Djmohr

I am with @@gowalking on this. It is a constant battle with your brain. I lost 152lbs reaching my goal in March. I have been fighting every single day since with my brain.

As my hunger came back, and my body allows me to eat more I am constantly fighting to keep my weight off. I gain 2 or 3lbs freak out and then reset.

The good news is, my tool is there to help me reset and I must never forget that.

Maintenance is definately the hardest part of this journey and the best thing you can do is learn excellent behaviors now and take full advantage of your honeymoon period because you only get one.

If you are not drinking fluids it can make you feel very very crappy and run down. Are you at least getting 64oz of Water?

If not, as bad as you feel it will not get better until you do.

Also, if you have pain coming back I would request to see the doctor.

@@jennk1975

YAY! Your new life is right around the corner!

@@Daniel2015

I am so happy for you!!!! You look absolutely fantastic. Congratulations.

I hope you are healing well.

I literally followed my Surgeons and Nutritionist plan to the letter. I lost 100lbs in 9 months and then it took another 9 months to lose the last 52.

That last 9 months things slowed down but I took total advantage of the honeymoon period. Once you lose all your weight it gets much much harder.

I went from a size 26 to a size 14 in the first 6 months, then I dropped to a 12 and then suddenly I dropped to an 8. I have been trying like hell to stay there all this time.

I would ALWAYS follow your doctors orders at this stage. The reality is they are all different and you do not want to rush things.

P.S. Raw veggies can be pretty rough this soon post op.

I waited to drink alcohol until i was almost 2 years post op.

Since that time, I indulge about once a week in a glass or two of wine.

Holy crow, i can take just a couple of sips and feel it. Also, there is NO possible way i could drive a car after one glass of wine.

It is easy to take it too far because you get to the feeling no pain state mighty quick and can maintain it for a while.

I dont think i could ever become an alcoholic, i just dont have a need to drink regularly. Just when we go out.

Honestly those first few weeks are the hardest but you have to do the best you can.

I literally sat with a cup in my hand every hour I was awake and would take sips every few seconds until i finally reached my goal.

It is harder than people thing and not doing it can leave you feeling crappy and it can imitate hunger which is not possible in the first few months.

It could be your potassium levels. You need to get checked. I would call the doctor.

@@anywon

Just click on my photo and it will take you to my profile. I have had some plastics since the after pic was taken but have more coming so i have not updated and wont until sometime after my Tummy Tuck and breast lift with augmentation.

It has been alot of fun to get to goal. Now i just need to stay there which is much harder than i thought. I swear i keep gaining and losing the same 5 or 6 pounds for 6 months now.

In the beginning I told my family and a few close friends. After surgery I would share with anyone who asked.

Honestly there are times when I regretted telling anyone outside of my family but once the toothpaste is out of the tube it is impossible to get it back in. LOL.

It really is none of anyone's business. There have been a couple of times when asked and shared that I get a crappy response and so i am a bit more choosy about who i tell.

Believe it or not, there is a nurse in my doctors office who is morbidly obese right now. She asked me how I lost my weight and so I told her that i had RNY and have controlled my weight with a higher Protein, lower carb plan.

She actually gave me a ridiculously bitchy look and then said she had RNY as well but it didn't work for her. She had her surgery before I had mine 2 years ago. You don't know how bad I wanted to ask why it didn't work for her but she was kind of bitchy about it, almost like she was mad that I lost all of my excess weight and it didn't work for her.

So, I didn't ask. I assume deep down that she knows she probably did not follow the diet and exercise plan and was feeling crappy about it.

It sounds like for the most part you are meeting your goal of replacing one meal a day with a Protein shake. Even better when you replace two.

Most of us have gone through the supervised diet portion, mine was supposed to be 6 months but turned out to go 9 before I was approved and surgery was scheduled.

The goal is to work towards changing behaviors long term because that is what will be required to actually lose the weight even with the surgery. Many folks believe that the surgery will solve everything. For a very short time, you can pretty much do anything after surgery and lose weight.

The issue of course is that the "honeymoon" period is literally only a few months long so if you don't change behaviors, down the road the surgery won't matter and you will likely gain weight.

I am 2 years post op and I honestly thought the weight loss part of my journey would be the hardest. Well, I was completely WRONG! Maintenance for me is the most difficult because you are at goal and in order to stop losing need to increase your intake slightly. Well, you go back and forth constantly. I got down to 158 from 310, then gained back 5lbs, then lost 3, then gained 5......Maintaining your weight is a constant battle with your brain. I am now trying to lose that 5lbs again. LOL....which when you are at or near goal is not so easy, at least for me.

The surgery is your tool but your brain is what is really in control so it is important to take the time early to truly learn new behaviors and make better choices.

You are taking the right steps and especially when you fall off.f Just dust yourself off and keep on going.

Best of luck to you!

Are you getting sick on those days or do you just not feel like eating? The reason I ask is, early on there are some days that food works just great and others where it simply doesn't.

When that happened to me, it usually has to do with the food i was eating but I never got sick unless I ate eggs.

