KarenLR75

Sounds like you have a lot of metabolic challenges going on. There are veterans on here that know WAY more than I do about how bodies that for whatever reason, throw up intense metabolic..let's say 'resistance'...they have a wealth of knowledge and experience with losing weight, even if it is slower, with most of these conditions. I actually am a fan of low carb..like VERY low carb, put you in 'ketosis' low carb as I am a slow loser. My dr's plan though..dang @Fluffychix knew exactly the name for it...I'll look up her reply to my post and put it here...he had me increasing..now that I was, at the time they gave me my 'macros' for moving forward into the 'real food arena)...he had me UP the carbs but carbs isolated to the low glycemic/better for you carbs...kept protein high of course, and put fat as the lowest % which I understood (the fat part of it). the calories were the EXACT same that I had been doing since eating SOME real food....and I was losing like..2 lbs a week...then down to 1 lb...then down to nothing for over 10 days...my 2nd or 3rd 'stall'... Finally I bit the bullet and went into my fitnesspal and changed my macros around....I ate protein oatmeal...feeling guilty the whole time. I also ran into a 'picky pouch' issue and suddenly things i had been able to eat like 1 slice of turkey deli meat...was repulsing me. My calories ended up actually starting to tank into under 400 on some days which threw my body off too. Ironically, the oatmeal stayed down and some days was the only thing i could get in..as well as half a protein drink. Flash forward to past 4 days...got self back to 800 calories but on my dr's version, not mine...and I went to an oktoberfest dinner 2 nights ago with a group of ladies I know. I had baby bites of almost everything. I ate tiny bites of a dumpling, of the meat (NOT sausage, more like a roast)...cucumbers....and as there is another woman there who had WLS who is 1.5 years out, we were talking about what things would be safer for me to try than others..and the whole table started talking about the fact that several German dishes, especially the salads, involved lemon juice, vinegar, etc. - things known to help with digestion. As we had several courses, the "meal" was eaten over 2 to 2.5 hrs. I made sure to stop WAY before what I know my pouch could handle. I skipped a few things that I knew might be 'dicey'..but honestly..over the course of that meal, I ate MORE calories than I had in days when I added it to the rest of the day. I never hit my restriction..truly took BABY teeny tiny bites of things......this morning, i got on the scale and I'm suddenly down 4 lbs! This is with still seeing my ankles slightly swollen from yesterday's jaunting around town. I think sometimes we get so 'set' in what our macros are...that our bodies need to be shaken up. This could mean you need to change your macros and so many other variables. I was going to look into IF (intermittent fasting) before agreeing with members here that I actually should try what my dr and his nutritionist were suggesting which was actually increasing good carbs. I mean..I was stuck...so really...all that could happen is potentially a 'gain and if I did...I'd wait it out to see if it was my body just 'reacting' again. I really thought I'd see a small gain this morning or stay the same. It goes to show how wrong some of my old thinking can be sometimes....and there are MANY MANY ppl on here who can share from their experience...also being ppl who are 'slower losers' than some (i.e fight having metabolism challenges)...I would need to re-read what you posted but I think there are other options that remain unexplored that are available to you to try. And I say this being a person that is ON Seroquel. My loved one is on Seroquel AND topomax. She had a very bad reaction to Latuda which was disappointing. She is making MINOR changes in her meals..and is hiking with me..both of us are SEVERELY out of shape but we do mini-hikes.....I know if she can lose weight with her tiny changes....there are definitely ANSWERS/HELP out there for you..many things still to try DESPITE the meds. I wish you nothing but the best!!

One of my loved ones is BP II and they are now trying to decided if she also has BPD. She gained a TON of weight from Abilify..which was billed inititally as 'Weight-Neutral". Weight-Neutral my AS*! She also takes Seroquel and now I'm wondering how much a role this might have played in her carb binging (although this is also typical of Bipolar disorder as well - i.e. not in relation to a med alone). She was on Lamictal as her first line mood stabilizer for a long time and just recently had to be switched to Lithium. I am not BP but I have been on Seroquel for a few years for sleep and anxiety. I have a fairly vicious shift work disorder situation going on and regular sleep meds like Temazepam just don't cut it. I'm on 150 mgs. I haven't noticed weight gain on it but I know meds like this along with the front line mood stabilizers...can bring with them much good, but also sometimes very undesired side effects. I've normally seen the ppl in my life gain the most from the atypical anti-psychotics. I DO know seroquel can impact your cholesterol for sure. The one thing I know for sure is that all of these very important meds bring a host of side effects and many are known impacters on several things that could negatively impact your weight along with simply having bipolar. Would be nice to see more conversations about trying to do this while dealing with some fairly difficult...emotional/mental/spiritual challenges. I know how hard a road it is to walk...with significant challenges like this, while I do not have BP myself, someone who is EXTREMELY close to me...I watch her suffer so much...it breaks my heart over and over...and then add on top of it that she has gained over 100 lbs in a year...on top of already being MO. I just love her so much..and am tired of seeing how life...just continues to throw so many unfair and awful situations her way. I KNOW life is NOT fair, but when you have something like bipolar as a diagnosis..unless you've been there/been beside someone going thru it, it is hard to explain how much it impacts every single aspect of your life sometimes...

