AZhiker

GERD is serious. It can lead to cancerous changes in the tissues. I chose bypass because of my GERD and have not regretted it a bit. There might be a little malabsorption going on, mostly fat, but I don't think it is much. Most malabsorption starts resolving on its own as the jejunum takes on a more absorptive role. Another reason I chose bypass was BECAUSE of dumping. I wanted to have as strong of a deterrent possible to sweets. However, almost 2 years out and I have never dumped, even with sweets. From what I've read, the majority of bypass patients do NOT dump. IMHO, if you have GERD, go with bypass. I actually had Barretts esophagus from the GERD, along with a nice little, precancerous Barrett's polyp which was removed pre-op. Since surgery, the Barretts has completely resolved, which I think is pretty amazing. I'd take the risk of dumping anyday over the increased risk of cancer from unresolved GERD. I would not want to undergo a second surgery, either.

It might be worth a scope to check that you don't have an ulcer.

Not eating anything actually can slow down your progress. I would also find a way to get in water, broth, sugar free Jello, crystal lite, the cirkul bottle, there are so many options out there, if you are not getting in the water or your Protein you are not helping your body lose the weight.
Can you sit down with your dietitian and go over some other diet options? I am sure its extremely frustrating and painful but maybe they can help you come up with some options for you that sound appealing ???

Yesterday, my boss (a man) came up to me and told me that I looked amazing and "whatever you're doing, keep it up!" I did tell him I was having weight loss surgery, so I think he knows what I'm doing, but it was great to hear!

I have a new one. Was told I had lovely arms yesterday. No, I didn’t then wave my arms in the air to show my bat wings. Lol! I kept my arms securely against my body & graciously thanked him. What the eyes can’t see .... 😂

GERD is serious. It can lead to cancerous changes in the tissues. I chose bypass because of my GERD and have not regretted it a bit. There might be a little malabsorption going on, mostly fat, but I don't think it is much. Most malabsorption starts resolving on its own as the jejunum takes on a more absorptive role. Another reason I chose bypass was BECAUSE of dumping. I wanted to have as strong of a deterrent possible to sweets. However, almost 2 years out and I have never dumped, even with sweets. From what I've read, the majority of bypass patients do NOT dump. IMHO, if you have GERD, go with bypass. I actually had Barretts esophagus from the GERD, along with a nice little, precancerous Barrett's polyp which was removed pre-op. Since surgery, the Barretts has completely resolved, which I think is pretty amazing. I'd take the risk of dumping anyday over the increased risk of cancer from unresolved GERD. I would not want to undergo a second surgery, either.

Maybe try some different kinds of tasty Soup? I found that pea based Protein Powder was pretty good when added to savory dishes like soup.

So nervous, just on my way to the hospital now. I can’t believe I will be going in alone. I’m sure everything is going to be fine, I’m feeling so nervous, but this is going to be so worth it! I’ll update you all as soon as I can!

Intermittent Fasting really helped me shed the last 15 pounds. IF is a powerful tool. There are lots of threads here on IF, so do some searching if you are interested. Personally, I skip Breakfast and start my eating window around noon. I stop by 8 pm at the latest. I also try to exercise during my fasting time, as it just revs up the fat burning. You've already used the stored glycogen in the liver and muscles, so the body starts into the fat stores.

My scars blend right in with my stretch marks! LOL!!!

They do fade to a white color over time. I can't even find mine now. Give it time.

They do fade to a white color over time. I can't even find mine now. Give it time.

I USED to be 64 years old, Now I am 64 years YOUNG!!!

That is great advice and I will definitely stay on top of things. I am very lucky because my hospital is very good about keeping my updated and they took care of everything form the beginning to now, I have no issues. Doesn’t mean I’ll get lazy and expect them to do everything, I am very assertive already so they definitely don’t want me to become a pain in the a$!. Lol

I USED to be 64 years old, Now I am 64 years YOUNG!!!

