backtofitme

Thank you so much. You both are so helpful. This site has been amazing. I tend to agree that we often hear about the bad more than the good and we certainly don't often hear "yippee I didn't dump!" LOL I also strongly believe that, if done right, we can train our intestines to accept food more. High hopes maybe but I need high hopes to move forward.

I dont drink juices due to acid reflux and don't eat sweets that often, greasy foods already upset my stomach. My weakness is bread, but I think I can keep it to whole grain or whole wheat.

So with all this ... I'm down to the line on making my decision and I can have the sleeve next Monday or the bypass next Wednesday (or maybe Aug 9th depending on if he needs a co-surgeon). Between this an my other posts, I decided I'm gonna be an RNY girl!

No, it is not too late for you. After all, you'll be sleeved for life, foverer and ever. It's not as if your banana-shaped sleeve disappears into thin air after one year.
Here's the caveat...you are the only one who can conjure up the intrinsic motivation to get back on track and stay there.
Here's another reality: whatever method you utilize to get back on track will need to be the method you use to stay on track. An obesity physician once spoke wise words: "If you didn't like what you did in order to lose the weight, you won't like what you need to do to maintain the weight loss."
In other words, the habits you adopt while losing weight are some of the same ones you'll need to adhere to if you want to maintain the weight loss for life.

I have followed a Keto way of eating since the beginning of my six month insurance-required diet (including during the post-op food stages). I like it because it is a sustainable way of eating for me and it meets the protein-heavy requirements of post-op life.
I love it -- and have lost over 200 pounds embracing this style of eating!
Good luck!

In addition to the recommendation provided by Newme17, you cannot go wrong with steel cut oats. They take significantly longer to cook than Quaker oats, but they're more filling.

I have COMPLEX carbs on my plan and they don't interfere with how I'm losing weight. Key....COMPLEX carbs. Tortillas, breads, rolls...usually are made with simple carbs--those will hinder loss and can cause cravings. But COMPLEX carbs are not bad for you. I've said it once before somewhere...if you're eating a bowl of oatmeal (not the store bough packaged kind) and or even lentil Soup, are you still craving more oatmeal and lentils afterwards? No. Big difference between complex and simple. But again, answering your question, I'd stay away from the simple carbs for a while (till maintenance even) and that's if you're working it off like @Introversion does.

I've been successful by avoiding most carbs. I'd skip the rolls, tortillas, Buns, even brad until you reach your goal, and then only incorporate the quality, complex carbs, and do so sparingly.
At 8.5 months post op, and just 10 lbs away from my goal, I just today ate my first slice of bread. It was whole grain, and I had it with turkey. I also worked out today! I feel great, but I wouldn't have (and don't suggest) you eat bread early on. Carbs are way too addictive and plus they take up and waste. valuable space in your tummy.

I'm not sure if you're still looking for info as I see you posted about this in March. I can relate to your situation. I had the sleeve almost two years ago. I have PCOS, which didn't present symptoms until after a pregnancy. I was very fit prior to the pregnancy. After pregnancy, I just couldn't lose the weight regardless of my clean meal plan and 5 day per week exercise routine. I actually just started gaining without changing anything! Doctors did blood work and other tests, said it was PCOS and my best hope for losing was wls. I had a consult, was recommended to go with the sleeve. July 15, 2015 I was sleeved. I quickly lost down to 195 but it stalled by month 4!! I was working out, eating correctly, nada! It was very depressing. In June of 2016 I started slowly gaining, again without having changed anything. By January 2017, I was up to 216. I went back to my surgeon who sent me for tests and to the medical weight loss doctor. Tests revealed that I had become Insulin Resistant AND I had developed a Hiatal Hernia. I followed a Keto diet from January-April. I lost 16 pounds the first two weeks putting me back to 200 BUT my weight would not budge. I also had severe reflux during this entire time. So, my surgeon suggested that we fix the hernia and revise to a bypass because that is the only way to resolve the gerd. He also stated that with the malabsorption and my endocrine issues, he hopes I will lose another 40-50 pounds. He had to do a peer to peer with my insurance but got it approved!! I had my revision surgery June 14th and am doing very well...it was easier and less painful than the sleeve!! I'm almost 2 weeks out and down 12 pounds. The weight loss may be slower this time but the scale is moving! I'm praying it continues to move because I can't imagine going through this entire process and not getting to a healthy weight. I wish I had gone with the bypass originally but there's no way we could have known I would be one of the few that the sleeve wouldn't be successful for.