Ironically, I never worked out prior to surgery..well, I did often swim because I have a pool but due to having a torn up right knee, I cannot swim laps like I used to when I was a teen on the swim team at school. What I have found since surgery...and I'm roughly..um..11 or 12 weeks out so still in the 'early phase'..not in terms of the 'liquid vs. pureed vs soft food stages', but in terms of the weight loss journey...I have never DESIRED to walk/hike, etc. but I have found that I have surges of energy...and the actual...looking forward to my easy/flat/even/off road hikes. I have found out along with these energy surges, if I'm not careful, they can 'erode' based on what I've been able to consume in terms of water and protein, if it is 100 degrees outside, particularly if humid, how many calories I've been able to get in, if I've taken all my vitamins, etc. What I find so surprising is I didn't realize I would feel ANY energy surges. I find myself not sleeping in as long on the weekends...and getting out of bed with more energy. Back in the earlier weeks....like weeks 3-5 after surgery, I started to feel this but found out I had to be careful not to 'run full tilt' with the energy as I would overdo things. Now if at home and overdoing it, let's just say maybe I swam/paddled around pool and then got out and tackled X # of chores, I could all of a sudden get hit with feeling worn out. This is no prob as I could stop, sit down, hydrate, try to get protein in...it is when I was OUT, that I had to be careful about...'trying to keep my energy output more controlled'... Does this make sense at all? Example, if into trying to hit 2 miles on a hike with temps of anywhere from 98 to 100+ degrees AND it was really HUMID, I could find myself in a great deal of distress that would hit suddenly as I was not just expending energy walking, but also the environmental conditions - temp, humidity, etc. would leech so much from my body that I could find myself in mid-hike feeling dizzy...wiped out...and in some places..nowhere to sit and recover..and then wondering if I could even turn around at that point and make it back to the car! I finally compensated for this by basically not only counting steps, but timing how long I was out in the heat and basically 'under-hiking'. It was far more important to know I had gotten some exercise but also safely make it back. Next week we are supposed to drop into the high 70's here!! I can't wait to see how far I can go in these temps..plus now I'm 11 weeks out...and I have a better feel for what I can do...although I will still get surprised every now & then.

I'm the 'stand in person' at the last moment to take my 89 year old MIL to see Phantom of the Opera at the Bass Hall here in Fort Worth. The dress is LEGIT forest green and has white twisting vine/flower things on it. I'm freaked out as I absolutely have no idea what color shoes to wear with this color combo. I only have my extra large black sandals (not nice enough for the event) that I wear as my feet swell..and um...another pair of black sandals, slightly nicer. Do I try to find what...nude/tan shoes? silver shoes? White shoes (did the whole 'don't wear white after Labor Day' finally go away? Serious legit head explosion going to happen...the event is this coming Saturday so i have roughly 4 days to find shoes. I just bought this dress for this occasion and hate the idea of scrapping it. Help all you fabulous DIVA and OOTD savvy dressing ladies!!

LOL..too funny. I was an Air Force brat...was born up North..but like 'literal' North from Texas...was born in North Dakota. Also rest of family is in PA

