Everything posted by Djmohr
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Expected weight loss at 6 months out
Honestly I don't think anyone can answer your question. Everyone loses at a different pace and you really can not time box what you will lose in a given period. You cannot account for stalls which happen all along the way even in the first month. Sometimes those stalls last a week to 10 days and sometimes they last a lot longer. The important thing is that you get a great start by getting all of the fluids you possibly can right after surgery followed by your Protein. Lastly your Vitamins and moving around as much as you can. If you focus on those things the weight will come off. I think almost everyone underestimates the importance of of Water. It really is the thing that matters most right out of the gate and continues to matter in both losing and maintaining. Best of luck to you!
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Losing too fast?
You have done well! You may find that you recalculate your goal as most of us do. For me, my goal has always been 165. I am 5'10" however I am comfortable if I were to lose an extra 10 to 15lbs mostly because that gives me room for the 10% bounce back. Also keep in mind many doctors only calculate that 70% of excess weight loss goal when in fact if you work hard enough you can lose 100% of your excess weight loss. Just food for thought. You are doing great and so quickly!
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(Your) Relationship with Food: A Quick Self-Check
Nice job on your weight loss and your reality check! It's always a good idea. I am having a rough couple of days with food. I am recovering from plastics and I swear I could eat a whole cow and a chicken and oh hell, why not a pig too. LOL Ugh! Now for some watermelon because that always fills me up!
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Hernias?
Absolutely. Check with your doctor if you suspect a hernia.
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Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and surgery
Honestly the weight loss that comes with this surgery can only help these situations. I was so ill prior to my bypass in 2014 that I literally (as my doctor stated) had one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel. I have psoriatic arthritis, degenerative disc disease and severe arthritis of the spine along with all the other comorbitities that come with obesity. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Severe Gerd, sleep apnea and stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Having RNY saved my life literally and although I still struggle with my spine issues all my comorbitities are gone or in remission including the worst one Stage 3 kidney disease. There are many people on here who will attest to the fact that eating healthy and this weight loss can only help chronic disease. I am eating healthy, have lost 151lbs ( is currently weight 158) and my energy level has never been better. My knee and ankle joint pain went away completely. If it were not from the damage to my spine I would be near 100%. It is worth it but you have to be committed to eating right and getting as much exercise as you possibly can even if that means chair exercises. Every little bit you move your body is a step in the right direction. I currently joined a pro health club that has an indoor warm Water therapy pool and they have classes specifically for fibromyalgia and in the water is the one place i don't feel pain. Best of luck to you.
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Feeling "bummed" after doctor's appointment
Congratulations on a great loss. You should be proud, and don't worry about what he thinks it is only what you think and how you feel that matters!
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So overwhelmed!
Congratulations!
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Which fresh fruit does not cause dumping?
@@LadyDarkness415 This is my personal opinion so take it for what it is worth. Having had this experience since the very first allowable puréed meal. Balance in your diet is critical to longer term success. I have read a lot about diets of Protein only or protein first and although they put you into ketosis and cause rapid weight loss, they are harder to stick with in the long run. Making sure that your diet during weight loss is inclusive of good quality protein, good carbs like fruit and vegetables is key to long term success. It is simply more realistic for me to stick with. Once you get close to goal adding real whole grains back into your diet in small amounts will also help. Honestly I was shocked when my nut had me start my pureed diet and had me include unsweetened applesauce. I thought for sure that was a mistake. After I read about protein first and then if there is room, I specifically asked her about this along with my surgeon. Both of them reiterated they did not believe in that approach for long term sustainability. They taught me to eat 2 bites of dense protein to every 1 bit of good carbs like fruit and vegetables. While in the lose phase they asked that I limit starchy vegetables like potatoes until I got close to goal. Even now 5 months after hitting goal, I will cook a good protein and 2 vegetables instead of adding that starch. I have fruit once or twice a day as a snack, sometimes with a nut butter. YUM. For me, after trying Atkins and so many other high protein, no carb diets I feel like I can stick to this approach more easily and anything that will give me long term results just seems to stay better with me. Now that being said, every once in a while I have a day where I have a treat that is probably not the best for me but because I follow the balanced approach it is so easy for me to get right back on track. Usually after I have a treat that I think I really want, I have it and immediately think why did I even want that? It didn't taste that great and I would rather have some fresh cherries or watermelon. Anyway....everything in moderation is my new motto.