I'm consigning them to history.
My Dad was a baker so this is a challenge but I know bread is a very particular weakness of mine, I mean when I've travelled round the world I have asked to go into the back of bakeries!
Adios doughboy!

Honestly? That's what got a lot of us this fat to begin with. I'm planning on avoiding those foods as much as I can til I'm in maintenance. They're trigger foods for me. My nutritionist/surgeon puts their patients on a strict low-carb, high-protein plan, and that seems to be the case for most bariatric patients, from my research.

I, too, had hyperthyroidism for a number of years due to Graves disease. I still struggled with my weight while hyperthyroid and weighed 200 pounds at the time I had my thyroid ablated. Soon after the radioiodine ablation, I became hypothyroid.
Anyhow, avoid the lap band if you have PCOS. It simply doesn't induce the favorable metabolic changes needed for you to start dropping weight. My former coworker had severe PCOS at the time she was banded. She lost 20 pounds due to the shock of surgery, then regained it all plus more.
To be fair, she ate plenty of fast food since she craved starchy junk due to severe insulin resistance from the PCOS. A more powerful bariatic surgery would have helped the insulin resistance and tamed her hunger hormones, at least for the first year (a.k.a. the 'honeymoon period').

Sent from my SM-G935P using BariatricPal mobile app

Well this is my journey from Monday the 12th. Went in for hiatial hernia repair and RNY because my acid was totally out of contol. When the anesthesiologist inserted his tube, it was discovered that I had a very thin area of scar tissue that was completely iniulated from my severe acid. So my wonderful surgeon had to repair that first before he could do the bypass. Because of this it wasn't necessart for him to do the hiatial hernia repair. So the bypass part went as planned. Because of this repair, I could not start liquids on Tuesday. I had to have an upper gi xray to make sure there was no leak. There wasn't, but he still wanted to be extra cautious because of the delicate repair. So I was only allowed ice swabs all day Tuesday and was on IV. Yesterday, Wednesday, I was finally allowed ice chips, but still on IV. Today, Thursday, I am still on IV, but was allowed broth. I am not having any problems with the broth, so I may be able to go home tomorrow. I live 50 miles away, so like I said he is being cautious.
Originally, I was to start liquids Tuesday through next Monday, adding Protein Drinks tomorrow. Of course that's when I was supposed to go home today. So now I will be on the Clear Liquids longer and probably not add Protein til mid week.
Otherwise, I feel great. I have never had any pain or needed to take pain meds. I am up walking four times a day with no problem. I do have a drain this time too, and that will be until my post op next Thursday. I have never been nauseated. I am just glad I have an excellent surgeon who saved my life agin. If this would have gone unnoticed, it most likely would hav ruptured and I would be in deep doo doo with infection throughout my entire body. I will update tomorrow! Wish I would have gone this route rather than VSG 5 1/2 years ago!

So now that I've met my goal I wanted to post an updated picture. My high weight was 252....that picture was taken Easter Sunday 2016.....I had surgery May 16, 2016.....and now 7 months and one week later today Dec 23rd....102 pounds gone forever! I've never been happier!!!

Awesome you look great! Here I am trying to figure out if I should go through with it in 3 weeks (Dec. 19, low bmi as well) and your post has really inspired me....thank you!
Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

It's been a year!!! I can't believe how fast this time has passed. I started out low bmi (height 5'8.5", starting weight: 190 lbs.) I was always physically active, but my access weight was really holding me back from excelling at all I wanted to do and be as well as causing me great anxiety. I have three young kids, and the day of surgery I woke up and thought, what am I doing?!!! Once it was done, there was no turning back, so I ate what I was supposed to, walked all the time from the get go, and came to this forum for support!
This year has been one of the most amazing years of my life. As the weight melted off, I was able to be even more active, and the more active I became, the weight continued to come off. It was a cycle of health! My goal weight was 140, which I hit around 5 or 6 months post surgery. I hit my current weight about 8 months post surgery. I am now on the cusp of being underweight (124 lbs, I am guessing because I am so active), but I feel amazing! I have never felt so healthy. I do taekwondo twice a week and run a ton (this week I ran a total of 34 miles). I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I still love food, but it just doesn't have the pull it used to have. It doesn't hold my thoughts hostage anymore! My husband is stoked, clothes are so fun to shop for and wear (I went from a size 14/16 to a size 2/4). I wore a bikini for the first time ever this summer! I am not self conscious to meet new people, and I don't have to pull my shirt out of my belly fat when I sit down anymore. Having gastric sleeve surgery is the greatest gift I ever gave myself!

