Stella84

I had this problem but it wasn’t dehydration...must have been low electrolytes. I was drinking lots of water and water only. Adding a Gatorade zero/propel water daily did the trick!

I had never taken vitamins before with the lapband so it was hard to get used to, but I'm four months out from revision to RNY and just had all my labs come back perfect!
Here are the two things that helped me be successful:
1. I got one of these pill organizers with multiple compartments for each day and fill it up every Sunday. Plus I have it sitting right where I see it every morning so I don't forget to take it to work.
2. I got a free app called Round. You set up the reminders and it's a bit of a nag if you don't tell it you took your pills! I'm sure there are others but I found this was easy to set up.
hope this helps. Oh and also for calciums I prefer the bariatic advantage chews- chocolate. But I think everyone is different. Get a sampler pack before you buy a whole bag. You don't want to get a flavor you dread taking three times a day! I made that mistake with peanut butter and coconut. Finally I just gave them away at support group! Everyone else thought they were yummy!

I had never taken vitamins before with the lapband so it was hard to get used to, but I'm four months out from revision to RNY and just had all my labs come back perfect!
Here are the two things that helped me be successful:
1. I got one of these pill organizers with multiple compartments for each day and fill it up every Sunday. Plus I have it sitting right where I see it every morning so I don't forget to take it to work.
2. I got a free app called Round. You set up the reminders and it's a bit of a nag if you don't tell it you took your pills! I'm sure there are others but I found this was easy to set up.
hope this helps. Oh and also for calciums I prefer the bariatic advantage chews- chocolate. But I think everyone is different. Get a sampler pack before you buy a whole bag. You don't want to get a flavor you dread taking three times a day! I made that mistake with peanut butter and coconut. Finally I just gave them away at support group! Everyone else thought they were yummy!

Update: had my surgery yesterday I am currently at home. The rest of the mass or whatever was removed and I now have a gastric bypass. I was so scared this time around but thanks for al the kind words. I hope this thread can help someone else one day.

My surgeon required me to see an eating disorder counselor prior to surgery due to my binge eating behaviors. The counselor recommended the book "intuitive eating" by elyse resch...which I am guessing is similar. It basically gets you in touch with your body and hunger sensations....the theory is binge eating is caused by restricting foods (diets).
I am only 4 months post op, so To be honest I don't experience "hunger" but if/when it comes back I hope this helps me from slipping into old habits. I don't know if you have a similar issue?
however it has definitely helped me realize I also just snack when bored (which can certainly defeat surgery!). I think this is a common problem.
The $40 sounds worth it compared to a $150 per hour counselor(:

I talk about WLS when someone is genuinely interested.
My first year out, I had to realize my enthusiasm about bariatrics is not at everyone’s level. Learning the basics was eye opening and life changing. IDK. I would be offended by someone approaching me about WLS when I never asked about it.
Grocery shopping - When I see a cart of unhealthy stuff. It’s a sad reminder that I used to shop and eat like that.

After 200lbs
Before 397lbs
1 year Anniversary June 21, 2019

Mushies get pretty boring so I made tuna with dill and Buffalo chicken (canned chicken). For veg I made sweet potato, spinach artichoke dip, beans and salsa all with added genepro. Then I portioned everything into 2 ounce containers to make sure not to overeat. Hope this helps!

Sorry, I posted my exercises in a paragraph above. It's changed a bit since my trainer left so I am on my own...
Monday - Spin class
Tuesday - 30 minute weights (Jillian Michaels DVD)
Wednesday - Either a yoga class or a spin class
Thursday - Rest or yoga or 30 minutes of weights - just depending on how I feel
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Spin class and yoga class
Sunday - Spin class
That's all.

