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Welcome to the group and congrats on the upcoming surgery and all the pre-op success. I have not traveled to Peru, but I did go to Mexico about 9.5 months post op. Honestly it wasn't difficult at all. Typically by 8 weeks you should be healed on the inside and cleared for pretty much all movement. So by 6 months you'd be fine - generally speaking. I would say just packing all your vitamins and supplements is key of course. I also packed snacks mainly for the actual travel part - plane and car rides. I had jerky, cheese crisps, protein bars, portioned nuts and low carb chocolate. I had more than I really needed, but it definitely helped to have options. You could also consider protein powder or shakes in case. Also a reusable water bottle/cup comes in handy to ensure you stay hydrated. I stayed at an all inclusive resort and there were many healthy fresh options for all meals. The buffet breakfast had a ton of fresh fruit and veggies, a bunch of egg options - egg whites, hardboiled eggs, etc. and the meat protein options, yogurt and cheeses. There were various milks both dairy and non dairy options. Dinner menus had accommodations for different dietary needs. Off resort also wasn't difficult to navigate as there is a lot of protein and veg options. I found getting in movement was not difficult either. There was a gym, aerobic classes and water sports. But honestly walking around the resort, the pool, walking on the beach, the walking tours off resort - i never missed an exercise goal. The variables can happen depending on the area you are staying I'm sure, but I have friends who frequently travel to Peru to visit family and frequent many local cafes that have plentiful healthy options - healthier than you find in the states unless you grow it yourself since a majority is local and doesn't have to travel far at all. You will not likely be able to get exact specifics of macros if you like to track your food, but by 6 months you'll have an idea of estimated protein amounts and general portions for most foods you are likely to eat. As long as you stick with protein first, then veg and carbs last you should be good.
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February 2024 Surgery Buddies?
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Took my 2 month post-op photo today. Subtle changes between now and the 1 month post-op photo. -
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Yea they just had to do the wrist on me this morning. Wasn’t pleasant to say the least. I am sorta dreading surgery day when, like you said, I will actually be a little dehydrated because they had a hard time even after me forcing down three extra bottles of water this time. I don’t recall it being an issue for my sleeve. I guess I had someone good. I am starting to think that’s what it all boils down to. Most anyone can get it with good veins but anything a little harder takes someone with more experience. I am starting to develop an anxiety to needles that I never had since this vein issue. I used to be fine as long as I didn’t look at it but now they always ask me if I’m okay. Idk if it’s just because I look in distress or if they just know they are torturing me. 😂
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A good phlebotomist once said it's not about what you see, but what you feel. I don't have any medical issues that relate to vein issues, but many many times it was a hunt for a vein to have my blood drawn. I've been poked up to 3 times and have had to have blood taken from the top of my hands on several occasions and once from my wrist (do not recommend that one hurt like a /@%$*). On the day of surgery, the anesthesiologist also poked me 3 times before finally placing the IV and that was with the use of a sonogram thingy(?). I won't lie, that hurt like heck - one because i'm already not a fan of needles and two that one is larger than a standard blood draw needle. Thankfully that was honestly the worst part of my entire in hospital experience start to finish. I was also told that drinking plenty of water helps a lot to plump the veins and I have found that has worked. Obviously that won't always be fail proof when you are restricted from both eating and drinking several hours beforehand. Oh and nothing really changed for me from before or after major weight loss as far as visually finding veins. I've just been lucky the last few blood draws to have someone who knows how to feel around for a good one and only poke me one time.
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That does sound filling! I just love my Protein cold brew LOL So its possible that a protein bar a couple of hours later which I have been doing with the Rxbar and its been filling. I will have to look at some other recipes for cold brews see if I can beef it up. Thank you for the suggestion!
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It’s usually the doctors who belong to larger like hospital groups from my experience that have online portals.
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I cannot eat before working out, I feel nauseous so if I work out at 5am, I don't eat and if I work out 5pm I do my best not to eat 2hours before my workout, but a yogurt afterwards would probably be great! I am eating around 1000 calories a day and have been for about 5weeks now. But nuts sound yummy! I will have to incorporate that!
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Does your pre-op diet weight loss "count"?