And we are BOTH in Texas...LOL

OK, ladies! After unearthing all of my clutches/evening bags and even one purse that I think is oversized for the occasion..and it has a gold embellishment...as does one of the small oops Anne Klein evening bag/mini purse. I had thought about going the 'silver route' The 2 evening bags that I have, however are black with silver. They are pictured. I also have a Chanel bag that is brand new and it has silver accents where the handles attach. Then I found 2 pairs of shoes that are not my 'daily run down sandals'. I think the color of the one pair is more of a 'pewter'...unsure if this would look ok..i.e. not silver..when they are on my feet. The other pair is completely black ..they are not super comfortable but I could probably stand them for a 2.5 hour show. I may have to see if my feet will fit into them....but this is a general idea of what I have. I am prepared to go get a pair of shoes tonight if it doesn't look like these will work, there are a few places having decent sales. My MIL is a very...semi high society lady and while we had our differences when I was younger. I've grown to appreciate her and love her. I adored my FIL and like my parents...I miss them all so very much. The one other thing I realized today is that the very last time I went to Bass Hall was with my Mom to see Susan Boyle sing. This was right when her dementia was starting in (we didn't know it yet)..so it is going to be hard in some ways to walk back in there. Anyways, back to decisions, decisions...I'm hoping some pics may help. I truly appreciate everyone's help with this. I

I love this...but I'm like day-glo pasty white..lol. I totally get what you actually mean though!

Some of you know I was interested in the IF topic but since I'm only 8 weeks out, it is probably not time for me to try to introduce that. As I am a super slow loser and am very metabolically challenged..I tend to opt for a keto based way of eating. Keeping carbs under 20 grams, etc. Keeping fat isolated to much less than the average 'keto WOL' and staying with the healthier fats. I've been stalled at the same weight for 10 days and I have been exercising during this time. Haven't noticed any new change in the way things fit (looking for non-scale victories, etc.)..and before that it took 2 to 3 weeks to lose 2 lbs. Was aiming for 800 calories or less with protein as highest macro followed by fat and then by carbs. When discussing IF on another thread, I posted what my dr recommended and it is based on 800 calories a day with 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat. I'm so nervous about changing my diet around, increasing carbs, etc. but at this point, I'm so frustrated with my slow losing pace and my stall, that I figure that I might as well try it. I've lost 32 lbs in 8.5 weeks which probably sounds ok to other slow losers but what bothers me is that in basically the last 3 wks of my 8.5 wk journey, I've lost roughly...2 lbs with the past 10 days at a big fat 0. I was ok with just losing 2 lbs a week..but i feel like my weight loss not only started slowing even more in the past several weeks, but it is now trickling to a standstill and I'm only 8 weeks out. I figured I'd see something like this starting maybe in month 4...definitely not month 2. I've tried to stay positive but that it is becoming harder and harder to do so...

Oh my gosh, you have spot-on timing. I'm sitting here working and trying to ignore the ginormous mound of laundry that I piled on top of my kitchen table last night to fold (my laundry room is SO small and for some reason I just don't get how 'normal people' simply fold things as they take them out of the dryer..such craziness! LOL).

Hey MeowAMR! Have been thinking of you. Was also thinking about doing a roll call of all of our fellow July surgery siblings. I actually had surgery 2 days after you (we were in the same week). I had mine on 7/25. Glad to hear the good results you got from upping your carbs. Very happy to hear you've lost 42 lbs, that is awesome! I went and changed my 'target macros' in myfitnesspal. Crossing fingers that this goes well. It would be nice not to be as dizzy as I've been (staying bent over too long is 'not my friend').

Ack...does it always hurt??? I had heard from my doctor's office and others that you will get a buzz more quickly. Um.....ok...if I'm going to feel like h*** the next day, there is no way I'm trying that on the cruise then...

I was a fan of fruity drinks and Long Island Ice Teas. However, as I did keto WOL for so long before surgery, I went to having an occasional diet coke and rum (technically keto friendly), HOWEVER, this was more of a once or twice a month thing before surgery. For me, since I"m only 8 weeks out and I'm in my THIRD stall AND I am a very very very slow loser even sticking to my dr's plan 100%, while I have had brief temptations, I know I'm 1) Not Ready to try this 2) Unsure if I should ever try it 3) Not willing to add something else into the confusing equation of why I am stalled yet again All this being said, I will not lie and say that I feel 100% confident that I will never have another drink. We are going on a Christmas cruise with my 89 year old MIL as she wanted the whole family to be together at Christmas and wanted it to be on a cruise...so we are all going. I have wondered about the possibility of having a drink at this time.. Unfortunately I will be only 5 months out at this time. I wish it was more like 1 year. I'm also unsure if I want to try my 1st drink, if I even do, on a ship with my whole family around...have no idea if it goes awry, how fast I could get to a place of privacy....you know? I have wondered what in the heck I would 'mix' any alcohol with and my eldest pointed out that my Premier Clear Protein Tropical Punch drinks would probably work...I was like "yeah, thanks for pointing that out...and now it is in my head". Only thing I know for sure is that for today, I choose not to drink alcohol.

