hauntedhideaway

5 hours ago, BlackBeauty734 said:

Congrats!!! Everything is going well, I do have hunger pains, but I'm sticking to the script!! Protein & Water an ounce every 15 min! On the bright side already down 12lbs! How awesome is that! Fastest I've ever lost weight in my life 🤣! What about you how much have you lost?

I have lost two pounds in the week and a half since surgery. It’s rather discouraging at this point. I’m trying to follow the diet as best I can, though I have had a few missed meals. My big problem is that I am taking two stool softeners together as directed by the doctor, and I haven’t had a bowl movement since surgery. It doesn’t cause me any discomfort but I’m quite worried. I’m going to call them again on Monday.

11 minutes ago, toodlerue said:

Did you add any liquid? The mayo is probably to thick to make a purée with chicken.

I did add some. The chicken got pushed to the outside of the container and wouldn’t actually chop up.

Hi, I started the purée stage the day before last. Today I tried to blend chicken and mayo in the blender I got. It didn’t do the job, even a little bit.
What good, cheap blenders could I get for delivery? I just had surgery Wednesday and I really don’t feel like walking all of Walmart just yet.

I am now on the Loser’s Bench. So far it’s been decent. Low pain (yay!) but I am dizzy, even hours after the anesthesia wore off. Lying down make me nauseous. My BP is up, where it is usually pretty normal. My blood sugar was elevated and they gave me an insulin shot. I’m not super worked up about it, but I’d like to hear others’ stories. How normal is this?

4 hours ago, happilylacey said:

Ugh sorry to hear it. I'm on Day 5 and I am so hangry. The first 4 days were worse though, I think I'm feeling slighlty better. Except for the random bouts of dizziness

Thanks. I’m coping better now but I could kill a pizza. Definitely hangry sometimes. Sorry you’re having trouble. Solidarity!

I'm wondering what in the world makes me think I can do this. What makes me think I can keep to the diet post op? I'm so lazy when it comes to cooking. I don't have a lot of spoons where that is concerned. I don't have room in my kitchen. I am not a good cook and I hate making anything vaguely complicated. I was ordering takeout two times a week until recently because I don't like cooking. Now I have to learn this whole new way of cooking and the mere thought stresses me out. I need cookbooks for idiots with no cooking skills, and I need more spoons. I hate cooking. I'm going to hate trying new recipes even more.

I know, I know. If I think I can't, then I can't. But I'm really torturing myself over this right now. I don't want to fail. I don't want to mess it up, but let's face it. I have failed every diet lifestyle change I have ever embarked on, even though I told myself that the change HAD to be forever. I don't know what the hell my problem is, and why I can't do it, but I haven't been able to do it in 41 years, and I don't know what makes me think that this time will be different. I read about people experiencing regain and it scares me. I have been fat my entire life. I started dieting when I was eight. I'm particularly miserable right now on this liver shrink diet, and I don't know what to do about it.

I know my diet won't consist of the same thing every single freaking day the way it does right now, nor will it be two shakes a day which leave me hungry or a salad that leaves me hungry. But it's reminiscent of every diet I've ever done, where I was hungry all the time, and eventually cracked. The smaller stomach will help with that.

I am, however, worried about my own proclivities. Just a small cheat here, just another cheat there, and the next thing I know I've undone any good I've done with the surgery and gained some or all of it back. I need someone to lie to me and tell me I can do this. That I'm not going to be a huge failure at this the way I've been for my entire life with dieting lifestyle changes. You're not a failure until you give up, bla bla bla. Maybe it's time to give up. Just keep in my tiny world of work and home until I die young because that's what I deserve.

I mean, why would I change the way I'm eating permanently? Eating garbage almost works. It almost fills that void, and if you have something that almost works, and maybe next time will be the time it works, why would you stop for something completely unknown?

I'm utterly miserable on this diet every day come dinner time and for the rest of the evening. I don't want to be utterly miserable on the new way of eating forever, nor do I want to do the inevitable thing of falling off the wagon and regaining some or all of the weight.

