Lanie992

I am 8 months out and nothing really tastes great to me, tbh. I don't have cravings really... I usually pick the thing I am wanting most, then I start eating it... and it's just, eh. Only thing that tastes great to me --- which I hadn't had really since my sleeve... was mayo. Yesterday I had a turkey sandwich on Aldi's Keto bread and only the mayo tasted good to me.

My favorite things in the world: chicken and ketchup - I really don't like anymore.

Thing is - I am hungry a lot. Like 2 hours after I eat - I get hungry again, so I do still eat but it is merely to stop my stomach from growling/feeling hungry... not because I enjoy it.

Mine said I could have regular coffee at 3 weeks post-op, but he is one of the few surgeons who think caffeine apparently. I drink mostly Decaf though. I drink coffee ALL day long -- it is the only way I can get my fluids in.

@ChubRub you look fantastic! Congratulations!

4 hours ago, IWantTheDream said:

My be gallbladder. I had real bad back pain that happened at night and then would get better until the bile duct got blocked from gall stones

Ugh. I am petrified of that. I've been scared of having gallbladder problems since the surgery. I am going to the doctor tomorrow morning and see what she thinks. The back pain is minimal today but still there.

I do have insurance, but my copays are very high. I am going to go to my PCP first and see what she thinks. The pain is still there this morning, but not as bad. Of course it tends to be worse at night.. and come and go.

Thank you for your advice!

Heya,

I'm seeking advice. Since Christmas morning - I have had back pain from my waistline to my lower back all the way across. At first I thought I just strained muscles during my gym workout 2 days prior, but the pain has continued and progressively gotten worse. I've been using a heating paid & tylenol 3, then I took oxy for it (just twice) and it helped a lot. The pain comes & goes. Early this morning to mid-morning - I felt fine... but I had the Oxy the night before and slept 8 hours on the heating pad. The pain resurfaced about noon today, then progressively got my intense.

My brother started thinking it was kidney related and I googled around and found many gastric sleeve patients get kidney stones.. I have some of the symptoms.

I bought a AZO test to see if it was a UTI & the nitrite part was negative, but the leukocytes turned up positive (but the test strip was light colored, so if it truly is positive, then it's not by much).

I was going to just go to my primary care tomorrow, but she won't be able to do Xrays. I got furloughed a few months ago from my job and got insurance via Obama care.. and it very expensive to go to the ER ($1,000 + cost of tests, etc). Urgent care will be a little less expensive, but of course they don't have the same equipment/care as the hospital.

Do you guys think this sounds like it could be kidney related?

What would you do in my situation?

On 12/26/2020 at 8:07 AM, mil_unloaded said:

Thanks friend, you’re so right. And I’m prone to depression this time of year (Seasonal Depression due to the darkness, we’re in sunny California, so it’s common!). I have been sticking to the diet since Christmas Eve (when I indulged a little), and I feel better with regards to the guilt. I’ve forgiven myself. It’s ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and move on. Much love to you as well.

Yes! And so sorry about the depression -- I have it too unfortunately. Winter months, even in warmer climates, can be depressing. You're doing great and will do just fine!

10 hours ago, mil_unloaded said:

In retrospect, for me, I know I shouldn’t have eaten. I didn’t eat much and ended the day below 1200 calories anyway, but I still feel guilty. I’m allowed to have things like oatmeal and cream of wheat, and Soup, too. So at least the bulk of what I had was a puréed vegetable Soup (with some spice to it, boy howdy). I’m thankful that my body still dropped 0.4 pounds yesterday. My surgery is in 5 days now, and I’m going to try to be only liquids and Protein Drinks until surgery, and only eat the semi-liquids if I feel like I’m DYING of hunger (which I shouldn’t get that way, but you know how it is).

There is nothing you can do now about it - don't feel guilty. It solves nothing. A lot of the feelings of guilt lead to depression, then overeating in people with addictions to food. So don't look back -- only look ahead. You can't change it, so don't waste your time with it or risk doing it again by getting yourself down.

Just concentrate on sticking to the diet from here on out. Chin up! Good luck! And let us know how you're feeling once you have the surgery!! Much ❤ to you.

Yes, definitely don't cheat anymore, but don't beat yourself over the cheating you did. What has been done -- has been done.. Nothing you can do to change it.

Some doctors only do a week of a pre-surgery diet. My doctor didn't require me to do one at all (not sure if that's true of all his patients or if it was because I had a "lower" BMI).

I don't want to scared you, but I did read a post on FB of a lady who went into surgery, got opened up and then they closed her up right away because her liver was too enlarged. They rescheduled her surgery. Think about how horrific that would be, so just continue on doing what you're supposed to do until your surgery!

2 hours ago, ChubRub said:

Yeah, I was so busy hiding from cameras when I was at my biggest that I never realized I'd want some comparison pics!!! I promise to take lots of "before" pics of my saggy/squishy self this time! LOL!!

Me too. I think I only have one picture of me during my pre-sleeve op and I was hidden behind people so you can only see my face & can't tell my weight. I do wish I would have taken some of myself to keep for comparisons, but out with old and in with the new.

