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@@SiSSi829 At the end of the day, you are the only one in control of your actions and behaviors. I know your post was directed to @vsganne2014. I am not sure about her but I remember those first days, weeks, months exactly. I will never ever forget them. I know how scared I was, I know that I may have even 2nd guessed my decision because I was weak and exhausted. I was even tempted to go off plan. So, I began reaching out to people like @vsganne2014 for help. And you know what, I listened because they knew what it was like. They lived it and they knew what mistakes might actually cause a problem, as an example...eating bacon. You may not like the tough love approach and I understand that. Try to get past that and learn from people who lived it. Honestly we are trying to help you guys but if you are not willing to listen or we hurt your feelings, too bad. If we get through to a few folks that are going through the start of their journey, then it's worth it. At the end of the day, we believe in what we have done because as we followed instructions the weight came off, our health got better allowing us to be here for our children and grandchildren. If you don't want to listen no one can make you. Clearly you don't listen to your doctor or your nut so what exactly are you looking for??? Someone to tell you it is alright to go off plan and do what you want? Well, you got that to from people that don't know or have yet to live this journey or haven't reached goal and may never. If you think it is hard now, just wait until you can eat whatever you want because trust me, the honeymoon will end quickly and you will be right back where you started. I am RNY 22 months post op. I literally can eat anything I want. I know the moment I eat chips that tomorrow when I get on the scale I will show a gain. Yes....just from some chips. Do that more than a few days in a row and guess what, I am up 3-5lbs and freaking out. This is because I never ever want to be that sick 310 women who has diabetes, severe gerd, high blood pressure and stage 3 chronic kidney disease almost at a point where I needed dialysis all from eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. It is time to pull up your big girl pants and do what you set out to do. For you, for your children for whatever reasons you started in the first place. It doesn't matter to us who you do it for, just get yourself healthy. If that seems mean to you, then I am sorry but it really is the truth and I think if you think hard about it, you will realize that doing what you are supposed to is the best thing you can do for yourself. I applaud those willing to provide an honest kick in the pants because sometimes it is necessary.

@@emz37 Hi there! Well you honestly have already taken the first step! Welcome or welcome back! You have done well and can get yourself back there again. I know you can because you already have done it once. Right? You have already had great advice. I just want to say that I notice when I take a break from documenting what I am eating, I gain a few pounds, hop on the scale, freak out and then go back to the basics. I just started maintenance in March and I am still trying to find my happy medium but I figure as long as I always go back to the basics I will be successful. 64 oz Water 70 or more grams of Protein Limit bread, Pasta, rice and sweets Plenty of good carbs like veggies and fruits Moving my body as much as I can Eating slow and being mindful of when I am truly full No drinking with your meals Limiting calories in beverages to 0 Tracking everything I eat and drink in an app like Myfitnesspal Tracking my progress Setting mini goals that get me back to where I need to be If you do these things, you will get right back to where you were. Best of luck and leverage us. I know that I learn from other people's experiences! Would love to know how your are doing Along the way. Deb

Please take care and keep us posted. If you need anything or have questions you can message me directly if you want, just click on my picture and compose a message. Please take care of yourself!

Just keep sipping approved liquids and get up and walk as much as you can. It is the gas they used that causes most of the pain. Honestly the only thing that gets rid of the gas is moving it through your system. That pain get even worse when your bowels start working so walking is best. The pain killers will make you so sleepy which keeps you from hydrating and walking as much as you can. Try using a heating pad on your belly which helps provide comfort and also gas x tablets help with your bowel gas pain. The first couple of day are the roughest but I promise that pain goes away the more you move around. I know that sounds crazy but having 6 abdominal surgeries have taught me that. Honestly you heal much faster from a laparoscopic surgery but I swear that damn gas they pump in you makes it worse than an open surgery. My gallbladder was an open surgery and I had a lot more surgical pain but did not have the gas pain that RNY brought. Walk walk walk, sip sip sip and be good to your body. Take care

@@VSGAnn2014 Well said! Congratulations on your getting to goal and maintaining it. How did you do it? Oh, that's right YOU FOLLOWED THE PLAN!!!! I say, let them eat cake or bacon in this case.....LOL

