AZhiker

It's OK. Are you getting enough salt? Just be sure not to get up too quickly and end up light headed and falling.

You have been through a LOT! Physically and emotionally. Your body needs time to heal from all this trauma, so please try to not be so hard on yourself. You feel crappy. That's OK. Now just get better and heal. Your emotions will heal as your body heals. Find some fun stuff - puzzles, NetFlix binge, a good book, and hunker down and just baby yourself for a while. (But don't forget to walk!!!! You don't need a blood clot on top of all this.) You should be getting some nice weather about now so hopefully you can get out a bit and enjoy the fresh air. Hang in there!!!!

What exactly did you do? Your experience may help others.

Well, the oatmeal was way too heavy for my stomach. (Sure tasted yummy - first bowl of oatmeal since surgery!!!) The protein smoothie will do just fine before the swim. I found some high protein, medium carb bars at the store. Gonna try pieces of them on my walk later.

I use Bob's Red Mill steel cut GF oats - for the same reason - slower release of carbs. Thanks for the reminder.

I love the concept and appreciate your many levels of expertise. My puzzle is that I am trying to figure out the right nutrition for endurance events - triathlon, distance biking, back packing (planning to do the Grand Canyon next year as part of the 830 mile Arizona Trail.) I had RNY 7 months ago and am goal weight. I still cannot eat much at any given time and struggle to get in enough calories to maintain training. I love Intermittant Fasting (16:), but I have given that up in order to spread more caloric intake throughout the day. I specifically would like to know what works well right before an event and during an event, or between stages (such as Triathlon). It needs to be easily digestable, but not so high in carbs that I end up dumping. Tomorrow I am doing a bike ride and then a swim. I am going to try a bowl of oatmeal and a protein smoothie about an hour before the ride, and then have a protein shake before the swim. Any other suggestions would be very welcome. PS: I am also an RN and very much into healthy, lifestyle nutrition.

It's pretty normal to have mood swings during the weight loss journey. Hormones change, body image changes, and relationships change. And it's quite a dilemma when we find our "go-to" coping mechanism taken away, especially during times of stress. So we have to find other, healthy ways to cope and deal with our emotions. Exercise is great! Maybe not so fun to start out, but by setting small goals, you can regain a sense of control and empowerment. Exercise releases good mood hormones and really does help relieve physical and emotional stress. It relieves depression, improves all your bio-markers like cholesterol, HDL, LDL, glucose levels. It raises metabolism and builds lean muscle mass. If you haven't started on an exercise routine, I would highly recommend starting one now. Just start by walking and doing 20 wall pushups 3 times a day. Track your activity and gradually increase the level and add new routines. It can make a real difference. Get a step tracker - it is highly motivating. Now, for the magic......... if you get yourself into a routine that is enjoyable - maybe just walking 20 minutes a day, you will find that the pleasure chemicals in the brain will start to over ride the desire for food to deal with stress and negative emotions. It really does happen. It then becomes a wonderful way to cope with whatever comes your way. JMHO. Hang in there. This, too, shall pass. You are not alone.

Wait patiently and work on lifestyle modifications. Try getting some walking in, start eliminating things from your diet that you won't be able to have after surgery. I found that this was very helpful. Recovery is hard enough without going through withdrawal from cravings. Give up the sugar, simple starches, caffeine, soda, alcohol. If dieting worked for you, you would have already lost the weight and kept it off by now. Like many of us, you have probably lost and regained many times. All that does is wreck your metabolism and short circuit the stomach-brain transmissions, making permanent weight loss nigh unto impossible. The time will past quickly, with holidays right around the corner, and starting a new job. Hang in there!

My multi has iron and I take that with my first meal, along with B12. I wait at least 4 hours to take calcium and D3. It's best to take calcium in 500 mg increments, several hours apart, but I have been using 1000 mg since the beginning and my blood levels are fine. I take it with a bit of dairy (usually yogurt) with D3 in the evening, as I have read that the parathyroids work better at night to absorb calcium. Works for me. Be sure you are using calcium CITRATE, not carbonate.

You will be fine! Congrats! Hang in there. The light is shining through the tunnel!

Well, I did it. Wasn't pretty and I am sure not going to break any speed records, but I did the 400 m swim, 14 mile bike ride, and 5K walk, all back to back. I am tired and hungry, but I don't hurt or feel sore any where. I don't think I have the caloric intake right yet, so still experimenting with that. My tum was starting to resist the swallows of water - not actually cramping, but not real happy, It could be that my energy balls have too much fat and are sticking around too long in my stomach. I will try something a with little more carb and less fat, using only as I am exercising, so it should go right into muscles. It took me about 2 hours 20 minutes total, using the machines. I really need to work more on my swimming and biking. Swimming is hard, if you haven't done it for a while. It expends soooo much energy. And I have to build up some calluses on my bottom!

