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How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
ChunkCat replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
For the first month, hydration is king. Calories are nice. Protein is good. But dehydration is the number one reason for ending up in the hospital post-op. Your family should be told about that. Aim for at least 64 oz a day. You may not get that at first, but after a few weeks of trying you will. For the first two weeks I felt like I was constantly drinking---and I was! I couldn't tolerate protein shakes or anything like jello or pudding, I had stomach spasms pretty severe the first two weeks. I could only get down water (which I had to flavor with sugar free flavorings to get down) and sugar free popsicles. My surgeon said that was okay. We have protein stores in our bodies to get us through the first few weeks. But it is still good to aim to get protein in as much as your tummy will allow. And I took my meds one pill at a time, spaced out throughout the day. Your family clearly loves you and are concerned, but only YOU know how you feel. It's okay to remind them of that. If they need more info they can read your packet from the surgeon or come read posts here. 😂 You'll get through this. Just keep sipping!! 💚 -
Hey all, I had surgery on 4/16 and everything went really, really well. I'm on full liquids for the next couple of weeks. I found something odd though. They kept telling me in the pre op program that my stomach would be so small that I would need to sip all day. The thing is, I don't. I still drink good amounts of water at a time with no consequence. My surgeon didn't mention anything post surgery, but it's leaving me a little curious. Has anyone else had something similar happen? I'm worried that a bigger tummy is going to lead down the road of bad choices again.
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Hello, I want to preface saying I have not had my surgery yet but I have been losing weight in the pre-op stages as per my dietitian and doctors request and this includes me going to the gym and getting my protein/calorie goals in for the day. The important thing to know is plateauing is inevitable as your body gets used to the things you do on a daily basis. So since you know that already you going to the gym is a beneficial first step in the right direction of losing more weight. That being said weight training is an amazing cardio/full body workout and for women you actually don’t have to worry about getting “bulky” my doctor said it’s just not what our bodies do to get stacked like that (he didn’t say it in those words of course but I’m paraphrasing). Which it’s true generally unless you’re a bodybuilder you won’t get bulked up like crazy (even then it’s usually the addition of hormones that add to bulking) so go ahead and lift girl! Cardio exercises like running, swimming etc. are also great to get into your routine which I see you have and it’s important to also not forget about aerobic exercises like yoga/pilates this will also minimize your chance of getting “bulky”. Overall, I would say if you have set days of the week you work out like MWF do that for 2 weeks then switch up the days, intensity of workouts and type of exercises you do on each day to give your body that “restart” it needs in order to start losing weight. It is also so incredibly important to eat enough calories! Yes sounds weird but you actually might not be eating enough for you to lose weight and this is what my doctor told me. If you don’t eat enough your body goes into “survival” mode because it’s not being given enough food in order to carry out your bodily functions to its fullest potential. Yes you can be taking supplements and be healthy on paper but if you’re trying to lose weight and exercising and eating well and still unable to lose the weight then it’s time to evaluate if you’re eating enough during the day. I would highly recommend reaching out to your doctor and/or dietitian about adequate dietary input your should have because there are all kinds of info and pamphlets on lines telling us to be between so and so calories at this point in time or to not exceed x amount but in reality everyone is different and all bodies are different. I hope this helps sorry for the book/lecture.
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Personally, I do actually have loads of luggage space since I plan on bringing 1) lots of cute outfits with me and 2) many many MANY souvenirs back home. Plus buying the tickets months in advance has made it easier for me to upgrade the luggage since there’s no way two weeks worth of clothes were all gonna fit in my carry on since we plan on adventuring and going out all across Lima. One sole/sol is about 1/3 USD so definitely cheaper to buy stuff over there the only thing I really thought about brining is protein powder/shakes but then I feel powder might freak TSA out too much. 😂
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This is exactly how I feel almost word for word. I'm now 3 weeks post op and just feel... Uninspired, wanting to be in bed, upset that I'm not having as much success as others... I cheated also knowing I shouldn't even though was small. Did it get any better for you?
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I was in Eygpt at 8 weeks post op for a couple of weeks and was totally fine!
