BigSue

I can't wait to try the Maple Bourbon Pecan! I think that will be delicious with apple tea. Just out of curiosity, which one didn't you love? One of my favorite things is to make protein Crio Bru: 6 ounces Crio Bru + 2 ounces almond milk + half a scoop of protein powder. The flavor combination possibilities are endless!

Have you watched any of Dr. Weiner's videos on YouTube? He's a bariatric surgeon who has a lot of great videos, but he said something about head hunger in one of his videos (can't remember which one now) that really bugged me. He basically said that "stomach growling" hunger feeling is just head hunger, and I was like, "B.S.!" I am so thankful that my surgery has almost completely eliminated my hunger (so far... I know my hunger will probably return eventually). Before surgery, I felt like my stomach was a bottomless pit, and I could eat huge quantities of food and still be hungry. I tried waiting after I ate since we're always told it takes time for satiety to set in, and nope -- I would just keep getting hungrier. There were so many times that I didn't WANT to eat any more, but I was just so hungry. Sometimes I couldn't sleep because of hunger and I had to eat more just so I could sleep. And I am quite sure that this was real, physical hunger and not just in my head. My personal theory is that this is one of the factors that makes it more difficult for some people to lose or manage their weight. I truly believe that some people are just hungrier than others, or maybe we feel hunger more strongly -- kind of like a pain threshold. People who don't have that extreme hunger can't understand why it's not as easy as it sounds to "just eat less." Now, I will also admit to having head hunger -- eating out of boredom or habit, or because something looks delicious and I want to taste it, or I'm eating something so delicious that I want to keep eating more of it, or to treat myself to something I've been looking forward to eating -- and I still experience that sometimes. I still have times when I see something I want to eat really badly even though I know that I'm not hungry. But it is a heck of a lot easier to resist when I'm not actually, physically hungry.

I was getting 400-500 calories and about 50 grams of protein per day (I was supposed to get 60 grams of protein per day, but often came up short).

Calcium citrate is more easily absorbed because it doesn't require stomach acid to digest. It also has less risk of causing kidney stones. Unfortunately, most drugstore brands of calcium supplements are calcium carbonate, which is cheaper, and we bariatric patients have to buy the more expensive specialty ones.

Calories In, Calories Out. It's sort of the traditional view of weight management -- eat more than you burn and you gain weight, burn more than you eat and you lose weight. If you look at it this way, it doesn't matter what the calories are (protein, fat, carbs, meat, vegetarian, organic, GMO, etc.), just how many you're eating vs. burning.

I don’t think they’re any bigger than, say, Centrum or One-A-Day, and maybe smaller (though it’s been a while since I took those, so I’m not sure). I don’t love the taste of the capsule, but I just make sure to swallow it (with water) as soon as I put it in my mouth. YMMV, but my B12 levels on my latest bloodwork were off the charts, just from taking the sublingual tablets. I actually like taking them because they have a nice cherry flavor. My surgeon said to take chewables for the first 6 weeks. I used Barimelts multivitamin, calcium, and iron for the first two months (because they come in a 1-month supply) and then I switched to the BariatricPal Multivitamin One with iron and BariatricPal calcium chews. I got one bottle of BariatricPal multivitamin chewables just to try, and I didn’t like the taste, so then I switched to the capsules. By that time (3 months out), I had no problem swallowing pills, except it could be a little uncomfortable if I took too big of a gulp of water.

