DLCoggin

Sending tons of good wishes for a speedy recovery Jeff!!

OK guys, I enjoy a glass of wine before dinner more days than not and I truly don't want to be a stick in the mud. But there are a couple of things to at least be aware of. Keep in mind that alcohol will likely hit you harder and much faster than it did pre-op. There are some nightmare DUI stories out there from bypass patients that had a single drink. One often quoted ratio is 3 to 1 - one drink post-op is like three pre-op. Would be a very good idea to give your keys to someone else before you take that first drink. My surgeon said absolutely no alcohol until six months post-op. Your pouch is doing a lot of healing from the surgery and alcohol can be an invitation to an ulcer. We pay doctors to be conservative and as others have said, there may be absolutely no problem. But the risk is there. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip!! My wife and I will be there in late Nov. and have tickets to opening night for Shania Twain on Dec. 1st. I just have to go to Vegas every now and then and visit my money! Lol!!

Headaches (not migraines) are one of the very first signs of dehydration and that would be consistent with the vomiting (which is very dehydrating). I agree completely with LosingIt - your intake doesn't mean much if it's coming back up. First priority is to see your doctor and get a handle on the vomiting. When you get the vomiting under control, you might consider increasing your Protein. Doctors are all over the place on their recommended daily protein but you're exceptionally active with the soccer. That combined with the fatigue suggests that you might benefit from increasing your protein to at least 85g a day. My doctor requires all of her patients to get 100g a day. If you can keep it down, that would likely help considerably with the fatigue. On a low carb diet, protein becomes your body's primary source of energy. Protein is also used for protecting your body against infections and increasing it might help with the bladder infections as well. Stalls are part of the process and although frustrating, really are nothing to worry about. Increasing your protein may help to jump start your metabolism and get you back on the downward trend. You might also try increasing your daily calories a little as well. Although it sounds like a contradiction, if your body is reading your calorie intake as too low, it may be conserving fuel (excess weight) as a way of dealing with a "famine" state. Just like increasing your protein, increasing your calorie intake can speed up your metabolism and get your weight loss back on track. Please let us know what you doctor says and keep your chin up. You'll be back on track in no time!!

I wouldn't worry too much about one meal. There are just too many variables to draw any meaningful conclusions. Might be better to focus your attention and your energy on maintaining a food log so that you can track your calorie, fat, carb and protein numbers (which requires that you know or estimate the amount of food that you're eating for each meal). That really puts you in the driver's seat and takes a lot of needless worry and stress out of your life. If you're hitting all of those numbers (or coming close) based on your doctor's recommendations, you'll be just fine!!

The key to starting a life long walking addiction? Get a four legged, fur covered friend! I cannot imagine my life, much less my walking, without my black lab. Best therapy there is!!!

Without exception, folks who categorize weight loss surgery as "easy" are completely missing the point. "Easy" or "hard" are totally irrelevant. Obesity is a progressive, degenerative disease that is the second biggest cause of premature and preventable death in the U.S. And like any other potentially life threatening disease, intelligent people consider treatment options in terms of effectiveness. Period. Gastric bypass surgery is the most effective treatment currently known to medical science for obesity AND more than 20 very serious diseases associated with obesity. The very same people who are ridiculous enough to stereotype bariatric surgery as "the easy way out" would be the first ones in line for any effective treatment, easy or hard, for any other life threatening disease. Why does this blatant, grossly unfair prejudice exist? Anyone who has never dealt with a BMI of 30 or greater (the clinical definition of "obesity") is absolutely convinced that diet and exercise are all that is needed. And for those who are "overweight" (clinically defined as a BMI over 25 and under 30), that is often true. They have often been able to lose meaningful amounts of weight by changing their diet and increasing their exercise. So they conclude that if they can do it anyone can. But some don't stop there. They judge others that have not been successful with the whole "eat less move more" thing as lacking willpower, or being weak, or making poor choices. How pompous and egotistical and just down right foolish can some people be? The failure rate of "diet and exercise" in treating "obesity" is almost 100%. It does not work. It never has. More importantly, science is just now beginning to understand why - http://www.drsharma.ca/obesity-why-diet-and-exercise-is-not-a-treatment-for-obesity.html So the next time someone tells you that gastric bypass is the easy way out, you might consider asking them to suggest ANY more effective treatment. Name one solution that meets or exceeds the well documented results of gastric bypass in terms of overall success, in terms of total weight loss, in terms of the time required to achieve the goal weight, in terms of reduction or elimination of a whole shopping list of comorbidities, and in terms of long term sustained weight loss. Easy, hard, fast, slow – totally irrelevant. Name one more effective treatment for this progressive and potentially life threatening disease. It cannot be done. Because it does not exist. Nuff said.

