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OpsMatt

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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  1. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Healthy_life in Can't handle the day? Must have a cookie. Emo/Stress Eating!   
    Agreed on getting the bad food out of the house. You won't be tempted to eat it if you keep it on hand. Think back to when you first got back on solid foods, what were your typical Snacks like within the bounds of your new lifestyle? Were there ones you enjoyed that are also healthy? Try to keep those on hand instead.
    But also try to find an outlet for your stress that isn't food related. My personal thing is video games. It's how I unwind when I've had a rough day (it's also REALLY helpful in distracting you from head hunger). Get absorbed in a book, watch a movie or a tv show that you like, listen to music and dance like a maniac in the bathroom. Most of us got to where we are because we turned to food to heal our bad feelings and it is very much an addiction just like alcoholism. Breaking that cycle is a huge part of being successful with this surgery.
  2. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from %^& in Poop   
    I didn't go until 10 days after and even that wasn't very much. Talk to your surgeon. Mine said I could take milk of magnesia or a stool softener like Colace once every few days to help promote regularity but your mileage may vary and your surgeon might have different advice. Go with whatever they tell you.
  3. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from %^& in Poop   
    If you want to try something a little more natural this Smooth Move Herbal Tea has given me some success as well. I used it prior to being given the OK for a stool softener from my surgeon and it seemed to help. Both the peppermint and chamomile versions of the tea have fennel which does give it a slightly licorice-y flavor which I wasn't a big fan of but powered through because the need to have a BM was far greater than if I found the tea palatable.
  4. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from %^& in Poop   
    I didn't go until 10 days after and even that wasn't very much. Talk to your surgeon. Mine said I could take milk of magnesia or a stool softener like Colace once every few days to help promote regularity but your mileage may vary and your surgeon might have different advice. Go with whatever they tell you.
  5. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from %^& in I Want a Cheese Enchilada.   
    Here's a bariatric-friendly recipe you could try at home!
    One of the things I've been really proactive about doing while I'm still on liquids is trying to find recipes NOW that mimic foods I used to have but are healthier swaps. These are things that my whole family could enjoy in their portion size but at the same time allow me to eat without fear of weight gain. There's lots of great books and websites out there! Spend an hour or two just browsing google and Amazon and you're sure to find some awesome stuff.
  6. Haha
    OpsMatt got a reaction from FluffyChix in Why I eat baked potatoes, brown rice and whole grain bread   
    That's why you put your cell phone in a glass of rice when you drop it in Water accidentally 😋
  7. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Healthy_life in Can't handle the day? Must have a cookie. Emo/Stress Eating!   
    Agreed on getting the bad food out of the house. You won't be tempted to eat it if you keep it on hand. Think back to when you first got back on solid foods, what were your typical Snacks like within the bounds of your new lifestyle? Were there ones you enjoyed that are also healthy? Try to keep those on hand instead.
    But also try to find an outlet for your stress that isn't food related. My personal thing is video games. It's how I unwind when I've had a rough day (it's also REALLY helpful in distracting you from head hunger). Get absorbed in a book, watch a movie or a tv show that you like, listen to music and dance like a maniac in the bathroom. Most of us got to where we are because we turned to food to heal our bad feelings and it is very much an addiction just like alcoholism. Breaking that cycle is a huge part of being successful with this surgery.
  8. Hugs
    OpsMatt got a reaction from vrice in Health after sleeve??   
    The only things I know of that tend to resolve pretty rapidly with the surgery are diabetes and sleep apnea. I was not diabetic, but I was borderline pre-diabetic. I'm interested to see how my next full lab comes back.
  9. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Healthy_life in Can't handle the day? Must have a cookie. Emo/Stress Eating!   
    Agreed on getting the bad food out of the house. You won't be tempted to eat it if you keep it on hand. Think back to when you first got back on solid foods, what were your typical Snacks like within the bounds of your new lifestyle? Were there ones you enjoyed that are also healthy? Try to keep those on hand instead.
    But also try to find an outlet for your stress that isn't food related. My personal thing is video games. It's how I unwind when I've had a rough day (it's also REALLY helpful in distracting you from head hunger). Get absorbed in a book, watch a movie or a tv show that you like, listen to music and dance like a maniac in the bathroom. Most of us got to where we are because we turned to food to heal our bad feelings and it is very much an addiction just like alcoholism. Breaking that cycle is a huge part of being successful with this surgery.
