Gottajustdoit

6 hours ago, Chiptress said:

Oy vey! Maybe I’m not savvy enough but how do you post a new conversation on this site? Ty in advance

I have never figured it out either. I just "reply" to a post and ramble on about a different topic. 😀

6 hours ago, Deedee12 said:

Absolutely earned those bragging rights! You look fantastic!!! Well done!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Stick legs! You look great. And so does the cool new car.

I can see by your smile how great you feel! Congrats!

The otters! Definitely the otters. I love seeing those guys. You can't but help smiling when you see them play. I wish you luck with your test. I know you must be very stressed. Stay strong and think positive!

3 hours ago, EmzBee said:

Thank you!

I've been in hospital overnight on fluids. Surgeon saw me this morning -- he thinks it's probably *not* a stricture... but we'll just be checking to make sure.
It's weird, though, because my dietician said I shouldn't be vomiting this far out, and I still have periods of being fairly restricted.
I guess because of my mental health problems I get a bit sensitive about the suggestion of things being 'all in my head'. I'm usually one to stick things out until they're unbearable, so even being in hospital for a little thing like vomiting all the food I've tried to eat for days feels like I'm making a deal out of nothing... bleh.
Guess there's no solution for this but to hurry up and wait...

Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Thinking of you on the other side of the world, EmzBee!

CPAP users: Since my surgery, I've been waking up with an extremely dry mouth, despite how much Water I drink. I've been using a CPAP for about 10 years and I've never had this prior to surgery. Anyone else waking up to a super dry mouth? If so, have you done anything to change this so that it no longer occurs?

8 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Lol! That before and after looks about what a 2 year old who wasn’t interested in eating Breakfast would consume.
Love it!

I'm not sure you made a dent in this breakfast! Love that you ordered a kid's portion.

6 hours ago, Recidivist said:

AZ, that could have been written by me! I am horrified by the sagging skin and don't want anyone to see it. And I also have jutting collarbones and shoulder blades, although I still prefer that to what I used to look like. I too am surprised every time I look in the mirror because my face looks so different (including the loose skin hanging below my jaw like a turkey).

I also realize that this is still the honeymoon phase and wonder what it will be like when it's over. I would hate to have gone through all this only to re-gain weight in a year or two. However, I have to think that I'm training my mind to make sensible food choices, and that should last beyond the honeymoon.

I'm four months out (gastric bypass on Feb 13) and I, too, feel a difference at the 4-month point. I'm starting to crave the foods I used to really like and I'm frustrated that emotional eating might start. I find I can eat more than before and it's not good. I don't feel sick with chest discomfort anymore when I eat, which IS good, but I had a chocolate chip cookie yesterday and ate it all with no consequences in the gut department. NOT good. I definitely feel as if the honeymoon phase has ended. I am also frustrated because I severely injured my tailbone on Monday and am in a ton of pain...can't sit, can't stand, can't walk....not getting my steps in. Also, this morning I woke up and noticed I'm just starting to lose hair and my hair has always been thin--can't afford to lose any! I should NOT be complaining so much as my 50-pound loss is truly fantastic, but I am a bit nervous at the 4-month point I am praying there is no regression.

I am so proud of my Feb friends hearing about your successes, but also hearing about your challenges. I am so encouraged to hear that my struggles are not alien and that others are working through the same issues I am. Not that I want any of you to have struggles, but it feels good that I'm not alone!

On 6/8/2019 at 9:08 PM, Recidivist said:

Hi, all. We have five house guests (all family) for the month of June, so things are a little hectic. Oc course, that means lots of big celebratory dinners, both at home and in restaurants. I can honestly say I have no cravings and still don't feel hungry (ever). However, I feel uncomfortable with the social aspect of food when friends and family are enjoying a big meal together and I'm having a scrap of chicken. Of course, everyone keeps telling me that "one bit won't hurt you" even when I assure them I'm completely full.

Otherwise, I'm feeling very good. The one thing I notice now that I've lost a significant amount of weight is that I'm rather weak and lacking stamina. My next goal is to start doing strength training at the gym.

Recivist--are you tired too? I feel very tired at night. I am thinking it's because I'm forgetting to drink as much waster as I used to!