Big congratulations Jeff! Great job!!

Great job! Don't you just love it when a plan comes together! Congratulations!!

Averaging 800 calories a day at eight weeks out, any weight gain is most likely Water and will quickly disappear. Walking will almost certainly increase your weight loss and reduce the time it takes. It also will help you maintain your goal weight. Lots of options - early morning, late evening, lunch time, neighborhood, treadmill, nearby park, mall - whatever fits with your schedule and your preferences. Start slow and work your way up over time. Even 20 minutes will make a big difference. Set a goal of at least three times a week, four is even better. If you stick with it, you may find that it quickly becomes addictive!

You are welcome Ms. Kerri-Ann! Have a great day!!

Absolutely. No doubt about it and both of my parents were not overweight. I don't doubt for a second that they did it out of love and with the very best of intentions. But that doesn't make it healthy. Mizzlaw said it all - stop when you're full. Period.

24 pounds in five weeks is almost five pounds a week. When was the last time you lost five pounds a week? Do you really want to lose 10, 15, or 20 lbs a week? Not healthy, not realistic, and not sustainable. Maintain five pounds a week for six months and you'll be almost 150 lbs lighter! This is a journey, not a marathon. And it starts with realistic expectations. You're doing absolutely great! Celebrate your success! Stay focused on following the protocol, stay active, and stay away from the scales for a week and even two if you can stand it. You're gonna love the new you!!

Lack of appetite for a while following surgery is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Not getting enough protein - that's a different story. Protein is crucially important. Your body uses protein to regenerate tissue and speed healing. Carbs are king when it comes to energy but when you're on a low carb diet, your body will use protein instead. Low energy - eat more protein. Protein will help minimize lean muscle loss. Protein will help protect against infections. Protein will help minimize hair loss. Bottom line - your appetite will come back, you just won't be able to eat nearly as much as the old you. But getting ALL of the daily protein that your doctor recommends is important. Your body will thank you and you're gonna love the new you!!

High blood pressure - gone. Type 2 diabetes - gone. Cholesterol - normal. sleep apnea - gone. Back and knee pain - gone. Weight loss - 120+ lbs. (actually 126 at today's weight). Waist size - Pre-op: 48" - 50". Post-op (11 months): 36" 95% of Prescription meds - gone. Dealing with the psychological aspect - it starts with "finding your why". I found mine. Health - Obesity is a progressive, degenerative disease that is the second leading cause of premature, preventable death in the U.S. The links between obesity and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and a dozen other serious diseases are well documented and virtually undeniable. Options - Diet and exercise as a treatment for folks with a BMI of 30 or greater is a myth. It is a statistical virtual impossibility with a failure rate approaching 100%. And science is just now beginning to understand why - http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html . For more information - "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments - Diets Are Not the Answer" - http://motivatedandf...s_dont_work.pdf . Bariatric surgery is the single most effective weight loss option known to medical science - by a very wide margin. The September 19, 2012 Journal of the American Medical Association reported the results of a study done with 1,156 surgery participants 18 - 72 years old, along with two control groups totalling more than 700 participants. One key aspect of their findings: "At 2 years, 99 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 94 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss. At 6 years, 96 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 76 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss". Read more at: http://medicalxpress...higher.html#jCp Quality of life - The ability to go into any store, anywhere, anytime knowing that there will be endless options for the new you. The ability to walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. The ability to play with your children (and grandchildren) for more than five minutes. The ability to take a long walk in the woods with your black lab and actually enjoy every delicious, pain free moment of it. The thrill of looking in the mirror every day and thinking that you look pretty damned amazing. The knowledge that you almost certainly will live a longer, happier, more fulfilling life. The ability to comfortably sit in a restaurant booth. Or an airline seat. The almost limitless energy that you had long since forgotten. Just plain feeling good about yourself for the first time in a long time. Living your life free of the "obesity stigma" - that only those of us who have been there can really understand. The absolute elation of knowing that you did it. That it's sustainable. And that you are finally in control. Complications - zero. Would I do it again? - If I had it to do all over again there is one thing, and only one thing, that I would change. I'd do it twenty years earlier!

It's amazing how just having your doctor put a label on what you're experiencing helps make you feel so much better! Good to know too that dumping can sometimes occur much longer after eating than a few hours. Thank you for the update!!

