PorkChopExpress

@@Barepigies3 I had the kind of depression that required 8 months of therapy and Paxil to correct a chemical imbalance. The therapy gave me the tools I needed to manage it and the Paxil helped reset my brain chemistry. I still have to be aware of my emotions, to this day. But for years, it was untreated and it contributed to my weight gain. But it was because I had come to use food as a coping mechanism that I gained weight, and I could have opted to make exercise my outlet instead. I just didn't. The fact of the matter is, it won't do any of us any good whatsoever to sit around absolving ourselves of responsibility and saying, "No it's my genetics, it's my depression, it's because I didn't get enough hugs as a child..." No...it's because we ate too much and moved too little, and we developed unhealthy relationships with food. That's it. I wasn't trying to attack you, I'm just pointing out the fallacy in your thinking. Nobody is helped by passing responsibility off onto someone or something else, we have to OWN this in order to fix it. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me for where I got to and I don't feel sorry for myself. In fact I feel like I've finally taken control of the situation, and that's empowering.

What most people don't understand is that fat cells don't actually GO anywhere. They shrink and swell, they're just storage containers.

I don't coddle people. I try not to make them feel stupid, or insult them, but I'm going to call them on it when they are excusing their own behavior or seeking someone to enable them.

Had my first meal out with an old friend today, who was shocked how little I ate. We went to an old favorite Mexican restaurant which serves HUGE portions. The version of me he remembered would have cleaned that entire plate. So when I had a little side plate, eyeballed my portion of Protein and carbs on to it (Al Pastor and refried Beans with just a little spanish rice and guacamole mixed in) he looked at me in shock. I had to explain what happened, six weeks ago. He said he noticed I looked leaner when he saw me, and congratulated me for starting this journey. Although we've been friends for nearly two decades, he's only ever known me as an obese man who delighted in eating a lot. He was concerned about whether it was mandated or voluntary, I explained it was totally voluntary...I just had a lot of health issues cropping up and when my weight started threatening to crack 400 pounds, I decided it was time to pull the trigger. He was very encouraging though, so that made me feel good. And I still got to enjoy the food, just not a lot of it. I find that I'm totally okay now with my portion sizes. I don't struggle with the feeling that it's not enough, anymore. I am getting pretty good about putting the right amount on my plate, if I'm not able to measure it out. It's significantly more than it was around three weeks ago, probably twice as much...but still no more than about half a cup in volume, I would guess. I still feel the best part is that I spent $10 and it will last me three meals, instead of one. That's great.

My surgeon's office cleared me for pill-form vitamins after week four. They did suggest that I break the bigger ones in half for a couple more weeks, but I'm six weeks out and taking a full-size Centrum every morning, no problem. Thank goodness too, because the Bariatric Advantage chewables I had were making me gag.

I tried three different flavors during my "clear liquids" phase and I didn't like a single one of them. They have a very medicinal taste, to me. Definitely try them before you buy bulk.

You aren't going to need very much post-op, other than protein shakes...at least not for the first couple of weeks. So don't go crazy on buying a bunch of stuff for post-op. You will be doing mostly protein shakes for two weeks after surgery, most likely. You're going to find that you consume so little, it's ridiculous. The broth will come in handy when you puree chicken and stuff like that, but I don't think you're going to find yourself drinking broth post-op. It's mostly a filler for the pre-op diet, to keep your stomach full. It has very little in terms of nutritional content.

Go with sugar-free popsicles...those are great. Especially the tropical ones.

Make sure you are meeting your protein goals. Healing is slow when you are light on protein. I was good to go back to work after 10 days with almost no pain.

@@skinny_knees I mix it up between beans, potatoes and green stuff (green beans mostly).

Just about six weeks post-op now and I can get up to around 850/day if I work at it, but my water intake tends to suffer because I have to do four meals to achieve that. I'm wanting to get up to around 1,000 so that my metabolism keeps going and I have a bit more energy every day, because exercise is burning off a lot of what I eat. However, my stomach and body can only do so much, this early on...so generally I'm right there with you at around 600-700 calories, with 48-60 oz of water.

If you're only consuming 800 or 900 calories a day, and you're doing intense exercise daily for around 45 minutes, your total ACTUAL calorie intake is probably more like 400 or 500 calories (because you're burning the rest off). So you're starving your body and it is responding metabolically. What I would suggest is not just to up your calories a bit to like 1,200/day but start doing carbs (no protein) about an hour before your workout and save the Protein for after the workout. This will enable you to burn the carbs you just ate through exercise (it looks for that as a fuel source first), and use the protein for recovery after the workout. Also remember...the lighter you get, the less calories your body requires to function and therefore, the slower your weight loss will be. It's a curve.

