Circlesis

Thank you for sharing this. I have been on these forums for many years and in my opinion these types of issues/the negatives don’t get nearly enough airplay.

I only have one comment on this:
Carbohydrates are not the evil guys.

Hi Gang. Meow here. 5.5 months post op bypass. I've had slow but steady losses. (SW:217 CW:178. GW: 150)
And I just felt the need to make a post about my sweet addiction. Before my surgery I found myself very concerned about dumping. Often asking in the forum whether Bypass meant I could never have treats again and being assured I could "eventually" or "a bite or two" or "in moderation" etc. This brought me great relief. I knew then I wasn't in the ideal frame of mind but I was doing the best I could.
I found at about 4 weeks post op I could tolerate about 5 of my favorite chocolate covered almonds and ate them every night as a reward for hitting my Protein and Water goals. Eventually I increased that to 10 choco almonds. Then it moved to other Desserts or candy. What I've found is my entire eating plan is focused on getting my "healthys" in so I can have a treat at the end of the day. I become obsessed. I realize I've always been that way. Eat healthy so you can indulge.
I find I get nauseous if I eat a full portion of dessert. But I can usually get away with eating half. So I do. Every day. Or I eat the full portion and get nauseous. I get thru it. Usually lasts about 30 minutes. I feel miserable. I don't throw up. When I'm in the middle of the nausea I swear I'll never have sugar again. But then it passes and I'm the addict again.
The last couple months I've somehow justified 2 treats a day. And this Thanksgiving was the first time I really realized how deeply I don't have control over my treat addiction. I was surrounded by baked goods. I'd eat a small one. Feel sick. Then a couple hours do it again. Over the 2 days of celebration I made myself feel sick about 5 times. The nausea is miserable. Sweats, light headed, toe-curling nausea. Then it passes. And I'm fine. And like a drug addict I indulge again. It's shocking. It's like I'm binging. Except I never throw up and it's only one treat at a time.
I guess my point is... bypass didn't cure me. I do feel sick when I eat too much sugar. But it doesn't stop me from doing it. From constantly seeing how much I can have before I feel sick. I have a lot of work to do before I am no longer "unhealthy" regardless of my weight. Wanted to share in case others are sweet addicts and wondering how the surgery will affect that.

I'm almost 13 years out and have faced my fair share of regains (including 2 pregnancies along the way) but have managed to nip them in the bud in the 10-15 lb range. I honestly think regains are just part of the process and we all face them to some extent and i'm sure i'll face them again in the future, so this post is a good reminder for me as well! So here are my go to moves to get rid of regain:
My go-to moves are:
Eat Meals (don't graze) - don't skip Breakfast, even if it's small Eat Real food, not processed slider foods like chips and sweets Stop eating after dinner - get away from the kitchen after dinner. Evenings have always been my toughest time and so i make myself a cup of Decaf coffee, take it upstairs with me, and don't go back to the kitchen under any circumstances. Focus on the food, not exercise - 80%+ of weight loss comes down to food Move for Mental Health - aiming for 10K steps works for me and calms my urge to stress eat Talk to someone about mental health - overeating for me is a sure sign that's i'm heading on a downward spiral and the weigh gain and guilt and shame associated just makes it worse...see a doctor, find a medication that works for you, find your way back to a good mental health state Things i that haven't worked for me:
liquids / Protein Shakes - it's not sustainable (and really hard for even a few days...how did we do it pre- and post-op?), it makes me unbearably grouchy, and the minute i stop the weight comes back on Counting Calories - that is a trigger for me after a LIFETIME of dieting and i don't want to go there! Excessive exercise - it's too hard to outrun a bad diet with exercise and getting hurt would be a sure way to halt my progress. One more change that has truly been life altering for me is something i did after my last regain in 2018. My weight creeped up to 161lbs. That was 20lbs over my usual set point of 140lbs, which i had maintained for 10 years post-op (i'm 5'2" and started my journey at 200 lbs). It was starting to scare me and i knew i needed to do something.
I went back to all the things I listed above but i also did something i never had done before, i started eating plants for Protein. I cut out the meat first and then the dairy (which seemed overwhelming until i found all my own plant based substitutions), and i started focusing on vegetables! I didn't think about portions (after all, i'm a WLS patient, how much could i really eat) and i found myself shedding weight effortlessly!
Not only did i lose the 20 lbs i had gained, but for the first time in 12+ years post-op, i hit a new set point of about 122lbs which i've been maintaining with ease for the past year! I didn't start a diet, i didn't ever go off a diet. I just focus on plants and i feel great and have never been lighter! And i know what you're thinking...where do you get your protein??? But there is more than enough protein in plants for anyone who's at least 6 months post op! The funny thing is, i eat more than i have in years, but i finally feel like i'm living the healthy life i wanted and it's easier than i ever though it would be.
Anyway, sorry for the long post, i'm just so happy with how this has been working and i know it can work for others too! Feel free to message me if you have questions. Keep fighting the good fight!!