Anyway congratulations on the plastics. I hope everything goes well for you and there isn't too much pain. I will be keeping tabs on your progress, so keep us in the loop.

2 hours ago, Sassafras1 said:

I know I don't eat enough either. I'm trying to be more mindful and eat slower, I tend to just have 2 or 3 quick bites and then be over it, I also have teeth aligners in and have to take them out to eat so I've turned that into an excuse not too a lot, especially when I'm out with people. shakes and smoothies are better so I've been adding Protein and greens to them to get the intake up, this has helped me a lot!

Just wanted to say HI, sleeve twin (we had our surgeries 1 day apart).. Looks like you are doing really good on the weight loss!! Congrats.

There is no way I could eat 800 calories one month out. I would have been in bed sick all day. Just do the best you can do. Make sure to get your Protein in and take your Vitamins and listen to your body. Most of those dieticians have never even been through the surgery, so they have no idea what it is like.

Honestly I feel like it could easily become a whole different type of eating disorder for some of us. It is so easy to replace eating with obsessing over losing weight/obsessing over the scale/calories, etc.

I know you're not asking about eating real food but just thought this might be helpful info which will make you not be tempted at all.

Food will hurt right now anyway. Even soft food hurt me during the "soft food" stage. Your stomach needs time to heal. You will be in a world of hurt if you tried to eat real food now, not to mention it could get stuck in your sutures and cause a leak.

Not going to lie -- this stage sucks.. I just ate sugar-free popsicles and Protein Drinks during that time. Some Jello. broth grossed me out & I didn't like it, so I only did that once.

I am going to do a "reset" after the holiday to see if I can shrink my pouch & kick start losing some more weight.. not looking forward to it. (reset is when you go back through the beginning stages -- liquids being the first step).

Some positives: you will likely lose the most weight during this period. And your stomach pouch will be the smallest it has ever been in this stage (7 months out & mine has stretched someone.. I wish I had my tiny pouch back)..

I wish I could give you some advice to help you feel better.. Just know this only lasts a few weeks -- it seems like an eternity when you're in the midst of it, but in a few months - it will just be a memory!

On 12/6/2020 at 7:54 AM, bhrobins said:

6-ish month update

VSG on 5/18/2020

6' 2.5" 48yr male

HW 382, SW 309, CW 224 (158lbs down, 73 pre-op, 85 post-op)

So I have reached my 2nd goal weight (225) at just over 6 months. At my 6 mo follow up, the doctor said I could lose until I hit 215, but no more. Met with my NUT and she has me at 1200 cals right now, but wants me to work towards 1800-2000 over the next 3 months. That seems like a lot, but with a BMR of ~1900 cals/day, it makes sense.

Transitioning out of weight loss mode will be a trip. Have started weight training a few weeks ago to rebuild some muscle. Until now, my only exercise was walking and light resistance bands.

Curious how the rest of you who had surgery in May are doing.

That is amazing! You did SO good! I am having to transition from cardio to weight training too. I have done some weight training but not that much. I get sort of intimidated from doing a lot of the arm stuff because all the men are over in that part of the gym. LOL I know it's silly but I like to hang in the abs/legs section where the girls tend to be. I will get over it though.

I am 1 lbs from my original goal weight, buttttttttt I've changed my goal weight to 130 lbs.

Height: 5'5"

SW: 192 lbs

CW: 136 lbs

GW: (was 135lbs) 130lbs

** I am only wanting to go to 130 lbs so I can have 5 lbs to lose and gain...and still feel comfortable.

I am a size 4 in pants and small/medium in tops!

I only lose about 1 lbs per month since late September though, but I also discovered Keto treats (sugar-free candy/cookies) which have a good amount of calories. I am trying to kick that habit though, so I can get back on track. It hasn't made me gain anything -- I am still losing just VERY slow now.

My family is having lasagna for Xmas. I am thinking of cheating for the day. I cheated on Thanksgiving & gained a pound, but then lost it by the next day (so I am not even sure I gained a pound from it?)... I had two scoops of mashed potatoes, 2 scoops of dressing and 2 scoops of corn casserole.

Hope everyone is doing good.

Someone said in one of the groups I am in - that if you don't take Calcium supplements.. you could lose your teeth. Not sure how true that is. I already take calcium though and I am VERY good with my oral hygiene since the surgery.. since I get that nasty "keto breath" or whatever it is when you don't have a lot of carbs. Now I am brushing my teeth WAY more per day than I used to, ESPECIALLY with having to wear a mask because of Covid.

5 hours ago, Amy_Aim said:

oh my, thank you all so much for the responses. I think my fear is surgery in general yes! I am at the highest weight I have ever been my whole life and I just lost my mom this year at the age of 65. She suffered her first stroke in her 40s and went on the have 3 more. It started with stress, high blood pressure and she was diabetic. This was my wake up call and wanted to be better about my health and I have been dealing with high blood pressure for 5 years now and on 3 medications for it. I will say you all have helped to motivate me and wow you all have done an amazing job at your weight loss numbers! I look forward to updating you all on my decision and progress.. Again thank you all for your feedback!

