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Djmohr

Gastric Bypass Patients
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Everything posted by Djmohr

  1. I am guessing we all do it once in a while. For me, we are moving states on wednesday. One of the things my husband and I love to do about every 2 or 3 months is go to our favorite movie theater which is a high end movie theater where they have a restaurant and restaurant quality Snacks that you can take into the theater with you. I was excellent all day long knowing I would indulge in their homemade onion dip and homemade chips. I never eat this kind of junk food and have not had that treat since prior to surgery last September. I made sure I had a good Protein rich dinner before hand so that I would not be able to eat much. Given we will never go to a movie in theater and have this naughty snack again (it is outstanding), I decided I could indulge a little. It was so delicious but I am proud of myself, I only had a very small portion of chips but of course with lots of this homemade dip on it. I was not disappointed. This morning I got up and walked 3.5 miles with one of my fitbit tracker buddies and I feel much better about indulging for this time.
  2. @@turndown4what91, You are so brave for taking this step to get healthy! Now it is time to focus on building good habits as you get ready for surgery. This will help keep your mind off of all this other stuff. The few days leading up to surgery always seem to be the hardest for most people. I know having surgery like this is scary and not knowing the future can be just if not more scary. For me, it was very important to remain focused on the end result. Why I was having this surgery in the first place. I was able to visualize what life would be like without all of the health issues I had. I was able to think about life without as much pain in it. I called it having my eye on the ultimate prize. I am only 6.5 months post op right now and down 91lbs and still would like to lose another 55. For several months I have been looking and feeling the positives that come with losing this much weight. The reality is, I am a whole new me! One that is living life to the fullest. - I can run up the stairs without feeling like I am going to pass out - I am NOT afraid to get on the scale or go to the doctor for fear of more bad news - I can fit in an airplane seat without using and extender (in fact, there is a lot of room left in the seatbelt - I can keep up with my Grandchildren - I can run around the house and my husband cannot catch me - People who did not know me before surgery have no idea I was ever morbidly obese - People who do know me do not recognize me (happened twice this week alone) - I can buy my clothes in any store I want - I can also wear Victorias Secret lingerie (who new that that would feel so great) - All of my health issues have resolved with the exception of 1 that I was not expecting to resolve (I had MANY including stage 3 kidney disease) The moral of the story is you should focus your time on why you are having this surgery and try to let yourself get excited about it. It will make the anxiety go away and you will actually become excited before surgery. I know the morning I went to the hospital, I no longer had any fear, just pure excitement and could not wait for it to be over so I could start my new life. You won't lose yourself, you will just be amazed at the new you! Good luck to you! I will say a prayer for a safe and speedy recovery
  3. There is a misconception that Biotin will stop your hair from falling out. This is NOT true. Biotin will assist with hair regrowth. The reality is for many some of your hair will fall out and there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening. You will not go bald unless there is some other condition going on like Alopecia. It will not leave you with bald Patches, it will simply thin. A lot! The hair slows down when the weight loss slows down and will stop when you hit the goal your body wants to be at. Biotin helps with new regrowth and that begins right away as well. You will have a lot of short hairs growing in at the same time you have a lot coming out (if you are like me). This week I went and got a shorter haircut because I felt like the way I wore my hair the thinning showed more (which by the way was in my head). Anyway, I got it cut short, added some bangs and voila, I look ten years younger. It really compliments my thinning face and I feel fantastic. Don't let this get you literally freaked out. It is a part of the process for many but this too shall pass and it is worth all of this in the end. Good Luck!
  4. I am so happy that you are making such a fantastic change to your life even after going through WLS once. You have the right attitude for this surgery to be a success. You are well on your way mentally and soon will be there physically. Please keep us posted on your progress and feel free to reach out if you need anything at all. Good luck and I will say a prayer for a safe and fast recovery.
  5. @, I have read on here quite a few times that medicines used for depression have been reduced and sometimes even discontinued following surgery. I am not sure about other psych illnesses. I do not know what your current situation is but this type of transformation can be life altering. For me, it has been one of the most positive experiences of my life. I believe when I am 10 years down the road, I will feel the same way. Anyway, maybe do a quick search on here and see what you find. Good luck on your next steps and if you need anything feel free to reach out.
