Inner Surfer Girl

Thank you for sharing. I am not a physician but consider myself literate and pretty well educated, but I too had trouble following much of what he was trying to say (and I have read up on the study/studies? he seems to be relying on). For instance "gaining the weight". Does he mean gaining weight? Gaining some weight? Gaining more weight? I could go on... Another big piece that is missing is how the medical community in general treats obese patients. There is a recent thread on BariatricPal that has some real horror stories. Unfortunately, they seem to be more common than not. I agree that General Practitioners and other MDs need a great deal of education about obesity, weight loss surgery, and post-surgery care, however far after surgery. You are spot on when you note that too many post-op patients are thrown to the wolves post-op when it comes to mental health issues. I will definitely have to think about this to see what additional response I could provide.

Some of our drugstores and Walmarts have drop-in clinics. I know you can check your blood pressure. I never thought of it but they probably have a scale.

My bariatric program had a scale in an alcove for people to drop in and weigh. You might see if there is a Bariatric Center of Excellence near where you are staying that might let you drop in. Also, a lot of gyms and health centers have them. You could even check with your hotel. They may have one or know of one nearby.

Bumping!

Sounds like you are doing great. As other's have suggested, focus on getting in all of your Water and Protein. What is your protein target? Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process. None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. If you intend on losing a significant amount of weight you will stall periodically. That said, if you are concerned, talk with your NUT. You MAY actually need to eat more to support your increased exercise. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Congratulations! This is so awesome.

I haven't tried it but don't know why not. Give it a try. The Syntrax Nectars would probably make pretty good slushies.

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. None of us lose at a constant or steady rate. We all stall periodically and almost everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program. Focus on getting in all of your Protein and fluids. Avoid starches and added sugars. Take your Vitamins and supplements as directed. Exercise when cleared. Stay off the scale of you are going to let it drive you crazy. And, Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I didn't start eating nuts until I was closer to 6 months out (I think -- how quickly I forget!). Now, I eat pistachios, almonds, and peanuts fairly regularly. I have had cashews a couple of times. I just have to be careful with portion size by either buying individually portioned bags or carefully pre-portioning a larger container.

I don't lie (at least willingly or easily), so believe me when I tell you that things will start to get better tomorrow or even sooner! IMHO, there is always time for a good cry.

That was one thing I was thinking: cheap clip art and/or old materials.

I vote for calling your doctor anytime you don't understand what is happening, have sharp pain, have a fever and/or just have a question. There is a reason they give us a 24-hour phone number to call post-op. BariatricPal is great, but we cannot replace your medical team when it comes to your care.

Is this an interactive class? If so, why not ask these questions in the class? I would be curious to see how they answer.

Can I borrow him? I need a good mouser (live on a farm), but don't really have room for a full time cat.

Is it a general nutrition class or a bariatric nutrition class? The reason I ask is that a general nutrition class will include starches. I just took a nutrition class through our county extension office and they follow the usda guidelines which includes/carbs and starches. I don't know about the dumping since I had sleeve and not bypass.

Talk to your NUT. Talk to a therapist or counselor. Find a good bariatric support group and/or 12-step recovery group like OA (OA.org). Read books about eating disorders and compulsive eating. Track, weigh, and measure your food. Eat mindfully. Journal. The point is that there isn't one tip or trick that will help you to not compulsively eat. It is a complex issue that many of us have spent years addressing. The first step is admitting that you have a problem. Now, use every resource available to you. Definitely make an appointment with your NUT to talk about what is required by your insurance company. Best of luck.

You are helpful, if only for the simple fact that you offered understanding rather than suggestions that are not options. Thank you! I am trying to just go with the flow until I am able to move. The monotony is soooo hard, though. I'm terrified that I'll actually stop working out, due to boredom. I'm sure I won't, because I know where complacency will lead. I certainly NEVER want to give in to complacency in my exercise or diet. I just need more variety and ways to feel challenged. That is why I'm looking for mind games that people play to make a workout feel challenging. My motivation really needs an upgrade. Do you have a fitness tracker? I got one for Christmas because I swim, but it tracks all my activity. One game you can play is to punch in the air. I do sets of eight adding eight every repetition. So I punch in the air: 8 times, then 16 times, 24 times, 32 times, 40 times, etc. I do that periodically throughout the day and it really adds up on my activity tracker. You could find out how far someplace is away from you and track your walking or biking distances on a map until you reach the equivalent distance. You could listen to books on tape while you peddle. You could go on a photo safari and take pictures when you take your walks. Do you do anything creative? Like: draw, knit, write, etc. If you incorporate a creative activity or hobby into your day you may not get so bored and unmotivated. I realize that you are isolated, but do check out what may be available through your county: library, county extension, churches, etc. There has got to be something besides bars.

Get small utensils (I got some appetizer spoons), or only use the very tip of a teaspoon or fork. Take a small bite. Put your utensil down between bites. Don't pick it up again until you have completely swallowed that bite. Chew slowly, and aim for 20-30 times. The benefit is that you get to actually taste the food. Notice the aroma, texture, flavor, etc. It does take practice, but it is worth it.

Welcome and best of luck with your pre-op diet and your surgery. It is great that you are willing to share your story with us. Admitting that I couldn't do this on my own and practicing rigorous honesty with myself and my medical team have been critical. Another thing I found helped, because this was my first surgery ever, was to commit to doing everything I was asked to do my my medical team, even if I thought I couldn't do it. Keep us posted on how you are doing and best of luck with your surgery.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Congratulations! You look great!

What is your protein target? Are you getting in all of your fluids? Based on what you have posted I would agree that you need more protein and calories. Also make sure you are drinking at least 64 oz of water (and even more since you are exercising a lot).

What is your protein target? It looks to me that you aren't eating enough (protein or calories) to support your base needs let alone intense exercise.

Since you watch tv, can you try some streaming exercise videos or music videos? Pre-op, I got an exercise pediatric and peddled it with my hands while watching tv. Are you able to go out at all? Do you have access to a pool? I joined our local hospital's wellness center and swim and attend classes. There is something available for just about any physical challenge and it is a very social place. Just getting out of isolation can help. Maybe you could join a book club (try your local library) or online. If you are housebound can you see if you can have more people visit. Maybe you could host a book club or other interest group.