AZhiker

I guess I have a nagging question of if I had discovered WFPB prior to surgery, would I have been able to lose the weight without surgery? I know it really doesn't matter, and in the grand scheme of things, I am very thankful for being able to take the weight off quickly and have decreased hunger. Yes, I would like to have avoided blood clots and the ulcer that were consequences of the surgery, but I don't regret it. Surgery got the weight off, and I know that WFPB will keep it off and give me the optimal health I strive for for the rest of my life.

I meant to say "meat" shortages in the stores....

I agree, PollyEster, that the two most life changing decisions I have made are 1) bariatric surgery and 2) going WFPB. My life is 180 degrees from where it was before. I am so much healthier. Going WFPB changed all my labs, even more dramatically that the weight loss surgery. Even after reaching goal weight with a loss of over a hundred pounds, my total cholesterol was still 235. A few months with WFPB, it dropped to 152! I feel so much better and have so much more energy and mental clarity, that I do not miss animal based foods at all. My family is also starting to eat more plant based meals - simply because they feel good after ward and can eat a lot of volume without a lot of calories. An added bonus is that when I think of meal shortages in the stores now, it doesn't phase us one bit. We know we can eat good, nutritionally sound meals indefinitely with no distress or worry about where our next meal will come from.

I hear you. I actually got sick - I think I may well have had "the virus" that just knocked the socks off me for 2 weeks. I was up to 60 flights of stairs a day, but then got so short of breath that I could barely do 1 flight (to get into my house.) So my exercise tanked, and I also have gained 9 pounds. The honeymoon is definitely over. I find myself eating a lot more comfort carbs than I should. I am trying to get back on track - knocking down any processed food, simple carbs, and reducing the nuts. Starting to exercise a bit more now, too, so I sure hope I can take off the pounds. Amazing, but I can actually tell a five pound difference - never understood how thin people could say that, but I get it now. So I'm with you, Froufrou. We can't let this get away from us. Now is the time to nip it back, go back to some IF, cut back on carbs, up the exercise - all the stuff we know how to do. I am getting a lot more veggies in before I eat anything more dense. Trying to make the veggies the centerpiece of the meal, while still getting the protein in. That really fills me up. I am also working on cutting out snacks - those are just killer calories. Hang in there! We can do this!

Do you have sleep apnea?

There are so many hormonal and chemical changes that happen with rapid weight loss. This can result in excessive energy and less sleep. I remember feeling like the energizer bunny on steroids, Normally I sleep 7 hours a night, but for several months, I only slept 3-4 hours and woke up feeling great. My thyroid was normal. There are a sort of euphoria, as well. Now that I am stabilized at goal, I have normal energy and sleep 7 hours a night again. If you are also experiencing a lot of energy, take full advantage of it. Put it into exercise and your weight loss will progress even better.

I started with walking and then hiking and biking. And some swimming when training for a tri. But I added an upper body and leg routine fairly early. I use light weights for my arm exercises, with focus on increasing reps more than upping the pounds. I also do wall pushups, stair climbing, and a stretching routine. I found most of the exercises on line, and also from a booklet from my surgeon. The exercises definitely have helped strengthen and tone. The goal is to build some muscle that will increase metabolic tissue. The exercises take about 20 minutes a day, the stair climbing an extra 20 minutes (on work days where I have flights of stairs in my building), and then hiking/biking/swimming on non work days which takes 1-2 hours. Exercise is definitely a time consuming part of the day, but so worth it. I applaud you for making it a part of your healthy new life.

Sounds a bit more like paranoid schizophrenia, especially with the delusions. It's true that the surgery can rock the boat with hormone changes. This can cause moodiness, and if there is an underlying psych issue, I can see where it could come to the surface more easily. I sure hope you can get help for him. Inpatient hospitalization may be needed to ensure he is taking the meds and getting a correct diagnosis.

I had similar symptoms a while ago and it turned out I had an ulcer. Nausea with vomiting sometimes, heartburn, increased discomfort with eating, yet sometimes eating a little bit helped. I could tell something was not right. I have been on omeprazole with great relief of symptoms, and needed another scope this week. I had to delay that because of my own home isolation (due to COVID symptoms), but have rescheduled the scope for April 30. Hopefully that can still happen, because I don't want to be on the med any longer than necessary. Anyway, I hope you can get scoped soon so you can know for sure what is going on.

I'm 14 months out, and although I can eat anything I want, my tummy still reminds me of volume. I find that the things I used to love eating a LOT of - like stir fry veggies, just don't sit so well any more. I can eat out anywhere (except now!) or fix any kind of food, and in that sense, things are back to normal. But volume is definitely not the same - THANKFULLY! I am presently enduring 2 weeks of home isolation due to COVID-19 symptoms, which are resolving without any problems, but I admit that there has been heightened anxiety/stress during all this. I am utterly dismayed to find myself resorting to food for comfort - I thought I had that one licked, but it has raised its ugly head, and I have gained 5 pounds! I have been too tired to exercise, so I have been a couch potato/food addict for nearly 2 weeks, and now I am paying the price. But.... I am now back on track with starting some exercise again, tracking my food, intermittent fasting, and working on my emotional issues. It feels MUCH BETTER to be in control of the food, rather than the food being in control of me. I need to hold this thought and remember that the long term reward greatly outweighs the short term gratification.

