SugarFreeMe

I've not told many, just the people I'm closest too. I've started the conversations like this: "I've been doing a lot of research, talked with my PCP and put a lot of thought into something and I've come to a decision about my health." I then tell them about the procedure, what my hoped for outcome is (no meds) and tell them that their support is what I'm looking for because it would make it so much easier. So far everyone I've told has been great. There have been some who have hesitated with their response and those are the ones I assume aren't comfortable with my decision, but with my preamble I think I was able to stop any negative replies. Best of luck and know that this is about you, not anyone else. If your good with it that's ultimately all that matters.

Here's my biased opinion for what it's worth.
I was referred to the Kane Center by my PCP, she and the practice she works at only recommend this center because they are a Center of Excellence in Bariatrics. My first experience with them was the seminar that like you I found extremely informative. When I went to my first appt with the surgeon (Dr Paul Guske) I was met by a nurse who treated me with the utmost respect and explained everything she was doing. Upon meeting Dr Guske and talking with him honestly, I was hooked. He is very compassionate and I never felt like I was the "fat" person in the room. He was/is very respectful and so encouraging. We talked for a bit about the different procedures, my health issues and then he asked me which procedure I thought was best for me. He was glad I had already chosen RNY, but he said if I had picked another he would have respected my decision. Thru the whole pre-op process I never felt like I was on my own. Every and any question I had was answered quickly and kindly, no matter how small or large, real or imagined in my head. During my final pre-op appt with Dr. Guske, he was very reassuring and I felt completely comfortable with what was about to take place. And then there's Alexian in Hoffman Estates. I've been in many and actually worked at a hospital but I have NEVER seen so many caring people who know what their doing. The nursing staff on 2 South that takes care of bariatric surgical patients are the BEST. They know what you need, how you feel and how to help you more often then not without you even having to ask. There wasn't a single disrespectful person there. I never felt like I was being judged or condemned because of my weight or situation. So if I ever had to refer someone, it would be to the Kane Center, Dr. Paul Guske and Alexian in Hoffman Estates. They are all top notch in patient care, compassion and understanding. Again, it's my unbiased opinion, but I feel quite confident in referring them to anyone. Best of luck with your journey

I've not heard that age is a factor in how fast or slow you lose weight. I was 52 when I had my surgery (4 days before you it looks like), I've gone thru menapouse (3 years ago) and I have also have hypothyroidism (taking levothyroxine). I'm down a total of 85 pounds and have leveled off now which I'm okay with. I've slowly reintroduced carbs back into my diet so the lack of loss is something I'm controlling, it's not because of age. My surgeon has said I could easily drop another 10 to 15 if I keep the calories lower and don't do carbs but we're both okay with me where I'm at now.

I was always told that drinking while eating is a big no-no. Water tends to flush food down and you don't feel full. Try the bar without liquids. If that doesn't work, I'd suggest fighting thru it. You're at a point when "head" hunger will start to hit hard, the beginning euphoric phase is ending and it's going to get tougher and tougher.

I agree with all of the suggestions about getting away and forcing him to be self sufficient. If he's ever going to get with the program he needs to work it. You doing all his work isn't doing him any good. When I came home from my surgery I WANTED to do everything for myself. I knew that I couldn't count on anyone to do this for me. If he refuses to go to his psych for help, call his surgeons office, explain the situation and ask if you can go so you can find ways to get him thru this. I wish you luck with this, take care of yourself first and always.

9 months post-op, my appt with the surgeon yesterday went great. He used the word "normal" when talking about my current weight. I'd like to drop a few more for some wiggle room, but if that doesn't happen, I'm so happy now it doesn't matter