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Band to sleeve?
Just a question. Is there a reason you have not considered RNY? I ask because this surgery cures reflux. Trust me, I had severe reflux and it has been gone since day 1 post op. The restriction is always there controlling the amount of food that I eat. It is up to me to put the right things in my body. Hunger does come back after a period of time however it is not as strong and can be relieved with just a few bites of good Protein. Weight loss is still hard work but the side effects at least for me personally have been very few. I have lost 151lbs and I am 2 years post op. Most people do not suffer dumping and even if you did it would be less of a nuisance than what you are already dealing with. Both surgeries require supplements for life but with blood testing once or twice yearly you know exactly where you are at. I know some people are afraid but trust me it really is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I would not be afraid and it would likely kick start your metabolism again and get things moving. I am so sorry that you have had such a rough road and I hope things get better for you soon.
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Help. I can't stop eating
I would start with the surgeon and also a therapist. Confirm that the surgery was successful in creating the pouch and then leverage the therapist to help you with cravings. If you had RNY you should not feel actual real hunger for several month post op. You don't speak much about your eating habits in general. Do you follow the rules of RNY? Dense Protein and vegetables for your meals. Measure and track everything. I would get confirmation and go back to my Bariatric team for help.
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Not losing weight at all, just want to cry. Help!
I am post RNY nearly two years and still cannot eat eggs without getting sick. It is the only thing that makes me sick. Keep pushing the Protein and fluids with no sweeteners and you will continue to lose weight. Drinking with your meals at all is a huge NO NO for RNY. If you drink you can push food through too quickly possibly causing a blockage and certainly flushing food before you even get the nutrients and causing you to be hungry. This is one of the most important rules and it really is for life. You have to get a handle on that. One way to do that is to ensure that you start your day well hydrated. I have learned to drink at least a 20 oz bottle of Water first thing in the morning. Then I wait, drink 1 protein shake that gives me a 30gr boost of protein. Then I wait at least 30 minutes and drink another 20 to 40 ounces of water. If I do that I find that I am not thirsty at all when I eat my meals. I wait at least 30 minutes before eating and in the beginning it is important that your protein is moist and my nut has always had me eating lots of veggies and fruit. She taught me that 2 bites of dense protein for every 1 bite of fruit and veggies. In the beginning I measured everything and I still track what I eat in my fitness pal. I have since learned to trust my tummy to tell me when I am full. If you follow these simple rules, you will lose the weight.
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bathroom issues
Give it time and keep trying. I promise, it will get better.
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Anyone else weary of advice from pre op or 3 months out?
@@Valentina LOL! You crack me up! I remind both my boys frequently they didn't offer epidurals when I had them. Pressure my ass!
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Energy levels?
The biggest issue is not getting enough fluids in you. You can live and be comfortable longer than you think on water alone but if you don't get enough water and keep yourself hydrated that is when you start feeling like absolute hell. Dizzy, weak and exhausted.
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Anyone else weary of advice from pre op or 3 months out?
I do want to be very clear......even though there is pain with plastics for me, it is absolutely positively worth it. Pain, burning and itching included. I would do it again in a heartbeat and intend to. I just want people to know that rarely do you go through surgery without some discomfort and in some cases real pain. And if I am asked I will tell you what I know based on my experience and not what I am guessing or reading somewhere. Some doctors love to tell you it is not so bad, I know my spine guy is one of them. No big deal......my ass. LOL then afterwards they admit they might have not given you the real deal.
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Today, I hate being a woman.
