Ladylove72

It might sound crazy, but I intend to eat it with a spoon! Once we're able to tolerate more solid foods, I'm interested in making this Indian flatbread to have with it:
Sweet Potato Chapati | Healthy Diet Flat bread | roti - YouTube

Even great doctors can have some really crappy people skills. You should be VERY proud of yourself for being able to walk two miles. Holy cow...I had my surgery done on Monday and I can barely make it out of bed to walk in little circles and use the bathroom. He may be one of those people with black-and-white thinking: either you're going completely by his playbook or you're WRONG! He may just one of those people who's impossible to impress.

You: Hey, doc! So I just got accepted into the Olympics, found out I was the world's fastest runner, and I'm going to be featured on a box of WHEATIES!
Doctor: Yeah, OK...but I see you only drank 63 ounces of Water yesterday. I TOLD YOU 64!!!!

I think I'm an unusual case. I had RNY three months ago. I can eat almost anything, as long as it's in moderation. The only time I have "dumped" is when I foolishly scarfed down a bagel from Dunkin' Donuts when I was in a hurry to eat at work before a meeting. If I had chewed slowly and mindfully, and only eaten half the bagel with cream cheese, I would have tolerated it with no issues. I love my surgery. One of my worst fears pre-surgery is that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Mexican food again, which is my favorite food on the planet. I can! But I only eat about a quarter of what I used to, and feel very satisfied. PLUS I get a ton of yummy leftovers to take to work!
Here's my final take. The main reason why I love this surgery is that food is no longer this constant, mentally-intrusive, all-consuming desire for me like it used to be. I'm not consumed by gnawing hunger and spending all my free will just trying to keep the monster at bay. Food is just...food. I don't obsess over it. I'm not overly hungry. I just feel...normal. I still enjoy eating and a little goes a very long way. I feel like I have my life back.

I think I'm an unusual case. I had RNY three months ago. I can eat almost anything, as long as it's in moderation. The only time I have "dumped" is when I foolishly scarfed down a bagel from Dunkin' Donuts when I was in a hurry to eat at work before a meeting. If I had chewed slowly and mindfully, and only eaten half the bagel with cream cheese, I would have tolerated it with no issues. I love my surgery. One of my worst fears pre-surgery is that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Mexican food again, which is my favorite food on the planet. I can! But I only eat about a quarter of what I used to, and feel very satisfied. PLUS I get a ton of yummy leftovers to take to work!
Here's my final take. The main reason why I love this surgery is that food is no longer this constant, mentally-intrusive, all-consuming desire for me like it used to be. I'm not consumed by gnawing hunger and spending all my free will just trying to keep the monster at bay. Food is just...food. I don't obsess over it. I'm not overly hungry. I just feel...normal. I still enjoy eating and a little goes a very long way. I feel like I have my life back.

I drink two cups of coffee per day with no problems. I have a Decaf in the morning with Coffee Mate and one teaspoon of sugar, and a small iced coffee (sometimes with caffeine, sometimes not) that lasts me the rest of the day. And yes, I drink it through a straw with zero problems.

It sounds like your husband was trying to sound witty at the spur of the moment, but the fact that this has hurt you is very valid. However, the fact that you can’t talk this out in a loving way is very concerning. Since there seem to be some very deep issues here, I would really suggest marriage counseling. You both need to feel safe and accepted when something needs to be worked out, and counseling can give you that safe space.

It sounds like your husband was trying to sound witty at the spur of the moment, but the fact that this has hurt you is very valid. However, the fact that you can’t talk this out in a loving way is very concerning. Since there seem to be some very deep issues here, I would really suggest marriage counseling. You both need to feel safe and accepted when something needs to be worked out, and counseling can give you that safe space.

It sounds like your husband was trying to sound witty at the spur of the moment, but the fact that this has hurt you is very valid. However, the fact that you can’t talk this out in a loving way is very concerning. Since there seem to be some very deep issues here, I would really suggest marriage counseling. You both need to feel safe and accepted when something needs to be worked out, and counseling can give you that safe space.

