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Hi Everyone! Super new, seeing as I just started my 6 month countdown for gastric bypass. I have not met with my dietitian yet, but I'm trying to get a head start on some things. I've tried calorie counting in the past through weight watchers and individually with the cronometer app. Even after all of this time, I still really struggle to track. I know its a wonderful and helpful tool for me to use, but I forget, don't feel like it or feel quickly overwhelmed. I'd appreciate any advice or words of encouragement. I've been working on cutting out sugars, carbonated beverages, coffee etc. for the time being. Its like I forget what I'm supposed to be doing because I let all other aspects of my life get in the way. When truthfully, this should be the most important.

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I really struggle(d) to track accurately because the foods I make don't always match the items correctly in the apps database. I ended up estimating a lot of just giving up tbh.

I used MyFitnessPal the most in the beginning but currently I like Baritastic much more because it has a built in barcode scanner. IMHO use whichever method will keep you tracking consistently.

Good Luck ♥️

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I use the app Baritastic and you don't need a code or anything. It has where you can create the recipe and it will figure the rest out. It also lets you scan labels for quick track.

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One more for Baritastic app.

Welcome!

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I used Myfitnesspal prior to surgery and Baritastic app after. I logged everything that I ate or drank. I started out on 2200 calories a day 6 months prior to surgery and slowly cut that down to about 1600 calories a day in those 6 months. Dropping it by 100 calories a month didn't seem like such a drastic change. Did I go over some days, yes I did, but I got right back on my plan after. I still use my fitness pal to calculate recipes because I like that functionality better.

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I think tracking is super important for weight loss. I lost about 70 pounds before surgery just by doing two things: tracking everything in MyFitnessPal and intermittent fasting. I haven't used the Baritastic app because I really like MyFitnessPal, but I think the two apps have many of the same features (barcode scanner, ability to enter recipes and meals, copy meals from one day to another, etc.). I find it super easy to use -- much easier than calorie counting of the old days where I had to look up everything in a book or calculate the points or something.

MyFitnessPal gave me a calorie goal of 2280, and at first, it was a challenge to stay under that, but tracking everything made me more aware of the calorie content of foods and made me think, "Is it worth eating this?" Like @Uomograsso, I gradually decreased my calories over the course of the 5 months before surgery to the point that I was averaging about 1500 calories per day. Something that worked for me was that I made myself enter the food BEFORE I ate it -- basically like budgeting, to make sure I had enough calories left before I started eating.

Intermittent fasting is a bit controversial, but it really helped me to cut back on snacking by making me get used to going long periods of time without eating. I did 16/8 fasting (fasted for 16 hours per day and had an 8-hour window for eating), fasting from after dinner until lunch the next day. Another nice thing about intermittent fasting is that since I was splitting the calories between two meals instead of three, I felt less deprived because I could eat a lot at those two meals and stay under my calorie goal.

I actually didn't make huge changes in what I was eating, like cutting out sugar or carbonated beverages (I did cut out caffeine a few months before surgery, but it wasn't a huge sacrifice because I don't drink coffee, and I just switched from caffeinated diet soda to caffeine-free diet soda), because intermittent fasting was a big enough change for me! If you can do it, kudos to you, but I think sometimes we fail at diets because we try to change too much, too fast, and it's overwhelming so we just give up. I did make gradual changes to what I was eating, like eating a salad before dinner to fill me up, and switching to light Salad Dressing because the regular dressing wasn't worth the calories. I also started eating Protein Bars as Snacks and found one I loooooove (Built Bars -- so delicious!), which became a nice, relatively healthy treat for me.

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Tracking is something I don't like doing, but I make myself and it's really helpful. I've been using My Fitness pal, but I tracked in Baritastic for the first time today and I really like it, so I am going to switch..
You just have to find something that works for you.

Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

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10 hours ago, Morachia said:

Hi Everyone! Super new, seeing as I just started my 6 month countdown for gastric bypass. I have not met with my dietitian yet, but I'm trying to get a head start on some things. I've tried calorie counting in the past through weight watchers and individually with the cronometer app. Even after all of this time, I still really struggle to track. I know its a wonderful and helpful tool for me to use, but I forget, don't feel like it or feel quickly overwhelmed. I'd appreciate any advice or words of encouragement. I've been working on cutting out sugars, carbonated beverages, coffee etc. for the time being. Its like I forget what I'm supposed to be doing because I let all other aspects of my life get in the way. When truthfully, this should be the most important.

Im a little beyond six weeks post op and i really sucked at tracking to what i do is use a happy planner the fitness version because it has all the spaces for fluids. Post op my main reason for tracking is the fluids because its more important for me right now to get those in. My program does not count cals just Protein grams Water oz and exercise minutes. I like the simplicity

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+1 on the intermittent fasting. I do 8:16 IF. It took me a while to get used to it, but it does help in the mindless snacking I did prior to surgery.

The main thing is to find what works for you and stick to it. Whether that is an app or just pen and paper.

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

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      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
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      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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