The BariatricPal Multivitamin One vitamins are the best-priced bariatric multivitamins I've seen. If you buy the ones with iron, you might not have to take a separate iron supplement. They have a yearly subscription for $99.99, which is $8.33/month. You can buy them in smaller quantities (which I recommend doing to start to make sure you like them), but the more you buy, the lower the cost per vitamin. They do have a chewable one that you can take right after surgery, but I didn't care for the taste (I took Barimelts for the first two months, but they are pricey). You can take normal drugstore vitamins, but you have to take a double dose, and if you do that, the BariatricPal subscription is cheaper than most of the drugstore vitamins. You will have to take a separate calcium citrate supplement (make sure it's calcium citrate, not calcium carbonate). I LOVE the BariatricPal Belgian chocolate caramel and French vanilla caramel soft chews -- they taste like candy and make me look forward to taking my calcium. They are the lowest-priced calcium citrate chews I've seen (and they go on sale often), but you can get calcium citrate tablets for a lower price (about 1/3 of the price of soft chews per dose). I buy Caltrate petites and take those 1x per day (2 pills per dose) and soft chews 2x per day. You will also need vitamin B-12, which you can get as a sublingual tablet, injection, or nasal spray. I buy NatureMade brand sublingual tablets from Amazon. They are very inexpensive -- less than $10 for 50.

Congratulations and great job! It makes such a difference not to be carrying around an extra 100 pounds. Can you imagine trying to walk up a flight of stairs wearing a backpack with 100 pounds in it? That's basically what we were doing before. Chairs are kind of a mixed bag because I no longer have to worry about chair arms digging into my legs, but my butt is always sore now that I don't have all that extra built-in padding (although it does help to be able to cross my legs -- now I understand why people like to sit that way).

You should be fine. Everybody's post-op diet progression goes a little differently, and different surgeons give different directions. A lot of people have a pureed food stage between full liquids and soft foods. For me, the first week was liquids and the second week was purees. I was allowed to start soft foods in week 3, but I actually stuck with purees for a few extra weeks just to be safe. Your stomach may not be ready for soft foods yet, so there's nothing wrong with going back to liquids or purees for a few days (this is what my surgeon recommended if I had any problems during my progression). I've seen a lot of people here say they had trouble tolerating eggs for a while after surgery, so the problem could just be the egg, and you might do ok with other soft foods. The grilled chicken strip also might not be the best choice because it's too dense and dry. Chicken goes down best when it's shredded and very moist. I would suggest starting with canned chicken and adding some kind of sauce (e.g., Greek yogurt, enchilada sauce, or gravy). One of my favorite soft food meals was refried beans + protein powder with canned chicken + enchilada sauce. Take VERY small bites and chew really well. For the first few months, I often had problems when I ate meat where it felt like it got stuck on the way down. It was very unpleasant and sometimes came with some nausea. This is pretty common, and if it happens, you just need to stop eating and wait for it to work its way down. Resist the urge to try to wash it down with water because that can just make it worse. Walking around a bit can help. Finally, a lot of people find it challenging to meet fluid goals when they go from liquids to purees/soft foods. Most people are told not to drink anything for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the meal (the amount of time varies), and it might take 30 minutes to eat the meal, so every meal takes away an hour and a half of drinking fluids. You just have to be vigilant about sipping constantly in between. It gets a lot easier after the first several weeks, though!

Some sleeve patients are able to get enough nutrients from food and don't have to take supplements forever. You will have to get bloodwork done regularly to check for deficiencies.

It's good! I got the idea from Pinterest -- carrot cake oatmeal. Doesn't really taste like carrot cake, but a good way to sneak in some veggies. 😀

I like to mix in some cinnamon roll flavored protein powder and sprinkle brown sugar Swerve on top. I could only eat half a packet of the oatmeal in the pureed stage (and I actually still only eat half a packet, but now I mix in some nuts and shredded carrots).

My surgeon said no weights until 6 weeks out, but that's just to prevent tearing stitches. I wasn't really exercising much before surgery, and I didn't start until probably a couple of months after surgery. In your case, I'm guessing there are a couple of issues in play. First, at only 4 weeks post-op, you're probably not consuming many calories. You should follow the advice of your surgeon, but just FYI, there are some surgeons who do not recommend starting exercise this early because you're not getting enough calories to provide the energy for a good workout. Dr. Vuong has a whole video on YouTube about why you shouldn't work out too soon after WLS (take his advice with a grain of salt because he's into some shady stuff, but his WLS advice seems fairly legit). The other thing is that if this was your first workout in a month (or more), you can't just pick up where you left off. It will take a while to get back in the same shape you were before. I played sports when I was a kid and I remember I had a coach who always said it takes twice as long to get back into shape as the time you take off. For example, if you take a week off, it takes two weeks to get back into shape. I don't know how accurate that is, but I definitely think it's true that you need some time to work your way back to where you were before.

