insta_adventurer

On 09/23/2018 at 18:02, Megan Sadler said:

I’ll check those out!! Oh I think my stall is ending... fingers crossed 🤞 and I only need to lose another 18 lbs to weigh less than my husband 😍 22 lbs till I break into the 100’s for the first time in 8 years!! And I got brave. I put on a shirt today that is super comfortable but honestly it’s been too small for ever. It fits perfectly. 👚 my pants are falling off. I’m going to have to wear a belt from now till I can afford clothes. I’m still afraid to go cloths shopping. Honestly I live in an area where the clothes are terrible at thrift shops. Honestly I don’t want to buy clothes from the 1820’s okay maybe they aren’t that old but most of the clothes at the thrift store are at least as old as I am if not older, and non in my size.

Isn’t it funny the excitement over weighing less than our better half’s? I’m currently only 9lbs heavier than my husband. I’ve never weighed less than him, because even when I was in much better shape, he was in much better shape, too.. 😂😂

Ughhhhh why does my program make us stay at Stage II for 12 weeks?! Brutal! 😂😂 but hopefully I get bumped to stage III in two or three weeks!

On 09/21/2018 at 20:54, amalicea said:

So I had to avoided the scale. It been a lil over 2 weeks now, I kept getting frustrated/disappointed with the numbers. I decided to just let my clothes tell me my progress.
I bought super skin tight I can even breathe in them leggings 2 weeks ago then fit perfectly now and I just got rid of all my jeans since I went from a size 20 to a size 16 and it’s been 2 1/2 month since I was sleeved. So I may not see the numbers going down but at least the inches are!

Sorry if it comes off Braggy no one in my family gets it

That’s what it’s all about. Let the NSVs get you through the weight stalls! Keep it up!

My NSV is returning to spin class this morning after a 3 month break... and I crushed it! Also- my spin shoes aren’t so tight my feet go numb, I can keep up with the class in position 2 and can do jumps! Another NSV? A lot less lady part discomfort cause I’m able to be out of the saddle a lot more! It’s crazy what taking 50lbs off will do! (Note: I’m only down like 32 since surgery in July, but I’m probably down 50 since the last class in May..

So I’m starting to notice that whenever I cheat and have something with a decent about of carbs, the next day I’ll have lost.. like a pound.

I seem to stall out or lose super slow when I stick to my high Protein foods.

What gives?! I’m not sure, but I’m not beating myself up for having a few carbs here or there.

Yes! I second asking for a gynecological exam and ultrasound. The worst pain I have ever felt was from ovarian cysts rupturing. My pain was short lived each time (20 minutes each time) but had it kept up it was enough to make me want to dial 911. Also- I know when my mom had an ovarian torsion (twisted ovary) due to an ovarian cyst the size of a volleyball, she was in constant excruciating pain until it was removed.

I hope it’s not as serious as an ovarian torsion, but my point is that lady part ailments can be incredibly painful so it’s worth looking into!

I went after work today and signed us back up for our old gym. We’d been doing spin and training there for awhile, but stopped due to financial restraints and too much travel.

I tried to motivate myself to work out independently. Just didn’t work.

So on Saturday I will be hopping on a spin bike for the first time in 3 months. Wish me luck and cross your fingers that I don’t die. 😂

On 09/18/2018 at 15:11, Ylime said:

Hello all! Work has been keeping me away from here which makes me really sad! I'm glad to see everyone is doing well for the most part!

I've had an unexpected side effect and I can't quite figure out why. I have been a nail biter for 25 years. Constantly biting my nails, chewing my cuticles and picking at the skin around them. My hands have always looked horrible and even manicures and fake nails never helped me break the habit. It was always related to stress because the minute I went on vacation I wouldn't do it anymore and my nails would start to grow.

So now since the day of surgery I haven't bitten my nails once. I still have the same level of stress at home and at work as I did before so I can't figure out why it would stop now and what surgery would have to do with it. My nails are so long now that I'm going to have to get a manicure so I can actually type properly! lol

That is a good side effect! Oddly enough- I had the same thing when I moved out on my own. Living with your parents as an adult is stressful. 😂😂

Anyone else experiencing joint pain in their pelvis/inner thighs? Mine have just been aching the last three weeks.

Also- checking in- almost 9 weeks post-op. Down 37lbs. Basically should be down 65 in a few weeks (30% of excess body weight) but stalling for 3 weeks kind delayed progress substantially. Just keepin on’.

I’m supposed to eat three small meals a day and drink a Protein Shake between meals.

This actually amounts to two meals a day and two Protein shakes- because a shake is far too easy for Breakfast.

I am a bit high strung/nuts and enjoy a good adventure. Gaining a bit of weight sort of thwarted my adventuring a bit, but it’s starting to come back as the weight comes off.

