MinaT

My thoughts and prayers are with you. With the Chemo and everything you have to go through, there is no reason not to follow the actual plan that most doctors put you on before, during and after surgery. There is absolutely no reason not to sign up to myfitnesspal.com, no reason not to eat 80 grams of Protein a day, drink 64 ounces of Water a day, no reason not to limit your carbohydrates to 20-40 grams a day, no reason not to stay within 800-1200 a day. You can still do this while going through Chemo. Actually, this may help you more so. Chart your food, drink your water. Eat your meat first, vegetables second, chew everything up really well. There is no reason not to still walk in place, while going through this. Wait 1/2 hour after eating to drink your water, give up Soda now. I lost 70 pounds before I had surgery. I know it would be definitely hard to deal while dealing with cancer, but I do have a brain tumor and I do have lupus and I did it before surgery. Your dream of having surgery isn't over, but I honestly believe you can strive to change your eating lifestyle now. You are in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you nothing but the best. I can imagine the disappointment you feel but there is no reason to give up the fight and there is even more of a reason to be vigilant. If you eat healthier and drink more water, you will only benefit. Kick the cancer's butt, while getting your butt in shape. You can fight and win both battles at once!

How much Water are you drinking? How much Protein are you getting in and how much carbohydrates? Are you staying between 20-30 grams of protein? At 6 weeks I was getting in about 600 calories a day if that, and 60-70 grams of protein and about 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. I'm stalled at this moment myself, because of mistakes I am making, each stall I had is because I wasn't drinking enough water, I wasn't counting my carbs and my calories or I was bound up and not going potty. There was always a real reason for my stall, including at one point I was losing inches and building muscles. What do you think the issue is? Are you counting calories, carbs, water & protein?

I was on Clear liquids a week, 4 weeks worth of full liquids, then on to mushy, soft, then solid foods. Stick with the Protein liquids and don't rush it. Your stomach was cut from the bottom to the top. It takes 6-7 weeks to completely heal. Believe me when I say, it gets better. Heck I couldn't get 3 ounces of Water in me at a time for the first 1-1/2 months for almost 8 weeks I couldn't drink out of a water bottle. It does get better, you are able to get more in. This doesn't last forever. At 6 months out now, I feel if I am not careful that I can get a bit too much in. The honeymoon phase of just a little bit doesn't last forever, remember this is not permanent. Pdx can tell you how I was 6 months ago when I had this surgery. At six months out it still takes perseverance and dedication. The more weight you lose, the slower you lose it, and the more liquids and food I can tolerate, the slower I lose, the more I need to exercise. This is not a 100% quick fix, but I remember where you are right this second. I remember thinking oh my gosh, what did I do, I will never be able to eat ever again. You will be able to eat again, I promise you and not a day has gone by since I had this surgery that I have regretted it. Best wishes and luck to you.

I think a lot of people do this. They spend the last month trying to make up for lost time. Nothing you can do about it now, shrug it off, let it go and promise yourself to follow through with the rest of it because you are worth the effort. You most likely will have to do a 14 day pre-op shake fast before surgery. My suggestion is to take for now on seriously. Stop the food mourning and work hard. You did your binge this last month now it's time to work on charting your food. Use myfitnesspal, get your 64 ounce of Water in, let go of the carbonated beverages, get your Protein in, lower your carbs. You will need to shrink your stomach before surgery and there is no reason for cheating on that phase. You know what you did you wrong, so no need to punish yourself, just turn it around. Shrug off the gain, see what the doc says tomorrow and promise to put all your effort into it. You showed you could lose, now you have to love yourself enough to commit to the rest of it, you are worth it.

