Diario de Debbie Cousins, 10 jul. 23

O boy Debbie!!!! Yours is one day after mine!!! God bless you and keep up all the hard work. You will be amazed how much better you feel 6 weeks after. 

One step closer! 

I forgot to mention that I did ask the doctor what I should be shooting for as far as Protein after surgery. He was of the opinion that, as long as you had a healthy diet, getting an abundance of extra Protein isn't necessary. Hmm. Maybe I'll rethink the Protein thing. Maybe just shoot for 75g, which is still TWICE what I was getting before I started increasing. That would help a lot with the Calorie Count. 

Well everyone has a different idea right? But yes even 75 is a good amount if you were below that. Im a big protein believer for both healing and building muscle and my surgeon recommends 100-125 for all his patients and actually tells his patients how important it is for healing.. he also recommends a specific supplement pack for 2 weeks prior and 4 weeks post surgery to aid in recover but maybe it’s different for plastic surgery as opposed to hip/knee? My hip surgeon last year never mentioned it at all. 

Thanks for the input, Yearofhealth2023. I think what I’m going to do is just shoot for 75g of Protein until surgery, and then bump it up to 100g after. After 9 days of achieving 100g of Protein, I realized that I wasn’t really fitting in any fruits or vegetables because I was so full. I’ve got a giant bowl of watermelon and a bag of cherries in the fridge that are starting to go bad. Yesterday, I prepared a really nice meal to take to my mother-in-law this morning: Chicken Casserole, Parsleyed Potatoes and fresh String Beans. I’ll be eating that high-calorie lunch for the next couple days, along with my nightly 225g bowl of Butter Beans (that I have been sizing down to just hit 100g Protein without going over). So, I won’t be really cutting down many Calories this week, but I feel good about my new “plan.” I checked out your profile. WOW! Over 80 pounds lost in a year!!! You rock, you’re beautiful, and you really deserve to get that skin reduction surgery after all your hard work! I’ll be thinking of you and praying for you! 

Just re-read your post. 8tyNINE pounds lost, and with a slow metabolism to boot! Great job! 

Awww thanks so much Debbie. I didnt discover FS till January so I’ve always journaled my food/exercise and measurements with pen and paper. For the first six months i had to go down to around 700-800 calories to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Let me tell you the hunger was non stop. I supplemented my protein during that time with bone broth which was really low calories and helped to make me feel full. That may be something you can try? I used the Dr Kellyanne brand tho it was spendy. Even now im around 1000-1100 calories a day but getting ready to try and move to 1200 to see if i can maintain. Adrenal failure played a huge number on my metabolism and there is no cure. If it fails completely it becomes Addisons disease so im trying my best to be my healthiest. You should be really proud of yourself for how far you’ve come. I envy you a little. I cannot have sweets as im afraid it will unleash the binge monster that has ruled me for so long. Even at my grown up age. Im up at this time of the AM because im nervous about the upcoming surgery. Ridiculous right? 

Debbie I think your surgeon gave you great advice on protein intake. IMO focusing too much on protein intake you can't see the forest for the trees. The best way to health also requires fruit, veg and healthy grains. Health and nutrition goes way beyond counting calories. I also think protein shakes, bars and powder can be a slippery slope for those with sugar addiction challenges. They are all sweet to the pallette. You might want to try getting an unflavored protein powder and add small amounts to things like oatmeal, mashed potatoes, soups and just about everything else you make in your kitchen. good luck with the surgery!