learn2cook

This is huge! What a great accomplishment getting through chemo, and then still working towards good health. When you’re not tired you’ve got to be proud of yourself, so we’ll done you!

Welcome, welcome, welcome! I think I already saw you on other posts on here. Yes, generally this is a very positive place. We’re all working hard on our goals towards good health. And yes our goals are unique to each individual but it’s nice to encourage each other. I hope you feel encouraged too!

Congratulations on your surgery and welcome to the forum. I felt cool or cold the whole first year, but in general I do run warm. Everyone is different so you will have your own way. I had to learn to drink slower. Every once in a while I guzzle some water on a hot day…and I feel the pain. Drinking less water, but more often is normal for most of us, especially in the beginning. If you can’t get enough water in contact your surgery team.

Yes, check with your doctor about the jaw and light headedness. Please don’t go to strange outside sources you’ve never met and don’t know you. Call your surgery center. Yes, the cravings do ease up immensely! Sometimes I still get a KFC craving and when I think of what I ate, I wasn’t getting all my protein yet. You’re still in the early days trying to get your liquids and electrolytes and basic protein. Call your real doctor not an internet stranger.

Celebrate the wins! All those people that we’ve lost over the years would be happy and proud of us for making health a priority. Life is hard, and you’ve done good on this!

I’m glad the pounds are starting to move off of you! Momentum helps so much with healthy habits. Keep asking questions and getting stuck in stalls (and life) is normal.

Yes yes yes happy surgiversary and birthday!!! You look great. I love hearing about maintenance. I hope you have a wonderful laughter filled time with your friends!

I think the smaller sizes didn’t weird me out too much because I lost weight slowly. I’ve noticed the vanity sizing affecting more clothes that are less well made (based on thrift store finds). I instead went down a rabbit hole about finding styles that look good on me. That one is still a work in progress. I used to pick clothes because it “covered the important bits.” Finding flattering styles is tricky!

Welcome and hello! My journey started with calling the different weight loss centers in my area and seeing if they take my insurance. I researched the doctors, procedures, and programs. The introduction to the programs were all online. The glp-1 medications were not available then, so there’s more information now. My weight loss took off when I started meeting with the dietitian. She recommended the book “Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies” and this site here was recommended in it. So, ask away, lurk, learn. Most of us are healthier and grateful for surgery and all the newer methods. I wish I had done it sooner!

I wish you well in all the ways possible.

Are you a bot? Your old 300lb body was telling you something about your health. Here’s the truth. Don’t follow any recommendations for health and fitness. There, you will gain the weight back exponentially. The next time you try to be healthy again, it will be near impossible, even with surgery and medication. I thought you wanted a child? Isn’t modeling for that child healthy habits good parenting? You can do hard things. Ask for a therapist, dietitian, medical reports, take child care classes, marriage counseling, run away from abuse, get post partum care. Do it for your kid if you won’t do it for yourself.

Hey, you’re not alone. I asked for help from my dietitian. I went to meetings with other bariatric patients. I watched videos online. I got a therapist. Obesity is a disease and if one thing isn’t working, go to your doctor and tweak something else. I found I have to weigh and measure everything. I prep my food. I’m really boring and do better when I eat mostly the same things for breakfast and lunch. I’m someone that needs to eat breakfast. I have to have a regular schedule most days. When I need to loose weight, I need to also concentrate on more aerobic activities, very low weights. What you need for you is going to be very individualistic for you. In the bariatric groups I attend or stream, one person got the DS portion done. One person uses gl-1 meds, another need’s metformin. A different person needed more yoga and Pilates and made it her career. Another person found starting her day with morning mass and volunteering in the community filled her with energy that wasn’t food. My coworker got a dog that needed lots of walks AND agility training. She got back to goal and found a stress relief and joy. So you’re going to have to do some research on yourself, because getting healthy and staying healthy is a multi pronged approach. It’s a little like finding the right combination of medical, physical, emotional, spiritual tools, and realizing the ruby red shoes on your feet can help. You can do this!

Hi Lisa, I’m so sorry you’re struggling. You are not alone and there is always hope! I agree with @SpartanMaker above. I am post menopausal and that peri-menopausal and immediate post time is so tricky. There may be some other reasons for continuing weight gain and stagnant loss. As a sped teacher, I always look at crossing out medical issues first. So thyroid, PCOS, fibroids, and endometriosis should probably all be ruled out. I too am a sooth with food comforter. I had therapy that was very specific to me, related to eating disorders. My counselor helped me with body dysmorphia,and feeling good about making positive choices. For me, I had to stop tracking. I pretty much stick to keto with some veggies. I reached out to TOPS and OA for advice and most people there kind of came to the same conclusions. Many women found they needed to keep taking Metformin to help with genuine continued hunger. They were peri menopausal and we wondered if their doc didn’t snip as much stomach off as the ones from my clinic. (We compared notes.) In the end, we were all fighting for our health and there was no shame. Asking for help is the best sign that things will turn around for you too! I found an affordable therapist in psychologytoday.com It sounds like insurance might cover yours through your clinic. I had to pay out of pocket but it was well worth it.