14 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

Much love to them all! I am something for years denied, I am a female Aspergers so they have a God-aunt also on the spectrum, The positive affirmation I finally received from a professional was freeing, you see for many tears I was told I was weird, I wasn't 5rying hard enough to fit in, I wasn't " normal" lf that means neurotypical, nope I am not. Even had 2 paternal cousins tell me to kill myself because I was of no use to anyone. So I turned to something that wouldn't critisise,-- food. See I had an extra. incentive to grow obese, So I involuted, became more "shy", read extensively, like many others I became super-learned,in some areas. Mine was Medicine, still a Medical feel even today. Found a positive mor acceptable way to stim, rocking chairs. Often super-sensitive to touch and tight clothing items. When my lymphedema flared a therapist had the Bright(well she thought so) Idea to wrap me legs fairly tightly with elastic Bandages. No No No, don't do that to a Spectrum, person! Oh it was bad, very BAD. Another troubling thing is sound, if you would interview my kids they would bafdurm that I would say" I can't hear" this truly meant There is Too much sensatory stimyou an I cannot center,on which conversation to,listen to , quietly one at a time. So you see , like many female auties I have learned. to "pass" , but know ME little better and it will be evident, hard to for me to wait my turn in conversations, people got irritated often, but I didn't intrinsically know!.Besides if it was something that interested me, I wanted to share my insights, So mine may be more subtle, but they still are there. Made Silly Kitty upset recently, accused me of highjacking someone else's thread, did not see that way to me but laid low on her favorite topics and threads, maybe it will still end up okay?

Thank you for sharing your insights!

10 hours ago, froufrou said:

We are surgery twins! Plus we both have kids with autism! Sounds like you are doing an amazing job 🙌

I too have a child (son) on the autism spectrum. He's graduating from high school on June 11. Seriously, I never felt this day would come. He's really done it--by the grace of God!

11 hours ago, Recidivist said:

Hey everyone! I got back from the Alaska cruise yesterday, during which I turned 60. If you haven't seen it before, I cannot recommend Alaska highly enough!

I basically stuck to the program during the cruise, with some minor "cheats"--lobster with drawn butter, crab with drawn butter, shrimp scampi with butter, and several high-protein dishes that probably contained more fat than I should be eating. Of course, all the portions were very small. I didn't drink at all and ate essentially no carbs. It honestly didn't feel like much of a hardship not to stuff myself at the buffet.

The best news of all is that I came back seven pounds lighter. I'm thrilled, particularly after stalled for a couple of weeks recently.

You may be the first person to go on a cruise and lose weight! Aside from the butter, it sounds like you were eating a lot of Protein given the lobster, crab, and shrimp all are protein-rich foods. Glad you had such a success AND an awesome vacation.

I hope all of us are starting to feel pretty good at 3 months (or a little more). I have not been counting carbs, fat, or calories because I really don't feel like I'm eating that much of a variety of foods that are dense in any of those. I am losing about 1-2 lbs per week but losing inches faster than I thought. My lab work was all great when I had it checked recently, but my thyroid levels were low. My endocrinologist told me not to take my Synthroid within 4 hours of taking any Vitamins so I need to change the timing of taking my meds. I have been feeling more tired in the evenings and not sleeping as soundly at night. I am also getting a lot of gas pains on my left side that are annoying me. My other gripe is lower back pain. Seems to be worse lately. I've heard a lot of folks have tailbone pain after the surgery. I need to drink more...it's so easy to forget to make myself do that. Overall, though, I feel pretty good. Just wanted to share the way I'm feeling physically at this stage....

What kinds of foods are y'all in a routine of eating? Anyone still having issues keeping food down? I know some of you have been really battling that.

I am really noticing the changes in the way my body feels. I definitely need stronger bras to hold the girls up and I can grab skin on my thighs and arms that feel loose. I am loving the weight loss, but gravity is not being kind. My chicken wings on my arms are annoying and I'm wondering if lifting weights will do anything at all. Has anyone noticed that added arm muscle helps with the chicken wings?

But did you notice you couldn't actually eat as much as you used to? Or did you eat food like ice cream, Cookies, etc. and feel yucky? Don't beat yourself up! You get a re-do tomorrow!

Hi Froufrou--I can't say I have had any pain like that wake me up. It sounds unusual. Does it go away soon? Do you have your still have your gall bladder? Are you eating gaseous foods before bed?

5 hours ago, Recidivist said:

Hi, all. Just a quick update before I head out on my Alaska cruise tomorrow! 😁

The cramps, gas, bloating, etc. left as quickly as they came after about five days. There is no apparent reason why they started nor why they went away. I'm feeling pretty good right now.

I've made a conscious effort to increase my Water intake to about 96 ounces a day (three 32-ounce containers), and it's been very successful. I find that I can drink much more than I could even a month ago without any consequences. Interesting note: I saw my nutritionist recently and she told me that they no longer say that you have to stop drinking 30 minutes before eating, only after. She said you could literally drink right up to the point when you start eating.