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How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
ChunkCat replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
One of the biggest adjustments I had to make post op was to eat because I needed to, not because I was hungry. I actually never lost my hunger post op, but in those first few weeks when all you can consume is liquid, it is a struggle to get everything in. As soon as I moved to purees I started eating something every 3 hours when I was awake. Everyone's interval is different. Some can do just 3 times a day, but for me if I got over the 3 hour mark I'd start to get shaky and irritable and completely crash, it was clear I needed food, even if food was just a shake or a protein yogurt. I'm 6 months post op now and this has eased and I can go a little longer, so I follow my hunger cues more now and mostly eat at normal mealtimes with snacks if I'm up late or up early. But in the early months I just couldn't do that. -
I have awful veins, they are tiny, like to hide and roll and refuse to comply. There is no difference in the hunting game based on weight, I was told it is hereditary and that makes sense, far as I know all the women in my family have tiny veins. Hydrating helps but if it is hereditary nothing will change it, it is how your body formed in the womb. I usually look bruised and battered after they get done with me. I had surgery last week and both my hands are black and blue because they insisted on trying my hands first and my hands NEVER work. I'm going to start forbidding them to do it, it takes a month for them to heal and it hurts like hell. We forget that as patients it is okay to tell someone they can't do something to you. Anesthesiologists are the best at finding a good vein, but most good hospitals have IV teams that can come and do it with their sonograms too. I don't let anyone try on me more than twice. Two tries and they have to go find someone else to have a go because by then they've lost confidence and their odds of finding something are nil. My record is 8, thankfully the IV team finally arrived to end my torture. 😂
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Welcome!! I had a friend who had bypass about the same time as you did and it was very different back then!! We have so many more resources available now. And SO many more products!! I remember how much she hated adding protein powders to her food and how stubborn she was about ignoring healthy food. She lost a ton of weight but I often wonder if she regained since she ate such junk post op. Eventually the portions catch up with you! Most advice for losing weight a while after surgery is to go back to basics, watching your portion size, cutting out simple carbs, getting most of your calories from healthy complex carbs, a little fat, and a generous portion of lean protein. Eat your protein portion first, your veggies second, and a few bites of a healthy starch/carb last, if you still have room. Get in whatever good movement you can. Drink at least 64 oz of water and for bypass patients I believe your protein per day should be close to 80 grams. You'd have to ask your doctor about your calories though. Do you still feel your restriction? I know with bypass they can do testing to see what your pouch looks like and hernia surgery is a good time to revise it if it needs a revision. I just had a hernia repair. I'm about 6 months post op from a Duodenal Switch. The healing process after hernia repair has been a lot like bariatric surgery. I can only eat liquids and some purees at the moment and I'm a week out. But I'm so glad I had the repair done!
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This is totally normal---but freaks you out just the same because what if it stops, right!?! The first 3 months are normally fastest. But the closer you are to your goal weight, the slower it gets. Each surgery has a bit different loss rate, but if you stay the course, even as you slow down, you will get to goal. If you have hit 50% of your excess weight by 6 months you are doing really well according to most surgeons. I definitely didn't lose 50% in the first 3 months, most people I see lose 50% by month 5 or 6. But it also depends on how much you have to lose and your individual body's pace. Some lose it really rapidly and are at goal by month 7 or 8. Some take 18 months to hit the same goal. My body is a slow poke and likes to have 6 week stalls! So I hit my 50% mark at close to 5 months but have been stalled for a month since and actually regained 6 lbs, lost it, and then just gained 15 lbs in fluid from surgery again. My weight tracking app looks like an absolute mess. LOL Working out can seem to cause stalls and slowing down too, because you are trading fat for muscle and muscle weighs more. Plus the act of working out changes the fluid balance and such in your body, so sometimes you appear to gain some weight when you start working out in earnest, but it'll balance out over time.
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Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL
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Welcome to the group and congrats on the upcoming surgery and all the pre-op success. I have not traveled to Peru, but I did go to Mexico about 9.5 months post op. Honestly it wasn't difficult at all. Typically by 8 weeks you should be healed on the inside and cleared for pretty much all movement. So by 6 months you'd be fine - generally speaking. I would say just packing all your vitamins and supplements is key of course. I also packed snacks mainly for the actual travel part - plane and car rides. I had jerky, cheese crisps, protein bars, portioned nuts and low carb chocolate. I had more than I really needed, but it definitely helped to have options. You could also consider protein powder or shakes in case. Also a reusable water bottle/cup comes in handy to ensure you stay hydrated. I stayed at an all inclusive resort and there were many healthy fresh options for all meals. The buffet breakfast had a ton of fresh fruit and veggies, a bunch of egg options - egg whites, hardboiled eggs, etc. and the meat protein options, yogurt and cheeses. There were various milks both dairy and non dairy options. Dinner menus had accommodations for different dietary needs. Off resort also wasn't difficult to navigate as there is a lot of protein and veg options. I found getting in movement was not difficult either. There was a gym, aerobic classes and water sports. But honestly walking around the resort, the pool, walking on the beach, the walking tours off resort - i never missed an exercise goal. The variables can happen depending on the area you are staying I'm sure, but I have friends who frequently travel to Peru to visit family and frequent many local cafes that have plentiful healthy options - healthier than you find in the states unless you grow it yourself since a majority is local and doesn't have to travel far at all. You will not likely be able to get exact specifics of macros if you like to track your food, but by 6 months you'll have an idea of estimated protein amounts and general portions for most foods you are likely to eat. As long as you stick with protein first, then veg and carbs last you should be good.