Now to just figure out shenanigans to get into that don’t require alcohol... 😂

On 09/17/2018 at 05:48, OhioSparkle said:

Hi everyone, I am 3 weeks post-op. I have only gone to the bathroom twice since then and it's been very small bowel movements. What can I take to help me use the bathroom?

Also, I get very tired after walks in the park. More than I did before surgery. Is this normal?

I also had these issues post-op. I found that milk of magnesia helped clear me out better than miralax or glycerin suppositories. Once that issue was out of the way- I relied on a daily colase pill and a cup of Smooth Move tea at night to keep things moving.

I still take the colase on occasion and am two months out. I also try to consume a bit of Beans in my diet, as they are fiber-dense foods.

On 09/16/2018 at 19:02, Svdlux23 said:

I agree 100%.. pain was not bad at all..ive had tattoos and childbirth .. this was a walk in the park!

I’ve had tattoos and idk, I don’t find them that painful, but I was pretty uncomfortable after surgery. Never had a kid though, so maybe childbirth made you tougher than me! 😂

To the OP, I was you before surgery. My anxiety was through the roof. I totally thought I’d wimp out. I didn’t. Was I uncomfortable after? Yes. The first four days were a bit tough for me, but not so bad that I ever regretted my decision. I’m about two months out now and can say it has all been worth it for me.

On 09/12/2018 at 18:42, tahoegirl96118 said:

Hi all,

This has probably been asked a gazillion times. Just wondering how everyone did with the post op pain. I'm not too worried about the gas pain but more the incision pain. I'm not a fan of pain meds, they make me vomit.....

How did everyone do? The good, the bad and the ugly.....

Also, I'm doing this alone. Will I be okay by myself or should I aske the surgeon to keep me an extra day.

Thanks

I only used the prescription pain medicine for a day after arriving home. I would explain to your doctor that you’ve had nausea issues with some pain medications. Perhaps there’s an alternative medication they can prescribe that will not make you nauseas?

After stopping the prescription medication, I switched to liquid Tylenol for a few days to a week. If you use this, make sure to get the adult kind and not the kid kind, which is loaded in sugar.

I had my mom and husband here, but really could have done it alone. I had no incision pain (they are so tiny!), but I did have discomfort from Constipation and quite a bit of soreness in my core, due to the incisions going through my abdominal muscles.

Regarding whether you can go it alone, that really depends on your age, health, and whether you are presently able to take care of yourself with ease. Chances are you have no trouble taking care of yourself currently, you’ll manage okay after surgery.

On 09/16/2018 at 12:49, sillykitty said:

I'm packing for a trip next week to the rain soaked Mid Atlantic. Boots needed, right?

Uh ... I guess not for this trip!

I expected them to be a little big, but not unwearable!

I had this same issue with my knee length boots! It used to take a lot of pulling and squeezing to get them zipped. I went to wear them last week and they wouldn’t stay up my calves, because they were too big!

Any ideas on where to buy boots for in between calf widths? Pretty sure my legs are still too meaty for regular width boots.

No ulcer, but severe gastritis which is basically irritation (probably a precursor to actual ulcer). I also experienced the gnawing feeling when hungry.

I’m now 2 months post op and still take omeprazole for acid. One of the reasons I chose and was directed towards bypass vs the sleeve was that I had pretty bad GERD and quite a bit of esophageal irritation as a result. GERD can lead to Barrets esophagus, which can lead to esophageal cancer... which is what my pops died from 2.5 years ago... so I was not going to take my chances with me that!

Just to chime in... I tested positive for h. Pylori. 2 weeks of antibiotics to treat it. Something like 12 pills a day. It certainly wasn’t a great time, but definitely doable.

On 09/13/2018 at 18:59, Russ D said:

-"You've lost some weight, how did you do it?"

-"I had 85% of my stomach removed."

I had basically this same exchange last week.

Well meaning co-worker: “You are doing amazing! What are you doing? What’s your secret?”

Me: “.... I had weight loss surgery.”

Probably not the response they were expecting, but like others, I’m comfortable disclosing it. The only opinion about my choice that matters is my own and part of my own body positivity/self love journey is owning my body, decisions about my body, and being confident about my body no matter its state or how it got there. 😀

On 09/14/2018 at 15:37, ZeroCool said:

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, and I'm feeling terribly vulnerable...but I'm officially 4 weeks post op and down 25lbs. Until just now when I made this collaboration, I wasn't sure where the pounds came from. I can sortof see it in some areas...what do you guys think?

I can totally tell the difference! You are deffo losing it in your stomach and back! Keep up the great work!

On 09/13/2018 at 16:35, ellie123 said:

Help! Need your brains to help me think this through...

