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Esi

Pre Op
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  1. Like
    Esi got a reaction from BeanitoDiego in "You look great - You're wasting away..." - Dammit I have 10lbs to lose....   
    I’m starting to feel this way. The scale has gone up or down 3-4 pounds for about two months now, and I think this may be the happy point for my body. It is within my surgeon’s zone of success, actually towards the lower end.

    And to the original post, it is hard to get in the right headspace to lose those last few pounds, but even if it occurred, the question is, could we maintain it forever?
  2. Like
    Esi reacted to Alex Brecher in Syntrax Nectar Protein Supply Issue?   
    I just got word that Syntrax Roadside Lemonade is BACK IN STOCK!! We will have it available for purchase at The BariatricPal Store within the next week.
  3. Thanks
    Esi reacted to Alex Brecher in Syntrax Nectar Protein Supply Issue?   
    They brought manufacturing in-house and it’s been taking them longer to get things going. All flavors will be available within the next few weeks.
  4. Thanks
    Esi reacted to catwoman7 in 2.5 years post op and gaining like crazy   
    a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after hitting your lowest weight is EXTREMELY common. It's just your body settling in to its new set point. That gain is not inevitable, but it seems to happen to the vast majority of us during year 2/3.
    if you don't like it, you can always eat less and lose it, but if your body wants to weigh around 148 lbs, then it'll be a lifelong struggle to keep it at 125. Is it worth the struggle? That's a question only you can answer. For some yes, for others, no. I finally gave up the ghost. It just wasn't worth it to me, and I'm at a healthy weight, so...???
    I am also 5'6". Our normal BMI weight range goes up to 154 lbs, so at 148 lbs, you're within the normal range. You're fine where you are. Your surgeon will almost certainly agree with that.
  5. Like
    Esi reacted to Merida in 2 years Post OP   
    Please don’t do a pouch reset. I’ve seen at least half a dozen bariatric dietitians explain why it’s so bad for you. You are only on fluids when you come home from surgery to help your pouch heal, not to lose weight. You’ll just be starving yourself and when you go back to solids you’ll gain. Just start tracking and make sure you’re hitting your macros and Water goals.
  6. Like
    Esi got a reaction from Blessd1 in Is anyone's spouse against WLS?   
    My husband was initially against it. He was afraid it wouldn’t work, or that I would regain the weight. However, he was supportive of my decision. Since I’ve lost the majority of excess weight, I think he is happily surprised. Time will tell if I can keep the weight off permanently.
  7. Thanks
    Esi got a reaction from ynotiniowa in Being a nurse with crazy hours   
    Shelf-stable snacks: Keto Cereal (no added sugar, low fat, like Catalina Crunch).
    Also sipping soup-to-go (check nutrition label, Butternut Squash Soup is good) if you can microwave for 1 minute.
    Mini-containers are great (4 oz. glass baby food containers, available online) for meal prepping. You can prep for the entire week and it makes it easy.
  8. Like
    Esi reacted to The Greater Fool in Being a nurse with crazy hours   
    I'm in IT which has crazy hours far too often. There have been multiple occasions when I went to work Monday morning and didn't leave the office until Saturday evening.
    I honestly didn't worry about exercise, though when I lost enough weight I did run quite a but. I found it mentally refreshing and it was a great start to the day.
    Everything about food in our situations is all about planning ahead:
    1) I prepared a week of work meals and have them packaged ready to grab and go. Make things you will really enjoy so that between your meal will win over anything at work. One of my favorite foods is Mongolian BBQ which I get from the local restaurant, which I can split easily into 4 meals. It was a great lunch on 'those' days;
    2) If Snacks are on your plan, handle them the same was as meals. My plan didn't include snacks so this was not an issue for me;
    3) Eating out wasn't a problem food-wise as there's always something on the menu that would fit into my plan and I'd still exercise Portion Control. Leaving food on the plate is not the end of the world. If it's really good I'd get the left-overs to-go and eat it again for the next meal (or three);
    4) Ordering out can be a bit tougher if your not ordering for yourself. If the food ordered can fit into your plan then portion control is the order of the day again. If the food doesn't fit into your plan then you don't have to eat the communal meal, just eat the meal your brought and socialize.
