AZhiker

I had a good foundation of walking already established, but had not swum or ridden a bike in decades! I only had 2 months to get ready. So I started swimming - oh my goodness! With losing weight, I also lost my buoyancy! My legs sank and I couldn't kick hard enough. With a rotater cuff injury in my right shoulder, I just resigned myself to breast stroke rather than freestyle, which was utterly exhausting. I tried to swim 2-3 times a week. The first time, I nearly drowned twice! I tried to ride my daughter's bike, but because of stiffness in my hips and knees, I simply cannot swing my leg over the saddle and I couldn't get it over the bar, either. Pitiful. So getting on and off was a challenge and I didn't feel safe. So I bit the bullet and bought my own bike - a hybrid with a step through frame (ie: girl's bike). It is wonderful. It is very ergonomically correct for me and very comfortable. Most of all, I can get on and off safely. I bought the brightest possible strobing tail and head lights, and attached a water bottle to the handle bars with a long straw so I didn't have to reach down with one hand for a water bottle. I started riding - 5 miles, then 7 miles, then 10 miles, then 15 miles - at least twice a week. 3 weeks before the event , I did all three on the same day - spread out over the day. 2 weeks before, I did all three again on the same day, but more or less back to back. On the day of the event, I did fine. I was more mentally stressed than physically stressed. I was not exhausted or overly tired at all. The biggest hurdle was nutrition. I had to up my calories per day, and that was pretty hard. I had to give up intermittent fasting, as I needed the breakfast time to get more calories in. This was not comfortable and I felt like I was over eating the whole time. I could not use high carb stuff or energy drinks, as I was a afraid of dumping. The best thing I finally settled on was to drink a protein smoothies several hours before the event (300 calories, 35 gm protein.) Then water and RX bars throughout the event. Each RX bar has 210 calories and 12 gm protein. I think I ate 3 of them and it was fine. My stomach was not overloaded and I was comfortable and had plenty of energy. Now I see that I have a lot of room to improve my swimming stroke, my biking technique, and also maybe experiment with race walking. (My orthopedic doctor forbids me to run on my artificial knee, in order to save it for as many years as possible.) With a baseline level of fitness now, I think I may do a couple of these triathlons a year, just for motivation and to see if I can improve my times. It was definitely a milestone for me, and actually a lot of fun.

I use RX bars because 1) they are gluten free, and 2) they have enough protein to slow the cab absorption. I cannot eat the high carb stuff for fear of dumping, but lots of water and the RX bars seem to work for me. I will be doing a distance ride next month and will train using the RX bar plan.

I hear you. The snacking and bad habits are what have me worried, too,

I'm also struggling a bit with this. I have added healthy carbs, more nuts and seeds, but I can't tolerate higher fat levels. I already know I am not absorbing fats well, from the nature of my stools, and any more just causes upset. I am doing a bit more protein shakes, but am eating beyond comfort, which I do not like at all.

A low WBC can be because of a viral illness (sometimes the lymphcytes in your differential count will also be high with a viral infection.) But being on the low end of normal is OK if that is where you run. Malnutrition indicators would be more with your hemoglobin, iron levels, vitamin levels, and albumin (protein.)

It's been 8 months now since surgery. Wow. What a ride it's been. I'm now a little worried because I don't want to lose any more weight - I don't want to get below 140. But unless I keep eating throughout the day, I still continue to lose. I am worried that I am very much in the honeymoon stage and that I am snacking way too much - simply because I can't eat enough volume at meals to get enough calories in. I worry that I could be setting myself up for regain later on. This is supposed to be the time to really focus on good habits, and although I only eat healthy options, I am eating all the time from noon until evening during an 8 hour window. I just don't quite know how to deal with this. Maybe I need to set the clock and eat only at prescribed times - like every 2 hours on the clock. That would at least establish some level of discipline. My exercise has dropped off since the triathlon, simply because we have a full week of wedding events and there is not time. I will resume biking, swimming, hiking after next week, and unfortunately will have to eat even more. I don't like eating beyond my comfort level. It makes me feel out of control and I fear it could be setting me up for a problem once my appetite returns and my volume increases. I am adding healthy carbs and even some extra protein drinks. I am rambling, and I guess my question is: How does one maintain weight without feeling like one is "breaking the rules" by eating beyond fullness and eating too frequently?

At least wear some compression stockings - not those white TED hose - but some comfortable ones you can find at any home health store or even WalMart. My favorites are SockWells. On sale and with a coupon from REI, I can get them half price. They feel like comfortable knit socks and they hold up well. Does your doctor prescribe Lovenox injections after surgery? Some do, some don't , but if your doc knew you were going to take a long road trip, maybe that would increase the risk of blood clots to the point of doc wanting to give you a week or so of preventative medicine. I did everything right, and still got 3 deep clots in my leg. Nothing to mess around with and I had to be on meds for 3 months afterward. Be sure to tell your doc about the trip and about concerns for blood clots.

stair climbing

Just make sure your carbs are taken with protein. Try to make them as unrefined as possible - like cooked whole grains - not ground into flour like bread. You want them to absorb as slowly as possible. The carbs cause a rise in blood sugar which spikes your insulin. This drives your blood sugar down and that results in hunger. It can create a vicious cycle. You might look up some recipes for chaffles. They are incredibly filling, high in protein, low in carbs. You will not feel hungry after eating these. A very basic recipe: 2 eggs, 1/3 c. almond flour, 1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Mix this up and cook in a waffle maker. The little Dash mini waffle makers are $9.99 at Target. This recipe will make 4 or 5 of the minis. Add some Italian seasoning and use as crust for personal pizzas. Top with ricotta cheese and fruit for a Danish style. I've make carrot cake, pumpkin, and chocolate chaffles. Use Monkfruit sweetener for the sweeter recipes. They really are so quick to make and like I said, very filling and low in carbs.

