PatientEleventyBillion

16 hours ago, sleevemebabyy said:

I believe my hba1c , during your pre op diet did your doctor require you to drink shakes? I have chosen glucerna hunger smart for my shake it is really good and helps with blood sugar spikes throughout the day. I will have to consume 5 shakes a day.

I was forced onto Glucerna. I kept regurgitating every kind I tried.. even tried having the fruity flavors with added cinnamon and other stuff, just couldn't do it. In the end, I wound up doing a super low carb, high Protein diet, and lost 80 pounds during the 3 month pre-op diet.

I also had an issue with the fact that Glucerna I had was like 26'ish grams of carbs per bottle.. and my RD (dietitian) wanted me to have 6 of them a day.. over 150g of carbs as a minimum. Made no sense to me.

Just shave it off. hair is overrated.

Were they doing your blood sugar, or your HBA1c?

It's good to keep an eye on it while on meds and going through surgery, as for most people their blood sugar plummets, and it becomes very easy to experience lows. I experienced my first low 2 days into my 90 day pre-op diet.

20 hours ago, Rivka7NV said:

If you are still losing weight, then you are still changing and with your body changes come mind changes. You are not going to be the person 20, 30, 40, or even 50 pounds into the future that you are now. Therein lies the rub.

The person you will be dating will be falling in love with you, or at least, attracted to you initially as you are now. If you are looking for that permanent committed love, then you are doing both of you a disservice. With weight loss comes changes in clothing styles and activities. You will probably be less sedentary but what will happen if you are dating a couch potato? You will definitely be growing apart.

Also you are asking someone who does not know you at all to put up with weird eating habits. Maybe this person knows about the WLS journey and that it is not an easy way out or not. We all judge based on our knowledge and some people like learning new things and some don't. They may think passing food under your nose is funny while you find it nauseating.

Save yourself some heartache and wait until you have hit goal so you can present to them the person you want to be no the one you are now. True, your eating habits will have changed little but at least you will have reached the meadow.

I dunno whether to laugh or laugh harder. Serious personality disorders if one changes every 10 pounds.

13 hours ago, existentialfatty said:

I just wanna say, I'm so grateful for everyone's honesty, I really wasn't expecting such a great response to my q especially because I've searched up this topic before and only saw lectures from other people about it being bad for you etc etc

My surgery is 10 July but if anyone wants to chat or anyhing about what you're going through please feel free to message me!

Smoking anything is bad for you. Superheated compounds that have hydrocarbons are inherently carcinogenic, that includes virtually every kind of smoke we are around -- cigarettes, weed, bbq smoke, incenses, exhaust from combustion engine vehicles, etc. Being around people smoking cigs and weed around me as a child contributed significantly to my respiratory problems. I find it far healthier to do edibles.. for a novice it takes them a while to get used to edibles because it takes a while to hit, versus the instantaneous hit via smoking, so you quickly know what your perceived "maximum highness" is.. whereas with edibles for novices it can feel like they just flew to Mars and are in a whole new world.

For me, I prefer strains (such as OG Kush) that help deal with my severe attention deficit, that don't cause such severe munchies.

3 hours ago, blizair09 said:

They are both off the table for me permanently. I just won't take up valuable stomach space, and I limit myself to 20 carbs per day anyway.

Same, 60g+ carbs per serving just seems ridiculous to me especially while trying to lose and help my liver heal. Those carbs may seem healthy but any excess just gets converted to fat anyways.

4 hours ago, Brandeis said:

I want to add -- to me, the idea of keeping it secret is like admitting it's something to be ashamed of. And, in my opinion, it simply is not, and so we shouldn't act like it is. The more people who know about surgery and associate a face with it, the better. It'll help them learn about an option.

Because I was honest with my friends, I have ANOTHER friend who's now having the surgery. If I hadn't been so open/honest about my journey, she probably would never have considered it. So, for me, it's worth telling.

But then, I've also never had anyone be weird or cruel about it, aside from some jealousy...

Indeed. Most of us here are Americans and one thing we have in common is an ever increasing population who would benefit vastly or get more years out of their life without organ transplants and such by having this done. Having the stigma attached does no one any good. And while I respect the fact that we all have our own preference on the subject, keeping WLS secret is a bad idea that only contributes to this stigma, like you said, that it's something to be ashamed of. Every day we teach people how to treat us or what we go through. Too many seem to have no concept of this, yet turn around and complain about others judging them. Clearly this is not something that magically solves itself with secrecy and inaction. Changing societal mindset takes work, it doesn't come easy. I have more respect for people who brave the potential scrutiny than those who hide from it.

I think openly going through this journey also help others in regard to keeping track of what they eat and better managing their lives regarding preventative care. Let's face it, Americans avoid it due to the consideration of cost over health, something since moving to Canada seems utterly heinous. In my case I've already seen the influence I've had on others with regard to health and WLS, it's a validation that the path I'm walking is the right one, not just for the benefit of myself but others as well.