Folks, all I've had today is a half a cup Optifast Protein Drink, a half a cup Water and half cup tea. That's it....I was mid teaching an online class and I got SUPER naucious. Sliming and all! Kept belching with my stomach in a knot. Had to give them an assignment while I threw up all my pitiful hydration for the day.... Not cool...

Anyone experiencing this? What in the world! I'm mortified I could have been presenting in person when this happened!

This happened on two other occations. Once when I was having Vitamine Water and the other time, I had a clacium chew and some water. The only common denominator seems to be the time. Around 2:30pm. And I feel better right after I throw up...

In other news yesterday night I had my first food following 3 weeks Protein Drinks and Clear Liquids. It was a Soup with very soft vegie chunks in it. It went down quite nicely and I was in heaven

I’m two months post-op and had pretty much the same situation last week. All I had consumed was a bit of water and my morning Protein Shake. I think I drank the shake too quickly. I did not throw up, but I had the slimies and was super nauseas. I hid in the bathroom at work until it passed. As I said, I think I drank too quickly.

Ohhh I loved me a flavored seltzer Water before surgery!!! Maybe it’s a regional thing here in the states, but they are pretty popular thing in the north east.

Going on Ash’s point that it’s difficult to find carbonated beverages that aren’t soda at quick stop locations.. it’s also really difficult to find drinks that are low or no calorie at such places. Your option is basically water.. or if you’re lucky Vitamin water zero or Powerade zero. Every tea option is usually loaded in sugar. The same goes with any Protein Drink that they may have.

I realize this thread has gotten hijacked. @BuzzVSG, it sounds like you’ve gotten to a place with your surgery that the occasional treat or splurge isn’t going to set you back.. so congrats!

I do think it’s important that we give ourselves small concessions like this, because this is supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a prison sentence. I hope that once I get to maintenance, I’m able to balance my diet well enough to occasionally enjoy the things I gave up for surgery.

I obviously haven’t had a carbonated beverage since surgery. I find I miss the caffeine of soda more than the carbonation.

That said, I did try drinking with a straw once and felt extremely bloated from it- so I have a feeling carbonation wouldn’t feel great either.

But, as evidenced in this thread, YMMV on discomfort, but I disagree that a carbonated beverage would be enough pressure to permanently stretch a stomach. No two pouches or sleeves or bodies will be the same, but I’d imagine it would take a lot of pressure repeatedly to stretch anything out.

On 09/11/2018 at 14:39, GreenTealael said:

Let's all friend and follow each other !

How do we friend?

On 09/11/2018 at 19:35, ChellNC said:

Thanks @Megan Sadler! I'm feeling better now. Awesome that you're able to get the extra veggies.

Someone asked me recently when I was going to buy new clothes. I've not lost enough to buy clothes yet. But money is super tight for us right now too. If the hubby hadn't needed surgery it wouldn't be this bad but still tight.

Tacos sound so good right now!

ChellNC, I’ve gotten really lucky and scored a bunch of hand me downs from friends and family members. Hopefully you have some folks close to you that can hook you up when the time comes!

On 09/11/2018 at 16:12, gr8ful1 said:

So I can eat much more than the "around a half-cup of solid food" that I was told I could at this point in my post-op journey. Not that I try to each and every time, but I noticed that I was not cognizant of any signs of fullness after eating the obligatory half cup of food per meal. I wanted to have an idea of the real capacity of my "egg-sized" pouch, as well as get an idea of my body's signs of fullness and how to recognize them. I was able to eat a full cup of meat sauce (mostly meat which was ground beef). I didn't feel any fuller at one cup that I feel at a half cup. For my next meal, I could eat an entire 500-calorie slice of lasagna. Again, no sensation of discomfort, fullness, hiccups, sneezing, flushing, or any of the other commonly-mentioned "bariatric fullness" signs. I did *not* test the capacity of my pouch. I stopped at a cup. But I expected to find my limit at somewhere between 1/2 and one cup.

Has anyone else experienced this? I don't doubt that my surgery is working well for me, and I am satisfied with half a cup of food, but I'm a bit concerned that I can eat much larger meals than I was led to believe I would be able to eat. I wonder if the surgeon sleeved me instead of bypassing me. I also have some acid reflux again now. He assured me that I received the bypass, however.

Please note that this question regards RNY gastric bypass only. I am looking for feedback from gastric bypass patients, not gastric sleeve patients.

Thanks!

To be honest, those both seem a bit like slider foods to me, which means perhaps they emptied out of your pouch pretty quickly (allowing you to consume more).

If you eat some something like deli meat or chicken salad or chicken, how much can you consume?

I never crushed pills. The only pill I ever broke in half were Potassium pills that I was on for a bit, but those are massive and hard to swallow. So- the surgery wasn’t the reason why I was splitting them.