I think I need a good kick in the a$$...

[KeepCalm 223]

@

Pate is duck/chicken livers that are made into a paste, and they add herbs and spices... its actually really yum... its french and goes really well with cheese.

well - I tried potted meat because it had high Protein... AND high sodium (less then half a teaspoon and I decided waaaaaaay to salty) I'll look around for pate and try it too *nods* I'm willing to try anything once! and that goes for almost everything!

[NeedaBreak4Me 1,755]

@

Just be careful with the pate... some of it can have lots of sodium and fat... check the labels....

And i wouldn't recommend having it as a whole meal... but more as part of a meal.... like with cheese, sliced deli meats etc

The french usually serve it with crusty bread, deli meat, cheeses, dried fruit, quince paste... a gourmet cheese platter type thing.

If you want the nutritional value without the fat... you could also cook chicken livers as a meal... i like them personally... but it depends on ones preference

[Fredbear 397]

BTW - what is Pate??

Paté is basically a finely minced meat (often liver), usually for the purpose of being soft and "spreadable".

It's basically like canned cat food.

"When all is said and done, usually more has been said than done. "

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Personally, I would be cautious with pate. Pre-op, I loved liver cheese which has a fairly high fat content. Post-op, it has made me feel a little woozy.

[NeedaBreak4Me 1,755]

Hahah @ cat food... i guess you are right... it does sort of look like that lol but if you are buying your pate canned... there is something wrong there lol..

Yes, i would only have it in SMALL quantities... because of the fat/sodium content....

Edited July 12, 2016 by AussieGirl81

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Alright, so...

It seems that I rather suck at eating. I was fortunate enough to have my appetite and hunger return a mere 6 weeks after surgery, so getting appropriate nourishment hadn't been much of a struggle from that time until recently. Somewhere around 4-6 weeks ago, my appetite and most of my physical hunger (barring perhaps the middle of the night or first thing in the morning) seem to have just switched off. Since then, hitting my goals has become quite the battle. This morning I poured over my MFP entries to average out my calories and Protein for the past month, and it came out to 687 calories (current goal range is 900-1100) and 68g Protein (surgeon's goal range is 75-113g, my personal minimum is 90g). And if I'm being entirely honest with myself, several of those days were 'padded' a little. Not deliberately - just things like recording a Protein Bar but only finishing half, recording a snack I intend to eat at work but forgetting, things like that.

I know that I shouldn't be consuming so few calories at this stage, and that getting my protein in should be my top priority. I know that I need to suck it up and eat whether I like it or not. I know that eating when you don't want to is no walk in the park for anyone. But I feel that I am having a particularly difficult time with it. I've no problem with the timing - its not that I'm just getting busy and forgetting that its time to eat (okay maybe a few times, but its not the main issue), so setting an alarm won't help much. The problem is that if I don't feel like eating, then not only do I flat out not WANT to, but I am physically averse to doing so. The thought of it turns my stomach. Having food in my mouth can trigger my gag reflex. Swallowing becomes very difficult. I instantly feel 'full' and like I'm stuffing every bite. Now there is nothing physically wrong with me, as I can eat just fine when I actually want to.

I really don't know what the problem is. Full disclosure: I do have a notable history with eating disorders (nothing threat-of-hospital-worthy since my late teens, however I've had more minor relapses as recently as 2010), but I truly don't believe that's what's going here. An eating disorder involves a certain mentality that simply isn't present right now...not to mention that I've grown too old for that sh*t. I don't know if its the summer heat, the upset of my recent move, working for the first time in a decade, having to share a house...whatever. I don't want to make excuses. I've been considering returning to a liquid diet for a week or so to see if the absence of solid food will re-trigger my hunger/desire for it. Does anyone think that might work? I'm quite certain I'm not the only one in the history of WLS who has struggled with this. If you are one of them, what has worked for you? How have you been able to get passed this? Does anyone have any suggestions? Harsh words are as welcome as supportive ones here - I know that I'm totally f*cking myself over right now.

I'm going to end with a few stats and tidbits so no one is forced to dig around in my profile or past posts for relevant information if they don't want to:

• Gastric bypass on 25 Jan 2016 (5.5 months post-op)
• Pre-op loss = 86 lbs, Post-op loss = 64 lbs (month 1: 26 lbs, month 2: 13 lbs, month 3: 9.5 lbs, month 4: 10 lbs, month 5: 3.5 lbs, month 6: 2 lbs so far)
• Age 35, 5'7", 205 lbs, goal 170 lbs
• I currently have NO medical team due to my recent move to Canada, so consulting my surgeon/nut/psych is not an option. I must fulfill a 3 month residency requirement to qualify for insurance here, then I can get a referral to a new team for further care (paying out of pocket is not possible for me at this time).
• The vast majority of days still include adequte Fluid intake and Vitamin supplementation

Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to read my novelette and reply to it.

