kbuck3779

I was sleeved 7/12/16, and my husband and I just found out this week I'm pregnant. This is #2, but the 1st post-op. Of course, I let my surgeon's office know, and the secretary gave me the recommendations because the Dr and RN were off on Friday. So naturally I turned to Dr. Google, and it's made me a wreck!
I've been taking prenatal Vitamins since we started trying for #2, supplementing my B12 and Calcium. My B12 was already sky-high, and studies I've been reading say that such high doses can increase risks for autism.
I also am worried about what my intake should be. Should I be increasing my Proteins at all? What should I be aware of with weight gain?
Any thoughts or ideas would be super helpful.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!! Sorry that Dr Google has wrecked such a joyous moment for you. I am a clinician but certainly do not specialize in prenatal areas. There is so much we don't know about what causes autism. There are several studies out there still in progress. As we all know, Dr Google is never short of answers on anything and it can be hard to sift through to decipher what is credible and what is not. I would strongly suggest you wait until you talk to the doctor and dietitian on Monday to get evidence based advice. Hope all goes well! Congratulations again !!!!

Glad to hear it isn't just me that gets that way!!
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I broke down today, meet friends for dinner, I had every intention of a small appetizer, of some Protein. I needed up getting chicken tenders, you know the really good, hand breaded restaurant ones. I ate 2 and dipped them in sauce. Oh, I knew, like a man knows if he hits himself in the head with a hammer, it was a stupid idea. I felt like I was going to explode! My insides felt like I had stuffed huge amounts down my throat. I know it never all made it to my stomach. I relaxed and after 30 minutes sipping Water was supposed to make me feel better, lmao, nope I ended up throwing up the slime. I felt terrible the rest of night, the fullness feeling didn't stop for 4 hours. I learned my lesson, I will not need to learn it again. I will stick to my pain no matter how great things are going and what I think I am ready for. I am joyfully happy, I learned, and I know chicken tenders will never be a craving for me again!

Them foam/slime spit up episodes be something serious huh ? Lol, had my 2nd one since surgery (July 7th). All i did was have a bite of my niece cinnamon toast crunch Cereal. Too much sugar i guess.
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Yes apparently we are the lucky ones- who still feel some hunger. Many feel none and so as you said forget to eat and don't get their Protein. I had kinda hoped I would never feel hungry again but from the people I've spoken to- they say it is horrible to eat so often when u don't want it at all. So I will take their word for it and be glad I'm recovering well and still get some enjoyment from eating my healthy small meals.
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Hey there. You say you feel hungry after a few hours. On my plan I am encouraged to eat every three hours. Up to six small meals per day. This advice is so ur body never has a chance to get too hungry or be overfilled. I certainly am a little hungry again at the three hour mark and enjoy my next small meal so I don't think what u feel is odd. If it was after 30mins that might be a worry. Also soft foods will pass quicker like yoghurt or Protein shakes. No doubt you are still on soft foods so you might find that this reduces when you can have heavier food.
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Well hey, at one point you weren't as old as you are now and probably could've lost the weight and kept it off too, like ANYONE at ANY age can, but most of us can't successfully maintain. We've all tried. I've already heard enough of this from the ONE friend I told about planning to get surgery that I've decided not to tell anyone else.
I don't want to hear any more from people about how this is too extreme, or how I'm "giving up on myself", I'm trying to get control of the situation before it gets MORE out of hand. If I'd had the surgery 5 years ago maybe I wouldn't weigh 230 lbs and be suffering from joint pain and other problems I didn't plan on having at age 35.
To the OP, this is a personal decision and I already fully expect to go through a "why did I do this?" period. I think it's probably pretty normal.