You may have a genetic predisposition to putting on weight, but that is NOT what makes a person obese. Eating more calories than you expend, eating CRAP, and not being active over a long period of time is what makes a person obese. I am absolutely the architect of what I am, today...I take 100% responsibility for it and I know how I got here. I also suffered from depression in my mid twenties...and yes, as a coping mechanism I often ate. But that was because I had begun using food for purposes other than fuel - and that was, again, something I could have chosen NOT to do. But I didn't...I kept doing it, because it made me "feel" good, temporarily. Meanwhile, the pounds just kept piling up. When you reach a certain level of obesity, I will agree that it becomes almost an impossibility to reverse it based on sheer willpower and self-discipline, alone. Very few people are able to stick it out for the duration of time it takes to lose 100 pounds...let alone 200 or more. But it was the choices they made throughout their lifetimes that got them to the point where they had that problem. So no, @@Barepigies3, I can't agree with you. It isn't a mystery why we are all obese. We ate too much, and we ate the wrong things, repetitively, over a long period of years. I suggest you start taking ownership of your role in your weight and the behaviors that led to it, because you will find success in long-term weight loss very difficult if you don't.

You just discovered what anyone who's had the surgery already knows...the surgery isn't a magic bullet. What has to be fixed isn't your stomach, it's your brain. Making your stomach's capacity smaller is only a tool to help you "get over the hump" when it comes to correcting your behavior. You have to be 100% aware of what you're doing and why, starting now...because you'll definitely need to be in that mindset, post-op. Take this next couple of weeks as a personal challenge to discipline your mind, because it's going to be even more important after you've had the surgery. Make it a point of pride that YOU have taken control, and it isn't your "obese mind" that is at the wheel, anymore.

Yeah, without insurance you're going to get annihilated financially in the U.S. I'd do some research on Mexico, there are a lot of reputable surgeons and facilities there...and just see if you can get involved with a program where you live for follow-up support. It'll cost you a fraction of what you'll pay stateside. There's a reason so many people do it.

Well...those people are where the cautionary tales come from. So in a way, their failure can help future patients. I met a guy in one of the support groups I went to prior to surgery who had RNY, he must have weighed over 500lbs. He went in for surgery, lost about 100 pounds over the first six months, but when he was healed up he decided to go back to drinking Coke. Then his pouch stretched out and he started eating crap again, thinking "Wow, the surgery helped me lose 100lbs and I could eat pretty much whatever." In short order, he regained the 100lbs and then some. He was back in another six month pre-op program to have a revision...this time, with the knowledge of what NOT to do. I took his story to heart, and I knew that if you don't go into this with your mind right, you are SCREWED. I see a whole lot of that on this forum and others. Cautionary tales waiting to be written.

Just remember that the excercise you are doing for 45 minutes is raising your TDEE, so you may actually STILL be in a daily deficit.

Education and mental preparation. Read everything you can about peoples' experiences with the surgery, what they went through and what they continue to struggle with. This is 80% mental, and 20% physical...taking care of the size of your stomach will help, but if your mind isn't right, you WILL find a way to eat around the smaller stomach. So just really start focusing on your mental process, disciplining your mind and bringing it under control, so that you are able to control your behavior and choices. Surgery is no sweat. I've had a bunch of them...three abdominal (including this one) by laparascopy. Basically, here's what'll happen...you'll go check in at the hospital. They'll call you into the recovery room to get ready, you'll get naked and wear their thick paper gown (unless you're at a hospital that still does cloth), and then lay down on your gurney. A nurse will eventually come by to set you up with your IV tap (needle in the top of your hand most likely), put a blood pressure cuff on your arm and a pulse rate monitor on your finger. Take your vitals (they'll do that constantly while you're in the hospital). The anesthesiologist will drop by to introduce themselves, talk a little about whether you have any drug allergies that you know of, make sure you didn't eat or drink anything since midnight. They'll explain that when you wake up, your throat will probably be sore and you'll be very dry in the mouth and throat. This will be due to intubation, which helps keep your airways open while you are operated on. And he'll be right, as you'll discover when you wake up. The surgeon may or may not show up to talk to you - depends on whether he runs a high volume practice or not, or whether he cares at all about bedside manner Then the time will come after a while of waiting, and they'll wheel you down the hall to the operating room. You'll go in, they'll line your gurney up with the operating table and have you help get yourself aligned in the middle, with your head in the right spot, etc... They'll have you reach your arms out to the sides and start securing them, because the nervous system has a bad habit of forcing your hands to clutch at your abdomen when they start operating on you. While you're getting your arms situated and you're seeing the various people buzzing around you... ...you'll hear a voice from what seems like far, far away - and you'll feel like your head is full of molasses. Slowly but surely, the voices will start to sound sharper and clearer, and closer, and your eyes will open...and you'll realize that you're in the recovery room, and surgery is over. You may feel a slightly "pinchy" sensation in your belly. Your throat will definitely be sore and dry, but you won't be able to drink anything for a bit...all of your liquids will be coming from the IV for at least an hour or so after you wake up. Then they may let you have a tiny bit of ice to suck on, to help moisten your mouth and throat. You're going to be seriously groggy...but the fact is, you will realize that you slept through the hard part, and it's over. You're officially on the other side of the entire ordeal, and it's time to start recovering. When you get to your room, they'll encourage you to start walking. Do it...do it as much as you can, because your peritoneal cavity (the space between your abdominal wall and organs) is full of surgical gas. The only way it will pass through your intestinal tissues and out of your body is through movement...walking. So walk a lot, you will feel a lot better a lot faster, if you do. Eventually the nurses will probably give you little tiny cups and tell you how much you can drink per hour. You'll probably start with one little shot glass of Water. Then a couple, then three, etc... Eventually, they will try to get you going on some really horrible Protein shake, but do your best on it. They'll remove the IV fluids and then expect you to start trying to get liquids orally, so you'll have to try to stay on top of it. That means drinking often. This is important, because for weeks to come you are going to find that your sips have to be TINY to go down comfortably, and to get the water you need will require sipping every couple minutes, all day long. Then, if there are no complications, you're getting around good and your pain is well-managed, after a one night stay they'll probably discharge you and send you home. And then, you'll have to get yourself on a schedule with drinking and walking. It'll come together, just stay on top of things and focus on the process. Prepare yourself mentally for a bit of a "mourning period" where your brain struggles with the fact that you just robbed it of a major coping mechanism. You may obsess about food. You may find yourself preoccupied about WHEN you will be able to eat good things again, or what those things will be. It's all in your mind. This is the little voice you haven't been hearing, that has been dominating your behavior. Now it's time to shut the voice up and take back control. This is an approximation of the experience and your mileage may vary, but I hope it helps calm your nerves a bit. Trust me, you'll be in and out before you know it, and moving on with your new life.

