Djmohr

Any new situations that you did not expect? (2) What has worked well to maintain. Still trying to figure that out but doing fairly well. I fluctuate within 3lbs up and down from my goal. Sticking to tracking seems to be the hardest thing for me. If I track, I am able to stay within goal. If I don't track I gain 1 or 2 until I get back to tracking. (3) What triggers have given you set backs. For me, sweets. I have always loved them especially anything chocolate or cherry. If in over indulge I begin craving and then....on comes 1 or 2 lbs and I go back to Protein, veggies and fruit only. (4) What keeps you motivated Fitting into my smallest size clothing. Looking forward to plastics. These things keep me on track. (5) Now that life is normal after goal..What is new ? Really, life is normal? Not for me. Life is all brand new and still a bit overwhelmed by all of the things I can do that I couldn't before. I love the way I look when I see myself in pictures but I don't always see that thin person when I look in the mirror.

I didn't use a binder at all. Honestly I did not have pain, just a bit of discomfort from the gas. I simply walked that off after a few days. The first 2 were tough.

I have had trouble sleeping mostly related to my weight loss. I believe it is because my bones tend to rub together. I used 3 pillows when I sleep but I also have severe osteo arthritis that causes me to have to change positions frequently. Trying to align your spine, knees and hips is challenging for me. It has really been in the last 6 months that this has become harder and I am 22 months post op.

I had my surgery in MN through park Nicollet in St. Louis park. Best thing I ever did for myself. I love their center of excellence and how they prepare you for the transition to a whole new healthy lifestyle. I was so ready by the time I got a surgery date that it honestly was pretty easy for me to give up the crap I used to eat. I tend to be a rule follower though so I would say I stuck to their plan at about 98% and still do follow most of the rules that were set in place by the team. I would say the one rule that I break everyday is I went back to eating and doing other activities like watching tv or posting on Bariatric pal. LOL. I find when I do that I eat slower and recognize when I need to stop. If I sit at the table, I find my fork moves faster and before I know it I have eaten more than I should. (I know, backwards right?) I definately would suggest scheduling a sleep study ASAP. Everyone is right, you likely have sleep apnea and don't know it. There is an online test for sleep apnea that asks you 7 questions about yourself. It can help you determine that a sleep study is necessary. That would definately put you clearly in required spot.

James is right about this one. In the beginning 6 to 7 months it is best to stay away from carbs like Pasta, rice, bread and sweets. They tend to cause you to stall out and there is a short honeymoon period that you really want to take advantage of. That being said, most of us will just try a bite once in a while. For me, bread, pasta, rice and sweets did not sit well in my new tummy. I do NOT get dumping syndrome but those starches feel like they swell in your pouch, take up all your room and make you feel like crap. At least that is how it was for me. I am now 22 months post op and I can eat a bread if it is toasted crisp. I can have small amounts of pasta as long as it is cooked to a more soft state. Pasta in a Soup works best for me and I do eat that maybe once a week but I am done losing and notice when I have a carb heavy week, I will gain as Much as 2 to 3lbs that week. In ordere to get it back off, I have to go back to Protein and veggies with some fruit. I think you will find that those items are not all they are cracked up to be any longer and you really will be ok with it. I am Italian and pasta is the reason I weighed 310lbs. Cutting it out of my diet altogether for the first 18 months is how I got to goal. It's up to you but I would take advantage of my first years honeymoon period before wasting space on those items. BTW, I did eat homemade mashed potatoes in very tiny amounts about once a week during the honeymoon. Same thing with sweet potatoes but rice, bread and pasta just did not work and even now they sometimes don't.

@@Christinamo7 I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is very difficult and even more so when it is so sudden. Having lost my mother way too soon, the only advice I can give you is to be good to yourself. Take the time you need to truly grieve. The loss never goes away but it does get easier to deal with as time passes. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Hugs.....

@@xingmaltese Tough love here......YES you can stick with the program. You absolutely do not need food to survive the first 6 weeks post op. You could live on Water alone. This is where the head starts to take control of your body. Advancing your diet before you are supposed to can cause serious damage to your new tummy. It can create problems down the road. I will also ask if you are getting a minimum of 64 oz. of liquid? If not, that can cause the feeling of being hungry but I assure you, you are not. This is when you learn to manage head hunger...... Many of us were not even allowed puréed foods until week 4! I know my doctor required Clear liquids week 1, full liquids weeks 2 and 3 and then finally puréed. Soft food did not come for me until week 6 post op. You came this far, don't mess up now.