  6. Honestly I started to feel my best at around the 12 week mark. I felt very good right after surgery but I would get very tired in the afternoons. I remember clearly about the 12 week mark everything just clicking for me.
  7. I had RNY gastric bypass in September 2014 so I am 6.5 months post op. I had a very easy recovery and can pretty much eat anything I want. Just because I can does not mean that I should. I have never had a full on dumping syndrome episode. I have been what I would describe as uncomfortable after eating too fast, or eating too much. I have tried all kinds of food but I typically eat very healthy at this point. I do this because it makes me feel good and my weight loss remains consistent. If I do eat things I shouldn't I find I don't lose as consistently. My typical day: Drink a premier Protein chocolate shake usually shortly after I wake up. This kick starts my day getting 30Grams of protein About 1.5 to 2 hours later I will have a Light yoplait yogurt with High Fiber, protein granola lunch - I will always try to have some type of meat to get my protein and good carbs as in a salad or vegetables Snack - I will have some nuts, beef Jerky or cheese if dinner is going to be later in the evening or if I am feeling a bit hungry Dinner - Always have a few ounces of protein and good carbs About once or twice a week I will have a forkful of some type of starch like potato, sweet potato or rice. I steer clear of Pasta as it is a trigger for me. This bite of starch only happens after I have eaten my protein. I have been coached to eat two bites of protein for every one bit of good carbs (veggies/fruit) Its funny because I never thought I would be able to stay away from sweets and now I do not even like anything sweet. Ice Cream used to be my favorite treat and I ate it probably 5 out of 7 nights, now I could honestly care less. If I want something cold and icy, I will either get Healthy Request small individual frozen yogurts or I will actually freeze a yoplait light. I love it, get protein and am very satisfied. I have only had a frozen yogurt twice in 6.5 months. I just really don't care about dessert any longer.
  8. It absolutely will pass. You just had major surgery on your stomach, and your hunger hormone is not present. I promise as the days go on, you will feel better and better. When you are not hungry, it makes it very hard to feel good when eating. The important thing is that you stay hydrated. Keep sipping those liquids and just do the best you can. I remember the first couple of weeks following my surgery. I was so worked up about not begin able to even get close to 64oz. of fluids that it was making me nauseous. I remember at my one week check in, I mentioned that I was really having a difficult time getting there and the bariatric nurse who had also had bypass at one time said you just have to do the best you can. If you are constantly sipping (which you need to do at this point), you will soon get to your goals. The closer you get, the better you will feel. I promise it will pass, just keep your eye on the prize.
  9. I was allowed to eat chicken at both the pureed stage and the soft stage which began at 2 weeks post op. I did this with no problem and the trick is making sure that it is not overcooked and dried out. You have to take great care to chew very well at this stage. If chicken or turkey is too dry you need to use some type of sauce or gravy to help make sure it does not get hung up.
  10. I am not sure what causes it but pain on the left is normal. I definately had it and I have seen many many people ask about it on this site. I would suggest doing a search for it and it will give you some idea of how common it is. The good news is, it will pass. If it gets too uncomfortable call your surgeon and just get checked out.
  11. Wow, you guys were lucky. It took 9 months for me to get through the process. Mostly because my insurance required a six month monitored diet. It seemed like I waited forever. LOL, it was like waiting for one of my children to be born! I will say, that time allowed me to build very good habits and I think it made my recovery and transition that much smoother. Good luck to you!
  12. No and that is great! As long as you are sipping it and not gulping you are fine. Congratulations for being able to get that much Fluid in this early. Dehydration is the one thing that makes recovering patients so sick in the beginning. Even now, 6 months post op I have a hard time getting 64 in unless I sit with the Water bottles in my hand. I also get very constipated if I don't drink my liquids. Good job!
  13. Isn't it funny what things motivate us! I went to Victoria's Secret 12 weeks ago and purchased 2 beautiful new sexy lacy bras in a 38c. At the time I was wearing a 46c. I did this as incentive to keep on going. About two weeks ago I ended up having to buy one new bra because I am basically falling out of the others. I am so close to being able to wear those gorgeous beauties in my drawer. I bought a 40c and it fits very comfortably. So close to that 38 in my drawer! I cannot wait. On Wednesday I went to my hair stylist and told her I wanted a short haircut that complements my new thin face and the fact that my hair has thinned so much. Well I love it! I swear my new do makes me look 10 years younger! And everybody has noticed and tells me how pretty I look! Other than my hubby I have not heard those words in many years. The new do was very uplifting!
