Possum220

If you had surgery 4 days ago then your insides will be a various stage of healing and are probably a little swollen from fluids that are a natural consequence of major surgery. Any concerns should be directed to your surgeon.

I have never heard if this before. What is your fluid intake over the course of a day? Are your meals especially salty or sugary? Do you have diabetes? Have you been tested for diabetes. I do get thirsty when I have had too much sugary/salty foods but I am a diabetic. When I return to taking better care of my food and fluid intake it seems to get better.

Certainly don't think less of you. This is major surgery. You are normal to be scared. Then again think of what life would be like long term if you didnt do this. Maybe that is more scary? I know at that time before I had my RNY I didnt want to go on living entombed in my own body. I had this surgery in May 2022 and the surgeon also repaired a hernia at the time. (A few years prior I had another hernia fixed and that was very painful on it's own). I woke up in lots of pain (so maybe some of the pain was from getting the hernia fixed) but I was given lots of pain medication. The staff dont want you to be in pain either. So yes it was very rough but pain meds and heat packs eased the intensity. High end pain killers were needed for the first few days and then less and less over the next few weeks. And for the record I would rather be a little sleepy if it eases the pain. I needed to remind myself that it would get better and it did. Short term pain for very long term gain. Truly your journey will be yours and your alone. You may be in pain or you may not. You may have complications or you may not. I would also hope that the medical profession have learned more in the time since your mom had this operation. You wont know how it will be for you until you do it. PS - I would go through this again in a heartbeat. There is freedom again,

700 calories is not enough but that is easy to fix. Check in with your dietician for suggestions. Add a protein bar and a few nuts over the day or even a tube of yogurt. Small snacks.

Your surgeon would be the best one to ask that question due to their expertise in this area.

The lactose in the shakes can cause people to poop badly. There is something to take to help with lactose intolerance but I dont know what it would be called in the US. This might be something to ask at your meeting. There is also another preop diet to follow for those who are lactose intolerant. But that would normally be suggested by the dietician. Not sure why it wasnt suggested for you. Again another question for the meeting. I was not allowed fruit in my preop. If you have IBS you may find that certain fruits/foods may not agree with your tummy. Its all trial and error to find out what the culprits are that are affecting you. Fruit/vegies that have a high seed/fiber content were a no no for me before my RNY. Kiwi fruit, Zucchini, stone fruit, grapes etc are a bit of a problem but after you have the bypass you may find that you have the opposite problem and these fruits/vegies will help things to move along. It is all a bit of a learning curve. If you were to go an do it on your own these are issues that you would have to face anyway with having IBS so there no point is ditching the op at this stage. It is not part of their remit to even say "well if you cant handle it you may become malnourished". This statement smacks of shaming. It is their job to educate you in navigating it all. The RNY job is to make our bodies less capable of absorbing nutrients/calories from the food. This process is called malabsorption. This is the reason that you will be taking bariatric vitamins for the rest or your life. You will require blood tests on a yearly basis for the rest of your life to check that your body is being given the correct amount nutrients and head off any long term issues. Eating well and taking care of your body is something to focus on. I have been listening to the podcasts of The Bari Chronicles. You may find the Vitamin episode helpful. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-bari-chronicles/episodes/Multivitamins-Nutrition-For-Weight-Loss-Surgery-e2eduqv (Also available on apple podcasts. I hope it all goes well at the meeting.

I had heard about the honeymoon period at the start of it all. Didnt really think much about it at the time. But this has smacked me hard.The honey moon period is well and truly over. Reality is kicking back in. I had the RNY back in May 22. Since then I have lost 60 kg or 132 pounds. I had Covid for Christmas. I have managed depression and anxiety for decades now. In the last month my anxiety and depression have flared up something chronic and I am stuffing food into me as if I had never had the bypass. I am loathe to weigh myself and I can feel my body change again. Food addiction is real and I am terrified that I am going to regain all the weight I had lost. I dont want to be trapped in my own body again. I want my muscles to be strong. I dont want the panic attacks to dominate me again. Right now I feel distended and hopeless. Has anybody else tackled this point. I dont want to be overtaken by a Tsunami of food and shame and guilt. Who eats food off the floor? Who eats food out of a bin? I want the control back. Is it too late now that the honeymoon is over. Has anybody else tackled this time and won? Anybody? Anywhere?

Thanks for the hug @summerseeker I very much appreciate the hug. Hugs are so much better than food. @catwoman7 I have tried Trulicity (same as Ozempic) some time ago. I had serious side effects and couldnt continue on it. But that doesnt mean that I cant ask my doctor about any other options. @BigZ- I do believe I need to see a psychologist/therapist. i have an appointment with a dietician tomorrow. Maybe they can point me in the right direction to the right person. @NickelChip I took your advice and weighed myself this morning. I will face 2.7 kg. So much easier to face this gain than trying to ignore a much bigger gain. I went for a walk for 30 minutes. @BigSueI will check out the podcast. I really appreciate ALL the responses. There are some really wise words in all this. @ChunkCat@Arabesque@Jeanniebug This is a journey that really doesnt end hey? I need to take care of myself in a good way. The self talk is something that I have always struggled with too. The honeymoon might be over but I determine where this marriage is headed. If it has to be a lifelong struggle then I would rather do it without all that extra padding. I am not giving up without a fight. I will be coming back to this page to pick more gems. Thankyou.

Eat what you enjoy the taste of. That goes for all food not just cheese. I eat cottage cheese because I like it. I eat tasty cheddars because they have a little kick. No point in eating anything that you cant taste. I have shaved parmesan. Our food is restricted. Enjoy the things you can eat.

