One month Post-op- down 25 lbs - ThinnerTimes

szmalik · 03-29-2008, 08:06 AM

Hello Everyone,

Well its been a month in this journey. The first 2 weeks were hard with the pain and all, the second half of the month was a lot better. I have lost 25lbs so far. I still wonder if I did the right thing having this surgery. I dont know who else to share all this with, but my fellow posters. I am able to eat a lot more than 4 oz per meal, and that worries me. I know everyone talks about not feeling hungry, but I do, some times it is head hunger, but some times its actual hunger. Before my sugery, I would stop at MCdonalds drive-through eveyday for breakfast, egg/cheese biscuit w/2 hashbrowns, 3 cookies and diet coke, for lunch, a tv dinner or burger or fries, and then after I would pick up the kids, would stop at drive through, since I am south-asian,(Born in Pakistan, but raised in USA) dinner would consist of me making chicken or lamb curries or other veggie type of curry, woul sometimes eat with rice or pita bread or with spoon. After kids in bed, would then eat one pint of ice cream of different flavors every night. And during the day, would have a 2 snacks per day of a candy bar or small bags of chips. The only good thing I did was drink a lot of water, and always make veggies for dinner.
Now after my surgery, I eat dannon low carb yogurt, vanilla custard flavor, doesnt have sugar, and its 60 calories with zero carbs and no sugar. For lunch i ususally eat yogurt while working, then by the time I pick the kids up around 3:30pm, I am literally starving, I sometimes eat half a protein bar, or some soy chips, or sometimes, i know, i know, some potato chips, i do look at calories. Then when I get home, I feed the kids there snacks, and I eat some almonds or drink an organic protein smoothie which has about 20 grams of protien, for dinner, I eat some rice with curry, or lentils with rice, not a whole lot, but still more than 4 oz, sometimes I have around 6-8 oz of pasta, and before going to bed, I make myself drink 40oz of blendable protein drink, which I hate and eat my vitamins. I also drink cambell soups on the weekends, any flavor that I like. But I still feel guilty cause everyone is eating a lot less than me. I know I am not eating a 1000 calories of pint size ice cream everyday, or over 1500 calorie junk fast food, or 1000 calorie junk snacks, so why do I stll fail like such a fraud and a fake? i feel like I am not a true WLS survivor. When people say, i look great, or how bad they feel for me, cause I am eating less than a bird, I say nothing, I know that I am eating a lot more than some damn bird. Can anyone relate to what I am going through? I have to wait another 10 days before I get permission from surgeon to excerise, but just thinking about that, makes me uneasy. I hope i dont offend anyone with my post.

Sasha
295-270-150

suemaca · 03-29-2008, 08:15 AM

Hi there,
i am no good to advise you as I am pre-op.Howver, it would seem to me that 24 lbs is an amazing weight loss and you should be clapping yourself on your back! At least you are breaking your old habits gradually and I reckon thats what its all about.It took you years to get into this bad routine of eating/grazing and presumably it will take a while to break that habit. So be poud of what you have done and don't be so hard on yourself.Hope I do as well as you when my time comes!!

suemaca · 03-29-2008, 08:17 AM

Sorry 25lbs not 24-thats a hard won lb!!

mirabeaux · 03-29-2008, 08:37 AM

I think it's important for us to remember that this is long term loss, and a lifestyle change.

How are you doing with your water intake? Protein? As I was told recently, water intake of 64oz is of the utmost importance. It also will help curb hunger pangs. The same for protein. I keep a food diary on fitday.com - it helps me keep up with how much I'm getting of what. It could be helpful for you.

Others here may have better advice than I do as I'm just 2 months out. I would say to do away with the potato chips. I know for myself these things can become habitual, and you don't want that! *sigh* potato chips!

Good luck to you, darling, and congrats on the fantastic month!

Janelle · 03-29-2008, 09:03 AM

I have experienced true hunger pains as well. My pouch rumbles! I do have head hunger, but I never feel satiated when my 2 ounces of food are in the pouch. I measure out my serving first so I don't overeat though. I am afraid of consuming too much and getting sick. I don't eat enough to keep a flea alive, but as long as I'm losing, I'm okay with that.

