ShelterDog64

@@SoExcited101 Congratulations on your new, healthier life! Letting go of people AND pounds is sometimes the best combination of all

@@jtellechea001 I was sure the sleeve was the right procedure for me, then I started wavering right before my final appointment with my surgeon. I was having some of the same thoughts as you about weight loss, and I was concerned that I wouldn't get the same result from a sleeve that I would with a RnY bypass. My surgeon and I talked for almost an hour, and it turned out (for all the reason I already knew but had started doubting) the sleeve was the right surgery for me. I'm in my early 50s and have a long history of moderate to severe iron-deficiency anemia. At my age/history, I didn't think I needed to introduce malabsorbtion into my life. My BMI wasn't crazy high and I wasn't diabetic. I've always been able to lose weight, just haven't been able to maintain. All of these factors had convinced me that the sleeve was the way to go, and despite a lot of noise from friends who've had bypasses, the sleeve was absolutely the way to go. My best advice is talk to your surgeon about your thoughts and concerns. My opinion, at only 10 weeks out, is that a huge portion of success with WLS is your dedication to using the tool you have appropriately, whether it's the sleeve or the bypass. We'll see where I am at one year, and I may be fooling myself, but I think I made the right decision. Good luck and can't wait to hear how it goes for you

@@blu2020 I could definitely tell when I drank too fast...I accidentally gulped about 3 huge swallows of Water just a couple of weeks post-op and after an excruciating cramp, it all came right back up! @@Omieliz You won't feel restriction with fluids the way you do with food. It's hard to understand what the feeling is like until you have it, it's completely different from the pain some of us get if we drink too fast early on. For me, my restriction is like a switch that flips...I'm eating and enjoying my small, slow meal and then all of a sudden, I'm done.

I ate steel-cut oats with Fairlife milk, stevia and Genepro powder early on, probably until about 6 weeks post-op, then I cut out grains/cereals entirely. I know what those kind of carbs do to me and I don't think they're a great idea while I'm in weight-loss mode. Lots of great advice from some very successful vets here, thanks for bringing up the topic. I struggle with whether or not to have many carbs in any form, always eat my protein first but my body really wants vegetables and fruit right now. My garden is producing squash like crazy (my husband's co-workers are starting to hide from me, I'm the Crazy Squash Lady!) and I'm eating it frequently and I wonder if it's part of the reason I'm in this irritating .5 down/.5 up/.5 down loop right now. My dietitian is zero help with this, she mumbles vague things about 'everyone is different, there are different schools of thought about carbs, if you eat carbs eat fiber too'...I need to find someone to really talk to me about calorie intake, resting metabolic rate, protein:carb ratios, offsetting exercise, ketosis, etc. specifically for WLS patients. It's frustrating!

I knew immediately if I was pushing too hard with fluids...a quick, sharp pain from my stomach was my signal. Once you figure out what that limit is, it's easier. It gets better, and once you're a couple of months out this will all seem like it's a LONG time ago. Good luck and congrats on being on the 'loser side'!

Really, your whole life should be centered around those Fluid and Protein goals right now...I sipped constantly during the first week. Try any Water additive that appeals to you to help get it down, and if you're drinking crystal light or lukewarm broth, add unflavored protein to help with that goal as well. The shakes do the job, but they can be heavy and hard to get in...I didn't have any temperature issues with my sleeve immediately post-op, so I dumped my shakes into the blender with some ice and blended it all together to lighten the texture of the Protein Drink. It helped a lot early on.

Cast-Iron before, egg-hating now. And like @@Candygyrl there are a few things I haven't tried because the idea of that food is revolting. Unfortunately, tuna is one of them. And I've limited carbs, so not sure how I'd do with refined sugar right now and I have no intention of finding out.

For what it's worth...I was a HUGE Isopure fan pre-op. Post-op, I literally could not get it past my lips. I liked Syntrax for a very brief couple of weeks post-op, and I can't stand it now. I'm a GENEPRO fan now, no smell, no taste, doesn't change the consistency of food. Whatever you do, don't over-invest in anything pre-op, because almost everyone's taste changes after surgery. You can get samples of lots of different Protein powders on several websites, and that's a good way to go.

@@charlie24 That wouldn't be surgical gas pain, and I'd be concerned about left chest pain radiating through the shoulder and down the arm...that's a cardiac sign that you need to get checked out. Soon.

Surgery was 6/21 and I was cleared yesterday to take Celebrex and motrin as needed. In the meantime, you could try turmeric capsules for the inflammation.

@@ppressey24 My min-pin barks at my stomach noises sometimes

Temperature can make it easier/harder, too. I liked mine REALLY cold, so I blended the Premier shakes with a little ice to make them lighter in texture and colder. I still have a hard time drinking RTD Protein shakes straight out of the carton.

