AZhiker

It is so good to see everyone's progress. I had a major set back last week with a very bad, week long diarrhea bug. Horrible! Lost my appetite completely, got dehydrated, and have been slowly crawling out of the hole. However, once I could start to eat a little bit, it was basically the BRAT diet - banana, rice, applesauce, dry toast. No kidding - that's all I could tolerate, I tried to sip a protein shake but just couldnt do it. So I am now trying to get more protein back into the mix and cut way back on the carbs that were the only things I could digest. Really wrecked my exercise schedule, too. But day by day it's getting better. I am getting very close to goal and struggling with a few issues - any of my Feb Buds having the same? 1) very anxious about return of hunger/appetite and my ability to maintain. 2) worried that I won't be able to reach my goal at all. It still seems so surreal. I haven't been this weight in 40 years. 3) Body dysmorphia. I have so many sags and wrinkles that I feel like I look like a haggard, old woman - like my skin is 90 years old. I feel like I look freakish. I never wanted my husband to see my fat body, but now I don't want him to see my sagging flesh body. I feel bony - can see ribs, collarbones, shoulder blades, hip bones. I feel like I look like a concentration camp survivor. I know logically this is not true, but I have become very self conscious. I hardly recognize my own face. Maybe this is from so much change in such a short amount of time.

I absolutely cannot tolerate processed meat of any kind since surgery.

and don't take iron and Vit D together. The iron binds up the Vit D. I take my multi/biotin/B-12 with breakfast/lunch and then the calcium/D with dinner.

,

Fat tissue can tie up Vitamin D, rendering many people to be deficient. Have any of you found that your post op blood work was showing higher levels of Vitamin D? Did getting rid of fat help your body utilize Vit D better?

I've also learned that I can;t eat a meal at work for lunch. It just takes too long. So I am using soup or a protein shake then.

I was given a firm little pillow, made by hospital volunteers, I remember being really sore in one spot, and holding that little pillow really tight over that area helped a lot. I used it when I coughed, sat up, or repositioned. It was invaluable at home as a prop against my tummy when I slept or had to get up out of bed, out of the recliner, or off the couch. That little friend went every where with me for at least a couple of weeks. I would ask ahead of time if the hospital has such pillows, They often used them for open heart patients who need to support their chest incisions. If not, take something like that = the size of a travel pillow, but very firm.

Or if you have been eating salt and then reduced the amount. Water follows salt. It can also be from fluid that is held in your muscles to help store sugar. You can have fluid loss from this, and might be due to changes in exercise and using up the glycogen reserves. I have had large losses overnight, as well, but I think it is mostly fluid shifts. The great thing is if it actually stays off!!!

I do not eat anything with gluten or artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. Your meal trays will have jello, protein gel, flavored stuff like popsicles. I brought my own protein shakes, gluten free broth, herbal teas. Turned out the hospital did have some GF broth that was tasty, but I supplied the rest of my food.

The hardest part for me is that the painful stuck sensation doesn't hit right away. It is hard to know when to stop eating, because each bit can feel perfectly fine and then all of a sudden I know I ate about 6 bites too many. Sooooo......I am trying to eat only half of what I think I can eat, and then wait 10 minutes. Sometimes I can finish the meal, but other times i know it is enough and to leave well enough alone. So hard..... especially with a lifetime of stuffing my face and never feeling full and never stopping at a reasonable place, Definitely a re-learning process, but the pain is a great detriment.

Well, my hair loss has begun - nearly 4 months post op. I have been taking Biotin 10,000 mcg since week 2. My nails are nice and strong, so I am hoping my new hair will be strong, too. It was encouraging to hear that the hair loss is actually from the hair follicles starting to RE-grow and pushing the dead hair out. The hair most likely died in the very beginning during the near starvation stage of very low caloric intake. So I'm hoping the faster it falls out, the faster it will come in. Meantime, I am keeping with a short, summer time Pixie cut that will minimize the amount of hair in the drain,

When is your next appointment? Could be a hernia.

4 months out and I can still only eat about 1/4 c at a time. Eating too much just hurts and is so uncomfortable - sometimes for hours. There are two issues that bother me most - I still have to rely heavily on protein shakes/powder because I can't possibly eat all the protein I need. I thought I would be able to eat more than 2 ounces of protein at a time by now. The second issue is that I have found myself eating small amounts more frequently through the day. This basically amounts to grazing - a pre-op habit that got me into trouble. My doctor says 3 meals a day and no snacks. That makes it hard to get enough in. But..... snacking is not a good option for long term control. Thanks for sharing - those of you who are farther out post-op. I need to be more patient and focus on protein and fluids, and vitamins - then my beloved veggies!

Since working out with weights 3 times a week, my arm muscles actually look pretty good! But........ batwings are hanging underneath! I am going to wait a year after goal and then see how my self image is. If I am still too embarrassed to wear sleeveless tanks (this IS Arizona, afterall), I may consider plastics at that time. But I want to give my psyche a chance to come to grips with the situation. Who knows? A year post goal and I may just say, "To heck with it - these are MY arms and I earned 'em. No one else's opinion matters."

Elemental iron (like from veggies and most vitamins) is poorly absorbed and even less so for bariatric patients. Heme iron is very well absorbed and the best sources are from animal meat. The animals have already eaten the elemental iron and have processed it into the stuff that transports oxygen in the tissues. When we eat that form, we can really benefit, Best source - sorry, but it's liver. Calf liver is pretty mild, very soft and easy to swallow. I get very thinly sliced, individually sealed calf liver at Sprouts. Very quick to cook and actually quite tasty with some onions and mushrooms.

YES!!! At nearly 4 months out, I am finally feeling like my mouth is less dry, but I still need my water bottle with me all the time to take frequent sips. During the first 2 months post op I could not believe how dry my mouth was. Even with sips every few minutes it still felt dry.

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.