Well, this post may be a little late but I will say my piece and maybe it will help someone else down the road. Doing a last hurrah the day before you start the 14 day shake thing is usually not the best thing to do. A few days before is good, but the day before, your best bet would be stick with Protein. Carbohydrates make you want more carbohydrates. Those that carb overload the day before starting the pre-op shake by reading here for the past year seem to have the hardest time with the pre-op shake. I spent six months prior to the surgery doing the high protein, low carb and of course I had some days that I did have extra carbs, but I read someone very wise here state, if you decide the day before surgery to do the big carb thing, like pizza, pretzels, popcorn, potatoes, rice, it will be harder to do the 14 days without cheating. All you are doing is stretching your stomach more, the more carbs you eat the more you will want. Also, letting go of the caffeine and the carbonation before you start this phase is also a good thing because having to quit all of it at once is really hard. Remember the first 3 days are the hardest, if you are on three shakes a day with only sugar-free Popsicles or sugar-free Jello allowed remember all that liquid in has to come out. Drink plenty of Water because many people end up with a little headache and usually day 3 is when you start feeling better. You will be spending more time in the restroom most likely and remember never to trust a fart especially at night. More than anything keep busy. Start cleaning out your closet, keep moving and keep busy. If you get really super hungry, brush your teeth. The 3 shakes a day made my mouth feel really icky and I spent a lot of time brushing my teeth. I found a decaff tea that didn't bug me and that was Bigelow Peppermint Tea. It has a nice taste, tastes good warm or cold, it's something I even brought with me to the hospital. Best of luck to you. Whatever you have remember it's not really a food funeral it's the start of your new life.

I'll be 50 and had surgery in June, I have lupus and had diabetes and a lot of other issues and I did it and don't regret it!

Every doctor is different. Please contact your surgeon or nutritionist. It's always best to err on the side of the caution. I was on clears for over a week, 4 weeks worth of full liquids, then mushy food a week, soft food a week then solids. Even at the solids I was barely eating. The slower you go the better you heal. Your stomach is cut from the bottom to the top. Eating bread, crackers, potatoes and rice are carbohydrates. All doctors will agree a lifestyle change is for the best as this isn't a diet. Some doctor's will say eat in moderation. Some people will drink soda, beer or coffee again, mine says never to drink them. Each doctor is different and has different rules etc. Your best bet in my honest opinion is to give yourself 7 weeks to have your stomach heal completely before introducing food that you know you should not have. We've all been on diets, it has taken us to the hardest route of all, that is to have a major surgery. If you take it seriously, you will know what you really should and could have. I waited almost 3 months and started to drink real coffee in the morning. Even after all these months, I can still feel that it really isn't that good for me, I didn't suffer without it, and it's not doing anything for me, I know it's something I should not have though and am staring at it right now. It's now up to me to decide do I drink it or not. I believe that I am going to quit drinking it. All it takes is one day eating chips & crackers. Then the next time it gets easier, then the next time it's a little of this and that and then old habits come creeping back over time. Make it a lifestyle change and you can't go wrong. Best of luck to you.

Always freezing. I used to keep our house temperature at 62 and 63 during the day. I have the heat up to 68 now. The strangest thing has happened though. My body temperature used to be 95.8 - 97.0 If I had a temperature above 97 it usually meant I was getting sick and getting a fever. 98.6 meant I was pretty darn sick. My temperature is now correct. In the winter I always wore shorts or a short sleeveless nightgown and now I wear real pjs and a robe. You have to learn to adjust is all I can say. It's really strange being cold all the time when I spent many winters wearing no winter coat even in Chicago.

I know some sleevers get offended if a Water is set down with the meal, I always ask purposefully for water and a lemon. I usually take one sip before dinner. You truly do learn will power. I have been to bunco where I was ribbed by a bunch of women about not eating and there truly was nothing I could eat but a piece of cheese and some vegetables. I said I ate a huge dinner earlier and I passed on all the Desserts. They ate, I didn't feel bad. I usually order shrimp cocktail or chicken breast etc. I order Julienne type salads and pick out the meat and always take stuff home. I spend more time cutting things up and moving them around on my plate and nobody usually notices a thing. I always ask for a take home box when I order the food. I always ask for steam vegetables if they serve it or cottage cheese.. I always eat the meat first and usually leave the rest. Take control of the talking during the dinner, most people are concentrating no shoveling food in there mouth to pay attention to what you are eating if you are talking. Nobody but my husband and son and parents know about the surgery and it's not a big deal. I have been to festivals, carnivals, huge affairs and haven't had a problem. I always say I had a late lunch.

Lower the carbs a little bit and up your Protein. Please remember the less you weight the less you will lose per month and you will need to definitely up whatever routine you are doing. You are doing great though. Congrats!

I had surgery in June. I take Biotin daily, I get 60-80 grams of Protein a day and I have always had thin hair and I have lupus and I feel your pain. I am one of those people you describe though that you can see the scalp. I went to a salon today and there is good news, I have a lot of new outgrowth coming in. She cut my hair to above my shoulders, and she put in low lights (my hair is extremely blonde) and it looks so much better. She said that she can tell that my hair is coming back. Lupus causes thinning hair and hair breakage and hair loss, so if I am starting to come back from it, you should too. Make sure you get your protein in, save blow drying for special occasions and throw a protein pack on there once in a while and hopefully it will start slowing up soon. I have a huge party to go to Friday and I was so afraid I would be bald for it that I have been freaking out myself, thinking I was going to have to go back to a pixie. Best of luck.