Anything liquid should be fine. Ask your surgeon, but I would think if it's in liquid form you should be okay.

Stop weighing, you're gonna drive yourself nuts. Don't weigh for another two weeks. When your body needs to heal, it requires Water and Protein. If you're dehydrated, or you aren't getting enough protein, you aren't going to heal as fast or as well...so focus on those two things and if necessary, just drink Protein shakes all day long. Some depression after surgery is normal, your brain just lost a major coping mechanism, in all likelihood. You're going to be sluggish and tired as your body recovers. And yes, hormones get a little crazy, too...but a TON of the problem is going to be in your mind, and that's something you'll be continually addressing for the weeks and months to come. If you had the sleeve, you should not be feeling anything remotely like "starvation." You may have an acid buildup in your stomach that makes it feel kind of like hunger pangs, but that's not hunger. The hunger comes from your mind. Keep putting protein shakes in yourself all day long every day and you won't feel much of an issue...but the acid buildup is a problem for some people, but my surgeon said it resolves itself over time and mine has gradually gotten better over the last six weeks. I still feel a little acid bite in my stomach from time to time when it's empty, but it's not hunger. My stomach doesn't growl. But if you have food on the brain, it's easy to mistake it for hunger. But my biggest piece of advice other than drinking protein shakes all day long is, STAY OFF THE scale. Give yourself at least two more weeks before you step on it again. You are retaining all kinds of water right now because you aren't putting enough in, and you retain water anyway post-op as part of the healing process.

There isn't really a way to "cheat" the pre-op diet. It's designed the way it is for a reason...and part of that reason is to get yourself ready for what follows surgery. Following directions is going to become critical, so I'd get your mind in a place where you're able to do that, sooner rather than later. You aren't going to lose any more weight than you will just by following that pre-op diet, short of starving yourself, so just get on the stick and follow it to the letter.

That's pretty light, although it all depends on your build/frame...you may just be petite. But my feeling is, you probably shouldn't be losing any more weight, at this point. If you're not tracking your daily intake with an app or something, you should consider starting...you need a better idea of how many calories you're consuming daily and what the macro breakdown is. You need to bring your daily calories consumed in line with your average TDEE (total daily energy expended). That will keep you maintaining. I suspect that your daily calorie requirement is quite a bit higher than what you're generally eating. I wouldn't "binge" anymore, because that's a gateway for disordered eating...but if you need more calories, I would definitely be trying to schedule in an extra meal or two, to meet your calorie needs.

Anyone suffering from obesity and a repeated failure to overcome it could tell them what the "average person's" opinion was on the topic. Somehow, people equate needing to lose 10 pounds with losing 200 pounds. They have not a single, solitary clue about the challenges obese people face, trying to lose weight and get in shape. Not one. They don't get that the amount of willpower that is required to last two straight years or so on a calorie restricted diet, when your entire body will fight to maintain homeostasis and will require you to bust through month-long plateaus while feeling like your stomach is eating itself alive all day long, every day and you are quite literally BOMBARDED with signals to eat all day long, every day...not to mention you have behaviors and attitudes well-worn into your psyche that uses food as a tool to cope with issues in your life, and taking that away creates even more difficulty in staying on a program for years, to lose that much weight...it's asinine. Especially given that most people who are morbidly obese have a lot of co-morbidities that interfere with fat loss, like diabetes...and their entire metabolic system is different than a "normal" person's. If you have only ever been 10-20 pounds overweight, you frankly have absolutely no business commenting on what obese people should or should not be doing, in my opinion...because you don't have a clue what we have to deal with.

One of those things you just kinda have to try and see, I think. I haven't had any issues with the spicier things I've tried so far, so I'm gradually ramping up the spiciness just to see how it goes. I may try some Indian curry and find out, before too long.