Well, I'm single, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but maybe this would be a good thing to discuss with him directly. Ask if he's concerned about your clothing choices and why the idea of you wearing different clothing bothers him.

Doesn't really sound like he's jealous. I think he's just admiring your new body and wants to see you show it off. Have you talked at all in the past about wishing you could wear shorts when it's hot? If so, he may be referring to that.

Right now, you should focus on getting protein. BariatricPal protein oatmeal is a great choice because it is lower in carbs than regular oatmeal and has added protein (you might even want to add some additional protein powder for more protein). I've tried the maple brown sugar and apple cinnamon and they're both good.

First of all, 39 pounds in less than 2 months is fantastic! Secondly, stalls are very, very common. Almost everybody experiences a few stalls along the way. It's basically just your body catching up with all the changes you're making. There's a lot of superstition around how to break a stall, but the truth is that all you can really do is stick with your plan and be patient, and you will start losing weight again. Stalls can sometimes last a few weeks, so don't worry if it takes a while longer for the weight loss to restart. You're doing great!

I went to a Mexican place a while back and got a tostada. I just ate the toppings and left the tortilla. A lot of restaurants have started paying attention to the keto community, which is great because it means they have low-carb options. Jimmy John's has lettuce-wrap subs. Five Guys will serve a bunless burger (either as a lettuce wrap or in a bowl). Chipotle has cauliflower rice. Most chains have salads. Most sit-down restaurants have meat + sides meals (chicken breast, pork chop, steak, etc.) and will be happy to substitute any high-carb sides (rice/potatoes/bread) with veggies. You should be careful about sauces and dressings, though (get them on the side if possible, and ask for light dressing on a salad), because they can be loaded with sugar and/or fat.

You should call your surgeon's office about the swelling and pain in your incision. They'll tell you to come in (or go to urgent care) if it sounds serious. A lot of people gain weight in the hospital. It's just because they pump you full of IV fluids. Don't worry; it will come off quickly.

I took Barimelts for the first couple of months after surgery, and they’re not bad. Better than the chewables I tried. They dissolve in your mouth, so you don’t even have to chew them (I liked to sip water to make them dissolve faster). They’re pricey, though, so I switched to capsules once I was allowed. I love calcium chews! I haven’t seen this brand, but I love the BariatricPal brand French vanilla caramel and Belgian chocolate caramel. I actually enjoy taking them — they’re like candy! I wasn’t sure if they were ok to take in the first 6 weeks, so I took Barimelts for calcium until then.

I first looked into weight loss surgery more than 15 years ago, and my family talked me out of it because of the potential complications. I continued to consider it off and on over the years, but I kept deciding not to do it because I couldn’t stand the thought of giving up everything I loved. Eating was really my main pleasure in life, and I didn’t think I could handle giving up everything I loved — pizza, ice cream, French fries, cookies, even diet soda (my one guiltless pleasure). Eventually, though, I got to the point where my weight was destroying my health and my life. Last year, I was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. My mobility was going downhill quickly and I felt so limited in everything, like my career and traveling, because of my weight. I came to the realization that I was giving up a lot to continue living as a super morbidly obese person, and I had to make a choice between turning my life around or continuing to eat myself into an early grave. I decided to have weight loss surgery because I realized that it was worth giving up the food to get back my health and my life. That is a decision that each individual has to make, and the trade off is different for everyone. It took me a long time to get to the point where I thought it was worth it. I encourage everyone to take a hard look at the pros and cons, what they would gain and what they would lose, what they are willing to risk for the potential rewards, and go into it with their eyes wide open. I have now lost half of my starting weight, and I’ve completely turned my health around. My blood pressure and blood sugar are on the low end of normal. I can easily walk a mile and go up and down stairs without getting out of breath or sweaty. I can wear mainstream brands of clothing and fit in an airplane seat with no seatbelt extender (or I could if I were traveling). Giving up the food is a small price to pay. And although I had to give up a lot of my old favorites, I still find pleasure in eating. I cook more now and I enjoy finding new, healthy recipes. I’m not going to lie — I sometimes feel sad when I think about my old favorites that I can no longer eat — but to me, it was worth it. Like many, many WLS patients, my biggest regret is that I waited so long to do it and missed out on so many good years of my life by being morbidly obese.

