slimmingsteff

Hello everyone. I was sleeved on July 18th. I'm about to be a month out. My first 2 weeks post-op went really well. I was following instructions to the T and was digesting really well. A few days before week 3 (so 21 days post op) I developed an ugly rash. I ended up going to the ER for said rash, and was giving two pills to swallow. That was when I was 20 days out. On week 3, by my doctor's orders, I was allowed to have solids. Only 5 foods he approved, but nonetheless solids. I then started experiencing extreme nausea and discomfort when eating or even drinking Water. I finally gave in and went to the hospital on Saturday. I was admitted for 3 days 2 nights, with the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. However, the only thing that signified this was my blood work. I had a CT scan done and an MRI (both with contrasts) and they came back normal. My tummy looked fine, there were no blockages, leaks, etc. And my pancreas was not swollen and neither was gallbladder. I was basically sent home with the diagnosis and told to follow up w a bariatric surgeon. My surgeon is from Colombia. He basically said that its very possible I hurt my stomach and that it is swollen - like how it would be when you're fresh off the operating table. So, now I'm on liquids only again. I can only have about 1 oz of liquids, before experiencing pain. Then, there's pain throughout digestion just lingering. When I press down on the middle of my tummy, I definitely feel pain. Nothing extreme and its tolerable - but it's ANNOYING! My question is, did anyone go through something similar? Is there anything I can do to soothe my stomach from inside? I'm so frustrated and this situation has made me regret the surgery, despite FIGHTING to stay positive.

It won't let me attach photos -.-

So I got this weird allergy. It started on my chest as red bumps about 5 days ago. I then noticed they turned into brown Patches. Then I noticed it was on my back, and really bad!!! I'm about to be 3 weeks post op on Tuesday. Should I be worried? Mom wants me to go to the hospital, I think I can wait to see my PCP. I'm just scared it's one of my organs or something lol

Thanks for that suggestion!!! I will def be trying that. I miss yogurt! I currently took the dive & having some mashed potatoes bc I have literally been getting in maybe 100-200 calories and every time I get up I get blurry vision and dizzy. Have been wanting yogurt and I was already an avid fairlife milk fan. Thank ya'll!!!! Today seems like a better day

So I got my sleeve surgery *yay* on July 18th. My surgeon has me on a liquid diet for 21 days, so until Tuesday. I was first allowed Ensure/Glucerna the first 3 days and then I moved onto being allowed broth, Jello, & natural fruit juices as well. The whole time, I was super concerned because Ensure has a lot of carbs & sugars, and very little Protein. When I went for my 1 week post op, I asked him about this and he said to trust him basically (Might I add that my mom who knows nothing about macros/micros kept talking over him) So I was doing pretty fine on the shakes. I would alternate between Ensure & broth. I did have watermelon juice (remember, all allowed) and it had too much natural sugar for me. So, I got my surgery in Colombia. I came back to the States on July 27th. On July 28th I believe, I went outside of his orders and tried Premier Protein Shakes (since I had bought some for my pre-op diet) and HOLY MOLY I ALMOST DIED. My stomach was NOT happy. I was in pain for the first time ever since surgery. Drank broth 3 hours later & was fine. Decided to give the premier shake another try, making sure I was drinking it slowly and yep... still same effects. Later that night, I also tried Crystal Light... same effects. Gave me light headedness and I felt so nauseous, dizzy, etc. So now we're in present time and I can't stomach the Ensure anymore. I don't throw up, but now it feels icky and sometimes causes pain. I can't drink anything with artificial sweeteners (sugar free jello, Vitamin Water, crystal light) without getting the gross dizzy feeling. I'm so frustrated! What can I do?! Did anyone struggle through this?

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.