Thanks everyone and I think you are all right. I don't think that was dumping, I think something simply did not agree with me. As the day progresses, I am feeling better and happy to know that others did not experience anything similar. That darn wine tasted so good that I certainly want to have a glass again some time.

I had a simliar issue regarding heavier than normal blood loss during period causing severe anemia. It can be resolved with a good ob/gyn. In my case I was done having children so I opted for a hysterectomy. Do yourself a favor and don't put a time limit on when it has to be resolved. Most Bariatric teams will work with you to get the problem resolved. They don't just kick you out at the end of the monitored diet. If your surgery gets pushed off a month or two it really isn't the end of the world as long as you are healthy going into this. It is such a big physical transformation that you need to be as healthy as humanly possible. I know my own 6 month program actually took 9 months before I got into surgery. Is your Bariatric team telling you at the end of the 3 months if you are not healthy enough to have the surgery you are out? If so, you might find a new program. I am guessing you are putting that time limit on yourself but I could be wrong. I also caution those that put timelines to their goals. So many assume that they can lose all this weight by a certain date and it doesn't always work that way. It took me exactly 18 months post surgery to lose all my weight. Honestly that time went so darn fast and my body had a hard time catching up. Also, worse yet...my brain is still not caught up. This is a huge body and mind transformation. Take it slowly and safely. Keep us posted on your progress. I hope they get to the bottom of this quickly for you.

Mine was fairly short. For me, I had a stall at 7 months that went 28 days. Just stay the course, as you know your body needs time to adjust.

Last night we went out to Celebrate my birthday at the melting pot. I have found that this can be a really great meal for me with the meat and cheese course. I wanted to enjoy a nice glass of wine (yes I know I am not supposed to eat and drink at the same time). I simply wanted to sip that crisp cold Pinot Grigio and enjoy a bit of cheese fondue. We went with the spinach artichoke cheese fondue. It it delicious. First, I ordered a 5oz (small) glass of wine. It was delicious! I think I maybe sipped half while enjoying the cheese and seriously was feeling no pain. I was just at that threshold were you go from feeling no pain to this is too much! Lol. I read all the stories but part of me wondered if that would happen to me. Well, it takes a while for the entree course but it is truly my favorite. I had 3 shrimp and one potsticke, 2 mushrooms with their lovely green goddess sauce. I was full. About 5 minutes later I became very ill. I had to leave the table, I was literally doubled over in pain. When I got home I threw up. I never get dumping syndrome, I never get heart burn. I was feeling sick for a couple hours, then went to bed. I was exhausted. I layed in bed until 4:30 this morning, unable to sleep and so exhausted. I am 22 months post op, I have eaten this meal before and not had a problem. This morning I got up and had some Water. About an hour later I had a whole grain 1/2 English muffin with Peanut Butter. Before I even finished the last bite I was vomiting again. What the heck? This seriously could not be that 1 glass of wine could it? I have been sipping water all morning now but feeling exhausted and nauseous. Anyone else have this experience and know why? I am supposed to go out to dinner with friends tonight and to a movie which we already bought tickets for. I thought I would take a nap, shower, drink some more fluids and take it really easy for dinner tonight. I can honestly say for the first time I am really worried about going out to eat with friends. We are going to a Chinese restaurant. I usually nibble on muu shuu chicken but I don't think that will work today with the way I am feeling. Maybe I will have a Protein shake and then simply push some food around on my plate. Could eating and sipping wine slowly have caused this for me. I usually never ever do that unless I have eaten something spicy. Then I might take a small sip just to wash the heat down.

Hugs to you! I always say when one door closes another one opens. I hope that is how it works for you. You have had a lot going on this last year and it will be important to take care of you while going through it. Honestly it may be the thing your Dad needs to stay healthy. The stress of his business has clearly had a role in his health. I know from personal experience how much being a boss can literally suck the life out of you. He may have held on to the business because his children were so tied to it as well. There are plenty of jobs out there for those willing to work. I pray that you all land on your feet. Spend time taking care of yourself though so you stay healthy as your new life begins. Wishing you all the best.....hugs again!