Here's my biased opinion for what it's worth.
I was referred to the Kane Center by my PCP, she and the practice she works at only recommend this center because they are a Center of Excellence in Bariatrics. My first experience with them was the seminar that like you I found extremely informative. When I went to my first appt with the surgeon (Dr Paul Guske) I was met by a nurse who treated me with the utmost respect and explained everything she was doing. Upon meeting Dr Guske and talking with him honestly, I was hooked. He is very compassionate and I never felt like I was the "fat" person in the room. He was/is very respectful and so encouraging. We talked for a bit about the different procedures, my health issues and then he asked me which procedure I thought was best for me. He was glad I had already chosen RNY, but he said if I had picked another he would have respected my decision. Thru the whole pre-op process I never felt like I was on my own. Every and any question I had was answered quickly and kindly, no matter how small or large, real or imagined in my head. During my final pre-op appt with Dr. Guske, he was very reassuring and I felt completely comfortable with what was about to take place. And then there's Alexian in Hoffman Estates. I've been in many and actually worked at a hospital but I have NEVER seen so many caring people who know what their doing. The nursing staff on 2 South that takes care of bariatric surgical patients are the BEST. They know what you need, how you feel and how to help you more often then not without you even having to ask. There wasn't a single disrespectful person there. I never felt like I was being judged or condemned because of my weight or situation. So if I ever had to refer someone, it would be to the Kane Center, Dr. Paul Guske and Alexian in Hoffman Estates. They are all top notch in patient care, compassion and understanding. Again, it's my unbiased opinion, but I feel quite confident in referring them to anyone. Best of luck with your journey

You could tell whomever to shut the hell up or better yet, challenge them. Write out what you eat in a day, give them a list of your Vitamins and your exerciser schedule. Have them completely emulate your life for one week and report back to you how "easy" it is. Even a healthy person would be challenged by how exhausting it is to have to watch everything, count everything, manage everything we need to be mindful of every day. They will soon learn that none of this is easy. If they don't get it after that my best guess would be that they didn't fully commit and that's not something you can help them with.
Regardless of the outcome, don't let them sidetrack you and your progress with their short shortsightedness.

You have an amazing attitude after all you've been thru which I applaud. I'm one year out on the 18th and have done great however there is one person who had surgery the same day as me who had several complications like yourself and I can tell you that as of today she's down to a beautiful 160 and looks absolutely beautiful, so always look forward and whatever comes your way, be positive. I know in my heart that without a positive attitude there have been days this last year that I might have given up, but I wouldn't let myself. If you ever need a good "talking too", let me know. Good luck to you.

It really is all head hunger. The Popsicles or broth are good choices. You'll find that once you start to "eat" you'll be full with very little food. You need to listen to your body and not your head. I found that most of my hunger was actually be getting dehydrated, especially in the beginning. This is where the work starts, you need to learn what hungry is and in all likelihood you'll end up like the rest of us. We eat according to a clock now, I'm never really hungry any more which is amazing. It's a learning process and class is officially started.

You could tell whomever to shut the hell up or better yet, challenge them. Write out what you eat in a day, give them a list of your Vitamins and your exerciser schedule. Have them completely emulate your life for one week and report back to you how "easy" it is. Even a healthy person would be challenged by how exhausting it is to have to watch everything, count everything, manage everything we need to be mindful of every day. They will soon learn that none of this is easy. If they don't get it after that my best guess would be that they didn't fully commit and that's not something you can help them with.
Regardless of the outcome, don't let them sidetrack you and your progress with their short shortsightedness.

My diet a year out is very well rounded. I eat most everything except for fried foods, greasy foods and sugary foods. I can tolerate dairy,carbs (I concentrate on good carbs) and most meats. I still have a problem with beef and pork, it's a texture thing, the tougher the meat the harder it is to break it down enough for my tummy. My husband was afraid that we wouldn't be able to eat out anymore and that's not the case. I can ALWAYS find something to eat. It's all about making the healthy food choices and finding what works for you. If you have a habit of eating sugary, fatty and greasy foods the bypass will help you to stay away from these things. If you think you can do that on your own, go with the sleeve. Remember though that eating these things is most likely why you are where you are. For me that's why I picked RNY, I was honest enough with myself to know I needed the strongest tool in the shed.

Hormones are stored in fat so it's logical for your emotions to be all over the place. The more fat your body releases, the more hormonal/emotional you're going to be. It's an unfortunate result of weight loss. It does get better as you progress. Pretty soon your joy of weight loss will far outweigh your emotional roller coaster ride. Hang tight and know that these spikes in your moods means you're doing the right things.

What you're feeling isn't hunger. At just over a year out I still don't ever really feel hungry. More then likely your body is signalling you to hydrate. Your brain on the other hand is telling you to eat out of habit. What you should do is drink your fluids and distract yourself. Go for a walk, call a friend or family member, anything to stop concentrating on food. I found that if I stepped away from the TV it helped. Every other commercial is about food of some sort. So, get moving and drinking your fluids. You need to work on the head game and the sooner the better. It's going to be your hardest struggle to overcome. Best wishes

Hormones are stored in fat so it's logical for your emotions to be all over the place. The more fat your body releases, the more hormonal/emotional you're going to be. It's an unfortunate result of weight loss. It does get better as you progress. Pretty soon your joy of weight loss will far outweigh your emotional roller coaster ride. Hang tight and know that these spikes in your moods means you're doing the right things.