I was what I would describe as a slower loser because of my inability to exercise as aggressively as I would like. It took me a full 18 months to get to my ideal weight. The last 20lbs were brutal and took really hard work and focus on my part to make that happen again because I was not allowed to exercise like I would like to. I lost 151lbs over all. I weight 159 now so almost 1/2 of my body weight. At the one year mark I had lost about 115. I also had a 28 day stall at the 7 month mark and as you know this is quite common. Personally I refrained completely from setting any time limits on my loss. I simply kept mini goals along the way and celebrated with new clothing or something nice to keep me motivated. I never ever used food as a motivator either. I am the type of person that knows if I put a time limit to something and don't hit it, it can be demotivating. Your are doing fantastic! Slow and steady really does win the race and definately builds much better long term habits. Best of luck to you!

I would say if you are really in a lot of pain give your a surgeon a call back quickly and let them know you are going to head into the ER. At least you can get peace of mind or if something is going on, you get it taken care of. It is VERY important that your surgical team know that you are headed there because my experience is that the ER doesn't always know what to look for with us. They cover the basics. This way your surgeon can guide them. Hope you feel better soon.

This site is here to help people through this really tough transition. It is frustrating when posters get upset because people give them the straight skinny on the things that can happen. The reality is we all need to be kicked in the butt when we don't follow the plan or when we simply disregard what our nuts or doctors tell us to do. Honestly there may a reason why her doctor and nut both have her on a month long liquid diet following this surgery. If anything she should get a second opinion but no one should be telling her to disregard her surgeons instructions without having an MD and her complete medical history. So much can go wrong when you have part of your stomach removed or rerouted and without understanding her MDs reason for putting her on a liquid diet, no one has any business telling her to do anything else besides to follow up and challenge her doctor or look for a 2nd opinion. Incidentally if I were her doctor I would have told her the same thing. Maybe there is a history of her not following instructions that caused problems to begin with. WE DONT KNOW! There are many experienced people on this board that are frustrated with the fact that people come on here and expect To get permission for something they themselves know is bad. I am NOT scolding @sisi829, my words are pointed directly at those that give her permission to go off plan without understanding the other side of the story. WE ARE NOT MD's and for the new folks just beginning this journey, many of us have experienced bad stuff that can happen. What's worse is WLS is already looked upon negatively and every single person who has it and doesn't follow the rules may likely be unsuccessful down the road adding to that negativity. For me, Losing 1/2 my body weight literally gave me my life back! Got rid of life threatening illnesses and literally saved me! That being said, I am a rule follower and believe that you will be more successful if you do what you are told. To have WLS seen as a negative because people choose to ignore the important instructions that help them to be successful is absolutely MORONIC! I am prepared and just in the mood for the backlash my post brings.....bring it on!

@@James Marusek That is very interesting and I am glad to hear that starting with a lot of research and reading is the way to go because that is what I am doing at this point. I am also glad to hear that being a bypassed, you have not had any ill effects which was my biggest worry.

@@Kindle I hope that you have a change of heart and at least hang out in the veterans forum. I understand how frustrating this is and myself dropped off for about 8 weeks just to regroup. The reality is there are stupid people who clearly are looking for a magical bullet and don't want to do the work. In the end, they will be one of those that do not succeed and that will be their own doing. It's certainly sad that they will add to the idiots who end up making WLS so scary to those that need it. I hope you will stay with us and wanted to tell you that I have really appreciated the advice and your straightforward approach!

Hi there! I am sorry you are feeling so bad. The most important thing is to get your depression under control and to work with a physiatrist or therapist that is familiar with WLS. They need to understand the malabsorption issues that comes with RNY. It takes time to get this right so be good to yourself during this time. It takes time also to get to the point where food no longer becomes the center of everything that we do. At first we all miss that food was the center of our world but as you progress, you find other things that help you through. This is easier said than done especially for someone who suffers from depression. I have had very mild bouts of depression over the last few years mostly caused by medications to control my physical pain. I have to work really hard at staying positive and that is not always easy but I know when I do, I feel better about the food thing. This is just what has worked for me but following the food plan and ensuring I get a good balanced diet that does include good carbs really helps me. I am not sure where you are at with the original food plan given to you but it might help to dust off your instructions and see if you really are on top of it. If you are on top of that then great, if not you might try that. If more weight comes off, you might start to see a higher momentum that will drive you to a more positive state. Take lots of warm baths and be good to yourself but the first thing is get to a therapist who understands WLS patients. Hugs.....