I started the surgical process in Dec. 2013. I began with what was supposed to be a 6 month supervised diet. I was 51 when I started, I weighed 310lbs at 5'10" I lost only 7lbs prior to surgery which was performed on 9/26/2014. I was 303 on surgery day. December - 2014 - Weighed 243 - loss of 67 March - 2015 - Weighed 225 - total loss of 85 June 2015 - Weighed 199 - total loss of 111 Sept 2015 - weighed 189 - total loss of 121 Dec 2015 - weighed 175 - total loss of 135 March 2016 - weighed 164 - total loss of 146 June 2016 - Weighed 159 - total loss of 151 I participate in Bariatric Pal as my primary support group.

I have been taking a generic stool softener with laxative every single day or I don't think I would ever go again. LOL. Honestly having IBS before surgery and always having to know where the closest bathroom was. I thought being constipated wouldn't be so bad having never had that problem. Let me tell you, I would MUCH rather go all the time than not go at all. My belly don't like being constipated. Therefore, I make damn sure that doesn't happen.

Green Beans and peas were hard for me. I used carrots, cauliflower and even broccoli. I just made sure those first few weeks they were cooked very well to almost mushy. You can do that with green beans and it works fairly well too but the peas were a little rough for me. I love them now but in the beginning it was a little tougher. I think the first puréed veggie I had was carrots and yum!

The tough thing is they are right. If you don't find something that will work for you, you will get sick and end up in trouble.

You might try one of the proteins that you can add to water. It might go down easier for you.

@@treblecutie23 I am right there with you on the skin front. I never thought it would bother me as much as it actually does. It hurts and can be a nasty place for body odor. I feel like every time I spend money on clothes, I would be one or two sizes different if I simply had my arms, tummy and breasts done. Also, I am forced to buy tops 2 sizes bigger because of the very large bat wings that live on my arms. Then the sleeves look tight and I look like I am drowning in the rest of the shirt. Most people don't realize that that loose skin pulls on your body making life very uncomfortable. I will be 53 on Saturday and honestly don't want to go through the rest of my life feeling like I did not finish my journey. I meet with a surgeon that I am very excited about on July 11th and if all goes well I will at least have my arms done ASAP. Then, down the road 1/2 year or so I will have my tummy and breasts done. I figure I have worked hard and am worth it and SO ARE YOU! Congratulations on taking the next step!

@@dtiller1147 My surgeon has ok'd the ketorlac but honestly I have had no need to used it since my surgery almost 2 years ago. The Dihydroergotomine takes care of my migraine on the first dose and if by some chance it doesn't I choose to go to sleep. After a 2nd dose which I have literally done twice in seven years, it always goes away. Even though they told me ketorlac is ok in the injection form, I choose not to use any NSAIDs for anything. I have even added it to my allergy list. @@Nurse_Lenora Your advice to find a neurologist that is board certified in headache medicine is SPOT ON! People do not realize that there really is a significant difference in that specialty.

I have osteo arthritis of my knees my left being the worst. I had a cortisone shot about 40lbs ago which was nearly a year ago now. Before that, I had to have cortisone about every 6 months and I still had trouble. Anyway, my right knee never bothers me anymore (YAY), my left knee bothers me if I keep it in one position to long but once I get it going it's ok. I will say my mom had severe arthritis of the knees and she had that creaking sound which basically means you have bone on bone arthritis. It is likely that will not improve and you will likely have to do something about it. I had bone on bone arthritis in my left should and boy did that hurt and make a lot of noise when I raised and lowered it. You really should get in and see what kind of treatment plan to move forward with. I am so glad that I had my shoulder done now. I have 100% range of motion. Both knees and shoulders take a long time to recover so be prepared for a lot of PT. I had my shoulder done on 2/12 and I just got my full range back. I have been going to pt twice a week and I still have 3 appointments left. Bad news is, my right one is not good either but I will hold off until I can't sleep on my right side any longer. Boy, that could be at any time...... Best of luck! I hope they can find a non surgical solution for you.

Honestly I set an ultimate goal at the high end of the BMI chart for my height and age. Of course I never in a million years thought I would get there so I set small goals to hit along the way. 100lbs lost, onederland, and so on. That kept me moving toward my ultimate goal. For the last 20lbs which were the hardest, I set mini goals within it. I knew that setting a time limit goal would have been a complete disaster for me so refrained from doing that and thank goodness because it did take me 16 months to get to my ultimate goal.

