I've been watching sleevers on YouTube and one girl said she's fallen off the wagon and is eating eating eating and is really struggling. She's had the sleeve for a year or so. Now she said that she still can't eat as big a portions as before the surgery, but she can eat two servings at dinner.

What do you do when this happens? Does your stomach stretch out a lot? What if you start re-gaining weight?

It sounds like carbs are a big problem in slowing weight loss or re-gaining. :-( I love carbs and am not fond of meat, eggs, etc. etc. etc. Protein has always been my #1 issue on all diets. Any suggestions?

Rose

I'm with Rose, I'm like you in many ways, Rose.

I hope someone has some good ideas, lol.

Hugs,

Nancy

I would just slowly cut back on them now so that it's not a big shock post-op. Immediately post-op, you really need to get that Protein in to avoid losing a lot of lean muscle mass.

When I first started tracking my food pre-op, I was eating 300 g of carbs a day! By the time I had my surgery, I was down to 150 g, a lot of that from fruit instead of the junk food I was eating before.

Once you are eating more, then the lean muscle issue isn't as acute. At that point, it's kind of up to you what approach you want to take. Some people start out eating like they are on maintenance from day one. These people almost always lose slower. Some of them do fine and get to goal and are happy, but it's been my observation that enough of them find themselves slipping back into old habits and not getting to goal that I am glad I didn't take that approach.

I decided to treat myself as if I was a newborn just learning how to eat who didn't know what I was liked or didn't like. I was (and still am) very careful about adding back in stuff into my diet. I tried things I didn't like before and I was open to the possibility of not liking things I used to like before. As a result, I eat MUCH healthier now and my ideas about food changed dramatically.

I now think of a treat as adding half a banana to my shake instead of eating a cup of toostie rolls. I do still eat things that are traditional treats, but the amounts and frequency are way down. I've had brownies, Cookies and candy since surgery. But it's something I might do 1-2x a month and I have, generally, 2 bites of this stuff. I used to have a whole cookie (or 2 or 3) and I'd have a "treat" almost every day.

I also stop if I realize I'm not enjoying it. I had some dulce de leche cake on Sat at my son's graduation ceremony and party. I did not like so I did not finish it. Before, I would have finished it and, since I didn't like it, then I'd try the other cake to see if was better!

Before I decided to have surgery, I never thought I could live without lots and lots of carbs, either. I had a sweet tooth and I loved carbs. I had no intention of giving up a lot of the stuff I just don't eat any more. But when I was retraining my stomach, I found it had different ideas. I'm glad I gave it the opportunity to assert itself! :thumbup1:

It sounds like carbs are a big problem in slowing weight loss or re-gaining. :-( I love carbs and am not fond of meat, eggs, etc. etc. etc. Protein has always been my #1 issue on all diets. Any suggestions?

Rose

Three bites protein to every one bite everything else

There are lots of places to get protein besides meat and eggs. Have you ever tried edamame? It's soybeans, preferably still in the pod that they serve often at sushi or japanese places as an appetizer. You can find them in the freezer or "natural" section of most grocery stores. They are great if you sprinkle them with salt (preferably sea salt) or soy sauce and nuke them for a few - I like to eat them cold as well. It's a great high protein snack that is very low in calories and almost no fat as well.

Some vegetables have higher concentrations of protein. Beans of nearly any kind are great (Taco Bell pintos and cheese is a perfect size portion for you post-surgery peeps, and it has 6 grams of protein).

The world according to eggface is a great place for recipes without meat, as well as the recipes section of the forum on Bariatrictv dot com.

My daughter always hated meat and eggs, so we had to get creative for her with protein when she was growing up

Yes, MacMadame and Kristopia have the right advice! You will lose slower if you do not keep to a high Protein low carb diet. At first I decided that was okay for me but again, I DO have problems with carb control! It's something I'll always have to live with. I do not indulge anywhere near like I used to but the temptation both to graze and to graze on carbs is something I find challenging. The best approach is to NOT HAVE THEM IN YOUR HOUSE! When you're at a party you may decide to indulge but it will be a finite amount once in a while, not everyday for a week because there's leftover pie in the fridge:)

Also, in my line of work I also try to taste and then spit it out! I treat it like a wine tasting. I do not recommend this for everyone though, because I think it flirts with eating disorder-like behavior. Also you do still get some of the calories and carbs and it may still trigger cravings for more.

Lastly, I should say that just post-op I did not crave carbs at all. After your body goes for days without eating them your cravings will subside enormously. At first I had to remind myself to eat anything. I did not reintroduce treats until I was about 3 months out and then only a bite or 2.

