suzecate

I hear ya. I spent 6 days recently *gaining* weight every day despite following guidelines. I'm not worried, but I hope my body doesn't make that kind of week a habit.

I had terrible edema in my feet and ankles to the point where I couldn't wear shoes, so she told me to discontinue and to monitor my BP at home to see if she needs to substitute a different med. So far, even without it, it's about the same as it was before, so it looks like I only need 1.

Good morning from slightly overcast San Diego (man I'm going to miss this city as I leave my home of 25 years a week from tomorrow morning).
My 1-month surgery-versary is in a few days. There was a week when I was gaining weight (yes, even following guidelines)--probably from Water retention, but it's coming off again now, and I'm less puffy having discontinued one of my two BP meds at my doctor's request. I'm down 31 pounds since the liver-shrinking diet (2 weeks before surgery).

NSVs:
1. Yesterday, I went to Target with my daughter. It was the first time in ages that my back wasn't killing me, and I didn't have to stop and rest my hand against walls to relieve the back pressure.
2. I can fit behind the wheel easier... even when my thin 17-year-old daughter forgets to put the steering wheel back up when she's done borrowing the car.
3. I've been able to stand for longer than 3 minutes without pain, which helps me do more packing (soooo much packing... the movers arrive this coming Friday).

I hear ya. I spent 6 days recently *gaining* weight every day despite following guidelines. I'm not worried, but I hope my body doesn't make that kind of week a habit.

Great that you are experiencing so many benefits!
I wonder about my BP meds too, I too have lost 30 pounds, and I'm still taking two BP meds. I don't know if or when that will change. Last week I forgot them twice, because now I have to take them in the morning due to nausea, and mornings tend to be hectic in my household.
I did discontinue the blood sugar medication, but I would love to be able to say goodbye to at least one BP med. That would be so great.

Good morning from slightly overcast San Diego (man I'm going to miss this city as I leave my home of 25 years a week from tomorrow morning).
My 1-month surgery-versary is in a few days. There was a week when I was gaining weight (yes, even following guidelines)--probably from Water retention, but it's coming off again now, and I'm less puffy having discontinued one of my two BP meds at my doctor's request. I'm down 31 pounds since the liver-shrinking diet (2 weeks before surgery).

NSVs:
1. Yesterday, I went to Target with my daughter. It was the first time in ages that my back wasn't killing me, and I didn't have to stop and rest my hand against walls to relieve the back pressure.
2. I can fit behind the wheel easier... even when my thin 17-year-old daughter forgets to put the steering wheel back up when she's done borrowing the car.
3. I've been able to stand for longer than 3 minutes without pain, which helps me do more packing (soooo much packing... the movers arrive this coming Friday).

Good morning from slightly overcast San Diego (man I'm going to miss this city as I leave my home of 25 years a week from tomorrow morning).
My 1-month surgery-versary is in a few days. There was a week when I was gaining weight (yes, even following guidelines)--probably from Water retention, but it's coming off again now, and I'm less puffy having discontinued one of my two BP meds at my doctor's request. I'm down 31 pounds since the liver-shrinking diet (2 weeks before surgery).

NSVs:
1. Yesterday, I went to Target with my daughter. It was the first time in ages that my back wasn't killing me, and I didn't have to stop and rest my hand against walls to relieve the back pressure.
2. I can fit behind the wheel easier... even when my thin 17-year-old daughter forgets to put the steering wheel back up when she's done borrowing the car.
3. I've been able to stand for longer than 3 minutes without pain, which helps me do more packing (soooo much packing... the movers arrive this coming Friday).

The nurses called my case "outside the bell curve." I had so much pain I couldn't get up for the first time until 13 hours after my surgery, and that's saying something since I don't have a low pain tolerance. I also had to spend a 2nd night in the hospital in the cardiac wing (not the bariatric wing because of my blood pressure going through the roof), but then suddenly I turned a corner in terms of pain and everything else, and now I'm 3.5 days post-surgery at home and doing quite well. I've had one dose of Tylenol since getting home yesterday afternoon. Hurts when you'd expect it to hurt... getting up, going up the 2 flights of stairs in my townhome, getting into a tall pillowtop bed, coughing hard, but it's quite low and manageable all the rest of the time. I'm getting up every half hour to move for 2 minutes.

Thanks for the feedback, all!

I heard back from my doctor yesterday (Monday). She agreed it's most likely the Amlopidine and suggested I go off it entirely but monitor my BP daily (I still have one other BP med I continue to take). If the swelling goes down and my BP stays reasonable, no problem, but if my BP rises, time to check out a new med.

