Garfield1987

I am sorry to hear about your grandpa. May they rest in peace. I am an emotional eater and so it is hard to go through things like this without having the comfort of food. But sticking to a plan has helped. Congrats on the weight loss.

To everyone on this group, thank you for being a support through this process. No one else truly understands that this isn’t the “easy” way.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and I cannot wait to see all of the positive that 2023 will bring for all of us as we transform and become a healthier you. ❤️❤️

Oh I am absolutely exhausted. BUT I will say that 35 lbs ago I would have never been able to walk that much. So it was definitely a big NSV.

9 minutes ago, Hope4NewMe said:

I was really scared to weigh myself and get depressed again but I did it this morning and I had actually lost a little over 2 lbs in the last 4 days! Sooo relieved!! Honestly stalls are my biggest mental challenge and I was not ready, so I'm glad that I'm safe for a few more days lol.

Yay! Congrats!!! Stalls are super discouraging. I had been in a stall most of November and then went to the amusement parks in Florida for a week. Came back to find the 20K+ steps a day must have revved up my metabolism and I finally broke the stall. We got this!

7 minutes ago, SpartanMaker said:

Sorry you're dealing with this. Sounds like your team has ruled out most of the physical issues. but I wanted to throw a few more things out there that might be worth considering:

• Have you ever been evaluated for sleep apnea? This disease can absolutely wipe you out physically if left untreated. It would be odd for it to start post-surgery, but maybe it was masked before for some reason and you've had it for a while?
• Obviously eating a severely restricted diet means you're not getting a lot of calories in. Now this is as designed to drive weight loss, but your body should adapt to that and use fat to fuel your cellular processes. This should mean, if everything is working properly, that you get plenty of energy from the chemical decomposition of fat. Depending on what specifically you're eating, there could be something going on diet related here that may not have that process working as designed. Your gut microbiome is often overlooked as a source of issues, primarily because it's not well understood by physicians. What I mean here is that it's possible you don't really have the proper balance of good bacteria in your gut to deal with what I assume has been a significant shift in how you eat. At the very least, adding in both prebiotics and Probiotics could help shift your microbiome in the right direction.
• This one will sound bad, but it's possible this is psychosomatic. If you're not familiar with the concept, the mind is an extremely powerful thing and can absolutely make you feel like you're exhausted, even when there's no physical cause. This does not mean you're crazy, or faking it, or anything like that. The physical manifestations of psychosomatic illness are very real. FYI, stress is a huge driver of this process, so working on stress reduction would be a good first step. If needed, there are even doctors and therapists that specialize in treating psychosomatic diseases.

Thank you!!

1. No sleep apnea. Was evaluated before surgery, and I have an Oura ring to measure my sleep. I’m sleeping through the night (actually much better than pre surgery !!).

2. I’ll def look into Probiotics. This is a good idea.

3. Looked at it being psychosomatic- this was actually my first thought bc it made zero sense to me, but my therapist doesn’t believe so. I do thankfully see a therapist who recommended getting to the bottom of any physical causes.

Next step is seeing an endocrinologist to see if there are any hormonal issues causing it. It was such an acute onset and nothing really has changed in my life or routine post surgery and this fatigue started abt 2 weeks ago and it’s just wiping me out.

I’m confident the mystery will be solved!

They’re stumped. No anemia. I have never had any medical issues, never taken any medication. I thankfully decided to make the decision to have WLS as soon as I became “approvable” and hadn’t developed major health complications. We shall see what they say.

it was very very nice to see and compare blood work though. My cholesterol is now normal whereas it was very high before. My glucose levels stabilized - I was prediabetic surgery time and now they’re normal. Seeing this reinforced that I made the right decision for my current and future health, I just have to keep at the Water thing and hope that it solves this God awful fatigue.

hope everyone is doing well!

48 minutes ago, Hope4NewMe said:

Yay, glad that things are going well! I have not warmed up any of my premier drinks, I should try that! I have added it to Decaf coffee as a Creamer, but your idea sounds awesome. My taste buds keep changing per week it seems. This week I like sf raspberry lemonade for my cold drink and apple cinnamon tea as my hot. I've also tried a few fairlife Protein Shakes and I might be leaning towards liking them more than premier even though I love premier. Mostly its because its less thick and so far I haven't gotten the occasional chunk of Protein in my drink.

I've been in a stall now for almost 3 weeks so not fun at all. I saw my dr, dietitian and exercise specialist and they all said I have done everything right and hitting all protein and Water goals so the only thing to do is to increase calories until the stall breaks. So they want me to get to 900 to 1000 a day, I was at around 750. Its so hard for my brain to wrap around that since my whole life I've been told that to lose weight you need to eat less and exercise more. I do understand the stall too and that my body is very good at protecting itself. So I'm going to listen to the experts and just be patient and I know it will pass. Just sad because I was already a slow loser and now I've lost only 4 pounds in almost a month.

How is everyone else doing?