I second this. It was one of our incredible veterans...like AZHiker, GreenTealael, FluffyChix, Orchids&Dragons (sorry for all of the other super veterans that my mind is blanking on!) that recommended not only Dr. Weiner's youtube videos (which are great) but other wonderful tips as well. I can't remember if we already directed you to it, but when looking for more info and resources such as Dr. Weiner's youtube videos, do a search for a topic FluffyChix started a while ago and read from the start - it is about "The Importance of doing the headwork". Not sure if linking the topic here will work or not but I'll give it a try..lol.

I totally understand! I'd definitely go back on he Omeprazole. Ironically this past week I completely forgot to take it and yesterday I had a different kind of abdominal pain, not horrid, but not happy. I wanted to smack myself in the head when I realized I had slacked off on taking my Omeprazole. Took it when I remembered yesterday and today. So far, so good. I also did notice that I was still eating way too fast when I did eat/drink. Especially if I was once again eating with the TV on or do anything else that led me to mindlessly eat. I was so focused on 'well, I know I can get 2-3 oz's in with no problem'..and went back to old habits...not eating as fast as I used to but eating WAY too fast for a relatively new pouch. I too wondered if my mind was psyching my body out.....I finally went with as many small baby steps as I could. If that meant only taking in 1 bite of something soft and putting it back in the fridge...then trying again 15 to 30 mins later. It was a bit tedious but my pouch and esophagus seemed a bit happier.

About a decade ago, when I had lost what I thought was a good amount of weight, there was an online group (do not remember it) where you could post sizes and pics of clothes you had and them arrange to swap/send to someone else. Usually whomever was receiving the clothes paid for shipping and sometimes if the item was dressy/expensive/with tags, you would work out an acceptable arrangement with that person. Likewise, as I lost weight, I posted my clothes and arranged for new homes. I realize this sounds maybe complicated but it was vastly easy at the time. Perhaps I had more energy? I don't see anything like this these days. I'm not a big FB person but I guess that might be the likeliest place for something like this to be done..especially if it is centered in your own 'local area'... Just thinking/writing out loud, I guess..

Interesting...I had some sort of weird glue stuff going on...lol

I understand! I wanted back in the pool so bad...my weight loss was very very slow. Even with the same pre-op diet of liquids for most ppl on here for 1 to 2 weeks....even considering ppl closer to my age AND my starting weight, I felt like I was failing as I was losing SO SLOWLY...and those I considered closer to my situation were just dropping weight left and right it felt like. I actually set my recovery back by a good week or more simply by working insane hours (78 hours) a few days after surgery. After that, I resolved that I was going to let my body heal..and that in the scheme of things taking it EASIER for a few weeks was not going to cost me the race..it is hard as my family of origin is/was VERY competitive. Once I did get into some of the more lengthy hikes which for us was only increasing by maybe 1/2 a mile...my weight loss did pick up some. Remember that it takes a full 6 to 8 weeks for our bodies to heal and we all heal at different rates. Our bodies are in shock too..at least that is the way I feel. with having our innards rerouted. I know several folks on here who actually literally walked around in their homes (and some still do..) but if they needed to sit/take a break, they could. Some started using resistance bands. Some folks did yoga if the poses didn't impact their abdomen negatively. Once my dr. gave me the 'all clear' after 2 weeks, I was in my pool in a flash but I still had to take into account the heat (will suck a lot out of a person). My family fretted a lot. You are DEFINITELY not alone! Be kind to your body - you will be getting back to where you were very, very soon I would imagine!

OK...for the non-serious answer...I'll start going to the gym when someone knocks me unconscious and drags my body up there (sorry, I have personal issues with the gym I need to resolve). However, ANY physical activity for me....I found that around 3 weeks...I was still shaky...just shopping at a mall, I found myself having to stabilize my balance by grabbing onto the end of clothing racks. At even 5 or 6 weeks though, I started doing small 'day hikes' with my daughter. Didn't get very far the first time or the 2nd, 3rd, etc. but it is still hotter than Hades here and that impacts my ability to breathe as I have scarred lungs but it felt SO good to move..to be doing something and I NEVER in my wildest dreams imagined that I..would HIKE..wiillingly..anywhere..LOL...so I guess going to a gym may also be in my future..LOL!! I try to ensure we do these things (major or even minor physical activity) on days when I know I'm well hydrated and have gotten a good dose of protein in as when I miss on either of these things, I can have some dizzy spells. Oh, and NOT going when my abdomen has not been cramping. Made a HUGE mistake going on one hike when my stomach was saying NO. The mini-backpack we take now has a small medicine cabinet. We also make sure phones are charged because if either of us was to encounter extreme physical distress, we would absolutely not be able to get the other out so we have to be prepared to call for help...and I pray we never have to do so....