Compression socks arrived yesterday, too. I put them on as soon as I woke up this morning.

Thanks for the feedback, all!

I heard back from my doctor yesterday (Monday). She agreed it's most likely the Amlopidine and suggested I go off it entirely but monitor my BP daily (I still have one other BP med I continue to take). If the swelling goes down and my BP stays reasonable, no problem, but if my BP rises, time to check out a new med.

Compression socks arrived yesterday, too. I put them on as soon as I woke up this morning.

Hi, everyone...
I'm almost 3 weeks post-op, and my feet are still swollen even though the edema went away everywhere else (like my hands). I'll send a message with a picture to my doctor in the morning and let you know what she says. I'm wondering if any of you have dealt with foot swelling still present a few weeks after surgery.
ETA: I think I may have found the culprit. They have me on 2 BP meds since I've been home (amlodipine & one other I forget the name of) because it was out of control in the hospital (210 on top) and is currently on the high side even medicated but not scary high. The plan is to keep monitoring my blood pressure at home so my doctor knows when to lower my dose. Once I lose enough weight and can move more, she has hope I won't need them in the future, but for now I do.

Hi, everyone...
I'm almost 3 weeks post-op, and my feet are still swollen even though the edema went away everywhere else (like my hands). I'll send a message with a picture to my doctor in the morning and let you know what she says. I'm wondering if any of you have dealt with foot swelling still present a few weeks after surgery.
ETA: I think I may have found the culprit. They have me on 2 BP meds since I've been home (amlodipine & one other I forget the name of) because it was out of control in the hospital (210 on top) and is currently on the high side even medicated but not scary high. The plan is to keep monitoring my blood pressure at home so my doctor knows when to lower my dose. Once I lose enough weight and can move more, she has hope I won't need them in the future, but for now I do.

That all sounds excellent! Well done taking care of yourself. I, too, was so thrilled to start scrambled egg (singular) a few days ago.

When I first started out I just watched the clock. Took a bite every 1 minute and chewed at least 30 times.
Now, it is just kind of natural and I don't need to watch the clock. I have caught myself eating a little faster a few times and slow back down but nothing serious and it didn't effect me.
I still chew, a lot. I don't necessarily count every bite but i chew till mush.

Had my final visit with nutritionist yesterday and she confirmed that including healthy carbs is GOOD long term. Still have to focus on Protein first, but the body functions better with some whole grain foods included in your diet.

This surgery to me is about getting away from unhealthy diet culture & finding balance, fuel and nutrients. So, Yes, I eat carbs & am happy to not be afraid to put a carb in my mouth. The carbs I eat are high quality and mostly unprocessed. They provide important nutrients and I need them to stay satisfied. I worry about surgery centers pushing no carb as a way to get faster results, but not as a way to finding long term success. As always, everyone is different but this is my humble experience & opinion.

I'm 18 months out and I still rarely eat refined carbs. I mainly eat vegetables, lean Protein (poultry, fish, pork, egg whites), and legumes. I don't eat a lot of processed low-carb substitute foods because they tend to be overpriced and often high in fat and calories, but I do have a few go-to substitutions:
Cauliflower rice - I eat this several times per week and don't miss real rice at all. I buy the frozen stuff, so it's even faster and easier to prepare than real rice. Mr. Tortilla 1-net-carb tortillas (these are small and great for tacos). La Banderita carb counter tortillas (larger and great for wraps, and I cannot tell the difference from real flour tortillas). Mashed cauliflower - good substitute for mashed potatoes (with a lot of garlic and herbs, and low fat gravy).

Good morning from scorching hot San Diego!

360.0 now! That's exactly 25 pounds from when I started the liver-shrinking diet 2 weeks pre-op. All seems to be going well, but I didn't quite hit my Protein goal yesterday with 3 outings adding up to 6 hours of errands (note to self: grab a Protein Shake on the way out the door). Still learning. However, that was the only day, so I'm quite proud of hitting my protein and Water goals every other day.
My activity is really good as well, says my Apple Watch. It's largely thanks to all the work packing/culling/donating for the move as well as errands.
Later this morning, the surgeon will call me for a follow-up. The nutritionist was supposed to call yesterday at 9:30 a.m., but she was a no-show with still no word, so I'll reach out to her by e-mail.

I got an awesome shipment from BariatricPal Store yesterday. They're going to come in really handy on my 5- to 6-day road trip. I don't know how I'll refreeze the ice pack though, but I can probably at least get it really cold in a motel bucket full of ice.