You look fantastic...what an amazing transformation! I need to put some pictures of myself side-by-side to get me through this little slump I'm in. You are a role model of what this surgery can do!

Saw my surgeon today...he said it's normal and we'll only take it to a GYN if it's irregular or persists more than 3 months.

@@susie66 Do you have the Mirena? I'm pretty sure the resumption of my periods is because I'm mobilizing fat and all the estrogen that's stored there is back in my system. If the same is happening to you, I'm sure the estrogen is interfering with the levonorgestril the IUD releases. Fun stuff, eh? I didn't expect this AT ALL.

@@susie66 I'm definitely not having any issues like you describe. I'm pretty much eating whatever I choose and have been since around week 4. I guess I'd do what you're already doing...go back to liquids then try to progress to soft foods, then back to regular foods. I'm so sorry you're feeling nauseated...that's the thing I fear the most every time I eat and I think it's why this surgery is working so well for me. The only time I have nausea is if I eat too much (or eat mushroom soup ) so I avoid overeating at all costs! Do you have a post-op appointment anytime in the near future? This might be something to run by your surgeon or dietitian, they've likely seen the same thing from another patient and can give good advice. Good luck, and I guess the bright side is that going back to shakes should jump-start any stalls you've had!

This surgery (I'm only 9 weeks post-op) has taken away my cravings and hunger, so I'm establishing new eating habits right now. I had the surgery because I care about my health, and when I can only eat a few tablespoons of food, no way am I going to have that few tablespoons be carb-y garbage like bread, rice, baked goods, ice cream, etc. That mindset keeps me from eating dumb, useless foods. Instead, I now know that I need Protein to feel good. Before my sleeve, I could eat a bunch of crappy food AND the protein I needed for survival. Now, I have to choose and for me, it's been easy. The restriction helps to keep my portions where they need to be as I train my body to be satisfied with small portions, and the lack of hunger allows me to portion appropriately and avoid mindless eating. It IS hard to explain and even harder to understand until you're in the midst of it, but this is the most effective tool I've ever had access to and I'm loving it.

I've been looking for Protein2O everywhere! Rite Aid is supposed to carry it in my area but none of them do

I have a seasoning called shallot pepper from Penzey's Spices that I love on cottage cheese. Lemon pepper is good, too. I buy those 'fruit only' spreads and put a teaspoon of that in 1/2 cup cottage cheese, and it's delicious (when you can have them).

I went off my lisinopril/HCTZ for surgery and never went back on. My readings have been consistently in the 120s/70s every since.

So, I'm going to weigh 217 for the rest of my LIFE, apparently. Every day, 217.4, or 217.2, or 217.0...but NEVER 216. ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH. AND, my periods have started again. It has been about 18 months since I've had one, so comfortably menopausal, and now I'm cramping and crabby. AND I turned 52 this past weekend. Did I mention crabby?? LOL. How's everyone else doing? Tell me something good....

@@jurisjitsu If you're truly getting NO protein, you need to see your surgeon ASAP. Are you taking in any fluids at all? If you are, you can mix an unflavored protein powder with that fluid to get something in. You HAVE to have protein.

@@LisaMergs That's interesting that your doc thinks the sweet spot is after the 3 month period that mine thinks is the same...I'd love to find out that this first 45-50 lbs is just the tip of my rapid weight loss!

My program gave me this formula, to help ME determine what my loss needs to be in the different phases to get me where I want to be. In the first 3 months, you lose x amount of weight. In the following 3 months, you'll generally lose 1/2 of whatever number x is, which is then number y. And then in the following months, you can lose 1/2 of y, for as long as you chose to eat/exercise in a way that puts you in weight loss mode, for number z. I want to lose about 110 lbs. My goal is 50 lbs in the first 3 months, so x = 50. I'll lose half of x in the 2nd 3 months, so y is 25. Then in the subsequent months, I can continue to lose 1/2 of y monthly, so z is 12. x + y + (as many months of z as I chose) will get me to my desired loss...50 +25 + (12 x3) = 111. I could be at my goal in 9 months if I work hard and stick to my plan. I've lost 45 lbs in 9 weeks, so I'm on track for that first goal. It really helped me to have interim goals and to have some sort of expectation of weight loss. Of course, this could all go out the window if I don't continue to lose as I have, but I have no reason to think that I'll be anything but successful as long as I continue doing what I've been doing. Good luck!

I just turned 52 and haven't had a period in over a year...until yesterday. My surgery was 21 June, and I wasn't expecting this at all. Full-on cramps, etc. I sure hope it doesn't last long, but I have a lot of fat, so a lot of stored estrogen left. Ugh.