BlondePatriotInCDA

I personally added protein powder to everything that passed my lips the first four to six weeks! It doesn't have to be a lot, it adds up pretty quickly. I did this until I started on my Fair life elite core drinks (42grams)..just make sure to drink no more than half at each meal, anymore and our bodies can't process that much Protein in a short time (according to my surgeon and dietician).

You look amazing and you can see the happiness you feel in your eyes! Congratulations on your major achievement!

Very good advice. Open ended questions lead to better overall responses.

Thank you for sharing. The first step is usually the hardest - recognizing the wrong turns. You've done that, so congrats. Everyone going through these weight struggles is stronger than they believe they are. Sure quitting smoking can be tough - but smoking (despite what some might say 😋) isn't necessary for maintaining life, eating is. Its an ongoing daily battle to fight your mind and body programmed to eat to survive, yet everyone here, including yourself are fighting natural instincts. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just take another step, keep in mind where you went off your path and keep pushing. After all, its a struggle worth fighting - your health. You said "I am miserable. I am so depressed when I look at what I have let happen to myself" you're fighting a war against something far stronger than a human should have to fight - natures drive to survive, natures need to eat when you can in case of famine - its not an easy fight. Recognize this and be easy on yourself. Once you recognized there is a fight, fight back even if its one baby step at a time, its still a step in the right direction which you've done by contacting a bariatric surgeon and looking for a therapist. Be easy on yourself, you've got this - just stay in your fighters stance, put up your fists and tackle it! Good luck!

Soaking in a tub can dehydrate your skin (I work in dermatology), it can remove natural skin oils. Adding oils - they float so don't penetrate as you soak. So if you're not allergic try making your soak an oatmeal soak. It dissolves and mixes with the water opposed to sitting on it and can help with dry skin. Baking soda can help as well can help detox and balance the skins pH when you add to essential oils and helps bond to the oils.

Thank you. I should point out, since I've had it pointed out in another post, that I can appear as uncaring by using humor. So, for anyone in CDA who might be considering my request be aware I tend to laugh and use laughter to deal with struggles - so be prepared! In other words I tend to be a smart arse, but a well intentioned one. 😋

I was just wondering if there is anyone in the CDA Idaho area who'd like to start walking the Centennial with me? I'm a fair weather walker..so fair warning! I'm currently in PT for hip abduction rehab so it won't be a marathon race, just general getting in shape thing!

You mistook my statement, I wasn't diminishing your experience, it pointed out the inner workings of the human brain and what we choose to highlight in situations. That you chose to see one aspect, the effect over the root cause. If there's one thing I've learned through all this is a sense of humor is: 1. Necessary to help persevere and maintain our resolve in this journey. 2. Subjective and can be taken wrong when not intentioned - in the future I will keep this in mind, but it is also how others do their sharing and should be understood and recognized as well. I'm sorry you were offended over my attempt to bring humor to something we ALL struggle with, but as you deal with your neurological divergences by sharing, I too have my neurological processes of managing difficult times - seeing myself in your post as I did relate it to my struggle since I've been there - humor. If we can't laugh at our difficulties then we are left with so few options and get bogged down in the minutia we call life. I accept your way of dealing with your neurological divergences by sharing and I applaud your recognizing it and managing it! Just keep in mind we all deal with things differently with our own way of sharing. Sometimes, other people in how they share may not be how you perceive as helpful, or meaningful, but I too was sharing in my way. I was trying to offer a new perspective as well as offer a possible way of handling it. I cared enough about your sharing and your struggle to comment and attempt to show there is humor another side of it. My post to your comment wasn't intended to belittle your experience, but to possibly expose it for more than the one perceived aspect, how you saw it. It is why people share, to hopefully bring relief and see other sides to the problem. Thank goodness we all handle things differently or this world would be boring. Again, I'm sorry you took mine as questioning or laughing at your neurological struggle it is how I handle my sharing (just look at my past posts) its how I choose to see life and hope it helps others to look away from always seeing the rough side of things and occasionally brings a smile in difficult times. I try to not take life as a constant struggle even though it has been for me, believe me more than most people should have to deal with in a lifetime so I laugh opposed to cry. I truly wish you well and hope your struggles on your journey can at times make you smile knowing you made it through not only in one piece but you made it through as a stronger more capable person. You will make it out to the other side.

The Centennial is a paved walk that goes along the Spokane river and Lake Coeur d'Alene and then some, its 60+ miles long: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/want-to-bike-from-spokane-to-coeur-dalene-take-the-2-state-60-mile-centennial-trail/ We do have a "mall" but its failing so it would probably work for walking well! I hope you find a walking buddy! I just thought I'd be nice to have a bariatric walking buddy. 😁

"Otherwise my skin will waft in the breeze! 🤣" I am forever going to think of my post bariatric body as having sails...wafting in the breeze. I'll have to be careful in a strong wind storm unless I lower my rigging and trim my boom! 😂😋

I spoke to my doctor yesterday about this, after my magnesium was checked and an EKG she said she thinks its not more blood needing to be used for digestion, otherwise you would have always felt the increase in heart beats especially so with a larger stomach having needed more blood and it beginning with onset after surgery. She's recommending a week long heart monitor, but thinks its directly related to bariatric surgery. She stated it could be due to the change in digestive tract possibly changing the stomachs location relative to the vagus nerves location coming into direct contact, but she's not positive hence the heart monitor. Let and me know if you're interested in the results and final DX. She did say she's never heard of a faster heart rate after eating unless a food sensitivity/allergy has started up after bariatric surgery.