Good that you caught it early. Maybe check back in with your dietician and get some support there. Try changing what you are eating around. Throw in new foods/recipes and snacks. Our bodies get very efficient with the same old foods and learn to make the most of the energy that we put it and out. Change the type of exercise that you are doing.

Did you get blood testing done to see if you are lacking in any areas? Keep on top of this to stay ahead of any deficiencies. Your surgeon/gp can request these tests.

The title of this post made me laugh. Go with your gut oh SpacePossumSupreme ( love that name ) Some people cannot tolerate whey protein and it is very hard to disguise the taste. A mix of whey protein and collagen protein is recommended. I love Tasteless Protein Powder. I can put that in shakes, drinks, jellies, soups and most things that you can think of. This one is collagen based and is great for our inflammatory system and bones. Live long and proper.

I was consuming about the same amount as you at that stage and continue doing the same 17 months out. Stalls will happen. Drink your fluids and exercising helps. Our bodies can be quite tricky in how they manage our food intake. If you are continuing to eat the same foods then try changing what you are eating. Change the proteins for other protein. Change up your snacks. It really is a huge mental game from here on out. Reward yourself for the changes that you have already made. Start a new hobby to keep your brain and hands busy.

Not done by a long way. The loss may have slowed but it will continue to happen with you doing what you are already doing. You got this.

Not done by a long way. The loss may have slowed but it will continue to happen with you doing what you are already doing. You got this.

Have you seen an endocrinologist? Might be worth a look,

Hi Robert. I have never heard the phrase "They operated on your stomach, not your brain" But it is oh so true. So much work yet to do on ourselves. Thank you for sharing this. It has taken quite a few months to build up my stamina and muscles to be able to go on a decent walk. I have been asked to join a couple of walking groups though I just love the freedom of being able to walk where I want and when I want and for how short or long I want. Company would be nice sometimes but it's easy to be lost in your own thoughts or have some ear worm in your brain chanting along to the beat of my feet. Not selfish just mindful.

So very well done. Brilliant effort. It really takes determination to have made it to where you are. I love it when you said that we are going to tip toe back into the old life. This is so true for me. Old habits and poor choices snuck back in but got myself back on track this week and got some good results. Yes. We fight the good fight. 💚

You are right it is a long term thing. For a little perspective - You will be eating something for the rest of your life. The choice is do you eat something that will nourish your own body or eat empty calories that do nothing for nobody and make your body be sick and have to struggle through life? You got this. Pick yourself up and rejoice in life. Start a new hobby or make a new friend. Do something that you enjoy that doesnt involve copious amounts of food. Having the sleeve is just another stepping stone. It will provide you with more skills and more control with food. It will be worthwhile. Health is a long term goal. You wont see changes every single day but they will happen if you take care of the body that helps you get around in this world. The days turn into months and the months turn into years. If your are trying to heal your emotions with food you will fail every time. Decide. You really can do this. A year on from having the bypass - I can go for walks. I sleep much better. I can buy clothes in a normal store. I am more confident and I now more active in community groups. I have made new friends. I can take care of myself and not need to rely on others. I feel so much better in my own skin. You really do want to give yourself the gift of life. You got this.

How many grams of protein has your dietician advised you have per day? I find it easy to add a scoop of the tasteless protein powder to the shakes. It does help. Baked Beans slide down easily enough at this stage too.

It does sound creepy. Then again chances are if it is face to face appointment he is going ask you get on the consulting table and have a good prod around your tummy. Your call.

Most surgeons will not be much help in regard to what you need to be eating post op. Please check in with a bariatric dietician to sort out your food choices. You can have eggs. You can have baked beans. You can have a fillet of fish with vegies. You can have custard and that will count to your protein. You can add protein powder to your shakes. You can have smoothies with protein powder in. You can even add protein powder to tea and coffee. I am adding a link to a site in Australia that sells Tasteless protein powder. https://costpricesupplements.com.au/tasteless-protein-collagen-500g-by-feel-good-protein/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tasteless_protein&utm_term=tasteless%20protein%20powder&utm_content=138100867419&gclid=CjwKCAjwr_CnBhA0EiwAci5siq4K5LLhUSBAsPkQkza1QEg4FXhXg6aTlkA9D1xJdMOKSZAsupmjmBoCoVUQAvD_BwE It will end up cheaper for you with the exchange rate. Hope that the bariatric dietician can expand your food choices.

You have lost a massive amount of weight. Congrats. Given that you are 6ft you may need to be eating more to sustain such a weight loss and have good energy levels. Are you currently under the care of a bariatric dietician? If not please check in with one so that your tiredness can be investigated. Have you been having regular blood tests done to see where everything is? Having a bypass may result in malabsorsion of nutrients and lead to deficiencies that can show up in blood tests. Being back in the gym will also require more fuel for energy. You may want to throw yourself back into the thick of it but dont. Slowly increase the rate and weights that you exercise with. Dont pop another hernia by rushing things. Does the gym have an exercise physiologist that can give you guidance? Please seek one out. Walking is a great place to start. Your wife IS right. You just had major surgery and that by itself will take time. Dont try to run before you can walk.

So very well done SleveToBypass2023 Amazing that you are have persisted in this journey and achieved so much. You must be feeling so much better in your body and mind. You reached for the stars and you caught them. 💖💖

Surgery on our bodies is a very big deal and also the anesthetic and pain meds are also an assualt on our body and mind. After a bypass and hernia repair my own body swelled up with the IV fluids. My feet were like balloons. Hernia surgery was quite painful too. Happily the swelling did go down and I was able to ease off on the pain meds. Hopefully you will fell better and better as each day and week pass.