I think I'm an unusual case. I had RNY three months ago. I can eat almost anything, as long as it's in moderation. The only time I have "dumped" is when I foolishly scarfed down a bagel from Dunkin' Donuts when I was in a hurry to eat at work before a meeting. If I had chewed slowly and mindfully, and only eaten half the bagel with cream cheese, I would have tolerated it with no issues. I love my surgery. One of my worst fears pre-surgery is that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Mexican food again, which is my favorite food on the planet. I can! But I only eat about a quarter of what I used to, and feel very satisfied. PLUS I get a ton of yummy leftovers to take to work!
Here's my final take. The main reason why I love this surgery is that food is no longer this constant, mentally-intrusive, all-consuming desire for me like it used to be. I'm not consumed by gnawing hunger and spending all my free will just trying to keep the monster at bay. Food is just...food. I don't obsess over it. I'm not overly hungry. I just feel...normal. I still enjoy eating and a little goes a very long way. I feel like I have my life back.

Does anyone here regret having had gastric bypass surgery? I’m still in the preop stage. I keep hearing about the downsides: adhesions, forever being careful of what to eat, dumping, stricture, malabsorption, etc. I’m getting scared to move forward. Part of me feels like I can lose weight with my doctors help (I’ve already lost 40 pounds, 80 to go). The other part of me says okay, you have surgery and lose the weight then what?? You’re stuck with the side effects? I’m getting scared and about to talk myself out of it. I’d like to hear your story and of you had similar thoughts are you still happy with the surgery?

Hello everyone 😊

I am a new member here, i did my VSG surgey on 27 Sep, 2020🥳
I am almost 4 months out of surgery 💪🏻✨
Just wanted to say sorry if you can’t understand what I am writing since English is not my first language 🙈
I am from Saudi Arabia btw ❤️
I wanted to get VSG for the past 2 years and read about about it, watched a lot of youtube videos for people’s journeys.
I read about everything that could happen after the surgery and I thought I was prepared
But starting this month I felt less motivated and more fatigued than before I don’t know why
I can not eat very well I get full just by eating 2 bites and I can only finish half of the meal
like if I cooked 1 egg (medium) I can only eat half maybe with 1 olive 🫒
if I have a toast with sliced turkey I can only eat 1/4 of it
yesterday my dinner was 4 pieces of Pasta with feta cheese and small chicken breast cubes and could only have 3 bites only by for ing myself to get the third bite
I don’t understand, why am I eating and drinking so little? And is it really little or the correct portion?
I can only drink up to 1200 ml which is around 4oz. I can not drink anymore than that
still working my way to drink more 🙈
and every time I eat or drink i get a feeling like a pinch in my sides 🤷🏻‍♀️
I feel lazy and unmotivated, I just want to lay in bed all day


anyone went through the same as me at the beginning of surgery?💔

I have anxiety and overthink everything so I don’t know if what I am going through is really bad or not 🙈

@OAGBPal:
Oooooohhhh....MATH & SPREADSHEET time! I'm not an engineer, just a comp sci geek, but I love me some math & spreadsheets (don't judge me).
I always sorta cringe inwardly when I read posts of us comparing number of calories consumed and total lbs lost without taking other factors into account....specifically BMI (there are other factors, but those are beyond the scope of this post). Long ago I tried to push the math of this but I sensed all the virtual eyes of the collective glazing over, so I didn't push it further. But since you seem data-friendly, I present to you this (the fruits of my anality and boredom):
I took the liberty of pulling your stats from your profile, and looked up my stats at 2 months post op to do a side by side comparison:

**note: my LMM data was recorded at 2 months, 3 weeks...but close enough!)
First the obvious: You are a good foot taller than I am, and weighed roughly 30% more than me on our respective surgery dates (Plus you're male and I'm not)
While we started off at at a 5-point spread in BMI, at the two month mark, we were reeeeeally close in percentage of BMI points lost (m-17% vs o-16%)
Your lean muscle mass percentage at 2 months vs mine at 2 months is higher by 13%. So technically, I was fatter than you.
Now, what's not so obvious is that while I was consuming 500 cals at two months and you 1200, if we factor in just total LMM, the difference of calories per lb of LMM is 1.3 calories. Which, when applied to our respective spread in LMM, amounts to 133 calories a day.
So that means, based on our makeup of LMM, I was just eating the equivalent of little over 1 tbsp of butter a day more than what you are eating.
And when you take into consideration the fact that you are bigger/taller/higher LLM than me at 2 months, that difference of a tablespoon of butter is all but eliminated (if not more) as your BMR is likely way higher than mine was. You burn more calories just existing than I did. Plus you're a man and your metabolic rate is likely more efficient than mine.
Sooooooo....when people are shocked with the number of calories me and others eat/ate, consider the context. Context is KING. QUEEN.
Ta-da!
Added Notes: of course, this is a very simplistic view of it all and assumes that we have the same BMR, exercise habits, medical conditions, etc. etc., But you get the point, I hope.
P.S. I also hope I didn't make YOUR eyes glaze over...lolololzzzzz

I had to step back from all forums for a bit. Even after surgery I was second guessing and even starting to get depressed. I wasn’t reading anything negative or being attacked or anything. I just needed to stop reading everyone else’s experience. This surgery was about me and my family and being healthy again. Medical professionals helped me to make this choice after attempts that I failed at to loose weight. My wife and family were supportive with my other failed attempts and this was my next option.
As for the Covid aspect. If I was to get Covid at this weight I am more susceptible to being in the hospital anyway due to blood pressure and weight so... I’d be there either way. Why not go for the surgery and make it easier on the docs and nurses rather then go in with Covid. 2 days post op vs weeks with Covid. You are welcome docs and nurses.
But truely my stepping back from the forums for a couple weeks has helped me. As well as going to the doctors and listening to my trusted medical professionals. 

So don’t bariatric surgeons, bariatric nurses, and bariatric staff need work just like the rest of us? If they weren’t doing these procedures, what would they be doing to put food on their families’ tables? Are they supposed to become infectious disease specialists now just because of Covid? Docs gotta eat too! 😄

So don’t bariatric surgeons, bariatric nurses, and bariatric staff need work just like the rest of us? If they weren’t doing these procedures, what would they be doing to put food on their families’ tables? Are they supposed to become infectious disease specialists now just because of Covid? Docs gotta eat too! 😄

I'm an Army Veteran, I completely understand what you are talking about! I always was over on my weight, but passed tape. I was always worried about my weight. However, nothing beats the horror of saying you are a Veteran and at least THINKING you see a flicker of disbelief and disgust in the eyes of the person you're talking to. YES I understand the shame. The embarrassment of previously knocking out 50 push ups in 2 min, and then being 120 lbs overweight. I got you, girl! Well, I have lost 9O lbs, 30 away from goal weight right now. Still not feeling awesome, but it's slowly coming together. God bless you on your journey and be excited for what is to come!

You look ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! You look slender, fit, and toned.
But I 100% understand where you're coming from. In the past, I lost a lot of weight with WW and was still horrified to have my picture taken. I look back on those pictures now and I don't know what I was thinking. I looked great! I'm sure others around me also thought so too. But there's still a part of us that just can't see what others are seeing. We walk around with those fat goggles on and judge ourselves to death, not letting ourselves enjoy a single victory. I learned from that experience, though. I've learned that my self-perception will be faulty, so I should just trust how good I feel inside and what my wonderful body can do, and ignore the self-sabotaging little voice I hear when looking in the mirror. Because that little voice lies.