Food? My nutritionist would kill me if I had potato chips. My diet is NOTHING exciting...protein shakes, eggs, yogurt, and chicken. Oh, and popsicles. I'm very bored with food and this point and honestly feel like I am eating to live for the first time ever. (The rest of my life has been spent living to eat!

)

I will be one month out on Friday and expect to see a loss of 25 pounds on the scale. I'm at 22 right now. So, I think your loss is very good. Congrats!

Tricia3 · 03-29-2008, 04:18 PM

Perhaps you aren't feeling full because you need more dense protein & protein snacks. Rice goes pretty quickly into the bloodstream so won't keep a full felling although maybe the lentils help. Do you ever use other beens as protein? Also perhaps some low sugar protein bars you can carry with you as a planned snack? I find Power Crunch is very good tasting & good with protein & sugar and stays with me. There are some that actually taste like a candy bar (for that snacking urge) but is actually protein and will stay with you. Potato chips are totally empty calories so they won't help the hunger or weight loss.
I'd love to have the weight loss you have in 1 month but if you are hungry it will be harder to maximize your efforts so I'd try for all calories to count as long term protein to maintain stable blood sugar levels and prevent hunger. I'm rarely hungry on 500-600 calories but they are very protein rich and always some dense filling protein and I eat a bit of the protein "chocolate bar" when I feel that night snack attack and it helps maintain til morning.

Good luck and congratulations with your progress.
Tricia

katzz87 · 03-29-2008, 05:25 PM

First off...congrats on the 25 pound weight loss!!

Secondly, yikes! My pouch doesn't even like a teeny-weeny piece of toast...and rice or pasta? Too scared to try them! When isn't such a bad thing in the long run for me.

Thirdly...now this is my own OPINION...but I think if you were to eat REAL FOOD proteins (chicken, tuna, steak...and the like) you would NOT be able to eat 6-8 ounces at a sitting. I can easily eat protein in the form of shakes, cottage cheese, or yoghurt...but give me some real chicken, beef, tuna and the amount I'm able to consume is ALOT less and I'm almost 11 weeks out.

And I have to totally agree with Janelle, I'm finding food very boring and hard work sometimes. Got really tired on canned chicken and tuna...but am totally in "love" with taco meat. I made a "taco salad"...some lettuce, cheese, salsa, taco meat...with 1 saltine in place of the chips. It was on a plastic oriental-type plate (small)...but tasted like heaven to me! Other than that...food is just food and is actually hard work.

phlychk · 03-29-2008, 05:59 PM

I feel like if we try the naughty thinks like Potato chips then we are doing ourselves a disservice.

Now that my stricture is gone and I am open, I too am finding my tummy rumble a bit more and find that I want to try more foods but you have to go easy on yourself.

The ladies are right who said the real chicken, beef, etc. - go for that before a shake. Toast - good God - my stomach hurts thinking about it....but Arnold does have a "double protein" wheat bread that has like 7 or 9 g of protein so if you can do that with PB on it then hell yeah - go for it....not every day but once a week.....like a treat.

Good luck! It is soo tough.

mistymee · 03-29-2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Secondly, yikes! My pouch doesn't even like a teeny-weeny piece of toast

I'm okay having a bit of toast, as long as I have some protein with it.. Occasionally, I'll top a whole wheat toast, with 5 sprays of 'smart balance' butter spray then top with my egg/eggwhite scramble.

This breakfast keeps me satisfied longer than an egg/eggwhite by itself, though I don't usually eat all of it.. maybe 2/3'rds?

szmalik · 04-02-2008, 05:12 AM

I am not doing that great with water, before sugery i could do 64oz, but now, i am surprised if I drink even 16oz, i know i know, but since I cant take big gulps, taking small sips, just doestnt do for me. and yes, i know the chips have got to go,LOL.

sasha

How are you doing with your water intake? Protein? As I was told recently, water intake of 64oz is of the utmost importance. It also will help curb hunger pangs. The same for protein. I keep a food diary on fitday.com - it helps me keep up with how much I'm getting of what. It could be helpful for you.

Others here may have better advice than I do as I'm just 2 months out. I would say to do away with the potato chips. I know for myself these things can become habitual, and you don't want that! *sigh* potato chips!

Good luck to you, darling, and congrats on the fantastic month![/quote]