Berry78

A re-feeding syndrome is basically low electrolytes. Sodium, potassium, magnesium. Coconut Water is fabulous for adding a bit of sodium and a lot of potassium. I drink some almost every day. When I miss a few days, I start getting "charlie horse" muscle cramps.
Sodium, of course, comes from salt. The best sources of potassium are potatoes, coconut water, and low sodium v8. Electrolytes aren't found much in Multivitamins (you can get a separate pill over the counter for magnesium and Calcium, but not potassium).
Coconut water can be consumed at any time during the postop diets (it's a clear liquid). V8 is Tomato based, and can be irritating to a new tummy, and potatoes don't show up in most patients' plans for a long time.

A re-feeding syndrome is basically low electrolytes. Sodium, potassium, magnesium. Coconut Water is fabulous for adding a bit of sodium and a lot of potassium. I drink some almost every day. When I miss a few days, I start getting "charlie horse" muscle cramps.
Sodium, of course, comes from salt. The best sources of potassium are potatoes, coconut water, and low sodium v8. Electrolytes aren't found much in Multivitamins (you can get a separate pill over the counter for magnesium and Calcium, but not potassium).
Coconut water can be consumed at any time during the postop diets (it's a clear liquid). V8 is Tomato based, and can be irritating to a new tummy, and potatoes don't show up in most patients' plans for a long time.

It's probably surgery-related, but it's always best to ask your doc about new pain (especially pain that mimics heart trouble).

They just aren't used to you looking (relatively) slender. You should work with your doctor to determine a good goal weight, then tell your family and friends that your doctor is helping you decide when to stop losing weight.
Congrats on getting so close to goal already! You should have no trouble getting there!

2 days later, and I've already forgotten about Saturday. Guess self-flagellation doesn't work for me! LOL! Can't bring myself to feel guilty or remember the misdeed. Ah well. Guess I'll go with plan B.. just forget it and move on, trying to do better in the future. (And I have been on-target yesterday and today.. no cravings at all).

It's probably surgery-related, but it's always best to ask your doc about new pain (especially pain that mimics heart trouble).

They just aren't used to you looking (relatively) slender. You should work with your doctor to determine a good goal weight, then tell your family and friends that your doctor is helping you decide when to stop losing weight.
Congrats on getting so close to goal already! You should have no trouble getting there!

After losing 100lbs, good news! I have pubic hair! Lol! But, just because it's here now, doesn't mean it was there for the last 15 years, maybe that's where the hair off my head ended up...

After losing 100lbs, good news! I have pubic hair! Lol! But, just because it's here now, doesn't mean it was there for the last 15 years, maybe that's where the hair off my head ended up...

It's probably surgery-related, but it's always best to ask your doc about new pain (especially pain that mimics heart trouble).

Hello!!! I wanted to provide an update. HAVING THIS SURGERY WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE!!!!!
NO, ABSOLUTELY NO NO NO NO NO HUNGER - ever!!! I am FREE to live life and focus on things other than food!!!
I am happy, not anxious anymore - I feel better, I look better, I am just a nicer person all around!!
As of yesterday, I am 161 which is a 24 pound loss in 6 weeks. This means I have 41 more pounds to my ideal weight of 120. I cannot emphasize enough how AMAZING I FEEL!!!! I am a totally new person - completely in control and beyond happy.
Update on my husband, he weighed 268 yesterday - which is a loss of 82 pounds since August 14!! He is still going strong and feeling and looking better.
When we married I was 128 and my husband was 215 (this was 12 years ago). We are moving ever closer to seeing those numbers again. I would do this surgery a million times over -- all the pain and anger and frustration that I felt in the beginning has melted off - just like the fat!
Toodles!