I'm too lazy to read all the responses so I apologize if this is repetitive. The need for or need to abstain from carbs is different from person to person. Nutritionists, especially bariatric clinic nuts, seem to just give everyone the same advice. Low carb, low fat, high Protein. I do high intensity interval workouts 5x a week and need complex carbs and healthy fats like avocados like I need air. I make sure to eat carbs like whole grain Pasta and bread only when I know I'm working out the next day. So, I just nod and tell my nutritionist sure sure, love the plan.

I advise going on the IIFYM website to calculate balanced macronutrients for your weight goals and lifestyle. I wish nutritionists would give that advice more often instead of general high this low that.

That's a lot of protein! I don't think I'll ever need that. Lol. But your muscle mass even at 250 is awesome, and see.....you don't look the 250 either in the pic.

I put muscle on fast too, and used to lift heavy as well. Now that I'm back at the gym, I will be lifting twice a week starting out, since I've been away too long from an injury and wls. My doc recommends 60-80g Protein, so I'll stick to this, the 60 at minimum.

Speaking of, do you find most people would guess you weigh less than what you really do, given that you have muscle? A friend of mine couldn't believe I'm 230 lbs. She thought I was 180'ish. Even the past, when I was 150, it was always guessed about 120. It's the way I carry my weight, great muscle. Give my credit to my dad's side of the family. lol

Can you believe that they had me eating 170ish grams of protein!? Ngl my quads and calves looked phenomenal though. And YESS. All my life. I'm 5'9 and weigh 275. I've gained about 20 pounds (which is why I decided on the surgery) but when I was lifting I was 250ish. This is what I looked like at 250 ish.

Actually, my NUT told me to up my Protein and fluids when I upped my exercise. Protein is better used by muscles than carbs, complex or not. And muscles need fluids to develop correctly. I use my elliptical five days a week and weight train two days a week. My protein intake is at least 100 grams and my fluids are at least 126 oz. My carbs are between 35 and 40 grams a day. And it works for me. You do not have to increase your carbs or your calories just because you work out. I'm almost 6 months out and still get in between 646 and 800 calories a day. I tried to eat more but it cause my weight loss to slow, and it was hard to do that everyday.

I'm having my surgery done in Colombia and it's
not like a "medical travel" type thing where they offer those packages. Colombia is my
home country so its different.

I had surgery out of the country and had and still have the same NUT from Mexico, who will answer any questions I may have even now. I'm not sure where you are going for your surgery, but you should have a NUT and still be able to get in touch with your surgeon whenever you have a question or concern.

Thank you! This is very helpful!

I think this is where I need to make the change. When my doctor gave me the 120g of carbs guideline it included "whole grain" crackers and bread, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. I will see if I can hit the carb goal using mostly veggies and legumes.

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My doc plan is 60g Protein and 100g carbs. [emoji4]I'm with you, my body needs complex carbs. Actually all of our bodies need it, but each to his own.

I see the horse is still being beaten...
If you can eat carbs responsibly and still lose, eat them. If you can't, don't. It's simple. It's YOUR body. You don't have to do or eat anything you don't want to. Do what works for you. Just make sure you get your Protein. Case closed. [emoji111]
Now, conventional wisdom says doing "what works for you" is probably how you ended up needing bariatric surgery, but I'll leave that alone.

23 months.
I know lots of people that eat more carbs than me and are successful long term.
The thing is I don't actually like carbs, so I don't eat them. I eat the things I like.
I hate rice, I hate Beans, I don't like Pasta unless it is freshly made and then only one kind, and only like fresh baked (rye and pumpernickel) bread. and croissants. Crackers just make no logical sense to me what so ever. I think I have eaten crackers less than 5 times in my entire life and I am just making that number up because I can't even recall eating them.
The issue with carbs post-op from WLS is carbs are EASY to eat. They go down very easy because they don't trigger restriction and you can eat them in massive (normal sized and binge size) quantities. So a lot of people that are food addicts go right back to carbs as soon as they get a chance. Then once they start, they can't seem to stop.
My choice to limit and not introduce carbs came from not only just not liking them but from years and years of reading stories on WLS forums of people that regained. There was always one common denominator, carbs. Complex or otherwise. Complex seem to be a gateway to not so complex.