My diet a year out is very well rounded. I eat most everything except for fried foods, greasy foods and sugary foods. I can tolerate dairy,carbs (I concentrate on good carbs) and most meats. I still have a problem with beef and pork, it's a texture thing, the tougher the meat the harder it is to break it down enough for my tummy. My husband was afraid that we wouldn't be able to eat out anymore and that's not the case. I can ALWAYS find something to eat. It's all about making the healthy food choices and finding what works for you. If you have a habit of eating sugary, fatty and greasy foods the bypass will help you to stay away from these things. If you think you can do that on your own, go with the sleeve. Remember though that eating these things is most likely why you are where you are. For me that's why I picked RNY, I was honest enough with myself to know I needed the strongest tool in the shed.

Yes, it is easier to read a post with good grammar. However some people have not had the opportunity to learn good grammar. They should feel comfortable here anyway. This isn't Harvard Law Review.
Perhaps you could consider blocking posts from members whose grammar continually offends you.
I think most folks here have already experienced enough criticism and are here looking for a safe place to become more informed.

If you're working out that much, I can see where you'd need the calories. If you don't get enough of them your body will go into starvation mode and quit burning anything. I'd suggest things like swimbikerun suggested. Good fats that have calories to burn. Stay away from saturated fats and carbs, they burn slower, also you should probably add a couple of extra Protein shakes in to keep your energy levels up. Good luck - Once the steroid treatment is completed you should be back on track.

I see this totally opposite of others. If someone asks me questions I think of it as :
1.) They're interested in the procedure and my health.
2.) They're being supportive.
If they know about my procedure, it's because I told them about it so they were important enough in my life as I didn't tell anyone I didn't think should know. If they bring it up I valued their opinion in the first place to have include them in that part of my life, I opened myself up to talk with them about it, good, bad or indifferent opinions and all.
Could be my positive outlook on life??? I figure that if they took the initiative to ask, they care.

I'm 1 year out as of yesterday and I'm never hungry. I eat according to the clock now and often add a snack at night to make sure I get enough calories and Protein in. My surgeon has often told me that if I'm not hungry, don't eat but I find that if I don't eat I'll start feeling weak and lethargic. It's all a learning curve. As you go along you'll notice that you'll plateau and at that point you may need to add calories so you don't go into starvation mode and your body quits burning calories. Hang in there, you'll get it. I know that everyone's body is different.

At first I thought my husband was being un-supportive, then I figured out he was scared for me. I found that by talking about it and educating him it got easier for him. I'm now 10 months out and he's amazed. Keep sharing information, but don't stop - this is for you, your heath, your life, your kids.

@@SugarFreeMe - brings up a good point. Some people like gummies, but not every doctor likes them. Check with your to see if they are allowed.

I had a stall at around 3 months, the answer for me was to slightly increase my calories. As I lost weight I was able to increase my activity and I found that my body needed an uptake in calories. I increased from 1200 to about 1500 and that did the trick.

Thanks everyone. After reviewing all of my intake for yesterday I realized that I was about 20oz less on Water yesterday than any other day so I am thinking it may be dehydration starting. I am already drinking more today because I don't want that to happen.
Started my Vitamins today and I do have a little nauseous ness going on but not too bad-even more reason for keeping the sips of Water coming.
Today is my first day to drive so I am going to take a short spin to the grocery store to get some Tomato Soup and cream of broccoli Soup to spice up the menu.
Here's to wishing you all the luck of the Irish today ????

My complication wasn't because of the actual procedure, it was caused by anesthesia which was expected. I knew going in that my body doesn't like it so it was no surprise that it caused me to have 2 extra days in the hospital because my "gut" didn't wake up like everyone else's did Aside from that I have NO COMPLAINTS and I've had NO COMPLICATIONS. No regrets, no dumping if I follow the program and nothing bad to say at all about the whole process. If someone told me tomorrow that I needed to do it again, I would in a heartbeat.