@@jersey0601 So far not too bad, I've definitely hit my 3 week stall, but I'm glad I'm not solely on liquids any more!! I've been doing a lot of walking, trying to stay somewhat low impact, but I've been using light hand weights to help with upper body.
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Working all night long does bring its challenges. I work 7p-7a three nights in a row. Here is what works for me:
Before I get dressed to leave the house I eat a high Protein meal such as fish or even a 30gm Protein Shake. Then, by the time I get dressed I can drink a bottle of Water on the way into work. So by the time I arrive I already have around 20-30 grams of protein and about 20 oz of water. Then if I am really busy for a few hours I don't fall to far behind. I usually eat one meal and one or two high protein Snacks such as Greek yogurt or a Protein Bar. Usually be by second or third night I am slightly hungry becuase I have been sleeping all day and feel like I am in a food deficit. On those nights I may have an extra meal of a 3-4 oz of lean protein like fish or chicken. I try to sip water through the night. Can you have a bottle of water at your desk? That will make a big difference.
Then on my way home I drink another Protein Drink or I will wait until I get home and have scrambled eggs before going back to sleep.
It does get easier with time as you are able to drink a little faster and hold more food.
I am over two years post op and on my days off I rarely drink Protein Shakes, but I utilize them a lot on the nights I work because they are quick, easy, and pack a big protein punch.
I also try to plan ahead and on my first night back I usually cook enough for two nights- like grilled fish, salmon, baked chicken, etc. that way I have something ready to go. I even stop at a local BBQ place frequently and get smoked turkey or chicken. That's helps when I am too tired to cook.
I also log all my food and what works best for me since my schedule is crazy is I consider each day from 7a-7a. I know on the fitness pal after midnight it goes to the next day, but what I eat after midnight I log on the previous day. Seems to work for me. Others may have better suggestions.
Good luck and congrats on your surgery.

First off, thank you for the job that you do! It can't be an easy one.
My partner worked nights at a local juvenile detention center and is a bypass patient. What helped him is we planned and packed a lot of high Protein Snacks for him so it kept him from snacking on bad things and they were single serve so he could grab them and go at his desk or between rounds.
I know working nights can be tough on you and your family. Keep working towards a day shift if that's what you need to be healthy and happy.
Good luck!

@@jersey0601 So far not too bad, I've definitely hit my 3 week stall, but I'm glad I'm not solely on liquids any more!! I've been doing a lot of walking, trying to stay somewhat low impact, but I've been using light hand weights to help with upper body.
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(I know this thread has moved off from my specific stall and context, but just to close the loop: I saw my doc on Monday. He agrees that my calorie range of 800-1000, with occassional up to 1200 on very heavy hiking days, is appropriate. He likes my 100-125g Protein intake. Loves that I cut way down on legumes and fruit. He said I don't have acid reflux - that I am having actual hunger pangs and should eat more when these occur. He offered appetite suppressants if I want them - I don't yet, figure I can willpower this through for a while more yet. And most of all, he thinks I'm overtraining and need to cut back on exerciise. According to him, I can't keep up my pre-surgery level of workouts without overstressing my body. So go figure: I get WLS surgery and am told to REDUCE my exercise and continue avoiding whole foods. Oh, and my pre-surgery hunger is back. Oh goody! But most importantly, I guess, I'm losing weight. Post-sleeve life is weird indeed.)

Chiming in to add: my team calculates one's Protein needs based on one's lean mass. The studies I've read online suggest that this is slightly better than calculating based on BMI, and much better than calculating based on overall weight.
I've got 125 pounds of lean mass that I'd like to preserve as much as possible, so while I'm dieting my Protein goal is 100-125g/day. In maintenance mode it may go down some.
Today, having broken my 2-week stall by reducing calories a bit, I'm down 20 pounds since surgery! I'm 6 1/2 weeks out. 16 more pounds until I'm normal (not obese, not even overweight) and 30 pounds to goal.

candy and OKC, thank you so much! OKC,I think you are right on both points. (Underweight = longevity and better health, and I am not burning as much through exercise as my dietician calculated.). Candy, I was humbled by this stall, how very upset I got, and how relieved when I started losing again. I knew I had emotional issues around my weight and dieting, but yikes - way to get melodramatic. I'm also surprised at how surprised I am that my dietician is wrong. An R.D. degree doesn't make her perfect. (And I am finding that my clinic's "one size fits all" post-op rules DON'T fit everyone, especially people who had a high level of fitness - and "efficient muscles" - pre-op.)
I also really appreciate the tips on acid reducers,how my current dosage might not be enough and how acid release can seem like hunger pangs.

In better news, all that extra exercise this weekend maybe moved me off the stall! I'm down three pounds today.

So many great responses, especially those reminding you that it may take a bit to find the best approach for you and for your body to kick into weight loss gear. A couple of suggestions.
1. Try planning your meals primarily solid Protein and vegetables. Eat slowly and chew your food really well. Enjoy Water a half hour before and an hour after meals, but eat your meals pretty dry. The sleeve is a restrictive surgery and liquids may not be giving you the sensation of fullness you're looking for to feel satisfied.
2. Aim for 1000 calories of carefully planned meals, Protein and vegetables, only small amounts of complex carbs or fruit to start. Avoid liquid calories unless you can only manage a shake in a hurry.
3. Physical activity is really healthy and almost essential for maintenance, but it has a limited effect for weight loss. The focus should be on the food you eat. It's not necessary to exercise 3 hours a day or push yourself to the limit. If you do that to the extreme, you're body may think you're starving and go into high gear to hold on to your weight.
4. Trust your body and the process. You'll learn what works for you. Sometimes it just takes a bit longer to figure it out. Take care. Dr. Gail