July 13th!

Low carb isn't Keto and keto isn't low carb. People keep mixing up the terms and they are not the same thing.
A post-op diet is low carb, not keto.
Almost all bariatric diets post-op are low carb and low fat (which is kind of impossible).
The reason so many people fail at Keto is because they don't understand what it is or how it works. You have to set your macros and control the ratios carefully. If you aren't you are just low carbing, which is fine, but it isn't Keto.
Unless you are vegetarian/vegan, you are going to low carb for the rest of your life anyway if you are eating properly in the right order.
If you have plate of food, you are supposed to eat your Protein FIRST. First means ALONE not alternating bites with other foods, FIRST. If you have your proper portion of protein 3-4 ounces, and you finish that, THEN eat your veggies/carbs, you will be lucky to get an ounce of those items in. The protein is going to make you full by eating it first.
People don't follow these directions, they eat alternating bites. They don't measure and weigh their portions. If you eat your veggies alternating bites with your protein, you can eat a lot more food, and you won't feel as full and you will not get all your protein in.
This is why I eat my veggies separate at Snacks so I can get enough veggies in while meeting my protein goals. If I didn't eat my veggies separate, I would never eat any, because 3 to 4 ounces of protein fills me up. On a typical day I eat 4 cups of spinach. That is pretty much the sum of my carbs, and it is barely 4 carbs, the rest of my carbs are from half and half. If I have broccoli instead I might hit 6 carbs in broccoli and even that is a stretch because broccoli is more filling and I can't eat as much of it as I can of spinach. If you are eating protein and green veggies, it is basically impossible not to low carb.

The ideal diet for WLS surgery patients is simple. 64-100 grams Protein a day, depending on your needs. 64-120 oz [mention=255522]her1981[/mention]just emphasized as I was typing this up.
The only reason during weight loss to up their caloric intake, and carbs, is if they're body building or doing significant exercise. For the vast majority of people on sites like this who are sedentary or low active, carb intake is proportionate to chances of failure.

I have the mirena and I have two HEAVY periods EVERY month since surgery, 12/13/16. I've been told it's because your fat stores hormones and when you start losing, the stored hormones in the fat flood into your bloodstream, causing the excess and heavy periods, along with a myriad of other symptoms (acne, growing hair, etc). I've been told that over time, your body will balance itself out.... just no telling when that will be because everyone is different. Hang in there! Hugs! [emoji847]

What is keto

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After surgery it is really hard to get all your meat down. I have consistently lost 5 pounds per week eating some Protein with every meal and then whatever I can fit after that. I think you are right about finding balance and making sure we get all the nutrients from fruits and vegetables.

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Michelle, you bring up a valid point. In the rat studies, the rats that get the surgery go back on a regular diet after the healing period and they lose weight.
But, I think our problem is we don't really know what an ideal human diet looks like.... and the very real possibility that what is ideal for one person isn't ideal for another.
I like the idea of the caveman diet.. and though it isn't certain how much Protein was available, we can be sure things like grains and sugar were in limited supply. And refined versions were unheard of.

I'm confused. Are your surgeons and NUTS recommending Keto? Why would you have weight loss surgery and then go on what is basically a fad diet? I had surgery to stop letting fad diets get in my head. Yes, they work. Fad diets always have. Until they don't. If I follow the guidelines my surgeon and NUT gave me, I'm ultimately eating low carb anyway. They don't recommend simple carbs, and I admit like everyone else, they don't work for me. But I shake my head at all of these post op people following keto plans. It sounds to me like keto is to lose weight. Surgery should accomplish that on its on. It did for me.

I have naturally fallen into a lower carb diet. I began eating my Protein first. Once I finish my protein I will eat a carb (usually a veggie). I have good restriction so I'm rarely able to get much carb in during meals. I essentially eat meat and a few veggies. My go to Snacks are Greek yogurt with berries.