Good morning from scorching hot San Diego!

360.0 now! That's exactly 25 pounds from when I started the liver-shrinking diet 2 weeks pre-op. All seems to be going well, but I didn't quite hit my Protein goal yesterday with 3 outings adding up to 6 hours of errands (note to self: grab a Protein Shake on the way out the door). Still learning. However, that was the only day, so I'm quite proud of hitting my protein and Water goals every other day.
My activity is really good as well, says my Apple Watch. It's largely thanks to all the work packing/culling/donating for the move as well as errands.
Later this morning, the surgeon will call me for a follow-up. The nutritionist was supposed to call yesterday at 9:30 a.m., but she was a no-show with still no word, so I'll reach out to her by e-mail.

I got an awesome shipment from BariatricPal Store yesterday. They're going to come in really handy on my 5- to 6-day road trip. I don't know how I'll refreeze the ice pack though, but I can probably at least get it really cold in a motel bucket full of ice.

I was looking at those stackable containers. I ended up buying a 12 pack of 4oz mason jars and plastic lids for $15...
Let me know how these are, I think the plastic would be better for day trips and things like that.

Good morning from scorching hot San Diego!

360.0 now! That's exactly 25 pounds from when I started the liver-shrinking diet 2 weeks pre-op. All seems to be going well, but I didn't quite hit my Protein goal yesterday with 3 outings adding up to 6 hours of errands (note to self: grab a Protein Shake on the way out the door). Still learning. However, that was the only day, so I'm quite proud of hitting my protein and Water goals every other day.
My activity is really good as well, says my Apple Watch. It's largely thanks to all the work packing/culling/donating for the move as well as errands.
Later this morning, the surgeon will call me for a follow-up. The nutritionist was supposed to call yesterday at 9:30 a.m., but she was a no-show with still no word, so I'll reach out to her by e-mail.

I got an awesome shipment from BariatricPal Store yesterday. They're going to come in really handy on my 5- to 6-day road trip. I don't know how I'll refreeze the ice pack though, but I can probably at least get it really cold in a motel bucket full of ice.

Good morning from scorching hot San Diego!

360.0 now! That's exactly 25 pounds from when I started the liver-shrinking diet 2 weeks pre-op. All seems to be going well, but I didn't quite hit my Protein goal yesterday with 3 outings adding up to 6 hours of errands (note to self: grab a Protein Shake on the way out the door). Still learning. However, that was the only day, so I'm quite proud of hitting my protein and Water goals every other day.
My activity is really good as well, says my Apple Watch. It's largely thanks to all the work packing/culling/donating for the move as well as errands.
Later this morning, the surgeon will call me for a follow-up. The nutritionist was supposed to call yesterday at 9:30 a.m., but she was a no-show with still no word, so I'll reach out to her by e-mail.

I got an awesome shipment from BariatricPal Store yesterday. They're going to come in really handy on my 5- to 6-day road trip. I don't know how I'll refreeze the ice pack though, but I can probably at least get it really cold in a motel bucket full of ice.

Graduated to soft foods today it feels nice, but I noticed I feel full quickly, but honestly no complaints here.
So what’s funny to me & my father whenever it’s “time to eat” or “I should be eating” I start to obsess about what food sounds tasty or reminisce about yummy food I had in the past. I literally google random recipes just to look at the pictures lol . Once I eat though the desire to dwell on past deliciousness is over it’s so odd to me!

So I got my period yesterday and I am struggling. Today I had a cup of broccoli cheddar Soup and grabbed a bag of Cheetos and sucked the cheese out and threw the Cheetos away. It took me about 30 minutes with the soup but I ate it all and I thought I was gonna be satisfied with like have but nope. Here I am hungry and wanting more food. I have not been able to tolerate Protein Shakes anymore. They give me nausea and stomach pain. I’m not even supposed to be on purée until tomorrow. I’m just wanting some real food. I feel mad at myself for eating the entire cup of soup and then hours later the Cheetos that even tho i didn’t eat the Cheetos I am sure the sodium I just consume is going to hurt that scale tomorrow.

That's awesome!

I'm really looking forward to the soft phase (I start Monday), but then I love scrambled eggs. I put in an Instacart order this morning for various soft fruit, veggies to steam and mash, low-fat soft cheese, eggs, and ingredients to make vegetarian versions of the curry chicken salad and classic tuna salad recipes from The Gastric Sleeve Cookbook.