Runs to look up what the hell is sugar wax! bahahahaha! Sounds incredibly painful!
And ROFLMAO at the thought that "any surgery that expensive should come with the complementary Brazilian wax option." I highly concur!
@Berry78 I'm not certain, but I think you might be thinking about trees, forests and them not making a sound if we can't hear them? hehehehe

The mirror lies. Get pictures and video with you interacting with other people. That's how you can see your "true" self. Your doctor can help guide you to the ideal scale weight.. but according to BMI, you can drop quite a bit more before having to worry about getting "too thin". Keep in mind that most people regain 10-15lbs after hitting their lowest weight, so it's worthwhile to drop as low as is reasonable to guard against the bit of regain. (For the same reason, keep the clothing you are wearing now, even when you drop to the next lower size).
People that know us aren't used to us being thin. They start worrying, frequently well before it's warranted. Assure your friends/family that you are working closely with your doctor, and your ultimate size will be a healthy one.

Wait, we still have pubic hair?
I thought once I couldn't see it anymore it didn't exist!

Wait, we still have pubic hair?
I thought once I couldn't see it anymore it didn't exist!

I hope everyone is counting his/her carbs. The preop diet is supposed to be low fat and low carb and low calorie. If you aren't sure, ask your program peeps.

The mirror lies. Get pictures and video with you interacting with other people. That's how you can see your "true" self. Your doctor can help guide you to the ideal scale weight.. but according to BMI, you can drop quite a bit more before having to worry about getting "too thin". Keep in mind that most people regain 10-15lbs after hitting their lowest weight, so it's worthwhile to drop as low as is reasonable to guard against the bit of regain. (For the same reason, keep the clothing you are wearing now, even when you drop to the next lower size).
People that know us aren't used to us being thin. They start worrying, frequently well before it's warranted. Assure your friends/family that you are working closely with your doctor, and your ultimate size will be a healthy one.

Insurance companies have their requirements, and there is no getting out of working through their process.
So, you waited for your insurance to cover the surgery (rather than, say.. going to Mexico for self-pay), so jumping through some hoops for 6 months or so really isn't a huge deal in the big-picture.
I'm sorry about your losses Having cared for my hubby's grandfather (alzheimer's), and currently father (stroke), I know just how draining the care-giving roll can be. (And the relief when the patient is finally set free).
It makes sense that you are now ready to turn the focus onto caring for YOU. Which is oh-so-needed right now. Use these months to learn as much about the surgery as you can. Don't just rely on the program to give you all the information you need. (It's a good starting place though). There is much more to living for the rest of your life as a bariatric patient than just consuming the special diet for two months after the surgery.
The single most important change you need to make in your relationship with food is to come to see it simply as fuel/building blocks for your body. Pretty much all patients view food with a love/hate/crave/fear kind of relationship. All of that needs to go away and be replaced with "I eat because my body requires it". It's fine to ENJOY your food. But the hang-ups must be dropped.
Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in the obese and bariatric populations. We need to FEED our bodies. Our excess fat will provide energy, but it doesn't help us with our protein/vitamin/mineral/fiber requirements. So, we need to learn to meet all THOSE requirements on a day to day basis, while consuming fewer calories.
Surgery isn't magic. It's the ability to eat a small number of calories for months on end that results in the dramatic weight losses. By carefully controlling our diets, we can consume what we need in 700-1100 calories a day.
I'm 8 months postop, and about 30 pounds from goal. I have not yet entered maintenance, but can tell that I will ALWAYS have to be "on a diet". I can already eat enough calories to stop losses in its tracks, (and a few extra bites every day would show up as regain) so it's up to me to limit how much I eat every day. I hope to live for another 40-50 years.. so I have to have long-term health as my goal, which means eating enough nutrient-dense food to rebuild/repair myself.

The mirror lies. Get pictures and video with you interacting with other people. That's how you can see your "true" self. Your doctor can help guide you to the ideal scale weight.. but according to BMI, you can drop quite a bit more before having to worry about getting "too thin". Keep in mind that most people regain 10-15lbs after hitting their lowest weight, so it's worthwhile to drop as low as is reasonable to guard against the bit of regain. (For the same reason, keep the clothing you are wearing now, even when you drop to the next lower size).
People that know us aren't used to us being thin. They start worrying, frequently well before it's warranted. Assure your friends/family that you are working closely with your doctor, and your ultimate size will be a healthy one.