You look ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! You look slender, fit, and toned.
But I 100% understand where you're coming from. In the past, I lost a lot of weight with WW and was still horrified to have my picture taken. I look back on those pictures now and I don't know what I was thinking. I looked great! I'm sure others around me also thought so too. But there's still a part of us that just can't see what others are seeing. We walk around with those fat goggles on and judge ourselves to death, not letting ourselves enjoy a single victory. I learned from that experience, though. I've learned that my self-perception will be faulty, so I should just trust how good I feel inside and what my wonderful body can do, and ignore the self-sabotaging little voice I hear when looking in the mirror. Because that little voice lies.

I guess I was very lucky with this one. The people who knew and know about my surgery (or rather multiple ones) are/were usually curious but not hostile. When going to restaurants or ordering food for special events they usually ask what I can eat or not (I don't eat meat/dairy) and if I'm ok with the choice they made.
I can remember being at a fancy dinner after a meeting and one of my colleagues noticed me not eating that much even though the food was sooooo good (it was) and I freely admitted that I'd sometimes would like to be able to eat more, like e. g. tonight but that things are just as they are and that in the end it's not the end of the world. He asked some questions, I answered them and then we moved on to a different topic. I gave a damn that we we're surrounded by people. I'm not making it a secret, too much of a hassle.
Of course I can't look into their heads and I don't know if they're talking negatively about it behind my back.
I'm sorry to say so, but WLS patients are contributing to this stigma themselves by keeping their surgery a secret, sometimes trying to hide it at all cost and telling people they "just eating healthier and exercising" when asked about how they lost so much weight.
This "keeping it a secret" is usually explained with wanting to keep medical privacy. While I completely understand that medical history is private I still would like people to ask themselves the question if they would be as private about going to the dentist because of wisdom teeth surgery or having taken their gall bladder out. In fact "gall bladder surgery" is a popular camouflage for WLS as it seems, so "medical privacy" doesn't really seem to be the issue in the end.
There will always be toxic people in your environment. You can only try to get rid of as many of them as possible or at least limit contact to them as much as possible.
Regarding first dates with guys: maybe try to meet them for coffee first, not for dinner. No eating involved at all or maybe only something small.

My surgery is in a week. I am so scared and nervous. I have so many things running through my head. Will I ever be able to treat myself again? Will I be able to have a cocktail at a wedding or celebration? Will I be sick after surgery? Looking forward to meal prepping but scared I will mess up. My head is spinning! Fear and nervous, is it normal?
Sent from my LM-G710VM using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you for the kind words, guys. I am still feeling pretty emotional about MiL. 😢 It is surreal. She was almost 89 years old, and she had been ready to die for about 5 years due to horrible arthritis in her back (took no meds for it, stating nothing worked). We will miss her, but we are so glad there is an end to her suffering. I hate that it was COVID that finally took her out, but she literally had no health problems except the arthritis and some early dementia, and took no medications. She walked everyday, so we thought a fall or something random like being hit by a car would be her end. Thank you all for reading my ramble. It is therapeutic to think and talk about her. She appeared to be on the road to recovery from COVID when she suddenly went into respiratory distress and her lungs filled with Fluid. Still shocked at how this disease works. It is an ugly beast.
Wishing you and your families good health! ❤️

Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. It's totally understandable to get off track when you are grieving, but good for you for committing to getting back on track and reaching your goal.
You have done great! You look so skinny. From that picture, you don't even look like you have 20 pounds to lose!
Have you tried chelated Iron? It is supposed to be better absorbed by gastric bypass patients, and also easier on the stomach and not cause Constipation. I had iron deficiency before surgery, but I've been taking 36 mg of chelated iron per day (plus a Multivitamin with 45 mg of ferrous fumarate) and my latest labs were great. This is the chelated iron I take:
https://amazon.com/Nutricost-Chelated-Iron-Ferrochel-Capsules/dp/B0792MCYGW

