I was going to call this Break On Through To The Other Side (thank you Doors). But I figured I'd get sick of it after a while. I'm going to use this space to keep track on the 2 week march toward surgery and then to keep track of the recovery and progress. That way I can keep it all together and if I just do one thread, it's all in one place without clogging up the Blog Area. I'm sure it's gonna be excruciatingly boring to everyone--me included! I'm a list and minutia kinda gal. I like tracking and counting--although I can be equally lax about crap. So I stop just short of OCD town (not that there's anything wrong with that).

My official 2 week liquid diet starts tomorrow. I decided to jump on it today because Sunday feels like a great place to start and because it's hard to do better than yesterday as my last food day before surgery. I'm a Texan, born and raised, and yesterday we had a fairwell to my ass and thighs via a Texas BBQ tour through Houston and Tomball. I ate so much brisket, sausage and ribs, I can honestly claim to be over it. Growing up in a BBQ family, slow smoked meats is almost in my blood. So it was only natural that I would choose that as the last rights.

I'm having RNY on February 20th and as I understand it, moist (fatty) brisket might not be my friend post surgery. Supposedly high fat foods (which moist brisket is) might cause a sort of "dumping" in the poop department. So I figure my future, once healed, might only include lean cuts of brisket and smoked meats. It's a choice I will readily make to lose weight and get my health back.

So the morning Day 1 hasn't been very difficult--a little hunger and growly tummy, but nothing that makes me feel anxiety. Protein drinks on board and this afternoon will shop for SF popsicles, SF jello and bone broth. I think I'll stick to packaged bone broth so I can get the actual nutritional information from a certified source. There's no real way for me to tell how many calories and carbs are in the bone broth I make here at home.

My Pre-Op Plan includes: 80-100g of protein; low fat; 60g carbs and somewhere around 1000cals per day.

4-5 Protein Drinks containing a minimum of 15g of protein per serving. They must be low fat and low sugar and can't contain over 4g of sugar per serving. I can have clear low sodium broths, sugar free drinks, sugar free jello and sugar free clear popsicles (no fudgsicles or ice cream based pops).

I will do this from now until February 20th.

I'm pretty sure I will be doing plenty of the following:

Edited February 4, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

Yay Fluff!!!

Fluff - I love the advice to find a set amount of food. I've been trying to do that and am at about a half cup right now, but last night ate an entire cup of white bean french onion soup, plus some spinach that I'd added to wilt in (couldn't do the whole half cup of spinach). Yes, soup has broth, but i made sure I had a lot of solids. I will be meeting with my RD this Friday, but think I'll adopt your method - stick to an amount and I should be ok

4 minutes ago, Miss Topaz said:

Fluff - I love the advice to find a set amount of food. I've been trying to do that and am at about a half cup right now, but last night ate an entire cup of white bean french onion Soup, plus some spinach that I'd added to wilt in (couldn't do the whole half cup of spinach). Yes, soup has broth, but i made sure I had a lot of solids. I will be meeting with my RD this Friday, but think I'll adopt your method - stick to an amount and I should be ok

I think you did just fine!!! Yes, her advice has helped SO much!!! It's given me reassurance and adding texture has really helped with feeling full! My tummy is giving me feedback now! Yay!

She said about thinner soups: to drink the broth first and slowly. Then sit with it for 5-10 minutes if possible, then eat the solids afterward. That way it won't be like drinking with meals.

And LOVE any kind of soup with spinach or kale, but especially Tuscan white bean! OMG! YUMMMY!!

I've been using a 1/2c measuring cup placed on my scale. I first weigh my protein into it--it's now been about 1 to 1 1/2oz of protein this way--and then add my veg on top (anywhere from 1/2 - 1oz of veg will fit). Then I go outside the box and do at dinner 1tbsp to 1/2oz avocado and a grape tomato or 1/2oz tomato. It's really been filling me up!

Hope that helps girlie!!

I like the idea of putting the 1/2 cup measure on the scale. My scale has never seen so much use! I'm not sure why I keep putting it away. I should just keep it on the counter since it's used far more than the kitchenaid or kitchen timers that live on the counter!

6 minutes ago, Miss Topaz said:

I like the idea of putting the 1/2 cup measure on the scale. My scale has never seen so much use! I'm not sure why I keep putting it away. I should just keep it on the counter since it's used far more than the kitchenaid or kitchen timers that live on the counter!

Yes! Mine has pride of place on the counter. EVERYTHING gets weighed. LOL. And tared. I'm a huge fan of the tare button! I don't know why it took me so long to do it all in one cup, like feeding the primates at the zoo. Everything gets weighed and chopped and goes into the feeding bowl. Ha!!!

I'm trying to figure out how many times I should eat per day. Some meals I can't even eat 1/4 cup or an ounce of food other meals I can eat more or I'm hungry an hour later. It's always different which is frustrating!

But I like the soup advice!

16 minutes ago, newself said:

I'm trying to figure out how many times I should eat per day. Some meals I can't even eat 1/4 cup or an ounce of food other meals I can eat more or I'm hungry an hour later. It's always different which is frustrating!

But I like the Soup advice!

I think it matters the most to get your protein in and let that determine how many meals?

Here's what I'm doing to get 60g of protein daily:

B1: decaff coffee and Premier Protein used as creamer (6oz of PP during this meal) = 10g P

B2 (elevensies): Around 14g P

L: Around 14g P

AS: Around 12g P

D: Around 14g P

BS: None unless needed to make 60g P for the day, then more PP in decaff coffee.

