SibylDiane Member

Question 1: I have heard about people giving up on needing medications for diabetes and perhaps other illnesses following the surgery. What about for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and thyroid? I take these medications now. What about later on? What about during the liquid only phase following surgery? I know many…

My bariatric team told me to estimate calories burned very conservatively and never count calories for basic daily activities (I see people giving themselves lots of "calories burned" for things like housecleaning, for example). And then only actually credit myself with half the number of calories in my MFP journal. So if…

I was able to try the peanut butter and chocolate flavors at Vitamin Shoppe the other day. I thought the peanut butter was really good, but the chocolate was awful. Very medicine-y tasting. Maybe it would be better if it was mixed with milk or almond milk rather than water? I usually mix protein powder with almond milk.…

You won't find me anywhere near a dance floor but I can't not chair dance to LCD Soundsystem's Daft Punk Is Playing At My House.

Just realized I accidentally put my goal weight 2 lbs lighter than I intended. I think I will keep it that way though - extra motivation!

I lost less than you did :p seriously, you will make yourself crazy if you compare yourself to other people and start freaking out about exactly how many pounds you lose each month. As Teddy Roosevelt said, comparison is the thief of joy. Do your best to control what you can - what goes in your mouth and your exercise, and…

Name: Sibyl Height: 5'4 Starting Weight (12/1): 174.8 Goal Weight (12/31): 166.8 12/8: 12/15: 12/22: 12/29: 12/31: Struggles or successes of the week: This past week I did a really horrible job controlling my sugar addiction. I had some good days, and some truly terrible days. My goal for this coming week is NO terrible…

I'm in!

I allow myself 50% of calories burned to eat back, and only up to a maximum of 200 calories per day. I might allow myself more if I were an Olympic level athlete training for competition or something . . . but that is never going to happen!

If the cucumbers are bothering you (and that doesn't surprise me, raw veggies are hard!) just eat the hummus with a little spoon. You don't need to put it on anything. The other thing you might try is making turkey pepperoni chips or cheese chips: robynsonlineworld.com/2013/03/turkey-pepperoni-chips-recipe/http://…

Yep, stay away from sliders like crackers. I try not to rely on physical "full" signals. They just don't work like they did before. I measure out an amount of food I know I can eat without getting overfull and never eat more than that. While I am eating, I stop periodically to assess whether I am still hungry or if I am…

You would have to take your vitamin and mineral supplements just like you do post-VSG, and you would have to have your bloodwork monitored regularly for any deficiencies. Nutritionally, there shouldn't be any difference. But as others have pointed out, it's pretty much physiologically and psychologically impossible for 99%…

The HealthSmart brand sold at Nashua Nutrition (and under other names at other online stores) has lines of hot chocolate, cappuccino, and soup protein powders that are all formulated to work with hot liquids. The liquid can't actually be boiling but up to that heat, it mixes fine without clumping.…

For those of you with noticeably thinning hair, try a fill-in product such as Toppik or Nanogen. They work really well. I used them even before surgery since I lost about half my hair years ago just due to bad genetics. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4bamB1j9f5Y https://youtube.com/watch?v=BHsZ0ncWRfk

Coffee actually isn't a diuretic -- at least not any more than any other fluid. Unfortunately I can't post links here, but if you Google it you'll see good information and recent studies posted by the Mayo Clinic, NY Times, BBC, etc. showing that coffee is not a diuretic. My team wanted me to give it up for six months…

I too think they are very high. I always give myself credit for half of what MFP says I am entitled to -- and even then, only up to a maxium of 200 calories per day, no matter how much I exercise. That said, I'm not training for a triathlon or anything. If I were doing hours of super-strenuous exercise I would probably…

Chike and Jay Robb also sell sample packs. Just Google Chike sample pack or Jay Robb whey protein samples. I got tons of samples from Nashua Nutrition and Vitalady. My favorite brands ended up being Chike, Unjury, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, Syntrax Nectar Sweets, Syntrax Matrix, and Jay Robb. Oh and the high protein…

I use Wellesse liquid calcium citrate. It is cheaper and has lower calories and carbs than any of the "bariatric" chewable or gummy products. I buy mine from Amazon. I think the taste is fine (particularly if I keep it refrigerated) but if you don't like the taste, you can dilute it with water, light fruit juice, skim…

Digital food scale -- make sure it has a tare function and weighs in both metric and imperial Food processor - I used the Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Blender for protein shakes - I use a Cuisinart immersion blender. I think immersion blenders are the best for shakes because they don't cause your shakes to get foamy and frothy…

I love Chike and drink it every day. I tried Click and found it repulsive -- one of the few protein drinks I just refused to finish and poured down the garbage disposal. But I know a lot of people who absolutely love Click -- it's a very individual thing. If you do use Chike, watch the calories and carbs -- I use one scoop…

Yeah if I drink during or immediately after a meal I also feel bloated, uncomfortable, in pain. It's definitely something I try to avoid just because it makes me feel awful. Blech.

You can get that Cuisinart immersion blender at places like Target and Kroger, not just online. For protein powders - they do sell them at Walmart. A lot of people get and like the Body Fortress brand that they sell there. However, you can't sample anything from Walmart before you buy it, so you could end up with a 2 lb…

I took two weeks off and needed them, even for my desk job. I was still exhausted and just needed to focus on getting my fluids and protein in. Even for the first three days that I did go back to work, I only made it until about 2 or 3 in the afternoon and then went home because I was too tired.

yup, my RD & surgeon do not want us to stop drinking before meals, only during and after. I am not saying to ignore the instructions you received though! Definitely follow the plan they give you. It was weird for me at first, but now I am completely used to not drinking with a meal or for 30 minutes after. In fact I…

For all those that have already gone down this road, what did you take with you to the hospital that you found you didn't need OR what didn't you bring that you wish you had? I packed light and was glad for it. I wore home the same stuff I wore to the hospital - loose empire waist dress and a cotton, fasten-in-front…

Don't get me wrong, I love my sleeve and believe it was the right choice for me, but I think the gastric bypass is a great surgery and I really think you should not dismiss it based on vague things like "I don't want my bowels messed with." All of these surgeries are drastic. Anyone can psych themselves out of a particular…

Minus the routine stuff that I have & log every day - water, black coffee, and vitamins: --carbmaster milk --Chike coffee protein powder --romaine lettuce --strawberries --Trader Joe's top sirloin roast beef (yes I am a low carb/high protein eater)

I would eat 1/4 cup max. I wasn't allowed even that much on puree (my surgeon has a rule of 3 tablespoons max) and I'm glad I kept amounts small. It helps preserve your restriction and makes it less likely you will accidentally eat too much and end up with the foamies or vomiting etc. Watch for signals like a runny nose,…

I wasn't allowed yogurt or pudding or anything like that on full liquids. But when I was allowed them (for me, that was four weeks out at the puree stage) my surgeon's rules were to eat a maximum of 3 tablespoons of food per meal, 3 meals per day, no snacks other than protein shakes. I accidentally ate more than 3…

You are beautiful inside and out - and I value your advice tremendously! Thank you!