Airstream88

What are you eating? If you are eating junk food then you won't feel the restriction - it just slides right through. At each meal eat your dense Protein first (3oz of chicken, steak, tuna, fish, etc) then non-starch veggies and if you have room a fruit or multigrain serving. Eat every 3 - 4 hours with NO snacking in between. Don't drink 30 minutes before, during, or 30 minutes after your meal.

Have you talked to your surgeon or PCP?

I'm 7 weeks out and my NUT has us eating 5 mini-meals a day. I try to drink at least 1/2 Premier Protein shake (5.5 oz) in the morning. Second mini-meal has some type of meat (chicken, meatball, lean lunch meat) - 1 1/2 oz with 1/4-1/2 multi-grain or fruit serving . Third meal might be a cheese stick, Parmesan crisps, hummus or yogurt dip with cucumber slices, with 1/4 - 1/2 multigrain or fruit serving. Fourth meal is supper at home - 1 1/2 oz of meat (chicken, pork, etc) and some type of veggie - 1/4 cup and Fifth meal is the rest of my premier Protein Shake or glass of Fairlife milk.

It's wonderful you have a Dad that is so caring and worried for you (I lost mine when I was 12). However, you are an adult now and need to make the right decision for you. Yes this is a life changing operation. But the first 4 on the list can be controlled and/or fixed if they occur. The DVT is a possible side effect of any surgery and good surgeons (I highly recommend Bariatric Center of Excellence programs) will test for leaks before they allow you to even take that first drink. I too have arthritic knees that I had to take 15 mg Meloxicam to walk comfortably. Two months after my Gastric Bypass and 46 pounds lighter, I can control the knee pain with Tylenol. They are still not totally pain free but much better than before.

From my understanding your body puts the brakes on weight loss (the stall) because it is trying to recover from the surgery and the extreme calorie deficit it's experiencing. Most people discover that they are still losing inches even if the pounds are not coming off on the scale. Also, your body will go into starvation mode if you are not consistently getting enough Protein and Water. Or you may stall if your exercise is burning more way more calories than you are taking in. You may have to up your protein to compensate.

-how long does the average recovery take? I had Gastric Bypass, Gall bladder removal and a hernia repair. I took 5 weeks off. -what is the age range of people who have done weight loss surgery? - 20s and up. I'm 54 -what are some meals and how often? My Nutritionist recommends eating 5 mini meals a day 3 - 4 hours apart. They consist of primarily Protein and if there is room, a serving of multi-grain or fruit and green veggie. -did you gain more confidence in life with weight loss? My self-esteem is not wrapped up in my appearance so it hasn't made a difference in my confidence. I had this surgery to help with my health issues - arthritic knees and pre-diabetes.

I agree with "genn". The World According to Eggface Blog is a great place to see lunch combinations. She uses a Bento box and fills it up with different things like turkey lunch meat, cheese cubes, dip made with yogurt and veggies, grapes, etc.

My surgery is on Oct 17th and luckily I am not required to do the liquid pre-op diet. I plan on drinking shakes for Breakfast and dinner the week prior anyway. The unjury chocolate Splendor Protein powder mixed with milk is delicious. Also if you go on the Bariatric Foodie website, she has great recipes for adding flavor to protein shakes.

I just tried an unjury chocolate Splendor this morning (having Surgery on the 17th) and it tasted great! I mixed it with milk. Did burp up the Protein "taste" afterwards but going down it tasted just like a really good chocolate milk.

You are probably experiencing the dreaded 3 Week Stall. I couldn't find the link to the article about it but I'm sure someone will post it. Our bodies figure out that the calorie deficit we have forced upon it is going to be long-term and goes into starvation survival mode. I have not yet had surgery but I've read enough on this site to know this is very common and weight loss will continue.

@@papercliphip An important thing to look at is the support team for the surgeon. Dr. A and his partner have an associated nutritionist and licensed clinical social that work out of their office as well as a top notch staff. They also hold support groups weekly and have a closed FB group where patients can get support from each other as well as the staff.y I feel I am in very good hands!

Thanks for your response. What were you allowed to take right after surgery to alleviate the pain until the weight came off?

I'm having my GBP done by Dr. Andrew Averbach at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD. They are a Blue Cross Blue Shield Center of Excellence which was a requirement of my insurance company. So far I am very happy with their program and my surgery is penciled in for October 17th. We are waiting on my insurance approval to make it official. Good Luck!

msujester - I have really painful, arthritic knees and neck too and worry about not taking NSAIDS for the pain after RNY surgery. What did you take for pain in the first months after surgery?

