Stomach stretching

[BCs 1000 364]

When it comes to carbs, I can eat a whole heap more than I can of Protein. Like PP said, if I start the day with carbs, the rest of the day goes downhill fast.

I just did the 5 day pouch test to get myself on track as these final pounds are proving very difficult to shift. Through the five days I could not finish a cup of Soup or Protein, so all is still well with my restriction.

If I wanted to, I could probably eat a garbage bag of popcorn as it is not very dense so I can fit a lot in. The same goes for other types of carbs.

I am in the healthy weight range now, but I still have the psychology of a morbidly obese person and probably always will. I cannot rely on my sleeve alone and am positive I could put all of the weight back on if I don't stick to the protein first rule.

I think you scared yourself, which probably isn't a bad thing. I have done it a few times over the past 8 months and am now 100% clear that I will never be able to include carbs in my diet like the average person does. I will always over eat them.

Best of luck learning what works for you

[sanjumelts 170]

I'm sitting here laughing at the conclusion that have been drawn.

Alright, you guys as 100% right. I am that guy that came here for justification.

I will now proceed to have a half pound cheese burger with all the sauces. Fries sound great on the side.

Someone please justify my actions!

Best,

Sanju

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Thanks for the answer guys, back to giving this lecture!

If anyone is interested in sitting in on a college level comp sci/logic theory course I teach and is in the nyc area, message me!

Best,

Sanju

Oh! Is this where we get to list our educational/professional credentials? Is that akin to whipping it out and measuring? How fun! I call front row view!!

What are you talking about? I mentioned earlier that I was working on lecture. An invitation to class is just that.

And while we are playing that game, no thank you, students earn an A in my class. Sitting in the front for a closer look at it won't help you through this one honey.

Best,

Sanju

(It's called a joke.)

[BarrySue 602]

I'm sitting here laughing at the conclusion that have been drawn.

Alright, you guys as 100% right. I am that guy that came here for justification.

I will now proceed to have a half pound cheese burger with all the sauces. Fries sound great on the side.

Someone please justify my actions!

Best,

Sanju

You seem to have it all figured out. You are the most knowledgeable person on the website. People just don't understand that you're allowed to shoot down any legitimate advice because you're simply wiser and more Enlightened, like a gymrat Yoda.

It does beg the question, though -- why are you here asking questions if you're too good to take advice?

[sanjumelts 170]

I'm sitting here laughing at the conclusion that have been drawn.

Alright, you guys as 100% right. I am that guy that came here for justification.

I will now proceed to have a half pound cheese burger with all the sauces. Fries sound great on the side.

Someone please justify my actions!

Best,

Sanju

You seem to have it all figured out. You are the most knowledgeable person on the website. People just don't understand that you're allowed to shoot down any legitimate advice because you're simply wiser and more Enlightened, like a gymrat Yoda.

It does beg the question, though -- why are you here asking questions if you're too good to take advice?

I have read every post on this thread. I have taken advice from every post I've given a thumbs up to. This is targeted at people who aren't actually giving any advice. Instead furthering something I've been trying to end since early morning today.

And gee, thanks for all the love.

Best,

Sanju

[sanjumelts 170]

Thanks for the answer guys, back to giving this lecture!

If anyone is interested in sitting in on a college level comp sci/logic theory course I teach and is in the nyc area, message me!

Best,

Sanju

Oh! Is this where we get to list our educational/professional credentials? Is that akin to whipping it out and measuring? How fun! I call front row view!!

What are you talking about? I mentioned earlier that I was working on lecture. An invitation to class is just that.

And while we are playing that game, no thank you, students earn an A in my class. Sitting in the front for a closer look at it won't help you through this one honey.

Best,

Sanju

(It's called a joke.)

What amazing timing and delivery!

[Christinamo7 4,041]

@@sanjumelts stick around. I think over time you will see others posts which are kinda the same in tone and you will also get kind of tired of the same round of questions all the time - there are people who when I first came here I thought "how rude" and then as time has gone on, I find my self thinking "wait until so and so sees this one"

again, my mind isn't made up about your post per say, but it is eerily similar to some of those.

my hope would be that if you were being genuine you will respond to those future posters with more grace and humility rather than impatience rudeness. because one thing you can count on, they're coming. and as you go forward with good days and bad days, and have hormone induced posts yourself, have the grace to think other people might also have good days, bad days and hormone induced posts.

I also think while initially people responded to your specific question, as with many threads, as it went on the comments become more general in nature and not specifically targeted at you.

and lets face it, active or not, you needed the WLS, so while your plan may be a little different, not substantially. Activity alone is not the answer, dietary changes are needed. my plan allows some carbs, but whole grain, and not so much. that would have pretty much blown my carb allowance by it's self. one of our biggest challenges is to not allow ourselves to eat around our surgeries.

Hopefully we will all continue to learn from those further down the road, and have something to offer to those who follow behind us. because that is the whole point of this site.

[MissMac 163]

I agree most with comment #34. What I want to add is that the further out I get from my surgery date (12/23/2013), the more I am able of ramp up the physical activity in spite of orthopedic limitations.

What I have discovered is that on days that I start out with strength training or boxing, I can eat more and tend to "front-load" early in the day and then slack off eating towards evening with no carbs and a very light dinner. Like yesterday for example, I had a one hour boxing workout interspersed with laps around the back yard, push-ups and squats. To me my post-workout lunch is the most important meal of the day. I had tacos without the tortilla, but included homemade guacamole.