Divorce IS really common (I don't know the statistics). BUT, keep in mind that many of the relationships were rocky before surgery. In fact, the surgery may have been undergone as a last ditch, "maybe if I lose this weight he/she will love me more!" effort.
Surgery also reconfigures so many aspects in the patient's daily life. Eating out doesn't hold the charm it used to.. taking walks and going to the gym are much more interesting... for the patient. The spouse may not want things to change.
Personally, I'm 6 months postop and my hubby and I USED to go out to eat all the time, etc. But by the time I was 3 months postop my hubby realized eating out wasn't going to be a thing so much anymore. He also started seeing my dramatic improvements in health and happiness, and wanted some of that for himself. So he picked up a diet and joined me in my journey. Our relationship is slowly strengthening now. But it easily could have gone the other way...

The mirror lies. Get pictures and video with you interacting with other people. That's how you can see your "true" self. Your doctor can help guide you to the ideal scale weight.. but according to BMI, you can drop quite a bit more before having to worry about getting "too thin". Keep in mind that most people regain 10-15lbs after hitting their lowest weight, so it's worthwhile to drop as low as is reasonable to guard against the bit of regain. (For the same reason, keep the clothing you are wearing now, even when you drop to the next lower size).
People that know us aren't used to us being thin. They start worrying, frequently well before it's warranted. Assure your friends/family that you are working closely with your doctor, and your ultimate size will be a healthy one.

@Berry78 Wow! Very powerful and honest account! I'm so thrilled for the changes brought by this surgery for you and want to tell you, that you really help me and inspire me daily! Thank you!

I was curious, so checked the sodium. The day you quoted really was quite high at 2,680mg. The recommended daily limit is 2,300mg. But, my usual day has only 1,500mg, even with canned Beans or Soup. The difference was the 2nd portion of cottage cheese, full-sodium soup (I usually only buy low-sodium), and the sardines (my usual meat for the day is fresh, not canned. Occasionally there isn't any fresh meat in the house, so I have some canned fish for back-up).
So, thank you for pointing this out. As I get out further from surgery, my interest in cooking is returning a bit, and I'll see where I can make more fresh foods. Canned foods are super convenient when you can only eat 3-6oz of something.
What do your meals look like?

Insurance companies have their requirements, and there is no getting out of working through their process.
So, you waited for your insurance to cover the surgery (rather than, say.. going to Mexico for self-pay), so jumping through some hoops for 6 months or so really isn't a huge deal in the big-picture.
I'm sorry about your losses Having cared for my hubby's grandfather (alzheimer's), and currently father (stroke), I know just how draining the care-giving roll can be. (And the relief when the patient is finally set free).
It makes sense that you are now ready to turn the focus onto caring for YOU. Which is oh-so-needed right now. Use these months to learn as much about the surgery as you can. Don't just rely on the program to give you all the information you need. (It's a good starting place though). There is much more to living for the rest of your life as a bariatric patient than just consuming the special diet for two months after the surgery.
The single most important change you need to make in your relationship with food is to come to see it simply as fuel/building blocks for your body. Pretty much all patients view food with a love/hate/crave/fear kind of relationship. All of that needs to go away and be replaced with "I eat because my body requires it". It's fine to ENJOY your food. But the hang-ups must be dropped.
Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in the obese and bariatric populations. We need to FEED our bodies. Our excess fat will provide energy, but it doesn't help us with our protein/vitamin/mineral/fiber requirements. So, we need to learn to meet all THOSE requirements on a day to day basis, while consuming fewer calories.
Surgery isn't magic. It's the ability to eat a small number of calories for months on end that results in the dramatic weight losses. By carefully controlling our diets, we can consume what we need in 700-1100 calories a day.
I'm 8 months postop, and about 30 pounds from goal. I have not yet entered maintenance, but can tell that I will ALWAYS have to be "on a diet". I can already eat enough calories to stop losses in its tracks, (and a few extra bites every day would show up as regain) so it's up to me to limit how much I eat every day. I hope to live for another 40-50 years.. so I have to have long-term health as my goal, which means eating enough nutrient-dense food to rebuild/repair myself.