    5) Keep 'emergency' food in your private area. I keep a couple Hormel Beef Stews in my desk, no refrigeration required and they keep for months, and they don't taste bad. I just looked and the Beef Stews expire in Feb of next year. I don't keep snacks but if they're on your plan keep some snacks available that fit into your plan. I don't do Protein Drinks but here at work milk is available so I also have a couple zip locks with Protein Powder, again, just in case;
    Work very, very hard the first 3 months [6 is better] to stay on plan. You will get the positive reinforcement of losing weight. This is how your plan becomes normal and how you will eventually just naturally avoid things off plan.
    Good luck,
    Tek
  9. Hugs
    Esi reacted to ynotiniowa in Being a nurse with crazy hours   
    I'm four days away from my gastric bypass surgery! Since I'm a nurse (with experience as a pre and post op bariatric patients) my anxiety about the procedure itself is fairly low. Honestly, I was more terrified when I had oral surgery to remove my wisdom teeth lol The nutritional component and meal progression is second nature as I have preached it so many times to our patients. I work for the federal government and have been blessed with great health insurance so getting approval was a breeze (my provider submitted my info on a Monday morning and received the approval by early afternoon the same day). I am taking 5 weeks off to recover, time to go through the progression and some "me time". (which includes welcoming my 2nd granddaughter at the end of February).
    My concern lies with the fact that as a nurse, I work the craziest bizarre hours and how I can consistently coordinate the correct "good habits" while at work. My hours typically are 3:30pm to 8am (yes 16 hours evening into the next morning) and 11:30 to midnight (12 hours). I would love some feedback from other healthcare peeps who deal with the 24/7 demand in our field while maintaining adequate nutrition, exercise and keeping a schedule while at work, even when distractions or "train wreck" situations comes up on the job. My boss has been great and when I return I believe I'll mostly work 12 hours shifts (which will be a godsend so I can have enough sleep) but any advice on how to avoid falling back into the normal "pitfalls" that nursing can foster? Nurses literally are the worst snackers, vending machine finding, "let's order out" people ever!!!
    Thanks in advance!
    Jacki

  10. Like
    Esi reacted to SpartanMaker in Satisfying sweets cravings   
    Rather than determine what you can eat to "satisfy" that craving, maybe it would be better to try and first understand why you're craving sweets at all?
    Some thoughts on possible things that may be driving this feeling:
    Forbidden foods: If you think of sweets as "forbidden", this can actually intensify your cravings for them. You might need to rethink your relationship with certain foods if this is true.
    Stress or a desire to self-soothe: Stress as well as physical and/or emotional pain can definitely drive you to crave things you see as comforting. For many, sweets may do this because eating them can trigger endorphins and dopamine in your brain in the same way powerful illicit drugs can.
    Contextual associations: We sometimes associate certain food with certain things. Examples would be people that feel they have to eat dessert or the meal isn't "done". Another example would be people that eat popcorn at the movies.
    Boredom: Typically boredom doesn't drive specific cravings, but can absolutely drive you to eat when you're not really hungry.
    Nutrient deficiencies/poor hydration: While there's a lot of anecdotal references for the idea that your body will crave certain things if you have a specific nutrient deficiency, there's not much scientific evidence for this belief. (In fact there's a lot of evidence that it's not correct. If that was actually driving cravings, we'd all be craving kale and broccoli instead of sugary, salty, fatty foods) That said, there are studies that show both poor hydration or insufficient Protein or Fiber will increase hunger. In this case however, your cravings would most likely be less specific and more "I'm hungry", vs. "I want sweets".
    i think once you understand the WHY, you'll be better armed on what you can do to address the craving. In some cases, distractions like @Arabesque mentioned may actually work better than finding a sweet thing that "satisfies" your craving. In other cases, you might be better off eating off plan if the "forbidden" food is the culprit. Only you can really know what's driving this and how best to deal with it.
