Question:
Cottage Cheese Test
What is the cottage cheese test I keep hearing about? I'm 2 months post-op, down 44 pounds. Is this a "normal" amount to expect to lose in the first 2 months? I've heard of other people losing alot more. I'm afraid I'm not losing quick enough, and will stop. Starting weight 290, currently 246. — phaney (posted on April 9, 2005)
April 9, 2005
You have done great!! When have you ever been able to lose
44 lbs in 2 months before? Don't panic, everything will be
fine, I don't know anything about this cottage cheese test
you speak of. It may be something that's new out there, that
hasn't cross my path yet> But you are doing fantastic. Do Not Stop
what you are doing>
Marilyn, the Bearlady
— Marilyn C.
April 9, 2005
The cottage test... measure out 1/4 cup portions, eat until comfortably
full only, then stop, add how much your serving was, that determines how
big your pouch is, and how many ounces it can hold.
— Cynthia ..
April 9, 2005
You are doing great! I am almost 4 mths post-op (on April 16th, it will be
4 mths)and have lost 51 lbs. My beginning weight was 246 and I am now 194.
I, too, have heard of people losing much more weight in a short amount of
time, but I think those are people who started at a heavier weight. For
example, I met a lady at the Surgeon's office whose starting weight was 450
lbs. She lost 54 lbs in the first 7 weeks. There is so much more to lose
and a lot of that could be water weight as well. Don't compare yourself to
others and pat yourself on the back! You are doing so well!
— csanchez1111
April 9, 2005
You are doing great for 2 months. I think that is about the rate that I
lost and I started at 279. Someone said that people who are much heavier
may lose at a faster rate. But..also it is important to remember that each
person is different. Different foods affect us differently and we lost at
different rates.
I understand the frustration. I started at 279 and am now at 182 - 3
pounds from my century mark and I am on a plateau! But...I know from past
ones - when I lose, it will be 3 or 4 pounds at one time.
Good luck to you and congratulations on your great weight loss so far.
— dwhit54
April 10, 2005
You are doing great with your loss. About the cottage cheese test, just
remember that it only tells how much cottage cheese your pouch can hold. It
won't tell you how much soup (which goes right through the pouch) or dense
protein (which you can most likely hold less of than cottage cheese) or bad
carbs.
— Yolanda J.
April 10, 2005
I think you're right on target. I was 304 at the start and was about 40
lbs down at 6 wks I think. You'll lose at varying rates, plateau until you
go nuts...but you WILL get there! I made it to goal losing 153 lbs in a
little over a year and am still hanging in there weighing in the 150 lb
range for 9 months now. Everyone is different. Don't get caught up in
comparing yourself to others. Just concentrate on YOU!! Good Luck!
— Lori J.
April 10, 2005
Hi, I'm 2 months and 10 days out( rebirthday jan 31st 2005) and weighed in
at 410. I am currently 338 with a 72 pound loss. They say the bigger ya are
the harder you fall LOL!!! I think your doing great because you weigh a lot
less than me.
I just did the cottage cheese test today and I held a bite shy of 1/2 cup
and I was stuffed.
— Laureen B.
April 10, 2005
You're doing just fine. Incorporate good nutrition, dilligent
supplementation, lots of water and plenty of exercise. And don't compare
yourself to others. I know plenty of "fast losers" who don't
maintain that rate, or re-gain. Just like anyone else could! Remember grade
school? Some kids develop fast, some slow. <br><br>
Argh, the cottage cheese test. Could there possibly be a more unscientific
way to test anything? <br><br>
I did the cottage cheese test when I was about 8 months post-op (lap RNY)
and I could each about 1 1/2 cups. Yikes!
Then I had a contrast study approx. 1 month later. My pouch size (confirmed
by my surgeon and PA - and I could even see it on the screen for myself)
was about the size of a small egg. <br><br>
This is my opinion here, but the cottage cheese test is not exactly a
scientific study... and any WLS surgery can be "outsmarted"... if
we have smaller stomaches, we can still graze all day and eat enough junk
to gain the weight back. A lot more of it has to do with control and
behavioral changes that will be healthier choices for the rest of our
lives.
<br><br>
It's kind of like finding out that you don't dump on junk food. Because we
know how much we need to consume (calories, protein, sugar) to make the
surgery successful. If you KNOW that the new pouch is bigger than you'd
like, will you be more likely to overeat? Your mindset has to kick in to
use the tool your surgeon gave you. YOU are the one making the decisions
here.
— kultgirl
April 11, 2005
I agree with the last answer...the cottage cheese test isn't really an
accurate one. I am nine weeks post op and I can eat 4 ounces if I give it
long enough...because its soft and liquidy and drains fairly quickly. But
I can't eat four ounces of anything else.
Each person is an individual...people lose at different rates and there is
a lot wrapped up into the rate we lose...age, activity, metabolism. I
figure as long as my weight is going down..I'm happy
— Amy C.
April 11, 2005
I don't know about the cottage cheese test. I started eating an ounce of
non-fat cottage cheese after the first week home from the hospital for the
protein. I've had no problems with it. When I went in for surgery they
weighed me at 292 and now I'm down to 256, that was in my first week and a
half. I think everyone loses weigh differently but I've been doing alot of
walking (as much as I can) everyday so maybe that has something to do with
it. God Bless and keep in touch.
Karyn
— Zimpo
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