AZhiker

I am presently using organic soy milk, as it has a lot more protein than almond or cashew milk. Soy products (milk, yogurt, tofu, tempeh) do not seem to bother me. Which plant based protein powders have you found to be palatable in smoothies and yogurt? I've tried several, but all have stevia. OWYN brand has cane sugar, but seems to be the most pure of all of them, but I haven't tried it yet.

Wow. Who knew? And all of us depend on those protein shakes/powder for a long time.

I thought I would throw this out there in case it might help anyone else. I had an endoscopy this week which among other things, indicates Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). which will be confirmed with biopsy results. EoE is basically an allergic response that changes the lining of the esophagus and can result in scarring and permanent damage. Food allergy is the most likely culprit in most cases. This tissue change had never been noted on any previous endos - just this one which was 10 months post op, which makes me think that it must be something in my diet that was added since surgery. My doc mentioned that Whey can do this in some people, and Whey protein is the ONLY thing that is different and has been added since surgery, and we all know how much we rely on the protein shakes and protein powder to get our requirements in. So I have switched to plant based protein powders now. I had cut out dairy products several weeks ago, to work toward more plant based eating, but was trying to finish up the whey protein powder, just because it is expensive and didn't want to waste it. Well, the surprising result is (gets graphic, so those with weak stomachs)........my bowels have completely changed. While many of you are constipated, I have been struggling with light colored, loose, frothy stools, up to 8 times a day and coming with urgency that made me carry an emergency "clean up" kit. A also had a lot of malodorous gas that was socially embarrassing. Since stopping the whey, my stools are NORMAL! Normal color, normal firmness, and only 1-2 times a day. Gas is now minimal. This is wonderful! I did not realize how much the loose frequency was affecting my quality of life, especially with outdoor exercising, running errands, and work. So much better now! Sooo........ if anyone else has the stool symptoms I have experienced, try cutting out the whey and maybe all dairy for a week and see what happens.

Refried beans, thinned with broth, if needed, and cottage cheese were my go to proteins at that point. Egg drop soup was a winner, too. Chicken and meat took a few more months. And yes, you have to chew one bite and wait at least a full minute before taking another one.

You are both so kind and encouraging. Thanks. I WILL get on top of this! The best news today is that my sleep doctore does not think I need my CPAP anymore. I will have a sleep study next week to verify. Woo Hoo!!!!

That will definitely be the challenge. I went on a strenuous hike Saturday - lost of steep terrain, both up and down, 4 1/2 hours, approximately 1800 cal burned. I am starting to hike/train for a rim-to-rim in one day Grand Canyon hike (24 miles) that is 1 mile down and then 1 mile up. The training hikes alone will burn so many thousands of calories, I can't imagine eating enough, so I think for me, I will have 500 cal days, 1200 cal days, and then 2000-2500 cal days (hiking days). I hope the book will help give some tips for this. I think I will also end up on an elimination diet for a while if this EE comes back positive. (No wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, fish/shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts). Then add 1 at a time back. Only the soy, peanuts, and tree nuts will be hard, as I have already eliminated the others, for the most part. Salad, soup, seeds, grains, and veggies, with pea protein powder. Yum Yum. Do-able. I found oat milk yogurt the other day that is pretty good! Never knew it existed, and amazingly, more fiber, less carbs, and just as much protein as soy yogurt, with live cultures! Who knew?

Thanks. Just ordered it.

Just praying I don't need my GB out.

This ulcer thing really screws up my 16:8 IF. But..... there is always plan B. I can do ADF with 500 cal, spread throughout the day. At least until this ulcer heals.

I think it is to avoid any irritation that could delay healing or cause ulceration. I switched to decaf as well, but then just went to herbal teas, as the decaf tasted like dirty water after surgery. Avoid acid (even in decaf) is a good idea.

Well, I started out fasting, but had so much pain and nausea on an empty stomach that I had to eat. This has been a problem for the past couple of months. Had my endo today and turns out I have an ulcer!!!! That explains the symptoms, but sure is discouraging as I have been doing everything possible to avoid an ulcer. So PPI meds for for 3 months. Doc also wants a swallow study and ultrasound of my gall bladder. No sign of Barretts (!!!!) and no polyps (!!!!) but looks like maybe eosinophilic esophagitis (EE), as well as the ulcer. I will know when biopsy comes back. Doc said the EE could be from whey/lactose, causing an allergic reaction in the esophagus. I have noticed increasing discomfort (gas, bloating) with dairy, so I am unofficially lactose intolerant at this point, although I have been trying to finish up my whey based protein powder. I have been using soy products (milk, yogurt, tofu, tempeh) instead of dairy, but this can possibly also aggravate EE. So with no gluten, no dairy, low fat, low carb, and possibly no soy, I guess that leaves me with salad and beans. I sure am glad I am building my new life around things other than food! I also set up an appointment with a medical doctor who specializes in holistic, nutritional/lifestyle health. He promotes whole food plant based eating and exercise, both of which I am trying to incorporate into my lifestyle. After I get my 1 year labs back, and get all the bari tests done, I will see him and try to build a healthy and nutritionally sound plan that will support my exercise goals and prevent any nutritional deficiencies.