I've only experienced dumping about three times in almost a year out. In all three cases, it was late dumping and in two of the three I checked my sugars - 56 on one and 39 on the other. I ate an orange for the first one and an orange and two small squares of year old chocolate for the second one. Symptoms disappeared very quickly. Keep in mind that late dumping is strongly linked with hypoglycemia and the symptoms I'm speaking of are general weakness and shakiness all over. I have never had early dumping and have never vomited. So, did the treatment for my "late" dumping cause "early" dumping? No. There are still some questions to be answered but dumping in general is thought to be the result of very rapid changes in blood sugar. Based on that definition, if you're starting with very low blood sugar in the first place, bringing it up with the addition of moderate amounts of sugar would not likely result in dumping. I hope you'll let us know what your doctor thinks - great opportunity for us all to learn something!!

You're most welcome! I'm thinking that theoretically anyone could experience low blood sugar under the right circumstances but it's a good question to ask your doctor!

GREAT job Kristy and a great post!! Change your mind and you can change the world!! Lol!

Stay focused on following the protocol as closely to the letter as you can, stay active, and stay away from the scales for at least a week and two if you can stand it. Make sure that you are getting ALL of your Protein in - every day. It will help a lot with your exhaustion. Your body is going through some serious healing and a lot of changes. Protein is crucial to helping your body regenerate tissue and on a low carb diet, protein becomes your primary source of energy. As you have learned the hard way, dehydration can land you back in the hospital in a heartbeat. Most folks struggle with getting in 64oz of Water (all fluids help) a day but it's important to come as close as you possibly can. For most that means a sip at a time pretty much all day long. Minor weight gains are irrelevant and almost certainly water. The most effective way to avoid sabotaging yourself with the scales - stay off of them! Trust the process. Remind yourself every day (even several times a day!) that there is not the slightest doubt that you will lose weight as long as you are following the protocol. The science is rock solid and supported by hundreds of thousands of success stories over more than 30 years. Take all that "freaking out" and "worrying" energy that you're wasting and use it to stay focused. Six months from now and for the rest of your life you'll be thinking it was the best money you ever spent! Or ever will spend!! Last but certainly not least, remember that patience is not only a virtue, it's an absolute necessity. There is not a single one of us that doesn't understand how you feel. But you simply cannot rush the process. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. It won't let you down and you're gonna love the new you!!

Vomiting every day and for no apparent reason may not be dumping. Dumping is most often associated with sugar but it can also be the result of carbs or fats. If you don't think any of those are present in high enough levels in your diet, probably be a good idea to run it by your doctor.

How far out are you? How many calories are you averaging on a daily basis? Are you getting ALL of your doctor's recommended Protein? Are you getting 64 oz of water a day? The answers to those questions will often point to a direction to move in to help break the stall. The good news is that even if you do nothing, as long as you're following the protocol and staying active, the stall will pass. We all know how frustrating they are but they're all part of the process. If you can give us a little more info, I'm sure we can give some ideas of things that might help you get back on the downward track!!

Even how we define "pain" is different for all of us but like others have said, it's a very good bet that you'll be feeling MUCH better within a week. You are going to be amazed at all of the great things that are just on the horizon!!

I had exactly the same experience! Must be pretty common because the PA asked me at one of my follow-up appointments if I was experiencing being cold. I didn't take the opportunity to ask her if that was common but from the responses here I'm guessing it's very common!!

Water weight flies all over the place but it's almost always temporary. We all know how difficult it can be but give some thought to staying away from the scales for a week or even two if you can stand it. I truly believe that the scales often sabotage our efforts when in reality we're doing exactly what we should be doing! The scales do not tell the whole story and measuring your success against that number too often is a sure formula for frustration. Stay focused on following the protocol, stay active, and stay away from the scales!!

Late dumping normally occurs within one to three hours after you have eaten. Twelve hours is a long time and it's unlikely that the diahrea and vomiting had anything to do with what you ate the night before. Whatever you ate should have moved through your system long before that. Your symptoms sound a lot like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Easy to confirm if you're a present or former diabetic and have a blood sugar test kit. If it happens again, check your blood sugar. I'm not sure what the medically defined point is where it technically becomes hypoglycemia but if your sugars are below 70 or so, you might try eating a piece of fruit or even a small square or two of chocolate. If it is hypoglycemia, your symptoms will disappear very quickly when you ingest any kind of sugar. Either way, I like your idea of calling your doctor!