Now, it's just a struggle that I know is part of who I am. Every day starts anew and every day I do a little better in taking care of myself. Okay - off to hit the elliptical now:)

I need an elliptical - easier on the joints :lol0: I need the surgery - WAY easier on the joints

It's actually a good idea for those of us who cook and bake (especially in businesses, though mine is a small side business) to treat our food tasting as wine tasting. As you said, making sure it isn't (or doesn't become) a type of eating disorder on it's own.

I also liked the idea posted by ... hmmm ... was it WASa or Elizabethsew ... about the "tricks" of skinny people and instead of eating an entire donut if you are craving it, cut out a portion and eat that ... then you have satisfied your desire. That has always worked for me thank goodness ... like in candy bars ... I buy the miniatures ... give away the ones I don't like ... which is most of them ... but keep the dark chocolate for when I have a craving that won't go away ... instead of eating something I don't really want I open one of the miniatures, break it into pieces and suck on them until they dissolve ... that takes care of my craving.

You do know you can by a whole bag of just dark chocolate minis, dontcha? :biggrin0: I LOVED that invention, because the darks are what I eat, too, and one satisfies a craving, even now without the sleeve.

I have an old trick and I hope it will still work when I start eating again. If there is something I am craving, I hold out until I have to leave the house or the office for something like going to work, going home, shopping etc. then just as I am about to leave I take one piece of what ever it is that I am dying to eat and pop that into my big mouth and go out the door. I cant return for seconds and that little bit usually gets rid of the craving.

You do know you can by a whole bag of just dark chocolate minis, dontcha? :confused1: I LOVED that invention, because the darks are what I eat, too, and one satisfies a craving, even now without the sleeve.

NO - I didn't know that ...who makes them? I may have to check that out once I am on solids ... and one definitely does the trick.

I find them in most grocery stores, but certainly at Super Target or Wal Mart. Dove chocolate has a bag of individually wrapped darks. Hershey's kisses does a back of dark kisses (I think they're purple wrapped, but can't remember), and Hersheys has them too in their "signature" chocolates. I like Dove myself - creamier tasting.

I also like to get sugar free Chocolate pudding (or vanilla, for that matter), and freeze them in their individual cups. It really helps when I have a craving for ice cream or gellato.

I find them in most grocery stores, but certainly at Super Target or Wal Mart. Dove chocolate has a bag of individually wrapped darks. Hershey's kisses does a back of dark kisses (I think they're purple wrapped, but can't remember), and Hersheys has them too in their "signature" chocolates. I like Dove myself - creamier tasting.

I also like to get sugar free Chocolate pudding (or vanilla, for that matter), and freeze them in their individual cups. It really helps when I have a craving for ice cream or gellato.

I knew about the Hershey's kisses ... I'll have to check the others out.

As for the pudding - I've got 2 pkgs. in the freezer ready for the day I am allowed to have them

I learnt this from hanging out with a skinny girlfriend of mines. I noticed she was always drinking either tea or hot Water. and I sat down for maybe 7-10 dinners with her and she always had hot water / ordered tea at a restaurant, ive never seen her wipe a plate out. and shed always suggest dessert but always shares it.

DONT CHEW GUM. its proven to increase hunger and not to mension:closedeyes: aspartame has also been proven to increase hunger, amoung other things.

It sounds like carbs are a big problem in slowing weight loss or re-gaining. :-( I love carbs and am not fond of meat, eggs, etc. etc. etc. Protein has always been my #1 issue on all diets. Any suggestions?

Rose

I learnt this from hanging out with a skinny girlfriend of mines. I noticed she was always drinking either tea or hot Water. and I sat down for maybe 7-10 dinners with her and she always had hot water / ordered tea at a restaurant, ive never seen her wipe a plate out. and shed always suggest dessert but always shares it.

DONT CHEW GUM. its proven to increase hunger and not to mension:closedeyes: aspartame has also been proven to increase hunger, amoung other things.

No gum is good advice. My surgeon told me the exact same thing about chewing gum. It increases acid production in the stomach which can lead to increased hunger and higher risks of uclers.

I think it's grazing that does us in. I can't eat any more now than I could a few months ago and I know some people 2 years out who can't eat any more than they could at 6 months out. But there is nothing to stop you from eating 1/2 c. at dinner, waiting 30 min. and eating another 1/2 c.

In fact, sometimes I do that to get all my Protein in. (Well, not 1/2 c. two times... but I'll put out 1/4 c. of veggies and 3 oz. of chicken and eat it in two sittings.)

The difference is that I'm in control. I'm still tracking my food and I'm still aiming for certain nutritional goals. I am eating to a plan because I decided to do this before I did it. I didn't put out my dinner, eat it all, and then go get more even though I hadn't planned on it and don't need those calories and nutrition.

It's the out-of-control eating that causes problems and I'm not sure exactly what causes that. Maybe head hunger. Maybe ghrelin coming back. Maybe some kind of unhealthy relationship with food.

The ghrelin comes back???????