momof3_angels

Wow.... offended much? And what exactly makes YOU an expert? LMAO The whole point of my post was to encourage the original poster to seek guidance from her HEALTH team. THEY are the experts And in my reply to you I said your doc SEEMS to be more of the exception than the rule. And exactly what AUTHORITATIVE comments did I make? I didn't tell anyone to do anything... but I did say in my posts (there were 3 of them... that the OP should consult their medical team. LMAO "Yeah, I keep hearing this. From people who were so good at consuming calories they had to have weight loss surgery " I especially love this sentence... I mean... Pot Calling the Kettle Black???? LMAO BTW.... my weight gain was caused by prolonged severe sleep apnea which caused a log of health issues... I took care of the sleep apnea and had weight loss surgery so I could regain my heart health. but go on making assumptions about people you have never met before!

Wrapping up day 7 as far as meals are concerned. Still going well. Enjoying the soft foods I am eating. Even picked up a yummy quiche from Costco. It was SO GOOD! It is funny because a lot of people think the "Pouch Reset" is a starvation diet... but I never felt it was.First day of clear liquids I felt a little hungry, but drank broth or other fluids and it helped. Was less of an issue with day two... and remember... "I" chose to do a day two of clears because I had actually eaten a very small breakfast before starting clears. Days 3-4 were full liquids. My nutritionist allows greek yogurt on a full liquid diet and between that and protein shakes I felt very satisfied. Now... sticking to a full course of purees would have sucked, just because they are gross... but even then I am always able to find something to satisfy me. Anyhow... I don't see a few days of puree as a huge deal... it is nowhere near as bad as you experience post op. And soft foods? OMG.... you can make some really great meals with soft foods. It has been good to remind myself of that. A lot of people believe this diet regimen to be "hocus pocus" and while I am sure it doesn't work for everyone, it did what I needed it to do. And I didn't just go out and look it up on the internet... I had an actual plan outlined for me by my nutritionist. Anyhow... I will likely stick to soft foods for the next week just as recommended by this plan. I am not nutrient deprived. I am not starving. And I feel great. And I am feeling the sensations and signals that I had lost over the last couple months. Oh... and this was NEVER about punishing myself for bad behavior. I own that. I did the best I could with the resources I had at the time. And now that the crises is averted... I am getting back on track of my own free will. Anyway.... my follow up self accountability replies will be less frequent now. No sense in beating a dead horse lol.

This is one we can all agree with! Honestly... I am a nurse... I ALWAYS have to first remind people to work with their medical team. But I also like to caution people that not advise is created equal Anyhow... none of us would be here if we didn't also want to do our own research. Your doctors/nutritionists should be the first person you go to for guidance after surgery... they are experts in their field.... but nothing wrong with seeing what others are doing!

Sorry you are in so much pain! But just following up to point out (to O.P.) that YES, this is definitely a different experience for everyone. While yes.. it was painful to wipe and such and to pull on pants... I was still able to do it on my own. And to add... get comfy stretchy pajama bottoms post op! Something that will be easy to pull up and have resting across your abdomen! I think I just stuck with slip-ons for shoes and skipped the socks lol

Everyone is going to be different with this one... but one important step to take is to make sure you get up and walk in the hospital with assistance before you even go home to get you started. My husband stayed and was able to walk with me. Did he have to hold me up? No... but he did need to help me stay steady. At home set up your room with something nearby your bed that you can use to help yourself stabilize before you start walking if you can. It is really the initial getting up and gaining stability that is the most problematic. I purchased a bedside table before surgery to go with my adjustable bed. I used the bed to sit up and I used the table to steady myself (just make sure the table is steady and won't move from under you. Don't have an adjustable bed (like most people)? It is often easiest to roll on your side and lower your feet to the floor as you push yourself up. In leiu of a table maybe move your bed closer to a wall before surgery. I had no problem getting say from my bedroom to the bathroom. On the stairs I held onto the rails. And when I went to the grocery store I grabbed a shopping cart in the parking lot to help me remain steady. All this passes pretty quickly... from a few hours to a few days where you need some sort of assistance. And at 7 months pregnant... go out of your way to find other forms of support... she shouldn't be physically strained to help you.