I've lost 55 pounds since surgery. Let's see if I can at least break even after seven days on a cruise!

Bon voyage! Glad you're feeling better. I had my 3-mo post op yesterday and overall I am doing well. My NUT advised me to drink more Water (especially now with the heat and humidity setting in) and to ensure I'm getting my Protein in. She did not seem to be concerned about weaning me off the Protein Shakes (whew) but said if I'm only drinking one a day to make sure I take my Calcium chew. I've been avoiding that because I know it can bulk up the system and I've finally gotten my Constipation under control. 😮 Apparently with two shakes I was getting the right amount of calcium. THE GREAT news is that my labs came back and they are perfect. I see my endocrinologist on Friday for more labs but I've got a good feeling my HbA1c (formerly 7.8%) will be in the 6 percentile range. That would so great. Also great is my 47-lb loss since surgery on Feb. 13.

I finally bought a few basic clothing items (skirt, few work blouses, capris) as I was trying to get away with wearing way-too-big clothes and it left me feeling very frumpy. Once I started wearing the right-sized clothes people at work really started noticing the weight loss (many awkward conversations around that topic!). I have gone from a 2X/18W to a size 14/16. Feels wonderful to be lighter on my feet and NOT having to shop in the Plus-Sized section. It was exhilarating, but funny, as I had NO idea what size to try on. I also cleaned out my big summer clothes from last year and off they will go to the Salvation Army. As Marie Kondo would say: They no longer spark joy!

Foodwise: Tonight we went to a diner for dinner and I had one egg and about 1/3 cup of hash browns. So far, potatoes are my biggest indulgence. Other than a potato cheat here and there I'm essentially eating only talapia, chicken, cheese, hamburger, almonds, Kind Bars, olives, raspberries, strawberries, and protein shakes. I am woefully low on eating veggies. Need to get with the program there because potatoes do not count!

Just wanted to pass along tidbits I heard from my bariatric support group tonight. I have to go to three sessions and so one more to go. I have no idea if what the group shared is true or not, but I want to pass the info along to y'all in case it's helpful. First, vitamin patches. The NUT that runs the group says research shows it only provides Vitamin D and no other Vitamins. I don't use the patch but some of you may want to and look into this further. The NUT does not recommend getting vitamins through the patch. Second, my surgeon told another person in my group that the Ursodial reduces your chance of developing gall stones from 30% to 3%. Guess I'll keep taking those nasty capsules. Finally, one person who is stalling said she heard that taking in more Protein helps with stalls.

9 minutes ago, taylormomto6 said:

Transforming, I don’t thing most Feb surgeries have lost 70lbs.

I’m a revision from sleeve to rny, 2/12/19, and I’ve lost 40lbs since surgery, 50 including the preop diet. I lost 28lbs in the 6 months leading up to the preop diet though.

43 minutes ago, Transforming_T said:

Hi everyoneI I don't think I've posted in here before. I'm more of a lurker. I had surgery on Feb 6, 2019. I'm 5' 6". My HW was 323, SW was 305, and I'm currently bobbing between 268-273. I've been stalled at the bobbing point since April 9th. My question is, I see a lot of you have lost 70+ lbs. Does this seem to be the average for most all of us who had surgery in Feb? I know starting weight is a factor, as well as age and many other things. I'm being honest with my self here, I don't work out like I need to be (Low energy). i'm loosing inches though. I'm down 27 inches from my surgery. Which is what's keeping me somewhat sane. Also my hair started falling out two weeks ago 😕 I knew it was possible, so I wasn't too shocked about it.

Point of all this is; How and where is everyone in their journey?

Hi Transforming_T--welcome to the group! I believe taylormom6 is correct. I'm pretty sure no one in this group has lost an average of 70 lbs post op. I had gastric bypass on February 13 and personally have lost about 35 pounds. I do not exercise much, but I do try to get out and walk around 5,000 steps a day. According to the Internet, that's an "underactive" person. Ha! It's much more active than before!

I think you're doing great, but it's a bummer about your stall since April 9...maybe you are resetting? You lost a lot of weight since surgery! Sorry about the Hair loss. Is it coming out in clumps? My hair is super thin and I am started to feel it thinning even more.... fortunately no clumps yet, just thinning more where the part is. So sad.

Overall I'm doing well, but still dealing with a lot of wind, some cramping, some chest pressure, some frustration...I guess better than some, as I know some in our group are wrestling with horrible nausea.

