bodycando

I had over 200 lbs to lose, so people didn't start noticing until around October (I had surgery in June), after I'd lost about 70 or 80 lbs. So I don't think they made the connection between my weight loss and the "staycation" I'd had four months earlier. By then, my weight loss had slowed a bit, too. I told most people that I was working with a dietitian, low-carbing and exercising like a fiend. I was more honest with close friends and other obese people (the latter because they'd know that was a bunch of crap), but skinny people believed that and were satisfied with that answer. Or at least they seemed like it - because they didn't ask further questions.

Steak is actually one of my favorite post-surgery foods! I sautée a 150 gram piece in a cast Iron skillet and eat around half of it and have the rest for lunch the next day.

I cannot tolerate rubbery scrambled eggs or some leafy uncooked greens in salads. Also if something has a lot of oil or butter on it (like very buttery toast) that disagrees with me as well. Sugar I can tolerate fairly well but it definitely makes me crash hard so I avoid it.

Steak is actually one of my favorite post-surgery foods! I sautée a 150 gram piece in a cast Iron skillet and eat around half of it and have the rest for lunch the next day.

I cannot tolerate rubbery scrambled eggs or some leafy uncooked greens in salads. Also if something has a lot of oil or butter on it (like very buttery toast) that disagrees with me as well. Sugar I can tolerate fairly well but it definitely makes me crash hard so I avoid it.

Steak is actually one of my favorite post-surgery foods! I sautée a 150 gram piece in a cast Iron skillet and eat around half of it and have the rest for lunch the next day.

I cannot tolerate rubbery scrambled eggs or some leafy uncooked greens in salads. Also if something has a lot of oil or butter on it (like very buttery toast) that disagrees with me as well. Sugar I can tolerate fairly well but it definitely makes me crash hard so I avoid it.

Hi Elizabeth--I've actually been having terrible insomnia as well! The last few nights I have been going to bed by 11 and then can't sleep until 2am, then I wake up at 11am completely exhausted. So luckily I'm getting a ton of sleep, just at the wrong time and in the wrong way. I had problems with insomnia when I was younger but not for the last ten years. I find it really stressful! I thought exhausting myself more would help, so I'm taking longer and longer walks, but nothing seems to work.

Sure. And as your tool matures, you will be better able to tolerate rich, calorie dense foods (sadly). But in saying that, every time I disobey my pouch, I feel like crap. So nauseated I have to lay down and pray to die young. But as the months go buy, I can eat some things that I couldn't in the early days -- in small quantities. But I do prefer "clean" lower-ish fat stuff these days. Makes me feel better after eating it.
Sorry you had that experience! Happy belated birthday!!!

Hi all, I just hosted a party for my birthday last weekend and realized that I just cannot tolerate rich food anymore. I am almost 4 months post-op and haven't been eating rich food at all, and tried a couple of bites of party food (burger, mac n cheese, cake) here and there, none of which agreed with me. It felt like my esophagus was mad at me for even trying! I've been really good and keeping up my high-protein diet but figured I would make an exception for my birthday, but boy was I wrong.
Has anyone else experimented with eating "treat" food for holidays/special occasions with success? Or is this an extension of food addiction thinking that got me so overweight in the first place?

Lolo, this makes me feel a lot better! Knowing I'm not alone![emoji854] Although I do have more than 14 lbs to go, more like 112. My initial weight was 343, but I will get there. I'm out of the 300s though. So, that's something to be proud of[emoji847]

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Sorry to hear you're experiencing that! I had awful low blood pressure for about 6 weeks after my surgery. I would also get vertigo spells when standing up, and was generally just very low energy. My doctor advised me to religiously take my Vitamins (which I wasn't doing because they upset my stomach) and drink more Water. If I had a spell I should just drink chicken broth for some extra salt, and that worked wonders. Definitely talk to your doctor about this--they'll know what to do.

Sorry to hear you're experiencing that! I had awful low blood pressure for about 6 weeks after my surgery. I would also get vertigo spells when standing up, and was generally just very low energy. My doctor advised me to religiously take my Vitamins (which I wasn't doing because they upset my stomach) and drink more Water. If I had a spell I should just drink chicken broth for some extra salt, and that worked wonders. Definitely talk to your doctor about this--they'll know what to do.

