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bakawaka

Gastric Bypass Patients
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Everything posted by bakawaka

  1. What should be our maximum grams of sugar per day? The reason I am asking is that many foods, such as yoghurt and Protein bars, offer the "correct" number of caloris (300 or less) but 20g of sugar. The 20g seems awfully high. So how many grams of sugar should be the limit for a meal and for an entire day? Thanks in advance for any insights.
  2. Hello everyone: what I have learned from almost 10 years post surgery is that my body tells me when I have consumed too much sugar at one time and/or whether I have consumed too much sugar in one day. I still get the "dumping" syndrome if I have too much sugar. I am convinced, however, avoid added sugar as much as possible is a wise choice. Wishing success to everyone!
  3. i am not vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free but try to apply many of the techniques to achieve low-fat, low-carb, nutrition-dense, no-sugar/low-sugar, low-calorie, high-Protein food. Problem: i never learned how to cook. i bake something that to me tastes great but the texture is not right. i puree/mix sweet potato, tofu, egg whites, coconut flour, corn meal and artificial sweetener and then bake. it ends up looking like a cake. Tastes great to me and meets nutritional goals. The outer texture is great. the inner part remains too soft. How can I achieve a harder texture in the inside part? i know that this is an odd question but am hoping that someone who knows food chemistry can provide some advice. i would like to achieve a cake-like texture. At the moment, the inside texture is more like a very thick pudding. There is no white flour. And I don't want to use white flour because of the carbs. I have tried adding baking powder and/or guar gum and/or xantham gum. This technique did not make any difference. So could it be the case that I am not leaving the dish in the over long enough? Or is there some sort of magic ingredient to add? Or do I need to add, perhaps, one TBSP of white flour in order to get the benefits of gluten? i never cooked pre-surgery and thus ate out all the time, which is one of the reasons I gained weight. Now I am trying to learn how to cook in order to prepare my own food that provides the right amount of calories and nutrients. I experiment a lot and have improved my techniques over the past year - I even learned how to do make an omelette by watching YouTube videos. I want to learn how to bake vegan/vegetarian/low-fat, etc. I find a lot of helpful tips on YouTube - demonstrations by cooks. But I have not found a YouTube video or article via Google that addresses this baking issue. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for anyone who might be able to offer insight.
  4. i've read a few articles that state that the human digestive system over time creates new cells that are able to absorb calories and nutrients. In essence, the malabsorption benefit of gastric bypass decreases over time such that only the benefit of restriction is left. Does anyone have insights into this? For those who are veterans of gastric bypass, do you find that the benefit of malabsorption decreases over time? I am post-op one year and 2 months. I'm very pleased with the weight loss but definitely do not lose any more weight. I am maintaining and am happy with it. But I am able to eat more than in the past. I miss the "early" days after surgery.
  5. Does anyone have suggestions on recipes for celery root? I'd like to eat more of this vegetable because of its nutrition profile. How can it be turned into a high Protein dish?
  6. The pain of the drain post op was the worst part of my experience. As soon as the drain was out, the pain went away. I had that stupid drain for two weeks post op.
  7. bakawaka

    Baking Advice Needed

    just wanted to report back to those who responded. i've been practicing/learning how to cook low-carb. i found that a combination of soy flour, coconut flour and gluten free flour + some baking powder + a little bit of xanthan gum. it really works. i use egg whites plus some eggs (with yolks). one question: should any other liquids be added, such as almond milk?
  8. bakawaka

    Still on the Fence

    i debated between sleeve and bypass and chose bypass. i did have a bowel obstruction 1 year post op. but i am still glad i chose gastric bypass and would do it again. why? gastric bypass (according to research) does lead to faster weight loss and supposedly longer term success. i'm not a physician or surgeon and thus can only recommend talking to your surgeon. My surgeon (excellent surgeon, by the way) advised me that if i like baked goods gastric bypass would give me longer term success. i have no regrets and remain thankful for the surgery.
  9. My family was simply not available post surgery - and i was ok. it was challenging. the drain was painful. but i was ok taking care of myself. it would have been helpful to have someone around. but with the right attitude it is possible to get through post surgery alone (in my opinion). i'm not a doctor. so i recommend talking to your surgeon.
  10. At two years post op, health insurance no longer covers the sublingual version of omeprazole. The sublingual version of omeprazole successfully treated my GERD. I switched to the over the counter version because the health insurance has decided not to cover any form of omeprazole. After using the capsule for a few months, I find that the GERD is back with a vengeance. I had GERD pre-op and I have it post-op and expect to always have it. What are the experiences of others? Has anyone else experienced a difference in effectiveness between the sublingual version versus the capsule version of omeprazole? I did some research on the web and found an abstract of a study that seems to suggest that the sublingual form is more effective.
  11. bakawaka

    Anyone want to be fat again?