I would suggest scheduling an appointment with a bariatric nutritionist to create a plan for you based on your specific circumstances. You probably need to get back to the basics. Start measuring and recording your food again. See what you are doing well on, see what you are not doing so well on. Eat on a schedule. Get back to 6 small meals a day... 3 meals and 3 small snacks. But MEASURE AND COUNT! For me, I went all the way back to the beginning and am currently retraining myself to eat the way my nutritionist taught me to eat. It I am on day 7 of getting back on track and doing well. I have almost all of my pre and post op notes available to me. Anyhow... YOU CAN DO IT! Just know, you aren't alone in the struggle... And so glad you got some good news!

Day 7. Weight seems to be stabile after a couple days with soft foods meals. 127.6 today and that is after drinking fluids this morning... I usually weigh before I drink anything at all. I am still doing protein shakes for breakfast (which was my "full liquids" yesterday) and will probably still do a combination of different consistency of snacks - pureed texture (like sugar free pudding) and soft food texture. Lunch and dinner are soft diet. Yesterday I did some meal prepping for a 2 month backpacking trip I will be taking this summer. Both meals are in the "soft" diet. Shredded chicken is the meat source.... so I used those for lunch and dinner yesterday and will again today. Today my dehydrator arrives so I need to finish the rest of the meals. The meal I was eating yesterday was a mexican style chicken and black beans and corn. The other Chicken I made was BBQ so I will be turning a lot of it into BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese for my two kids... but need to decide what I want to mix with mine. Probably beans... I am thinking that since I will be backpacking I might use bushes baked beans... I will actually need the extra sugar for a backpacking trip. Maybe I will make half with bushes baked bean and half with some non flavored beans? I don't know. But it will be important to have healthy food on trail. And I would rather put the extra sugar carbs on beans than find myself resorting to candy on trail. BTW... when I say I am backpacking for 2 months... I am doing either the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail... these will be hard hikes with 10-20 mile days on mountainous terrain. So yes... I will need the extra sugar. Just making sure it is going to be in a form that doesn't derail my diet after the hike. Anyhow... doing well and continue to feel the restriction and those "getting full" signals. Will continue to eat more thoughtfully this week.

YES! Mine hurt for several weeks... mostly the one where the stomach was pulled though. I think that one hurt for about a month. Not constant pain, but definitely at times like changing positions. The other incisions were small and didn't hurt for long at all.

Not that much bruising. Has your medical team seen it? And more importantly.... is it getting worse or has it stabilized? Pay attention to it and monitor it for signs the bruising is expanding or otherwise getting worse and have your nurse/doc take another look.

Your doctor sounds like the exception and not the rule based on conversations I have had with many others. In the first couple months post-op, most don't even give a calorie goal simply because your body need time to heal and getting 1200 calories in a day in the first couple months is hard and not necessarily good for a stomach that has just been sutured together. Docs don't want you to push your body to eat 1200 calories when your stomach can only tolerate 600-900 calories. That said... the longer goal is usually around 1200 calories a day. 1200 calories a day was a pre-op and an eventual goal for many months out post op recommendation for me and those I know who have had bariatric surgery. But for most people, it seems to be a slow build to get to that 1200 calories a day goal. And that is OK post op. You aren't rushing the weight loss, you are allowing your body to heal while it just so happens that you are losing weight. And as long as you are getting your protein and water in, that is all that really matters in the first few months. My nutritionist never even batted an eye when I said all I was getting in was 800 calories a day, because she expected that. She DID worry about when I said I wasn't getting my protein and water in. Anyhow... this is exactly an example of why any post op patient should be seeking guidance first and foremost from their own surgical team. And not from others who's medical plans are individualized. BTW... I had bariatric surgery and I NEVER ate 2800 or more calories a day Maybe in a rare occasion... but not often.

I am guessing everyone is different on this one. I lost that feeling over the last few months and I wanted to get it back myself... but I know there are degrees of restriction feeling I like and degrees of restriction feeling I hate... trying to find that sweet spot right now. Have you been measuring your food? Does it help if you cut back your portion sizes just a little bit for all meals and snacks? I know that has help me in the past. Have you considered seeking professional help to have someone you can talk to to help you through all of this, and deal with the things that are draining you? Might help... dunno. But it seems like you are equally or perhaps moreso worried about your mental health. And with the last year we had, a lot of people are struggling.