  10. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Healthy_life in Can't handle the day? Must have a cookie. Emo/Stress Eating!   
    Agreed on getting the bad food out of the house. You won't be tempted to eat it if you keep it on hand. Think back to when you first got back on solid foods, what were your typical Snacks like within the bounds of your new lifestyle? Were there ones you enjoyed that are also healthy? Try to keep those on hand instead.
    But also try to find an outlet for your stress that isn't food related. My personal thing is video games. It's how I unwind when I've had a rough day (it's also REALLY helpful in distracting you from head hunger). Get absorbed in a book, watch a movie or a tv show that you like, listen to music and dance like a maniac in the bathroom. Most of us got to where we are because we turned to food to heal our bad feelings and it is very much an addiction just like alcoholism. Breaking that cycle is a huge part of being successful with this surgery.
  11. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Healthy_life in Can't handle the day? Must have a cookie. Emo/Stress Eating!   
    Agreed on getting the bad food out of the house. You won't be tempted to eat it if you keep it on hand. Think back to when you first got back on solid foods, what were your typical Snacks like within the bounds of your new lifestyle? Were there ones you enjoyed that are also healthy? Try to keep those on hand instead.
    But also try to find an outlet for your stress that isn't food related. My personal thing is video games. It's how I unwind when I've had a rough day (it's also REALLY helpful in distracting you from head hunger). Get absorbed in a book, watch a movie or a tv show that you like, listen to music and dance like a maniac in the bathroom. Most of us got to where we are because we turned to food to heal our bad feelings and it is very much an addiction just like alcoholism. Breaking that cycle is a huge part of being successful with this surgery.
  12. Haha
    OpsMatt got a reaction from FluffyChix in Why I eat baked potatoes, brown rice and whole grain bread   
    That's why you put your cell phone in a glass of rice when you drop it in Water accidentally 😋
  13. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Frustr8 in Sort of freaking out   
    Keep in mind that there are plenty of things you enjoy that you'll still be able to eat. You might just have to modify how it's prepared or swap out lower calorie/fat/sugar/etc. ingredients for the full versions. I recommend google searching various recipes to kind of get an idea of how easy it is to prepare foods that are perfectly fine for you to eat but can also be enjoyed in larger portion sizes by other people. That way you and your husband aren't having to prepare different meals.
    Two books I recommend are: The Gastric Sleeve Bariatric Cookbook and The Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Guide. Especially with your surgery being so close to the holidays you wanna make sure you have a plan to get yourself through a time period that is so food-centric.
    Alcohol is never a complete no-no. You could always do A shot or have A beer (although I wouldn't recommend the latter due to the carbonation), but maybe not so close to your surgery. A lot of people I've spoken to recommend waiting a year after surgery before reintroducing alcohol and only having 1-2 drinks a month because of how it affects you. It is not at all uncommon for WLS patients to become alcoholics as they replace their food addiction with alcohol, so be wary.
    I'm 1 week post-op as of tomorrow and the only issue I'm having is boredom with the limited options of Clear Liquids. I start full liquids tomorrow so that will open up a few more choices for me and pureed foods start on Halloween (so that'll be my little treat). It's definitely gonna be a life changer for you so don't stress too much. Get it done and take each day as it comes as a new learning experience.
  14. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Frustr8 in Sort of freaking out   
    Keep in mind that there are plenty of things you enjoy that you'll still be able to eat. You might just have to modify how it's prepared or swap out lower calorie/fat/sugar/etc. ingredients for the full versions. I recommend google searching various recipes to kind of get an idea of how easy it is to prepare foods that are perfectly fine for you to eat but can also be enjoyed in larger portion sizes by other people. That way you and your husband aren't having to prepare different meals.
    Two books I recommend are: The Gastric Sleeve Bariatric Cookbook and The Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Guide. Especially with your surgery being so close to the holidays you wanna make sure you have a plan to get yourself through a time period that is so food-centric.
    Alcohol is never a complete no-no. You could always do A shot or have A beer (although I wouldn't recommend the latter due to the carbonation), but maybe not so close to your surgery. A lot of people I've spoken to recommend waiting a year after surgery before reintroducing alcohol and only having 1-2 drinks a month because of how it affects you. It is not at all uncommon for WLS patients to become alcoholics as they replace their food addiction with alcohol, so be wary.
