ryan_86

What is everyone’s favorite bariatric podcast? I’ve listened to a few. Seems that many are short lived. Any favorite to keep you motivated to stick with your plan? Or for good advice, stories, etc?

I went from sleeve to bypass on 12/27 for the same reason. In my experience, the recovery is easier because you've gone through it before. I ate better and more varied foods during the liquid and pureed stages this time around. Know how they tell sleeve patients they need to chew very thoroughly, but how you don't really need to? You definitely, definitely need to with bypass. Small bites chewed to a paste. Cues for fullness change for sleeve, especially once you're 3-4 weeks out. Your sleeve has a valve that opens to release food into your intestine just like a normal stomach. A bypass pouch doesn't have that; as you heal, liquids and purees will move immediately through your pouch. That changes what fullness feels like. For me, I don't seem to have a setting between hungry and overfull anymore. My body isn't really telling me I'm full so I pay a lot of attention to portion size to know when my meal is over. As for vitamins, I just ordered Barimelt brand from Amazon. Their calcium, B complex, and multivitamin+iron. They taste alright.

I I’m close to 5 weeks post-bypass, and food just tastes bland. I do get hungry, and I do get full (sort of), but I don’t feel satisfied. Feels like I have to over-season stuff just to taste it. This gets better, right?

I mean like even a modicum of enjoyment. I wouldn’t go so far as to say eating is unpleasant, but it’s borderline a brief, annoying chore. I still want to do it, but even going from liquid to purée, purée to solid was disappointing. There’s a volume component to it, but even more prominent is just missing flavor. It’s like my taste buds have only two settings now, bad and meh. So, I guess what I’m saying is the hole where food used to be in my life is big and it sucks. I was never an emotional eater, but I was a boredom eater and a hedonist with food and wine. I know this and the resulting depression are to be expected after surgery but still sucks.

I'm close to 5 weeks post-revision from sleeve to bypass, and I noticed the same thing. The doctor told me it's normal. Here's my explanation for what's going on: The place where a normal stomach meets the intestine is called the pyloric valve. The stomach churns to further break down food, the valve opens to let food pass into the intestine. We (meaning sleevers) had a small stomach, and because the valve was still present and behaving normally with a sleeve, we felt restriction, meaning the valve didn't open more frequently just because the stomach was smaller. With bypass, the valve is removed (technically it's bypassed since they leave it in along with the first 30cm or so of the intestine). The connection between the pouch and intestine is called a stoma, and liquids and purees will move right through it because it's not a valve/it's open all the time. In my experience, it's possible to drink/eat purees too fast so that they don't drain through the stoma quickly enough, but you're right, it takes some special effort to do that. Restriction is a bigger factor when you get to solids, which I did this week. If you eat too much too fast, it just sits in the pouch. Think about a sink that drains slowly because there's junk in the pipes; that's the same principle - too much stuff trying to move through a too-small pipe. The pouch doesn't churn food up like a stomach to make its passage easier. If the solid you too big/too much/too dry/too fast, it sits and feels very heavy, your body starts producing mucus to lubricate the passage of the food through the stoma (this is what people call "the foamies"), and if that doesn't do the trick, that food is coming back up. I had that lovely experience with ground turkey and thus learned that while I was told to chew thoroughly with my sleeve, I could ignore that advice. Not so with a pouch; when they say chew until it's a paste, you have to. So restriction does become a greater factor when you proceed to solids. It really does force you to slow down, eat small bites, chew VERY thoroughly. Like with sleeve, I imagine it's still possible to overeat if you graze, so it also still takes some discipline to make smart food choices, pay attention to when you're satisfied, and be deliberate with how long a meal is. Also bear in mind that bypass is not just a restrictive procedure. It's malabsorptive as well. Good luck!