I had severe acid reflux before surgery and took omaprazole daily. Since you are going to be changing your eating, eating your meat first and vegies and chewing all your food slowly, there is less chance for it afterwards. I still can get it if I eat too fast but changing the way your eat goes a long way to helping me since I have had surgery.

Hit a big goal today. I am no longer considered "Obese"! I am overweight. BMI is 29.8 and I have 28 more pounds to be considered "Normal", whatever that means. I am grateful for my decision to go ahead with surgery. It's saved me.

congrats what a very special moment! You should be so proud of yourself!

There is nothing really wrong with hard salami and cheese, but I get bound up easily and hard salami is process food, I'm trying hard to eat less processed foods. I hit 169 and then up to 170 so I'm flip flopping a bit now, I am really happy with where I am and how well I am doing given the issues I have to deal with. I still love hard salami though lol

171 today. I have really slowed down my weight loss. I have had a lupus flare so I am not working out as much and need to work on my water intake a little better but with the lupus flare and such high inflammation, I am retaining a lot of water. I am rejoining a gym. I can eat more now too, I could use better choices in my life. For some reason I hate tuna now. Ever since surgery Tuna is rough on me and makes me ill. I have been eating a whole lot of eggs, that's my go to food when I have to cook food I can't eat (spaghetti, pizza) for the family. I also have messed up because I found a food that is not that good for me, that I like the taste of and it's something fast and easy and I need to cut it out. I have been eating hard salami & cheese (no bread) because it's fast and easy for lunch. Sometimes if I don't chew well enough or eat just one 1/2 bite too much real dinner, I get a lot of slime still and have to walk around. I do know I have a problem with scar tissue in my esophagus from the issues with surgery. I have to work a little harder is all.

I am at 5 months and I lost 3 pounds last month and only a few pounds this month. You have lost a significant amount of weight and since you are at 165 pounds now, it is going to take a whole lot more weight training, cardio and actual work to lose now. When I weighed 300 - 250 or even 200 pounds it took less energy for me to burn calories. Now I have to work so much harder to burn calories so I have to expend a lot more time and effort into burning calories. I burned a lot more calories walking up a flight of stairs at 300 then I do now, because I'm not lugging so much weight around, it's bound to slow down which means I need to step up my game. Also, if your building lean muscle that does tend to slow down weight loss a bit, but it tends to burn fat faster. Muscle takes a lot less space than than fat so you can still be shrinking. This is at least what I keep trying to get through to myself so I stop being disappointed.

I was a size 32 or 4x and I'm in a 16 and I'm looking for size 10/12. I'm pretty muscular, with big thighs and a booty (just my body shape). It's an amazing feeling so far!

I was 5'3" and 330. I'm going to be 50. I lost a lot of weight and still have about 30-40 pounds to go and I do have some excess skin. I am working out as much as I can to tighten what I can and it's helping some. I mentioned the unhappiness I have about the skin with my nurse and she said, would you rather have all that skin there, with a bunch of fat underneath it, or a little extra skin, without all that excess fat. You are worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet, which detracts from your goal at hand. You are spending energy and time focusing on something negative that may end up happening in the future, when during this process you need to focus on the positive. You are still young. I lost a lot of weight once on my own when I was in my 30's and I had no saggy skin but I did step aerobics which firmed my bottom, I lifted weights which firmed my arms and I did crunches which firmed my belly. If you consistently work out during this process and you lose slowly but surely you will have less excess skin. You have age on your side, that's a blessing. I'm going on 50 and I can tell you, I would rather have a little lose skin, then all that excess fat and I am vain and I do care about what I look like so I do realize how you feel, it's not stupid but it's wasted worry, but let it go, focus on the here and now and getting to your goal. Good luck to you.

Congrats to you. You are going to do great because you put so much hard work and dedication into it before your approval. Remember go into the surgery with the same positivity and focus and you will do great. It's been an amazing journey for me and I am sure it will for you. I've had some ups and downs but I have always tried to remain positive and it's worked out great. Good luck to you!