Even though I had a hysterectomy in 2003 they left my ovaries. Every month I still had PMS, seriously. It was not as horrible, that is for sure but it was still there. Menopausal systems can last for years and years and so far, that is definately happening to me. I guess I should be grateful that the mood swing issue only became horrible in the last year but I have had hot flashes, weight gain.....all the fun stuff for the last 6 or so years. Recently the hot flashes became so bad that I started using essential oils to help with them and they really are helping thank goodness.
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Do you still identify as a wls patient?
Honestly I am only about 5 months out from hitting goal and maintaining well. I am nearly 2 years post op. I think I will always be a WLS patient. Mostly this comes from having to be so careful to get proper nourishment and all the things that can go wrong if I don't. Every time I see a doctor of any kind it has to be brought up. Most physicians don't even know the potential issues with treating a WLS patient. From malabsorbing medications to having to do a complete nutritional panel and understanding what it all means. I swear, I have had 2 different PCPs since having Bariatric surgery and have moved out of state. I have had to almost train my PCPs and I have to ask all the critical questions about my care and how my nutrition plays a key role. I am not sure that will ever change to be honest. Now maybe that's because I have had so many dealings with doctors since my surgery. I have degenerative disc disease and severe osteo arthritis so I usually dealing with spine problems or joint problems so I have a lot of interaction with the medical field. Most of them are clueless about how to treat us.Maybe that is why I feel that way. Just my point of view.
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Today, I hate being a woman.
LOL. I love your post mostly because I have related to it my whole life. In 2003 my OB/GYN finally said to me, Deb you have been suffering with endometriosis since you were in your early 20's. Clearly you don't intent to have more children have you considered a hysterectomy. I immediately signed up and it was the best surgery I ever had. Then about 7 years of pure bliss later I became peri menopausal and life as I knew if for 7 years changed again. Hot flashes and mood swings galore. It is now 2016 and the hot flashes and mood swings are still here driving me nuts. Last week I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I was balling like a big old baby over a show I have seen no less than 10 times. About 6 months ago I sat my husband down and said Honey, I love you and I want to apologize for all the crazy mood swings that I have laid at your feet. He says to me, I don't really feel like you do that. I said, I am apologizing in advance! LOL......you can just feel it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but PMS and I had it very bad, is nothing compared to menopausal mood swings and the million hot flashes, soaked pajamas.....the list goes on and on. WTF, does the fun for us women ever end? I pray that it does soon! LOL
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Anyone else weary of advice from pre op or 3 months out?
I am nearly 2 years post op and I am still here almost every day. I am at goal since March of this year. The road to getting to goal was so much easier than maintaining it in my opinion. Mostly because watching that scale move provided me with more incentive to keep forging forward. That being said, I am beginning to learn new ways to remain motivating to keep my weight where it is. For the next year at least it will be gifting myself plastics along the way. If I maintain, I get to have work done. In terms of advice given out by folks that have yet to experience WLS or are just a few months out. You have to take it with a grain of salt. We were all there once and as for me, I focused only on what my medical team provided and then assessed what I read on line. I asked lots of questions, and shared my learnings. For me the one thing that frustrates me like crazy is when some newly post op is looking for permission to do exactly what they shouldn't and another newbie gives them permission. It isn't helping anyone and in fact a bit of tough love can shake you into reality. It is my biggest pet peeve and about the only thing I will get seriously peeved about. If you are looking for permission to do something you know you shouldn't do or if you are the one handing out the permission you can be assured I won't keep my mouth shut. It isn't doing anyone any good and let's be honest we don't need to be coddled, we need to be told the straight skinny. Someone asked me about whether or not Brachioplasty is painful. If you read all the BS from the docs on real self, they will tell you that their is discomfort and you will be back to work in a week or less. They don't tell you it hurts like you just slammed both your arms on a hot stove and held it there for about an hour. They burn like hell. They don't tell you that as soon as you do any activity the swelling increases and you can feel your arms bulge and they don't tell you that there is a ton of itching or tickling in your arms as the nerves begin to heal. Guess what, ask me and I will tell you what I know based on my experiences.....you will get the real deal whether you like it or not. I say this as I sit here with two ice packs tucked under each arm pit almost all day long for the last 12 days. LOL!