I am still dealing with extensive fatigue. They increased my Water intake to 100 oz a day to see if that helps. I used to drink abt 128-150 pre surgery and so maybe 64 oz wasn’t cutting it. I’ve tried it this week but it is not doing much. I’m hoping it helps soon bc I can’t keep up like this.

my blood work came back- they ran it twice- all of my Vitamin levels are optimal so they have no idea what is causing me to feel like this. I’m forcing myself to exercise - walking or peloton - stretching / yoga etc just to keep my body moving, but it is not helping the energy levels.

what a rollercoaster!

edit- to top it all, I’m in a stall also. Hovering around 190-193 lbs. Trying not to get discouraged and remind myself that this is a process, but man it’s been tough!

On 11/03/2022 at 21:13, kukuiokalani said:

i am three days away from my 2 month gastric bypass post-op and oh boy has it been a journey!

• 
  9/7 - laparoscopic gastric bypass (general anesthesia; overnight in hospital)
  


• 
  9/15 - began vomiting and couldn't progress eating
  


• 
  10/4 - endoscopy (general anesthesia)
  


• 
  10/12 - laparoscopic surgery to revise scar tissue build up (general anesthesia; overnight in hospital)
  


• 
  10/17 - occasional vomiting again
  


• 
  10/27 - upper GI to look for strictures or blockages
  


• 
  11/1 - endoscopy #2; balloon used to open up stricture (general anesthesia)
  


• 
  11/2 - CT scan to make sure all is good to go
  

as of today, it looks like i'm finally in the clear and should be able move my food progression forward to soft foods.

On 11/03/2022 at 22:16, SpartanMaker said:

I'm curious how much you're exercising? This may sound counter-intuitive, but, getting regular exercise may actually help you have more energy.

Also, I think you'd be better off getting a bit less Protein and more Water. Dehydration can really sap your energy, but 70-90 grams of Protein may be more than you really need at this point?

Update- got worse. Did the liquids and it didn’t help. Had my doctors appointment and they have no idea what’s wrong. My blood work is fine- Iron levels are higher than they were pre surgery. My blood pressure is quite low so I’m now sitting in the ER because he wants additional liquids and a full work up. Bleh.

4 hours ago, Slwhurst said:

Guys I am telling you… actually screaming from the rooftops… find an iv bar pay the money get the iv. Make sure you choose the one with the most vitamins! Ask for their input they know what you need!!! I was there it will help I promise.

I booked but both nutritionist and doc said it was a waste of money so I cancelled it. I got blood work done Friday, and I’m hoping it comes back quickly. I think though I’m going to just pull the trigger on the IV. I can’t keep going like this and I’m willing to try anything at this point.

34 minutes ago, Hope4NewMe said:

So sorry that your exhaustion is so bad. The only thing I can tell you is what my dietitian told me and he said to eat at least 30g of carbs per meal and that would help with energy levels. I wasn't having energy issues and I'm still not eating that many carbs but if you are eating low carb, then maybe try increasing your carbs and see if it does give you energy. Also I don't know if your calories are too low or if you are doing too much exercise. adjusting those types of things might help. Hopefully your team has some better ideas next week, good luck!

Thank you. I will check with the diet team just emailed them. They told me to stay away from carbs, but I feel like I’m running on fumes. It’s even hard to focus at work. That surge of energy around week 2/3 from surgery is definitely gone. Thank you for the input ❤️

Hi everyone/ I need everyone’s tips regarding beating exhaustion. I’m at my wits end. I cried earlier…

I am taking in about 70-90g of Protein. Not making 64 oz of Water yet but getting there- probably average 50 or so which doc said was fine. I’m taking the Vitamins. And this week has just been brutal. I’m 5 weeks post surgery and I just can barely keep my eyes open even though I’m sleeping 7-8 hrs a night.

I have my next appointment next week but I am just literally on the verge of exhaustion and don’t know what to do in the meantime. Pls tell me this is normal and I’m not the only one.

Hi guys. I’m 5 weeks post opp today. No issues with food. But I am exhausted. Absolutely and positively exhausted. No matter how much I sleep. And since last night I have had pain on thr right side of my abdomen. Considering even getting one of those IV drip treatments. Anyone else?

Hi ladies. Any updates? I ask bc I’m kind of starting to panic. I have regular periods, and I’m now 2 weeks late, and I’m 5 weeks post opp. I do ovulation tracking with sticks and so far no LH surge has been detected. I also have taken 2 pregnancy tests and they’re negative. I don’t feel pregnant (I could tell with my child before before even testing) but I’m still nervous. We do want to add a baby in the future but not unless and before the weight stabilizes. I really hope it is the Hormonal changes from the surgery.

