New To This23

Does your clinic want you to track it? Personally, I hate, like really hate, tracking food, it's inconvenient and annoying. My clinic wants me to eat 5 very small meals a day that are balanced, Protein, carb, veg, and fruit. For me, I am still losing weight and my energy increased once I was able to have these other foods. My goal was to eat how "normal" people should be eating. I do struggle with real meat and raw veggies, my system still does not like them, so I eat a vegetarian diet and cook/steam all veggies. I have learned when to stop eating based on how I feel, I now know when one bite will be one bite too much, that is how I track.
I just did my labs today for my 3-month check-up ( hit 3 months Jan 27) so I will see what my clinic has to say about my labs on Feb 12th and I will make adjustments from there if needed.

I wrote down every meal I ate for months ( the dietician said I had to ) but I got so sick of doing it, I stopped. I still weigh my food occasionally, but I can pretty much eyeball the amount. After eating low carb for years before the surgery, I'm pretty good at knowing my nutrition.

20+ years later, I never tracked a thing related to food.
Good luck,
Tek

Hi, So I am a former smoker/vaper I quit about two months before I decided to enter the program. My insurance would not cover any part of the program if I was still using nicotine. I can tell you that starting up exercise really helped me with not smoking/vaping, like, it helped me a lot and I did not gain any extra weight, in fact I lost weight. I quit cold turkey, but that was because I wanted to get past the nicotine withdrawal as fast as I could.
I do not know the program you are on but I would ask the Doctor to clarify about weight gain during your 6-month period and not go by what your friend said, even though they had the same Doctor. Your journey and your friend's journey will probably be similar having the same Doctor and all, but they won't be exactly the same. So, just give them a call or send a message if you have that option on your portal, which should help ease your mind. Hopefully this help.

Honestly, I hope so. Thank you for being so honest and bringing this up. I was not always overweight and now that I have been on both sides of the coin I have noticed how differently people that I know and don't know treat me. It has also affected my confidence at work and in making friends or even enjoying hobbies and life the way I used to. I do think that it (the surgery) will help a lot, therapy is great and I have done a lot of it, but I have yet to rebuild my confidence with it and I do think seeing my body physically change will make that difference, I know others will not agree, but we are all different people with different perspectives and we may share similar experiences, but we do not all process them the same.

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.

Stalls are super frustrating! I am currently in that 3-4 week stall myself but I came across an interesting article regarding WHY it happens.

Basically, your body is trying to figure out its new normal. During the low calorie liquid and puréed stage during the first 4-5 weeks, your body has gone from burning things like carbs for energy to burning fat. But during this process you had to burn through your glycogen stores as well.
(Glycogen also holds a lot of Water which is why we can get dehydrated even though we are drinking a lot of fluids).
Our bodies are trying to find our new normal in what to burn for energy and our Fluid levels are equalizing which can keep the number on the scale the same or even climb.

I have a scale that gives me my water, fat and muscle composition and during this time, I am losing fat, gaining water and muscle and the scale hasn’t changed in 13 days and knowing that my body is adjusting really helped me relax. My blood pressure also dropped enough to stop my blood pressure meds!!!

Be kind to yourself, give yourself good foods, drink as much water as you are able and get your movement in. As others have said here, this is a marathon, not a quick fix. Hugs to all!

I was a vegetarian for 12 years before I gave it up, and then life and the vicious cycle of weight gain and weight loss began for me. You can 100 percent get your Protein without meat substitutes (which tend to be full of carbs btw).
Beans with rice is a great way to get protein. Nuts and seeds, whole grains like oatmeal, couscous, quinoa, cheese, yogurt, and protein powders made out of peas. Ripple is a pea milk that is pretty good and has 8g of protein, it is very comparable to regular milk. I believe Ripple has other products too like protein powders and coffee mixes.
If 8th continent still exists, that was the best milk substitute, I had a vegan bodybuilder friend who drank it like it was going out of style, lol.
Don't forget about tofu, tempeh, edamame, and lentils (Not my fav). Chickpeas (hummus), Peanut Butter,
There are other vegetarian and vegan Protein Powder options as well.
I would suggest getting a good vegetarian cookbook, look for one that focuses on protein sources.

I'd really like to switch to being vegetarian for spiritual reasons, but I'm at the beginning of the whole process for the gastric sleeve. I have to lose 30 lbs to have the surgery. So far I've gained one. I swear, being told I have to lose weight makes me gain.
I really have not liked meat substitutes I've tried, and I'm wondering if it's possible to get your Protein without them. I'm looking at going vegetarian, not vegan, so I would still have access to dairy and eggs, but I don't want to overdo it on those. I'm not a fruits and vegetables fan and this is going to be a very hard switch for me, but I do really want to do it. Thanks for any info you can give!