Get in the habit of keeping your water bottle at hand ALL the time. You really do need to sip sip sip! I am a 18 months out and I still have days I struggle if I leave by bottle anywhere for any period of time. If you move around a lot you might want to get a shoulder sling water bottle holder or something similar. If anyone gives you a hard time in your work environment.... get a doctors not stating you have to have continuous access to fluids. Medicine cup is useful during the first week... but I ditched it after that. I do recommend a water bottle with measurement markings on it so you can pay attention to your progress. Other tips: Use ice chips, sugar free popsicles, zero calorie drinks like vitamin water zero or propel or whatever your team recommends (they taste better cold). You can make sugar free slushies too if that works for you. Or warm tea, broth, or even warm water if that works better for you.

And yes... I too was told 60 grams of protein and 64 ounces of water. The 800 calorie goal was a couple months post op... although I can't remember exactly how long... Maybe 3-4 months post op?

Really the only person who should be encouraging you to up your calories at 5 weeks post-op is your doctor or nutritionist. You are losing weight at a good pace. You are getting your protein in. And hopefully you are also getting in your daily water requirement. In the first couple months that is all you should be worrying about. I wouldn't up your calories yet unless you are instructed to do so by your team. Your incisions are still healing. What you are referring to is people giving guidance to folks who have stalled for long periods of time. You aren't there yet. And when you do stall (YOU WILL... ) you should stay your course for a while and wait it out. Everyone has a couple of "long" stalls. It is absolutely normal. And if you hit one and you feel it is going to long... talk to your team first and foremost. Now... down the road you may need to up calories at different times in this process, but don't do it too fast. Let our pouch do it's thing!

Day 6. Diet is a mix of full liquid/puree with some soft food today. Nothing much to report really. Doing well with eating at regular intervals. Not grazing in between meals/snacks. Sticking to small portions. Pre-measuring food so I have the right portions on my plate and nothing more. Protein first. I have been stickling to one cup of food max per meal/snack today. Feeling full for a couple hours after. Still getting my hiccup... although today because I measured better than yesterday. I am getting the hiccup AFTER the last bite. Meal prepping some shredded chicken today so I can make various meals with them. Anyhow... good day.

For those who have been sleeved and are in maintenance phase... has your nutritionist told you what your goal macro percentages should be for Protein, Fats, and Carbs? Would you mind sharing what you are doing there? I got detoured for a bit and need to dig up my notes as I work to get back on track But I am also curious to compare what others are doing.