Maybe I'm just not meant to be a normal weight. I haven't been my entire life, what makes me think I can start now?

I know, I'm feeling awfully sorry for myself at the moment. Not sure what to do about it. Or if anything can or should be done about it? Am I going through all of this and spending all of this money for nothing? Should I even bother? I'm not just down about it. I'm in a panic about failing. So yeah. Lie to me. Tell me everything is going to be ok, and I'm not a perpetual eff-up.

September 8th here! I'm on day 4 of the liver shrink diet and I'm coping worse than I thought I would.

Hello,

I was pretty set and OK with spending like $100 a month for Vitamins that are specifically for bariatric patients until I wrecked my car. I have to make car payments on the totaled car, and the new car until the GAP insurance goes through and pays for the remainder of the loan. So basically I'm hard up. What is the cheapest way to do vitamins? My understanding is that I will need:

complete Multivitamin

Vitamin B12

Calcium with Vitamin D

Iron with Vitamin C

What can I do to keep costs down, maybe for just three or four months until I'm no longer shelling out an extra $420 a month for a car I no longer have?

Thank you for your help, and for listening to me complain.

Thanks! I didn't think of the clumping. I usually drink iced coffee anyway, but I will keep that in mind.

Hello!

My surgery date is 9/8. I'm trying to get ready for at least the pre-op diet (I know my tastes may change post-op), and I'm wondering if anyone's used the Aldi brand "Elevation" shakes? I've tried one and they're not too bad, and they seem to be comparable to the shakes they have at Walmart. They have 30 grams of Protein and 1 gram of sugar, which sounds alright. Also, can you mix them with anything? I'm wondering if I could mix the vanilla one with coffee or something to make a "fancy" drink.

I'm excited and nervous, and I just want to be sure I'm doing everything right!

11 hours ago, John M said:

The irrational fears I have are things like.. how the f**k am I going to get all my Vitamins if we have a zombie apocalypse?? Could I survive without them? Will I ever be able to eat a real meal again and enjoy it? Those are the things that go through my head now and before I had surgery. I know a day will come when I can eat regular food again and have some of the things I used to love. It just feels soo far away and right now I'm still in the phase 2 diet stage. So everything sucks and I just keep daydreaming about life 6 months from now.

I also have zombie apocalypse fears. And I agree—if something goes wrong and I die, I’ll be too dead to care. It’s like the bomb squad guy who says he’s successful or it’s not his problem anymore.

Hello,

I am having RNY on September 8th. On October 18th I am leaving town for a little over a week for 2 events: first, a work conference where food is provided. Then I will be spending the remainder of the week at my sister's, because that Sunday is my other sister's baby shower. Both are in the same city, so I didn't see the point in driving home for two or three days, then driving back.

That's a LOT of time away from my kitchen. I am doing a lot of research into various foods, and I'm trying to figure out what I can make at home, but I don't quite have that down yet. But I'm worried about what will happen when I DON'T have control over the food in front of me. My sister will try to be as accommodating as possible (she's awesome like that), but I don't want to disrupt her family life by requiring she make me special meals, or be trying to make food while she's also making food in a small kitchen.

I'm driving to their town, so I will have my car to take things with me. I'm wondering what foods/shakes/whatever I should be taking with me, and in what quantities? I should be on regular foods again, according to my surgeon.

Any other suggestions for traveling?

You all have been so helpful in the past! Thank you for being so generous with your time.

Hi!

I just got my surgery date today (Sept. 8!) and my mind is spinning with all kinds of things, everything from "can I afford Vitamins forever?" to "what should I take to the hospital?" I even wrote a blog post about some of my fears, https://amiabutterfly.blogspot.com/2021/07/hey-yall.html trying to get them all out of me. What worries did you have, rational or irrational?

