AZhiker

Please know that in my previous post I was not trying to minimize the concern - or pass over a doc who won't explain things. Just trying to add perspective to some of the things we can't change. Like why some insurances require 6 months of pre-op supervision and others don't. My doc required the psych and nut consults, 2 classes, cardiac clearance, a zillion labs, and throw in a sleep study for good measure. Took me 8 months to get the check list done. Some docs don't seem to require anything - just sign and pay. Hopefully, we find compassionate doctors who will explain the rationale for what they order, but control of the surgery is in their hands, so we gotta do what we gotta do.

No mammogram required for me. But.... my stress EKG showed something a little funky and I ended up having 2 nuclear exams and then ended up with the full cardiac cath! Thank goodness it was normal. I would choose a non invasive mammogram any day over having wires threaded through my heart!

Protein powder. Added to smoothies, soups, beans, yoghurt, anything I can. Most people use a whey protein. It must be Whey Isolate. The stuff I use is from grass fed cows with no artificial flavors, and 99% lactose free. 90 calories and 20 gm protein per scoop. Once in a while - like rushing to work or just wanting to give my pouch a rest, I will drink a Premier Protein shake - 160 calories, 30 gms protein.

I have also found that processed food or high fat content foods can really make me sick fast. I had a brat at a cook out the other night and I was sicker than I've ever been - all night. Same with even a bit of commercial potato salad. That happened at a Memorial Day picnic yesterday. I passed on all the other goodies - chips, nuts, dessert, baked beans (too much sugar), beverages other than water - and ate 2 bites of potato salad - here come the slimies, and urpies. Anyway - once you are off processed foods, it seems like your body gets so happy with the "clean" food that a major rebellion ensues if there is an assault with the processed stuff. Maybe it has to do with the new micobiome we have established in our guts since surgery. Lesson learned for me - don't even try the processed stuff. It doesn't taste like I remember and it never ends well.

Oh, one more - liver! I really do want my iron levels to stay up in normal range, so started eating a little liver several times a month. I got some really nicely packaged calf liver at Sprouts (Thin slices that are 4 ounces each) and individually sealed.) I can only eat 2 ounces at a time, but I cook that up with some onion and mushrooms - lightly coated in some gluten free flour and sauteed in olive oil. YUMMY! So easy to eat, as it is soft and goes down well. I am becoming a big liver fan!

Green tea used to taste slightly bitter and astringent. Now it tastes sweet. I stopped coffee before surgery (I was a really big coffee drinker - LOVED my coffee!) But I tried it once after surgery and it made me sick. Can't stand it ever since, and I am thankful since I don't need the extra acid in my stomach. (Giving up Diet Coke was much harder, believe it or not.) I would say everything tastes sweeter, since sugar is gone from my life now. A little fruit is more than enough sweetness. I started eating a few prunes each day to help with regularity, and those little guys taste like candy!

Please also realize that the sugar in the fruit (unprotected by protein eaten first) really jacks your insulin levels up. You do not want this. First of all, once the insulin crashes your blood sugar, you will feel hungry and can start a yo-yo cycle of more fruit since your body will be craving sugar at that point. Second, insulin drives calories into fat storage. You don't want that, either. Like the others said, protein first, then non starchy veggies. Fruit only in small amounts AFTER protein is eaten. It is dessert - not the meal. A calorie is not a calorie. 100 calories of sugar is very different than 100 calories of olive oil, or even 100 calories of chicken. Sugar/fruit will send your insulin levels way up there, as it responds to the increase in blood sugar. Oil will not raise insulin levels and protein will do so only minimally and slowly. Insulin spikes will not help you lose weight. You do not want to lose lean protein from your muscles. That will only lower your metabolism in the long run. You want to BUILD muscle mass, and on a restricted caloric intake, the only way is to get your protein requirement in. You also need enough protein to heal well. The guidelines from my doctor are as follows for men: 60 inches tall (5 ft): 70-75 gm/day. 66 inches (5'6"): 75-80 gms. 77 inches (6'4"): 80-90 gm.

Sheri, it's the strangest thing, but there have been days when I have just felt the need for more calories - probably from increasing my exercise each week. (I normally eat 600-700.) A couple of days, I just followed the feeling and ate healthy food, but hundreds of more calories than usual. Guess what? I lost weight! I think what Taylormom said is really true - if the body starts feeling like it is going back to starvation, it will lower the metabolism and do everything it can to preserve itself. I know it sounds scary, but you might just try eating more for a few days, just to fool the metabolism so it can start revving up again. Be sure they are healthy calories and that you get all your water in. Adding the walking is really good. You have done a fantastic job. 65 pounds in 4 months is great! Hang in there - you are not failing, you are succeeding big time!

I was worried about questions from relatives who haven't seen me in several months. We had a family BBQ today and only one person told me it looked like I was losing weight. No one else said a thing! It was a relief in a way, but quite odd, I thought.

