Dear fellow sleevers.... I had Surgery on Feb 4th. I have lost 15 to 18lbs.. This is where I teeter.... up one day, down two the next day. I'm watching the Water intake, and the Protein count. I seem to be always hungry... I grab cottage cheese and carrots...i'm always trying to grab something to keep the hunger away....... Maybe some of you can give me some ideas.. I did see the Nut... and started keeping a journal. But the days get busy, and hard to keep up. You see i'm a caretaker for my Husband... who has Alzheimer's. I have to feed him, and he seems to be eating all the time. NO, I do not touch his snakes, but I always make sure he has them, so he does not have me getting things for him. It has been very hard..... I do not get alot of movement to burn cal.. I'm loaded with arthritis. I do walk two dogs twice a day, and what ever I do around the house. I'm going to start a thi-chi class. I have done that before, and I loved it..I also ordered the SPIN GYM... which is for working out the upper body, right from a chair.. So if any of you can help, or give some ideas.. Like what to start the day with, so not to be HUNGRY all the time. Thank you my friends..... JewelJ

I know a lot of people believe in the no/low carb thing but I don't know how they do it. I like to start my day with an egg and half a piece of toast. It gives me some carbs and protein so I don't feel as hungry. I hope things start getting easier for you, just keep trying!

My body often confuses thirst for hunger. Especially in the first 4/5 months, the few times I felt super hungry were always related to my Fluid status . Sometimes I think I'm having enough to drink , but I'm not. I am not a Water fan, so I drink some coffee now. though it's probably too early post op for you at this point. As a treat , I buy a jug of the flavored diet iced teas like Snapple or Turkey Hill ( the peach , berry or green teas) and microwave a cup of the tea . I know it sounds weird to heat pre sweetened ice tea , but yummmm. It fixes my cravings and my thirst .

You are still early on , and have a lot to deal with your husband and all. Find new ways to be special to yourself. Good luck

Are you on PPI's or antacids? Besides thirst, acid can feel like hunger. I was on 40mg Omeprazole daily but early on I'd still get hunger pains. 2 tbls maalox or 2 rolaids would take the sensation away immediately. When you do eat, dense proteins will keep you full much longer. My go-to snack now when I'm on the run is Natures Valley protein nut bars. I hate the texture and taste of protein bars made with whey isolate, but these are actual nut bars with peanuts and almonds. I chew each bite at least 30 times and they are quite filling.

Are you on PPI's or antacids? Besides thirst, acid can feel like hunger. I was on 40mg Omeprazole daily but early on I'd still get hunger pains. 2 tbls maalox or 2 rolaids would take the sensation away immediately. When you do eat, dense Proteins will keep you full much longer. My go-to snack now when I'm on the run is Natures Valley Protein nut bars. I hate the texture and taste of protein bars made with whey isolate, but these are actual nut bars with peanuts and almonds. I chew each bite at least 30 times and they are quite filling.

Dear Kindle, Congrats on your weight loss. You are doing GREAT!!!! mabe you can let me know what you are eating at a sitting...Jewelj

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU ALL.... I did find a Protein BAR... in Walmart only. I had never seen it before. They are costly, and when the protein is high... the calories are high too. HOWEVER, this one is called LIFE CHOICE... they have several with 7 grams of protein, 10 grams of protein, 15 grams of protein. BUT they have two flavors that come with "21 grams of protein"..The two flavors are " Peanut Butter EXTREME" and "DOUBLE CHOCOLATE"..

Now the peanut butter extreme, is 210 calories, total carbs 14gr. Protein 21gr. Now the Double chocolate, is 190 calories...total carb is 16grams...protein is 21gr. It says on the back that they make a Mealbar, a wellness bar, and energy also.. I'm thinking we can check on the computer to get a case from the company...if you like it. Walmart sells 5 bars in a box for $3.88 Which I thought was a GREAT PRICE.... any Meal Ideas... i'm all ears... Thanks

JEWELJ

i AM HAVING some Tummy trouble.... at least every other day I'm using TUMS. i DO HAVE a script for "purple pill" generic..but I hate the smell when opening the bottle so I do not take it as I should.... JewelJ

Other than what's in my Protein shakes, I don't really track or count or measure anything, so my routine might be a little hard to follow. I'm about 5 weeks further out than you, and I've come pretty far in how much I can consume over the last month...especially liquids. I can take several large gulps at a time now, and a month ago I was still kind of sipping. I also couldn't drink plain Water until this past month.

During the week, I'm on the road working, so meals are tuff. I make a large Protein shake for Breakfast (at least 24 oz. and 30g protein) and take and hour or two to drink it in between appointments. Premier Protein chocolate with skim milk and blended banana is my favorite these days. Then I'll have a string cheese stick or Natures Valley Protein Bar (a month ago I could only eat 1/2) for lunch. In the afternoon I make sure I drink a liter of water or better yet a liter of Syntrax nectar (I mix 2 packets in a 32 oz Nalgene bottle which gives me another 46 G protein). Sometimes I'll eat one Chobani Greek yogurt if I have time. When I get home I eat whatever I'm in the mood for...always protein first...tuna, pork loin, crab cake, grilled chicken, hamburger, turkey curry salad, whatever. I don't cook, so most of my meals are whatever yummy thing they have at the local deli. The smallest container they have usually lasts me at least 4 meals before I end up giving the rest to the dogs. I get a few veggies here and there...squash, spinach, green Beans, cucumbers, or at least some V8 juice. I stop eating just before I get too full. I try and get some more liquid in before bed. Sleepy time tea is a stand by. Favorite Snacks are Greek yogurt, cheese slices, and apples with PB2

On the weekends I eat more food and only one protein shake/day. Yesterday I had 1/2 pancake and 1/2 piece turkey sausage, 1 Protein Drink, about 1/2 cup split pea Soup, 1 1/2 pork ribs, 1/4 cup acorn squash, 1/3 apple with PB2, 1 liter of water and Sleepytime tea.

I could not have eaten this much and still gotten in enough Fluid a month ago. I learned early on to try and kill two birds with one stone by trying to make everything I drank have some protein in it. I also started hating the taste of artificial sweeteners, so I began drinking diluted organic juices instead of flavoring water with crystal light, Mio, etc. No idea what my calorie/carb/fat/protein numbers are. I really just wing it keeping fluids and protein a priority.

Good luck! You can do this. Just find something that works into your busy and demanding schedule.

i AM HAVING some Tummy trouble.... at least every other day I'm using TUMS. i DO HAVE a script for "purple pill" generic..but I hate the smell when opening the bottle so I do not take it as I should.... JewelJ

Maybe try OTC Prilosec for awhile to see if it helps your tummy. No smell.