I think alot of people have had some covid weight gain. Both wls people and non-wls people. Reduction of activity, boredom, stress, proximity to the fridge/pantry all day long, etc., etc.
I had a small gain of 6 lbs that I acknowledged mid-summer. As of this week I finally said good bye to those stinkin’ pounds.
There really wasn’t a secret strategy to the loss: I cut calories and increased exercise a smidge. Took me 4.5 months (which is a stark reminder that weight loss is not as fast/easy as it once was, as the ease of not eating has decreased by a lot). I’m sure I could have probably done this faster by cutting more calories, but honestly, I just didn’t want to. I accepted the slower loss in exchange for extra cals.
Its actually a good thing that you “caught” the gain and are making (it seems) an effort to address it now rather than later if/when the gain is much, much more.
Remind yourself the eventual outcome if you continue on this path (an old Before Picture, perhaps?).
Rid your place of the foods that are contributing to the gain, and replace with more appropriate foods if u are able.
When the urge to eat when u are not truly hungry comes around, do something else: drink Water, do some yoga, wash the dishes. If f u still want to eat 45 mins later, portion out a small-ish amount (like 1/3 cup or something) and commit to only eating that until another 45 mins has passed. Rinse and repeat.
You know what to do. Its up to you to find it in yourself to do it.

When I went to the bike store to look at bicycles, the store guy wanted me to sit on the bike to check for frame size. I was a little hesitant to get up on the bike with him holding it. He said, "Don't worry. I can hold you, you're so tiny. I've held up much bigger people than you!" Woo Hoo! Made my day. Several times at work patients have said things like, "Are you sure you can push this bed, you're so tiny." Who? ME? Wow. How did I ever push the beds AND 100+ extra pounds???!!!
And the really sad thing is that I am NOT that tiny. I'm 5'6" and at goal weight. That is actually an average weight, but I think it shows how heavy our whole society has become, that average now looks tiny.

When I went to the bike store to look at bicycles, the store guy wanted me to sit on the bike to check for frame size. I was a little hesitant to get up on the bike with him holding it. He said, "Don't worry. I can hold you, you're so tiny. I've held up much bigger people than you!" Woo Hoo! Made my day. Several times at work patients have said things like, "Are you sure you can push this bed, you're so tiny." Who? ME? Wow. How did I ever push the beds AND 100+ extra pounds???!!!
And the really sad thing is that I am NOT that tiny. I'm 5'6" and at goal weight. That is actually an average weight, but I think it shows how heavy our whole society has become, that average now looks tiny.

When I went to the bike store to look at bicycles, the store guy wanted me to sit on the bike to check for frame size. I was a little hesitant to get up on the bike with him holding it. He said, "Don't worry. I can hold you, you're so tiny. I've held up much bigger people than you!" Woo Hoo! Made my day. Several times at work patients have said things like, "Are you sure you can push this bed, you're so tiny." Who? ME? Wow. How did I ever push the beds AND 100+ extra pounds???!!!
And the really sad thing is that I am NOT that tiny. I'm 5'6" and at goal weight. That is actually an average weight, but I think it shows how heavy our whole society has become, that average now looks tiny.

When I went to the bike store to look at bicycles, the store guy wanted me to sit on the bike to check for frame size. I was a little hesitant to get up on the bike with him holding it. He said, "Don't worry. I can hold you, you're so tiny. I've held up much bigger people than you!" Woo Hoo! Made my day. Several times at work patients have said things like, "Are you sure you can push this bed, you're so tiny." Who? ME? Wow. How did I ever push the beds AND 100+ extra pounds???!!!
And the really sad thing is that I am NOT that tiny. I'm 5'6" and at goal weight. That is actually an average weight, but I think it shows how heavy our whole society has become, that average now looks tiny.