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

@@deeveg
I know that Jamie eats carbs because she runs marathons. I am sure she will answer with her macros
My macros are like 60% fat, 50% Protein 10% carbs.
I rarely go over 25 net carbs, so my carbs are usually really lower than 10%, more like 7%. That works for me, it might now work for everyone. It works for me because it includes things I hate. Like I would rather starve than eat Beans, or rice or Pasta. I don't like any of them. People who like things like that will have a hard time eating Keto I think. I like meat and dairy, so Keto, low carbing is perfect for me.

Oh, don't even get me started on that! People who don't keep their Protein up and don't exercise are completely dooming themselves. By the time I reached my goal weight I had GAINED seven pounds of muscle. That is definitely key to helping keep metabolism strong. By the numbers, you would think I was a slow loser (and I was), but one of the reasons those fast losers lose so fast is they are losing precious precious muscle.

I will admit that this thread inspired me to buy 2 pounds of big ol shrimp today (16-20 per pound) and bacon to wrap them with. Mmmmm!

Let me just say first and foremost that I respect every vet on here who doesn't sugar coat anything and doesn't coddle and baby people who come here seeking validation for their poor choices. I'm waiting for approval from my insurance company to be sleeved, but I have learned soooooo much from reading these threads and will forever be grateful for the people who have had success but still stick around to help others with their journeys. That being said, I find it quite amusing when someone come here seeking validation and kind words for something they know they shouldn't have done and get upset when they get the cold, hard truth from someone who's already been there and done that. I haven't even been sleeved yet but I know better than to come here asking if tacos and steak is ok to be eating 1 week post op. Let's be serious. I would rather have my feelings hurt by the truth than to be comforted by a lie.

I'm totally flattered and a bit speechless. Ha! That never happens...

I lost about 44 lbs in 3 months without surgery. Did that stop me from getting sleeved? hell no!!
I am learning to embrace my sleeve. My problem has always been quantity not quality. I ate a lot of healthy food. And a lot of starches too..
My sleeve allows me to eat a whole lot less of that without battling hunger. Now it's just Proteins Proteins and more proteins.. now I've lost another 30...
Sent from my SM-N900P using the BariatricPal App

How could I regret getting my life back?
I'm down 92 pounds, from a size 22 to a size 6. I'm active, healthy, and my self esteem has shot up. I was in constant pain while fat. I couldn't keep up with my kids. Now, I'm the mom I wanted to be. We've gone skiing and ice skating and trampolining together.
I also don't miss out on good food and good parties. I just eat less and drink less (which is fine because alcohol hits so much harder now).
Sent from my SM-G925V using the BariatricPal App

I haven't had my surgery yet so you can discount my opinion if you want to. I am getting this surgery not because I can't lose weight, but because I can't keep it off once I lose it. It's awesome that you've lost 25 pounds, but your chances of keeping it off for 5 years is somewhere between 2-4% without surgery. Bariatric surgery gives the best chance available today to keep the weight off long term because it's the only thing that resets your body's weight set point to a lower level giving you a better chance at keeping it off. Set point is the high weight your body will fight tooth and nail to get back to. It's why it's so hard to maintain weight loss otherwise. You can still gain the weight back if you don't change your habits around food and exercise, but at least you have a chance to keep it off. 2-4% is no chance at all.
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

No regrets whatsoever. Had an easy, quick recovery. I can eat decent amounts with restriction, have had no vomiting or anything like that. My skin and hair have never looked better. No Hair loss, and complexion is flawless eating so clean with all this Water. I'm loving going from a 22 to a 16. I have gone down a bra band size, and my booty is shrinking, which I and hubby miss, but I'm at the gym hard now trying to bring it back.

I only wish I had known to do the surgery 10 years ago and not wasted some of the best years of my young life being self-conscious and overweight with esteem issues.