Berry78

Very cool. Ok, so I guess we should make the distinction between fish oil supplements and eating fish. Supplements.. it's hard to know if the oils are fresh. But for people (especially kids) that refuse to eat fish, supplements are probably better than none. A lot of the studies with less than favorable results had people taking 3-5g of oil a day. The supplements in my fridge are 2g for the recommended daily consumption.. so it's possible those studies were proving that there is a maximum. I'm always trying to minimize pills where possible, so of course fish is better. I did come across a study that showed canned and fried tuna retained virtually zero DHA. Boiling for 10 minutes retained almost all of it. (I had a sneaking suspicion that how fish is cooked makes a difference). Other types of fish don't seem as sensitive. So much for all of us eating canned tuna as a health food!

350 cal is fine for a week out. I didn't get nearly that many. Calories don't matter this early.. spend your time counting fluid and protein. You're doing great!

I wanna, wanna, wanna hear the new info!(*jumping up and down*) Everything I've come across says we need more than we usually get (but your example of 8oz per person for a week sounds spot-on for the current recommendations).

"Both biotin and pantothenic acid–vitamin B5—are absorbed from the intestines via the same receptors,” she explained. “When taking biotin supplements, the amount of biotin in the gut far outweighs the quantity of vitamin B5, thereby leading to a relative vitamin B5 deficiency" Not sure who "she" is, but there is always good reason not to take excess vitamins. That's why I recommended cutting out the extra biotin.

At 12 weeks out, you might be able to do without the shakes. Protein can come from food. Yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, nuts/seeds, beans, tofu, meat, seafood, etc. You are getting biotin in your One A Days, so I'd drop that, but you need to add calcium citrate (500mg two or three times a day) and 500mcg B-12 once a day. I agree with the above. Double up on the One A Days (making them 4-A-Days!) Lol.

I think it's still gas from the surgery. My tummy was super loud for the first month, then things gradually became more normal.

It's called the "3 week stall". Happens to almost everyone. Can last for a week or two. Stalls are a normal part of the journey, as are day to day weight fluctuations. Scale will even go up a few pounds. Don't fret.. there is nothing you have done to cause it, and no way to prevent it. Stick to your plan and have faith. Stalls are a problem if 5+ weeks pass with no change, and your measurements haven't changed. Many times we shrink while the scale holds steady.

Lots of times bariatric docs don't seem to like taking on other surgeons' patients. That's why I recommend switching types of docs.... but you can try...

Well, I wouldn't wait a month to contact them. Tell them you are having a lot of trouble eating, and are sliming, and you are concerned about a stricture. They should squeeze you in. If they refuse, then contact your family doc and get referred to a GI specialist (assuming you need a referral).

They can repair it. (If it were me, I would prefer a repair to a conversion to bypass).

You are definitely getting plenty of those oils.. I might be concerned about mercury exposure. Here is a detailed article. It's a long, but worthwhile read for anyone that consumes fish. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=103

I did! Last year was a 10 for exertion, this year was about a 5. Only difference was getting that weight off! Amazing! Oh and my shirt isn't "dirty" (I'm embarrased)..I got paint on it when I did the wall this summer (anyone notice the different color?)

It could be food intolerance, like lactose.. but if it's happening with EVERYTHING, then put a call in to your surgeon. You very well may have a stricture. (That's where scar tissue forms and pulls everything tight. A part of your stomach gets too narrow, and the food doesn't want to go down).

It was around the same time that I noticed the scale fell into the same pattern. 1 pound each week, then suddenly drop a bunch quickly. It's fine and normal. Your appetite may be less because of things have now mostly healed and stomach irritation can actually cause you to feel hungry. (That's why we keep telling people that are hungry postop.. make sure you're on an acid med). Just keep on meeting your goals, and everything sounds great! You are actually getting beyond the main stricture period as well, but it's always good to keep in mind if you notice a sharp decrease in the amount you can eat at a meal.. to pay attention. (Like, "I used to be able to eat 4 oz of this, but now can only ever eat 2") that's a red flag.