I brought a small little fan with me (a table fan) it helped with having a soothing white noise too! Good luck to you!

I wear sports bra mostly for that reason. I used to have frontal dd cups and side c cups. I used to feel like I had four boobs. I am happier about the weight loss in my chest more than any other thing thing. I don't feel like I am suffocating any longer!

Go to bed the night before confident and proud of taking this step. I know you spent a lot of time focusing on this day, let it go. The more rest and relaxed you are the better. Keep positive thoughts in your head. The next day try to stay cheerful. Going into something completely freaked out, isn't going to make anything easier. Breathe deeply. Bring with you a favorite little throw blanket if you have one, bring your favorite type of decaff tea. They usually serve hot Water and a tea bag in a plastic coffee cup which smells like coffee. It made me grossed out. I brought Bigelow Decaff Peppermint Tea, it soothed my tummy, it tasted good and I asked the nurses for a styrofoam cup. (Even when it got cold it was soothing on my stomach and esophagus). If it wasn't for the tea, I don't think I could have handled the water. It really helped immensely I don't like artificial sweeteners because they cause me to have migraines but I do like Truvia, bring your favorite brand of artificial sweetener with you, because chances are good you will end up with something you don't like lol. Bring chap stick for your lips, bring Charmaine wipes with you. Bring something for dry mouth, I brought some Biotine Mouth Wash. Walk. The minute you feel strong enough to get out of bed and walk around the nurses station DO IT. Make sure when you do this bring one of those moistening sponge sticks with you, especially if you are going to be talking to someone, my mouth dried out quickly because of the antinausea patch they had behind my ear. Do not hesitate to ask for something for nausea. There is no reason to be nauseous, there is a plethora of medications to help you. If you are going to have to have the upper gi test the next day, make sure you request something in advanced for nausea. It's not barium that they make you swallow, I hated it though. It's best to be prepared. Again, stay positive. lots of sips. Remember that every single day is better than the day before and in the end it's completely worth it. Things I didn't use, the kindle, pj's, robe, I did bring crocs with me. If you feel you have to go potty, ring the nurse in the middle of the night in enough time for them to come and unhook everything (especially if your legs are in the automatic compression thing. Sip during the night. If you are given a spirometer use it often. Make sure you take extremely deep breaths. Spirometer is a wonderful device to help you avoid pneumonia, which is easy to get when you are in a hospital. Stay positive and be happy. Best thing I have ever done for myself.

I used to have a severe problem with my hips, I use the Gazelle. It's not an elliptical but it's even easier on my joints. I can walk now, and I can even do a little jogging, but there was a time I couldn't walk 1/2 block or get up my stairs. It would be best if you could try it out first. There are two styles, the freestyle and the edge. The freestyle is $199.00 and The Edge is $99.00. Freestyle allows for a higher weight which I used to have and now I have the edge (my freestyle broke) I was using it when i was over 300 pounds. http://www.target.com/p/tony-little-s-gazelle-freestyle/-/A-610520 If you look at your weekly paper for garage sales or Craig's list you can usually find them $15.00 - $20.00.

Burping meant a lot to me, it meant I ate too fast, drank too fast or swallowed too much air. Eating too much can equal 1/2 a tiny bite of something over the only two bites of food I ate previously. I walk after I eat. I am 4 months out and I burp when I'm done eating. The gurgling and weird noises DO go away, as long as you don't eat too fast or drink with your meals or eat too much. I was on liquid for about 6 weeks after surgery and for 4 weeks I sipped out of a one ounce cup and couldn't drink out of a Water bottle. Do what you can to eliminate the excess water. Small sips, use a shot glass if you are only two days out. It will eliminate drinking your water, instead of sipping your water. It seriously was over a month before I was successful out of drinking out of water bottle. For some reason I would pull too much air in and it was painful. I am fine now. Remember 6-8 weeks your stomach is healing. You have a designer stomach and sipping your water is very important. Following your doctor's nutritional advice is important too. Don't try to ramp up your food, chew your food and know your stomach is going to gurgle and make noises and sometimes you are going to feel what you think are hunger pains, some will call it head hunger, which it could also be, but most likely it is some form of gas and even more likely healing pains. Cut your finger, stub your toe it throbs, well your stomach was cut from bottom to top and it's throbbing too and takes 6-8 weeks to heal. Good luck, it was the smartest thing I have ever done and with what complications I had I'd do it all over again.