Reality check: are you getting in all your protein?

This is me holding myself accountable. I haven't been doing a protien supplement, instead I've been trying to meet my requirements by eating. Unfortunately, I've been falling short, and now I may be paying the price. Maybe. I'll find out in 2 weeks. I've been having issues with lightheadedness upon standing, random moments of imbalance for no apparant reason, some tingling and numbness in the arms, hands and feet, and a flare up of my TMJ. Had an "emergency" consult with my surgeon today, after speaking to a bariatric nurse yesterday and having her tell me that I had to get in to see Dr. Baker soon. Dr. Baker is having me see a neurologist next week for a complete work-up, and then back to meet with him about results about a week later. Until then, I have to really slow down my weight loss by eating 800-1000 calories a day, and by increasing my protein intake any way I can, but preferably through protein supplements. If this is from protein deficiency, all kinds of nasty stuff could be stirring. I'm praying that this is a wake up call and that I can get this nipped in the bud without too much more medical intervention. You can get more details on my profile. But, I just want everybody to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. No cheating. There is a very good reason for every single thing our surgeons and nurses tell us to do. I'm very sad about this, though. I am 8lbs away from leaving the 200's behind forever, and I've just started up one of my rapid wight loss periods again, and I have to basically get it to almost stop. I'm going home in 2 weeks, to see friends and family that I haven't seen in years. Though I haven't been killing myself to hit this goal before then, I did think this was possible and was looking forward to the possibility of being there when I go up. It's just frustrating. But it may be that I have nobody to blame but myself. I almost hope that the neurologist finds something else. Anything else. But actually no, there are worse things they could find wrong with me. URRGGGHHH!

Christie - I'm sooo sorry you're going through all this. I'm glad your surgeon is taking a proactive approach and getting you the tests you need. Keep us posted on how things go. Have you been tracking your food intake so you know exactly how much protein you are (or aren't) getting? I use www.fitday.com and it helps me stay accountable to myself and also makes it easy for me to track my protein intake throughout the day. If you're not already doing it, now might be a good time to start so you can go into your meeting with the surgeon armed with the facts about how your diet is going. At my 3-month appointment my nutritionist put me up to 800-1000 calories per day. I usually hover in the 800-850 range and get about 80g of protein. But I'm sure she's going to scold me for not hitting that 1000-mark more often. How many calories had you been taking in before the directive to increase to 800-1000? Please don't beat yourself up about not hitting your under-200 goal. Remember that this is NOT a race ... it's a journey. And as long as you're moving in the right direction, you're still destined for success in the end. Take your time and enjoy the scenary along the way --- this is an amazing time in your life and you need to stop and bask in the joy of each new step. Pam

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. I sat back a minute and dumped the under 200 goal. It was a late add-on goal anyway. I'd really rather be healthy. I was saddened that I would have to break this losing streak that I've been on, but, you're right, as long as the needle keeps moving downward, I'm on track. I had been keeping a daily running tally in my head regarding my food intake. I wa****ting about 500 calories a day, and 40-50g of protein per day. I knew I was shorting the protein, our minimum is 60g per day, but I guess I didn't fully realize the implications of repeatedly falling short of that goal. I guess I kind of thought it wouldn't be that big a deal. So wrong there. Maybe there isn't anything seriously wrong right now. maybe my body was just shouting warnings at me to get back on the ball. I guess I will find out in a few weeks. But I am now meeting my protein requirements, and then some, and I am trying to increase my caloric intake. Increasing the amount of food I eat is hard, though. I always feel full. Quit whining and suck it up and do what I have to do, right. I'm working on it. It's pretty hard to double your food intake overnight, but I am working on it.