It's totally OK to feel nervous before a surgery. That's completely normal!
I had a gastric bypass on 12/28 and I was feeling the exact same way. I was also concerned that I'd never be able to enjoy the foods I loved anymore. I'm only two weeks out from surgery and I feel confident that I will enjoy those foods again...but it's amazing how satisfied you'll be after smaller quantities!
The docs and nurses at the hospital will take care of you. I was given a bunch of pain medication even before the surgery began, and they came in frequently afterward to ask if I felt sick or in pain. They put medication directly into my IV when I felt ill or was starting to feel sore. I didn't throw up once (though I did gag when they made me swallow a Tylenol pill...they gave me liquid after that). The incisions didn't hurt much either. I slept on my side that night. DO NOT HESITATE to let your nurse know if you start to feel ill or are nauseous! They are there to take care of your comfort. I had Tylenol mostly because my pain was mild, but they'll bring out the big guns if you feel your pain is high. I think they gave me some good stuff in the middle of the night when I had some breakthrough pain. Mostly, I was exhausted and just slept.
I found the hardest part of staying in the hospital was trying to drink Water when that's the last thing you feel like doing. They brought in four 8-oz bottles of water and said I needed to drink them before going home. At the time, it seemed impossible...but you can do it! They also brought me in small meals (pudding, broth, Jello, apple juice) and made me sit up to eat when all I wanted to do is sleep and sleep.

Having just completed my 3rd week post op I wanted to post an update in case it helps anyone with a late December surgery date still in that first week.
I guess having read so many people saying minimal pain after Gastric Bypass, and felt recovered "pretty quickly"...left me with exaggerated expectations of my healing. I should have really asked a bit more of what is minimal pain mean, and what are the typical expectations days after surgery, a week after surgery...when do I not feel any pain?
The first week was definitely rough, pain was moderate (to me), meaning I felt every movement I made and was uncomfortable in all but a few positions. Day 8 for me was finally a point where I felt I could get up and down without much discomfort, and walk around for longer period of times with pain being too much. I declared I finally started feeling human.
Each day after that it gets....better. Not dramatically...just a longer slower upward trend than my patience and pain threshold was ready for.
I had no obligations to be anywhere for 2 weeks - and WAS SO THANKFUL I did that. I am back at work week 3 but definitely not at 100%. And I just sit behind a desk. I would say for just doing computer work for 8-10 hours I am at 75% of where I was pre surgery. And very worn and more hurting at the end of the day. From a physical standpoint of any type of real movement ie Hiking, or long walks...I'd say I am 40-50% of where I was...
So for anyone in those first 2 weeks wondering like I did why I am not up and feeling great....maybe this will be some type of encouragement. The key takeaway for me is...each day is an improvement...and taking time to heal is ok...it's not a race...a journey. Each body is different.
I am thankful for no real complications, and am very pleased at the initial weight loss I have experienced since prepping for surgery, and over the past several weeks. That is also helping to motivate...and know each day is a healthier me as well.
November 26th - 290
December 15 - 270 (Surgery)
January 6th - 245
I would have NEVER believed that was possible. So thankful there is a tool that can help me get my health under control. Hope this helps someone out there struggling through pain...just rest, do the best you can each day to stay hydrated..and time WILL PASS..and you WILL feel better. Just takes time...

Even great doctors can have some really crappy people skills. You should be VERY proud of yourself for being able to walk two miles. Holy cow...I had my surgery done on Monday and I can barely make it out of bed to walk in little circles and use the bathroom. He may be one of those people with black-and-white thinking: either you're going completely by his playbook or you're WRONG! He may just one of those people who's impossible to impress.

You: Hey, doc! So I just got accepted into the Olympics, found out I was the world's fastest runner, and I'm going to be featured on a box of WHEATIES!
Doctor: Yeah, OK...but I see you only drank 63 ounces of Water yesterday. I TOLD YOU 64!!!!