  11. Like
    Esi reacted to Arabesque in Satisfying sweets cravings   
    As you’re still on purée, maybe some apple sauce or yoghurt? You may find though that anything you eat is super sweet & not as enjoyable to eat at the moment.
    Head hunger is probably one of the biggest if not the biggest challenge we have to face. Cravings aren’t real hunger but your head looking for a way to sooth or comfort you. Why do you think you’re craving sweet? Is it boredom, emotions, stress, time of the month, etc.? Working out why you have the craving is the first step. Try looking for a distraction. Go for a walk, ring a friend, play a game, craft, read, check out your social media & this forum, & so on. Sometimes a warm drink can help.
  12. Like
    Esi got a reaction from learn2cook in Meal preppers - looking for some advice/suggestions   
    I second the Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
    If your grocery store has a seafood counter and will cook your seafood for free, baked salmon with a salt-free seasoning is terrific. Can be purchased over the weekend and divided for the week. Add some microwaveable steamed veggies.

    Baby food containers are perfect for our portion sizes. You can buy them online (they are made for people who want to make and store their own baby food).
  13. Like
    Esi reacted to PsychoMantis in old habits   
    The thing that works for me is not having that temptation around me in the first place. I just don’t buy it and keep it near me. Also playing virtual reality games can not only help keep you active, but busy. So busy that sometimes I forget to eat.
  14. Like
    Esi got a reaction from Lisa XO in Bariatric Pal store - Privacy Concern   
    Update: The latest return label is back to BP Store! Thank you! 😀👍🏻
    Unfortunately, the newer boxes being used (Netrition) have a larger Bariatric Pal printing…sigh…at least there are a couple other brands listed next to it. So it’s harder to assume. I would love a plain shipping option.
  15. Like
    Esi reacted to Bee kami in Regained it all   
    I am 20 years out and have experience just about everything that comes with having weight loss surgery. I am also a pharmacist and have been like a community resource for the docs in my circle. It was a struggle to keep the weight off and to get back on track after regain. sw 296 lw: 126 regain weight 177 cw 145-150. But it is possible.
  16. Like
    Esi reacted to SpartanMaker in Regained it all   
    It sounds to me like you've already identified some things you know you could change.
    I'm a big believer in making lots of small, but sustainable changes, rather than huge diet "resets". By that I mean, maybe for the next couple of weeks, you simply make sure you stop at only one glass of wine at night. Then maybe it's cutting the wine down to every other day, or maybe limiting yourself to 1 or 2 bags of chips a week. Try and make just one small change every 2-3 weeks until each small change becomes the new normal for you. Only then, add in another change. I think most people try to drastically change everything all at once and that rarely works.
    Again, I think you know what you need to do to get back on track, the trick is taking it step-by-step and turning the "bad" habits into good ones.
  17. Like
    Esi reacted to ShoppGirl in Regained it all   
    I have seen people on here who have gained back 30 or 40 pounds and they have been able to lose it. Your restriction should still be there. You most likely have just changed WHAT you are eating throughout all of those stressors. Change it back to your post surgery plan and you should lose. It will be a little more difficult because you probably have your appetite back but you can do it. I am saying all this for myself too as i have gained some back and I’m struggling to lose. I have an appointment set with an endocrinologist because I thought something may be wrong with my hormones because I didn’t think I was eating that bad but my husband told me last night he thinks maybe I have been splurging more than I realize (don’t quit tracking folks). I’m still going to make sure but I’m thinking that I’m right there with you.

    I have heard of people going all the way back to their liquid diet but idk if that extreme is necessary. I was thinking of going back to my liver shrink diet. It sort of detoxed me from all the junk and mine wasn’t too bad. Actually the more I think of it it kinda looks the same as the post surgery regular diet. It was mostly lean meat and veggies (just a little more veggies) with a couple shakes as best as I can recall. I guess what it really amounts to is just getting back on plan 100% for dinner with a couple shakes a day to cut calories a bit further. I am expecting the loss to be slower this time cause I can eat more now and I have my appetite so I can’t cut calories AS much but I’m hoping it will still come off eventually. I will be rooting for you too. We can do this.