I'm fairly anti-social and shy and as such I've learned people love to talk about themselves (normally) to the point they forget about involving me. Knowing this I just say thank you I'm working on eating healthier, but...you're looking good...how are you doing....what have you been up too etc., normally people will run with it and be more than glad to talk about themselves and take the spotlight off you.

I'll give you some advise my husband gave me years ago (ask yourself these questions and you'll have your answer): "Do you know that I love you?" (Do you know your partner loves you) "Why would I say something to hurt someone I love? Remember, men are simple and stupid emotionally, we don't think things through when we say and do things, if you remember I love you and would never say anything to intentionally hurt you - attribute it to me being a stupid man." Whenever I use my woman emotions/think and get hurt by something he said, I remember "men are emotionally stupid." If you have doubts, ask your partner otherwise you're just guessing his intent. It never hurts for clarification, but it can hurt to not ask! P.S. my husband is actually very smart in his statement!

I find it funny that you had remorse about having the surgery, but not about all the activity following a surgery! 😉 I'm glad you're feeling better!

Exactly, its "snarky" without coming across as snarky 😉 Due to my first profession I had to learn hidden snark or get in trouble! They can take it as such, but, if they repeat it to anyone...they'll come across as overly sensitive and wrong since its a direct statement. Good luck!

It's not mean to say, "while I hear what you're saying, according to my medical doctors I'm right at the weight I should be and as he/she's a physician I respect their education and diagnosis but thank you for your concern!"

Oxycodone can make you tired as well as the Methocarbam. Methocarbam is a muscle relaxant usually used for skeletal muscle pain..not sure why it would be prescribed for after surgery care, but I'm not your surgeon. Both can cause you to feel sleepy, but combined most assuredly so.

What type of pain relief did they give you, it could be the culprit. I personally didn't experience being sleepy all the time, I only slept normal bedtime hours. I was physically fatigued.. But that's it.

Its just like doing a keto diet for life, you each week up your carbs until you fall out of ketosis than back off by 5-10 grams then maintain that carb load for life. You do the same for calories, increase by 100 for two weeks, still losing..tack on another 100 each few weeks until weight loss stops, now you've found your maintenance calorie load.

I put my protein shakes in an icreami and made protein shake ice cream...(frozen protein shakes) The change in texture helped a lot and I just took small bites allowing it to melt before swallowing!

For me the decision was fairly easy, I didn't want to risk GERD chances (I have the worst luck and if there was a chance - even a small one I'd get it) and I didn't want to risk yet another surgery AND the possibility of my insurance declining another bariatric surgery. The second reason was usually you lose more weight with a bypass and I've had a few surgeries with organs removed...I just wanted at least one after a surgery (my stomach) to not being one of them, stupid I know but ...its what helped me decide. Lastly, I'm a researcher and all the numbers in the medical studies journals / research papers looked better to me they pointed to better overall outcomes with bypass, more weight lost, less weight regain, better chances of reducing my pre-diabetes etc. I'm fairly anal retentive so I knew I'd be the same way on making sure I took my vitamins so I didn't worry about that aspect of it. I listened to my surgeon who didn't really help..he said both were good choices for me, so that left me having to research on my own. Good luck on your journey!

You're more brave than I am...I have one picture of me large and I don't look at nor do I want to share it with anybody. I know how large I was/am without seeing it in pictures! It amazes me though how our perception vs. real life can be so different! You are a brave beautiful woman - be proud of your accomplishments and journey you're so close to your goal..now to make new ones! 😋

Since you have difficulty drinking water (I do as well) try things like crystal light frozen, get a icreami and freeze protein shakes or sugar free Jello in liquid form or freeze it. I find the different state of the water makes a huge difference for me. I personally detest plain water and always have (makes me want to vomit) so I've had to come up with ways to get my fluids that work for me: Sugar free Jello Frozen or liquid Crystal light Chicken broth Soups (yes they count towards water count if made with water) Protein drinks I also purchased crystallized lemon and orange powder to add to plain water...it comes in little travel packets. Good luck, you can do it!

You look great congratulations on your successful WL journey!

Sounds delicious, the only thing I'd change would be the type of oats you're using (instant is overly processed) for steel cut or rolled...other than that it sounds great...and great protein content if spread it out over several meals (my doctor said anything over 30grams a meal is too much protein at one time for a body to process and goes to waste. Thank you for the recipe!