What types of food are you eating? I am glad to hear you are at least drinking milk, hopefully you have chosen fair life milk which increases the Protein. Especially if you are not drinking Protein shakes.

Lastly are you getting all of your fluids? That can really make you feel like crap if not. Honestly you can deal without food for a long time but you cannot go without Water.

Have you contacted your surgeons office? They may have suggestions as well.

I also know for me, my pouch prefers room temperature Water. Any time i drink anything ice cold I swear my tummy simply hurts for a while, especially in the am.

If I am sipping cold is no problem.

In the beginning until you get the hang of it straws can cause you to gulp or put air in your belly. It wont hurt your pouch but gulping air is painful.

Even now after 2 years every once in a while I gulp some air and it sucks.....

I drink using a straw every day though.....I started using a straw around 9 months post op after having cervical fusion surgery. It was just easier and have been ever since.

Many people on this site use a straw.

@@sandyoutrage

At 4 weeks i was getting about 60 grams of Protein and less than 500 calories. In fact, most of the time i could only eat a few forkfuls of food, about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup at that stage.

My nut did not allow me to count calories, i only know it because i was tracking it in myfitnesspal.

Also, my nut requires 1 gram of Protein for every inch you are tall. So for me, my max goal is 70 and she likes me to be between 60 and 70 but that is because I have stage 3 kidney disease and too much protein makes your kidneys work harder. that being said, I have asked if this is a special goal for me because of my disease and she said no....1 gram of protein for every 1 inch you are tall is the goal for everyone on their program.

@@wantenergy83

Definately not.....if you are doing any heavy lifting it will need to be a while. So sorry that this puts the added stress on you but it will be worth it in the end.

I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming surgery!

Originally I was going to get the sleeve and after meeting the surgeon learned that Gerd can sometimes become very severe after sleeve surgery. In fact, some end up with GERD after never having it before surgery and ultimately end up with a revision to RNY.

After doing some research on RNY and understanding all of the elements I went for it and have not regretted my decision to do so. It is still the gold standard in weight loss surgery. I lost all of my excess weight - 152Lbs.

I had severe gerd and was on max dosages for PPIs everyday. Since the day of my surgery i have not even had a slight case of heartburn. RNY literally cured my gerd, put my diabetes and stage 3 kidney disease into remission. Cleared up my high blood pressure and high cholesterol and cured my sleep apnea. NO MORE BIPAP for me.....

My goal was to get healthy.......I did not have any idea that I would actually get to a normal healthy weight. That was a plus!

Every day will get a little better. If you are struggling with a stricture, take the time to get it cleared up and things will get better for you.

I have never for even 1 second regretted my decision to have bypass surgery. it was the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Recovery is a process that requires patients. There are going to be good days and bad days....but the bad days will go away after some time.

The lifestyle takes some getting used to.

liquid is not going to stretch your pouch.

Yes, you will be able to drink normal again. The biggest issue is gulping can be very painful. I know even now after two years, I will drink a whole bottle of Water very quickly but if i accidentally gulp it causes a nasty pain in your chest.

For now....sip every few seconds and that thirst will go away.

This can sometimes be uncomfortable so i totally get it. The good news is, it won't always be like this, you will learn tips and tricks to help deal with it.

The worst for me was I went on a VIP cruise that was all expenses paid. With it came huge cocktail parties and team dinners. At the time i was only 6 months post op and maybe ate 1/2 cup of food at a time.

I would only order something small and usually could only eat a bit or two and I would be full. When you are on a cruise they really worry about whether or not you liked something. Whats worse is my hubby was always taught to eat everything on his plate. That is a problem for me even now because he will eat, what i don't and he is gaining weight with that approach.

Do i have learned to be up front and let them know I am a very small eater and will likely need a to go container. Then i find myself actually packing up most of my food before i even eat it.

Also, I order off the appetizer menu or split food with hubby just to avoid him eating my food and his.

You will get the hang of it and over time you will be able to eat a little more.

@@wantenergy83

I would just call out that you should not be out long with this surgery either. I could have returned to work within a week.

How much time are you taking off?

@@heyyall

Yes, mine grew back and then some. It also became very very very curly. I had body before, now i have thick curls and I am learning to tame them.

Even my hair stylist said she never saw this happen so fast and to the degree mine has. I can straighten it but it takes way too long so i am learning to wear my hair very curly. LOL

I was allowed raw veggies such as salad at 6 weeks post op but I will tell you, my tummy did NOT like it one little bit. It was nearly 12 months before salads became a part of my life every day.

And, it is very important that you ensure that you add and eat good Protein to your salads so you have balance.

I love salads now but have noticed that if i am not very careful i tend to eat more of the veggies and push away some of the Protein. In that instance it is not the best meal because when i don't eat the protein, i am hungry again fairly quickly.

Yes yes yes......And you end up with a bit of residual fat and lots of extra skin. then you go to the plastic surgeon and during your Tummy Tuck they will fix it.

I have my surgery in January and cannot wait to get rid of all this loose skins.