csmccord Member

Yes, welcome! We have a good mix of pre/post surgery folks, as well a what I would call veterans (those a year or more post surgery). Don't be afraid to share ideas/recipes or websites that you like. Even veterans like to learn and see new things!

Nice! Glad to hear you are home! Just follow your medical team's instructions. DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THEM! Even if you feel you could move beyond the liquid, or the mushy stage, don't. Just don't do it. Tearing a hole in your pouch is just not worth it. Water- sip, sip, sip. Constantly. Dehydration is the most serious risk…

Hi! I had my RNY Sept 2012, so I'm fairly familiar with the beginning part of the journey. Everybody has a stall. It's inevitable. I had mine, and the first thing my dietitian asked me, was if I was getting my protein in. I was not. For the first 6 months or so, I drank two protein shakes a day. About six months post-op I…

I joined a group fitness class with a trainer about 5 months ago. When I first started, I wasn't the skinniest, and I wasn't the fattest, however during that time, I've notice what the rest of you have, size doesn't really matter in these things. My first session, there was a woman who was 5 months pregnant there. She…

That's a very subjective question and depends on many factors. Each person's journey is unique. It depends on your body type, how well you eat, how much you stick to your plan, and how much you have to lose. Keep in mind that most doctors will recommend you lose no more than 2 lbs a week, unless they are actually…

Just a warning. There is no such thing as a tasteless protein. They will all carry some kind of taste even if unflavored. Unflavored means, just that, without flavoring. It does not mean tasteless. That being said, it's very easy to cover up the taste of protein powder depending on the recipe. Just don't expect it to be…

One of the misnomers is that to lose weight you have to spend obscene amounts of time exercising, and honestly if you are just looking to lose weight, and start building some muscle mass, you don't need to spend hours upon hours in the gym. When I started, I would go 3 times a week for an hour, of which 15 to 20 minutes of…

I have the perfect thing for you. My three year old eats them too. Get ready for it....Cauliflower tots! Like tater tots, only cauliflower instead. We make these from SkinnyTaste all the time as a side to our sliders. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/11/cauliflower-tots.html

Quest protein bars are great! I use them as snacks for days on the go to keep out of making poor choices. My favorite is the Raspberry cheesecake and the Cookie Dough. They are a blend of Whey and milk protein isolate. http://www.questproteinbar.com/ As far as protein goes, I use Max Protein from SEI Parmacuticals. I've…

I think that's the important part. You have to commit to make a part of your lifestyle. Do I feel bad that I pick my daughter up from daycare, then put her in the gym's kidz club? Yes, I would certainly enjoy spending that extra hour with her, however I have myself to thing about too. Exercise is a large part of my plan to…

I live in Northern Virginia and have recently had issues with winter weather as well. My wife and I both on average spend about 5 or 6 hours a week in the gym. We do a group training class 2 or 3 times a week. However, that class hasn't been run since Tuesday last week due to weather. So, we haven't actually been to the…

I spend some time in BariatricPal. As far as the stall, I did not experience one at three weeks with RNY surgery, however I do know that if you speak with a dietitian about your stall, the first question they will ask are if you are getting your protein and your water in.

I used to be the same way. You get over 75 and I thought it was HOT. This past summer, after losing 100 lbs, I found that I could comfortably handle 80 without thinking it was hot. If this is your first summer post surgery, you might be surprised what you can handle now. For my activities, I want to get a bike and go…

We weigh all the ingredients after cooking, then divide it into how many servings we want. It helps that it's just my wife and I though. It's not perfect because you'll never get an even amount of meat or such in each one, however it's much better than nothing.

I'm a few pounds away from dropping an adult female.

It may be faster in the microwave, but you get more flavor out of it in the oven. We cut them in half, spray some olive oil on the halves, then season with salt and pepper. We then throw them in the over for about 45 minutes turning them over halfway through. Just remember to not over cook them. They start turning mushy…

Like many others posted, you need to look at it as a lifestyle change. Make small changes you can maintain for the rest of your life. Many of us view diets as a temporary thing, then when the wheels fall off, or we meet our goal, we go back to the previous eating methods and put all the weight back on. Important things to…

I find many foods have a (net carb) at the end of them. So I would assume that means somebody has put in the net carbs instead of exactly from the label. You could do much the same thing. Just don't share them with the MFP database. There are way to many duplicates as it is.

Is that barium for the swallow study not the worst thing you've ever had?! You'd think that after like 36 hours without drinking anything that putting any liquid in your mouth would be good. No ma'am not this stuff. Mine was white and went down like you would expect if you drank a few sticks of caulk.

The important thing to remember is that it is a journey. Your mind may be ready for the changes, but it takes time for the body to adjust. There were many times had felt self-pity and wondered why I would ever consider such a drastic option. I found that concentrating on the tasks at hand helped for me. I'd concentrate on…

I also forget she has a Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/eggface/boards/

Buy the plain yogurt and make your own flavors. We use Torino sugar free syrups in our house. Or even think outside the box, you can make savory varieties. Toss some greek and seasoning in it, and now you have greek dip. Toss some avacados, diced tomatoes, lime juice salt and cilantro in it, and now you have quacamole. We…

I've been there before. 1.5 years ago, I was a compulsive eater. I would binge eat in secret, hiding it from my wife. I'd wait until she went to bed, then I'd go nuts. Or I'd take a day off of work without telling her, then go to the grocery store, but lots of junk, and make sure I eat it all before she got home. Why I did…

I know you're already at the hospital, but good luck! Let us know how it goes. The first week is the hardest, just remember, it does get better! You'll get stronger every day.

Post surgery you will HAVE to drink shakes for about the first 9 months to a year. You won't be able to eat enough food in three meals to get at least 100 gm protein. My medical people wanted me getting at least 50 from protein supplements. For any of the surgeries, not having protein shakes for at least the first months…

Been 1.5 years since surgery and I still don't think that I'm going to fit in clothes. I hold up a pair of mens 34 pants and say there is no way I'll ever fit in those, but yet I do. I still head to the big and tall sections sometimes then realize that I don't need to be there. When walking around, I still give myself…

Personally, I think the RNY is the best surgery, but I'm probably biased. First, the RNY helps with lifestyle modification as it generally causes people to react poorly to high fat or high sugar meals. You'll suffer from what is known as "dumping syndrome". Believe me, it is the worst thing you've ever felt! It keeps you…

Protein powders can be mixed into just about anything. I put them in oatmeal, casseroles, I've done homemade protein bars, stuff like that. For the shakes, you could jazz them up. My favorite was always a scoop of chocolate protein, half a frozen banana and some PB2. I liked vanilla protein with strawberries and half a…

And that's why you get it too. The initial weight loss is easy. The surgery does it for you. The hard part is maintenance after about the first 9 months or a year. I still weight my food as well. Don't measure solids, weigh them on a scale. Weighing food is very important. If you don't weigh your food, you have no idea how…

My story pales in comparison to yours. I've lost a bunch of weight and feel like my accomplishment is nothing compared to yours. Good job, keep it up! I'm truly inspired by you and what you've done. Most of my loss came from bypass surgery. I'm not sure if I would have had the willpower to do what you did. I'm truly in awe…