I’m having my revision from sleeve to bypass a week from today. Going over all the dietary changes and potential unknowns, I’m just not looking forward to this at all. I wish my weight and reflux were much worse so the revision felt 100% necessary; right now it feels more like 50%, but that’s not going to change the longer I wait. I’m dreading the post-op period and all it’s unpleasantness. Long term, I’m really worried about food intolerances changing my ability to enjoy things that bring me a lot of pleasure. Trying new foods when I travel, indulging in a pastry on a Friday morning, drinking fabulous wine. I swear, I don’t even remember how I managed all the mental and social repercussions the first time around. It just feels more daunting this time. Maybe because it was so unambiguously needed then, I had a more gung ho attitude. Could someone please tell me that six months or a year from now, my lifestyle will be pretty much the same as it is today? Perfectly okay to fib to me if needed 😅

The problem, it seems to me, is I've been reading post-op booklets and talking to healthcare professionals, which make the changes seem rather drastic. A lot of use of "never" in those sources, but coupled with the exact opposite. I was discharged today, and in the space of two sentences, the program coordinate, for instance, said no bread ever again and yeah, bread eventually. Reminds me of my VSG surgery when the surgeon would say to eliminate certain things from my diet forever and the nutritionist would say the exact opposite. They were both right from the perspective of their profession.

Seeing my collarbones for the first time in decades Fitting into a seater vest my mom bought me the very first week of high school. We went to pick up my grandma right after buying it and took her to dinner; this was a few months after my grandpa passed. I was so proud in my new togs. Wearing a suit and FINALLY understanding not everyone is uncomfortable wearing one And this is a guy thing and TMI, but … it got bigger. Not actually, but having less fat in the pubic mound made it look bigger 😅😅😅

Cliche: if you tell him and it changes his opinion of you, you’re not the ones for each other. Actual advice: if you wait a long time or he finds out some other way, he may feel betrayed or like you don’t trust him, so tell him soon. On the other hand, he could not be ready to deal with that baggage now, but he could be some day, so don’t tell him soon. You have to figure out that balance yourself, I’m afraid to say.

When I had my sleeve, I was excited for it. I wasn’t overjoyed - I’d rather have never been obese in the first place 😅 - but I wanted to have it, took it very seriously, made all sorts of commitments to myself that were destined to fail (I’ll never have a cookie again - yeah, sure buddy). I was in the right mindset to succeed. I’ve regained some weight, but what’s really motivating my revision is GERD. All I can think about is that I didn’t want a bypass the first time around for some specific reasons (dumping, flatulence, nutritional deficits). I’m not excited for this. I’m not eager to make certain lifestyle changes. In short, I’m not in the right mindset. Who else went through this? How did you prepare yourself?

Hi all, I'm a sleeve patient needing to switch to a bypass due to GERD, and I'm hoping to hear from folks about foods they cannot eat because of their bypass. In particular: How tolerant are you of sweets/sugar? How do you do with "gummy" foods like pasta, rice, and bread? Are there other foods you find painful to eat? Separately, what is people's experience with side effects: Dumping syndrome Flatulence Others I should be aware of? For those who had there bypass 2+ years ago, do you become more tolerant of these foods and/or experience fewer side effects over time? For instance, I couldn't eat ground beef for the first year and a half after my sleeve; it hurt. Now I can. I ask because I've heard anecdotes about the severity of dumping syndrome (like, will I be able to have any sweets at all?) and that some people find pasta, rice, and bread painful to eat. I just got back from Italy; I like my sleeve because I can still eat my favorites like pasta and gelato but I can't go overboard. That's why I chose it over the bypass, and I did really well. Some weight regain, but I've kept off 70% of my initial weight loss. I'm 80% satisfied with my sleeve. Honestly, I'm a little scared of the lifestyle changes a bypass will entail. I made a lot of changes for my sleeve, but my understanding is the changes required of the bypass are more intense. I had a long time to prepare myself mentally for the sleeve versus just a few months for the bypass, and while I was so unhappy with my body pre-sleeve that I'd so almost anything, I'm not so unhappy today. If it weren't for my GERD, I'd likely get re-sleeved than convert to a bypass. Be honest, but, ya know, don't be afraid to say reassuring things 😅 Thanks so much!

Can folks tell me more about what they considered when deciding between a sleeve to mini-bypass versus sleeve to bypass? Why did you choose the mini? Thanks!

