Jeanniebug

It really could be either. Your new tummy is - essentially - in your chest, now. You might want to update your doctor with the new realization, just in case.

I worked with a therapist beginning about a month and a half before surgery, until I was over a year out. I just recently stopped seeing him. I'm still struggling with this.

At my initial consultation, my surgeon told me that obesity likes to come back. That a lot of patients end up needing to go on medications, after the surgery, due to weight regain.

For some of us, this is going to be a lifelong struggle, I'm afraid.

Yes, in time it should go back down. The study I saw said it starts dropping about a week after surgery. But, it won't hurt to keep in touch with your doctor. If they decide to do the holter monitor, do that - just to make sure there's no crazy coincidences happening.

If you were going to die, it wouldn't be "borderline". 😊 And it's worth noting that weight loss surgery tends to raise these levels for the first week after surgery. So that test is not definitive.

Also try different temperatures of liquids. Some people can't handle cold and some people can't handle hot. You might have to play with it.

Hi Hayley, welcome! I agree with BigZ... Call your doctor. I have a heart arrhythmia and it's scary, but not actually life threatening. Yours might be the same. So, try not to worry, but you definitely want to get checked out. Better safe than sorry.

Congratulations! If you're nervous, be sure to ask for something to calm your nerves. They can give you something.

29 minutes ago, heatherdbby said:

Does your vision go white with the hypoglycemia?

Its crazy how things we were on medicine for we now have the opposite issue. I had high BP and was on meds for it, and now, they are considering putting me on medicine to raise my BP. My resting pulse is 53.

And thats so weird that they dont want you eating a lot of protien? How much do they want you eating? I have to have 90 and they require us to do one liquid per day for life. So, 80-100 g of protien with 20-30 of that has to be liquid per day.

My vision doesn't go white with the hypoglycemia. I get severe brain fog, shaking, heart racing and sweating. Unfortunately, it has a tendency to sneak up on me. If I don't eat every 2 hours - whether I'm hungry or not - I'll end end up crashing.

They want me to stick to 60g of Protein per day. My nutritionist wants me to stay away from Protein Shakes, but I do drink them on occasion. They help get something into me quickly, when my blood sugar drops. I'd say I probably drink one a week.

I'm having an issue with my diaphragm that is keeping me from doing any exercise that works my core. We're working on fixing that, now. Once I'm able to start lifting weights, my protein intake won't be as much of a problem.

It's so weird how different doctors have such wildly different plans.

1 hour ago, heatherdbby said:

just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing

had my one year followup this week and the doctor said Ive lost 94% of excess weight!

Great job!

My doctors are very happy with where I am. I've regained about 10 pounds, which I'm not super happy about, but here we are. LOL!

My personal weight goal is 150. My doctor's goal for me is 163. The lowest I got was 166.

I'm struggling with food choices, right now. I'm eating too much Protein. But Proteins are easy, grab-and-go, fast to prepare, so they're what I tend to reach for. But, they also make you gain weight, if you eat too much of them. I'm trying to strike a balance.

I've also developed hypoglycemia. So, I have to eat about every 2 hours. When I prep my food, I do better with my eating. Again, the grab-and-go thing really helps. And having veggies already washed and cut up, in the fridge, encourages me to eat less protein and more vegetables - which I really need to be doing.

But, overall, I'm doing really well. I'm no longer diabetic. My cholesterol is normal. My blood pressure is actually on the low end. I'm off of all my obesity-related medications. I had my final visit with my therapist, on Tuesday. He thinks I'm in a really good place and don't need him anymore.

Besides a couple of little speed bumps I've had along the way (an issue with my diaphragm and the hypoglycemia) this has been an amazing, wonderful, journey. I have no regrets.

On 7/1/2023 at 10:52 PM, Jeanniebug said:

• 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT - Female, 52, 5'6"
• 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) - 13 lbs
• 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. - 220
• 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery - 201.6
• 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery - 182.8
• 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery - 172.0
• 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery - Not there yet.

Update: Weight at 12 months post op - 167.

The requirements for surgery depend on your insurance. For my insurance, I had to have a BMI of 35+ and at least one comorbidity - or a BMI of 40 with no comorbidities.

When I walked into the surgeon's office, my BMI was 35.5 and I had two comorbidities (diabetes and high cholesterol). I was a low-BMI patient, but I did qualify. I was 5'6" and weighed 233 pounds, the day I walked into my surgeon's office.

