Please Help ~~~~~~~

Hello Everyone I just got back from my three month check up with my surgeon. I am glad I went although I was embarassed and ashamed because I went knowing that I would have a weight gain, and gain I did---12 lbs. Now I have to get back on the wagon and no more cheating. I am in the process of undergoing insurance approval for a TT and should know if it is a go or not within a week or so. The Dr wants me to try and lose these nasty pounds I gained before surgery and has put me on a 1000 calorie a day limit, and no more than 4-5 oz at each meal. Now my question is this...It has been almost two years since I had my RNY so I need help with planning my daily meals. Please give me LOTS of suggestions as to what I can eat to get back on the THIN path. I have another appointment with him next month to see how I am doing. I am actually glad he came down hard on me because I knew I needed to do this but just needed a good swift kick in my Asssss. Thanks guys for being here for me not only for suggestions but as my support! You all ROCK! Hugs

Well, let's see...protein firs****er, exercise and NO SNACKING! That is my doc's life time rules. I dropped two lbs this week by eliminating all snacking and working out at the gym 4 days out of 6. You can do it!

This is what I usually eat if I want to drop some weight. B: 2 Tbs. peanut butter, 1 slice low carb bread snack: 15 grapes and 1 cup of watermelon L: 1 small can tuna, 1 tbs light mayo, cucumbers D: 3 oz of pork, chicken or fish with veggies snack: sugar free rice pudding or sf pudding I usually stay at about 1200 calories and sometimes will only have fruit 3-4 times a week. Good Luck!

Try to stick to Fat Free foods, they have less calories. If you have been doing white carbs, cut them out. Try eliminating one or two major bad carbs from your diet. Going cold turkey may lead to self distruction, but gradual elimination might detour the feeling of being deprived or being punished. Whole wheat is better for you, try the low carb pastas if you do pasta. Instead of a sandwhich do roll ups. FF smoked Turkey or Ham or Classic Chicken (Boars Head Deli Slices) plus a slice of FF kraft single cheese. Helmans makes a Mayo "free" low cal. Instead of chips do cucumber slices or raw baby carrots. HolyCow makes a light flavors cheese spreads you can use for dipping. FF cottage cheese, mixed with splenda, or SF jam or SF davinici syrup or SF pudding powder. Your body needs fats, just be cautious of foods like peanut butter with 19g of fat for 2 TB - cause personally I can eat it from the jar like its going out of style and the fats add up along with the calories. Fish is always good for ya, shrimp, crab meat. Fruits are good for ya too, but eat them before noon, so you have the rest of the day to use/burn up the carbs. A no calorie fix for a sweet tooth could be shaved ice and SF davinici or torani syrup. You can find davinci at walmart, torani at world market and both online. I keep splenda sweetened pickles in the frige for a no calorie sweet crunchie fix. And sunflower seeds in the shell for nibbly keep the fingers and mouth busy fix. Try hood carb count down milk instead of regular milk. Its an acquired taste. Try ground chicken as a substitute for ground beef or try ground turkey. Jenni-O makes delicious low fat or fat free pre-cooked foods low carb meats like turkey backon, stuffed turkey, ham. Try water loading a half hour or so before a meal, to fill you up. Do not drink you calories - creamers, sodas, lattes, high cal protein shakes etc. Be aware of dressings and sauces, if you eat out, order it on the side. Cut your food and dip it for a taste with eat bite instead of smothering the food and consuming unnecessary calories. Order a la carte, and piece together a meat and veggie meal rather than full meals with potatoes and rice etc. Sub or double the veggie in place of the carb. I hope some of these suggestions will help you create your own meal plans. Plan your food for the day, keep a journal, see how well you stuck to the plan at the end of the day, and how you can fix or adjust it the next day. Do not lye to yourself, own up and move on, each day is a new start. My journal has random "bad peanut butter weeks" and a jelly beans from hell work night. Chit happens, we are human, and I do not dump . Lastly, calories in vs. calories out. Exercise. Even if you hate it. Atleast 30 minutes a day, you can break it up in 10 minute session over the day, a 10-15 walk at the end of your lunch break, or before bed, or with a co-work right after work before you get in your car. A bike ride with the kids or a family member. Good Luck. I know this will be a battle for life for me and most post-ops. I am maintain 154-158 pounds eatting 1500-2000 calories with 6 days of 1 1/2 - 2 hrs of gym cardio and weight training. In order for you to get me to eat less you'd have to wire my jaw shut...sigh...so I just do my best to make my choices low calorie because I do not eat like a bird by any means. Michelle

Well this works for me....when I see the scale go up a couple of lbs (yes I'm anal right now and hope to stay that way), I eat only lean meats (broiled, boiled, grilled, baked) and green leafy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, romaine lettuce, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, squash) for 3-4 days then add in other dairy (protein) and an occassional fruit. This worked for me on my pre-op diet and it is the program my surgeon gives us post-op. HTH, Dana

Don't beat yourself up, you can get back on the wagon. I'm going on 4 yrs post op and I CW dance for much of my exercise about 4-5 nights a week, I also walk but nothing gets my heart rate up as much as dancing. I use to never count calories until about my 2nd year post op. I normally eat between 1000-1200 calories per day during the work week, then on the weekend I relax and may eat 1400 calories those 2 days. I get my water, protein, vitamins in religiously. My diet is pretty boring but it's because I stopped liking most of the high calorie foods after having my RNY. I use to think the taste buds would click back in but thank GOD they haven't in 4 years so hopefully I won't ever want those type foods again. I rarely think about them. My only vice could be sugar because I don't dump bad, so I have to only have a treat once a week if I want real sugar. If you want my routine diet I will be happy to share it with you in an email. Just let me know but it's pretty plain jane. Best of luck to you...you can DO IT!

MF, Dana's Food choices (above) are mine exactly, And I'm also a frequent scale checker. If I'm up a couple of pounds, I'll get in an extra 30minutes of exercise that week And drop out the carbs until I lose a lb. Or two. So Far, This is working for me. Have the Greatest with your PS! Mine is scheduled for this summer 49 days and counting!!!!! Wi**** were tomorrow! Best Wishes- Dx