I think what you are feeling is normal and we all go through it whether you are 30 or 50. Once we start losing the weight, we feel younger and certainly more vibrant. I do think people that we knew tend to act differently especially after seeing you for the first time after such a significant weight loss. I don't believe it is me changing as much as they are not sure how to act around us. I spoke to a friend last night for 2 hours. We have not seen each other in about 15 months. When she saw my new pic on Facebook, she said she could not even comprehend that it was me. Apparently my thin face no longer looks the same. As we talked and talked, she said Deb, you are still the same you and I miss you so much! I said I only shed another whole me but my personality is still the same, I promise. So many times people that once knew us as a heavy person who hid behind dark clothing and tried to stay inconspicuous think that deep down everything has changed. Well, in mycase that is just not true. I might be more confident in the way I look and I might show up in vibrant colors but I am still in here. I think it all just takes a lot of time and some women that were not your friends are now find you as their competition. We are simply not used to that feeling.

@@James Marusek Thanks so much for your response! How did you get comfortable mixing them? There are so many to choose from and I think I will try a few to deal with my symptoms for now just to see if I get some relief. I am curious how people such as yourself learned so much that they are confident mixing. My friend does the same thing. If they work for me, I will definately take the time to learn and get good at it. Thanks again!

I don't think this is anything to worry about. I have had a lot of major surgeries and I always have blurred vision for a few days up to a week. It just takes a time to get all that anesthesia out of your system. Congratulations on getting to the other side! Your life will change for the better.

Good Morning Veterans! I am in the process of researching the use of essential oils in my daily routine. Honestly this is because I am suffering severe menopausal symptoms. I must get 50 hot flashes per day where I feel my head is simply going to combust, then of course comes the soaking of my clothing, the racing heart in my ears, and yes all the bs emotions that come with it. That does not include the night sweats in which I am soaked from head to toe. I have the air in our house at 66 and a fan blowing on me while sleeping and another fan next to where I sit in the living room. When I am not flashing I am frozen to the core given I have lost all of my fat which I am greatful for. The other night I went to the movies with some friends and had to dress knowing that would probably have several flashes. I brought 2 blankets with me and a personal fan. LOL. My husband and friends thought I was insane but I knew what would happen. The emotional crap for someone like me who doesn't cry easily is insane. For example, I was watching an episode of Buffy the vampire slayer which I have seen about 20 times. All of a sudden I am balling like a big baby. WTF!!!! I am not usually a cryer so this actually then pissed me off. It's all kind of funny when you think about it but geez already I need some relief from these symptoms. Of course it does not help that I have a lot of arthritis issues going on that won't allow me to get really moving like I want to. I exercise everyday for almost an hour a day but it is low impact, more stretching and strengthening exercises. Next week I will be taking Water therapy classes as well. Anyway, I reached out to a friend of mine who swears by these young living essential oils. She is my age and has been through a lot. As we were talking she asked me what medications or Vitamins I was taking so I explained that I am on several vitamins for life given my RNY surgery. I plan to ask my Bariatric team about this as well but I am wondering if anyone on BP is using essentials oils in their life and also if anyone has used them to replace certain vitamins? If you are using them, have you seen benefit in your overall health? Have you seen changes in your blood work? My blood work has been spot on other than my thyroid so I don't want to do anything that might mess that up. After speaking with my friend, she made a few recommendations to deal with some of the pain, energy and menopausal symptoms. Thoughts?

Oh my! It definately sounds like a binge to me. 22 months post op and I don't even come close to that bad food you ate and trust me, I have my days where I will have some cherry pie or something that is not on my normal diet. I went to Vegas exactly 8 weeks post op, was there 10 days and lost nearly 18lbs. I simply could not eat more than a bite or two of anything and was terrified to try foods not on my diet. So it was lots of fish meals and Protein shakes for Breakfast.

I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. If you are able to keep Powerade and Water down, you should not get dehydrated. What about some chicken broth? Honestly I would stick to Clear Liquids and as much as you possibly can. If you are not able to keep that down then, yes you need to go to the ER where they can treat you for dehydration. I might add that dehydration can cause that nausea and dizziness so if you are feeling that you are not likely getting enough liquid. Try sipping more or head to the ER. Sip like crazy and I hope you get better soon! Hugs

LOVE it! LOL.....