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Weight Comparison 2 Month.jpg
NickelChip commented on NickelChip's gallery image in Before and After Gastric Bypass Photos
Whoops, disregard the label on this one. It's 4 weeks and 2 months, not pre-op. Going to redo the graphic with the right label but I can't delete this one! -
A good phlebotomist once said it's not about what you see, but what you feel. I don't have any medical issues that relate to vein issues, but many many times it was a hunt for a vein to have my blood drawn. I've been poked up to 3 times and have had to have blood taken from the top of my hands on several occasions and once from my wrist (do not recommend that one hurt like a /@%$*). On the day of surgery, the anesthesiologist also poked me 3 times before finally placing the IV and that was with the use of a sonogram thingy(?). I won't lie, that hurt like heck - one because i'm already not a fan of needles and two that one is larger than a standard blood draw needle. Thankfully that was honestly the worst part of my entire in hospital experience start to finish. I was also told that drinking plenty of water helps a lot to plump the veins and I have found that has worked. Obviously that won't always be fail proof when you are restricted from both eating and drinking several hours beforehand. Oh and nothing really changed for me from before or after major weight loss as far as visually finding veins. I've just been lucky the last few blood draws to have someone who knows how to feel around for a good one and only poke me one time.
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If all you're having for breakfast is a protein cold brew, that won't stick with you for long. I have a smoothie in the mornings and it packs a good nutritional punch. I recall even from before surgery that a smoothie would keep me going until lunch. My new go-to, after some trial and error, is 150g frozen fruit, 30g baby spinach, 1tsp each of hemp seed, chia, flax, and raw sunflower seeds, 100g drained and rinsed canned beans (cannellini, white beans, black beans, chickpeas will all work), plus 2 scoops unflavored protein (20g), a scoop of beetroot powder and a scoop of Benefiber. I fill with as much water as my 20oz blender cup will hold. I add a squeeze of the bottled grated ginger to kind of mask the bean flavor, and I blend the heck out of it with a Vitamix so it's really smooth. It's about 360 calories, 30g protein, and has 16g fiber (11 from ingredients, 5 from Benefiber). It takes me about 45 minutes to drink it at 9 weeks post-op.
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Hello All, I am very new to the group and have not had my surgery yet but am scheduled for June 13th and I am excited to start losing weight exponentially even though I already have while on weight loss meds and starting a gym regimen while in the pre-op stages. My question for you all is if anyone traveled abroad within their first year post op? I am planning on going to Peru in Dec-Jan for two weeks and while I realize I will still have minimal portion sizes I feel I can make it work due to the wide variety of delicious/nutritious foods in the region that dont necessarily have to be carb-loaded. If anyone has experience with traveling to South America/Peru specifically your input would be much appreciated! I am hopeful that by that time I will be able to swim, walk and overall be active around touristy areas with ease but please let me know if there is anything else I should be aware of or try to pack before my travels to ensure I meet all of my nutritional needs.
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Does your pre-op diet weight loss "count"?
NickelChip replied to NickelChip's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Using my day of surgery weight, the calculator suggests I'll be 195lbs at 3 months. I'm 204.4 today, but assuming this blasted week-long stall breaks soon, it seems likely I'll be somewhere around there in another 26 days. It tells me to expect 178lbs at 3 months and 158lbs at a year, with a low of 151lbs at 18 months. I would be pleased as punch with that if it happens! That would be exactly 100lbs down from my highest weight, which seems unreal. -
Swimming is what really ramps up my hunger and so far nuts and avocado really help. A pre workout meal is Chobani zero greek yogurt, 2 oz, half ounce walnuts, 6 grapes. I'm almost 4 months post op. I'm still eating 3 oz at a time, 3 meals a day, 1 snack.