I can actually get down on the floor now and GET UP BY MYSELF! This is still quite amazing to me. There is a ton of information about WFPB eating online. Go to You Tube and watch "The Game Changers" and "Forks over Knives." That will give you a good idea. Basically it is WHOLE, unprocessed food. That means food as close to its natural state as possible. Whole grains, not refined grains, for example. No processed sugars, no animal products (that includes dairy and eggs), no processed oils (you use avocados, nuts and seeds and nut butters instead.) LOTS and LOTS of veggies and fruit, plenty of starchy veggies, lots of legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, no alcohol, no soda or artificial colors/flavors/chemicals, decreased salt. Many WFPB folks also avoid gluten (wheat, rye, barley) and I am highly sensitive to it, so have already avoided that for years.
I get more than enough Protein, tons of fibers and phytonutrients, eat all I want, am never hungry, have tons of energy, and am NEVER sore after workouts. Amazingly, my cholesterol always hovered around 225-235, even after losing over 100 pounds. Once I went WFPB, my cholesterol dropped like a rock to 152 (80 points!!!). My triglycerides and LDL also plummeted. Even with the low total cholesterol, my HDL went up to 80. For me, it is a lifestyle that I will maintain for life. It is change, for sure, but not actually hard to do. Most of my family is making the switch as well. You don't have to go 100%, either. When you look at the areas of the world (the blue zones) where people live to be over 100 and have virtually no cardiac disease, osteoporosis, dementia, cancer, or diabetes, these are all plant based societies. Does this mean they won't eat some fish or cassowary eggs if they find them? No. But animal protein is the exception or reserved for celebrations. They don't eat meat 3 times a day like most of the western world does. I will occasionally eat an egg (my own backyard chickens) or a little wild game meat. (The more I learn about commercially raised cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys and dairy cows, the more I cannot bring myself to eat these products.)
So there you go - probably more info than you wanted. I started this about 6 months after my surgery as I learned about it and once I was able to eat the volume that is required. I had to rely a bit more on the grains and nuts to keep my calories up so I wouldn't keep losing weight. I used pea Protein Powder as needed to keep my protein up. I don't need that now, with the increased legumes, tofu, tempeh, and soy/oat milk and yogurt. Now I eat a lot more of the veggies and legumes, and control my weight very easily with decreasing/increasing the grains and nuts. I did gain 8 pounds of COVID weight, but have lost all of it and some extra, just by cutting back a bit on the nuts and grains. It really couldn't be easier!

I’m def not the youngest. I’m 38 with high blood pressure. 5’3 weighing 258. I was suppose to go to a hospital and stay overnight until I went from insurance to self pay. Once I went to self pay I became outpatient. Obviously they did that to bring the amount down. I just am worried they are cutting corners to keep the costs down.

No need to have food funerals. You'll be able to eat your favorites after you heal, just in smaller portions. Just try to keep your sugar and carbs low and your Protein high.

I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you stay overnight if you need it. If you are relatively young and good health you likely wouldn’t need the clot medicine.

I was pretty paranoid about clots too but in the end it was good because I was up walking a couple times every hour. This helps you feel way better, faster.

In my experience, end of year 2 is when I first had some weight gain. It seems like that is when the last of the sleeve magic wore off for me.

The years after that were just like normal non-sleeve for gaining/losing weight (which I did several times). Capacity increased a lot too.

Do you have a psychiatrist or therapist outside of the bariatric office? What do they think? As long as you are not suicidal or self harming, I would move ahead.
I also have chronic pain and depression and I'd rather have them without also being obese. How many pounds of ugly fat would you lose if you lost your husband?
Good luck and feel better.

I like this recipe! Are you using fresh tuna or this is canned?

I like this recipe! Are you using fresh tuna or this is canned?

I love this quote!

