swimbikerun

Thanks.

Thank you - this is wonderful. I find it interesting, as the information I get is a little different. I think the problem is that the others go by weight and can do 40 some grams a day and be ok.

We have a recipe section?

I agree on the issue of complications not being spoken of a lot. I think people need to be prepared. I know a good many people who aren't getting complications but that doesn't mean you go free. I never ever thought I would have what I did.

Any one with malnutrition or other like issues after surgery?

Everything above is true. I eat a lot but I eat roughly 5-6 servings of veggies (ok not a cup of each but you get the idea) and lean meats, no red meat (I can't eat it, doggone it), no fried foods, pizza, no McDonalds, etc.

No.

I'm 2.5 years out (almost) and yes it does get better. Not for me, but at least its less worse than in the beginning.

I'd say because I've tried all that and it doesn't work. Stats show 90-95% of people can't lose like 10% of the weight and keep it off. You see people in the news that do it because it is so rare. The tool helps you, if you use the tool right.

Really you might be nervous now but oh my you will love it this side of the losers' bench!!

That I would not get the surgeon that I asked for and that I didn't have a choice in who I got. They were less than desirable for me and weren't supportive, etc. a good number of times, weren't up on education, etc. Bunch of things like that.

How would you like it? In what terms? In exercise or eating or what?

Yep I've had the same thing with Sentara Comprehensive Weight Loss Center, but the issue was more on not recognizing complications, nutrition not being followed nor worked with, records were a problem. The attitude there, someone once stated (in a nutshell) that if you were "easy pickings" then it was fine, but if there were problems, they would dump you. I am starting to post my records excerpts online at bariatrichelp.wordpress.com and getting together hints/tips so people can look through and make decisions before they get into a program. I'll be adding more. Once people see the records, its quite an eye opener. If you want to see a tough case, and how things are handled, I'm a poster child for that. I don't want people to suffer the same things I did, and maybe giving them my experiences and what doctors have helped me would help others have an easier time. One of the examples is that in November 2012 my urgent care PCP believed I had neuropathies by malnutrition (which I was diagnosed with after the surgery). The plastic surgeon said the same thing in Jan. The bariatric surgeon didn't. However, things have grown progressively worse and they're all saying nutrition. The medical literature indicates that this can be an issue of bariatric surgery, but the surgeon never picked up on it but an urgent care FP was the first one to figure it out. I've gotten flak for pointing it out but the facts are there in my records and medical literature. Vic

Always!! 21 days in I could eat some tuna and a few other things. Nothing major and very wet too. Very soft and very chewed up. It was about that time I started getting the gallbladder issues. When I go out to eat I never feel like I'm wasting my money. It takes me a couple of days or three sometimes to get through food. I'm used to leftovers. That means now too. I wasn't hungry. My biggest problem was I forgot to eat. A lot of times I forgot to eat. There was simply no connection between food and the brain. I mean gone. So I said well I'm fat, who cares? (Unfortunately that came back to haunt me when 6 months after surgery I had an A&E admission for malnutrition w/cachexia. LOL like I said there was no connection between food and the brain). If you want something to eat, are you sure it isn't head hunger? Are you getting Protein and fluids in? At this point, that's all that matters. If at first its been a couple of hours, drink 4 ounces of Water. Then drink another 2. Are you hungry? Are you getting in 60 grams of protein? Ask away. I just tell people my experience is very different as I had gastroparesis before the surgery (almost hospitalized for that because of malnutrition) and still have delayed emptying after, with a wild case of IBS and food intolerances to most anything edible.

You got Virginia but we're a big state. Hampton Roads, Roanoke, DC area or somewhere in between? Its all good! Vic

Dec 2011

So did I.

I'm sorry. Actually 35 BMI is the cutoff limit, so you met standard limits, I can't see why people are upset unless they think you have to be 300 to have the surgery. The fact is, the smaller you are at surgery the better and easier surgery will be on you. I lost between 30-40 pounds before I had surgery, with a year long diet and exercise program. It didn't help with my medical conditions, so I was still above 40 when I had it.

Go for it.

Don't know, but I am.

Howdy, What are you looking for? If you got your Protein before from a vegetarian diet, you're doing good. Btw, are you talking vegetarian or vegan? Vic

The issue seems really to come down to the type of food (and in the end, what it is). I've seen people eat a donut while I was eating a banana. Both cards, which is better for you? This is where I really look to see what the type of food is. Does it really matter if we're overeating salad or lean Protein? Drinking lots of Water? Are we drinking calorie laden drinks or eating pizza? If you can stretch a bit but get in all your veggies, fruits, and lean Proteins and maybe not need a Vitamin, would that be a problem? I don't do Vitamins but I do Vega packets. This works better for me as I choked on pills (especially the big Calcium ones) and liquid vitamins I spit out/up almost immediately.

Again it all depends on food and volume size. I can get down a lot more food than I originally could. We're talking things like salad, which I eat every day. I put vinegar or lemon spritz or something like that on it. Same thing for lean Proteins that are not fried, etc. Basically sticking to lean proteins, veggies, fruit, which I tolerate really well. So I don't count calories that much, although I can't get enough in. As long as you are eating healthy stuff, and drinking Water or non calorie, non carbonated liquids, to me, it really isn't a problem. Its the old stuff not on that list that gets us in trouble. Or in my case the malnutrition but everyone has to have something. LOL.

Same here - I maybe eat 3/4 of a cup but we're talking healthier food. I've not had hamburgers, hotdogs, French fries, pizza or carbonation, anything like that. I eat better so I don't count calories unless the doc wants. I have GI problems any way but I still eat as good as I can. The issue really is if you eat good, salad or veggies, fruit, lean meats not fried, etc. then your body will get the right nutrition. Its adding in more than one small tablespoon cookie that is the problem. Lack of exercise the other. That's where there is a difference also.

What would be interesting is if they reported on all the issues from it. I mean more than anything that diabetes, after so many years, doesn't resolve like it did or the weight issues. The off complications, I can see them lightly addressing, but they still should be. While I would still have the surgery done again, I'd want to see that they do address things that my surgeon apparently didn't know about or was familiar with. That way people know to get other help involved.