Welcome! As you can see from your other posts here this is a positive community that encourages each other in good health, all kinds. We are not doctors, just regular people working hard at getting/being healthy who have had weight loss surgery (WLS). Surgery and the left style changes are still really hard work. I’m glad I got it and wish I had done it sooner. There’s no guarantees that diabetes will be reversed but there’s a strong chance, and you will know you have honestly tried your very best to beat it. Glad you are here!

You’ve started already by admitting the gain, I usually restart with making sure I get my water. I track it, or get a new bottle, get some sugar free flavor. I have a chunky solid ring that I wear as an anchor for my thoughts. When I I get distracted thinking negative thoughts, I take off the ring and give it a little polish cleaning the ring and my brain. Sometimes I just twist the ring to “clean my brain.” Those two things get me started on the right path. Ps. I’ve recently seen some really positive videos on YouTube about reversing osteopenia and osteoporosis based upon scientific research. When you are ready for them, you can start. But for now, you are not alone in dealing with “surprise body stuff.”

I got/get the cramps too. I did talk with docs and dietitian and they suggested magnesium supplements and electrolytes. It solved most issues, but sometimes I still get cramps right after having a simple carb. It will happen even after taking protein in first. Apparently the sugars need more water to process so my body floods the simple carbs out and throws off the electrolytes. So I plan my occasional intake and have a prune and bottle of Fairlife protein milk ready on hand for when the cramping starts. I do also take 400 mg Magnesium Nature Made supplement in the evening regularly . I lived high altitude for a decade and it did happen more often then. My WLS doctor said I have avoided sweets so long now due to wanting to avoid dumping, that I’m super sensitive. I usually use Gatorade Zero powder in my water too. Side note, anyone else interested in researching whether cramping from carbs is more prevalent with diabetes or pre-diabetes? I had an elderly friend who inadvertently died from a cramp. She tried to walk off the cramp, broke her leg, gangrene and blood clots did her in,…it does make me wonder about the simple carb and blood sugar relationship and electrolytes relationship to muscle cramping.

Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t see this earlier! I hope you have talked with your doctor. Any new pain is not normal. Maybe your new ADHD medication is causing problems? My son got gastrointestinal problems from Vyvance. I wish you well!

@Dub it takes great courage and dedication to admit mistakes and do the work. I don’t even know you and I’m so proud of you! It looks like you needed to include one thing, music, and once that was reestablished, you could keep the ball rolling. I agree. I pick one thing when the major sh!t happens. First feel, then breathe, or drink water, or sing. I have to let it re-habit, then I can add more good choices once it’s a habit. You’ve got this!

I tried the green tea thing back in the 90’s. It made me regular. That was it. If you like the taste try using it to have less coffee because there’s less caffeine. I love the flavors Celestial Seasonings had, but my favorite is a minty green tea. Sometimes I use to use it after a meal to signal to my brain that eating done. It was the minty taste like toothpaste that was the signal. It’s an old weight watcher’s trick, use a minty thing like gum, tea, toothpaste to learn to stop. It hurts to drink after eating now so not a good choice. Trader Joe’s had some nice green tea choices too.I like a bag in my water bottle to add flavor. It doesn’t cause weight loss. It could make you drink more water.

Cars have computers? I totally get you. White flour, processed sugar stuff just makes me dump. Even in small amounts I get crabby. Peace to you on your journey ☮️

After the initial giant weight loss, your individual blood tests dictate what you actually need.

There’s no rush. Maybe a Sadi might be a better option? Take your time.

I do think I had/have an addiction to using food for dealing with negative emotions. It took a lot of therapy. I recently had some bad news, and found myself ruminating on where I could take a walk outside. So, I’m glad I seem to have transferred to exercise, but I enjoy making music too (not very good, just fun). So, there is help. I loosely follow a 12 step for over eaters and surrender to a higher power. After surgery the “food noise” is gone, and I choose to waste my negative brain space by envisioning exploring outside. My actual time outside is 5-60 minutes, nothing that is destructive. The transfer is more about ruminating. That’s just what works for me. Addiction is tricky and strong, and very individual. Peace.

Lately mine’s been up due to strep and a stressful new job. It’s coming down but taking its time. My Dr knows what’s causing it, and I’m tweaking my personal habits (like using meditation) to make it better. Sounds like you’ve been talking with your doctor. My BP generally stays low until there’s some kind of infection or virus.

What an amazing life! Thank you for sharing. There is a great YouTube channel that touches on many of the issues you wrote about in a sensitive and caring way called @cults to consciousness . You are not alone, and you are a real hero! Thank you for sharing your courageous story!