gpmed

Has anyone else had it? How did you manage it?

On 6/4/2015 at 9:19 AM, James Marusek said:

I am 2 years post-op from RNY surgery. My weight is fairly stable. On a recent visit to my nutritionist, I asked her "Why do some people lose significant weight after WLS only to gain it back years later?" Her response was because of grazing.

This is interesting. I'm not currently having any trouble, but this sparked a question. I'm 19 months out from RNY and I've had to deal with reactive hypoglycemia. I find it helps me to eat smaller amounts throughout the day instead of three meals and no Snacks.

So what's the difference between this and grazing? Or how does one do this without falling into the pitfalls grazing presents?

I'm 19 months out. If that's not far enough out for you, I totally understand and you can let this go in one ear and out the other.

I recently lost 15 pounds, bringing past my stretch goal. That was after maintaining at a higher weight for months. I believe that months-long lull came partly as a result of the honeymoon phase ending. (I could be wrong. Maybe it gets even worse...haha.) Anyway, my point is, losing that last 15 was pretty hard and took really focused effort.

I tracked my food using myfitnesspal and activity using my Fitbit. I set both to the goal of losing two pounds a week. I set a goal of exercising every day. That way, I ended up exercising at least six days a week. About half of my workouts burned about 500 calories and the other half about 300. I did my best not to eat back all of the calories I burned through exercise.

I went off the rails twice, but I got right back on track immediately, like the very next day. I also tried really hard to notice when I became susceptible to off-plan food. For example, was I getting cranky/hungry in the afternoon? Then I'd bring an extra protein-filled snack.

This worked for me. YMMV.

Now I'm just deciding whether to be done losing weight or go after my extra stretch goal...

@@James Marusek I am. I'm locked out.

Hi everyone!

I've been a member of this board for about a year and a half, since before my RNY in September 2015. It would be hard to miss the drama that's happened here, but I've sidestepped it because it's just not interesting or relevant to me.

What I'm struggling with, though, is finding a place here where I can talk with others about what IS relevant to me. Most of the posts I see are from people who are pre-op or only a short time out from surgery. It's difficult and time-consuming to weed through all of these posts to find anything helpful or that I can relate to as someone more than a year out.

At one years, four months out from surgery, I still won't be allowed to post in the vets forum until March. I could use some support, good info or even just camaraderie from people who are further out like me RIGHT NOW.

Any suggestions? Where do you all who are a year or more out go for support? Thanks!

@@jenn1 I wonder what the difference is between the neat hour glass and the full hour glass?

So I found the part about the role glucose plays in decision making fatigue really interesting. It helps explain why eat as few calories as possible diets fail while fuel your body with healthy foods (proteins, healthy fats and carbs) diets work.

So there's a stereotype about overweight people: We all think we have a large bone structure. I remember hearing this many years before surgery was even a blip on my radar. I thought, yes that's true. Lots of overweight people probably think they have a large bone structure and don't. But not me. I REALLY have one.

Well guess what? I don't. My Fitbit broke after having it 10 months. It was a size large, but I'd gradually been tightening it to nearly the last hole. I measured to make sure a size small would fit before I got a new one. My wrist was 6.25 inches. Wow, that seemed small.

So it got me thinking. I looked up a bone structure calculator online. Sure enough, at 5'6" that means I have a medium bone structure.

Who would have thought? The fun things you learn after WLS!

@@Hammer_Down All good points. I think they mean how many decisions you make per day, not over long periods of time. The idea is that you rest at night and your decision-making energy is restored each morning. But I see what you mean. Auto-piloting allows us to make good choices without having to think about them. If you just go the gym every day after work, you don't get too caught up in wondering "should I go to the gym today?"

This New York Times article about decision fatigue, particularly it's hidden affects on willpower, really has me thinking. The idea is that each time we make a decision throughout the day, including going to the gym when we don't want to or resisting junk food, it uses mental energy and makes it harder to make a decision or resist temptation later. I've never thought about it quite this way before. I'm wondering if having a strategy for dealing with decision fatigue towards the end of the day can help us stay on track. Thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?contentCollection=smarter-living&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

I'd listen if a medical professional, especially more than one, told me I was too thing. As for anyone else, pfffft.

My surgeon is reluctant to set any kind of goal weight for patients. I told him at my one-year appointment that I didn't feel overweight anymore, but my BMI was still 28. He said that's the average BMI for Americans now, so I guess I wasn't overweight anymore for an American.

He told me and I've heard here that many people bounce back up a small amount after two years or so. I'd feel good if that bound up was to where I am now, so I'd like to lose some more for that reason. If people start telling me I'm too skinny, I'll just laugh and remind myself they don't know what "normal" looks like anymore.

For me personally, I believe I received a tried and true WLS method when I had RNY. It's been proven to work. If I ending up gaining back so much weight that I'd quality for WLS again, I will feel that I messed up big time. I can't say for sure what I'd do if I reached that point cause I'm not there, but I think I'd be too embarrassed to ask for a revision. I will have failed cause of me, not the surgery.

However, I disagree with the quote about the lap band. My hospital stopped performing that surgery more than a year ago because it just doesn't work well enough for enough people. So if someone had RNY or sleeve gastronomy after a band, I'd see them as getting the "right" surgery this time and not fault them so much for the first one not working. If they failed to change their habits so that RNY or sleeve didn't work, THEN I'd say it's on them.