Day 5 1/2 now... 2 clear liquid days done... 2 full liquid days done... and just finishing up my first "pureed" day that I decided to mix up a little since I can lol. Started the day with a protein shake. Sugar free pudding for an AM snack. Then took my kids to cracker barrel which is when I had to decide... stick to puree? Or just move on to soft diet foods. Well... I found a meal that was the best of both worlds. Mashed potatoes (pureed), Cooked baby carrots (cooked so tender that when they get to your mouth they mush very fast lol... so I can almost count them as pureed), and the meatloaf (soft diet). (And of course skipping Corn Bread/Biscuit) I ordered the lunch portion. Plate arrived and I immediately requested a togo box. Put over 3/4ths of each item plus the Corn Bread/Biscuit in the box (hubby gets those). For my afternoon snack I had a greek yogurt. And for dinner... I had another small portion of my meal from lunch. How did it go???? Apparently just 5 1/2 days of the "Pouch Reset" - or what I view more as a "resting my pouch" diet WORKS FOR ME! I got my "getting full" hiccups after 8 ounces over 20 minutes of protein shake. Got all of the pudding in. For lunch, I got my "getting full" hiccups as I was taking my last bite or two of my tiny meal. And then afterwards I felt full for a couple hours. Got my "getting full" hiccups after eating about 75% of my yogurt. Then I got them again after my tiny dinner. Plus the need to burp a couple times lol So what have I learned? At least for me... this pouch reset DID WORK! And I didn't even need to "finish" the pouch reset diet to feel the benefits. I am getting the benefits NOW. On day 5! Did it actually "shrink" my pouch? Who knows... but it certainly feels like it did in the months after surgery. AND... I am already well on track to eating my normal scheduled diet of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks every 2-3 hours (got the 3rd snack in the last several days but will probably skip tonight since it is getting late and I am still full. Obviously I have to work to keep this up... but I am doing great so far. And my portions are DEFINITELY much smaller. Probably to wear they were about 5 months post op... though I can't be sure. I just know they haven't been THIS SMALL in quite a while. And I am NOT hungry in between meals. And with the two tiny puree/soft diet meals... I got my warning hiccups followed by my signals that I really should stop eating right away. And with the second actual meal I ate probably 2 extra bites and not only did the hiccups last a little longer, I got that need to burp. Yep... when I get 1 hiccup... it is time to stop. Now I have to figure out how to stop before that first hiccup. And if I had gone to cracker barrel just before starting this... I probably would have eaten nearly half right away and then continue to graze for a while until it was gone. And today... I not only didn't do it... but my body wasn't going to let me do it. Did my belly shrink? I dunno. I will never really have that answer since there haven't been any before/after scans lol. But did I get my "getting full" signals back? Heck yeah! And I was VERY satisfied with the tiny portions on my plate. I think over the next few days I will continue the mix of full liquid/puree/soft diet similar to what I did today. But will gradually transition away from the liquids - then purees and then stick with the soft diet. Anyhow... I knew before I posted this tread that there are a TON of people on this board who think this is a hocus pocus scam crash diet.... but I think I am a believer. Should everyone do it? Absolutely not. I knew I had my nutritionist's blessing and I followed stage plans she previously outlined for me. And I monitored my health and I advanced when I knew I needed to in order to prevent too much weight loss which would simply cause me to rebound. I also feel I went into it with realistic expectations. It was something I wanted to try to reteach myself the steps I took before to get to the lifestyle maintenance diet I had in the past. And to hopefully start recognizing those full signals again. THAT was my goal. And losing my little bit of gained wait was a nice side effect. Will it work for everyone? Maybe, maybe not! I think one key is if you are going to do this you must 1) consult your nutritionist at some point before doing it and 2) it should be done before you are fully back into very bad habits and before you have gained a significant amount of weight. I think it worked for me because I am doing it before I totally lose control. I may have not have been eating right... but I knew I was still able to regain control if I simply did what I needed to do. While it wasn't so hard for me to regain control. And I also haven't forgotten what I am supposed to be doing (well... except I forgot my macro guidelines... that post is in another thread lol)... but I know how to eat a healthy maintenance diet and I did well before and I knew I could do well again. Going forward will be interesting.... to see how my body continues to respond. But I am glad to be able to recognize my stomach signals again! And that they are the same signals as before lol

@Arabesque Yes, tracking is critical, especially during transitional points or at times when you are "losing your way". I wish I had been able to resume tracking a couple months ago, but I just had way too much on my plate. I did what I could with the resources and energy I had at the time and at the end of the day, I know I honestly couldn't do even one more thing... even so simple as logging food. And it truly took me a couple months to recoup and get the rest of my life back on track. And overall I really didn't do so bad... but I do know that if I stayed on that trajectory there may be no coming back. Anyhow... I am proud of how my pre-op and first year post-op went. There was a learning curve for sure, but I feel I did very well and stayed on track. And I am even proud of how I managed to get through a public health crisis that put me on the frontline of fighting COVID within my work population of nearly 1000 people at 10 locations (what a nightmare the fall was!)... and that while my diet plan did get derailed.... I didn't allow it to get derailed to the point of no return. So here I am... ready to get back on track and more than willing to put in the work. And yes... I will be tweaking my macros and my carbs until I find my new sweet spot. Once I find it, can't promise I will always track... but I am always willing to go back when I need to.

School district nurse here. Some people return after a week. Others two. Some like me take longer which is what I recommend. After surgery you will be tired, and that doesn’t magically go away because you go back to work. This is major surgery. If you can take more time, do it! I took 8 weeks, but 6 would have been great. 8was overkill.

I never lost any hair. I did switch to a shampoo though that supposedly helps with hair growth because I have very thin hair... and while there isn't a HUGE difference, my hair doesn't look so scraggly when I grow it a little longer than a short bob lol. My daughter swears it looks thicker. I probably didn't start the shampoo until 4-6 months post-op though. Just make sure you follow your diet... and when you are able to... get in as much protein as you can and try to meet your goals. It will be hard at first, but you will get there.