Hey Guys,
I am newly posting but have been reading along since last year. I got sleeved on March 4th, 2020. The day I got the surgery the hospital I was in had 2 covid cases, and then the city shut down. I haven't been to a support group meeting (obviously because covid) but thank you all for your post they have been my support since.
I just wanted to check in with anyone else that may have had the surgery in March to see how you are doing? I have been feeling a bit depressed lately. I don't know if it's from the pandemic or the slowing of my progress or a combination of all. I have lost a total of 70 lbs since March but I haven't lost anything for the past 2 months and it's depressing me. I did lose a lot of inches but it has been hard to get workouts in and I am getting concerned about the loose skin. I got the surgery at 243lbs and am currently 172 lbs. I am thinking of going back to a soft foods diet but I barely get 1000 calories in a day.
Just looking for some other stories or support/suggestions here.
BTW I don't regret a thing and good luck to everyone that is going through the process!

Im older, 51years, and had the gastric bypass for I gained so much weight from illnesses and injuries. I went up to 550 lbs and everything in my body hurt. I couldnt hardly walk and forget about setting down in a tub. My degenerative disc disease in my back was causing severe pain everyday. The doctors told me of the risk, but for me it was about lessing the pain i felt. I needed help after recovering from heart failure from the flu. I decided to do it. I lost 278 lbs after my bypass. I will tell you that i did have some pain afterwards from the drain they had to leave in, but that was not for to long. Before I knew it I was dropping weight so fast that i was in disbelief. It was a wonderful feeling. I could walk around again, dance with my husband, play with my grandkids. All those things are the exact reason i got mine. Also it takes commitment, i started to gain back and am working to get back on path. However, i wouldnt have changed my choice ever. Good luck.

I would try to get the word of the surgeon, rather than nurse or office staff, as he is the one who will get to repair any hernias that you create. The typical advice is no more than 10 lb for sometime on the order of 3-6 weeks, maybe a bit more after 3 weeks or so, but usually nothing substantial for at least 6-8 weeks. My doc was a bit more conservative in that he specified no serious core work such as sit ups and crunches for 12 weeks. Arguably, that may not be enough for some.
One of the problems that I learned about talking with the physical therapists after some orthopedic work, is that while your muscles may heal quickly and feel up to more work, the connective tissues like the tendons and ligaments don't have as much blood flow as the muscles, so they heal more slowly and are more vulnerable to being torn (and this would include the fascia that holds the abdominal muscles together, which they cut through for your surgery.) It is not unusual for a sharp sneeze or cough to cause an incisional hernia many weeks or even months after surgery.
Real story here, of my sister's octogenarian FIL who had some sort of hand surgery, After all of the recovery and physical therapy, the surgeon cleared him for all normal activities. His wife, a retired nurse, called the surgeon asked what he had told him -
"just that he could go back to normal activities.... "
"Did you know that he is back under the house digging ditches and pouring concrete? "
"Oh **** I didn't mean that!"
So, it pays to go to the source and to be specific.
Related to that, after my post WLS reconstructive/plastic surgery, when discussing with the surgeon what I could do at the gym and when, he told me that crunches and such loaded, bending abdominal work was out, but surprisingly twisting was fine - he knew exactly what he had done inside, and where the strengths and weaknesses were.
Also, your surgeon may be able to suggest appropriate protective gear - straps or supports - that may help you during this period. But do be specific as to what you do.
Good luck on continued recovery

You read this correctly! I wanted to show my list of questions so people may add on any questions that I missed that may be beneficial for me

No fraud there. You changed your eating habits for the better and lost weight as a result. That's great progress. I started the year at 300 lbs. and had my Revision to DS in May. I talk about the change in nutrition and revision surgery with whoever asks. Getting comments like "You look like a different person" all the time.
Remember the surgery didn't take any weight off. Your new nutrition plan did. If you follow the plan long term, you'll reach your goal.
I got the sleeve 7 years ago. I didn't plan out my nutrition very well. I relied on Protein Bars and Protein Shakes heavily as a long term diet. I've learned since then it is better to base your nutrition on natural sources, not processed foods. Once I finished the puree diet, I stopped consuming Protein shakes and protein bars.

I like this recipe! Are you using fresh tuna or this is canned?

I read this as a request for feedback on her question list.

Thank you! Will check into it!

I was sleeved in 2016, on 10/22 had a revision to DS with hiatial hernia repair. 9 hours of surgery, wasnt sure it was the right thing but immediately no more GERD, 20 pounds down in 2 weeks, I can sleep. Wont front the revision surgery kicked my ass, but two weeks later i'm thinking it was the right thing to do

There is another procedure called gastric j that apparently is meant to solve the problem as well without needing to go to bypass.

I have not had this procedure, but the practice I go to is doing a lot of them and the patients seem very happy and many showing added weight loss after as well. May be worth checking into it.

I have officially lost 100 pounds!!! I honestly never thought I’d be here!! I’m just so excited!!