I got a guest pass to LA Fitness and am going to attempt to swim/bike/run(walk) all back-to-back to see if I really can do this Triathlon thing in 2 weeks. I've eaten a good breakfast and going to drink a protein/berry smoothie about an hour before I swim. Then a protein shake before the bike. Then a banana and my homemade power ball bites during the walk. (Of course lots of water all through.) Let's see if I can make it in any kind of reasonable time frame.

Like everything else in life, we need to be able to separate what we WANT and what we NEED. It's hard with food, because we've relied on it for emotional support instead of just physical sustenance. The WANT is driven from the desire (physical, even) for endorphins and norepinephrine and dopamine release from the brain. It is the same as what happens for drug addiction, including sugar addiction. The pleasure centers of the brain get tickled when we endulge in the addictive substance and creates a desire for more. It just feels so darn good to eat! (All for about 5 minutes!) The real key is to retrain the brain to feel pleasure with healthy options like exercise, gardening, music, meditation, or eating a beautiful, delicious vegetable. It can be done, but just takes repetition. This is what the "Honeymoon" stage of weight loss surgery is all about - using this time to learn new strategies and retrain the brain. The time comes for all of us that we get more hungry, but without the feeling of restriction. This is where folks start to regain.

Don't forget lactose free milk and just taking lactase tabs.

I, too, have found fasting to be really empowering. You learn that true hunger really only lasts a short time and then passes. Learning this takes away the urgent need for immediate gratification - like really! Our bodies are actually going to shrivel up and die in 30 minutes if we don't eat??? I've found that it gives me a much better awareness of true hunger vs head hunger. I think it's great to have these extra tools in the toolbox.

I'd be happy to support you, although I had bypass. I live on NW area of Tucson.

Your system is not entirely healed yet. Things are still changing and adjusting. You are also eating more now, probably drinking more water, maybe exercising a bit more. Your food has also changed. All of these factors impact BM frequency and quality.

Be careful with that chicken!!!! Of all the impacted food we dig out in my GI department, chicken is the worst culprit. CHEW, CHEW, CHEW!!!!!!!! Glad it resolved for you. Otherwise, it is general anesthesia and an endotracheal tube to guard your airway while the doc goes fishing for the food.

Mind you, some of my suggestions (almonds, raisins, frozen grapes, GF chips, peanuts, popcorn, pistachios) are NOT for the active weight loss stage. I started added these only as I approached goal weight. During weight loss stages, I relied on berries and small amounts of fruit integrated into a meal for sweets.

I took reflux meds for 6 months post op. I just stopped them a couple of weeks ago. I actually stopped the full 40 mg dose at 6 months and continued with 20 mg for another month. Now stopped altogether and things seem to be OK. I will be scoped again in a few months to check out my Barretts and make sure no more polyps.

Pistchios (sp?) in the shell (come in 100 cal snack packs). (Shelling slows down the time.) Salted, roasted peanuts in the shell. (Takes a little time to shell)

It's kind of scary to start increasing calories! Or giving oneself permission to eat carbs. My whole plan was to gradually start adding some cooked whole grains or starchy veg (like sweet potato) to meals - just a little bit, and at the end of the meal. Protein first, then veggies, then carbs. That's what I am doing, but eating a lot more than I ever had originally planned - simply because of the increased exercise and caloric need. I still can't believe that my weight is staying stable every morning when I get on the scale. I think that I have increased my metabolic rate with exercise and more muscle mass (I've been lifting weights and doing lots of stairs and leg exercises for a while now). It feels like someone else's body and I don't quite have a grip on how to deal with it, but it's a day by day journey for each of us, right? Anyway, if you start adding healthy carbs, just do it at the end of the meal.

Sweet: 1) a dozen almonds with about a dozen raisins (big plump, homemade ones - really yummy). 2) frozen grapes 3) 1/2 milk with a couple TB Greek yogurt and a scoop of chocolate protein powder. Salty: 1) rice cake with peanut butter or cheese 2) a few gluten free, whole grain chips with hummus 3) once in a great while (once a month) - some popcorn 4) cooked veggies (esp. squash or broccoli) with nutritional yeast sprinkled on (salty and cheesy tasting) 5) cottage cheese + salsa + beans + a little shredded cheese with a few GF chips or veggie sticks.

Thanks so much.

Before my surgery, I studied the insurance coverage for bariatric procedures, and downloaded all the forms so I could study them so more. I have BCBS TN and revision is absolutely covered, Just be sure to look at everything real carefully so both you and your surgeon know what the requirements are.