Kindle

You can always get a separate iron supplement. It may be best to do that anyways, cause you want to take iron separate from any calcium because they interfere with absorption.

Yes it does to some extent. We can no longer absorb oral B12 because the portion of the stomach that produces the intrinsic factor required for absorption is removed. We have to take sublingual or injectable B12. And studies on gastrectomy patients show that up to 90% will develop deficiencies within 5-10 years without appropriate supplementation.. The most common deficiencies seen are Iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Calcium, folate and zinc. But it is not a one size fits all. Our individual metabolisms, activity types, and diets are all different so bloodwork every 6-12 months to monitor levels is recommended. For example, my ferritin always comes back high so I haven't taken iron supplements for 2 years. As for vitamins, I don't take any special bariatric brand.... Vitamin code for women 50+ (because it does not contain iron) multivitamin daily Vitamin Code Raw D3 5,000IU 4x week My Kind Organic Plant Calcium 3x day (we can only absorb just so much calcium at a time so taking the full daily dose all at once would be a waste) Source Naturals Methylcobalamin B12 1mg 3x week. But again, vitamin regimens are very individual and should be adjusted based on your bloodwork.

Depends on your definition of honeymoon phase.... If you mean the period during which I lost all my weight then it was about 9-10 months. If you mean the period that was really easy, had super tight restriction, had no cravings or head hunger and I didn't really need to mentally work at maintaining my loss and could have easily lost more (but didn't because I would have been too thin for my liking) then I'd say about 14 months. After that is when the real work began.....

Like @@Bufflehead said, eating until "full" is not something you should strive for. In fact, it's probably one of the worst eating habits we, as fat people, learned. And it's probably one of the most important habits we need to break. We need to learn to eat just as much as we need for healthy body function, not as much as we need to feel full. Yes, once you start real solids, your restriction will be obvious, but long term you will be able to eat more. At just 2 1/2 years out, if I ate until I was full I would regain all my weight. Luckily I learned to eat just X amount of food and that's it. With very few exceptions of overindulgence on something particularly yummy, I almost never feel full. For me, feeling full means I've definitely over eaten.

Your sleeve was initially very swollen from surgery. Takes at least 8 weeks for the incision to fully heal and your restriction will continue to get less and less as that happens. And then there will be a bit of natural relaxation as you start to eat more normal foods. What you could consume initially is a fraction of what you will be able to consume at 3 months and then 6 months and then years out. I'm almost 2 1/2 years out and I think I reached my max capacity around 14 months. but I've read from veterans that they could eat more at 4-6 years out than they used to. You will find that eventually it is your head that has to control what and how much you eat, not your sleeve. That is why it is so important to banish old habits forever and learn new eating habits and coping behaviors during these first few months while your sleeve is doing most of the work for you. Eventually you will be back in charge and you need to know how to make the right choices.

My gallbladder surgery was a piece of cake, too. Surgery at 8am, discharged at 1pm, went grocery shopping and cleaned the house that afternoon. Never took any of the pain meds they prescribed. VSG was almost as easy. Surgery at 3pm. Discharged at 9am, walked 2 miles and went shopping. More shopping the next day. Never had a pain pump in the hospital and never took a single pain med after leaving. The most discomfort I felt was some abdominal fatigue, like I'd done a hundred sit-ups and a little cramping from the drain. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say gallbladder was a 2, VSG a 3, cervical neck fusion a 9 and gallbladder attacks prior to having it removed a 12.

If you're looking to up your Fiber because of constipation, consider increasing your insoluble fiber. The fiber in the Protein bars and gummies and Benefiber, etc is soluble fiber. And while soluble fiber will bulk up your stool, it can also slow down your GI track and make constipation worse. Wheat bran, linseed, cocoa powder, flax seed, Apple pectin fiber, and certain cereals (All Bran, Kashi Go Lean) are just some things that contain good amounts of insoluble fiber. Other things you can try are miralax, smooth move tea, colace, and what always worked for me ....milk of magnesia. But once I increased my insoluble fiber I haven't had to take any.

