MONDAY, April 15, 2019

As someone forced to use a pee funnel post-plastics as it was faster than stripping out of my spandex body suit (speed was a necessity post-catheter) they work. But you have to get the seal right or suffer the consequences. And I could just wa**** in the sink. Think about having something to wipe it with before putting it back in it's baggy.

The volcanic ash is apparently very difficult to walk in and very slippery. DH wasn't totally prepared mentally for what it would be like when he went. Oh yeah and he felt like it blew into every crevice of his body, including up his nostrils. But he loved that climb!

Weight: 190.6

Wow I'm loving all the positive energy here. Spring has sprung.

It was yet another very busy weekend. I need a weekend!! Friday I didn't even go into work. I figured I have that luxury since work has been so slow, at least a secretary was there to manage things, and I'd missed so much of the week it barely mattered. Plus, contractor was showing up to paint nursery so I moved things out of there to make it more accessible. The afternoon was packed anyway. I had my OB appointment. I'm officially confused on weight. I went back to the other scale--the one that weighs low. So I was 185 something whereas at home I was 190. I was down about 2lbs. from the really high scale last time. But the high scale is like 6lbs. higher!! So I think I should've lost a couple pounds last time and gained a couple pounds this time. I'm gonna stick with my home scale which would indicate I was up around 4lbs. from last time, but had been down 2lbs. the time before. This is why I hate doctors weighing us. A 6lb. swing on their own scales is not okay.

Charlotte did not cooperate with her ultrasound redo. That girl likes her hands in her face! Oh well. Not much longer until we see her in real life!

Then we closed on our rental properties. I've never had to sign my signature that much in my life. I'm glad that's done, but now the real work begins. We need to rent them asap and in the meantime, probably go ahead and fix up as they become vacant.

Saturday was a very rainy day. But it was lovely in its own right. I cooked at home a lot--white chicken chili for lunch (and some for the freezer for maternity leave) and then we had friends over for dinner and I had a casserole, salad, and chocolate cake for dessert. Hey, it was homemade and one my grandmother used to always make!! Sometimes you have to quench that thirst.

Sunday we made it to church...but just missed the kiddos waving palm branches :'(. Then we had family and maternity photos. And took the kids out to dinner afterwards. Whew!!

But so much has been accomplished. The nursery should be finished being painted today and then we can start the process of putting the furniture it the right place and decorating! We can now start trying to rent vacant properties and fix up others. And the tax man has been paid

The doctor scale issues would make me absolutely crazy! But based on your own scale it sounds like you are doing well! It is Charlotte's time to put on as much weight as possible now as she nears the homestretch.

Didn't weigh for almost a whole week. Got on scale and was rewarded with a very acceptable weight after 5 days of travel. I was actually down from the last time I weighed. I'm going to give credit to having the trailer and a lot of my own food with me more than anything else. I didn't eat "fair" food all weekend. My eating was hardly ideal, but with all the walking, grooming, standing, etc... I dropped a good 2 pounds. I'll take it.

Reading posts from last Wednesday through Sunday has caught me up on what I missed. Most glad to read that Shel is recuperating and doing well.

Ella will be bred tomorrow and Wednesday. Full on detox starts Thursday. Weaning off has been hard. Good days and not so good. Absolute will be better for me.

Notre Dame in Paris is burning. How heartbreaking. I fear the worst. That place is always jammed with people.

I must go eat some French Pastry. Vive la France.

Diane S

Heartbreaking.

So those of us seeking to lose regain:

Do we worry that going very low calorie slows our metabolism?

If we keto, do we worry that too much protein can cause an insulin response?

Do we think there is such a thing as too much protein?

Do we think 60 grams generally recommended by WLS literature is enough protein?

Do we think a food eating window of 8 hours is desirable, or is it okay to eat many small meals?

Is low carb high protein lower fat as effective or better than low carb, high fat, moderate protein?

Is there a scientific metabolic thing going on that causes WLS patients to start gaining around 3 years? Or is it just increased capacity, diet fatigue etc. ?

