping calories under 700, watching the carbs and sugar, making sure to get enough protein & water, and am losing pretty well with little to no hunger. I don't know how to explain it; I guess I should be grateful. I'd definitely talk to your surgeon about it next time you see him though. That's what I plan on doing Good luck!

Beans: kidney, lima, garbanzo, and pinto, lentils, soybeans, and black-eyed peas fish skinless white meat chicken skinless white meat turkey skim milk lowfat cheese fat free cottage cheese lowfat yogurt

Yeah, my nutritionist told me never to eat carbs without protein. So always peanut butter or greek yogurt or something like that along with my fruits or whole grains. Of course, I'm still never really eating fruits or whole grains, so it hasn't been an issue for me yet.