I hate to say this because I might get boo'd right out of here. LOL
You may actually be exercising too much and eating too much right now. It is a reality that 90% of weight lost post WLS is from diet alone. The other 10% or so from exercise.
You should NOT have to kill yourself with exercise to lose weight. I suspect your diet has too many calories for this early of a stage.
At 4 months post op I had nearly a month long stall. I was exercising an hour a day cardio. I was consuming about 500 calories because that was all I could eat back then. I was told by my surgeon to exercise less (go to 30 minutes per day of cardio) and maybe 15 of my PT exercises. He also told me that I needed to eat more, that is when we raised my intake to around 900 calories of course high Protein lower carb. I have always had a balanced diet post it is what my nutritionist requires.
Anyway within a few days of slowing my exercise and adding some calories the scale began to move again.
With you I think you are actually exercising too much which might be driving some of the idea that your hungry. Honestly you should not feel real hunger post sleeve this early on. That leads me to believe you might have some reflux going on which can cause your exact same symptoms.
Try backing off the exercise a little each day and reduce your calorie intake (check with doctor or nut first), then also ask about reflux and if you need to be taking something for that.

Some of us are just different... i didn't lose much during my first 2 months... its only now during my 3rd that i am finally seeing the numbers drop.
Also, when i had my band, same thing, lost barely anything for the first 3 months.. then dropped a massive amount of weight and reached goal by month 6..
I think us lower BMI patients lose differently than the higher bmi patients... ive noticed mine is slow and steady.. which to be honest i prefer, less loose skin and wobbly bits and skin dimples

Oh, I totally agree. I always get 64oz "base," but hydrating enough when I'm outside working out to make up for the workout sweat loss, is difficult - especially because guzzling water doesn't work anymore, you know?

I am not a sleeve patient but I know many of them. I am a bypass patient.
I can tell you that this process is absolutely not magic so if you were promised that, yikes. You will have to work hard and it sounds like you are already doing that.
I am a little shocked at how many calories you are eating this early out. As I said, I am a bypass patient and if I eat 1200 to 1300 calories I maintain and do not lose. If I am closer to 1000 calories, I lose consistently.
That being said, you are a lower BMI patient and I would not expect huge drops in weight. You will likely lose much slower than some. That is not a bad thing even though it feels that way. The slower you lose the better you work at building good long term habits.
You did not put on this weight overnight and it will not come off that way either. Also I would just say, this really is not a diet, it is a lifestyle and your body needs time to get used to it.
When is the last time you lost 3lbs per week? That is great progress and you should be very proud of it.
Other than my first 2 months I averaged between 5 and 10lbs per month. It took me 18 months to lose 151lbs and get to goal. The good news is, this is my new life and I have and my body has had time to adjust.
Please be patient and if it makes you crazy put the scale away and stick to your plan. You will get there!
Best of luck to all of you.

I lost about 30 pounds one month out (297 starting weight) but had a huge stall where I couldn't break 260 for anything. I've finally broken it and at seven weeks out, I have lost 38. I struggled on purée stage because there were so many carbs. Im on chicken/fish now and can get lots of Protein in and feel fuller. I really think that and upping my Water helped a lot. It will come off! It just may take a minute.
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I also felt hungry all the time when I was 5 days post op. This didn't change for me until I progressed to pureed foods. I think having liquids only was the cause of the hunger. Now 3 mos post op I'm rarely hungery, rather I have to remind myself to eat.

@@jaysmm
I am similar height and also low BMI.
Been slim all my life till 2 years ago when I had massive, rapid weight gain. This put me in a pre-diabetic state, beginning of non alcoholic fatty liver disease and other issues.
I have been losing weight at a nice pace, not too fast, but good enough for me.
The only loose skin I notice is in my arms, everywhere else my skin is tight. Slower loss can help the skin to stay tighter.
As for hunger, I was hungry for weeks post op, till I moved into soft/mushy food.
I also had bad reflux that can mimic hunger, so I was put on Nexium, and that helped.
In my opinion, for me, the surgery helped to stop developing complications and now my glucose levels are great and my liver is healthy.
Hang in there, it gets better with time

Your doing great and for people with smaller bmi they say its a slower loss but not everybody is like that and you may have been able to do it yourseld but for w.e your reason you did it and its fine you made it yay!!!!
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