What says our collective wisdom? I've read sooo much conflicting info while trying to design some sustainable eating plan to reverse regain.

Great questions!

OK, I'll throw down first. But please note that I am responding based on MY experience with MY body. Others' mileage may vary.

Do we worry that going very low calorie slows our metabolism?

Yes, which is why I try not to go low calorie for very long. It's also why I gradually am raising my calorie levels so I won't shock my system into thinking it's party-time again.

If we keto, do we worry that too much protein can cause an insulin response?

I don't know. I don't do keto. Never have.

Do we think there is such a thing as too much protein?

Probably at some point too much protein is too much (I met a guy in NOLA who was doing 400 grams of protein a day!). But I don't think I've flirted with that. Normally, I aim for 100 grams/day. Now, while losing regain, I'm OK with going as high as 125 grams (it seems to keep my hunger at bay). But that's definitely not a long-term target.

Do we think 60 grams generally recommended by WLS literature is enough protein?

I don't think 60 grams of protein daily is enough for me. Why do I think that? Gee, not sure why. I just feel fine at 85-100 grams/day. Note that I try to get some of my protein from beans and other veggies.

Do we think a food eating window of 8 hours is desirable, or is it okay to eat many small meals?

I've never done the intermittent eating thing, so I have no data. I stick with 3 meals a day, with coffee and low-fat milk (home-made latte) early in the morning and sometimes a snack during the day, e.g., small apple, and often (but not always) a bedtime snack that has protein in it, but not just protein.

Is low carb high protein lower fat as effective or better than low carb, high fat, moderate protein?

I've never used either of those approaches. On the carb front I aim for complex carbs of LOTS of veggies, some fruit, and a little bit of whole grains. When I'm maintaining, I'm happy if carbs are below 200; when I'm losing regain I want the carbs as close to 100 or even a little under 100. On the fats front, I usually hit 30-40 grams daily, whether maintaining or losing. And protein (as stated earlier) is 85-100 grams in maintenance and a little higher when losing regain. I'm basically an Old School calories in, calories out girl. Of course, I think I've experienced the truth that some calories don't seem to burn up as fast as others, e.g., sugar vs. zucchini. A few years ago when I went from 4-5 VFs/day to 8 VFs/day I was suddenly able to eat 150 extra calories a day and not gain weight.

Is there a scientific metabolic thing going on that causes WLS patients to start gaining around 3 years? Or is it just increased capacity, diet fatigue etc.?

I think that the predicted "automatic regain" as a metabolic phenomenon at 18 months, two years, three years, four years, five years, whatever is complete bull**** I think regain (or not) is ALL about what and how much you eat and how and how much you move. However, some Rx meds and/or some specific diseases, e.g., diabetes, can clearly alter metabolism and usually not for the better.

Again, this is based on my experience with my body. Nobody else's. I am completely willing to believe that what works best for Person X isn't NECESSARILY the best approach for Person Y. A few years ago I wasn't very accepting of variations on what/how we should all eat to maintain our weight while becoming as healthy as possible. Today, my biggest intolerance is of those who insist that I must eat what and how they eat in order to be healthy and normal-weighted.

Finally, I'm a big fan of vitamin/mineral supplements (the right supplements and vary dramatically from person to person). It's possible I am over-supplementing myself, but I've noticed when I don't take all my supplements that I don't feel nearly as well as when I do.

Thank you for your very detailed responses. And of course all of us have our data from a study of one subject, but it's nice to compare notes.

I do think calories count, but I also subscribe to the theory of taming insulin response, so some calories like protein might count less than simple carbs.

I think I need to up my protein. My clinic says 60-80 grams a day, but upon reflection, I think I've felt best with 80 as my minimum.

I don't seem to be losing weight at 1,200, but I'm afraid to drop much lower, and I get kind of miserable below 1,000. But maybe I could cycle in a few low days to shake things up. I want to be healthy and active, foremost. But I also want some weight gone ...