@EmilyJuneI'm just starting out on my journey and my height and high weight are similar to yours. Your stats are incredibly inspiring and I hope to have made as much progress as you have in 2.5 years! Don't be so hard on yourself, the weight loss you have achieved is incredible.
Also re: Protein bars, my nutritionist frowns on them but approves then as "emergency food, " i.e. something to keep in your bag when you have to unexpectedly work late or don't have access to more healthy options. I tend to also keep healthier options in my bag but they have certainly bailed me out of many desperate hanger situations...

I had this problem too! It started 2-3 weeks out and has gotten much better now (I'm 2.5 months out). The nurse at my surgeon's clinic told me to drink broth once every day or two, and weirdly that has helped a lot. There's drinkable broth powder that you can buy here at the grocery store (I live in Amsterdam) and it actually tastes good and warming and gives me a bit of extra salt. If I were more on my game I would be making Bone Broth for myself. When I don't feel like drinking the broth or if I'm a bit hungry I drink V8 and sometimes spice it up to make a virgin bloody mary.
My doctor also advised me to be vigilant about taking my Vitamins (I wasn't because the Iron in my multi made me throw up and I've since switched to chewable multis without iron) and also to make sure I'm getting all of my Water in, which I wasn't. She said I have to make sure I have enough water in me in the first place, and then have the right salts and minerals to make sure my body keeps it in. So I went from where you are--on the verge of passing out every time I stood up--to now rarely having problems and just being a bit more cautious with standing. Good luck, I'm sure that you'll find something that works for you.
Also, regarding regretting the surgery: the only way is forward. I know you're trying to come to terms with this huge change, but maybe consider whether regret is a helpful emotion right now. Things will get better--hang in there!

@Healthy_life2 has the right of it! Cooking healthy, nutritional meals doesn't have to be time consuming. It does take a bit of preplanning. My husband and I struggled with this too. Both working long hours away from home, it was just so much easier to pick up a pizza instead of cooking at home. However years of this has taken it's toll, and my size 24s started getting real tight, and my husband was not far behind.
Now we preplan. I am making sheet pan (roasted chicken + veggies for the family with plenty left over. However I roast 6 breasts, use 3 for dinner for my family of 4, and use the other 3 for different things. Like chopping up and putting in salad for the next day's lunch. Turning another one into chicken salad with greek yogurt and dried cranberries. And turning the last one into a caprese salad because mozzarella is amazing.
There are so many shortcuts, so many easy ways to make prep quick and painless!

I can't hide diddly squat, so I've told everyone. In my Qur'an class the sisters knew I'd had surgery on something to do with my stomach but it wasn't until it became visible that they pressed me for details (with lots of excitement at how good I was looking). When I tried to explain what a bypass is, some of them looked worried like what a scary thing to undergo.

My MIL who was not encouraging pre-op is delighted now. She doesn't understand how it works but just that it does.

My FIL just keeps wanting to weigh me, but he did that before hand too (he's eccentric and Irish, what can I say?)

Then I have friends who tell me how exciting it will be to go cloths shopping and start imagining me in short skirts and tank tops (they're projecting) whilst I gently remind them that I wear long clothes and a head over in public and WLS won't change that [emoji12]


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Hi, I did the sleeve on 12-12-18 and just hit the 50 pound mark on Valentines... I couldn’t be happier! I started at 337 and currently I’m at 285. For me, the weight keeps coming off. I walk about 1.5 miles 4 days a week and eat about 4 (very) small meals per day. Best decision I’ve ever made.
PS - and this is full disclosure...my first two weeks I kept thinking I had made the wrong decision bc it was hardddddd! Once I got over the four week mark it all became a bit easier.

Good luck!

I didn’t take before pics because I hated the way I looked. My starting weight was 311, currently at 235.. I couldn’t take a serious pic! Lol

I remember that “stuck” feeling! I would suggest eating slower, taking smaller bites, chewing 30 times and adding liquid to your food before you eat it rather than trying to “wash it down” after. (Are you waiting at least 30 min after eating to take a drink?) I was so excited to have puréed chicken after my liquids phase that I tried it on one of my first days and it did not go down well! It felt stuck and slimed in my throat until I spontaneously threw up. All purées are unfortunately not equal at this stage—the more dense (like meat and eggs) the more likely you will be to have issues with sticking/sliming in your throat.

I remember that “stuck” feeling! I would suggest eating slower, taking smaller bites, chewing 30 times and adding liquid to your food before you eat it rather than trying to “wash it down” after. (Are you waiting at least 30 min after eating to take a drink?) I was so excited to have puréed chicken after my liquids phase that I tried it on one of my first days and it did not go down well! It felt stuck and slimed in my throat until I spontaneously threw up. All purées are unfortunately not equal at this stage—the more dense (like meat and eggs) the more likely you will be to have issues with sticking/sliming in your throat.