We all have slip ups. Just use it as a learning experience. Don't push the boundaries - it usually does not go well.

1) Work on addictions BEFORE surgery - get rid of the caffeine, alcohol, carbs, and sugar so you don't go through withdrawal while you are recovering. 2) Develop some mantras to get you through challenging times. "I AM NOT GOING BACK!" "I can't have this now, but I will have it again -later." "It's just not worth it." 3) Listen to your body to tell you if you need to go slower with your diet advancement. The surgeon can give you guidelines, but your body may not be ready yet for certain foods. Don't be afraid to take it real slow and easy. 4) Don't compare your progress to anyone else and think your journey has to be the same as theirs. 5) Start exercising right away - walking, walking , walking. Start building this into your new lifestyle from the start. Advance to other exercise forms as you heal. 6) ABOVE ALL - keep a positive mindset. This is hard, but it is the start of a whole new life for you. Use each challenge to reframe your thinking from a negative to a positive. The early weeks are hard, but they really will pass and you get to chose if it is a positive experience or a negative one. It sounds like you are going to do great!

Are you keeping track of your daily calories and macros? If so, this may be a good time for a visit to your nutritionist. It's very hard at your stage (2.4 years out) to make comparisons to anyone else except yourself. By this time your body has settled into pattern that perhaps needs a little tweaking. Your requirements may be very different from someone who is losing at a different rate because their surgery is more recent, their activity level is different, their basic metabolism is different, their degree of malabsorption is different, etc. Things change over time and a good analysis by a trained professional may be the best help you can get for getting through the home stretch and to the finish line.

Look through the maintenance forum posts and look at the tickers at the bottom of the posts. You will be able to see the starting and ending BMIs very easily, and you will find that there are many, many folks here who ended up with normal BMIs after surgery.

I'm in. I have an endoscopy early tuesday, so I'll do a 24 hour with you. I'll probably have a smoothie early Monday morning and then just water until the procedure on Tuesday. I don't have to fast for the EGD, but it is a good excuse! I am hoping they will not find any gastritis, esophagitis or recurrence of Barrett's (had a Barrett's polyp removed early this year.)

Just wondering why you are starting the liquid diet if you don't have a surgery date yet. Until you get a date, you can still prepare by eliminating foods you cannot/should not have after surgery, such as sugar, refined carbs, soda, caffeine, and alcohol. Cleaning up the general diet even before the official pre-op diet is very helpful so you don't go through withdrawal while dealing with the hard parts of liquid diet and recovery.

I also had bad GERD and Barrett's esophagus, so having bypass was a no brainer. I thought a lot about the sugar, but just decided that sugar was a small thing to give up in light of a healthy new life. Since being off sugar, I have had NO joint pain at all, which is amazing. Admittedly, I still have a tiny bit of sugar here and there - like 82% cacao covered almonds as a small treat. Or a tiny bit of pumpkin pie, but always with protein first to slow things down. But I don't desire the sugar any more and it really is no big deal. I am building a healthy lifestyle, and sugar just doesn't fit into that. I am also afraid of dumping, and so the bypass is indeed a deterrent to eating sugar. I am very glad I had bypass - no regrets at all. I see that others with the sleeve often seem to have a revision to bypass later down the road. I don't want to go through this again, so I'm glad it's done, once and for all.

I had thick hair before surgery, but also opted for the pixie cut. The hair loss (I think I lost about half) was not nearly as noticeable as it would have been with long hair, and now that it is starting to grow back a little, it blends in nicely.

I will also add some frozen prickly pear juice, or a small tangerine, or even some canned beets.

If you are trying to get $900 covered by the end of the year, an MRI would do it. Do you have a history of migraines or a bad knee that needs an MRI?

Do you make smoothies? This was my breakfast for a long time around 8 weeks. A yummy recipe that is full of protein and nutrients: 1 cup milk (I use soy, but your choice. Would not recommend almond milk cuz lower in protein) 1 heaping tablespoon plain Greek yogurt Several green leaves from kale or spinach (you can also use frozen spinach leaves) 1 scoop protein powder 1/4 - 1/2 c. mixed frozen berries (or fresh) 1/4 banana Some slices of fresh ginger if you like. Whir it up in blender or Ninja or Magic Bullet.

Taking a walk is great, too. Or lifting weights while you watch TV.

Be sure to obtain all the medical records, including labs, surgical report, and anesthesia record BEFORE bringing any of this up to anyone. Funny how those records can become "closed" if something is amiss. Just go to the Medical Records department, fill out the form, and they will get the paperwork for you within a couple of days, if not then and there. The anesthesia record will tell what drugs were used and how much. Both the surgical and anesthesia reports should say that a "time out" was performed before the procedure started. The time-out is the last, stop gap safety opportunity before the actual procedure starts. This is where the results of the pregnancy test should have been mentioned, if not before. Our hospital policy is that ANY female of child bearing age (12-50) has a pregnancy test unless she has had a hysterectomy. Anyone outside that age gets a test if they have had a period within a year. Do you remember being asked to pee in a cup when you went in?

That's the spirit! You will get through this.