Well, in fact it was a partial sleeve & a bypass but the drop arrow didn’t give the option ?
I have been reading a bit and some people are suffering a few issues it would seem.
I have just completed 12 months post surgery , have dropped approx 55-57 kegs . While this is fantastic , for someone on one leg , I am finding difficulty from a dietary perspective, I find it very difficult to stick to the 6 meals a day ? I rely, very heavily, on very expensive Protein Powder and milk coffee . Snacking is far too easy, and justifiable ( I tell myself) with the Protein Water . But flagging energy levels & muscle wastage are some issues. And, of course , a lot of old clothes , that are much to big 🙄. I have not vomited once , but came close on a few occasions. I avoid those situations like the plague . I am able to drink beer & quite often too much (it is discouraged I know , but it does add some normality) most of my indigestion is remedied by just drinking more water etc . Not to many antacids these days. All in all I’m pretty lucky I think . Get a shock when social media pokes up some old photos of me .

I finished my schooling and am officially working in my chosen field as a medical assistant!!! I got my certification and I'm working in a critical care pulmonary office. I'm absolutely LOVING it!! And even though I can look at myself and see the weight loss, and I can see my diabetes and blood pressure are normal now, I still have a hard time believing I'm physically able to do my job and do it well. Yet here I am....doing the d@mn thing!!!
I have a CT with contrast on the 29th because my bariatric surgeon thinks I have a distal hernia (if you look at my stomach in my pic, you can see that area poking out a little). And I have my complete hysterectomy scheduled for March 6th. If the CT confirms the distal hernia, that will also require a surgery, but I have no idea when that will happen. I'm hoping before the hysterectomy because the hernia repair can be done laparoscopically (I think) but I have to have an abdominal hysterectomy because the fibroids are way too big to come out laparoscopically and I have to have EVERYTHING removed because I tested positive for the BRCA cancer gene (will need all of my breast tissue removed at a later date, but my insurance will cover reconstructive breast surgery, so YAY for a free boob job).
This last 50 pounds still won't leave me, and it's absolutely driving me crazy. No matter what I do, I can't get it to go. I'm hoping the hysterectomy will help a little because the fibroids are so big, they're making my uterus the size of a 16 week pregnant uterus. They also said the hysterectomy should help somewhat with my PCOS, since that's likely what's preventing that last 50 pounds from coming off. So here's hoping this is end of my weight issues and the last of my surgeries!!!

Hi everyone! This is my first post on the boards. I had my surgery on 10/23. I'm feeling pretty good but I'm nervous about going back to work. I know I still need to have my Protein Shakes throughout the day. But I guess I'm just nervous about being tempted by the things people bring in. Going back to work next week so wish me luck!

IMHO, you've made a good decision.
Let me share a bit of my story to convince you to put the scale away... period.
When I had surgery I was too large by far for a home scale. The only time I was weighed for about a year and a half after surgery was at my surgeon's office at monthly follow-ups. Because of this, I never saw a stall in my weight loss. At my follow-ups my weight loss was never the topic of discussion unless I brought it up. The discussion centered on how I was feeling, how my plan was going, life changes, how was I emotionally, any issues or concerns. I learned valuable lessons in these appointments.
Eventually I was able to weigh on a home scale. I practically lived on the scale for a couple weeks until the novelty wore off, then I never used it again. I knew how I was doing by how I felt, my plan compliance, how my clothes felt, my health, happiness and a number of other considerations. These are still my measurements.
We don't need a scale to follow our plans. The number on a scale does not tell you how well you are following your plan. In some cases, the number on the scale may tempt you to change your successful plan.
It's great not being ruled by a number on a scale and simply paying attention to the important stuff.
Good luck,
Tek

I was curious what causes the 3-week stall, and this is what I found out in doing a little digging. When we experience calorie deprivation, whether a diet or after surgery or just not having the usual amount to eat for a bit, our bodies first turn to our store of glycogen to keep things running. Glycogen is a form of stored sugar, and for each gram of glycogen in the body, it's bound to 3 grams of Water. So, if you burn a gram of glycogen for energy, you lose 3 additional grams of water as a bonus. Your body will always burn glycogen before it burns fat because that's how we've evolved to handle brief food shortages. Which means most of the weight you lose right after surgery is not actually fat, but water (and that's fine!).
But after a few weeks, your body is low on glycogen and you still haven't hunted down a wooly mammoth to eat, so now it starts burning fat to keep running. At the same time, it does what it can to replenish those glycogen stores with whatever calories you have coming in, because it's a little worried you won't survive the next famine. Glycogen makes me think of the $100 cash my mom always kept stashed in her sock drawer for an emergency. If she used any of it, as soon as she got more cash, she replenished that first before putting anything in her wallet.
Remember, each gram of glycogen comes with 3 grams of water. So you might burn 4 grams of fat, but also replenish 1 gram of glycogen (along with the 3 grams of water that tag along for the ride), and the scale shows you the same weight. Now you feel like nothing has happened and start to panic. But you still lost fat, which is the goal. And once your body does what it needs to do to replenish that glycogen, it'll start showing on the scale again.
I really wish doctors would explain this process to patients before surgery! Some mention plateaus in general, but they rarely explain what causes them, and the 3 week stall is the type of thing they really should explain in detail so we know what's going on because it's basically a given.