Sad to say, but you might need to gain some more weight, in order to qualify.

In the early stages after bypass, there is a higher risk of dumping. I think that's why we're told to steer clear of the carby foods (aside from the weight loss aspect of things).

I'm with @Arabesque, it's important that you consume highly-nutritious foods right now, while you're restricted.

Perhaps adding fat will help? Again, with the risk of dumping, there may be some trial and error to work through. But fat is calorie-dense.

Can you tolerate Protein Shakes? Adding a few of those each day might be a good way to boost your calories. Also, excess Protein is stored as fat - that might be helpful for you.

meat, Beans, cottage cheese, Protein Bars, the occasional shake.

For me, it's been every 3 months... whenever I go in for my follow ups.

Welcome!

I use the Bariatric Pal one-a-day Vitamins, with 45mg of Iron. It's not the smallest pill I take, but I have no problems swallowing it. I've been using them since I was about 3 months post op.

I don't track, I only ever spot-check my calorie intake. Right now I'm maintaining my current weight, at between 1,200 and 1,300 calories per day. I have about 15 pounds to go, to get to my goal weight. But, I'm happy where I am. I'm an easy keeper, right now. I'm healthy. I can accomplish most things I want to do. I would like to lose the extra few pounds, but I don't really feel like working that hard. I reckon that when I can start working out, I'll start losing again.

20 hours ago, Nepenthe44 said:

... because it's not my sheets, its the loose skin on my back folding up. 😐

I have this same issue when I'm sitting in my office chair. My loose thigh skin folds under my butt. It's so weird! LOL!

I would suggest speaking with your surgeon's office. It might be nothing, but it could mean a stricture, or something.

My children are adults. But, they've seen me struggle with my weight for all of their lives. They know that I had obesity-related health issues. Having the surgery was an attempt to reverse these health conditions and in my case, it worked. Thanks be to God! My children are happy that their mother will perhaps get a chance to bounce grandchildren on her knee, one day.

For the first few months, I was using the Bariatric Pal one-a-day chewable vitamins. Once I felt that I could swallow a pill that large, I started taking the Bariatric Pal one-a-day Vitamins.

I am 10-months post op, gastric bypass. How much I eat, depends on what I'm eating.

If I'm eating leafy greens, I can eat quite a lot. If I'm eating a drier meat, I can't eat much.

A typical salad for me would be one leaf of iceberg lettuce, 5 grape tomatoes, about 2-3 ounces of Protein, and a little over a tablespoon of Salad Dressing.

If I'm eating a burger, it will usually be one 1/4 pound patty, served with a slice of cheese and Condiments, on a fajita-sized low-carb tortilla. I generally eat about 3/4 of this.

My usual Breakfast is 1 whole egg and two egg whites, scrambled with cheese. Sometimes I can eat the whole thing and sometimes I can't.

I have hungrier days and less-hungry days. I've learned that overeating is unpleasant. If I eat too fast, food gets stuck in my chest and hurts. And that cuts my meal short, which is annoying. Do I still eat too fast? Yes - especially when I've waited too long to eat and I'm hungry. When I eat slower, the meal is more satisfying.

With what I'm eating, I'm basically in maintenance mode. My weight bounces between 166 and 170. Though I haven't hit goal, Both my nutritionist and I are okay with where I'm at, right now.

3 hours ago, NP_WIP said:

A few NSV, I can finally close the towel around me, my hubby folded my tank top and put in his drawer thinking it was his, and my digital scale kept giving me a warning to have the app open when weighing in because people were within same range, I thought it was me because I was trying to see how much my weight fluctuated and how that affected my body fat % but turns out I'm 8 lbs lighter than my husband.

I think I may have cried when I realized that the towel wrapped around me.

Well done!!!

Welcome!

Your post is empty - not sure if it's supposed to be an image..?

2 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I didn’t have that fear of the pants not fitting. You know that fear. That I would have put on weight & then the expectation that what I wanted to wear wouldn’t fit. I used to feel that way just about every day (unless I was wearing elastic waists LOL!). Even with something I’d recently bought. Will my pants zip? Will the waist of my skirt be tight? Will my shirt pull across my chest? I realised I haven’t felt that fear for a couple of years now. The wonder & miracle that is maintaining a stable weight. Something I’ve never been able to do in the past.

That's great! I'm still at the point where I look at a piece of clothing and think, "There's no way that thing is going to fit me." I have to actually put the garment on and then I end up pleasantly surprised. But, I have to not talk myself out of trying it.