I remember that “stuck” feeling! I would suggest eating slower, taking smaller bites, chewing 30 times and adding liquid to your food before you eat it rather than trying to “wash it down” after. (Are you waiting at least 30 min after eating to take a drink?) I was so excited to have puréed chicken after my liquids phase that I tried it on one of my first days and it did not go down well! It felt stuck and slimed in my throat until I spontaneously threw up. All purées are unfortunately not equal at this stage—the more dense (like meat and eggs) the more likely you will be to have issues with sticking/sliming in your throat.

Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough response! Cross training and slow and steady will always be part of my training plan for any race, but I’m not willing to wait until I’m at 200lbs to jog/run. I’ve done plenty of 5K races walking and doing combination of jogging/walking, and working toward events and tracking my paces is a major motivation for me in both cardio and strength training. Jogging/running is something I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve been more in shape, even though I have been around 250lbs at minimum! I’ll keep what you said in mind and maybe I’ll kick myself later, but I’m going to be working up to jogging/running as soon as I can along with the strength and cross training!

I was gone for about 5 weeks and am building up my hours at work, and a colleague I don't work with closely legit asked me--in front of other people--what kind of surgery I had. She was talking about how I lost a lot of weight--at least five kilos! (I had lost 15 at the time)--and I just said "Oh gee I didn't notice." When she pressed me for more information I just demurred and said that it was a whole story and I didn't want to get into it.
I felt the need to tell people at work that I had a physical illness/operation because my organization is really struggling with colleagues who have "burnouts." (This is a stress/overwork-related medical condition in the Netherlands for which you get a lot of time off.) Thus I also didn't want people to think I took off work for mental reasons and treat me differently. It's a tough balance but now that I'm back at work full time the comments have stopped. I also always wore open-sized clothing so I haven't changed my wardrobe that much, which I think helps. I'm only two months out though so maybe I'll get more nosy comments as time goes on.

Nooo ... you don't want that ....
If there is a good way to bring it up, just go for it IMO.
For me, every time .."You didn't eat much, was it ok? Was something wrong?"
If I like the guy and see potential, I just say I had WLS, and don't have a lot of stomach capacity. I keep it light and positive and low on details. If I don't like the guy I just make up some reason like my stomach is off, late lunch, etc..
I figure it is good screening, if he's scared off by my WLS, better to know sooner rather than later.
And this is coming from someone who is fanatical about keeping it a secret at work. So I'm not of the opinion to just tell everyone.

I get asked this more times than I thought I would. People even ask me this in front of other people! They will even preface it with “ It is none of my business but did you .....”. I feel like saying, if you know it’s none of your business why are you asking such a rude or personal question?
Other rude things people ask/say to me...wow, you must need a lot of plastic surgery now, it’s too bad you lost so much of your chest, etc
It was shocking to me how people that barely know me feel so at ease commenting on my body, and most of these things are things I would not say to a dear friend, let alone someone I barely know.
At any rate, it’s no ones damn business what you did, you have no obligation to discuss your medical treatment with anyone.

@EmilyJuneI'm just starting out on my journey and my height and high weight are similar to yours. Your stats are incredibly inspiring and I hope to have made as much progress as you have in 2.5 years! Don't be so hard on yourself, the weight loss you have achieved is incredible.
Also re: Protein bars, my nutritionist frowns on them but approves then as "emergency food, " i.e. something to keep in your bag when you have to unexpectedly work late or don't have access to more healthy options. I tend to also keep healthier options in my bag but they have certainly bailed me out of many desperate hanger situations...

I LOVE making my own Protein Shakes, and did so for years before my surgery. I live in Europe and they have something called quark here, which is a very young cheese that is very low fat and high Protein. It's kind of like a very thick greek yogurt. I mix that with a bit of flavorless whey, fat-free yogurt, skim milk, tiny bit of chia seeds and flaxseed, and a little frozen fruit. It's quite lean and delicious with a ton of protein. Unfortunately my nutritionist was not jazzed about me having liquids every morning after the 6-week mark even though I GAINED muscle in the period after my surgery! She asked me to eat fat-free yogurt or quark with granola every other morning. I've been doing that as it's a bit faster before work if I'm in a rush, but I am not going to stop with my shakes anytime soon.