I survived my gastric bypass. I spent two nights in the hospital. Doing good on the clear liquid/protein drink diet. Dr wants 64 ounces of Fluid per day so I purchased a bunch of 1 ounce plastic containers with lids and filled 74 of them and put them in my fridge and tomorrow I just have to grab 4-5 per hour and when all are done I am good. I am attaching a picture. I am bound and determined to be successful.

Hey there! I have a WLS Instagram account, but I set it on Private (so I have to approve any follows and only followers can see what I post), set my profile pic as something random (not my face), and I've clearly stated on my profile that I only accept other WLS accounts as followers, just to keep it all semi-private. I still get a bunch of weird bots (and fake Keanu Reeves?? 😂) requesting to follow me, so I just run through and delete their requests every few days. There are a LOT of different hashtags you can use to find other WLS accounts to follow - just use words like "bariatric", "sleeve", "rny", "bypass", etc. and they should all show up. There's a pretty decent community over there, so even if you choose to never post anything, it's nice to see all the support and read others' stories! I don't post much either (I always figure I don't have much interesting to say).

Thanks, everyone, for the fantastic recipes! I've been experimenting, and here's a game-changer I discovered: the "Berry Bliss Delight." Blend together 1 cup almond milk, a scoop of vanilla Protein powder (I prefer GNC brand), a handful of mixed berries (frozen or fresh), and a dollop of Greek yogurt. It's a burst of flavor, packed with protein, and totally masks the usual supplement taste 🍓🥤💖
see my work info

You can do this!! Everyone cleared you so that means they are confident it will be a safe surgery for you! Good luck in the morning!! ❤️

I’m 12 hours out from surgery. Or at least from having to be at the hospital. Having some Protein broth. It’s actually pretty good it’s chicken Soup flavored Protein Powder that you had to hot Water. My doctor ok’d it for the pre surgery diet. Luckily my program only requires 2 days of liquid diet before surgery. They used to require the two weeks but claim studies have shown 2 days is enough. Still nervous as I said in my last post because I am high risk because I have kidney failure and heart failure but everyone cleared me for surgery. They do think I will have issues with infection and leaking because I am on chronic steroids.


My highest weight was 509 pounds and my weight today is 399 pounds. I am 6 feet tall and my goal weight it ideally 180 but I will be happy at 200

I had my surgery when the internet was young. There were perhaps 2 or 3 main WLS message boards not unlike bariatric-pal, along with several 'blogging' sites where a few folks detailed their experiences, generally in text.
I kept a journal form history from the moment I decided to have surgery until about 2 years post-op, which included appointments, milestones, and stuff I found interesting, then the next year was my running journal in much the same form. Though I wrote my entries in a form that was to be read, I never really intended to share them publicly, though eventually I did just that anonymously out there on the internet somewhere.
My only caution is to remind you the internet is forever. There may come a day when you'd like to allow your WLS and weight issues to fade into the past. Be sure you don't reveal too much.
Good luck,
Tek

I had the RNY Oct 23.

How many of you are documenting your journey on Tiktok or some other platform?
I have a ton of drafts on Tiktok but I may make a different page all together and document it there since I haven’t shared this with many people.
You can follow me on Tiktok at AshleeHarvey6.
Maybe I’ll get brave enough to post eventually, I do think I’m going to do an account and just keep it to myself for now and start putting drafts on there because I’ve documented my entire journey to this point and I have surgery December 20th.

Anyway, post your @ below so we can follow one another!

I am officially in the pre-operative bariatric program through Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic! I met with the surgeon yesterday and we determined that it was better to do the bariatric surgery before the ventral hernia repair. She set a pre-surgery goal weight of 264 and we will decide on the type of procedure (sleeve or bypass) in January. Surgery will be in April or May.
I've already made my first nutritionist, lab and psychologist appointments, with the dietician being the first one next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving! I'm motivated and ready to change my life and it finally feels like I will have to tools to do it.

I used mine right after surgery in the hospital too. The C-PAP is pushing air into your AIRWAY, not your abdomen, so it won't affect the gas pain. And after surgery you are at risk for pneumonia, so the more full your breath is, the better for preventing that. I wouldn't skip it if I were you. You can ask your doctor but I don't think they'll tell you to opt out of it. I was told to even wear it if I was sitting on the couch watching TV as narcotics can suppress respiration and they wanted me to have it on in case I fell asleep.

Contact your new insurance and see if they will allow you to continue with the same provider regardless of whether they are "in-network" or not, since you've already started a program with them at another covered location. I've been able to do that before - it just depends on your insurance!