I have constantly been getting little hunger attacks to eat over the last couple months in between planned meals (6x a day to total 1200 calories), when I am not supposed to be eating. Gets worse every day. So today I thought perhaps cottage cheese would make a good satiety food for these moments when I am being pulled *hard* by hunger. It worked!!

The reason why I wanted to try is because I was remembering about a cottage cheese test to determine size of stomach from a VST book I read pre op (yes, I read a lot of books about post op but nothing trumps post op experience). I thought if cottage cheese is being used to determine size, it cannot slide through. This is great! I just hope a random couple spoonfuls are not going to blow maintenance. High in Protein, low in fat and low in carbs. I never did eat cottage cheese more then once post op, so it is good to be eating again.

What are some *other satiety foods* you use to bury that nagging goal weight hunger?

Two rules:

1. It must be smaller serving size then a normal full meal of 1 cup of protein / veggies. In other words, eating a meal does noes not count as a solution to my question.

2. It must not be a slider food. I am looking to satisfy the hunger, not delay it for more battles in 20 minutes. Besides, I do not want to eat sliders during maintenance of weight. I want to eat as healthy as possible to support physical activity.

Do you consider drinking protein shakes as a violation of "don't drink your calories?" If so, I am so guilty...

For me, now that I can get all my nutrients without a Protein drink, I never have them. I kept the powders around for a while after I quit using them at home because I needed them when traveling, but now even when traveling I can eat my protein requirements if I am careful where I eat.

I do know some post-ops continue using them forever. Most notably eggface, although she had a bypass, not VSG.

Lynda

Do you consider drinking protein shakes as a violation of "don't drink your calories?" If so, I am so guilty...

My surgeon does. It's the one rule I don't follow. I don't drink empty calories like frapuccinos etc., but protein shakes save the day for me sometimes. Supposedly shake protein is too bioavailable too--that's why my surgeon likes us to get our protein from food. But it seems to be working pretty well for you, Fiddleman. That's encouraging.

My surgeon does. It's the one rule I don't follow. I don't drink empty calories like frapuccinos etc.' date=' but Protein shakes save the day for me sometimes. Supposedly shake protein is too bioavailable too--that's why my surgeon likes us to get our protein from food. But it seems to be working pretty well for you, Fiddleman. That's encouraging.[/quote']

Yes, protein shakes are a regular for me every day, 3x a day. I like drinking them and they each serve their own distinct purpose depending on type of protein at different parts of the day. Heck, I also eat energy squares and paleo bars pre and post workout which are definitely not low in carbs or calories @120 calories and 300 calories, respectively. I am not a model for low carb at all. However, I was very low carb while dropping weight to goal before month 7.

The rest of the day is very clean protein and veggie @ 150 calories each meal. On a typical day, I am eating between 1650 and 1800 calories. I don't really count carbs or fats any more, but deliberately eat good carbs and fats. I eat small good quality nutrition many times a day.

Weight is pretty stable @ 188 now (5'11") and that suits me fine because I have bulked up 10 lb of muscle. Body fat is 17%. Whatever I am doing as far as eating to support cardio and lifting is working and leaves me with a lot of energy during the day and good sleep at night. I do not workout for more then 1 hour a day. Being able to eat all the time really helps with satiety as there is usually 2 hours in between eating, sometimes 1 if it is around workout.

Eating at bedtime really helps to not feel hungry in the morning. I know, I know....this is breaking the nut's recommendation to not eat within 2 hours of bedtime, but it really helps in repairing muscles over night and drop lbs by morning.

Do you consider drinking Protein shakes as a violation of "don't drink your calories?" If so' date=' I am so guilty...[/quote']

I don't know the answer to this one. I don't know any "answers" to be honest, Fiddleman. I'm about to go in for stricture repair number two on Monday and I've been told to drink my Protein drinks if I can't keep my food down. But my therapist and my doctor are well aware that counting calories in both the food THEN again counting Protein Drink calories pushes the boundaries of this eating disorder. Feeling as though I'm "breaking the rules" sets off an entirely new reaction. The fact that I'm eating more carbs (fruit) than my VSG peers is something that has been acknowledged, but I've just not dealt with that one yet.

I feel strongly that I worked hard to get to the place in my life that I could even have this procedure. I don't feel it's a choose-your-own-adventure-novel in the least. But it is certainly NOT one-size-fits-all.

Some days this whole thing is truly just the ultimate mind game ::sigh::

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

Yes, Protein shakes are a regular for me every day, 3x a day. I like drinking them and they each serve their own distinct purpose depending on type of protein at different parts of the day. Heck, I also eat energy squares and paleo bars pre and post workout which are definitely not low in carbs or calories @120 calories and 300 calories, respectively. I am not a model for low carb at all. However, I was very low carb while dropping weight to goal before month 7.