  18. Like
    Esi reacted to ms.sss in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    I'm not sure being an "adult" has the monopoly on making good choices or being able to "stick to plan" or even understanding consequences. The thousands of posts on this forum alone is a testament to that.
    Its a very individual thing, though i do agree that for children/teens to have surgery available to them, there needs to be the buy in of the parents or guardians, unless of course the child/teen has the resources to buy their own groceries, cook their own food, transport themselves to appts etc (which more often than not, the probably don't).
    i always lean on not having a hard line to things, and mostly take things on a case by case basis. Of course there will be instances where in hindsight one would rethink their decisions, but that's life i guess.
    Now, would i have wanted surgery available to me as teen? It's a non-issue (for ME), as i didn't join the obesity club until my 30's. Would my mother wanted it for me? No. Would she have wanted it for my sister (who was overweight all her life and obese by her 20's?). Knowing my mother, who is/was always about looks and weight, probably. But would my sister have wanted it? Would she have been able to say no to my mother if she didn't?
    Tough call.
  19. Like
    Esi reacted to pintsizedmallrat in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    If it's accompanied by extensive conversations with a psychiatrist to ensure this is the patient's own decision and not their parents forcing them into it, I don't see a problem with an older teen having the surgery. I would be concerned that a child who has not yet reached their adult height/puberty yet might experience undesirable side effects like stunted growth.
  20. Like
    Esi reacted to Sunnyer in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    I wasn't obese as a teen and hardly overweight either. so I personally would not have qualified or wanted to have surgery. I think the recovery would be hard on a teen and that bariatric surgery is not a good option for teens unless they are severely obese. Children should not be on diets either, in my opinion. I think a lot of my weight problems stem from going on a diet as a teen, even though I was not technically overweight. I developed an unhealthy relationship with food and started binge eating.
  21. Like
    Esi reacted to SpartanMaker in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    Here's my two cents:
    Obesity is a medical condition and bariatric surgery has proven to be the most successful long-term treatment option. I'm surprised that even among those of us that have had WLS, we sometimes still act like it was needed due to a lack of willpower or some sort of moral failure. We really have to get over that and acknowledge obesity as a disease state that sometimes requires surgical treatment.
    To me, it follows that many children also suffer from obesity and that it would be morally wrong to withhold effective treatments options. I wouldn't withhold cancer treatments from a child, so why would it be okay to withhold WLS from children if we know that it can effectively treat their disease state?
    Regarding all the comments about can a child understand the need or what's required long-term, that really feels like a red herring. Just like we all had to show that we were ready for surgery by jumping through various hoops like psych evals, nutrition visits, & documentation of past diet failures, I would expect the same to be true for children. Those children or parents that aren't ready would be disqualified, just like some people can't or won't complete all the requirements as adults.
  22. Like
    Esi reacted to The Greater Fool in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    A teen would not have the slightest issue following my surgeon's plan. Heck a grade schooler could handle it.
    Having been a precocious teen I tend to believe teens are generally able to handle themselves as much as adults generally. If I had really wanted such a surgery and made a good case demonstrating I understood the impacts my parents would have supported me.
    My greater worry would be parents. The overbearing parents that push their kids into things they don't want or require and the Milquetoast parents that give their kids every whim. Neither situation is healthy for kids.
    All this really depends on the individuals and family dynamics. Should we really stop the people that can deal with this stuff rationally because some people can't? As with other controversial teen surgeries it seems thorough psychological evaluation should be part of the process.
    There is no one size fits all answer to these things.
    But I am long past having to worry about this for me and my kids. I'm in the peanut gallery for everyone else.