Just mention it here and there -- that's all you can do. I did this regarding my wife and her soda habit. If I nagged her every day I know she would get defensive and turn off the switch from listening to me. Of course, I knew about all her medical conditions and how the soda plays into it, so I had an overwhelming amount of science behind me to help her understand, along with doctor visits we did together so the doctor and I had talked about it as well.

Just be there for her when she needs you, and let her do what she does. Sometimes people learn or come around when they're ready.

There must be some underlying cause as to why you needed to be fed intravenously in the first place.

Still, sorry to hear about that.. I've never heard of this before your post, it seems extremely rare if caused by the surgery.

Apparently one of the side effects of this is liver disease, so I hope they have you on some type of anti-fibrotic medication to slow the progression into cirrhosis -- I heard some are coming down the line. Initially I was going to be involved in trials in a few years but my liver has healed substantially making it moot.

4 minutes ago, Joann454 said:

I really need to watch my wording

Just giving you a hard time, I know what you mean.

8 minutes ago, Joann454 said:

I'm on restricted carbs and in deep ketosis. Because of that I know I'm burning fat. My shakes are very low carb and I've switched from things like Tomato Soup and re fried Beans to egg salad and chicken salad. It's way more filling. In the early phases it's less important because you barely hit 500 calories. As I've started eating most of my calories I've shifted. Idk what your NUT wants you to do but since she made a note about the shakes I'm going to assume she wouldn't be thrilled with the Trader Joe's shake (I bet it's delicious though).

Deep ketosis.. is that like swimming in a pool of ketones?

I can eat a lot more now than after surgery, but hunger-wise.. hardly ever. I have to make/remind myself eat or else I'll forget.

Early on healing is the focus. That's why they likely don't want you being terribly restrictive.

But you did see with the yogurt the caveat of "low fat", which often is substituted with sugar or sodium or both. The liver converts those extra carbs (i.e. sugar) into fat anyways if you don't utilize the immediate energy it brings, so there's no escaping with gimmicks like "low fat".

I had yogurt drinks early on that were 19g of sugar, just didn't have more than one or two a day. Once I was able to eat more Protein dense food, I made sure not to touch stuff like yogurt drinks. Nothing that would digest quickly and have simple carbs, unless I needed the energy.

1 hour ago, Joann454 said:

Lol! I feel you. I'm constantly wondering if I'm doing things right. I get so freaked out when I try something new and it doesn't bother my stomach. eggs seem to bother so many people. I can eat one easily. Scares me!

When they reach that soft solid stage they might just be uncomfortable with the restriction they suddenly feel. One egg was more than enough from me when I transitioned.

In regards to Water, I drink tons a day, but I can't gulp.. I can get away with one or two but if I go any more than that it starts making me feel sick. I used to absolutely chug water so this has probably been one of my biggest post-op changes.

2 minutes ago, linah said:

I'm pretty open about my surgery, don't feel a need to hide as most people don't undrstand hiding things that are private and just take it as you being embarrassed or trying to pretend that you lost all the weight "naturally". Cannot be bothered to try to figure out what they think so I'm usually honest and matter of fact about it. Most people are then accepting, and if they aren't, don't particularly care anyway. That being said, I'll order whatever I feel like and if its a regular sized dish then I'll have the leftovers for 2 meals

Sent from my SM-G900FD using BariatricPal mobile app

LOL yeah, when we went to the Keg on mothers day I immediately told them as I was ordering I'll need some of it to go as I just had surgery and couldn't eat much.

If there was anyone nearby judging I wouldn't know. I never really walked around wondering what people thought of my decision-making. I could tell from doctors visits I screwed up, and my changes stem entirely from the perspective of health and my self-image. Not about to let other people impose whatsoever.

2 minutes ago, K_aane said:

I would say she is a lucky lady! Good for you! I fear I may let the fucks fly myself someday. Although in my head , they do, it's just the southern bell in me that will always be gracious. Perhaps though a change is a coming....lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using BariatricPal mobile app

OP is from Alberta.. they are abnormally polite here (especially by my standards, as a native of the Bay Area in California), much like southerners in the US, so it's rare to have to tell someone to get bent, but as with all things in society, never say never. Some people are quite deserving of the honor.

3 hours ago, Navigating the Wilderness said:

I know @OutsideMatchInside will come through this thread and light me up, but I honestly don't see why it has to be a closely held secret that you had WLS. I'd order whatever the hell I wanted in whatever portion I wanted (depending on if I wanted to eat leftovers for a few days) and run with it. If anyone asked me, I'd tell them the truth. If they made any nasty comments I'd tell them to f**k themselves. Yes I have told my mother-in-law to go f**k herself, a couple of times (including once when she commented that I was "chickening out" when I decided to postpone my surgery so I could do a sleeve instead of RNY). I have found though that 99% of the people who I tell are completely behind me and willing to help me along including motivation. Now, I wouldn't go out of my way to tell someone I had WLS, but if they ask, I can't see lying about it, because I just don't care if they have anything nasty to say. Just my $.02.

Oh crap, here comes @OutsideMatchInside, running away now...