Totally agree! I have one monthly with someone I really trust - she has always made me feel normal, even at 385 pounds. Can't wait until turning over doesn't result in all the sheets and pads coming along with me!

"Do you think there's a possibility that maybe she is lying to herself about being in love with him? " No of us can answer that question for you because we don't know this person. It sounds to me like you are hoping that she is lying to herself about him so that she can eventually be with you. But love is complicated. There are many relationships where the people involved are not sexually attracted to each other but have a deeper connection based on shared interests and beliefs. On the other hand, since she doesn't feel she can be out in the open about her sexuality, then maybe she is marrying him because of her feelings about her religion and her family. I know of a gay couple where one partner never came out to his mother. She lived in another state and always thought his partner was just a roommate. After she died and it became legal, they married. On the surface, it appears that she is getting her sexual gratification from communicating with you. In my opinion, you should not pursue any type of relationship with her as in my experience, these types of situations never turn out the way the unattached person desires.

My surgery is penciled in for October 27th and I have told everyone that I see on a daily basis: co-workers, friends, and family. It's just easier. No worrying about what to tell people, no explaining why I'm not eating that much. Everyone has been very supportive and some have expressed excitement for me as well. I've been overweight for more than 20 years. I got over being embarrassed years ago, it is what it is and now I'm doing something about it.

I told my office 4 - 6 weeks. Even though my body may feel ready earlier than that, I feel I will need time to get the new eating/drinking lifestyle worked out. Also, I've read people say that their emotions are all over the place (from the hormones exitting with the FAT) and I do not want to subject my co-workers to a crazy woman.

My sister had a Lifestyle lift to get rid of her turkey neck. She was happy with the results but is not sure she would do it again. It was a more painful recovery than she was led to believe. She had to sleep in a recliner for 2 months and the super tight feeling behind her ears did not go away for over a year.

My NUT recommends nutraMetrix Vitamins. They are powdered and you mix them with 2 ounces of Water. Because they are Isotonic ( like the meds that are put through IV's ) , you only have to take them once a day and the Multivitamin and Calcium can be mixed together. My WLS surgery is not until the fall but I just ordered 90 days worth so I could get in the habit of taking them. My NUT also warned us that Vitamin deficiencies can take years to show up.

Hi! I am in the beginning stages of this process as well - but I have to do the 6 months of monitored weight loss so I will be having surgery in the fall. For years I was adamant that I would never have WLS, but multiple failures at dieting and the wear and tear on my 50ish year old body is becoming too much to ignore. If I don't lose this weight, I am looking at two knee replacements and probably a hip replacement down the road. I decided that WLS was a better choice with the hope that I can avoid having replacement surgery altogether. Robin

My NUT has given me the following guidelines to aspire to prior to surgery: 4 - 5 mini meals a day, eaten every 3 - 4 hours (no snacking in between) At least 3oz lean Protein or protein snack (yogurt) at each meal 2 servings of fruit 2- 3 servings good FAT (1oz nuts, olive oil, avocado, etc) 2 servings of carbs (multigrain bread, brown rice, etc) unlimited servings of non-starchy veggies. 64 oz non-caffeinated, non calorie beverages She says to should eat either a fruit or carb with each protein meal. If I am hungry between meals, I can add more protein. So far I have lost 5 pounds in two months of semi-following this plan. I am suppose to lose ~25lbs prior to surgery. This plan is supposedly preparing me for life after WLS - getting used to eating small amounts many times a day with protein being the primary food group. My NUT is not a proponent of the No-Carb rule.

Johns Hopkins has been or will be having a clinical trial concerning this procedure. There has been an advertisement on Facebook recently looking for participants. I found this page about the study: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02165124

I generally don't feel vulnerable day to day. I try not to put myself in situations that would make me a target and I'm cautious walking alone at night and will ask for an escort if I feel uncomfortable. Two incidents still stand out in my mind. The first incident was when I was walking alone late a night across my college campus after leaving the computer center (back before the internet, home computers and cell phones). I was literally the only person around and I felt very vulnerable. The other happened when I was waiting in line to have my emissions tested. One of the workers came up to my car, stuck his head partially in the window and made some lewd comments and sexual suggestions. There was a car in front of me and one behind me and I remember feeling scared and trapped even though people were around and he obviously wouldn't do me harm.

Abrandnewlife - I am in Maryland.