What the new doc said...

I can't recall whether you post on menus and miles. I'll pay attention to what you are eating to see how I can incorporate your ideas into my meal plan.

I too, just have a shake for breakfast.  Otherwise I would just not have anything.  Mornings and food don't sit well with me.   With my upcoming surgery I am going to add in another shake starting soon, per some great advise from this board :)  But that is another subject. 

Congratulations on the labs, I always wonder what surprises mine will have as I am not the best with my vitamins.  I have a blood draw beginning of next month.

Good luck with the labs!!! I never miss a dose because I take so many other pills that are mandatory.

Sounds like you had a great appointment.

Swinging critters here for you! Keep up the good work.

Maria

I'm glad your appointment went well.  You would have thought by now they could come up with some medications that work without making you gain weight.

Interesting...

Now - my Dr told me I could cut out shakes because my protein was good and it appears I'm getting enough from my food (now, I didn't do it because of that... just because)

With my recent gain, I'm trying to put protein shakes BACK into my diet to see if it is what I need to get things moving again.  I seemed to be successful when I was diligently drinking them (protein coffee)  Obviously cutting them out didn't help.  Of course my choice of food/drink doesn't probably help either ;(  I do focus on solid proteins first.  my snacks lately have been veggies and fruit.  

Glad you had a successful Drs visit and thanks for sharing.  It gives the rest of us something to think about and what we can do to maintain/lose again.  

I've cut out protein drinks except for when I'm don't feel like eating or am in a pinch, I'd say fewer than one per week now. My nut and trainer believe solid proteins are the best, and that's worked fine for me. I got new menu ideas from my NUT that include the foods that I actually eat, and she said I probably only need 60g of protein because my weight is so low now. I end up getting 70+ anyhow. Most of the time I eat balanced meals and snacks that include "correct" portions of good fats, good carbs, and protein. I was struggling for a while but the new meal plan my NUT helped me with is working out great. I have the energy to get thru my workouts and through the day, and I find if I reduce my intake a little bit on days I don't work out, I'm loosing weight again.

I drink whenever I want to, and just take little sips during meals if I need to. I haven't noticed any difference in feeling full or not regardless of when/how much I drink.

Protein drinks I've noticed didn't keep me as full as a "real" meal.

#5 Does he mean avoid "snacking", or avoid "grazing"? I have planned snacks throughout the day that are portioned out like meals, only smaller.

Sounds like you could up your exercise and get some benefit. It's hard, I know!!!

When I got a body fat % test (in a water tank), the results spelled out how much lean weight I have, how much fat, and how many calories I burn a day by just existing (1650 for me). It's quite informative, and I plan on getting another one in a coupla months to compare. Since I'm not losing pounds much any more, I can't wait to see how much body fat I've lost compared to the muscle I've gained.

Anyhow, it's interesting to hear from another doctor. Take what works for you and run with it!!

A LOT of the programs say #2. What I have found is that hunger is HIGHLY individual. So a protein shake may hold you or it may not. Only you can decide, not your surgeon and not us. I find that one for breakfast and a protein hot chocolate at night really holds me. But that's me.

For #3, again I think that depends. Our stomachs start to empty sooner than they used to. So eat too slowly and the next thing you know, you will be eating more. But eat too fast and your brain doesn't register the fullness.

For #5, snacking (grazing) is different than planned snacks. Planned snacks are basically meals. You can eat 3 meals a day or you can eat 6 or something in between but as long as they are planned, I think you should be fine.

For #7, I think it depends on how far out you are. For the first 6-12 months for everyone and all the time for people who maintain on 1000-1200 calories a day, you need to keep your calories under 800 to lose. But as you get farther out from your surgery and you aren't a tiny gal who doesn't work out, it begins to feel like depravation and it's hard to keep up. I think once you are more than a year or two out from surgery and are used to eating 1500 calories a day or more, that dropping down by 500 calories a day works better. Heck, you may want to drop down by 250-300 at first. Because that's doable.