Obesity Control Center in Tijuana

Cmon people, this is a waste of time. We're arguing with someone that believes something is a fact if they read it on the Internet. They are basing their entire belief system on one doctor's advice and a couple relative's experiences. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support her statements, multiple examples disproving her claims have been provided, and yet that doesn't deter her. She's 4 weeks out of bypass and truly believes she's an expert on WLS. Imagine someone who read all kinds of stories about flying airplanes. Maybe even studied a flying lesson manual. They've been a passenger on several planes and hell, even got to sit in the cockpit when they were 8 years old. Would you be arguing over whether or not this person was qualified to pilot the 747 you are about to board? No you'd proclaim that was crazy and head back to the terminal.

Sorry to tell you this, but you are the one poorly uninformed. I personally know 3 people that have had bypass and they ALL eat sugar and they ALL drink soda, and they ALL use straws. In fact, one of them is my best friend and I've seen her eat donuts and chocolate cake and cheesecake and LOTS of Cookies while I snack on Protein bars. She eats apple turnovers for Breakfast while I eat crustless bacon and spinach quiche. She drinks sweetened iced tea and regular Coke (every single day) THROUGH A STRAW while I sip my Protein shakes and Water. Her husband drinks beer regularly and eats all the same sugary Desserts that she does. If they were sleeved instead of having bypass, they would have regained all their weight by now, It's their malabsorption that keeps them where they are, certainly not their healthy eating habits. In that sense a sleever has to be way more disciplined in order to be successful. THATS why so many convert to bypass.

Unflavored protein added to Soups without noodles or rice. Hummus Egg salad Imitation crab salad Guacamole Refried beans with cheese and green chili sauce Unflavored protein powder added to cheesy mashed potatoes Greek yogurt Ricotta bake Salmon/cream cheese balls Mashed cauliflower with butter and cheese String cheese

Good idea. @@dannilynn1 if you aren't quite ready to jump full bore into therapy, maybe attending the support group meetings and sitting down with some good self help books would be a good start. besides this one, I found Cynthia Alexander's 'The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery" helpful. As well as "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life" by Steven Hayes and the handbook offered through www.smartrecovery.org

We can often develop food intolerances immediately postop with lactose being one of the most common. That could be the cause of the pain and diarrhea. For me, lactose, artificial sweeteners and plain Water caused severe pain, but fortunately the intolerances went away after about 4 months. Maybe try not drinking the Protein shakes or yogurt for a few days and see if it gets better. You can use almond or coconut milk or even Lactaid milk and an egg, soy or hemp Protein powder to get in your protein during that time. Even an ultra filtered 100% whey powder might work since it is much lower in lactose than the premier Protein drinks. And I definitely second the Probiotics suggestion. Look for a product with 20-30 different strains and at least 50 billion CFU found in the refrigerated section of most whole/health food stores.

I had surgery in Mexico almost 2 1/2 years ago. My surgeon and his staff have always has been readily available to answer questions and offer nutritional support via phone calls and emails. I had an easy, pain free recover with no complications so I never need any medical aftercare. My surgeon does recommend followup bloodwork be performed at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and annually thereafter and my PCP takes care of that.

You absolutely positively need to get counseling. The farther out I get (2 1/2 years) the more convinced I am that long term success can only come with professional mental help. After all, surgery did not address WHY any of us became obese. The physical restriction and initial enthusiasm that first year or so is simply a bandaid for much deeper psychological issues. Without addressing the "whys" and learning how to change our behaviors, most people will go right back to doing all the same things they did to become fat in the first place. If you don't make some changes pretty quick, those 16 pounds will soon become 40 and then 60 and then 100, because the more you regain the less motivated you will become. Your insurance should pay for psych visits. And it doesn't even have to be with a bariatric specialist. I started seeing a therapist for my grief and depression almost two years after my VSG. But the things I am learning are helping me in ALL aspects of my life, including how to feel and live with my emotions, rather than feeding them.

I lost 100 pounds in 10 months and kept it off for over 1 1/2 years. And this is without implementing ANY sort of excercise program whatsoever. I do have a physical job and an active lifestyle, but it the exact same job and lifestyle as I had for the 10 years prior to surgery. I gained 50 pounds at that activity level prior to surgery and lost 100 pounds after surgery. Weight loss is mostly about what you put in your mouth, not how much you excercise. Good for you for having an excercise plan, but tell your surgeon to go pound sand because although your increased activity level will benefit you in other ways (cardio, strength, stamina, metabolism), it will do almost nothing for your actual weight loss.

