FutureSylph

Yep, what ShoppGirl said. If you hit trouble with any stage, going back to previous stages is fine. Hope you feel better soon!

I had my "last hurrahs" leading up to my pre-op diet. What I'm going to be doing before I begin my nil-by-mouth is enjoy guzzling Water, because I know I won't be able to do that again. Just that sensation of downing a large glass in one go. Adieu, ol' guzzle!

9 months post RNY. Down 135 since surgery. Down 184 from HW.
***I've begun actively selling and getting rid of my old clothes. It's hard. It's a thing. I was attached to that wardrobe and there was a lot of time and money invested in finding clothing that fit, clothing that was for different weight fluctuations (or ever increasing), fit my needs and was as flattering as possible given being morbidly obese. There was clothing for work, special occasions, and travel. I should have gotten rid of items starting long ago. But I notoriously hang onto things "just in case," and then when I finally get rid of them, I want them a week later. And there is the ever present fear of failure of needing big clothes again someday. But, it was time........I'm also being selective where my items go, and I'm lazy. I would like to get some money where possible but will donate to the right cause. Despite hearing over and over that places gladly accept plus-sized clothing, I'm not finding that to be the case. I don't live in a metropolitan area where there are lots of options. The one women's shelter in town was not interested as they have no place to store clothing. Our one consignment store is a bit sketchy. You get the idea. I posted some items on social media (even that is more work than I am really interested in, so Poshmark, Mercari or the like is off the table). Long story short....a lady purchased some of my favorite items. I didn't ask for much money for them. I'm sure I could have gotten more but by this point, once I've made the decision to clean out, I just want them gone. I also let her take a great many items that had been altered but not professionally. Items that I didn't feel that I should charge for. She was so grateful and so excited. I was thrilled to see someone as excited by the nicer items as I once was. Having some of the clothing gone is liberating and I'm glad to be moving forward. I think the clothing was a security blanket of sorts that I just needed to be ready to let go of.
***I had my first appointment with a therapist. So glad I did that. I had some very specific qualifications I was looking for as well as having experience with bariatric patients. She is a perfect fit and was able to help me process some of my feelings and progress.
***As always, am grateful for the level-headed and accurate advice received here.

I was shopping at costco today and walked up to a display of down vest type jackets. There was a woman looking at them as well. As I was digging through the pile she said “Oh, I already looked-they’re out of smalls in all colors”. Even two years post op it surprised and delighted me to have a stranger look at me and assess me as a size small. It made my day 😊

Ohhhhhhh Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh.
Now we're talking.
Those look amazing. I swear I can smell them off my screen..
More dessert porn please!
Sincerely,
The Dessert Lover.

Lisa, there are a variety of potential causes for abdominal pain, some serious, others not so much. You should call your surgeon or PCP, as none of us on a forum can help you with that. Do call!

Well I’m home thank goodness. I’m having more pain than I expected but he fixed a hernia and did a liver biopsy so that may be why it’s hurting more. I’m so glad to be home. It’s a lot easier to get to the bathroom from my recliner than from that hospital bed. I haven’t noticed much gas pain, just pulling on the incisions. And I’m feeling better mentally. Being home just makes everything better.

My VSG surgery was Monday September 13th. I'm now officially 3 days post-OP! I am currently experiencing no pain, just a little bit of gas due to them having to pump me up with gas for the procedure. The trick to relieving this is WALKING! I'm kind of having an issue with my Fluid intake tho, but other than that I am one happy camper and sooooo excited to start this new chapter of my life!

Candlelight is your friend.

Hi Leslie, welcome to BP. I have been on the emotional rollercoaster (my surgery is in... uh... 36 hours) and it is totally normal. But honestly, finding this site has been a lifeline for me, I would almost certainly have chickened out otherwise.

I have had to purée meat before when taking care of someone with eating issues, and the Magic Bullet (which sounds like something very different but really is a blender) is top notch.

It really depends how much you like what your current therapist is doing outside of the weight topic. If you feel like you want her to be in your life, then just don't talk to her about weight loss and use bariatric support groups for that.

If she's turning into one of these preachy, teetering-on-the-edge-of-anti-science types, maybe now's a good time to thank her for what she's done for you and find someone who aligns better with your goals. It is YOUR life and not open to anyone's—not even your therapist's—judgment.

That's the hardest thing about counting calories for me -- I'm really good about logging foods before I eat them, but not so great at judging afterward how much I didn't eat. Sure makes it hard to be accurate.