I agree with you 100%. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, but if someone believes that being secretive will help remove the stigma of WLS, they are sorely mistaken. It's funny watching people complain in one sentence about others judging them, then in the same sentence keeping a secret. I guess some really do believe that doing the same thing can achieve different results.

One thing I don't do is I don't eat out with people I don't know. Secondly, if I did, and they questioned my eating decisions, depending on what they know regarding my surgery, and their willingness to listen to reason, I'd either educate them about my circumstance, or I'd tell them to pound sand. Either one is fine with me. Like Navigating the Wilderness, 99% of the people listen very attentively to me discussing this.

But I know with women people tend to act a lot more controlling, judgmental, etc. I had to put in-laws in their place with this very situation with how they treated my wife, including my mother-in-law.

Also, OP, regarding the Keg, I never eat there without reserving seats, especially if it's anywhere near a popular shopping center like Chinook. Took my wife there for mothers day and place was lined up around the building -- thankfully we had a reservation.

Just date when you're ready. This idea of a one year mark and waiting seems more like an odd joke.

3 hours ago, Apple1 said:

Not everyone cares to share their private medical information with co-workers. Many people are more introverted and just feel no reason to talk about their personal matters. There is not one right or wrong way. Just because we don't share doesn't mean we are going to slip up. I don't need my co-workers checking up on my weight loss. I have the support of my family.

On 6/13/2017 at 1:36 PM, PatientEleventyBillion said:

Some people consider it a private thing.. if so, power to them.

High school taught me people are largely full of themselves and they care excessively what others think -- and I didn't have any weight problems then. There's no way I'm going back to nostalgia environment and longing for the days we were socially idiots -- having seen a bunch fellow classmates from high school before I moved to Canada, the kind of people that wanted to attend these things didn't seem to get over high school. I got my diploma, that's all I came for. University was far better anyways. I purposely missed my 10 year HS reunion (in 2010), guaranteed I'm not flying out to California in 2020 for my 20 year.

On 6/5/2017 at 4:19 PM, Newme17 said:

But everybody is different. Others have lost having 100g of complex carbs a day....depends on A LOT of factors. Glad it works for you.

A lot of factors = a lot of exercise. If they had the kind of metabolism that would dump weight on over 100g of carbs a day while being sedentary they wouldn't be fat to begin with.

2 minutes ago, Brittanae said:

My surgeon just informed me that we need to be matching Protein and carb intake. If you take 60g of Protein then you take in 60 carbs

So then 120g protein and 120g carbs? Doesn't make sense. Unless you're doing strenuous exercise daily and need the immediate availability of the energy carbs bring there's no need for that much carbs. For most people, who live sedentary and low active lifestyles, adequate protein and fat content will supply more than enough energy for their day to day lives.

Could also be the sodium content in your food.

I would honestly stick to no more than 4L (roughly a gallon) a day.. if you need more and aren't running marathons, and still having that insatiable thirst, something indeed is wrong.

Given you're a week out, it's very unlikely you're having too much. It might just be you spending a lot of time trying to get adequate Water and perceiving the time spent drinking to having tons of it, but you might not be having that much.

My wife has a purse. I utilize this, have her use a large purse for carrying big things, and buy food and stuff it in her purse. Sometimes I'll bring a backpack with a bladder bag full of Water with a 5 foot straw. Nobody says anything. If they did, I show them the bladder bag of water. What are they gonna do? Sell me a bunch of non-shitty tap water and I'll buy it.

Depends on the work environment. Some work environments want to know about you, it contributes to workplace culture.

Some people consider it a private thing.. if so, power to them. But I tell pretty much anyone who shows interest. Why? Not that is or isn't their business, but because there needn't be any stigma attached to it. They know by the end of a discussion on it that it's a smart choice, and not a single person has questioned it yet, and I've probably talked to hundreds of people about this.

Every single time I've discussed this people are in absolute awe in how much I've learned, and how much improvement I've made. Not that I feel a whole lot better, given I had got myself in the situation I was in to begin with by being a dumbass. Nonetheless, the long term goal is to remove the stigma of WLS, which doesn't happen if we keep it secret. It also helps keep everyone honest.. if coworkers know you've had the surgery and don't want to eat crap, they might do the diligence of not inviting you to a bar or whatever, or if you have lunch with people you might avoid a situation where you can't order anything and you're left watching others eat -- the latter of which happened every time at an old video game job where people loved eating at Asian restaurants, and I hate Asian food. How it keeps you honest is it prevents you from eating crap, a coworker would know what your diet is, and might give you crap for it. I've had a couple people change their diet without even bugging them to change because they've seen my improvements. My wife has changed her diet as well.

I find that people who like to be reclusive and secretive don't help their situation that much. It doesn't mean go telling every person you see, but you can tell right away in a short convo if they have interest in the topic. Nowadays workplace culture is vastly more important than it used to be. Utilizing it in a constructive way can help keep you on the right track.. being secretive is another way of allowing yourself to slip without checks.