2 minutes ago, taylormomto6 said:

Uggg, I decided to try an experiment by upping carbs and calories a bit since I’ve been keeping everything very low. I’m a bit nervous that if I keep everything this low I’ll have no room to drop further if weight loss stops. So I had 1/4 c of oatmeal (no sugar) and 1/2 sf Greek yogurt for Breakfast. For lunch I had tuna and 1/4 c of Mexican corn and I swear I have felt like I’m staving. I don’t usually snack between meals, so this feeling is unusual for me. I already had cheese/almond/craisen snack thing, 9 carbs, but dabs I feel like I’m shaky and starving already. Clearly I can’t handle 10 carbs at a time I guess....

It may not be the best advice, but whenever I am starving, I suck on sugar-free hard candy. Now, don't overdue it or you'll have bad cramping and possibly diarrhea, but for me, it does take my mind of wanting to eat something every once in a while. Also, what you had today is not that much. I snack on salt & vinegar almonds and green olives throughout the day. Funny how I'm feeling a lot hungrier these past few days. I'm wondering if we are at a new stage????

39 minutes ago, gabybab said:

Oh lord. I forgot to write it. I'm embarrassed. shopping.

I wish I had good advice. Wouldn't it be great if all transference was healthy transference? Are you finding you have more time on your hands? I have resisted shopping until my clothes are literally falling off me as I walk. Not there yet, but I am looking a little lame with oversized dresses. Might I suggest volunteering somewhere? I don't know, I've thought about helping out at an animal rescue. I am not bored, but just feel as if I need to get moving around more. I suppose I'm useless at giving addiction advice because I had my own addition to food. All I can do is offer ideas....sorry! Come to think of it, if I do volunteer at an animal rescue, I'm sure my transfer would be to saving homeless cats and dogs...and then I'd be homeless because we already two dogs and a cat so my husband would kick me out! Maybe if I just say I'm a short-term foster care for the animal..... See I'm already slipping!

2 hours ago, EmzBee said:

Three month Surgiversary photos!

First photo is from late September when I was about my biggest. Around 138kgs (305 pounds)

Second photo is the morning of surgery - down 18kgs (40 pounds).

Third photo was last night - down 39kgs! (86 pounds!)

You must be feeling so good in those loose-fitting clothes! Your transformation is very obvious. Thanks for posting photos!

1 hour ago, froufrou said:

There are a lot of stomach bugs around right now - could be that.

I'm also not losing again. It is SO slow. No throwing up today though, so that's good.

I'm pretty sure it's not a stomach bug. There is a small chance it's a reaction to sugar-free candy, although I haven't had that before because I don't have many of them at a time. Today i had three hard candies in a row. Maybe...?

1 hour ago, Recidivist said:

I had a miserable day today. I have had severe stomach cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea (sorry for being graphic). The odd thing is that I ate nothing out of the ordinary--a shake for Breakfast, and a chicken breast that I brought from home. Has anyone else had this happen for no reason?

I am not sure, but I just crawled in bed with horrific stomach cramps, bloating, and gas (all but the diarrhea). I ate small amount of chicken breast and a few fried potatoes that my husband made. I am attributing this horrible feeling with the fried potatoes, even though I only ate 4 slices of potatoes. I am doubting now, though, as I have not had this reaction before after eating and it sounds like what you are experiencing. The cramping is all throughout my upper, middle, and lower digestive tract and it's very uncomfortable. Even the papaya enzymes I took after eating are not working. I have no idea what's going on!

A cruise with friends sound fun! Happy 60th! I find it much easier to eat at a buffet-type restaurant than ordering off a menu because yes, you can pick and choose Proteins to eat and just take what you need. An Alaskan cruise is on my bucket list. Have fun!!!!!

Just now, EmzBee said:

Howwwwwwww are you able to eat pizza? *cries sad, pizza-loving tears*

I tried pizza and threw it all up (several times). Anything carb-y -- breads, crackers, etc. I'm likely to throw up. Carbs were my everything pre-surgery and now I can't look at them without feeling nauseous.

Happy Mother's Day to our resident Mamas! Hope you spend some lovely time with family ❤️

Oh, I'm so sorry EmzBee. You are having such a hard time with nausea and vomiting. I chew a million times before swallowing and only eat about 6-8 bites. I'm sure you are eating tiny bites too. I feel so awful for those of you suffering nausea. I have emetophobia (how do you spell that!) which is a fear of vomiting. I've had nausea, but it's been rare (dry heaving). I freak out. I can imagine how awful you must feel. I'm sure I'll experience it more often as I try new foods.