I haven't been really good about getting proteins in and waiting before drinking anything. Today I decided to make some changes and see how it works.

I usually have yogurt with fruit when I wake up. This is a "slider" type food. So today I loaded up with solid proteins. I had an egg beater veggie omlette with melted string cheese (I watched Hungry Girl and she suggested using string chees in dishes because it's pre-measured and low calories). I also had 2 turkey sauages-(70 calories for 2). That was at 12:30 - I didn't drink afterwards. I am thinking that should last me until 3:30-4:30 at which time I'll have a protein shake-BUT since the shake is a liquid and not a solid protein,,,I wonder if that will give me the "Full" feeling until dinner time? My NUT said to have a shake as a snack-not as a meal replacement so that would fit in.

I'll let you know how eating solid - nonslider foods first works!

This process is different for all of us. Each one of us not only has a slightly different regime from our physician's viewpoint on how and what we do before and after surgery, but how we react and what methods work for us as individuals.

I experiment with everything from food to exercise. Stop when something works and if I slow down, I take a look back for a few weeks and see where I might be able to change something else again, nothing drastic, just little steps to see if something works and keep coming back at it until my body finds itself in a good place of losing weight or re-shaping.

Okay, so it's 2:45 and I have "head hunger" not stomach hunger- so I am headed to the gym. By the time I get back I should be ready for my Protein shake. It's going to take me a while to sort out the head hunger vs. the stomach hunger. This is a new way of thinking for me.

Thsisme-you are so right-everyone's experience is so different and what works for one person doesn't necessarrily work for another. There's a constant adjusting and readjusting what we do and what we eat-it's such a learning process.

Came back from the gym around 4:30 and said to myself "Am I hungry and is it head hunger or stomach hunger" I decided it was head hunger, my stomach was satisfied.

I opted to have a protein shake because I don't want to get to the point of really being hungry and thereby eating too much. At dinner I will eat my proteins first and not drink afterwards!

I posted on my blog about this a bit ago but I will share with you as well! My nutritionist has me eating MEALS at 7a, 11a, and 7p with a snack around 3p. This really helps to stretch out my meals and control the hunger (because if you wait until you're starving you will overeat!) She also said at my 2 month checkup that she would be okay if I never had another protein shake or bar ever again! She said she would rather I get my protein with REAL FOOD! I stick with dense meats and crunchy fruits and veggies (mostly pears, white nectarines that aren't very ripe and green beans and carrots because I dont like a lot of veggies). She also said the crunchier the better and the more fiber the better! Good luck!!!

I usually eat a protein bar or drink a protein shake after the gym regardless of if I'm hungry or not. Your muscles need the protein to repair themselves and get stronger after a good heart-pumping workout...especially if you did a lot of lifting. I also find that I get fuller quicker when I eat dense protein.