I was right where you are for my first year and a half or so. It took me that long to work up to 1000 calories, most days sitting firmly around 750. To combat that, my NP had me add in high protein, higher healthy fat foods to increase my caloric intake without increasing volume.

I added delicious cheeses, avocado, olives in oil instead of Water, eggs with an extra yolk, almonds, Peanut Butter...

Now I'm spoiled. I can't eat more in volume than I could during that time, but I can eat slightly more often so I have ween myself off all the richer foods.

Dammit.

[LisaMergs 2,857]

@CHM- can you consult with your prior medical team via phone or email??

And quit beating yourself up! Be nice to YOU. You'll figure it out eventually. ❤️❤️❤️

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[CHM 1,011]

Sorry for the silence: its been a busy/distracting couple of days. Now...

This also seems like an appropriate place to ask another question...

@@KindaFamiliar and I were talking a bit ago trying to come up with some Protein dense foods that are also calorie dense, so we can hit our Protein goals without having to stuff ourselves all day to hit our calorie goals. We couldn't really come up with anything that wasn't also unreasonably heavy in the fat department.

Anyone? Anyone?

Good fats can be ok.

Peanut Butter.
Try adding Protein powder and PB2 to oatmeal.
Add a half an avocado to your meal.
Add a half a banana to your meal, Protein shake, or similar.
Add melted cheese to mashed potatoes.
Bake a small sweet potato.

You can eat good fats and complex carbs. It sounds like that you would really benefit from increasing your protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.

Okay, does Peanut Butter oatmeal sound like just the greatest thing to anyone else right now? I HAVE been missing steel cut oats lately...

I do get a lot of fat in my diet already - that's the only reason that such content was a factor when trying to come up with calorie dense protein sources. cheese, omega-3 enhanced eggs, and peanut butter mostly, and I don't much worry about the fat content of my meats. My average for the same four weeks is 31g, or 41% of my calories (I aim for 40% protein, 40% fat, 20% carbs). I've tolerated it very well, and quite frankly, I need it, or I'd not even be getting halfway to my calorie goal.

Chobani greek yoghurt, 1/2 cup (120g) has 12g Protein

Add Premium whey Iso Burst Protein Powder: 1 scoop (30g) has 24g Protein

The 2 below are dense Proteins and dense calories, but are more fatty:

Fresh Salmon poached, 1/2 cup has 24g Protein

Lamb mince, 1/2 cup has 18g Protein

Cheese sauce with my vegetables.

I actually live on Salmon these days, both fresh and tinned.

I also cook chicken mince, and have lamb mince at times.

Beef does not agree with me at this stage.

Good luck

Ooh, salmon! I love it, but for some reason I haven't prepared it once since surgery. It has been a restaurant staple when eating out, however. I'll have to pick some up this weekend.

Also lamb mince with hummus..... link below... super duper protein rich

Link http://www.recipetineats.com/hummus-lamb/

That recipe looks amazing. I'm having a heluva time finding ground lamb in this area, but I'll mince up a chop myself to try that, dammit!

[NeedaBreak4Me 1,755]

You could use beef, Turkey or chicken mince... i don't think that it would be all that different, the spices mask the taste of the meat

Edited July 14, 2016 by AussieGirl81

[CHM 1,011]

EDIT: Ooookay...I don't know what happened to my quote formatting when I edited this to fix a typo. Removing the quotes and replacing with tags. Because its easier. And I'm lazy.

@@VSGAnn2014

cheese and I are BFFs. We have a loving and enduring relationship. 3 year old cheddar is my favorite (and a daily staple), medium cheddar is my melting cheese, chevre is a regular visitor, and my beloved pecorino romano is sprinkled pretty much anywhere it makes sense (including directly into my mouth...). I've also used apple or pear slices in lieu of crackers several times.

Ham and cheese sandwiches sound like a great idea. A google search has informed me that Aldi products are not available in Canada, but I'm sure if I read labels I can find something comparable.

Chili is something I've made regularly since surgery. I prefer a white chicken chili, however. While I can handle beef just fine, the flavor and smell of ground beef has never been something that has agreed with me. Well-seasoned taco meat aside of course. Who doesn't like tacos...