I am off of one of my blood pressure pills. The other one I take, propranolol, I've been taking for years as a preventive for migraines.. I started taking that when my blood pressure was normal, so I don't plan on ever stopping it since I do think it helps with Migraines. Also my cholesterol is the normal range... and my AC1 test came back better than it has been in over 6 years!! The health benefits have been beyond my wildest imagination.

I'd say absolutely do it! My only regret is not getting it sooner.

I am so sorry to hear about your mother. I've lost my dad and it is such a tough journey!! Love and light to you!

1 hour ago, Arabesque said:

I had a bmi of 35 before my surgery & am 5’3” so similar to you. I wouldn’t consider it a low bmi though it is generally considered the minimum for surgery unless you have pre existing conditions like high blood pressure, which you have & diabetic, which you almost are.

In two days I’ll be 19 months post surgery. I have no regrets at all. Best decision. I slowly put on weight from puberty. Then yo yoed between 60 & 75kgs thru my 20s, 30s & 40s. Then I became peri menopausal & put on 12 kgs in about 6 months. When I became menopausal I put on another 15kgs I swear overnight. And I couldn’t lose any of it. I woke up one day & decided enough. Made an appointment with my GP & 6 weeks later I was in surgery.

I haven’t been the weight I am now since I was 12 & starting puberty. I’ve gone a full circle. Generally the whole process has been pretty smooth. My tendency to low blood pressure has become my every day life & I have the odd hyperglycaemic attack. But apart from that all good.

It is your decision but if you follow the plan, make permanent changes to how you eat & what you eat, it will work for you too. It’s not a quick fix nor the easy way out. There’s a lot of self reflection, learning & work involved. The benefits to your health, general feeling of well being, greater energy, confidence, etc. cannot be undervalued.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Oh my gosh! You are so tiny now! I bet you look amazing! They approved me at my "low" BMI (sounds weird saying that because I was still obese by BMI standards) because I had preexisting conditions: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and borderline diabetic.. also possible sleep apnea.

It absolutely is work -- nothing super hard but it does take dedication. I can easily eat over 1,000 calories now, so I really have to track my food intake.

My appetite came back when I started exercising aggressively with 1.5 hrs of cardio / 6 times a week.. I guess my metabolism sped up, but I was eating WAY more. I hope I haven't stretched my tummy.

I went down to exercising 3 times a week and my appetite is a little more controlled.

Anyway - you're doing fantastic!!

I made meatballs with Rao's marinara sauce yesterday. For the meatballs - you use ground beef, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs and spices.. There are tons of recipes for low-carb meatballs - if you google.. it was so good. Ate some of the leftovers today & will have the rest tomorrow.

Also a favorite of mine is taco meat with lettuce and cheese served over Quest Protein Loaded Taco "chips". It taste just like a real taco! I eat that a few times a week - I love it so much. I only use 1/2 a bag of the chips per meal.

I was 192 lbs and 5'5" - at my highest weight (besides one week after surgery when I gained 10 lbs from the IV fluids/air they fill you with/swelling??)... I had never been over 200 lbs.

I wore a size 10-12 in pants... and X-large in shirts.

I lost ALMOST 50 lbs pretty quickly and I can't seem to get below 138 lbs... I lose like 1 lbs per month since September.

It is one of the best decisions I've made for myself.

I am a size 4 in pants now & a size small/medium in shirts.

I still want to lose weight and get down to 130-135 lbs so I can have some room to gain and lose... but I know that some of my weight is saggy skin in my underarm region and some on my lower belly. Which isn't bad, but I think without that skin - I'd likely be 5-10 lbs lighter.

Nice job! I actually like the taste and consistency of almond flour. I know a lot of people don't like it though... I miss dressing -- I used to cook it year round, so I will definitely try out your recipe.

I had a little regular dressing, two scoops of mashed potatoes & 2 scoops of corn casserole on Thanksgiving (plus turkey and asparagus) but I am 6 months out. I haven't gained anything yet although I know it takes a couple days to see the damage.. but I think I will be okay because that's really all I ate all day besides a Protein Drink.

I am very strict with low carb/low sugar, so I figured one day won't hurt me too much!

My nutritionist and doctor don't even agree on the diet plan and it's the nutritionist he referred me to.

My doctor got irritated at me for eating Laughing Cow cheese during the soft food stage - even though it was on the list of foods to eat PDF that my nutritionist sent me. I told him that and he just shrugged and told me not to take her advice. 😂 😂 😂 😂 .... MmmmmmmMMM k.

I just follow his advice though. I trust his recommendations.. but it can be very confusing if you start googling recipes for each stage of your journey..

I wanted to buy some Skims (Kim Kardashian line -- not a fan of hers but still wanted to try her line) -- I saw a review which said they're really comfortable.. I Just don't know if they're heavy duty enough to work.

I definitely do NOT want one that has the super uncomfortable boning I've read about -- where it is hard to breathe.

But Skims are supposedly a more breathable lightweight fabric, so will it actually work? I am very curious. If she has a good Black Friday sale -- I might bite.

Hope you are doing okay.. Day 5 is when I started feeling better... (day 3 & 4 were the worst for me).. Keep us updated.