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mae7365

Gastric Bypass Patients
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Everything posted by mae7365

  1. mae7365

    protein snacks

    I have started making Sugar Free Jell-O pudding with Premier Protein Shakes. I love the pistachio pudding with vanilla shakes and the cheesecake pudding with strawberry shake. 25 calories for the pudding mix and 40 calories for the shake (I use an 11 oz. shake with cold water to get the 2 cups needed for the pudding mix). I put them into separate serving cups with lids, stack them in the frig and grab one when I need a snack/treat.
  2. I do the same. I've used MFP since 2012 and it holds a lot of historic data. But I use Baritastic to track food intake I love that it tells you the 7 day, 30 day and 90 day weight loss/gain trends. Since I'm 6 months post-op and below my goal weight, my husband, children and good friends have really been giving me grief about being too thin, looking unhealthy, looking sickly etc...…. The Baritastic site allows me to share real time information like - "I'm pretty sure I'm in maintenance because I've only lost 0.8 lbs. in the last 7 days" and "I've only lost 3.1 lbs. in the last 30 days" etc. It seems to make the people who care about me feel better that I'm tracking my weight loss with such accuracy. Not sure if that makes sense, but it works very well for me.
  3. My daughter came home today and she told me I should try on some of her dresses from her college formal days. Never, ever, ever did I expect them to fit. I feel pretty good after I looked at these photos. Of course, I've got the whole "bat wings" going on, but I'm not going to stress over the details. Just wanted to share my joy of the moment!
  4. Coffee with sugar-free French Vanilla creamer.
  5. I'm only 6 months post revision, so I'm not really sure if there is a honeymoon period like I heard about with the sleeve. I too have gotten below my goal and significantly lower than I ever got after VSG surgery. But I was overweight, not obese, at the time of my revision since the surgery was done for medical reasons, not for weight loss. I really don't know why I've lost so much weight, since I feel like my insides have been healed for months. I try very hard to eat healthy and I walk 5-6 miles a day. But I would be less than honest if I said I never ate sweets, snack foods etc. I haven't been actively losing weight for the past month (only lost 1.2 lbs. in the last 30 days). I think I'm actually in maintenance, which would be great if I can just keep doing what I'm doing and maintain! If it's a honeymoon, I hope it keeps going.
  6. I had bypass surgery October 2020, almost 6 years after I had the sleeve surgery. My revision was to resolve severe GERD, Esophagitis and Gastritis. I was overweight, but not in the obese range at the time of my bypass surgery. The recuperation for a revision appears to be very different from a "virgin" bypass and my original VSG. The biggest differences that I noted: 1.) no sense of restriction like I felt with the VSG 2.) I was hungry, unlike my total lack of hunger following VSG and 3.) I had very little pain after the revision compared to the pain I experienced after VSG. But everyone has different experiences and pain thresholds, so I can only speak for my post op experience. On a positive note, I've lost 47 lbs. since October and I feel great. But I could very, very easily "eat around" the bypass if I didn't make a conscience decision to eat healthy and exercise. Since weight loss is considered a ""complication" of my surgery, I am beyond thankful that I've been given this "do over".
  7. mae7365

    I HATE broth!!!

    I lived on the broth of ramen noodles. Even though it is high in sodium (salt), it was ok since everything else I was drinking/eating in the liquid stage was very low sodium.
  8. mae7365

    Postoperative multivitamins

    I just checked my education manual and calcium citrate is recommended. It's funny, my surgeon's office doesn't even ask me what vitamins I'm taking (even when I try to tell then). My surgeon told me he uses my lab results to monitor my nutritional status. Since my levels are ok, I guess I'm doing ok. But I will look for a calcium citrate option once I've finished this container of Viativ.
  9. mae7365

    Diarrhea?

    I don't remember diarrhea with the sleeve (actually constipation was my problem), but definitely had the "runs" for a week or two after bypass surgery. My dietician recommended I take Benefiber Sugarfree prebiotic. It sounds anti intuitive, but my surgeon told me that the fiber helps absorb some of the fluid in the bowel, and it worked.
  10. mae7365

    Postoperative multivitamins

    I also take Centrum Fruity Chewable. Like catwoman7, I get them on sale and I've had no problems with my vitamin levels. I also take 2 Viactiv chews for calcium, a daily 65 mg iron pill (Nature Made BOGO) and a subligual B12 (Nature Made BOGO).
  11. mae7365

    Clothing Problems! What to do?

    I'm not a seamstress by any means, but I can sew a straight seam. So I just kept taking in the back seam (just stitched, not like a real seamstress would do). I did that until the back pockets touched - then I went to Goodwill!
  12. I was dropping a size a week the first 6 months after my sleeve surgery. I shopped Goodwill until I stabilized at 9 months out. My bypass surgery has been less challenging - I'm retired and tend to live in yoga pants and athletic tops. But I finally went through my closet when I hit my goal weight and got rid of just about everything that wasn't stretchy athletic clothes. I took a leap of faith that I'm going to maintain this weight loss, went to a local Outlet mall and bought a couple pair of jean and dress slacks along with smaller tops and sweater. I'm still not willing to buy any really expensive clothes at this point. I feel like I'm still in the "honeymoon" stage.
  13. mae7365

    Band to Bypass

    I had sleeve to bypass in October 2020 for GERD etc. After the initial 2 weeks, I have been very happy with the results. Not just weight loss, but no more GERD, reflux, vomiting.......
  14. mae7365

    Coffee after gastric bypass

    I guess I'm a rebel who started back on coffee a month after bypass. I limit it to 2 cups in the morning, use sugar free coffee creamer and I'm a much happier person for it. I'm all about the long term sustainability of my weight loss, so I don't want to give up and/or deprive myself of the small pleasures like coffee.
  15. mae7365

    Weight Loss Medication for Regain?