I never had to crush pills. They gave me a few post-op meds in liquid form. Vitamins (once re-introduced) were in chewable form for a while. My normal medications and a couple post-op medications were always in pill form. They had me swallowing pills a few hours post op. With my smaller pills I was able to take them all at once from the beginning. Some bigger tablets I had to either swallow alone or split in half. A year IS a ridiculously long time.... but perhaps you should question WHY they said a year? Perhaps she only meant some people have to do it longer? Perhaps she does want YOU to do it longer. I was swallowing horse pill size vitamins long before a year post-op.

Thanks! Yes, 25% Protein seems more in tune with where I should be with a higher calorie diet to maintain that 60 Grams. I think I had been told 35-40% but I am pretty sure that is when I was eating way less calories... so it made more sense. When I plug those percentages now it gives me an unachievable protein amount, which is why I came here to ask since I don't have an appointment yet with the nutritionist. I think as I get back on track with my diet, I might start out with 25% protein (that is 63 grams), and 25-30% fats and 45-50% (approved) carbs... focusing of course on healthy carbs. I will track a few weeks and see how that goes. That would be less protein and more carbs than she originally told me... but again... I had to have been eating fewer calories when she told me macro goals. And the more calories I eat, I have never been able to consistently eat more than 60 grams of protein lol. IF this plan isn't working, will definitely schedule an appointment with the NUT. I stopped measuring and counting a LONG time ago, when I was doing a great job "eyeballing it" lol. I hit maintenance at 7 months post-op and did a great job maintaining until recently when my life got excessively hectic making it difficult to stick to what had been an excellent diet/exercise routine. My low was 124 (I even hit 123 on a couple occasions but not enough to really call that my low lol) and while I maintained there for a while, my normal weight range settled at 124-128 with normal fluctuations. And then recently I started to creep up to 129-134 range... and then several days ago on a very bloated day the scale temporarily hit 138 (only 1 day) and I took that as my warning to get back on track. I had already known I needed to, but it was the last straw "do it now" signal for me. And I started my plan immediately. Back down to 127.1 today. But going forward I need to get back to my good habits. I recently passed the 18 month mark post-op. Hope you are healing from your injury! I know it is tough when we have to suddenly stop activity.

Day 2 of full liquids complete. Still feel great. I got more than my required water in again. My kidneys and bladder are thanking me. I have huge scarring and atrophy of 1 of my kidneys, so chronic dehydration from the days that I can't get enough water in really aren't good for it. I often wish I could just schedule and appointment for an IV bag... but my doctor doesn't do that. Because I have just done 2 days clear and 2 days full liquids I feel I am much better hydrated and it feels like I just did a kidney cleans. Maybe I should do this more often LOL (No... I am not serious... but it does feel good!) Like I said in earlier posts... I usually get my 64 ounces in.... but on the days I don't it really puts me behind hydration wise so I do my best to avoid it... but heaven forbid I am at work and step away from my desk and kept away longer than I intended... by the time I get back I am feeling it! Same with if I go into a store to grab just a couple things... if I forget my water in the car... or heaven forbid run out.... I feel it. And when I do I have a hard time making up for the missed fluids. I swear I can feel myself dehydrating when I am not actively sipping fluids. I also got more than my required protein in. My goal is 60 Grams and I got 102 grams in. That almost never happens... but I had protein shakes for my 3 meals plus a greek yogurt for one of my snacks. Again... this helped me feel good all day. (And again... my nutritionist adds the yogurt to full liquids so patients get more nutrients in). Today's weight is 127.1... so again, back to within my normal maintenance fluctuation range of 124-128. I am happy here. Upping my calories yesterday helped so I didn't drop too much. And today I advance my diet. Next stage is supposed to be pureed. I will include protein shakes and greek yogurt, as that is what my nutritionist builds my pre-soft food diets around. But I will add some other puree style foods to the list. But since my weight is already so low... I might be shortening and/or modifying this stage. Haven't completely decided how I want to handle it. I would definitely like a little more time to rest my pouch.... but I have to be mindful that I don't also keep losing weight. The max I am willing to lose is 3 pounds more... but I don't NEED to lose 3 pounds more. My challenge today? I am driving to see my son who is away at college. With that... my daughter will probably eat some sort of fast food in the car on the way there. She is always hungry during the car ride. And it will probably be something that smells really good. LOL And add to that... I promised to take both of them out to dinner. And of course, I don't want to just sit there and watch them eat.... so I need to be strategic with where we go so I can eat something too. This might be one of the times I have to "modify" my puree diet stage. If I can't find something of a good puree consistency... I might go for something in the soft diet range. Of course, I can do this because I am not recovering from surgery. But I also don't want to have left overs, and I certainly can't overeat.... so this will be a challenge. Next stage is soft foods... so really I will be eating a normal diet but picking foods of a soft consistency. So, will I do 1 or 3 days (3 days is suggested) of pureed first? I don't know! Again... if I am shortening stages a bit.... pureed is the one to shorten. Soft foods allow me to have a nice balanced diet, so there really is no advantage to shortening that stage. I like a lot of nutritious foods in the soft diet. And I can get my maintenance calorie requirement in with soft foods. But pureed is less of a balanced diet.... so if I am going to shorten stages to prevent too much weight loss, that is the stage I am going to shorten. And remember... I did an extra day of clear... so if I do 1 less day of pureed My diet progression is about the same number of days, and if I shorten by 2 days, I am only shortening the true "stomach rest days" by 1 day. Not bad. I think it will have the same effects.