@@OKCPirate LOL! When I was at my worst with migraine, I had one 27 out of 31 days. I tried sex over and over and although it was fun, it never has helped me. It's a good way for my hubby to never get it. LOL! My migraines are the best they ever have been after losing all this weight too. Some months I will get between 3 and 5 and other months I will have none. I will take those 3-5 knowing I can get rid of them quickly these days. I might also mention that after I lost the first 80lbs I could no longer tolerate the beta blockers as I have very low blood pressure after having high blood pressure for so long. Another benefit of bypass and the diet I follow. I no longer need a preventative, just my DHE to knock it out when it is upon me. I had a brutal one last night and they come on so fast. I know why I got it, I am weaning off of heavy narcotics for all my back surgeries this past year. They had me on so many mind altering drugs to control pain and none of them worked so we started weaning in March and I am finally down to the smallest dose of fentanyl. 2 more weeks and I will be off all that crap that made my headaches worse. I have not had sex in a while though! Damn hubby isn't putting out. TMI, I know but I would be willing to give it a try again! I keep dreaming about it. LOL

@@Daisee68 YAY!!!! Friend, I have been waiting for yours pics for a long time now! I am so glad you finally decided to share them. You are a beautiful person on the inside and the outside. I appreciate the connection we have so much. I swear you are my therapist! LOL. Beautiful!

@@pprl8765 I have suffered from severe migraine my entire adult life many times ending up in the ER for help. If you have ever been to the ER during a migraine it is absolutely not the right place to be. About 7 years ago someone at work suggested going to a neurologist that specialized in migraine. I happened to find one that also suffered from them herself. Migraine is hereditary. Now my son and 12 year old Granddaughter both suffer terribly. Migraine with little to no treatment actually causes damage to your jaw joints. I know because I have severe arthritis of the jaw from clenching due to pain. Anyway my neurologist started me on a couple of basic preventatives that they give anyone who suffers to help prevent. I was on propanalol and topamax for prevention. She also sent me to occupational therapy which taught me how to leverage meditation for those really bad ones. These were all good things but migraines when they come need something to relieve them. She put me on a rescue drug called Dihydroergotomine. You give yourself a quick injection as you feel the migraine coming on. If you get aura, that's the perfect time. I swear, this injection takes hold in less than 30 minutes. You have your whole day back feeling as if the migraine never even happened. This is not a narcotic it's used to open the blood vessels in your brain which is what is causing the migraine. She also gave me a second rescue medication given by injection called ketorlac. It is what they give you in the ER. This is just in case the DHE doesn't work. I can tell you that I have only had to use the ketorlac 3 times in the last 7 years. I have not been to an ER in that 7 years once for migraine. I can treat it at home and I am up and running 30 minutes later. Prior to this I tried everything. Botox, imitrex, something that started with an M (sorry cannot remember the name) as well as many others. None of that stuff worked for me and I swear I have told several people that I know who suffer with them to ask their doctor to be put on a preventative and give them Dihydroergotomine as a rescue drug. 2 of the people I work with that tried it have the same results. It is worth learning to give yourself an injection. I promise!!!! Oh and understanding the triggers and staying away is critical. The first thing my doc did was have me stop drinking caffeine, stay completely away from an artificial sweeteners, red wine. Also she had me stop taking any over the counter stuff because all of besides alieve cause rebound migraines. Excedrine is one of the worst rebound medications. Same is true of any narcotic that has Tylenol in it. When I take pain killers, I get migraines that stay for days and days until I stop the pain killers.

@@Thendy I am sad that your surgery has been postponed! I can remember how bumps in the road made me cry uncontrollably. I was so ready to begin my new life. I know that you are already glad that they found this problem because it likely would have caused complications almost right away. They want you to go into surgery with a good solid base because there are a couple of months right afterward that literally sucks all the stacked up nutrients away from you. The best thing is to get your infusion and follow up with a cardiologist to make sure your heart is healthy enough to go through such a major transition. The surgery is the smallest part, it's life after and learning your way that takes a lot out of us. I hope everything works out for you and you are back on the schedule quickly. Keep us posted and certainly reach out if you need anything. Hugs!