    Good luck,
    Tek
  23. Like
    Esi reacted to catwoman7 in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    back then, no. I was "overweight" as a teen, not obese, and the surgeries back in those days weren't nearly as safe as they are today. If I was a teen NOW, with the safer surgeries, I probably still wouldn't since I wasn't all that overweight. If on the other hand, I was really obese (and we're talking really obese - not 20 or 30 lbs) - not sure. I doubt I would have had the discipline to stick to the rules and guidelines at that age, so maybe not.
  24. Like
    Esi reacted to kcuster83 in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    Ok, so I have been obese just about my entire life.
    Here is my take, obesity is a problem at all ages and comes with a plethora of other issues. (mental and physical) But, lets think about us as adults for a minute, how much there is to understand. The rules, the regulations, the understanding of nutrition, counting calories, monitoring Protein and Fluid intakes, being sure to take all our vitamins... etc!
    Now, as a child do you think you could keep up with that? Do you think we could have even understood the seriousness of all of it? Of what could happen if we don't take Vitamins and become deficient in something? Even, the potential complications from surgery short term or life long?
    As a child, I feel like it would be up to the parents to monitor and regulate foods, vitamins and comprehend everything that the child would have to maintain.
    So, why doesn't the parent just do that before surgery is required? If the parent is prepared to do that after surgery than why haven't they before surgery is even needed? If healthy habits are established at the parenting level then they (parents) already understand healthy diets and regulation of calories etc. Which in turn would naturally be passed down to their children.
    I am not saying this is perfect and some kids refuse to eat anything but mac n cheese.. but those kids aren't going to succeed with WLS anyway if that is the case so why?
    If the parents do NOT understand healthy eating habits, then how are they prepared to help their child any differently after surgery?
    As adults, we fail and we have the capacity to understand why.
    I just don't believe a child is able to maintain this lifestyle without a parents who are prepared to basically do the same exact thing.
    Although, I do believe some children may really need the help of WLS I just do not believe they can maintain it without the parent taking complete control (up to a certain age).

    Me as a child or teen I really don't think so. When WLS first became a thing, my best friends dad had bypass and it damn near killed him. He went from 700 lbs to around 100 and in a wheel chair in less than a year. Everything that could have went wrong did. Life long complications. I remember it scared the **** out of me! I remember it was a sole reason I waited so long to have surgery myself. Every time I considered it, he crossed my mind. He was the only person I knew for years that had it and it destroyed him.
    Then, as time went on I knew other people but literally NONE of them were successful. For whatever reason, lost and gained it all back, didn't loose, didn't follow the plan, didn't understand. I don't know but I know that every story I was aware of was not a positive one.
    Then my doctor actually suggested it, I started looking into it again. Researched the best surgeon around, researched every potential risk, benefit. Read for months on these forums and every article I could find online. Talked to people I knew, and had very transparent conversations about why they didn't succeed. I learned, and realized that I wasn't those people and decided to move forward.
    Here I am, 9.5 months later. Kicking a**.
    But me as a teen, I don't think so. I don't think teens are mature enough(and I was a VERY mature teen) to deal with all the changes and I don't think the parents are prepared to take control or they already would have.

  25. Like
    Esi reacted to qtdoll in New AAP Obesity Guidelines   
    This is hard. I weighed in the 160's in middle school & was dealing with undiagnosed PCOS & thyroid issues (& I played sports) - By high school I was in the 180-190's. I would have LOVED the help, those years were so hard & being obese only amplified that.
    But at the same time, I think dealing with SUCH a strict diet at that age could be risky. I feel like going from a regular teenage diet, to one of the most strict diets out there could maybe have a negative impact psychologically, I've read stories about ED's developing from less. I personally don't think I would have been able to handle such a drastic change during those years.
    If anything, I HOPE there is a larger emphasis on psych care for younger patients. It's such a huge & permanent life decision & I'd want this to go as smooth as possible for them. But in the end I think with proper care & proper education it could go well. It'd be nice to read a story of a teen with a happy ending 😌

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