... I definitely know this feeling.
This is me at an airport. Must. find. food. before boarding my flight, even if I'm not hungry. Because god forbid in the next 2 - 5 hrs I might get hungry, and that would be the end of the world.
Honestly once you start doing IF, it will become easier. You'll realize for the most part hunger passes quickly. Just drink water, or crystal light or whatever, and occupy yourself. If it gets too bad, break your fast, not the end of the world.
(This is coming from someone who will still sometimes give into the "what if you get hungry" voice and has eaten far too much crappy airport food, just because)

Your weight lost total is stellar. Nice work Ellf! Do you have go to meals most days?
I'm trying to find my groove still and I've hit a rut. Granted I haven't weighed myself in 3 weeks or so, but I know that I'm stalling a bit due to how things fit. I purposely haven't been weighing myself so I won't become obsessive about it.
Also, what's your workout regiment like?
Nice Job!
ps. almost forgot we have the same surgery date, so I'm curious because of that and where we are at the same time.

you're right. i used to indulge in sweets when i first started lifting, but have since given that up. especially since i started to pack on the pounds. i brought that to a cold stop. now, im just trying to find what works for me in terms of lifting heavy and losing weight. there is definitely a science to it. since my case seems to be unique, i'll have to figure this one out on my own.

@BlueAngelEyes you need to switch therapists, one that understands and isn't biased against wls patients - ask your bariatric team for a recommendation.
Hormones play a big part of your mental states right now, and this will jack with your perceptions and they will continue to bounce around during this process. Soon adding more exercise and getting better sleep will level these out.
All of you are thinking you are deprived because you have made food events a large part of your lives and now it has to change. It just has to or you will not succeed. I am not trying to be negative here, but these changes need to be permanent or you will gain weight back. Early in this journey you will naturally lose because of the severe restriction and the honeymoon period, even if you eat non-nutritious food. You will think -' hey I ate my protein and I had some pizza and lost 8 pounds this week, this works'. Yes it does because of the honeymoon period. Don't let that be a slippery slope to indulge whenever you 'feel' like it - it's my brother's wedding, it's my friend's baby shower - I must celebrate. NO, not with the food - enjoy the gifts, the decorations, the party part - food is secondary.
Everyone that has been obese is insulin resistent, and your body has spent years getting there. Some of you say you were healthy at 41BMI and I call BS. You were headed for diabetes and high blood pressure and sleep apnea, and compromising all your organs. The longer you keep grain carbs with no nutritional value and sugar out of your system the less you will crave them, and you will be free from this demon of ill health. I am not saying never, but build this early resolve to fix your health. You will be amazed, active, more energetic and happier.
And wanting to look healthy and cute is not vain. Don't beat yourself up over wanting to look good - you will feel even better. Hang in there.

This surgery is more about relearning how to eat, learning what full feels like, and fixing our emotional issues as opposed to never being allowed to eat these 5000 foods ever again because you had fat surgery. You had a couple things over a special weekend. As long as you don’t eat them often then it’s fine. I see nothing wrong with a 90/10 approach. Eating healthy 90% of the time w 10% of indulgences. No cheat days just a cheat snack or cheat entree or cheat side dish once or twice a week max.

If you find a food that triggers massive cravings I would avoid that, but don’t beat yourself up over this.

I find myself craving crunchy thing now. My dietician thinks it’s related to the long stretch of just liquid and soft foods. She recommended skinny pop popcorn instead of chips. Not as crunchy as I want but it satisfies the craving.

India and Indonesia!! I envision me shopping for my clothes effortlessly, looking extremely chic in all pictures and being able to keep up with the tour guide[emoji114][emoji114][emoji114]??

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Mushies get pretty boring so I made tuna with dill and Buffalo chicken (canned chicken). For veg I made sweet potato, spinach artichoke dip, beans and salsa all with added genepro. Then I portioned everything into 2 ounce containers to make sure not to overeat. Hope this helps!

Told my husband, my mom and my daughter. My mom has a big mouth and told my brother. His wife had RNY and lost A LOT more weight than me. I had VSG. I feel judged by both of them which sucks. Wish my mom had kept it to herself like she promised. Huge betrayal. Anyway, like someone else said, no one cared or asked how I got fat so why do they need to know how I lost it? If I had an abortion would it be lying to not tell anyone about it? Should I walk around saying “Hi, I had an abortion, that’s why I’m not pregnant any longer.” I find it ridiculous that some people on here say it’s lying not to tell people you had the surgery. That’s BS. I’m extremely private about all of my life and this is no different. I am 18 months post-op and I am so happy I kept it to myself and my immediate family. It’s my body, my business. I had 70 lbs to lose so my weight loss was fairly slow and that probably made it less obvious to others. I feel that telling people (when they ask) that I eat low carb, smaller portions, very little processed food and I do 50 minutes of cardio four times a week is an accurate description of HOW I lost the weight. Seems honest enough to me. But everyone is different.