AmberFL replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
totally doable!! You got this!! -
Thank you all for your replies. It sounds like I’m going to have to go back since it’s so different for everyone. I was hoping it was just a couple extra tests I could ask the NP to add on easily. It’s always such a big deal cause I had a lymph node biopsy under one arm which rules that out and my veins in the other apparently Aren’t great anymore. sorta wondered if it was just the girl at my primary dr at first because the issue started when I started doing it there but I can’t see any veins in that arm anymore either. She had someone else helping her today and between the two of them they found one (the third try) and told me to remember the location of it cause it was a good one they said. My friend told me that if I go to hospital they have actual phlebotomist that know stuff that the nurses do not though so if he does order more I will just ask him to send the order to the hospital this time. I am curious to know if this hard to find veins issue coorelates with weight. I am hoping maybe it will get better after surgery. Wishful thinking probably.
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If all you're having for breakfast is a protein cold brew, that won't stick with you for long. I have a smoothie in the mornings and it packs a good nutritional punch. I recall even from before surgery that a smoothie would keep me going until lunch. My new go-to, after some trial and error, is 150g frozen fruit, 30g baby spinach, 1tsp each of hemp seed, chia, flax, and raw sunflower seeds, 100g drained and rinsed canned beans (cannellini, white beans, black beans, chickpeas will all work), plus 2 scoops unflavored protein (20g), a scoop of beetroot powder and a scoop of Benefiber. I fill with as much water as my 20oz blender cup will hold. I add a squeeze of the bottled grated ginger to kind of mask the bean flavor, and I blend the heck out of it with a Vitamix so it's really smooth. It's about 360 calories, 30g protein, and has 16g fiber (11 from ingredients, 5 from Benefiber). It takes me about 45 minutes to drink it at 9 weeks post-op.
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Hello All, I am very new to the group and have not had my surgery yet but am scheduled for June 13th and I am excited to start losing weight exponentially even though I already have while on weight loss meds and starting a gym regimen while in the pre-op stages. My question for you all is if anyone traveled abroad within their first year post op? I am planning on going to Peru in Dec-Jan for two weeks and while I realize I will still have minimal portion sizes I feel I can make it work due to the wide variety of delicious/nutritious foods in the region that dont necessarily have to be carb-loaded. If anyone has experience with traveling to South America/Peru specifically your input would be much appreciated! I am hopeful that by that time I will be able to swim, walk and overall be active around touristy areas with ease but please let me know if there is anything else I should be aware of or try to pack before my travels to ensure I meet all of my nutritional needs.
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kristenl0101 joined the community
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it never occurred to me that all my lab results are stored somewhere accessible that i could peruse through at leisure! i've always just accepted what they told me (since i've never actually had any issues that were unexplained to me). i should ask my doc how i could access this info....
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It can vary widely. At my first program, they ran CBC, metabolic, thyroid, vitamin D, A1c, and a few others. But I switched to a different program, one within the same hospital system in fact, and the doctor ordered so many tests that even after combining a few that could run together, they had to take 16 vials of blood! The lab had a policy of no more than 12 vials per day, so I had to go back for the rest.
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Does your pre-op diet weight loss "count"?
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Using my day of surgery weight, the calculator suggests I'll be 195lbs at 3 months. I'm 204.4 today, but assuming this blasted week-long stall breaks soon, it seems likely I'll be somewhere around there in another 26 days. It tells me to expect 178lbs at 3 months and 158lbs at a year, with a low of 151lbs at 18 months. I would be pleased as punch with that if it happens! That would be exactly 100lbs down from my highest weight, which seems unreal. -
Swimming is what really ramps up my hunger and so far nuts and avocado really help. A pre workout meal is Chobani zero greek yogurt, 2 oz, half ounce walnuts, 6 grapes. I'm almost 4 months post op. I'm still eating 3 oz at a time, 3 meals a day, 1 snack.
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LATINOS or ANYONE Familiar with Latin/Peruvian Culture & Food - HELP!!!
Julie.Nudge replied to MarvelGirl25's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
This has also been a big concern for me, but my Peruvian family has been very supportive of my decision. My boyfriend is also Peruvian and supportive of this decision, but we plan on visiting Peru when I am 6 months post op (surgery date for June 13th 2024). This will be my first time in Peru since I am from the US and we plan on doing a lot of walking around Lima, Callao as well as touring Huacachina, Ica and Las Ballestas. If you are still active on here do you have any insight now on how your relationship with Peruvian food has changed? I plan on staying as safe as I can abroad so making sure things are cooked thoroughly, no tap water, only peeled fruits/veggies that are thoroughly cleaned. As well as portioning when we do eat out we plan to share dishes, I will try to order vegetarian options when possible, and if I have to/want to order my own plate I will ask for a to go box right off the bat to make sure I dont eat too much due to like you said the massive portion sizes. -
Julie.Nudge joined the community
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Mine was just last year so I remember and have access to it on MyChart. They did CBC, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Vit D, A1C, Thyroid (TSH), Folate, and Ferritin. They pull all of those numbers as they need to be able to have comparative information to monitor after surgery and of course to address any issues prior to surgery. I just had my one year post op labs done this week and happy to know everything is on point.