@@BigViffer

Activity. Yes. I've TOTALLY been getting that in...

I'm currently just a walker. I walk everywhere. Lots of little hills around here though, so it still gets my heart rate up. I know its not ideal, but its better than nothing. I don't drive and there are no gyms within walking distance, so strength training is not going to be an option until my next move at the end of the summer. There is a bit of a home gym here (no weights), and while I have met the elliptical machine I certainly don't use it as much as I'd intended.

@

I had the same issue with Protein shakes after surgery. Pre-op, I'd never met one I didn't like. Post-op, I wasted sooooo much money trying every different brand I could find because nothing was palatable. I finally lucked out and found a brand. Then I moved, and now I have to find another one.

I do bake unflavored Protein Powder into 'egg muffins', which have served as quick and convenient Snacks that help get me closer to my goals when needed (which is apparently always...). Just remember to add extra liquid when baking with Protein, or the end result will be quite dry.

[BigViffer 3,545]

I don't drive and there are no gyms within walking distance, so strength training is not going to be an option until my next move at the end of the summer. There is a bit of a home gym here (no weights), and while I have met the elliptical machine I certainly don't use it as much as I'd intended.

Not true! There are plenty of body weight exercise you can do right at home. There is also the option of band training. Don't discount it so readily, I can still break a sweat from both of those activities.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I don't drive and there are no gyms within walking distance, so strength training is not going to be an option until my next move at the end of the summer. There is a bit of a home gym here (no weights), and while I have met the elliptical machine I certainly don't use it as much as I'd intended.

Not true! There are plenty of body weight exercise you can do right at home. There is also the option of band training. Don't discount it so readily, I can still break a sweat from both of those activities.

BigViff? You know I adore you, but seriously... Men don't count. They look out the window at a pretty girl walking by and they break their stall. The way men lose makes allllll the girls angry.

EDIT TO ADD DISCLAIMER TO ANYONE READING.

Viff and I are friends. I can poke him and he won't get mad. (I think he likes it.) No one needs to come in running to his rescue (or as one member like to say -- offer "back up") because I made a man joke. Seriously.

[CHM 1,011]

@@CHM

I think I've found your appetite. Do you want it back? I think I'm done with it.

Yes please! Damn thief. Just because you're pretty...

I was right where you are for my first year and a half or so. It took me that long to work up to 1000 calories, most days sitting firmly around 750. To combat that, my NP had me add in high Protein, higher healthy fat foods to increase my caloric intake without increasing volume.I added delicious cheeses, avocado, olives in oil instead of Water, eggs with an extra yolk, almonds, Peanut Butter...

Now I'm spoiled. I can't eat more in volume than I could during that time, but I can eat slightly more often so I have ween myself off all the richer foods.

Dammit.

If it took you over a year to get up to 1000 calories, then I wonder if 900-1100 is perhaps just too high to be regularly attainable at less than 6 months out. That happened because every time I hit a stall, after 3 weeks or so I added 100-200 calories to my intake, and its always gotten things moving again. Maybe it should have been a temporary increase to shake up my metabolism rather than a permanent one?

Perhaps I should consider dropping it back to 700-900 and Protein back to 80g. Goals may be easier to hit if the numbers seem less daunting. I know there are many days where I basically throw my hands up and say "F*ck it...I know I'm not going to get close, so why bother forcing it at all?" With lower numbers, the gap would be easier to close.

@CHM- can you consult with your prior medical team via phone or email??

And quit beating yourself up! Be nice to YOU. You'll figure it out eventually. ❤️❤️❤️

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I could certainly try to contact them. Kinda feels like bordering on fraud though, since I know they're not getting paid anymore.

And I don't feel I'm beating myself up. I'm just trying to be accountable. As previously mentioned, I've already had bypass - there are no options for revision. I can't afford to f*ck it up!

[CHM 1,011]

You could use beef, Turkey or chicken mince... i don't think that it would be all that different, the spices mask the taste of the meat

I know I could. But I do love the flavor of lamb!

[NeedaBreak4Me 1,755]

Where do you live that they don't sell ground lamb!... thats crazy.. i love lamb!

But i agree with bigviffer.... strength training is more important at this stage than cardio... especially in the tone/loose skin dept.. and it will increase your appetite...

There are plenty of strength training you can do using your own body weight and resistance bands... it doesn't need to be weights...YouTube has lots of those types of vids..

what about swimming? Swimming is good all round.. and im always starving after swimming

Edited July 14, 2016 by AussieGirl81