    I'm 1 week post-op as of tomorrow and the only issue I'm having is boredom with the limited options of Clear Liquids. I start full liquids tomorrow so that will open up a few more choices for me and pureed foods start on Halloween (so that'll be my little treat). It's definitely gonna be a life changer for you so don't stress too much. Get it done and take each day as it comes as a new learning experience.
  15. Haha
    OpsMatt got a reaction from FluffyChix in Why I eat baked potatoes, brown rice and whole grain bread   
    That's why you put your cell phone in a glass of rice when you drop it in Water accidentally 😋
  16. Hugs
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Frustr8 in Roller Coasters?!   
    For Disney you should be fine on pretty much everything even over 300lbs except maybe Rock n Roller Coaster and definitely Flight of Passage in the Avatar area of Animal Kingdom. Most other traditional amusement parks you can't be much larger than 220-230 with the right body proportions to fit on the most intense rides. Many of them have seat belts in addition to lap bars and you have to be able to buckle the belt and lock the lap bars in the correct position to ride. The nice thing is that many parks offer test seats at the entrance for you to try out before you wait in line. Some of them even have indicator lights for how close you are.
    The key thing about many of these is that it's not strictly about how much you weigh but where you carry your weight. If you carry it more in your butt and thighs you will have trouble with seats that have any sort of side edge to them. If you have a larger chest or abdominal area you will have trouble with over the shoulder restraints and seatbelts. Generally as a rule of thumb if your waist size is less than 40" and your chest is less than 54" you can fit on pretty much anything.
  17. Hugs
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Frustr8 in Roller Coasters?!   
    For Disney you should be fine on pretty much everything even over 300lbs except maybe Rock n Roller Coaster and definitely Flight of Passage in the Avatar area of Animal Kingdom. Most other traditional amusement parks you can't be much larger than 220-230 with the right body proportions to fit on the most intense rides. Many of them have seat belts in addition to lap bars and you have to be able to buckle the belt and lock the lap bars in the correct position to ride. The nice thing is that many parks offer test seats at the entrance for you to try out before you wait in line. Some of them even have indicator lights for how close you are.
    The key thing about many of these is that it's not strictly about how much you weigh but where you carry your weight. If you carry it more in your butt and thighs you will have trouble with seats that have any sort of side edge to them. If you have a larger chest or abdominal area you will have trouble with over the shoulder restraints and seatbelts. Generally as a rule of thumb if your waist size is less than 40" and your chest is less than 54" you can fit on pretty much anything.
  18. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Duchess Angie in Day 1 Post Op!   
    So I had my surgery yesterday at 7:30 in the morning! Woke up a little nauseous and sore but I had told them before surgery that anesthesia has a tendency to make me vomit so they had given me a cocktail of drugs to combat the worst of the nausea. Spent a good chunk of the day in bed sleeping or watching TV but I managed to get up to go to the bathroom and walk down the hall twice. Today I've already done two laps down the hall and am now sitting in the recliner instead of the bed which my nurse was ecstatic about. Hubby has been with me the whole time and has been a huge help. Have had no trouble with ice chips or liquids other than the occasional pressure in my stomach but I'm just taking it one small sip at a time. My surgeon thinks I'm bouncing back quite well so I should be discharged this afternoon! Ready to begin this new chapter of my life back at home!
  19. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Duchess Angie in Day 1 Post Op!   
    So I had my surgery yesterday at 7:30 in the morning! Woke up a little nauseous and sore but I had told them before surgery that anesthesia has a tendency to make me vomit so they had given me a cocktail of drugs to combat the worst of the nausea. Spent a good chunk of the day in bed sleeping or watching TV but I managed to get up to go to the bathroom and walk down the hall twice. Today I've already done two laps down the hall and am now sitting in the recliner instead of the bed which my nurse was ecstatic about. Hubby has been with me the whole time and has been a huge help. Have had no trouble with ice chips or liquids other than the occasional pressure in my stomach but I'm just taking it one small sip at a time. My surgeon thinks I'm bouncing back quite well so I should be discharged this afternoon! Ready to begin this new chapter of my life back at home!
  20. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Hop_Scotch in Just got approval!! Any October sleevers out there?   
    VSG on October 17th for me!
  21. Like
    OpsMatt got a reaction from Hop_Scotch in Just got approval!! Any October sleevers out there?   
    VSG on October 17th for me!

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