To get in the nutrition I need on those days, I do graze because I just can't get it all in at once, and a usual small meal is not going to give me enough recovery to push through the afternoon awake and alert...... but it is with Protein, Water, Protein, Water, protein, water.

As for bread and starchy carbs, I still proceed with caution. They sit on my stomach like lead and make me very uncomfortable. I make my own pizza with a cauliflower crust. If I have Pasta at all, it is with chickpea Pasta full of protein - and no more than once a week. I only have a couple of baked potatoes all month. Mostly my veggies are green veggies or tomatoes. If I have carbs, it is usually with Breakfast like an egg/banana pancake, or a green smoothie with 1/2 banana in it.

Your grown man 85% stomach is by nature going to be bigger than my old lady 85% stomach. Just be careful about grazing dawn to dark or consuming starchy stuff on a regular basis. If you must eat more frequently to keep up your energy, then chicken breast is better than grapes. Grazing mindlessly will catch up with you. It just works better for me to plan my day so that I have a reasonable balance between calories in and calories out.

As for the forum, keep in mind that opinions and tact will vary, but yes, we do mean well.

[MissMac 163]

I mean 85% gone.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Thanks for the answer guys, back to giving this lecture!

If anyone is interested in sitting in on a college level comp sci/logic theory course I teach and is in the nyc area, message me!

Best,

Sanju

Oh! Is this where we get to list our educational/professional credentials? Is that akin to whipping it out and measuring? How fun! I call front row view!!

What are you talking about? I mentioned earlier that I was working on lecture. An invitation to class is just that.

And while we are playing that game, no thank you, students earn an A in my class. Sitting in the front for a closer look at it won't help you through this one honey.

Best,

Sanju

(It's called a joke.)

What amazing timing and delivery!

THANKS!! I am well loved for my wit and amazing sense of humor.

Oh, and when I want to "end" a thread? I just stop responding. It's a cool trick. I can't stop others from chattering on, but that doesn't mean I have to participate.

[Clementine Sky 707]

I am a week short of 2 months out and feel like I could eat more now.

For example, I just had a 6" turkey breast flatbread with onions, green pepper and tomatoes with a tiny bit of honey mustard from subway.

I ate 3" took a break and ate the other 3" about a half hour later.

Did I eat to large of a meal? And did I eat the other half to soon?

Best,

Sanju

I haven't read through the entire thread, so forgive me if my post has repetitive information. Your stomach hasn't stretched, but it has healed since your surgery, thus allowing you to consume more without experiencing as much discomfort as you might have previously. There's a bariatric surgeon named Dr. Matthew Weiner who has a channel on YouTube with informative videos that I recommend you check out if you haven't seen then yet. He discusses common myths about bariatric surgery, including the misconception that your stomach stretches out. He explains how the healing progress impacts your feeling of satiety and comfort levels when eating.

There are general guidelines for everyone who's had WLS or is trying to lose weight, but we also have to figure out what works best for us as individuals. Some people abstain entirely from all bread, rice, and Pasta, and are successful in their weight loss. Some have it in moderation, and are equally successful. I try to not make any food into a "forbidden fruit" by forbidding it from my diet, but instead have it in small quantities infrequently rather than habitually. Others go cold turkey. What's a boatload of food to one person is a reasonable amount for another. I think the key is to learn your body and your mind and do what works best for you. If you ate the second half of the sandwich because you were still hungry, I think that's fine. Your appetite can fluctuate depending on various factors, from what else you've eaten that day to your level of activity. There are days when I'm feeling ravenous and can eat more, and days when it takes me two attempts spaced an hour or more apart to have a cup of Greek yogurt. If you ate the second half just because it was still there, or because you felt compelled to finish it, then it's really not a big deal but you might want to avoid doing that again. I keep insulated lunch bags in my car and office for leftovers. I try to either eat when I'm genuinely hungry, or on a schedule (which helps me to avoid getting to the point where I'm so hungry I'd eat whatever wasn't nailed down). I don't really eat sandwiches all that often, but when I do I typically will take half the bread off and eat it open-face. If I'm really wanting something that feels like a sandwich I'll put the contents on a Wasa crispbread (low carb).

In the early stages, tracking what you eat and focusing on your total goals for the day is helpful. There's so many useful tools. Many chain eateries let you figure out specific information for your meals through calculators they have online. You pick the bread, fillings, Condiments, etc, and it then tells you the calories, carbs, fat. Subway probably has this if you're interested. I think what's important is putting meals into context. If you've eaten a flatbread turkey sandwich after a strenuous workout that burned a lot of calories, and you've had lower carb, healthy foods throughout the rest of the day, then it's not going to have the same impact as if you'd been sedentary and your other meals were carb-heavy. The Washington Post recently had an article about how it can be detrimental to cut your carbs too much if you've intensified your workouts. There's also plenty of research about how eating too many carbs when you're not exercising enough leads to weight gains or stalls. So you have to determine what works best for your own lifestyle.

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,899]

Sanjumelts, if you really want to have the villagers chase after you with pitchforks and torches say you use a straw to drink your liquids.

[jennjones5 66]

I can eat a whole 6' sub with all the fixings without any issues. I'm 6 months out and have lost 133lbs but I also work out 2hrs a day and lift weights. I believe you need those calories to keep your energy. Also, everyone is different and their meals plans are as well. So keep doing what your doing!

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Sanjumelts, if you really want to have the villagers chase after you with pitchforks and torches say you use a straw to drink your liquids BEER.

FTFY.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@jennjones5 big difference in being 6 months vs 6 weeks out. Just saying...