Recidivist

I couldn't do much of anything for the first three weeks, including going back to work. By week six I was perhaps ready to take short, slow walks. Don't push yourself. Your body will tell when you are ready for something more strenuous.

I recently posted that although I have had several dumping incidents, nothing ever came out of either end. Well, that statement is no longer true. I dumped in spectacular fashion on my flight from Zurich to Singapore, which is not the most convenient place to have it happen. Now I know what true dumping is. (Airplane food!) My body has been pretty confused since I arrived in Australia last Wednesday. I've been a bit queasy most of the time, and I'm back to the point where no food sounds good to me and I don't feel like eating. I've also been feeling rather weak. It may just be jetlag, which is pretty severe between the U.S and Australia, so I'll give it another week or so before I start to worry. Otherwise, LOVE being back in Australia!

Congratulations, Sheribear. It must feel great!

Thanks, froufrou! I'll be back once I get settled in my new place in Australia--probably a couple of weeks!

I have had several dumping incidents, none of them with diarrhea (nor a BM at the same time). From what I have gathered on this forum, my dumping symptoms are essentially the same as everyone's, just without the actual physical dumping. Fortunately, I've learned enough to avoid dumping and haven't had an incident in several months.

Thanks so much for your update! It's very valuable for those of us relative newbies to hear long-term stories like yours, but relatively few people ever post them. Congratulations on your success with the new healthy diet!

My weight loss has been pretty remarkable and has definitely exceeded my expectations when I started this journey. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: please don't compare yourselves to anyone else in this forum. We all started at different places and had different issues. Everyone's body is unique and will react to weight loss surgery differently. (Bear in mind that men usually lose weight more quickly.) The ultimate goal for all of us is better health, and if you are making progress toward that goal, you are succeeding. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for participating in this forum and for sharing your stories, which have been a source of information, inspiration and reassurance for me. Keep up the good work, everyone!

I had dangerously low BP immediately following my surgery. The most important thing you can do to alleviate it is getting as much water as possible (easier said than done). Now that I'm seven months out, my blood pressure has normalized a bit on the low side. No more problems!

Hi, all. I head for Australia on Tuesday, but I was able to get on a scale this morning at my sister's house. Astoundingly, I have lost seven pounds in the last three weeks, although I have no idea whether my sister's scale is showing the same weight as mine at home would, which is the baseline. This is particularly reassuring news for me, because I've been eating out regularly since I've been on the road and eating a much broader range of foods (while still making healthy choices). At this point, I would say I feel "normal." Now I really need to start maintenance in earnest!

I have also dreamt multiple times that I was eating prohibited foods like sweets and carbs--lots of them. I was always relieved when I woke up and realized I hadn't sabotaged my diet!

AZ, I've also considerably increased my food intake, but all healthy stuff, as you said. Please note, however, that I am not doing a triathlon in the near--or distant--future. I'm particularly enjoying eating fruits and vegetables again. I haven't had a scale since we moved out of our house in Washington, DC, and I won't again until I get to Australia in a couple of weeks. However, I'm pretty sure my weight has been steady or has even gone down a bit based on the way my clothes are fitting. I'll give a report once I know!

Hi, Sheri. No, I'm not--and I wasn't actually aware it existed until you mentioned it. Thanks! I'll have a look.

I have what could be called a plan for maintenance suggested by my doctor, but it's not very detailed. She said I should start increasing my calories, initially to between 1,200 and 1,500. I should say with that for a few weeks, and if I'm still losing bump it up a bit more. I would continue tweaking my calories until I find the sweet spot where I am neither gaining nor losing. She also said the same basic principle of high protein, low carb and low fat still applies, but that I could safely start to eat a bit more "normally" and diversify the foods I'm eating. Maintenance is going to require much more discipline than the honeymoon phase, but I knew this day was coming!

My only regret about the surgery is that I didn't do it 20 years earlier!

You will naturally be able to eat more over time, even without stretching your pouch. According to my surgeon, the . "stretching the pouch" rumors are not really true. She says it is theoretically possible, but you would have to eat massive amounts to make it happen.

The best part is unquestionably being healthier (no more BP or cholesterol meds), feeling better and having more energy. I haven't regretted having the surgery for a moment. (Well, not since month 3--I had a rough couple of first months.) Looking better and not seeing people's facial expressions change when I enter an airplane (as if to say, "I hope he's not sitting next to me") are wonderful side benefits, but definitely are not the reasons I got the surgery. To me, the worst part is eating dinner with friends, either in a restaurant or at our home. It's fine with just my spouse, who totally understands and supports what I'm doing. Dining with friends was a lot of fun before, but now I just feel left out. As a result, we don't dine out much any more.

I have to say that I don't have bad days, but I definitely have bad hours. They can usually be tied directly to a food choice or a behavior, such as too much fat, eating too fast or eating too much. I've also had reactions to foods with artificial sweeteners if I eat too much. So, it not really a secret to me why my bad hours happen, and I try to make sure I don't repeat them.

I am 7 months out from surgery. My nutritionist told me to count calories (plus grams of protein and water consumption) for at least a year. And there was homework! I had to show her my spreadsheet every time I saw her. I stopped counting calories and everything else about four months ago. By then, I had a very good sense of what I should eat and in what amount. And to be honest, tracking everything drove me a little crazy. I continued to lose weight consistently after that and reached my goal weight in six months, so it obviously had no impact on my success.

Yes! I did a separate post on this. My voice has been generally weaker since surgery (almost 7 months ago), and it gets very raspy by the end of the day. In addition, I was a pretty serious amateur singer, and I can no longer sing anywhere near the way I used to. I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you, but I can definitely relate to you concerns!

Hi, all. I just wanted to say again how nice it is to have our little community here for support. I hope most of us continue to post here once we are in the maintenance stage. Before leaving for Australia, I've been doing a "sentimental journey" to visit old friends and colleagues, none of whom have seen me since the surgery. Many of them don't recognize me at first, which I consider a compliment. Once they get past the shock, they invariably ask, "How did you do it?" I know they mean well, but I don't want to share my surgery with anyone but family and close friends. I generally say something like it was a long-term, medically supervised diet, with high protein, no sugar, and very little fat and carbs (all of which is actually true). I then change the subject. How widely are you all sharing the fact that you had the surgery? What do you say to people with whom you have only sporadic contact?

Hey, Marine. You look fantastic! To me you look like a "normal" person now--I wouldn't consider you overweight if I met you on the street. Great job! As we've said, everyone's journey is different, but we will all end up in the same place if we stick to the program. I really like the fact that you took the "after" picture in your "before" clothes, which makes the difference really dramatic!

Since I'm in the process of moving, I went through all of the clothes I own over the course of several weeks. I was thrilled to see that almost nothing fit any longer (including the "skinny jeans" I was keeping as inspiration), but I was then faced with the prospect of buying a whole new wardrobe. I dropped off many trash bags full of clothes to the local Salvation Army store, and then immediately walked around to the front to enter the store as a customer to buy smaller stuff. It's a relatively inexpensive way to refresh your wardrobe quickly!

It's not just you! I was originally drinking the juice from the pickle jar, but then I discovered you can buy a gallon of pickle juice on Amazon. (It's not the real thing, but pretty darn close.) When we have guests, I often have a small glass of pickle juice when everyone else is having wine or cocktails. I somehow makes me feel more like a part of the group as opposed to drinking plain water. Strange, I know!

Everything, you are gorgeous! What a beautiful face!

My doctor wanted me to stop shakes at about week nine. I always found Greek yoghurt a good way to get protein. Also, a personal favorite of mine is dry-roasted edamame, which are super-high in protein.