I am so proud of you on so many levels. You were able to identify the sources of negativity, address them, face them, and advocate for yourself! Hurray for you!!!! I have no doubt that you will be totally successful with your weight loss after having surgery. I did not lose but a few pounds in my 6 month pre-op period. But I have been hugely successful after surgery. I don't think your doctor can accurately predict how every individual's body will respond to surgery. I can tell that you are determined to make this work, and that is what it takes. When you think of it, it's kind of silly and unrealistic to think that someone who has wrecked their metabolism by dieting, and who needs WLS as a last resort, will be able to take off loads of weight before surgery. If we could have done it, we would have already, right? Please don't let that idea rattle your confidence. If anything, let it make you more determined than ever to prove him wrong. Your coworkers are being just plain selfish. Period. You take care of yourself right now, OK? Please keep us posted about your journey!

So much has to do with fluid shifts, related to glycogen in the muscles, salt intake, etc. Don't be worried if you gain a few next week - just fluid rebalancing. Your overall weight loss seems fine, so keep up the good work!

yup. because i dont eat anything with artificial colors or sweeteners, i stuck with bone broth and protein shakes, and of course water and herbal teas, two weeks is only a blip in the whole scope of your new life,

63 years old here. RNY Feb 2019. Reached goal between 6-7 months, with loss of 110 lbs. I am 5'6". I exercise a lot - walking/hiking, weights, stairs, legs, biking, swimming. Just completed a triathlon which was an amazing experience and unthinkable 8 months ago. My advice is to get a step tracker and start walking right away, even while in the hospital. I was up to 10,000 steps by day 7, and just kept adding little exercise routines along the way. A step tracker is very motivating and keeps one accountable. I log my exercise along with my food.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But how do I delete the duplicate pictures??????? I try selecting and X, but that doesn't work. I'm really NOT trying to be a narcissist!

No. Not until soft food stage.

I guess you could say so. Swimming, biking, hiking, weights, legs, push ups, stairs.

Thanks so much. I finished pretty close to the bottom, but all that matters is that I finished! My friend (who does these events all the time) told me that 90% of the U.S. population will never do any kind of endurance event, so just finishing puts me in the top 10%! I like that way of thinking! Here is me stomping the finish line! I have no idea how so many copies got posted, and I have no idea how to get them off. Help!

are you diabetic and on meds?

Tucson. Mighty Mujer - all women's event to support local domestic violence shelter.

I am 63, so just assumed all the sags were here to stay - turkey neck, belly, arms, inner thighs. But...... the skin actually has tightened up in all those areas, I am very happy to say, even being older. My idea is to maintain at goal weight for at least a year before making any decisions about plastics. It's only fair to give the old bod a fighting chance to firm things up. Right now, I would not even consider plastics - I was thinking about my arms and belly a few months ago, but they look better now. However, the old girls will never be the same. Nuthin gonna firm those babies up!

My HH was repaired at the same time as gastric bypass. However, If yours was large and extensive, I can see why the surgeon would delay the GB. Visualize a significant portion of your stomach up into your chest cavity - above the diaphram. This upper part of the stomach is what gets "pouched" and if trauma and swelling from the HH surgery prevented a good surgical approach to creating the new pouch, then by all means, delay GB until the first surgery is resolved. You sure don't want anything to compromise your "forever" pouch. My only question is that if the HH was really so big, why it wasn't detected with your preop endoscopy.

I try to stick with decaf tea. Here is the reason. I used to be a huge coffee drinker. When I gave up sugar and caffeine, my energy levels stabilized and evened out unbelievably. No need for the morning wake up cup, no afternoon slump. Just really level throughout the day. It made me see how addictive both substances are, but also how much caffeine really is a drug in a sense. I like feeling energetic WITHOUT needing caffeine. I do have a regular tea in the mornings sometimes, especially the chai flavored ones, but then it is water for the rest of the day and herbal chamomile in the evenings. Every drink of alcohol damages tissue. Period. Once someone is down the road a bit, and the tissues are completely healed, a little wine with a meal once in a while probably won't do anything significant. Regular intake is dangerous, in my opinion, for the damage it can cause, and also the possibility of transfer addiction. Again, I don't want to NEED anything. After having no wine or alcohol for so long, I don't miss it at all. I realize the only reason I liked it was for the sweet aspect, going back to sugar. Alcohol also has a lot of empty calories. I can see no reason to drink again (for me). It has absolutely no nutritional benefit - (at least none that can't be derived from fresh food), and only the possibility of harm. I am trying to make my eating as clean and nutritionally dense as possible. Alcohol doesn't tick the boxes.

It will definitely get better, but you just have to train yourself to eat really slowly and stop BEFORE you feel full. Like eat half of what you think you can, and then stop for at least 10 minutes. I remember that so well. I would feel just fine, assessing my fullness after each bite.... and then suddenly WOW! TOO FULL and sick. It's hard, because we had decades of just eating fast and swallowing mindlessly. Now we have to unlearn that behavior and slow it waaaaay down. It's hard, and frustrating. But it will get better, I promise. For now, just stop way before you think you need to.

Don't worry about it. There is so much swelling right now, as well as the IV fluids. It will come off - it's not real weight gain, such as in fat. That is impossible.