I am only 4 months out, but I would highly suggest giving up your addictions Pre-op so you don't have to fight them post-op. Sugar, soda, caffeine, processed foods, etc. It is hard enough getting through the surgery and immediate post op without having to deal with headaches and cravings. give yourself a jump start by getting rid of this stuff before hand,

Follow your doctor's advice on this. My father couldn't travel long distances after hernia surgery for 8 weeks, due to risk of clots. It would be a good idea to wear compression stockings and take a stretch band along so you could do leg exercises on the flights. Is the place you travel to somewhere you could get help and good diagnostics should a situation come up? Some surgeons put their patients on Lovenox injections for a couple of weeks post op. Does yours?

I walk every day for at least an hour, and I definitely could not do it without my water bottle. It goes with me everywhere. I cannot gulp - still have to sip and take just a few swallows at a time. So every thousand steps or so, I stop for a few seconds and fill my mouth with water (6 sips per mouthful!) and continue small swallows for the next minute.

Do you mean long distance travel or just driving back and forth to the office? I was back to nursing 2 weeks after surgery, but made sure not to exceed my lifting restriction. I was driving my stick shift just fine. As long as you are not on narcotic pain meds you should be able to drive within a couple of weeks. Long distance, though, would be a more of a worry, because of blood clot risk. I wore compression stockings every day, started walking the day of surgery, and was up to 10,000 steps a day 2-3 weeks post op, and I STILL got a blood clot in my leg! Eating was not a problem right away, as it is mostly broths and protein shakes at first. However, several months down the road, I cannot take "real" food to work because i can't eat it with my half hour lunch break. So I take a protein shake or soup - something easy to slide down.

I am nearly 4 months post op RNY. The biggest problem I am having is knowing how to tell when I am full. Prior to surgery, i never felt full. I could eat endlessly and still pack more in. Now I will start to eat what seems like a reasonable amount of food - maybe 1/2 cup of whatever. I chew slowly and assess my fullness after each bite. Then BOOM! About 10 minutes after eating, I am ready to vomit, except I can't. I have such bad pain, my mouth is watering with slime and foamies, a cold chill breaks out, the vomit sensation is so strong but it won't happen. (I never could vomit - maybe 10 times in my entire life.) It's just awful. It doesn't happen all the time, and this is what is so confusing. Some days I can eat whatever looks normal, and then other days, I just want to die. The pain and discomfort can last for hours and leaves me sore inside. My normal weight daughter tells me that I need to stop eating a lot sooner - like eat half of the meal and then literally wait 10 minutes to see if I feel full, rather than trying to tell if I am full while I am still eating. She is probably right, since I never had the sensation of fullness before. The confusing part is that the symptoms are so inconsistent day to day. I'm either feeling empty or in agony. How are some of you dealing with this? When do you feel full - while you are eating or after? How do you know how much to even put on your plate? I would love to get my protein from food sources, but I can't possibly eat 60-70 grams of food protein a day, so I am still relying on protein powder (adding it to anything I can.) Would sure appreciate some feedback on fullness sensations.

You are under a lot of stress and have turned to comfort food for self medication. The thing about sweets and sugar is that just one little bit will trigger bigger cravings. You just have to make the firm decision to not eat any sugar, period. Sugar causes insulin spikes. Insulin drives calories into fat storage. The more insulin you have spiking during the day, the more fat will be stored. When your insulin levels drop from not eating or from eating low glycemic foods (your protein and veggies), then the body starts breaking down fat stores. Sometimes understanding the physiology helps with resisting foods that cause insulin spikes (sweets, processed foods, simple carbs, carbs that are not protected by protein foods.) Sugar activates the same pleasure/addictive centers in the brain as does cocaine! It is truly an addictive substance. Once you go a few days with no sugar, the cravings will stop. Your energy levels will be better. Getting some regular exercise will also help stop the cravings and stimulate good brain chemistry so you feel better about life and not have such a strong pull by the addictive foods. You can do this! Your weight loss is truly and inspiration. This is a small bump in the road and a learning opportunity to take your resilience to another level, as you learn to deal with stress by other means than eating, Pulling for you!!!!

Had mine in Feb 2019 at age 63. Several of the professionals asked me, "Why do you want to do this now?" Like my life is over at age 63??? You bet, it's over if I continue to be overweight by 100+ pounds! My knees were done, my GERD was getting worse, extreme sleep apnea, out of breath, couldn't even get my fat self off the floor. That;s not what I call living! So why NOT get it done now and get the chance to get my life back? And it has!!! I climbed 12 flights of stairs today with no trouble, can hike/walk 4 -5 hours in a stretch, and even get off the floor by myself!

I discovered my ribs this week! If I lift up my saggy boobs there really is a visible rib cage under there! Woo Hoo!