10/20/2022 11:59 AM, Hope4NewMe said:

How is everyone doing? This group got really quiet and I miss new stuff to read. Do you guys go to different groups that do more talking? I just hit my 1 month yesterday and had my appointment with my dietitian and all is going really well. I was sad at 1st because I thought I wasn't hitting my Protein goal every day and then he told me that the goal was lowered after surgery. So before surgery I was supposed to hit 75 to 90 but after surgery it is 60 to 80. So I have been hitting my Protein every day yay! I also finally found something that helps with my constipation and that is Monk Fruit sweetener. My daughter got me into drinking tea in the morning instead of coffee and I added the monk fruit to make it sweeter since I wasn't using my Protein Shake as Creamer like I was for my coffee. Apparently it acts as a laxative and now I get to have my tea and also don't have any stomach issues. Its soooo much better. All of my incisions are almost all healed. Just one is is taking its time. Pain wise I feel almost back to normal and my energy is doing great. I'm slowly increasing my exercise and I'm so proud of myself that I'm walking a mile every day. I know that's not a lot to most people but to me it was a huge 1st step. I've always hated exercise so even to be doing it every day is a good step for me but a mile was my 1st goal. Now to hit 2 miles a day Hope everyone is doing well and please come back and post so I have something to read lol!

6 hours ago, Band2SleeveGurl77 said:

My doc told me to take it easy and now i know why - I’m taking a ton of Vitamins but still find myself super low energy- I’m hoping once I’m on regular food it will help. Are you on soft foods yet?

Yup. I’m having tons of tuna and chicken. About 80-90g of Protein a day. Taking Vitamins but still exhausted. I was cleared to work out starting this week so maybe that will boost up my energy.

On 10/14/2022 at 22:02, Band2SleeveGurl77 said:

Checking in and would love a buddy that had gastric sleeve - my surgery was on 20th and I’ve been pretty lucky with no issues. I’ve definitely been more tired than normal but not too bad. I’m down about 15 pounds which is way less than i expected but still excited to see the scale moving in the right direction.

1 minute ago, Band2SleeveGurl77 said:

About 13 lbs

My surgery was also 9/20. I’ve “only” lost 4 lbs since surgery. During the preop diet I lost almost 20.

im trying not to stress about it too much but it is a bit disappointing. Just have to remind myself constantly it’s the long term benefits that matter. But yea. I hear you.

On 10/02/2022 at 19:42, Slwhurst said:

I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. Would it be safe to just eat normal food? ? I know every plan is different and it is against my plan but if others are ok I am willing to try cause I know I need to eat.

11 hours ago, Hope4NewMe said:

I have to agree, I tried puree chicken last night and just couldn't eat it. The flavor was ok, but the texture was too sticky and it was even hard to swallow. Refried Beans are my friend, lol

Yea the puréed chicken made me want to barf. Yesterday I mixed a small spoonful of mashed potato with a bit of mayo and tuna out of a can. Mixed it and omg. So good. I’m allowed have about half a cup of food and I couldn’t finish it. It was delicious.

16 minutes ago, Sd14810 said:

I definitely appreciate the response,
It's 2pm here now so I'm definitely behind. It's been 5 hours and I'm still working on the very 1st part of the Water, maybe I'll get something that's 4oz to try to incorage the drinking ....

Sent from my SM-G996U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey there. In those early days the bottle of Water seemed way too overwhelming. I had these one ounce cup that I would pour into. I’d pour basically like 8-10. And then take them as “shots” (very slow shots). I’d do that so that I was taking 2 every 30 min. Before I knew it the whole bottle was nearly done.!

I love these. I can take out the daily case and keep the rest at home/ it also has a morning and night section so I don’t need to remember which to take when (I can’t take my Calcium with the Vitamins I have to wait a few hours in between) so this helps.

Limited-time deal: TookMag Pill Organizer 2 Times a Day, Weekly AM PM Pill Box, Large Capacity 7 Day Pill Cases for Pills/Vitamin/Fish Oil/Supplements (Pink) https://a.co/d/8VKfLzX

On 09/27/2022 at 23:25, nymisc said:

You have a very low starting weight compared to many. Stay in touch with your doctor/nutritionist and see what they say. Track food.

Coming here because I need some sense knocked into me. Tomorrow is one week since my surgery and I’ve only *gasp* lost 2 pounds. Please tell me this is normal 😭😭😭

24 minutes ago, nymisc said:

Having a day today. My doctor warned me my hormones would change but this is the first time I feel it. My weightloss is starting to slow down, which is completely reasonable. I just hate seeing it. No one should be losing over a pound a day, so you can see how unrealistic I am being. I guess I get scared that I am going to go back to struggling beyond belief to lose weight. I caught myself craving sugar for the first time yesterday and it scared me that I am going to unsuccessful.

hey- I think this should be normal. I have to remind myself it hasn’t even been a week since my surgery (9/20) and it’s not a big deal that I’ve “only” lost 2 pounds. But it’s scary. “Did I permanently alter my anatomy for nothing?” I think it’s all normal and this is likely where the psychological aspect of the work begins. I have been writing things down to speak to my therapist about it. I hope you have someone to talk to - if not therapy- so that we don’t sabotage our own progress.