I could not have any vegetables until 8 weeks, and then they had to be steamed, cooked, and soft. I was gradually able to add raw veggies, but it wasn't until nearly a year post op that I could eat a lot of raw veggies. This has been hard, since I also love veggies and have a large organic garden. I found that the raw ones were just too rough and didn't sit well for quite a long time. Raw broccoli was particularly difficult, although it was fine if cooked.

I am not absorbing fat, and this has driven my vitamin D levels to the lowest they have ever been. Has anyone else struggled with this? Any tricks for increasing absorption? I am on 50,000 units twice a week now. I take Vit D with a meal that contains fat (nuts, peanut butter) and I really don't know what else to do. I am a bit concerned for my bone health as I already have osteopenia. Do pancreatic enzymes help?

Well I am totally gluten intolerant - have been for years but I can't get tested for celiac because I would have to eat gluten for a couple of weeks first, and I just can't do that. The misery if I did that would be unbearable. And I am definitely lactose intolerant, since surgery. So maybe that's 2 out of 3. I don't think I have pancreatitis - no other symptoms and my enzymes are normal. But I still may ask my doc about pancreatic enzymes. Thanks for the info,

Thanks to all of you for this discussion. I had bypass, but am having some real issues with fat malabsorption and low D level which was 15.1. Doc prescribed 50,000 units twice a week of the green capsules, but it looks like maybe this is not what I should be doing. I'll check out the dry form.

I made the switch about 6 months ago and I feel great. My protein, calcium, and iron levels are fine, as are all my vitamins .... except that pesky vitamin D. The best part is that my cholesterol dropped 70 points! I am now at 153 - the lowest ever for cholesterol for me. My HDL, LDL, and triglycerides are phenomenal. Even losing all my weight did not alter those numbers much, but giving up the animal based foods sure did. I have lots of energy, recover quickly after workouts, and NEVER get sore anymore, even from very strenuous activities. Inflammatory markers are down, and I really do feel great. I can eat as much as I want and do not have any problem maintaining my weight. I have now decided that I will have a very limited amount of animal products once a week - some egg or chicken from my own homegrown flock. I know where the food came from, what it was fed, and how it was treated. This gives me a little more flexibility with the family Sunday meal or going out. I love the whole food plant based way of eating. I focus on incorporating as many superfoods into my daily meal plan as possible. There is no junk. I know it is healthy and right for me, and it has been a great adventure exploring new foods and recipes.

I think I get more than enough vitamin K from all the greens and vegetables I eat. Lots of kale, spinach, mustard, collards, turnip greens, broccoli from my garden. But thanks for the heads up.

Hmmmmmm..... I'll have to check this out.

Thanks. I was reading most recent and did not catch Rick's post right away. I'll check in with the DS folks.

I did not know the difference between D2 and D3. I knew D3 was more easily absorbed and I wondered why my PCP prescribed D2. But knowing I am vegan would make sense. Thanks for the info.

I did not have DS. I was wondering if other gastric bypass patients have dealt with this and what helped minimize the fat malabsorption. All my other vitamins are great.

I did not have DS. My dexa scan shows mild osteopenia, a change from a perfectly normal scan 2 years ago.

My vit D has been in tablet form that I dissolve in my mouth before swallowing. The 50,000 units I take now are the little dark green capsules. My dietician is not very helpful. I'm working more with my PCP. I asked the pharmacist and she said to take it with food and oil, which I have always done. I am outside all the time - I garden, tend to livestock, hike, and bike. I do not use sunscreen except on my face. The D levels were a bit low before surgery, which is common in obesity. But afterward, they have continued to drop. Level last week was a whopping 15.1. YIKES! I thought for sure, after losing all the weight, my D would be good, but the malabsorption from the surgery has really taken it down. I've had steatorrhea ever since surgery - stools are loose, frequent (up to 10 times a day), urgent, light colored, gassy, and floatie, so it is pretty clear that I am not absorbing fat. I am going to ask about pancreatic enzymes. My PTH is fine, calcium levels are within normal limits, although toward the low end.

No judgement here - just facts. Soda of any kind is implicated in fatty liver disease. Been there, done that. Not going back.

Just got my labs back. I have been eating WFPB for about 7 months and the results are pretty impressive. First of all, my protein, calcium, and iron levels are well within normal limits, which proves to me that plant sources are perfectly adequate to meet these needs. Best of all, My lipid panel has just blown my socks off. Here are results from pre-op, 6 month and 12 month labs. Please note that I was at goal, having lost 100+ pounds at 6 months. CHOLESTEROL: 223, 219, 153! TRIGLYCERIDES: 133, 56, 34! HDL: 64, 71, 78! LDL: 132, 137, 68! CHOL/HDL: 3.5, 3.1, 2.0! The disappointing part is that my Vitamin D level has continued to drop, in spite of daily supplementation and plenty of outdoor time. I am sure this has to do with my fat malabsorption since surgery, so I guess I will be taking the super doses for a while to get it back up.