You are doing a great job! I had a hiatal hernia and Barrett's as well. I actually developed a precancerous Barrett's polyp which had to be removed a month before RNY so having the GERD gone is great. I feel your fear. When we have failed so many times in the past, it is normal to think the pattern will repeat. But we have more life experience now going for us, the knowledge of our weaknesses, and also the realistic view of the pitfalls like denial, compromising, rationalizing, and making excuses. I think as more "seasoned" people, we also know that there are not any more chances to make this work. This is it. This is our shot at getting this weight off and keeping it off. This is our shot at getting our lives back and finishing well. WE ARE NOT GOING BACK! We know what that is like. We have experienced arthritis and decreasing mobility, Some of us have already had joint replacements and know that the joints are not going to hold up indefinitely with this weight. We know where that leads - wheel chairs - and we don't want that! We are in the stage now of setting up the patterns of eating and exercise that will last us for the rest of our lives, There are days when I can hardly eat anything but liquids, and then days where I can load up and it scares me, too. But this first 6 months is our training boot camp to get it right for the rest of our lives, so learning how to control the portions, even when we know we could eat more, is actually a good thing. When I get that "pacing in the kitchen looking for something to eat" feeling I am trying to change direction by exercising - doing some wall pushups or some stairs. That helps to divert the destructive behavior and turn it into a beneficial pattern. This takes a lot of practice, but we can do it! We spent years in bad patterns and it will take a while to establish new patterns, and it just takes a lot of repetition. This is the best thing we can do for ourselves and it will happen! One day at a time - hang in there! And remember that the day will come when you do slip up. That will happen, You just get right back on track and keep on going. Learn from the mistake and make a plan. You are doing great!

You are an inspiration! Thanks for posting.

sounds great! So glad he is getting such good care. When was his last colonoscopy? Do you know what his actual thyroid numbers were? T3, T4, TSH?

I gave up ALL sugar in any form prior to surgery. I had already given up wheat years ago, but once the sugar was gone, guess what? My joints never hurt again. Sugar is the most inflammatory food on the planet (with wheat next in line). Once you are off sugar, you will lose your craving for it, but just one little bite can cause the cravings to come back instantly. This all has to do with brain chemistry. Do you know that sugar activates the same brain receptors as cocaine? I know everyone must make their own choices about what they will eat, but I would encourage you not to sabotage your success by a few seconds of sweetness. Fruit is plenty sweet for me now. Some Greek yoghurt with fruit is so delicious - and guilt free!

Optisource post bariatric surgery chewables from Walgreens. Also biotin, B-12, Calcium citrate, D3. I like the Optisource. Some people say that are chalky, but I don't get that sensation. I tried the well known brand of chewable multi and calcium - like little caramel squares, but they were too sweet, too flavorful, and way too much like candy. It really triggered a desire for sweets which was dangerous for me. I have not had my 6 month blood draw yet, however, so that will really tell the story about how good my vitamins are (and my diet).

Is he at his goal weight? Just wondering, because the back pain is often relieved by weight loss. He may need to see a pain specialist - injections can be incredible when they work. But the NSAIDs are big no-no. There are other ways to work with pain and the pain specialist can offer other choices, Thyroid issues can definitely contribute to fatigue. Sounds like he needs a complete workup with all the vitamin levels, an endoscope, and general over all screening for other stuff unrelated to the surgery, How old is he? Does he get his annual physicals with *all* the exams? Has he had a screening colonoscopy? Is he eating a really healthy diet? Getting some red meat, fish, maybe some liver? Eating his veggies, legumes, nuts/seeds? Any processed food? Has he been taking all his vitamins since surgery? After surgery, every bite one takes needs to have maximum nutritional value. No room for junk food and processed stuff. The endocrinologist would be a good step, maybe also a nutritionist, but don't let the speciaists miss the general health issues. It is easy for them to focus on just their specialty. A friend of mine had chest pain, and his kidney doctor thought it was the kidney tumor coming back - missed the fatal heart attack!

AMEN!!!!

i only told my family and one trusted co-worker because i needed some cooperation with work schedule changes to accommodate the surgery date. My co-workers noticed and a lot of people asked about what I am doing. I told them "major lifestyle and diet changes." If they press, I tell them, "A lot more exercise, no wheat, no sugar, no alcohol, no snacks, no soda or coffee, no processed foods, no artificial sweeteners/coloring, low carb, intermittant fasting..." Somewhere between the sugar and alcohol their eyes glaze over and they change the topic. I don't want to lie, but the truth of the matter is that if someone is not willing to make lifestyle and dietary changes now, they have no right to any additional information. If someone actually told me they have been doing all those things and still struggle with weight loss, i would ask if they had considered WLS as another tool. But so far, no one seems willing to actually make serious changes. Everyone wants a magic pill. Since then, I have changed departments, and NO ONE says anything because they didn't see me before. I FEEL LIKE A NORMAL PERSON! And it feels great! I'm not the biggest gal at work anymore, and it is kind of weird, actually.