  14. Congratulations! You should be so proud of yourself!
  15. It is so weird that every doctor is different. I was told 2 days ago by my bariatric team that we need 1Gram of protein for every 1 inch you are tall. That is their rule of thumb. It is very easy to accomplish that for me right now.
  16. Congratulations on your career change! I too am starting a whole new life where the people I meet will not know that I was once morbidly obese. I keep wondering what that will be like. I am moving states in less than a week and will begin applying and interviewing for jobs. Oh darn, that means I will have to go shopping for clothes and shoes to where so that I look great!
  17. The only other thing I would add to the above comments is that you should practice mindful eating. That is when you really pay attention to what your stomach is telling you. Start by focusing on eating slower and truly listening when your body is full. To do this you should be eating your meals at the table instead of in front of the tv.Try to get rid of any distractions that might keep you from paying attention. These are all great habits to begin to build now while waiting for your surgery to be completed.
  18. Also I would not count on stalls to slow you down. Following the three week stall that lasted 3 weeks, I have not had any real stalls to speak of and I am now 6.5 months along. Sometimes I get a week where I lose and gain the same pound a couple of times but then all of a sudden I will drop 5 lbs making up for that week where I went back and forth. If he is saying something to you I am guessing he is concerned about how fast you are losing for many reasons.
  19. I started eating nuts including brazil nuts at about 12 weeks. You just have to take it slow and first and make sure you chew them up very good. Now, nuts are my go to snack if I absolutely have to have something it is usually nuts, cheese or jersey.
  20. In the beginning it is helpful to rely on protein shakes/ drinks to get to your protein goal. You may also have to add protein powder to soups, cereal, yogurt. As your tummy adjusts you will be able to acheive your goals more easily. I think I was at about 10 weeks before I could finish a whole protein drink without diluting it.
  21. I was one of those folks that was supposed to have the sleeve but had reflux/Gerd. At the recommendation of my surgeon and gastroenterologist, I went with the bypass. I have not had a single bout of reflux or heartburn and I do not have to take meds since the first week. I am so very happy that they made that recommendation! I have seen so many folks on both this site and support groups who end up having to have a revision to bypass because their reflux really gets out of control. It might be worth a bit of an extra wait. So sorry that they just figured it out now.
  22. I was on a 10 day liquid diet. 4 protein shakes a day and clear liquids only. I lost 11lbs in 10 days. It did not even bother me after day 4. I drank a lot of good chicken broth because I got so sick of the sweet protein drinks.
  23. I would be surprised if every person who has gone through WLS did not mourn food. First of all, it is probably because you are in the pureed stage and emotional following surgery which is making it worse. This surgery is not for the feint of heart. It is very hard work, most of it mental. You have to stay positive and focus on all the reasons you had the surgery in the first place. Do not spend wasted time focusing on the negatives, it will only make you feel worse and that ultimately means you will struggle, like you are. Keep your eye on the prize whether it was health reasons or simply because you wanted to lose weight. Pull your goals out that you wrote before surgery and remind yourself why you chose to have surgery. I promise you will make it past this phase and if you stick to the right foods pretty soon you will crave healthy foods and not all the other stuff that made you heavy to begin with. Also, having WLS does not mean that you will never eat those things again. You will simply have them once in a great while and in very small portions. I wish you all the best, keep your head up and stay positive, it will help you succeed.
  24. There is nothing you can take to make it stop falling out it is apart of the process for some people. My doctor told me as your weigh loss slows, your hair falling out will slow as well. The biotin will help with regrowth but not stop your hair from falling out. It will get better down the road and unless you have something else going on you should not get bald spots or lose all of it.
  25. I am wondering If you are at goal yet? If not give it time, I too carry a lot of my weight in my stomach. It started coming off of everywhere else first and then stubbornly it has been coming off my stomach. Definately at a much slower rate which is what is pretty common according to my doctor. Unfortunately my butt which used to be big, is now flat. Just check your measurements once in a while and you will notice the fat leaving one inch at a time. Grazing certainly won't help matters so don't turn to food and be a bit patient. I am sure the weight on your stomach did not appear overnight, it is going to take some time.

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