I see you're about 4 weeks postop. The following is applicable whenever your stages get to these points. Personally I would drink broth (without chunks) as a beverage. Which means I could eat a meal after waiting just a few minutes after the broth. (I had no problems eating about 5 minutes after drinking a few ounces. If I drank a big cupful, then I couldn't eat for a while). Don't take bites of food, and sip on your drink in between. Just don't. Drink, wait as long as necessary to eat comfortably, then eat. If the broth is full of chunks (like chicken noodle soup), then it is a meal. Measure out about 3- 4oz and try that. Stop when full. If you want to stay full for a while, drink the broth out of the soup first, then munch on the chunks. And if it's thick soup like chili or beef stew, again, it's a meal.

Oh, Fluff

Headline: "Fish oil supplements during pregnancy don't improve child's intelligence, study says" There is a study where pregnant women consumed fish oil supplements, and the children were compared 4+ years later to the non-supplement children. The children scored the same. So the big headlines! Don't waste your money on fish oil supplements during pregnancy! Now let's back up. What is DHA? DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a fatty acid found in: Fish (salmon, mackeral, herring, tuna, whitefish, sardine, sablefish, swordfish, striped bass, tilefish, trout, bluefish, sea bass, etc.) Brains (lamb, beef, pork) Testes (lamb) mollusks (blue mussel, oysters, squid,) crustaceans (blue crab, shrimp) Our recommended average daily intake is about 0.5g. (4oz of atlantic salmon supplies about 3 times this amount.) For amounts in each of these (and other) foods, please visit: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/report?nutrient1=621&nutrient2=629&nutrient3=851&fg=&max=25&subset=0&offset=0&sort=c&totCount=5822&measureby=g We hear a lot about the omega 3 content of seeds and nuts, and the idea that we can convert ALA to DHA and EPA. Ok, so we CAN make DHA from flax oil.. and to be sure to get enough, we should consume 1-2 Tablespoons of fresh flax oil a day. (Do your own research to see how much YOU want to take.. Flax oil can cause upset stomach, interact with medications, etc). And get this.. they caution pregnant and breastfeeding women against consuming flax seed oil. Fish is limited because of mercury, and flax seed oil because its use has been related to preterm births (likely due to its blood thinning properties). Ok, so now it looks like DHA is really important during the last 3 months of pregnancy, and for the first 2 years of life. Since brain development continues after birth, what about breast milk? I have searched all around for information, and there is are HUGE differences in the levels of DHA in breastmilk between people, based on their fish consumption. Japanese women have about seven times the DHA in their breastmilk compared to Americans. Guess who has the higher IQ scores? Average in the US is 100. Average in Japan is 105. In other words, if a baby animal is born that is deficient in DHA, there is a window of opportunity to "catch up". But, if that time frame elapses with no remediation, the window closes, and the damage is permanent. Ok, so after all that, I'll revisit that headline: "Fish oil supplements during pregnancy don't improve child's intelligence." The study evaluated the children 4 years after the mothers were supplemented. The period of rapid brain development after birth wasn't supplemented. AND the controls in the study received normal levels of DHA from their mothers.. they weren't fed deficient diets. So it is no surprise that there was little to no difference between the children. The current recommendation is to consume 8-12 oz of fish a week.

Ok here is my new pic.

Thanks for the belly laugh!!! (Oh man, my overactive imagination went to town on that one!) Eek!!!!

@shan0520 How goes it, my surgi-buddy? Haven't seen you on lately! (Have I just been missing all your posts?)

Here's another: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26708682 Maybe this is part of why bariatric surgery can be so effective? If our gut bugs are this important.. and we're busy using antibiotics, C-sections, antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers, pasteurization, refined, fiber deficient, processed, chemical laden... It's no wonder 70% of the US population is overweight!

The thing with bacteria is it grows and wanes based on what it is being fed. So if the actual strains of bacteria present are the same in heavy or light people, and it's just proportionally different based on the diet differences... then a change in diet will make the proportions align, and the microbiota will be the same. But, if heavy people have completely different strains.. then they WOULD need to be recolonized with the right stuff.

Well, if we go by the start of the preop diet, then you are WAY ahead of me.. I'm 8 months and 13 days since I started the preop liquid diet. (I only HAD to do it for 2 weeks, but started 2 weeks early to "get the hang of it"... impatient much?!)

I guess I got hungry in the night, cuz those ribs are GONE!! Woo Hoo! You'll be next to get your baby horse! What's funny, is I used to raise horses. We had 4 foals. So much fun!

Excess acid can feel like hunger. Make sure y'all are taking acid meds.