    I hope never to be fat again. No regrets about having gastric bypass, even after the complications of a bowel obstruction (surgically corrected) and constipation. Life is never perfect but I find being at a reasonable weight makes everything easier. I am grateful for my surgery and my surgeon and would do it all over again, complications, pain, and all. My main challenge is now to maintain healthful food choices. At two years post op, I do crave foods that I thought I would never again crave so I must focus more on the willpower part. Gastric bypass has made it easier to maintain, but I know that it is not "the" solution. Eating properly and getting the right amount of activity are the solution and gastric bypass has increased my chances of long term success. Wishing everyone success in the weightless journey!
  12. bakawaka

    Caffeine

    At two years post op I cannot drink coffee anymore. I have lost my taste for it. Now I like hot tea with milk and equal/Splenda. The coffee caused a problem with stomach acid for me. Also I found that the caffeine stimulated my appetite. This all might change and I will end up wanting coffee again. For months after surgery I drank decaf. Now I just don't crave it. My tastes have changed two years post op. Never expected that.
  13. Avocados are delicious. They seem to be nutritious. But they are high-fat and high-cal but supposedly a "good fat." Do you view avocados as a good food for WLS patients? Would one avocado per day be too much? I would appreciate your opinions and experiences.
  14. bakawaka

    coffee?

    I use alone milk in my coffee as a creamer and it works great, lower calories.
  15. bakawaka

    2 days away from Surgery

    How did your surgery go? I hope that all is well. I wish you success on your weight loss journey.
  16. bakawaka

    Anxiety....

    Anxiety is normal. I vomited all the way to the hospital on the day of surgery from fear. Two weeks ago I had a second surgery - no fear because I had experienced the prior surgery. It will go well. Have you ever had any kind of surgery before or even a patient in a hospital before? Try to meditate on happy thoughts. I expressed my fears to my surgeon and the surgical staff and nurses and they all reassured me that fear is normal. In any case, I wish you the greatest of success on your weight loss journey. 1 1/2 years ago I was in your situation. I have never regretted the decision. Of course, it is a long road to learn a new way of eating. It is work. But it is worth the effort.
  17. By the way, I still have no regrets about the surgery. Life is so much better post surgery. One of the best decisions I ever made. The complications I experience are so much less difficult than the pains of being obese.
  18. I had to get emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction. Cause: I ate too much Fiber too quickly. That cause the small bowel to kink. I did get a naso-gastric tube. It was truly not big deal. Just remain calm when it is going in and follow the instructions. Don't fear it. It made me feel so much better after one hour. I am sharing these experiences in hopes of helping others. Do go to the emergency room if you feel bad. Bowel obstructions, left untreated, can be particularly dangerous. Lesson to me: achieve more balance between high-fiber and lower-fiber foods.
  19. I was able to distinguish from constipation based on the fact that food and Water would come back up. I would belch and water or other stomach contents would come back up. Obviously this is not a pleasant topic but I share the information in hopes of helping others. It was vomiting but not high-pressure vomiting. Everything just slowly came back up. Another distinguishing factor was the pain - far beyond constipation pain. I experienced pain that Left me sweaty and clammy. I felt sick all over. It was the same intensity as a migraine.
  20. There are many dudes on this site. Congratulations on your decision to improve your health. I am 1 1/2 year post op and am very happy with the result, despite some complications. Getting surgery was one of the best decisions of my life. I wish you the greatest of success.
  21. bakawaka

    I Threw It Out!

    What an inspiring article. Am so glad I read it. I think about the ideas about throwing out/ignoring the unhealthful food. It helps to hear about others' experiences. Empowering.
  22. bakawaka

    Baking Advice Needed

    Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Will give all of it a try. At age 50 I am truly starting from basically a zero knowledge base in cooking. It helps immensely to get suggestions. I will keep trying to learn.
  23. I suggest moving on from this person. As someone who had weight loss surgery, I have no regrets. Relationships change. Self-empowerment always causes people to move away - but you will meet many new people. I wish you the greatest of success.
  24. bakawaka

    Im a little worried!

    I wish you the greatest of successes with your surgery. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. No regrets. My relationship matured via surgery. It can turn into something positive and meaningful. Improving your health ultimately improves relationships. This is my opinion and experience. Again, wishing you the very best of success.
  25. for a very brief time I missed gin & tonic (i stopped all alcohol after gastric bypass because I don't want the calories). now i don't miss it. in fact, i miss NOTHING pre-surgery. I am 1.6 months post-surgery. I very much enjoy the new way that i eat. I enjoy not drinking alcohol, eating bread, consuming white sugar, eating white rice. i find that i enjoy my food more than in the past. my eating is more mindful. i am learning new tastes and new foods. it's fun.

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