The rest of the day is very clean protein and veggie @ 150 calories each meal. On a typical day, I am eating between 1650 and 1800 calories. I don't really count carbs or fats any more, but deliberately eat good carbs and fats. I eat small good quality nutrition many times a day.

Weight is pretty stable @ 188 now (5'11") and that suits me fine because I have bulked up 10 lb of muscle. Body fat is 17%. Whatever I am doing as far as eating to support cardio and lifting is working and leaves me with a lot of energy during the day and good sleep at night. I do not workout for more then 1 hour a day. Being able to eat all the time really helps with satiety as there is usually 2 hours in between eating, sometimes 1 if it is around workout.

Eating at bedtime really helps to not feel hungry in the morning. I know, I know....this is breaking the nut's recommendation to not eat within 2 hours of bedtime, but it really helps in repairing muscles over night and drop lbs by morning.

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

Yes, Protein shakes are a regular for me every day, 3x a day. I like drinking them and they each serve their own distinct purpose depending on type of protein at different parts of the day. Heck, I also eat energy squares and paleo bars pre and post workout which are definitely not low in carbs or calories @120 calories and 300 calories, respectively. I am not a model for low carb at all. However, I was very low carb while dropping weight to goal before month 7.

The rest of the day is very clean protein and veggie @ 150 calories each meal. On a typical day, I am eating between 1650 and 1800 calories. I don't really count carbs or fats any more, but deliberately eat good carbs and fats. I eat small good quality nutrition many times a day.

Weight is pretty stable @ 188 now (5'11") and that suits me fine because I have bulked up 10 lb of muscle. Body fat is 17%. Whatever I am doing as far as eating to support cardio and lifting is working and leaves me with a lot of energy during the day and good sleep at night. I do not workout for more then 1 hour a day. Being able to eat all the time really helps with satiety as there is usually 2 hours in between eating, sometimes 1 if it is around workout.

Eating at bedtime really helps to not feel hungry in the morning. I know, I know....this is breaking the nut's recommendation to not eat within 2 hours of bedtime, but it really helps in repairing muscles over night and drop lbs by morning.

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

Yes, Protein shakes are a regular for me every day, 3x a day. I like drinking them and they each serve their own distinct purpose depending on type of protein at different parts of the day. Heck, I also eat energy squares and paleo bars pre and post workout which are definitely not low in carbs or calories @120 calories and 300 calories, respectively. I am not a model for low carb at all. However, I was very low carb while dropping weight to goal before month 7.

The rest of the day is very clean protein and veggie @ 150 calories each meal. On a typical day, I am eating between 1650 and 1800 calories. I don't really count carbs or fats any more, but deliberately eat good carbs and fats. I eat small good quality nutrition many times a day.

Weight is pretty stable @ 188 now (5'11") and that suits me fine because I have bulked up 10 lb of muscle. Body fat is 17%. Whatever I am doing as far as eating to support cardio and lifting is working and leaves me with a lot of energy during the day and good sleep at night. I do not workout for more then 1 hour a day. Being able to eat all the time really helps with satiety as there is usually 2 hours in between eating, sometimes 1 if it is around workout.

Eating at bedtime really helps to not feel hungry in the morning. I know, I know....this is breaking the nut's recommendation to not eat within 2 hours of bedtime, but it really helps in repairing muscles over night and drop lbs by morning.

Fiddle, what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

Yes, Protein shakes are a regular for me every day, 3x a day. I like drinking them and they each serve their own distinct purpose depending on type of protein at different parts of the day. Heck, I also eat energy squares and paleo bars pre and post workout which are definitely not low in carbs or calories @120 calories and 300 calories, respectively. I am not a model for low carb at all. However, I was very low carb while dropping weight to goal before month 7.

The rest of the day is very clean protein and veggie @ 150 calories each meal. On a typical day, I am eating between 1650 and 1800 calories. I don't really count carbs or fats any more, but deliberately eat good carbs and fats. I eat small good quality nutrition many times a day.

Weight is pretty stable @ 188 now (5'11") and that suits me fine because I have bulked up 10 lb of muscle. Body fat is 17%. Whatever I am doing as far as eating to support cardio and lifting is working and leaves me with a lot of energy during the day and good sleep at night. I do not workout for more then 1 hour a day. Being able to eat all the time really helps with satiety as there is usually 2 hours in between eating, sometimes 1 if it is around workout.

Eating at bedtime really helps to not feel hungry in the morning. I know, I know....this is breaking the nut's recommendation to not eat within 2 hours of bedtime, but it really helps in repairing muscles over night and drop lbs by morning.

Fiddle' date=' what was your average caloric/carb intake and exercise expenditure during your loss phase?