OMG, I almost said it was on a forum having to do with Atkins! Too funny! Thanks for the reminder about ebay! I get worried I won't get the stuff shipped out on time but I need to get past that.

Thank you! My recommendation "make them hear you" I think if you felt that your concerns were being given due consideration, that some of your own fears would be lightened. That's just a guess...I only 'play doctor' in my own house to much eye rolling from my family...LOL I also understand that many WLS staff have seen a zillion of us so sometimes maybe when we feel we're being given a rote answer....they are doing so out of habit and are not intentionally 'not hearing us' but my gut usually has me trying to ensure that I'm heard...cuz this is a big dang step so I need them to hear "Karen"..not patient 'XYZ" At the end of the day, usually no one can advocate as well as we individually can

I was..oh gosh..3 weeks out or less...when I started feeling what felt like an abnormal 'restriction kick in'. Now I had RNY but I'm going to share my situation in case it helps. I could have drank NOTHING at all and sipped on 2 oz's of water and my chest would hurt and my pouch or whatever I was feeling felt like it went on lock down. I had periods of almost agonizing discomfort. I ended up getting dehydrated and got sent to the hospital just for the day to get hydrated with an IV. Felt so much better. A week later..maybe more..same thing. Couldn't get water in. Tried protein shake and 2 oz's made me feel like I had filled my pouch with a gallon or more (hyperbole). Finally dr. sent me to hospital and made me drink this awful soapy crud..and they scanned my esophagus, pouch and lower intestines. Appeared everything was ok but I was so uncomfortable..to the point of pain. Happened again and was admitted to hospital this time but during the scan the dr did catch my esophagus spasming - not every time but often enough, but they figure this was contributing to my situation. I was miserable at this hospital as I was in horrific pain and they felt IV tramadol was the solution. I couldn't wait to go back home. I don't have this situation happen as often as it did back then, but when it happens, I stay home and curl into a ball and just try to live through it. Most people that have spasms aren't in this much pain but since I've been looked at twice and scanned twice, I've given up on going to hospital/ER for answers (and that includes my dr too - he is a good surgeon but at last hospital I was told "I've done over 1000 (maybe he said 10K) of these and never had a person have this issue." I didn't know what to say except "well, guess I'm your 1st as I'm not making my own esophagus spasm". Sheesh. If it becomes bothersome enough or interferes enough with you being able to take in what you need..maybe ask for a scan? Lord knows I haven't reached the ideal answer but I'm hoping you'll have better luck than I did. Oh, I did forget one thing, the dr that did the scan sent me home with a RX for Hyoscyamine? I have taken it when extreme distress but am not quite sure how much it does for my 'gut' vs esophagus....

If I start hitting Day 3 and I had been eating actual food (am almost 8 weeks out but have days when my pouch was irritated so went back to a soft/pureed stage), I will try a stool softener but definitely by day 3 or 4, I'm taking MOM. This was approved by my doctor. I just had to take something this morning...sigh...

One main thing I personally think is INCREDIBLY important and I think almost all of us have encountered that...and that is telling a doctor, medical professional, nurse, or what have you.....that we have a concern and when we get a reply like 'you'll do better after XYZ', is that sometimes I feel like I'm either not being heard or that my fears are being glossed over. And then, I'd get even more worried or stressed as I sometimes feel I was being 'pacified' not answered. Sometimes this was true, sometimes it was not. Whether it is something as major as this surgery or maybe something not as big, I remind myself that despite the "relationship" of dr to patient, therapist to patient, etc. is that I am the client. With this surgery and all of my concerns at one point when I did not feel I was being heard, I kindly and patiently pushed the issue. Everything was then resolved to the happiness of everyone. And everyone has their own individual level of what it takes for them to feel heard. For many this could be simply hearing them say "you'll do better after surgery". For me, that would not be enough but the IMPORTANT CRITICAL thing is if it is enough for you. If it is, that is great! As you can see, you will get much support here whether you have the surgery tomorrow or a year from now. I wish you nothing but the best!

Excellent job! You look fantastic! We are July "surgery siblings".