IKR?! Not a real popular concept these days.

Depends on where you carry your weight and how much excess weight you lose. I was pear shaped with the bulk of my weight in my butt and thighs. So when I lost I didn't have a lot of excess abdominal or upper arm skin. In fact, I nearly have six pack abs, my hip bones protrude more than anything else and I can definitely see more "parts" just by looking down. My butt and thighs, however have wrinkly, droopy skin covering them and I'll never look good in a pair of shorts. But if you are apple shaped, or a higher starting BMI, you may end up with a large flap of skin hanging down past your waistline. My friend who had bypass and lost roughly the same as me has skinny, smooth legs but a lot of loose belly and back skin.

There's also "kids creations" versions in bacon ranch and honey BBQ

I really don't recall being mentally off. I was doing paperwork from home at 6 days post and physically back to work at 7. Besides the physical aspect of my job I do a lot of mental multitasking...client communication, scheduling, medication calculations and dosing, accounts receivable, writing in medical records, ordering supplies, etc. I was consuming more carbs than most people do immediately postop (adding pureed fruit to my protein drinks, using drinkable yogurt, a lot of dairy milk, 100% juice and regular sports drinks rather than low cal drinks with artificial sweeteners) so maybe that helped.

@@Anna Nim I've got no good reason why WLS allows some people to keep the weight off. It's obvious why it doesn't work for a lot of people.....they don't follow the rules, they go back to old eating habits, they basically don't make the necessary lifestyle changes. But why can some people do these things? How are previously fat folks who were never successful losing (and keeping off) weight through traditional diets "magically" able to succeed with WLS? Why couldn't they log their food and eat more Protein and make better choices and not use food as an emotional crutch before surgery? I seriously don't know. For me, I think it was because surgery allowed me a second chance at finally doing things right. The strict diet and sleeve restriction in the beginning allowed me to lose more weight than any diet ever has. I became a thin person for the first time in my life. I was given a "get out of jail free" card and it was up to me whether I wanted to put in the work to stay out of jail or did I want to make the same mistakes that landed me there in the first place. I chose the former. And let me tell you, the psychological aspect far outweighs the physical aspect of surgery when it comes to long term success. But I knew that going into this so I was prepared. When life started slamming me with stress, I sought the help of a therapist rather than turning back to my old comfort buddies, food and alcohol. The statistics of how many people lost how much weight or regained X number of pounds has absolutely nothing to do with me.....or you. You can do whatever you want with your sleeve. The choices that determine success or failure are yours. But you have to commit to serious change....including giving up the carbs..... and if you aren't ready or mentally prepared to do that then no, surgery is not the answer for your weight problems.

Personally, I will be in my winter clothes until June (springtime in the mountains = winter most everywhere else). But as I was losing I got rid of everything as I shrunk out of it because I knew I'd never need my fat clothes ever again. And if you follow the plan, by next winter you will not fit into a single thing you own now (except maybe your socks)

Testing your sleeve with worthless carbs so soon is probably not the best idea. Everything you listed were things I Would not consider touching until I was below goal. Looks like you found out first hand the difference between dense Protein and slider foods. As well as the limitations of what surgery actually does and how vital the mental part if the process is. You are also experiencing what happens when most people eat carbs....their hunger increases and they just want more. It's a vicious cycle and probably the number 1 cause of WLS failure. With WLS, it's not a matter of cheating, it's a matter of choices. You need to take advantage of these first few months to learn how to eat healthy and retrain the way you approach food. The struggle with food choices only gets harder the farther out you get, but chocolate covered raisins, nachos and rice are always poor choices, especially in the losing phase. So chalk the day up to lesson learned and Good luck moving forward from here.

As @@con con referenced, this topic has been covered many times over (not as much as stalls, though!). All sides have been debated at length. Do a search on here for "alcohol" and you will discover dozens of opinions, experiences, and words of advice about postop alcohol consumption.