healthier&happier4life

To supplement my daily Protein intake, I use ProtiDiet flavor packets. I mix 2 packets in 32 oz of Water & it's 30 g of protein. Tastes great. I especially like the honeydew melon flavor, but all 6 different flavors I got are good. I got these from Amazon.< /p>

I thought I'd just put my story out there so far. So many times we read about the the surgeries that have complications..... which scared me so bad. I thought I'd give a happy outcome!
I started my process in November by going to the group meeting then meeting with my surgeon. I had to go through the 6 months of doctor visits and of course all the health screening tests. I was approved by my insurance company Anthem BCBC in less than a week. Finally I was given my surgery date, 6 weeks out. I felt like that was forever far away.. but time went fast! I was put on two week liquid diet. The first few days were a test for me for sure, but I stuck with it because I knew if I cheated my liver wouldn't shrink as much as possible. I was lucky enough that I had no comorbidities and I wasn't on any medications.
My surgery was Thursday the 21st at 8:30 am. I was back to my room by like 2pm. I felt fine, just real groggy and tired. I wasn't really in pain though. I feel like the gas "pain" was like when you eat too much food, and it burns right at your sternum area... all you want to do is poop to relieve that pressure. That is how I felt. The first time I tried to stand up I started dry heaving, so I stayed laying down. ... well sitting up as far up as my hospital bed would let me. I had some pain meds in my IV, then later at night the meds they give to relieve some of the inner swelling to give the gas more room. My nurse told me that the actual pain med narcotic causes Constipation so I didn't want to take it. When I would feel the gas move around and get stuck somewhere uncomfortable, I'd move to get it moving... then I felt fine again. Friday I woke up feeling great, in the afternoon at some point the gas really stuck somewhere for probably like 45 min, that was the worst of it for me. I just kept making laps out in the hallway to get it to move. Saturday I was up feeling amazing, I had a bowel movement, drank Water, my first Protein Shake, and some Soup. Since I was able to keep it all down I was released to go home. I honestly did not even feel like I had surgery at all. That night I started staying at a clients house with their pets. (I own a pet sitting business). I felt fine. I think the worst thing was having the drain tube removed. I was mostly just sleepy because in the hospital they are taking blood, checking monitors, checking blood sugar.. blood pressure.. ect like every hour so I got NO sleep there!! I did still take this week off of my accounting job to give myself time to get used to drinking what I need when I need.
Today is monday, so 4 days post op. I honestly do not even feel like I had a surgery. Obviously I have the bandages over my six incision spots.... but I feel amazing! I think I feel so thankful that my surgeon belonged to a bariatric center of excellence. The nurse told me they have a lot more hoops to jump through, even the hospital rooms had to be special for the patient to heal in... and no sharing of rooms!! whew. I think that would be one of my biggest suggestions... follow your preop diet exact.. and if you don't have a surgeon yet, try to find one that is certified with the bariatric center of excellence.
I can't wait to continue on this journey!!

I have only told a few people. When I'm around the people I haven't told, I just tell that that I;m not very hungry because I had a late lunch, etc.,
As far as restaurants go, sometimes my husband and I order one entree, and I just get a couple ounces of the meat. We've also ordered separate meals, and I just have them box up the leftovers for me. (I cut off the portion that I'm going to eat so that I don't accidentally overdo it!

A day spent on bariatricpal.com is a day well spent!

@@Pegasus012587 I have a follow up next week. I will let you know what my surgeon says. (I'm assuming that I'm eating too fast - even though it doesn't seem that way to me - or something like that.

Yes...that's about when it started for me....you definitely gave me hope... it was just 3 weeks ago yesterday....thank you for replying. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

My husband just had his surgery June 20th. He will be 61 July 5th. He would give anything if at age 40 he had gotten healthy then. We could have probably missed his heart and knee surgery and could maybe be spending our vacation walking on the beach this year. What I am saying is that you need to get your head and heart set on getting healthy. It is a difficult battle to go thru but well worth it. Making your mind up now will save you many health problems later.
My husband was told by a nurse in the hospital that he just added 20 years to his life.
Good luck and keep talking to everyone on this website.. That is what I intend to do as I help my husband thru this..

I started having insomnia about a week after surgery. It was bad for about three weeks. I would go to bed feeling sleepy but couldn't get to sleep until 3a.m. Or so then wake up 3 hrs later feeling wide awake. Now, in week 5, it has gotten a lot better. Thankfully!

Yes it's completely normal to have a stall, your body is hanging on to every single fat cell because your body is in starvation mode right now so when your body catches up to the surgery then you will start losing weight again. Don't worry it's completely normal and will happen a couple of times
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was told it is normal to only loss 10 lbs a month.
Mrs. Marrufo Phone

I am very excited and scared that my surgery date will be Aug 1 @ 8am Pacific time~!

Thanks for sharing! Hopefully your experience will help keep me straight!

I definitely think you need to get someone there with you, at least for a couple of days. I felt okay when I got home and I could have taken care of myself. But, it sure was nice to have someone checking up on me... making sure I was drinking and getting my Protein in.

Well, I decided to try it this evening. Walked right out my back door and found a pokemon there! Who would have thought? Went on a short walk and found another one. So, I'm in my 50s and having fun playing with Pokemon. I never would have thought it! I think it will make exercising more fun!

Common sense is important in anything we do! Fortunately, I live out in a rural area, so when I'm walking I'm looking at nature - not my phone. The app makes your phone vibrate when Pokemon are near, so that's the only time you have to look at your phone. I've only tried it a few times. It's much too hot where I live to be out walking during the day!

Thank you! I read your "Embrace the Stall" post. Just what I needed to hear!

It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall?
I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea.
Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds.
For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response:
What can you do to "break" a stall?
1) STAY OFF THE SCALE
Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale.
2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE
In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck.
3) TRACK YOUR Protein AND Water AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY
As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do.
If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall).
4) EXERCISE
If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle.
5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT
If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall).
6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE
About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your Vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics.
7) JOURNAL
One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil.
-- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general.
-- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place.
-- Write about what life was like before surgery.
-- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future.
-- Write about your fears.
-- Write about your NSVs.
-- Make a gratitude list.
-- Make a bucket list.
-- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self.
Just write.
8) SEEK HELP
Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous.
The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them.
The last, and most important thing you can DO is:
9) EMBRACE THE STALL
Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process.
Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines.
Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss.
If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

Yes, it is normal.
Embrace the Stall
http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Totally normal. It will pick back up.
I'm only about 2.5 months post op and I went through a period of about 3 weeks when I didn't lose any weight. It was very odd and frustrating. But I'm back on track now!

Keep us posted!

Hubby and I walked around 6 miles playing Pokemon yesterday....Best part about it...I woke up to a 4 lb weight loss this morning!!! [emoji7][emoji7][emoji7]....btw....I am 48 and hubby is 51 [emoji106]

Awesome! Doesn't it feel good to get healthier!

Awesome! It is exciting!

@@Julie norton WOW! For some reason, this x-ray of a 250 pound person bothers me more than looking at myself at that weight did! I guess seeing how the organs are enlarged -- even the heart! So glad I'm doing something about this!!

I hate that your surgeon's office is not as helpful as they should be! If you google "post operative diet for bariatric surgery" you will find plans from mayo Clinic and other prestigious hospitals. Maybe one of these will have a little more detail for you.