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Mine was just last year so I remember and have access to it on MyChart. They did CBC, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Vit D, A1C, Thyroid (TSH), Folate, and Ferritin. They pull all of those numbers as they need to be able to have comparative information to monitor after surgery and of course to address any issues prior to surgery. I just had my one year post op labs done this week and happy to know everything is on point.
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it's been over nine years for me, but I think they did test for certain vitamins because I remember I was deficient in vitamin (as are MANY people), so they had me on prescription vitamin D for a couple of weeks to bring my levels back up to normal.
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May 2024 Surgery Buddies 😁
SandyT replied to Bypass2Freedom's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
So, I just completed day 3 of my liver prep diet. Today seemed to be better than yesterday. I am not feeling as hungry, although I am already getting tired of the protein shakes. I still have little energy, just doing the absolute necessary and resting a lot. It's hard but not horrible and will be worth it when all is said and done. Everyone hang in there and remember what the goal is... better health and a longer life. I'm still nervous, but also ready to move forward. We got this! -
How Can I tell I’m Hungry?
Arabesque replied to SpringCleansing's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
We’ve all been where you are now. Loss of hunger & appetite is a benefit of the surgery (though there are some who don’t lose their’s) but it can be confusing & difficult to work with it. Aim for three ‘meals’ a day and eat what you can. Don’t force yourself to eat more even if that means you don’t eat all your portion. You’ll get used to leftovers in your fridge you’ll finish at your next meal or the next day. I only drank two ‘meals’ a day during liquids. I diluted everything and just sipped, sipped, sipped until it was finished - usually a couple of hours hence the two meals. Probably the most challenging part is understanding the difference between real hunger & head hunger especially as many of us were driven by our heads when it came to eating not real hunger. Head hunger isn’t affected by the surgery so it can be a real struggle to manage as it seems almost stronger. Generally, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s head hunger (a craving). If you’re hungry out of boredom, emotions (like stress & worries after the surgery), habit (always snacked by watching tv or after dinner, etc.) that’s also head hunger. If head hunger is making itself known try distracting yourself: read, craft, do a puzzle, ring a friend, go for a walk, sip water, a cup of tea, or similar. It takes about 8 weeks for you to be healed after the surgery and this includes your nerves which carry the messages to tell you you’re hungry, had enough or are full. So for a while those messages may not get through or may get through differently and the signals may be different. Like some sneeze, or their nose runs when they’ve eaten enough. Believe me, when your hunger does come back you’ll wish for the days you didn’t have it. All the best. PS - Yes they pump you full of lots of fluids so the scales can show an increase after surgery. You’ll pee it out over a few days. -
After googling I guess this may be a difficult questions since it’s so specific to the patient but Does anyone remember what labs they ordered for preop? Was it just the normal CBC? Or was it all the vitamins and extra stuff. I have to go back to my PCP again tomorrow morning because they couldn’t find a vein when they tried on Tuesday and as I sit here I’m thinking that probably in another couple weeks I am going to have to go through all this again. If I had thought of it earlier I would’ve called but I have to be there at 8 am and if possible I will ask them to add whatever the surgeon will likely require.
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I found it hard the first 3 -5 days but once the internal swelling calmed down i kind of focused on feeling drinks or food going down. I’d spend 30 minutes mentally following the mouthful and trying to identify what i felt. In the end i’ve notice a sort of tension in the stomach as the first sign of being full. Then there were other random signs : hiccupping is the strangest one, and for the first week i’d get a runny nose if i’d eaten too much It’s all so new but we’ll work it out - good luck 😊
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May 2024 Surgery Buddies 😁
Hellojaqs replied to Bypass2Freedom's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Greetings. My name is Jacki, 41 years old from Norther California and I am new around these parts. Here is what my weight is looking like. First visit with surgeon after referal sent over, 11/28/23 I was 373 pounds. 4/19/2024 was 353 after my doctor told me to lose 20 pounds before my next appointment. My scale at home lied to me by like 5 pounds so we will go with the office scale. I left that appointment on the 19th with a surgery date of May 9th, 2024. Nervous and excited is an understatement. I start my 2 week pre-op diet tomorrow 4/25 and it is gonna suck because my birthday is 4/27 but I know this is the best birthday gift I can give myself. This is like the last piece of my puzzle of taking over my life and figuring out who I am and who I want to be. Anyways, I look forward to getting to know all of you guys. Have a great day.