I was hoping to get folks' opinion on the mini-bypass vs the bypass. Because I'm considering a revision, my thinking is I'd rather have the less dramatic revision. There are fewer adverse effects and nutritional requirements with the mini, and if in the future for some reason I need to convert to a full bypass, that option is on the table. On the other hand, I regret not going with the bypass 6 years ago. I didn't know how bad my GERD would get, but I also didn't think I'd regain as much weight as I did (40 pounds out of 140 lost). Who else has thought about these alternatives? What did you go with and why?

I had sleeve in September 2016. I’ve regained 50 of the 130 pounds I lost and don’t believe I can get back to where I was and stay there indefinitely. I think it’s too soon for me to be thinking about revision without spending at least six months making a hard effort to lose the weight. Frankly, I’m depressed as hell and can’t stop thinking about being fat.

I had sleeve in September 2016 and lost 130 pounds. I’ve regained 50, and half of that was just in the past two months. I’m recommitting to a low calorie diet, and I’m wondering if that’s sufficient given how severe weight loss screws up your metabolism. Has anyone who has regained had success with losing weight again?

I’m just frustrated with dating. Two years after surgery I know I will always need to be vigilant to keep weight off. I can’t be with someone who struggles with food or isn’t active. I’ll get sucked right into their lifestyle. It makes me feel shallow, even though I know it shouldn’t, and it limits the dating pool. I guess I didn’t have any expectations concerning relationships after weight loss, but I did/do have aspirations. I’m tired of being single, and when you exclude overweight women, single moms, women 8+ years older than you, people who don’t have their **** together, women who want kids, and people so into Jesus it’s in the first 15 words of their dating profile, it’s like trying to find a specific needle in a haystack-sized pile of needles. It’s frustrating and sometimes it hurts. That’s my venting for the day. Off to find something enjoyable.

That’s fair. I had in mind something a little more specific than what I described, and you’re entirely correct.

Thank you for your response. My aversion to dating overweight people is not aesthetic. I’m concerned if I’m around someone who eats poorly or is inactive, I’ll begin to eat poorly or be inactive. Obesity is socially contagious, and much of my success has been due to being single in the first place - I didn’t need to be around unhealthy food for anyone else’s sake. I’m actually impressed with those who did have to be around unhealthy food and yet still succeeded. I don’t think I could have.

I feel ya. I e put about 30 pounds back on by the small accrual of old bad habits and letting new good habits fade. I git my **** together in the past 10 days and am doing ver6 good going back to basics. Mostly liquid diet at the moment, and working with a behavioral therapist. The important thing is I didn’t let it get out of hand, I asked for help, and I understand it will always be a struggle. But it’s a struggle I can win, becaus3 I did it once already.

Today is 1 year out for me. 365 days ago I was trying to sleep and being woken up by a nurse every 90 minutes. Now I here I am at 161, down from 285. I hit a low of 157.4, which worries me what with gaining a little. A few things I've noticed: 1) I can eat quite a bit without much discomfort, 2) I definitely get hungry, in some ways more so than before, and 3) I don't think it's possible to maintain the rigidity of the initial diet forever, and I need to figure out the lifetime maintenance part. What about others 1 year out? What have you learned? How was your journey?

I had a new work photo taken. That's the only picture I have of myself before beginning my pre-op, so it's my "before." I was shocked to see my new photo. I almost look gaunt. I don't think either photo looks like me.

I've been eating quest bars since surgery and I actually enjoy them. However, the sugar alcohol in them has me farting so frequently I can't stand to be in the same room as myself. Does anyone have a recommendation for a bar with no sugar alcohol? Thanks.

I'm considering seeing someone about my compulsive eating. I've been slipping back into eating when I'm not hungry, and while I haven't gained weight back yet, the thought scares the hell out of me. What do therapists suggest for this? I'm worried I'll go in there and be told things I already know.

I'd also like to hear from others on this.

I've yet to finish the pizza, but yes, I could if I spent enough time trying. There was a period when I just didn't eat anything "bad," with bad defined as things I can't control myself around. I'm not sure if that is ever sustainable, but neither have I found the ability to have a little bit without craving more. Bored? Eat. Sad? Eat. Happy? Eat. Busy? Eat. It is all about the mental ability to stop yourself, because your brain is so much better at giving you permission.