@@MrsSugarbabe Thanks so much! Isn't it strange how hard it is to refrain from all the dark colors? I have to be very on purpose about moving away from those colors. I have been building my closet now that I am at goal. Today I had to go buy a swimsuit as I am taking some Water exercise classes. I ended up in a size 8 swimsuit and I initially headed for black or navy. I challenged myself and went for a pink paisley tankini and a cute matching black swim skirt. I am happy I chose it and figured no one will see anything but all my wrinkly loose skin anyway. LOL! Can't wait for some plastics to help with that.

I have been taking Linzess for about 4 months now and I honestly do not know how I would live without it. That stuff works fantastic. I do not understand why drug companies do this to patients. For Pete sakes the co pays on it are ridiculous enough. I thought 60.00 per month was expensive. I did have this happen with another medication and talked to my doctor about it. I am on a drug called Stelara for psoriatic arthritis. I get a shot every 8 weeks and have been for about 6 years now. This is a new drug and the cost to my insurance is 18,000 per injection. They determine the dose on your weight. As soon as my weight went below 200, they dropped me to half the dose which does not work by the way. My doctor tried to push it through 2 different insurance companies an they would only approve the 45ML dose. So, my doctor went to the drug rep and told them about it and now Stelara drops off a second 45ml injection at my doctors office in my name. I was shocked and have moved states. I cannot change doctors because I guarantee you another doctor that doesn't know my history would do that. This doctor actually saved my life. I had been hospitalized with a fast moving staff infection in my left foot & leg as well as my right hand and arm. They brought him in for a second opinion and I thank goodness everyday for meeting him. I had been incorrectly diagnosed my whole life until 6 years ago when that happened. If you have a good relationship with your doctor, see if they know of any programs that the Linzess team can assist with. It might help? I know I would not want to give up Linzess either. That stuff works great.

I hate to tell you this but that doesn't get better as long as you are on Protein shakes. You can clear the house out in a hurry so it comes in handy when you have unwanted house guests. LOL.

Honestly! I had the same problem and because I am a rule follower, I really tried to hit those goals. When I could not even come close I started to freak out. So, i called my nut. She made some suggestions and told me to simply do the best I could. That there was a lot of swelling and most people don't come close to those goals. LOL! I was kind of pissed at the time because you give me a goal, I am going to kill myself to get to it. After that call, I really focused on making sure I got my liquids. I was probably 4 to 5 weeks before I even came close to drinking a whole Protein shake in a day. I will say once I did, boy did I start to feel better. Just do the best you can and realize that the most important thing is to stay hydrated. Your ability to do the rest will come in time.

@@xingmaltese It is normal to feel this confusion at the beginning. I am really glad to hear that you reached out to your nutritionist, they really can help you through these first few months. As far as Protein options go, it is important to keep trying options until you find one that works for you. I had a lot of trouble with finding a protein solution. It turned out that I was lactose intolerant those first 6 months so they suggested taking Premier Protein ready made shakes and milking them down with either lactose free milk or fair life which also boosts the protein. So I would take one shake and mix it with 22 oz. of lactaid (I hated the fair life milk). I would work on that shake all day long and do the best I could. What I found was that the premier Protein Shakes do not have that discussing protein taste nor smell. For me, they tasted pretty much like chocolate milk and I was in heaven that I found something that not only tasted decent but I didn't really have to do much. By the time I hit week 4 I was able to drink a whole 11oz shake without milking it down. I believe I drank two shakes a day until I hit the 4 month mark. Premier protein has 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 160 calories. Many insurance companies will even pay for them if you get your doctor to write a prescription. I hope that things get better for you soon. I started to feel much better when I was able to get my Water and protein in. That was about 4 weeks post op for me. Best of luck and reach out if you need anything or have questions.

I avoid any prepackaged foods and fast foods like the plague. The great news is, I cannot stand them anyway so it honestly makes it easy to do. I also limit bread, Pasta and rice to maybe once or twice per week.

It is good that you recognize what you need to do. I wish you the best of luck and I know you can do this. You have done it before. Yes.....I also think you are a vet and facing vet problems.