Thanks! Yes, I know I always have to meet my protein goal first. That would be a minimum of 60 grams. Veggies second. Other foods after. But we also discussed Macros.... and while I can find most of my other paperwork... I haven't come across this note yet! LOL I know she wanted me to keep a lower percentage of carbs, and wasn't so concerned about fat as long as it was healthy fats. Anyhow, I am pretty sure I remember the macro ratios I was doing, but when I program them into myfitness pal... it has me eating WAY more protein than I know I can eat in a day lol.... so thinking maybe the carb ratio I remember was from when I was eating lower calories than I know I need to maintain. Perhaps we discussed macros when I was at lower calories and not when I had to raise calories for maintenance? Before I got off track, I was at roughly 1200-1300 calories per day. Anyhow... I do know what foods I an allowed to have and which ones I can't. For protein I have a mix of animal/plant proteins. With carbs my nutritionist has me avoiding the same things Arabesque avoids: No rice or bread and MINIMAL pasta/potatoes. Of those, potatoes I eat a little more frequently. Very small amounts. For alternatives, she prefers I eat whole grain crackers and low carb tortillas which I use for my breads most of the time. And then of course, I try to stick with healthier fats. Ugh... my appointment two weeks ago was with the FNP at the surgeons office. We discussed weight, nutrition, and all... but not the same as when I do it with the nutritionist lol. Might have to schedule an appointment with her soon. She had to quit when she had to be home with her kids during COVID.... but I saw her in the office as I was leaving... so I think she is back! If not, I am sure they hired a new one... but I prefer to stick with Kasey.

Oh... I am doing that too... I am just phasing back in from the VERY start. Starting with my pre and post op diet training. My nutritionist gave me a VERY good plan to progress my diet from clear liquids to a normal, healthy, balanced bariatric diet for life. And that is what I am following. Giving my stomach a rest so that when I restart what you are talking about I am not craving too large amounts of food. and so I will be eating at good intervals again. Will my pouch shrink back down? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it needs to. Maybe it doesn't. I don't know... but if it does, I will be happy. If it doesn't... I will be happy if I am just back into my healthy eating routine that I did so well at for year one. More importantly, I need to start recognizing those warning signals that I no longer have. They are coming too late. I don't think that will happen without these steps I am taking right now. And resetting my schedule so I don't graze so much. And making sure I don't eat anything later in the evening. It really has been good for me so far. As for the 128.... this just puts me back to where I had been hovering before all heck broke lose in my life... 124-128. Like I said, I hadn't gained a LOT of weight... but I had begun unhealthy habits and gaining the bit of weight that I DID gain was a warning to me to get back on track. See... I have been here many times before surgery. I reach a goal weight. I get complacent. My weight creeps up just a little here and a little there... and then before I know it I am somewhere in the 170-226.8 weight range. Never again!