Just my $0.02.

I'll cut right to the chase:

What I'd prefer to do: Catch an Uber to the hospital on the day of surgery and catch an Uber from the hospital when I'm released. Between those rides, friends can visit to their hearts content.

Do this.

It's your surgery and time of need. When someone offers support in your time of need, it's up to you to decide whether you want that support and politely accept or decline. Then it's up to your family and friends to respect that you know what you want and what's best for yourself and accept your decision.

Remember, this YOUR time of need, not their time of need.

@@kayelly It should be safe to sip continuously. Liquids move through the pouch much faster than solid food. Shortly after surgery, you really need to get in all the fluids you can to prevent dehydration. The 30/30 rule comes into play when eating solid foods.

Vanity sizing is definitely a thing. I have a supply of clothes from the last time I was my current weight about 10 years ago. Those things fit again and are 12s, 14s, and larges. When I buy clothes, I get 10s and mediums.

You know how people like to point out that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14? A size 14 from her era is probably the same as a size 4 or so today.

How much sizes have shifted in just 10 years amazes me. I read recently that the average woman wears a size 16 or 18 now, which 10 years ago might have been an 18 or 20.

With me wearing a medium, I'm wondering what actually tiny women are wearing? Like do the extra smalls even fit them?

@ That is really cool to know. The closer I get to normal BMI, the more accurate it seems FOR ME. What my surgeon said makes perfect sense. I don't feel overweight anymore because most Americans carry some extra weight. I can see where some additional pounds could come off my stomach and thighs. Once that's gone, I wouldn't think I'd have much extra to lose and I'd be in normal BMI range. I'm working out like a normal person, but not a "bari-athlete," so I bet the body fat percentage predictor works for me.

@@catwoman7 That sounds interesting. Would you mind linking to the site? I'm curious.

Thanks for the info, everyone! I'm still doubling down on Iron, but my surgeon actually thinks something else is causing my symptoms. My iron is low, but apparently I'm not anemic. He's having me evaluated for something called POTS, which he says people sometimes develop after RNY.

I'm one year out from surgery and couldn't be more thrilled with my progress. I've lost 110 pounds and my BMI is now about 28. I had an interesting conversation with my surgeon at my one-year follow-up. I asked if he had a goal for me and said I don't feel overweight anymore.

He said my goal is really up to me and that most people continue to lose a little more until they reach the 18-month mark after RNY GB. He also warned about the bounce that comes around year two or so. He said I probably don't feel overweight anymore because I'm not really overweight for an American. Apparently, in the U.S., the average BMI is now about 28 or so. People under the 25 BMI range look extra thin to us.

I am going to try to lose a bit more so that if I bounce, hopefully I'll bounce to where I am now. The weight is still coming off very slowly, but steadily, so I'm not worried.

I'm just curious, how many of you actually made it to the normal BMI range? Is that when people started saying you were too thin?

You're awesome! Congrats! I have loved saying goodbye to each 10-pound range. Can't wait to join you in the 160s!

You are singing the song of my people. There are people in my office who put the bag in the microwave and then go to the bathroom or back to their desk. Of COURSE it burns! You have to watch it and listen for the pops to come longer than a few seconds apart. Like the bag always says. DUH.

I'm curious how loose skin is interpreted by these scans? Is it perhaps mistaken for fat? I've really like a better idea of how much extra fat I'm carrying. I find it difficult to distinguish between it and loose skin sometimes.

I've not been tested, but want to chime in about target heart rate. If you use one of the 200 minus your age formulas, remember that's just an estimate. I learned through wearing my fitbit that my maximum heart rate is at least 10 beats per minute higher than the formula predicts. That means my target zones are also higher than the formula predicts. Just something to think about!

I'm close to one year out from RNY and the past few months, I've been feeling really tired and lightheaded. I kept brushing it off and thinking it was something else, like I had a touch of a cold or needed to double down on Protein.

At my six-month visit with my bariatric clinic, they did bloodwork and my Iron saturation was low (10 percent). Right after I got the results, I messaged them through their patient portal and the fill-in nurse acted unconcerned and blew me off. My PCP recommended I start taking Iron supplements (my surgeon told me to stop taking them two weeks after surgery because they were upsetting my stomach). I called my nutritionist and was at least able to get a recommendation for another formula to take that's easier on the stomach. I started taking it once a day.

Fast forward through months of feeling like crap. I was feeling tired and kind of foggy last Tuesday afternoon, but pushed myself to do my BodyStep class anyway. I ended up falling and spraining my ankle. Swelling has gone down, but still hurts. I also still have a knot and bruising on my lower back where I hit the step.

I called the bariatric clinic and thankfully the regular nurse is back. She's sure I'm feeling bad because my iron is low and told me my surgeon recommends taking iron three times a day with meals when it gets low like that. I started doing that on Thursday and felt better for about a day before I started my period.

For those of you who have dealt with low iron, how long did it take you to feel better? Did you feel worse when you had your period?

I'm about a year out from RNY and am having trouble with Iron deficiency. My surgeon suggested I take ferrous gluconate (because stomach is less acidic after RNY) three times a day with meals. I'm really hoping this helps because I'm sick of being so tired and lightheaded all the time.