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Excited about the journey ahead...
Welcome and congratulations! I too switched from sleeve to bypass because I suffered from severe reflux. I am 22 months post op and have been at goal since March of this year. That 6 months will go by super fast and is a great opportunity to change behaviors and set yourself up for success. Trust me, getting a handle on it early will certainly make for a better long term result. Best of luck to you!
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One week post op
YAY! Congratulations and welcome! I am a bypass patient as well. 22 months post op and have been at goal since March of this year. Feel free to reach out with questions. For now, take care of yourself and sip sip sip like crazy. The more Clear liquids the better you will feel.
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Eating Leftovers
I will say it took me a long time following bypass before I could chew shrimp well enough to actually tolerate it. It was one of those foods I put off until 3 or 4 months post op. Fish, no problem......I also was not released for regular food until week 6 post op and then it was soft regular foods. I do eat left overs all the time, I think I would go broke otherwise. I usually choose to warm them gently either using the microwave at 50% power and stirring many times in between or I warm them in a pan and use broth or some other sauce to ensure they are not dry. I even do that now 22 months post op.
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Am I too picky? Dealings with coordinators/doctors before sending the deposit.
I did not have surgery in Mexico so my response is based on your initial post completely. I would have to be 100% comfortable going into this, afterall your are a person who has very specific needs. If you are not getting the answers you need, I would not proceed. This is major surgery and you have to know that you are being cared for appropriately. Now I know there are many on this site who have had their WLS done in Mexico and have had no problems. But in your situation it sounds like you are not getting the attention you need to make yourself comfortable. I would not proceed unless I felt 100% comfortable that they were looking at me, my current health issues and gave me a plan for surgery and post surgery care. In my experience the surgeon is only one part of the process. As soon as the surgery is over, others have to care for you because the surgeon is off on the next case. I had surgery at a Bariatric center of excellence. I went through a 9 month process and met with nutritionists, physcologists, Bariatric nurses, a Bariatrician who helped me decide which surgery to have. 3 weeks before my actual surgery I finally met my surgeon, the next time I saw him was in pre op, the last time I saw him was in post op for a quick minute. I have never seen him again, it was the bariatricians that take over care and are most important in the process as far as I am concerned. They sure as heck better know my case and take care of me. It does not sound like you are being critical.
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Does anyone want to join in on a chat night?
I would love it! The best part is I am free at whatever time works for anyone else. I am still home recovering from plastics and back surgeries. When Alex brought chat back I would go there several times a day and no one was ever in there so I gave up. I am IN!
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Injuries that have made me gain, so depressed
Take it from someone who knows exactly what you are going through. I was terrified when after 9 glorious month post RNY and on a great path to getting to goal I was told I needed a 3 level cervical fusion. There would be no more treadmill, no elliptical, no cardio or any sort for many months to come. I was terrified that I would not reach my goal and knew that I would have to do it with diet and diet alone. It is so easy to simply walk into the kitchen and eat crap like Fritos or Cheez it's or ........and trust me, I did it. Then I realized that I did not want to head down that path. So I was so careful to log every morsel good or bad and held myself accountable to it. I kept working at it and the weight either stayed the same or slowly, very slowly began to come off again. Then having the spinal fusion caused a bigger back problem and back to surgery I went in November. That surgery did not help at all so now we are at Christmas and I am still unable to exercise. They decided to look at my left shoulder and low and behold I have bone on bone AC joint and a 50% tear in my rotator cuff. Back to surgery I go in February. I simply learned that I had to find other things to do besides eat our of boredom. I promise you can get to goal with diet alone, I did. I work hard at it every single day and in March I made it to my ultimate goal. You can do this, you just have to decide that you can and track your food intake. The shoulder will get better I promise. I had my surgery on February 12th of this year and just finished rehab with it last week Thursday. The shoulder is not a fun operation but if you work hard and get your Protein you will be back at it again soon. I really hope you feel better soon!