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Pre op labs
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to ShoppGirl's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I just logged into my patient portal and looked at my labs. They ordered the same tests for both my sleeve and my revision to bypass. Here's what they ordered: vitamin d A1c comprehensive metabolic panel tsh vitamin b1 prealbumin iron ferratin folate vitamin b12 cbc with differential lipid panel vitamin a -
How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
NickelChip replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
This is the best time to start good habits for the future. You probably won't feel hungry for a while, but you will need to eat regularly anyway. Without the distraction of hunger, you can make deliberate choices. Right now, you should have a schedule from your surgeon's office or dietician that tells you what you can eat, how much, and when. Try to follow that as you get used to your body's new cues. If you need more detail, you can check out bariatric cookbooks, but choose ones written by doctors and registered dietitians who specialize in bariatrics. It's a good time to slowly try out new recipes and retrain yourself for small portions. -
How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
catwoman7 replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
yep - most of us lose our sense of hunger for up to a year. I know it seems weird at first, but honestly, I found it very liberating after a while. I was free of "food noise" for the first time in forever! I hoped I'd be one of the very lucky few whose hunger never comes back, but I was not. it came back at five months out. Anyway, yes, norrmal. and take full advantage of that!! It's never going to be easier to lose weight than it will be right now. when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food! -
it's been over nine years for me, but I think they did test for certain vitamins because I remember I was deficient in vitamin (as are MANY people), so they had me on prescription vitamin D for a couple of weeks to bring my levels back up to normal.
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April Operation Buddies
Yorkshire1 replied to middlesray's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Had my sleeve surgery yesterday The recovery is rough… a lot of pain, really painful bloated feeling, just slept on and off for 24 hours morning after I feel much better, can walk around but really struggling to take any liquid, it’s very painful / uncomfortable to drink - was everyone else similar? -
sleeved.9.6.2022 joined the community
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May 2024 Surgery Buddies 😁
SandyT replied to Bypass2Freedom's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
So, I just completed day 3 of my liver prep diet. Today seemed to be better than yesterday. I am not feeling as hungry, although I am already getting tired of the protein shakes. I still have little energy, just doing the absolute necessary and resting a lot. It's hard but not horrible and will be worth it when all is said and done. Everyone hang in there and remember what the goal is... better health and a longer life. I'm still nervous, but also ready to move forward. We got this! -
How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
Arabesque replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
We’ve all been where you are now. Loss of hunger & appetite is a benefit of the surgery (though there are some who don’t lose their’s) but it can be confusing & difficult to work with it. Aim for three ‘meals’ a day and eat what you can. Don’t force yourself to eat more even if that means you don’t eat all your portion. You’ll get used to leftovers in your fridge you’ll finish at your next meal or the next day. I only drank two ‘meals’ a day during liquids. I diluted everything and just sipped, sipped, sipped until it was finished - usually a couple of hours hence the two meals. Probably the most challenging part is understanding the difference between real hunger & head hunger especially as many of us were driven by our heads when it came to eating not real hunger. Head hunger isn’t affected by the surgery so it can be a real struggle to manage as it seems almost stronger. Generally, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s head hunger (a craving). If you’re hungry out of boredom, emotions (like stress & worries after the surgery), habit (always snacked by watching tv or after dinner, etc.) that’s also head hunger. If head hunger is making itself known try distracting yourself: read, craft, do a puzzle, ring a friend, go for a walk, sip water, a cup of tea, or similar. It takes about 8 weeks for you to be healed after the surgery and this includes your nerves which carry the messages to tell you you’re hungry, had enough or are full. So for a while those messages may not get through or may get through differently and the signals may be different. Like some sneeze, or their nose runs when they’ve eaten enough. Believe me, when your hunger does come back you’ll wish for the days you didn’t have it. All the best. PS - Yes they pump you full of lots of fluids so the scales can show an increase after surgery. You’ll pee it out over a few days.
