mistysj

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I'm curious if having bariatric surgery has caused you to rethink your career. Have you changed careers or decided to change careers? Has anyone specifically changed to a career in a field related to Bariatrics, such as dietetics or nutrition science or nursing?

Lots of people have regrets in the first month or if they experience complications. Other than that, most people do not seem to regret the surgery.

Grilled red snapper and stir-fried bok choi with garlic and ginger

Whatever you call it, you have been living it for what, 2 years now? When I first found VST I read a lot of old threads and I remember when your run of bad luck seemed to start, and it just doesn't seem to let up.

That is crazy. I wish you didn't have so much drama in your life. Please be safe! Dee, you are my hero, my c25k buddy!

My part of the grocery bill has gone down except for Vitamins, Protein, and torani syrups. I have bought some nicer tupperware to pack my lunches and Protein shakes in but those are one-time costs. I guess some foods are more expensive, like the yogurt and the baby bel cheeses, but then things like lunch meat cost a lot less per meal than they would have before. I also used to eat out a lot, and now I do that a lot less, and tend it order smaller meals. I used to go out for sushi and have $25 worth all on my own. Probably 5 plates at a sushi train. And I would really be wanting more, but stop myself. Now I go and have one order of edamame and one order of salmon sashimi (2 pieces) and I'm full, for maybe $8. I have to remember to take cash because the debit card minimum is $12. I used to do a lot of expensive sneak eating (chips on the train, stopping at mcdonalds on the way home and still eating a full dinner at home, a dozen donuts on a Saturday afternoon, etc). I haven't indulged in that behavior since I started preparing for surgery and I have been very proactive about learning why I did it and how to avoid going back to those behaviors. They were expensive for my pocketbook AND my health.

Also, full disclosure, I have (and love) your book. It is great to get Australia-specific advice, especially since our bariatric-products market is so immature.

I also think it depends on the surgery. It is my understanding that the sleeve and RNY give the most restriction, followed by DS and plication, then the band. I know that at 8 months post-sleeve, I can still only hold about 60 grams of dense protein or 2/3 of a cup of less dense food. Knowing that, I don't dish out a cup because I know I can't eat it and it will just tempt me to try.

Use a timer until you get used to it. You won't have much of an appetite but you need to be eating something every 2-3 hours since you can't eat much right now. As soon as you finish eating, set the timer for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, set the timer for 2 hours and start drinking. When it goes off, set it for 30 minutes and stop drinking. When it goes off, eat. Yes it is complicated but you won't need it long.

The good news is the ultrasound will tell them how thick the lining is and how much more there is to shed. They can decide whether to reset you with a D&C, put you on the pill or Mirena to control the lining better until your hormones are more on track or what to do to manage it. Your bariatric surgeon is out of their depth on this one. If you do have a D&C, ask for a biopsy to be taken for analysis. You have already done the best thing for your reproductive health by taking positive steps to get your weight to a healthy range. Your future children will thank you.

I have read that we can only absorb 30 grams of protein in a meal and the rest just goes straight through.

Hormone imbalances caused by obesity can cause your uterine lining to build up and not fully shed each month. This is caused hyperplasia and can be a cancer risk, depending on how the cells look under a microscope. Losing weight or a shift in your hormones from other reasons, such as going on or off the pill, can trigger the lining to shed. Because it is thickened, it can take much longer to shed than normal and may need to be stripped out via a D&C. This happened to me in 2007 and I had a period that lasted three months before I finally had a D&C. The cells were found to be pre-cancerous. I was given the Mirena IUD to keep the lining thin. In 2010 I went off Mirena to try to get pregnant. I needed fertility treatment. The very first month, I didn't get my period but wasn't pregnant. I had a D&C and cancer was found. Two weeks later I had a total hysterectomy. So much for trying to conceive. But thank god it was detected so early. I am sharing this so you will take it seriously and pugs for answers. I have been cancer-free for more than three years but I still have to have follow-up exams every 6 months. And I will be on estrogen therapy until I am at least 60. I am 35 now. Serious, serious stuff. I wish I had gotten bariatric surgery 10 years ago so I could have kept my uterus.

This is my absolute favorite dressing for salads, for dipping seafood into, etc. I love it and it is so simple. Here is my recipe for a single generous serving. It could probably serve two. 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1/2 tsp soy sauce 1/4 tsp sesame oil or a few drops if your container dispenses that way 1/2 tsp jam, jelly, preserves, or marmalade of your choice -- raspberry or orange are my favorites Optional: 1 clove garlic finely chopped, a sprig of cilantro finely chopped, a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, or a dash of hot sauce Mix it all together and pour over your salad or use as a dipping sauce. I have to stop myself from licking the bowl. Around 45 calories and 5 grams carbs. High in sodium if that worries you.

It could actually be dumping from the sugar. Both of those things are symptoms of dumping. Talk to your dietitian about trying an alternative protein source. Optifast is pretty high in sugar for the protein you get.

I'm on the iPad. I clicked More, then chose Search. I put in PB2. Here is a screenshot of my results page (just the first page): There were 909 results so I changed the search to title only, and got 48 threads.

One thing that is missing is the possibility of an approach that does not focus on calories. Another thing is the acceptance that in bariatric patients, a diet of less than 1200 calories can be perfectly healthy and adequate. Another thing is that websites that predict rate of loss over time, like MFP, tend to overshoot the mark for bariatric patients. Because they do the simple calorie deficit math that doesn't work in reality. Another thing is a more realistic formula of the effect of exercise on weight loss. Burning 500 calories of exercise does not have the same impact as eating 500 calories less food, no matter how much people want it to. It is frustrating that in order to track my food and exercise, I have to ignore so much of the "helpful" advice from these apps. I guess all of my points are really closely related in that I do not buy the conventional wisdom about calories.

I'm not a vet but please don't flog me for replying. It occurred to me that most of us are eating very low carbs because carbs seem to make it easy for us to gain or keep weight. It occurs to me that you are getting your extra calories from mostly Protein and fat, just like a good WLS patient! Protein and fat don't get turned into body weight as easily as carbs. I think you need to add some good carbs back into your life. Whole wheat bread or oatmeal or Cereal or mashed potato every once in a while might really help, as long as they don't awaken the carb monster. And thank you for sharing what must be uncomfortable to share here where most people are not in the same headspace as you. It is good to know all of the different possible outcomes.

And I believe the average loss is around 60%. That includes heaps of people who lost 125% or more of EWL and some people who lost less than 25%. Average does not mean "most people" but "the middle of the statistical range." If you look on these boards you will see that nearly everyone HERE seems to get well past the 70% figure. I'm only 8 months out and already at 78%.

Calculate the weight that would get you to a healthy BMI of 24.9 and subtract that from your start weight. Losing that much would be 100% of your excess weight. Divide that by the amount you have already lost and multiply by 100 to get your percentage. Here is mine: Start weight: 216 Current weight: 145 Normal BMI: 125 100% EWL = 216-125 = 91 Current loss = 216-145 = 71 Current percent = 71/91 = .78 x 100 = 78%

Just have some. Eat mostly the protein and have some noodles. You won't be able to hold much and it might not make you feel great but you will get the craving out of your system.

There is an official fitbit thread right here on this forum. It is in the sticky section: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/191404-official-fitbit-thread/

Happens to me all the time.

People have complications with all surgeries. Don't go by hear-say or anecdotes but look at real statistics. I think it is dangerous to paint a picture that the sleeve is less risky than RNY. Full disclosure, I had the sleeve. But I don't think the RNY is a bad surgery.

I love it! It is so easy and can differentiate between myself and my husband.