Hope that helps! I eat about every 3-4 hours-ish?

Ok, yes this helps. The RD at my doctors office was not helpful for me- I've found out since that I'm not the only one who is unhappy with her...

I have the name of a new RD who has her own practice for Bariatric patients and I'm scheduling an appointment next week with her. Hopefully that will help me. I'm still losing steadily- down 20 lbs so I'm not too worried. It's funny that I've cut me calories by 80% 75% and now I'm stressing over eating 100 calories or 1 oz or 1/4 cup too much!

I have noticed that if I do not eat enough my energy drops dramatically and my intestines back up. It really is about finding the sweet spot.

39 minutes ago, newself said:

Ok, yes this helps. The RD at my doctors office was not helpful for me- I've found out since that I'm not the only one who is unhappy with her...

I have the name of a new RD who has her own practice for Bariatric patients and I'm scheduling an appointment next week with her. Hopefully that will help me. I'm still losing steadily- down 20 lbs so I'm not too worried. It's funny that I've cut me calories by 80% 75% and now I'm stressing over eating 100 calories or 1 oz or 1/4 cup too much!

I have noticed that if I do not eat enough my energy drops dramatically and my intestines back up. It really is about finding the sweet spot.

Yes! It's absolutely about finding the sweet spot! And not going cray in the trying. LOL! (at least for me)

So if you're losing steadily, why are you cutting cals still and stressing over 1oz or 1/4c?

And I am so happy with my RD. I would wish for everyone that they could find that exact person who can work with them. Cuz they really can allay fears. Mine works most exclusively with bariatrics but also with some kidney and liver patients. So I do trust her feedback and direction. You know?

I think the stress is from years of dieting and not really losing weight or gaining back...

And I hope this new RD is a good fit because I'm driving my husband crazy!

I can so relate to everything you say!!! ((hugs))

You are just so awesome! Thanks for not thinking I'm crazy as I feel sometimes! Today is a better day. It is just so crazy all of the thought and attention I put into every bite! It is true abut dense proteins,,, I tried some grilled chicken last night and I was very full very quickly and stayed full for a long time. Nothing bad or uncomfortable just full.

Yay you! Not awesome at all. LOL, just determined, focused, a little nuts. We're wired pretty tightly doing this thing. You know? ((hugs)) Come here and rant and let's problem solve with each other any time!!! That's what friends do!

Update: 5 Weeks Post - 207lbs (-15.4lbs from SW of 222.4lbs--hey, that's 3.1lbs/wk--I'll take it! )

Well it's been a week since I've been applying my RD's rec to add fiber and texture to my food and to ultimate go by volume rather than by weight at this point. I've been keeping foods mostly at 1/2c, but sometimes stretch it to 5/8c to accommodate "fluffy veg" like broccoli and cauliflower. LOL.

For the most part I'm satisfied. Sometimes I'm full! But mostly, I'm just, "Meh, I can walk away from the table without cursing everyone and all of their fore bearers and progeny." The al dente veggies are greatly appreciated! I will not miss the mushies and could not bring myself to buy either canned chicken or tuna pouches! I gave 'em the big FU!

I'm back to losing anywhere from 1/2-3/4lb per day. I won't lie. It's hugely motivating to wake up, pee, take all my clothes off and step on the scale only to see a drop in weight. HUGELY motivational. And yet, I know I will become an instant little whiny bi*ch the second it stops being my friend and gets hung up. If I can continue at this pace, I will be down to about 205lbs at the end of the month--which was my secret goal! That will be a 16.2lb loss for the month--a personal best! Yip! Yip! Yippee!!!

I'm walking an hour a day. Currently it's in two, 30 minute cycles, but starting next week, I'm moving it to a 40minute and 20 minute cycle. I also need to f/u with my arthritis doc about the hip injection so I can go back to PT soon--within the next couple of weeks.

So today I'm celebrating another personal best. I'm now officially at 80lbs lost from my most recent highest weight. (I'm 118lbs down from my highest ever recorded weight.) I'm so happy and grateful for all the people on my team who've helped make it rain. Maybe for the first time ever I actually BELIEVE that I will lose all the weight and reach my top secret goal (125lbs--a 200lb loss from my highest ev weight). This is a huge thing for me. I've never honestly believed I could ever reach any goal and keep it off before. And like self-fulfilling prophecy always works--I never have!

I love that right now all of my food cravings involve healthy foods. LOL. Can you believe it? I love that I have no anxiety about this coming feast weekend and fun with the fam! I know I won't drink, I know I won't over eat, and I don't worry about indulgences--cuz I don't really want any of them. I don't want to derail my hard work!

Tomorrow is my 6-month cardiologist appointment. Not sure if he's going to order another echo or not. I'm still experiencing swelling--especially in my right ankle. He was not a fan of the surgery. I think he's seen too many go out, lose, then regain spectacularly to believe that it's anything more than a band-aid on a festering wound. But, with the good Lord's help, I will prove over time that I can remain consistently at goal weight.

Not sure what I'm eating today. I'm having some food ambivalence right now. I just want to put something down my pie hole that fills me up and is healthy. And I don't really care what it is as long as it's easy, and doesn't involve much time in the kitchen. LOL. Such a new and curious "condition."

Ok, more later!

Edited March 27, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

Rockin' it!

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