From what I understand, yes...very normal.
I'm almost 3 years out and can STILL rival the burpings of a teenage boy.

That's the hardest thing about counting calories for me -- I'm really good about logging foods before I eat them, but not so great at judging afterward how much I didn't eat. Sure makes it hard to be accurate.

That's the hardest thing about counting calories for me -- I'm really good about logging foods before I eat them, but not so great at judging afterward how much I didn't eat. Sure makes it hard to be accurate.

I thought I was near the home stretch, but my clinic has come to a screeching halt with the hospital postponing all non-emergent surgeries again due to the past month's pandemic spike. (sigh)

How kind of you to say so! I felt bad that you seemed to take my post in a way that I didn't intend. Apology accepted and returned, since I must have written it poorly to have it misconstrued. I hope your day improves. Peace.

It's not "lying" to choose not to disclose surgery, especially to prying questions. (A better name for this thread would be "To Disclose or Not to Disclose," in my opinion.) Lying would be telling an untruth: "I had liposuction 27 times!" Come to think of it, that's not a bad answer -- but I'm planning to use a cool "I don't care to discuss it publicly" for unwelcome questions.

Try different temperatures until you find what your new body likes. I'm still pre-op, but I'm practicing tiny sips for post-op. I find I can drink a lot more Water if it's chilled but not ice-cold. Try room temperature and warm, too. Good luck!

Sorry for my grumpy post. I have no valid excuse just a very bad day etc. I’ll leave it so I can remind myself of how I can act if I don’t think and instead react. I apologize futureselyph, your points are valid.

No apologies needed -- I'm always interested!

You've lost 95 pounds in six months and you think that's slow? How much were you expecting to lose by now? I'm not trying to be snotty; I'm seriously asking why you're devastated rather than thrilled.

I’m 64 now, and had RNY surgery 8 years ago when I was 56. My surgeon told us that you have a window of about 1 year to 18 months to lose the weight you want - thereafter the ghrelin levels in your stomach and gut (which are disrupted by the surgery) increase. Ghrelin is known as the ‘hunger hormone’ because (amongst other things it does) it triggers hunger. Shortly after RNY surgery you may feel hungry, but this soon passes and you have a ‘honeymoon’ period where you don’t, where you need to build up to a health and sustainable diet. The other thing is that your tiny pouch will stretch in time (the stomach acts as a muscle) and if you consistently eat too much you’ll get a bigger appetite back. It is unusual, but not unknown, for someone to put all the weight back on that they lost from RNY surgery. Of course, why do that to yourself? Probably because you have not sorted out an unhealthy relationship with food.
Another thing I was told was to exercise, to prevent muscle loss and encourage weight loss. To be honest I didn’t do enough of this. However, from BMI of 35.7 and weight of 190lb (at 5’ 1”) I dropped to my lowest weight of 105lb and BMI of 19.7 at 14 months after surgery. That was nearly half my bodyweight lost. I stayed at 112lbs or under until April 2015, when very, very slowly I put on a bit of weight over each year, I guess as my appetite and tolerance grew. By January 2021 I had been just under 140lb for 3 years, but wished I could be less. Then came cancer treatment and radiotherapy to my entire abdominal area. Left with nausea and no appetite at all, I gradually built back up to eating a healthy diet. I lost 16lb in a few weeks with sepsis in March, but after recovery have lost more through cutting back on carbs and walking every day, to get back to my prime 112lb - and this is where I want to stay!
It may be harder to lose weight after the menopause but the equation is still the same - too much food in and not enough energy out = slow inevitable weight gain; keeping to what you need (or slightly less) and more energy expended = slow loss. We have a wonderful tool to help us achieve this - which is very hard for an individual with a normal stomach. Plus we have absorption issues, and potential to suffer if we eat too much fat and sugar (especially at once). We can use this tool to achieve our goal, and use it alongside lifestyle changes to maintain it, whatever our age.
😊

Keep in mind, that isn’t a real gain - your body just went through a major trauma. I “gained” 10 lbs 3 days post-op. It came off, and then some. They pump you full of fluids when you are hospitalized and your body is trying to adjust. I was on liquids for a week, then purée for 2 weeks. I would stick with strained Soups and Protein drinks and Greek yogurt. I would suggest starting with a quarter cup and see how it goes. Eat that very slowly and stay off the scale for a few weeks. Also, be sure to drink your Water.