    Yes, it is by prescription only in the US. But you may want to check in Europe. I know that a few prescription drugs in the US are over the counter in Canada. It may be worth asking a pharmacist. Good luck on your journey...…..but I don't consider155 heavy by any means. I got down to 154 after my sleeve surgery and felt pretty great there. You've accomplished so much, you are an inspiration 10 years after surgery!
  16. mae7365

    Weight Loss Medication for Regain?

    I used phentermine for a couple months before my bypass surgery in 2020. I had gained 50 of the 60 pounds I had lost after my sleeve in 2015. My primary care let me take phentermine for 6 months and I lost 20 pounds. It curbs appetite, but you still have to work at good food choices, exercise etc. Plus that drug has been around forever and is pretty cheap - like $25 for 30 pills (my insurance wouldn't cover it, so I used GoodRX).
  17. mae7365

    Wow! Size 6?????

    Someone on the bariatric Facebook page told me we should call the "angel wings". Such a softer, gentler term!
  18. mae7365

    Wow! Size 6?????

    Thank you all for the kind comments. I did steal the polka dot dress and wore it to church that day!
  19. mae7365

    Bile reflux

    RNY cured my GERD, Gastritis and Esophagitis. Not on reflux episode since surgery in October 2020. I had the sleeve in 2014.
  20. I actually called my surgeon's office who said the doctor would not write me an "at risk" note to be eligible for the vaccine (criteria for those under 65 in Florida at the time). Told me that surgery and rapid weight loss did not put me at high risk. I was a little "pissed". Called my primary care doctor who had a letter ready for me to pick up that afternoon. Had the first vaccine shot the next day. Then I go in for my 3 month post op appointment, actually see the surgeon, who immediately asked if I got vaccinated and did I need a note? Moral of the story - I don't think his office staff even asked him when I first called. That "pissed me off" too.
  21. mae7365

    Vitamins!!!

    Well, my opinion has always been that I don't want surgery to become expensive and cumbersome, so I buy my vitamins at Walmart and my 3 month post-op lab work came back perfect. I take one Centrum Chewy Fruit 50+, 2 Viactiv calcium chews, one NatureMade 65 mg iron, one NatureMade sublingual B12 every other day and one Easy Melt sublingual Zinc every other day. My surgeon was happy with my lab results and told me to just keep doing what I'm doing. So I usually buy the NatureMade at the local grocery store when they are BOGO so my vitamin regime is very inexpensive but more than adequate.
  22. As a recent sleeve to bypass patient - specifically to resolve the terrible GERD, Gastritis and Esophagitis caused by chronic acid reflux - I can so relate to your comments. I had acid reflux disease before I even had the sleeve, and my surgeon never told me that GERD could be a complication following sleeve surgery. In all fairness, I think that this has really only come to the surface over the past 5 years. Now surgeons, and GI doctors, seem to be more versed in GERD following sleeve surgery and more prone to advise patients to choose the bypass. On a positive note, I've had ZERO acid reflux since my bypass surgery October 2020. I stopped taking any PPI, and my primary care doctor is thrilled. Long term use of PPI's can also lead to bone loss in women. Best decision I made was choosing the revision surgery.
  23. I also had the revision for GERD, Gastritis and Esophagitis and I'm very happy that all that has been resolved. But I'm also very happy with the weight loss. As you can see below, I gained almost all my initial weight that I had lost after the sleeve. I felt like a complete failure and a fool for having thrown away my chance at a normal weight. I know this revision is my second chance to do it right and learn from my mistakes. Here are my stats over my 6 year journey. Highest weight May 2012 - 222 lbs. Gastric sleeve surgery weight November 2014 - 212 lbs. Lowest weight post sleeve May 2015 - 151 post op 6 months (61 lbs. lost) Highest weight prior to revision surgery January 2019 - 205 lbs. (54 lbs. gained) Weight day of revision surgery October 2020 - 185 lbs. Current weight March 2021 (5 months post op) - 138 lbs. (47 lbs. lost) I hope that I never have to add a line that says I've gained weight back again!!!! Good luck on your journey!!!!
  24. @Paradigm Star I didn't feel much restriction immediately following RNY either. At least not like I did after VSG. But as time has gone by, it's not really restriction that I feel as much as just feeling full. And yes, I do feel hungry at time. I had a ZOOM meeting with my support group yesterday and the dietician even commented that revision surgery patients don't always feel like the "virgin" RNY patients - maybe because we've "been there, done that", we know what is going on and what to expect and there isn't that huge jump from a normal stomach to 1/4 stomach like we had with the VSG. So we went from 1/4 stomach to 1/8.....not as drastic of a change. But I know I feel great and have a ton of energy at almost 5 months post op. I feel like I'm fully healed inside. I'm glad you had the surgery. It should help, or eliminate, the gastric issues you were dealing with.......and you'll get to lose some weight in the process!!!
  25. mae7365

    Hospital Stay

    My doctor said one night depending on how I did. Two nights max. I was home after one night-less than 24 hrs after surgery.

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