Also, I will be in the hospital Wednesday night and Thursday night, going home on Friday of that week. The hospital is a bit far away, and I'm wondering what's a reasonable amount for my husband to stick around the hospital for? It's not that I don't want him there! But I was thinking he could stay for the surgery, and seeing me up to my room on Wednesday, go home Wednesday night, and then come back for me Friday? I'm not sure there'd be anything for him to do on Thursday, other than hang out with me being half asleep. Did you need the support? Or were you fine on your own? We have a dog, and I don't want to leave the dog on her own, or at a kennel too long (she's old and I feel bad for her). So I was thinking we'd leave the dog at the kennel Tuesday into Wednesday and that would be the only time she had to sleep over if we did that.

Sorry for thinking out loud, I'm just wondering what's reasonable and what's too much of a stretch?

Thank you for your responses, and generally being lovely people with my last post.

2 minutes ago, Creekimp13 said:

Indeed! Good luck at your appointment:)

Thanks!

Thanks! I've already done the psych appointment, their required class, and the nutrition appointments. They wanted that done before I even saw the surgeon. The order they do things in does seem weird.

Hello,

My first appointment with the surgeon is Thursday. I'm nervous and excited and generally not looking forward to the hour and 20 minute drive there. I am wondering what I should expect? I've met with the nutritionist. I've done my required three appointments monitoring my diet/habits. I have no idea if I should expect more surgeon appointments, or what comes next? I know I need testing done, but I don't know if that happens before or after you have a date set. What should I expect from the surgeon?

Thank you!

I'm not sure I had a tipping point. I think it was cumulative. But I sort of put it out of my mind for a while, because my old insurance didn't pay for it. My husband's insurance through work does, so I switched from my work's insurance to his, when he got his new job. I gave up after my last diet. I just threw my hands in the air and said "well, this is me, I guess." Even though the insurance is more expensive through his work (it's $660 a month for our share, versus the $100 I was paying at my job), I'm still grateful for the opportunity. (I'm pre-op)

On 6/23/2021 at 9:07 AM, jpeits52 said:

Thank you so much!

I agree with the above responses. The key to weight loss surgery is your complete commitment for life. You must continue the plan, keep the dr appointments And do NOT return to your previous eating habits. I am 68 y o and 2 years post-op. I feel better than I have in decades. I still eat 6 times daily. My labs are great and I still follow up with dr appts. Yes, it is a lifestyle change, but after all that is what it is all about.
Prayers for your confidence and success

11 hours ago, BigSue said:

Does she like tea? If so, you could do the same thing with trying a new tea every week.

P.S. That is such a cool idea. I only have one niece and she's far from me so I rarely get to see her in person. She's just a baby now, but I'm going to keep this in mind for when she gets older because I would love to do something to stay connected with her.

She does indeed like tea! It could be cheaper than international candy, too.

Hello, I am pre-op and I have a “habit” I need to change. Right now, my 10 year old niece and I meet over Zoom once a week and simultaneously try a snack from a different part of the world. I ship it from Amazon the week before so we both get it in time.

I’m wondering what else we can do. This bonding and shared experience has been really great during COVID and I don’t want to lose the shared experience, but it’s not sustainable as I approach surgery. I’ve thought of toys as a replacement, but neither of us really need toys every week. books would be great but I don’t want to pressure her into reading by a deadline or anything like that, especially while she is in school.

What else could we do that we could share, without mixing unhealthy foods into it?

Thank you all for answering my questions that I’ve posed so far!

Thank you!

Valid point.

Thank you!

Hi,

I've recently gotten through The Big Book on the Gastric Bypass, and I felt pretty secure in my decision to go through with it (my first appointment with the surgeon is July 8th). But a friend went on a diatribe, and now looking for more information. A few of the things she said:

-That people who've had weight loss surgery often have health problems because of the surgery (I know problems happen, but not at which percentages, etc)

-That these health problems lead to untimely death, such as heart failure from the low calorie diet, and that these deaths are not reported as being connected to the WLS, so the number of deaths from WLS appear lower than they are

-That the resulting reduced calorie intake is a starvation diet, and that's what leads to things like heart problems.

The Big Book on the Gastric Bypass had SOME statistics, but I felt it really could have had a lot more in the way of hard numbers. I'm wondering if anyone can point me to some data that might shed light on these points.

Thank you in advance for your help.