Probably not. Most insurance companies require either a BMI over 40, or a BMI over 35 with comorbidities. Your BMI is 33, so you would probably not qualify for insurance coverage. Some surgeons will still perform bariatric surgery for patients with a BMI under 35, but you would most likely have to pay entirely out of pocket. The reason for the requirements is that bariatric surgery is a pretty extreme treatment that requires major changes to your life, and although it is a relatively safe surgery with low complication rates, there is still some risk to it. For most of us, it is a last resort after we have tried and failed many diets. I started with a BMI over 60, so it was pretty clear I wasn't going to be able to lose enough weight without surgery, and the risks to my health were high if I didn't lose the weight. Another thing to note is that even if you meet the typical requirements, every insurance company is different, so you would need to check with your own insurance company. Some employers do not sign up for the bariatric surgery rider (because it costs extra), and if that's the case, your insurance wouldn't cover bariatric surgery under any circumstances.

Before my surgery, I hated drinking plain water. I drank a ton of diet soda and flavored seltzer (Polar, La Croix, Bubly, etc.). When I drank water, I had to add Mio to it. Weirdly, after surgery, I started to like plain water. I still occasionally add Mio, but most of the time, I just drink plain water. I was also told not to drink carbonated beverages, and I've seen some bariatric patients say that they can, but I don't feel compelled to try, at least not at this point. There are mixed opinions on whether it stretches your pouch, but most people say that even if it doesn't stretch your pouch, it's uncomfortable. I've developed a love for hot beverages after surgery. I drink at least one cup of tea every day. I prefer the fruit-flavored ones (especially apple). I like to add zero-calorie syrup (DaVinci, Torani, Jordan's Skinny Syrup) to sweeten and flavor it. Apple tea + caramel syrup + hazelnut syrup is delicious! I also like chai tea + almond milk + vanilla syrup. Of course, these are artificially sweetened, so you may not like them, but it might be worth a try. I am also a fellow coffee hater! I recently discovered an awesome product that I LOVE called Crio Bru. It's roasted cacao beans that you brew like coffee. It doesn't taste like coffee (which I think is a good thing). I don't like it black, but it is absolutely delicious with a couple of ounces of flavored protein shake or some almond milk + zero-calorie syrup. My favorite combination is chocolate coconut protein shake + caramel syrup -- sort of a liquid samoa. I'm kind of obsessed with Crio Bru and I highly recommend it. I bought a sampler from their web site, but you can buy a single bag on Amazon if you just want to try it. I bought a 5-pound bag when I finished the sampler pack!

I've heard that for some people, the fat may redistribute itself after you hit your lowest weight, so you might get some back in certain areas... For me, my belly wants to hold onto the fat. I've lost 170 pounds and I'm still an apple.

If you have an air fryer, try these garlic parmesan carrot fries: https://masonfit.com/garlic-parmesan-air-fryer-carrot-fries/ I think they’re better with carrot chips instead of “fries” because they get crispier if they’re sliced thinner. I’ve also seen the same thing with spiralized carrots, and I bet those would be delicious, too, I don’t think they need any sauce, BTW.