I have only shared with a select few. It's not out of shame or fear, it's because it's private and frankly, no one's business. I think it was Brenee Brown who said, share with those who have earned the right to hear your story. And that always really struck me as fundamentally correct.

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!)

Sadly this same thing happened to me at the same hospital. I was also low BMI. The intake nurse did say something about my “Low” weight. I was annoyed but shrugged it off, BUT THEN....the Anesthesiologist came and and rudely asked me why I was doing the surgery with such a low BMI...I stuttered, lapband..complication..unfill...rapid weight regain etc. but yes NOT his business especially not 5 minutes before major surgery.
It gets worse. He then starts lecturing me and tells me the success is up here (touching my head!) and not here (touching my stomach!)
Now I was angry. But what to do? Ask for another anesthesiologist? Walk out?
Luckily? The surgeon came in moments later and we went off to surgery.

I made a formal complaint to the hospital.

Sadly this same thing happened to me at the same hospital. I was also low BMI. The intake nurse did say something about my “Low” weight. I was annoyed but shrugged it off, BUT THEN....the Anesthesiologist came and and rudely asked me why I was doing the surgery with such a low BMI...I stuttered, lapband..complication..unfill...rapid weight regain etc. but yes NOT his business especially not 5 minutes before major surgery.
It gets worse. He then starts lecturing me and tells me the success is up here (touching my head!) and not here (touching my stomach!)
Now I was angry. But what to do? Ask for another anesthesiologist? Walk out?
Luckily? The surgeon came in moments later and we went off to surgery.

I made a formal complaint to the hospital.

Sadly this same thing happened to me at the same hospital. I was also low BMI. The intake nurse did say something about my “Low” weight. I was annoyed but shrugged it off, BUT THEN....the Anesthesiologist came and and rudely asked me why I was doing the surgery with such a low BMI...I stuttered, lapband..complication..unfill...rapid weight regain etc. but yes NOT his business especially not 5 minutes before major surgery.
It gets worse. He then starts lecturing me and tells me the success is up here (touching my head!) and not here (touching my stomach!)
Now I was angry. But what to do? Ask for another anesthesiologist? Walk out?
Luckily? The surgeon came in moments later and we went off to surgery.

I made a formal complaint to the hospital.

Yes. I had surgery May 1. Had no pain to speak of (mild incision pain where my lapband port was removed) but just three days ago I started getting a stabbing pain just below the belly button.

Did yours go away?

Don’t weigh yourself everyday

Friends- some advice - Follow the rules or else.
It has been exactly 2 weeks since my surgery and I have been 100% compliant with the diet. When I transitioned to mushies (day 10), I made a bunch of different purées (tuna, buffalo chicken dip, beans and salsa, spinach artichoke, sweet potato, eggplant, mashed cauliflower, baked ricotta). I added gene pro to the veggies and packaged them in 3 ounce containers (except for the ricotta since I was using a slightly bigger container to bake in - 4 ounces). So things were going fine and I had no problems with drinking or mushies...UNTIL last night!
I had eaten the ricotta twice before but added a bunch more tomato sauce and I think I ate it in two sittings or really slow. Last night I was out of tomato sauce and it was getting late so I ate almost the whole thing before I suddenly felt full...I was almost finished so I took another bite...BIG mistake. I was so uncomfortably full and bloated almost immediately.
About an hour later I tried to go to sleep. I ended up throwing up about 6 times during the night (lasted 8 -9 hours). Plus had severe stomach cramping. It was awful and scary. So this is my warning.

Mistake 1 - ricotta bake is not a mushy unless thinned with tomato sauce
Mistake 2 - eating more than 3 ounces
Mistake 3 - laying down only one hour after eating (I never noticed this rule but my plan says 2 hours).

Hope this helps.
Stella