Leaderboard

I had a drain. It was the bane of my existence because there is no medical tape that could secure tubing designed not to allow surgical tape to adhere to it. I tried them all. I finally threw caution to the wind and found the solution: Duct tape. Angels sang. By the time I went for my follow-op Doc had to get through layers of duct tape just to talk to me. Duct tape. I hear those angels sing every time I say it. If it doesn't move when it should: WD40. If it moves when it shouldn't: Duct tape. :angels singing: Most folks don't have a drain with their Gastric Bypass. But I recommend the duct tape for your surgical tape needs. Good luck, Tek

your butt shape will change after all the weight loss. Mine was pretty saggy - but I had a lower body lift which tightened it up. Usually lower body exercises like squats and lunges will help with glutes - but again, your shape will change pretty fast, and there's not a lot you can do to help the sagginess with the amount of weight we typically lose. immediately after surgery, all I was cleared for was walking. After four weeks, I was allowed to do everything except for weights. At eight weeks out, I was cleared for weights. The first few months I did mostly water fitness classes - and walking. I also did the stationary bikes at my gym. Now I do dance cardio (like Zumba) and biking, but I was too heavy to do those when I first started on my journey.

Welcome to the Medically Modified Human Club! I can tell food for you is definitely emotional (for me it is!) and you will definitely be right there enjoying consuming healthy food for you amongst your family and friends in due time. For me... I pay attention to those who have sharp emotional cravings for all of the foods that got us (lets face it... ALL of us) where we are pre surgery. Congratulations on making taking the necessary steps so that A... you can be on this earth longer and living healthier. Take your time (as you are) and know that if you follow your NUT's advice you will do well. I found it a heck of a lot easier to not eat (as much or as per the instructions) while I was on pain medication. Now that I am off of the good stuff... here comes the retraining. Drink water, wait, realize why I want to eat... boredom, the time seams right, I just witnessed or inhaled wonderful smells, or AM I TRULY HUNGRY? Arghhhh... Best Wishes, Will

IMHO, the most effective therapy takes place with a therapist who you connect with. I've tried specialized therapy and didn't get much out of it because I didn't mesh well with the therapist. Sent from my Z6201V using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, How far post op are you? your hormones will be going crazy if you are in very early stages. Its not something they seem to tell us but it certainly happened to me and many others. take a deep breath you will be fine. I developed anxiety in the early stages post op. take notice of when it happens mine started after i had eaten and then in turn that cause pre meal anxiety too turns out i was having a type of dumping minus the pain and need to rush to toilet. so I had rapid heart beat, shaking, tingling dizziness and just a feeling of dread. as my surgeon said once I started on solids it got better but boy oh boy it was not pleasant. I also didnt want to be alone and had lots and lots of tears and deep feelings of WTF have i done to myself. hang in there do what you need to do to feel safe. ((hugs)) it does get better

Keeping your skin taut and trying to stave off too much loose skin.

I am also hungry - properly hungry - since my op 16 days ago so I guess I might be one of the unlucky 20%. Sticking to my volume restriction of 1/3 cup pureed whatever per meal and also taking 2 protein shakes. And a tiny cube of cheese every day. Cannot wait for soft foods, also keen to see whether solids will allow me to feel my restriction and to finally feel FULL!

Over time you’ll get to recognise your signals & what you can & can’t eat easily. Some say they sneeze or get a runny nose when they’ve eaten enough. I don’t. If I eat too quickly or eat when stressed my restriction kicks in. If I eat food that’s too dry I’ll get the foamies or if really dry or coarse I’ll bring it up (not vomit but regurgitate). Dairy makes me gurgle more. I’ve discovered my ‘I’m full’ message sometimes seems to take a lot longer to come through. This morning I ate my milky rolled oats over about 35 mins then some 30 mins later I started to feel full, then fuller & fuller. Groan! Felt like I’d bring it up but didn’t (I was driving so probably a good thing). To counter my sometimes slow full message I eat slowly: 30-60 minutes depending upon what I’m eating - it works most times. I ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it - this was a big thing for me. I also try not to eat until I’m full but until I’ve had enough - another big learning. Never be afraid to put your cutlery down & sit back from the table. Use the pause to examine how you’re feeling & what you really need versus just want. Good luck.

Hi Amy, Since the surgery, I have found that I like to have easy meals ready to grab. I do enjoy cooking, though, too. For breakfast, I often have a protein shake or yogurt with protein (oikos triple zero or light & fit). Sometimes, I may have oatmeal (can add protein powder, there are some brand that have it added), frozen lower carb or keto waffles with protein & sugar-free syrup, or low carb/keto bread with cheese or egg. You can find cooked hard boiled eggs in dairy section. There are also those "just crack an egg" microwave meals (I haven't tried them). For easy lunches I often have yogurt, Oscar Mayer P3 snacks or Sargento Balanced breaks, 1/2 sandwich with low carb bread turkey & low fat cheese. (I don't know if you are ready to eat nuts, yet, I know they need to be chewed well & controlled portion sizes) An easy dinner I found was a frozen pizza made with a chicken based crust. There are some frozen keto meals i have seen, but haven't tried. Other easy items are: frozen cooked shrimp, cooked grilled chicken from supermarkets deli, & microwave riced cauliflower. I hope you get some ideas. I am always looking for new foods to incorporate into my routine, too.

What about the fresh ready meal companies if you have access to them? Most have menu plans for various eating plans but you still will have to be vigilant on the nutritional & caloric content of each meal & portion control. One of the ready meals may last you for two meals at the moment. Like many frozen meals & supermarket ready meals, many of the fresh ready meals are pasta or rice based so remember to avoid those. When you say you don’t cook, will you cook/reheat/microwave/prep simple things? You don’t have to be a cordon Bleu chef to toss a salad together (throw in some tinned beans for a protein boost) or microwave some fresh or frozen vegetables then add meat from a grocery store bbq chicken or roast meat, or some deli meats, smoked salmon, tinned salmon or tuna, etc. I ate rolled oats made on milk with some seeds (oats are a good carb which many plans allow from early stages) - couple of mins in the microwave & ready. Find a good high protein yoghurt & a low fat cheese. Eggs are also easy & barely cooking: boiled or fried in a non stick pan. Would you try some frozen oven bake fish in the oven? (Just scrape off the batter & crumbs once cooked.)