[/quote']

During the loss phase, here is how my progress breaks down:

Month 1-4:

Starting weight: 335

Ending weight: 245

Eat: 600-900 calories,

Carbs: 10-30 g

fats: did not track

Protein: 90-125 g

Water: 90 oz

Exercise: 300-600 (walk, ellyptical)

Month 5-7:

Starting weight: 245

Ending weight: 178

Eat: 900-1200 calories

carbs: 70-100 g

fats: did not track

Protein: 125-175 g

Water: 125-150 oz

Exercise: 600-1200 calories ( running)

Overall, my weight stats:

HW: 360

SW: 335

GW: 180

LW: 178

CW: 188

Stopped losing during month 7 and hit LW of 178. I have been adding lean muscle and toning with cross fit and yoga during month 8-10 (current) and have CW 188. Love all the body weight exercises that can be done with cross fit. I will be really increasing weights in about a month and am currently lifting average amounts. Focus is on getting technical right now before piling on the weight.

I suspect my weight will float somewhere between 180-190 as body fat % decreases and lean muscle % increases. 185 would be a good weight to stabilize on when initial bulking up phase is done.

Do you consider drinking Protein shakes as a violation of "don't drink your calories?" If so, I am so guilty...

My surgeon says yes. His rule was NO SHAKES AFTER 6 WEEKS post-op. But truthfully I never understood that. I have lots of theories and no concrete answers. A couple of theories include that drinking any calorie liquid is bad because it does not combat hunger (i.e. leaving you hungry because it was "liquid"...and my surgeon has rules about what to drink also, nothing with more than 15 calories per serving...I drink Water and plain unsweet tea occassionally...of yeah and coffee.) I think a lot of my surgeon's rules were modified from what they knew about the RNY. So with that in mind another thing I think that my surgeon doesn't want is people avoiding food because it hurts to eat. (i.e. liquid diet covering up for pain from stricture, ulcer, etc.) I have asked my NUT specifically about this rule and she still stands by the rule, except when it IS more convenient to have a shake vs. having to raid a vending machine, etc.

Fiddle if what you are doing is working for you then I think keep doing it.

I drink shakes mainly out of optization. There are different types of Proteins that affect the body composition differently depending on time of day. Also I am trying to eat body weight Protein grams or close to (150-180 g). Shakes are about the only way I can do this. As said above, I eat 3 shakes a day. I eat "real food" for the other meals, but it does tend to be paleo style of clean protein and leafy greens. I eat energy squares and paleo bars to increase my good carbs and fats. Working well! I need all the food in order to keep my BMR churning along as a result of running and cross fit during the week. If I did not eat this way, my muscles would atrophy and body would constantly be in catabolic state like it was during month 5-7 when I was only running and calories were more around 900-1100 daily. All that running zapped my upper body of strength. To maintain a strong upper body, I need to get the protein and continue to train with cross fit. Running on off days between 5k and 10k to keep body lean. It is a careful balancing act and I think it is working so far.

DISCLAIMER (to all) - I usually share strategies as a VSG post op that work for me through trial and error. I also ask a lot of questions in order to pick and choose from a buffet of different ideas. My strategies may not work for everyone ,especially if you are not the active type. You are welcome to try all strategies, some strategies or no strategies. It is up to you. I wish everyone success.

Yup - see those bags all the time at TJ, calling out. just have not committed yet to buying nuts yet post op. i guess now or never. I was thinking why not "go big" or "go bulk" by buying nuts from Costco. More nuts for the money. No that is not a bumper sticker for a pimpin trade line. Lol.

I try to buy the nuts in portion size packages because i can eat way too many nuts. The portion size bags work very well for me. I buy salted nuts because of my low blood pressure. The salt helps retain water which keeps my blood pressure up.

I

Some days this whole thing is truly just the ultimate mind game ::sigh::

This is the perfect comment for how I am feeling! Good luck and keep experimenting for what works for You!

I joined the gym a month ago and am finding myself very low on energy and having a hard time getting through the cardio workouts. I spoke to one of the instructors about it and she said because of my low calories 600 - 750 I am not getting enough to expend for the workout (I love zumba). So I am trying to increase my calories to about 800 now but at the same time am afraid that I will stop losing. (7 1/2 months out - 30 pounds left to lose). The instructor said, "You're like a science experiment and you just have to keep trying things out to see what works for you."

It really is a mind game sometimes. I know that I am more hungry but worry about eating more calories. Then I worry that I am not getting enough calories because of exercising but not wanting to eat back my calories for fear of gaining or losing. UGH!

I think I just want to be DONE - meaning at goal. I so want to buy new clothes and stop being in limbo and say I made it and then maintain and get stronger. But I have to continue to be patient.

My quick and easy go to's for feeling full fast are turkey meatballs and hard boiled eggs. I have no idea why but consuming a single hardboiled egg is like eating a full-on Thanksgiving dinner for me in terms of feeling full - its like eating a cannon ball lol. I love nuts and cheeses, but they get a bit slidery for me and I think they can hinder my losses - so I need to watch it with those two favorites. These are awesome if you have not tried them - the fabulous Fat Guacamole Devil! http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fat-guacamole-devils/#axzz2VjmPA477