When I went to the bike store to look at bicycles, the store guy wanted me to sit on the bike to check for frame size. I was a little hesitant to get up on the bike with him holding it. He said, "Don't worry. I can hold you, you're so tiny. I've held up much bigger people than you!" Woo Hoo! Made my day. Several times at work patients have said things like, "Are you sure you can push this bed, you're so tiny." Who? ME? Wow. How did I ever push the beds AND 100+ extra pounds???!!!
And the really sad thing is that I am NOT that tiny. I'm 5'6" and at goal weight. That is actually an average weight, but I think it shows how heavy our whole society has become, that average now looks tiny.

Some of my victories:
1. Being able to wear a normal sized hospital gown when I have to have tests done or go to the ER. I used to be soooo embarrassed when I had to ask for the plus sized gown and they had to tell me they had to track some down because they didn't have many.
2. Being able to have my blood pressure taken on my upper arm again.
3. Being able to sit in a booth again when I go to a restaurant.
4. Being able fit in the back seat of the car (the seat belts wouldn't fit me in the back seat, but they do now)
5. Being able to buy clothes off the rack in a normal non-plus sized specific store.
6. Being able to fit in women's regular sizes (not plus sized anymore!)
7. Getting under 300 pounds, which I hadn't been in 15 years, made me CRY! I'm so close to being under 200 (which it's been 20 years) that I know when I hit Onderland I'm going to cry like a baby.
8. Knowing I'm not being stared at and judged for being so big. I'm in a large now and the two most common sizes where I live are large and 2xl (I work in a department store and have for 13 years, that's why I know this). I used to get stared at and had little kids loudly commenting about my weight to their parents.
9. I like that I no longer have to worry that if I plop on the couch I'm going to break it (I broke two couches, it was a valid concern and super embarrassing)
10. I love that I can move around more and not be so out of breath and I don't sweat up a storm like I used to when I would walk for more than 5 minutes.

So yes, there are a lot of wonderful things that happen when you lose that weight and so much to look forward to! Congrats on your upcoming surgery! I wish you the best!

I was recently at a neighborhood gathering and posted a picture on social media. People commented "You look wonderful", "Absolutely gorgeous", "You look so tiny"...….
I was 5 weeks post op that day and had lost about 20 lbs. The comments were so inspiring.
Sometimes its those unexpected "wins" that give me the the greatest motivation!

I love when I get compliments from people that don't know the "presurgery" me. The other day a guy was hitting on me at the carwash. The conversation eventually got around to age. He guessed my age but was off by 24 yrs! I asked him how he came up with that age since I was wearing sunglasses and a mask. He said, "Well, you are so tiny and you look like you take care of yourself. You have great abs and no body fat." I said, "Maybe I just have a really good plastic surgeon!" He said, "No, you don't look like the plastic surgery type." I thought to myself, well I guess I won't tell you I just had a lower body lift and brachioplasty in August. And no, I didn't give him my number.

A co-worker of mine who hadn't seen me since a few months before my surgery (she was on LOA and came back when I was on LOA lol) kept staring at me when I went into work to pick something up and she looked so confused lol. I went up to her and said hello and it was nice to see her again and she was like "OMG! I thought maybe you had another sister and I just hadn't known and I didn't know what to say if I was wrong" I laughed and said that no I just had the one sister I just had lost about 150 pounds (at that time) and she told me that she'd heard I'd had weight loss surgery but she'd only been back 2 months at that time (after being on LOA for 10.5 months) and she thought maybe I'd just recently had it (this was in August) and then she proceeded to tell me how thin I looked (I was in an xl in shirts and 18 in pants at the time, I'm in 14's right now and large tops) and that was the biggest compliment to me. I mean, a lot of people tell me I look good, but being told I look thin in any way shape or form just made my day (I used to wear 6xl tops and 32 pants, to put things into perspective). She gathered a few of my other co-workers that I hadn't seen in ages and they were all gushing about my weight loss and I felt great! I have a bit of body dysmorphia and still often times see the big girl I used to be when I look in the mirror so the compliments make me realize that what I see isn't necessarily what IS.