Search the Community

So a quick update. I saw a skin specialist today who is pretty certain I have Chronic idiopathic Urticaria. I say pretty certain because there's another possibility (with joint involvement), but we have to wait for my pathology results to rule it out. He has started me on montelukast today and increased my fexofenadine tablets to three times a day. After just one montelukast dose, I could feel the itch subside and I was so happy! Imagine how ill be in a week! He mentioned that these hives can be brought on by stress. Given that the mini gastric bypass is incredibly stressful to the body, this ties in well with the onset time etc.

Yay! Really felt the visual benefits of mid-October brachioplasty today with new winter vest, shirt and scarf ensemble. I begin physical therapy tomorrow to work out elbow knots + soreness, ensure overall range of motion and optimum healing results 13 weeks out. I am pleased with the continued process and results.

Hey guys, How is everyone coping with life after being sleeved? I am doing a lot better than I was a few weeks ago but I still have a long way to go! My surgical wound that would not heal had to be packed by the nurses for a month. I'm 10 weeks post op and it has finally closed but it seemed to take forever! The head hunger is very up and down for me and torturous at times.... but I am starting to learn new things about myself when it happens. I am still very much navigating my way through dealing with it, I have good days and bad days depending on what's going on in my life. Depression is definitely a thing for me, I am very up and down. I have suffered with it on and off my whole life and at times I feel so lost. I am snappy with my poor hubbie and I am forever apologising to him. I have times where I feel as though I am crawling around on my hands and knees in the dark searching for the light switch that never seems to appear. I am distant at times even from my family but I don't want to be alone, probably because I don't wanna sit with my thoughts because I can't deal with them. I notice that when I am feeling low the obsessive food thoughts creep in to torture me. I am starting to look into getting some therapy for this, it may help. Anyway enough about me tell me about how you are doing! How much weight have you lost, how are you coping with your new lifestyle and please show us some progress pics! xx

Peanut butter chicken sounds good. Remember them spring rolls had a sauce that was equal parts of peanut butter and soy sauce. I’m glad you just reminded me of it because I really liked it and it was good on chicken too. Sorry to hear about your hip. Really sucks that we get tested with hurdles so soon after surgery but maybe it is just that a test. Test to see if we are truly committed even when it doesn’t come as easy as it did right off the bat. If so, I think we are crushing this test!! 10K steps is awesome. I bet you will not stop at 30 days. When I was doing my normal walking it felt so good I didn’t ever want to stop. As soon as I figure out this thyroid thing I’m gonna start again. Or if the cardiologist says it’s safe. Just scares me that my resting heart beat has gone up and I get notifications from my watch about weird heart stuff so oncology ordered test and did referral for an oncology cardiologist. I need to call that office too another reminder. Anyways, as soon as I get the all clear I will be working back up to join you. I’m telling you it helped me with everything. After doing it consistently my mental health was far better and it made me think twice about my food choices. I was feeling so good I didn’t ever want to do anything to ruin it so healthy nourishing choices were so much easier. I hope your hip is better soon and you meet or even exceed your walking challenge! I am bummed that my clinic has cancelled yoga for next week because the instructor is out but they are adding gentle yoga the following week and I think I am going to check out meditation this week since she will be gone and it’s at the same time so I couldn’t before. I wish these things were offered more than once a week. Kinda unfair for the people who do treatment that day or the day before if their treatment makes them feel icky. They also have a physical trainer that they offer who will do some free sessions but I’m saving them for after surgery since I will be needing more direction then. Right now I just need clearance and then motivation to get back at it After surgery I will have limitations. My range of motion will be an issue and I will need help pushing through them but not pushing too fast. I talked to the guy and he said we can’t go any quicker than my dr clears me but I am going to tell the dr I see him weekly and ask to see the dr more often to get clearance quicker if I’m ready. i am so ready to get back to my pre chemo activity. I can already tell my lack of activity is affecting my mood. I want my happy positive rainbows and unicorns outlook on life back. Drove my hubby crazy but I liked it and I’m pretty sure after dealing with my being cranky and irritable for over a month he is probably missing it too. 😂

Your body is still swollen from the surgery, it is in recovery, be patient. Your weight will come off, you need to let your body heal, it has only been about 1 week, once it heals, it will be easier for your body to adjust if you did not obsess and keep weighing yourself. This surgery is a tool, not an easy way out. Walking is good, keep it up. If you keep going and pushing yourself, you'll go farther. Think about joining a support group like Barination or Unjury, to learn about the new you and what to expect. Don't be so frustrated yet, you will lose eventually. You want to lose weight for good, and healthy lifestyle habits are important to learn if you haven't learned them yet.

Im posting this here in case it helps someone else. These are the workout video creators I follow on YouTube. I am three months(ish) out from gastric sleeve surgery so I like to switch it up. Leslie Sansone-Walk Away the Pounds. She is the OG of walking videos. Her walks range from ten minutes to 45 minutes. The majority require no equipment and the ones that do have it as optional. I started with her immediately after surgery. Now to challenge myself, I do them in my pool for more resistance. The downside is she is EXTREMELY OVER THE TOP PEPPY so sometimes I've muted her and have followed along to my own music. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVl6ZdslZz2Zj-34bMJFPbg Burpee Girl-I just found her and I do at least two of her workouts a week. She can be modified for all levels. She has videos that are walking to Pilates to dumbbell work. Her music she uses is extremely upbeat and engaging. She also has active break segments in her videos so you get a chance to cool down in between rounds. She doesnt talk or explain the moves but there is a ten second preview of each exercise before you do it. Highly recommended if you're wanting to challenge yourself a bit more. I put her at an intermediate level. When I outgrew Leslie Sansone, I found Burpee Girl and love her content. https://www.youtube.com/c/BurpeeGirlLiss Billy Blanks-Tae Bo. AS a 90's girl, I remember doing this in gym class and sweating to death. He has his own YouTube channel with really good workouts. A lot of focus on kicking and punching, great for when I need to expend a lot of negative energy. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMGIp3jifsoufZv_y8_c1Qg Yoga with Kassandra- She is so soothing. I love her videos and do them on my off days to stretch. She's very calm and it makes you feel like you're in a yoga class. If you cant do a move, she recommends ways to do it so you can modify your practice. I am not a yoga person but the stretches help and she doesnt make it new agey.https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithkassandra

Hi everyone, I’m new here. Surgery is the 21st and I’m on day five of the pre-op liver shrinking diet. Nine days to go! I haven’t been struggling with the diet too much; I think having a mental countdown helps! Although in bed last night I was thinking fondly of fried eggs on well-buttered toast. And sitting in front of the tv this afternoon I’d love some snacks but that’s just habit. i am going to Sydney for the surgery, I live in Canberra, which is about 300km away. I have to stay a week total, two days in hospital then the rest in an AirBNB I’ve booked. We’re flying because my husband doesn’t drive and I don’t want to (a) pay for a weeks parking in the Sydney CBD or (b) have to drive home if I’m not feeling 100%. Good luck everyone having surgery in January!

Hi, Sorry you're experiencing this, but I am quite sure that it is very early out for you to be having regular food at 2.5 weeks. Every single region I have researched heavily emphasizes on waiting at least 6 weeks until you can have regular food (whatever you were able to eat prior to WLS). At 2.5 weeks blended soups and Greek yogurt felt like a brick in my stomach. If you could maybe wait a few more weeks and stay on pureed/soft foods then please do, you could harm your staples eating solids so early on.

I believe you completed enough exercised for three people. Can I be one of them? 🤔🤣

Hello everyone!! I know I did a bit of a vanishing act, but I have things to report in. First of all - I hit a really frustrating plateau that lasted about 3.5 weeks from around weeks 7-10. That had me feeling pretty bummed, as it was post-two month check in and I had been feeling great about my progress before switching from purees to solids. I had last posted about hearing somewhat contradicting information from the nurse and Nutritionist. I had been told that I didn't need to really worry about staying on keto because I wasn't eating much as long as I hit my protein goal and by the nurse to try to stay Keto because eventually I'd get this great burst of energy from going into ketosis. WELL -- After doing some research I found out that the thing your brain tells you would be the worst thing to do - EAT MORE - was actually the solution. I started bringing in more vegetables and an occasional grains while sticking to mostly lean meats, plus using a protein shake for breakfast to keep me on track with my protein goals. I was already using Genepro; and I since picked up one of the Whey protein powders in a chocolate plus some of the PB2. That did the trick! I have started allowing myself an occasional 'cheat' type meal on days that I'm locked in on my protein, and find myself often meeting my protein goal and then some - more like 70g of protein per day rather than the minimum of 60g/day. The result of spreading my meals out - breakfast, three hours later lunch, three hours later 'dinner' and three hours later 'protein snack' if I'm still hungry - DID IT. My energy is up now that I've been walking more and giving my body more fuel. I am seeing the weight loss finally, and even when the scale doesn't show it right away I'm seeing my measurements shift and the way my clothing fits feeling different. I had purchased a cute pair of jeans about a week before my surgery and a button down short sleeve gingham shirt. At the time I couldn't get the jeans all the way up over my thigh; and now they fit loosely. My bras don't fit properly and I already had to buy one in a smaller size. I'm turning down plus sizes clothes I like that I find at the thrift store for pretty much the first time because - they're too big. I'm borrowing shirts from my Mom that I handed down to her previously and other friends handed down to her rather than me because she was a 2x/3x for a long time (mostly due to her chest) and I was a 4x+. I can feel where my arms have gotten smaller in the way shirts don't feel snug in the arms, shoulder, and chest area. I've gone down 2.5 ring sizes! All in all, I've found that portion control is still a big deal, but so is listening to your body and remembering that if it sends you a message about hunger, there is a reason. I DO have to focus on making sure I drink enough water, but the Baritastic app has helped me keep my sugar low. Even if I do hit over 30g of carbs in a day it's rare and because of something like beans, rice, or vegetables. I'm feeling more comfortable loosening the reins a bit on how strictly I adhere to my diet - although I still don't do anything carbonated, do minimal caffeine, and keep sugar very low. The idea to bring your own tupperware to restaurants along with a cooler is really smart. I'm not in an organized group exercise of any kind yet but I do have personal goals like trying to get in over 10k steps three times per week. I'm working my way up and have gotten to an average of around 5k steps each day, which I'm very proud of. My calorie deficit is usually 800+ calories less taken in than what I'm burning via exercise per day, and this week I have lost almost 6 lbs due to exercise and losing the bloat from my first period post surgery. I wanted to mention that - I did miss my first month's period and my second month's was late. As to exercise - I feel the activity in my back and as a low ache across my lower abdomen mainly, which I think is a result of using those core muscles and the way my figure is redistributing the weight on my joints. I'm shopping Marketplace to add weights to my exercise and still use my exercise bike when the weather isn't nice enough to walk. OH! And Old Navy has an amazing 50% off sale on their website right now and I just finally ordered myself some pants in two sizes below my pre-surgery size! I'm so excited for them to get here. Best wishes all, keep up the amazing work and be kind to yourselves!

Love LOVE seeing all your wins!! I'm excited by the way my clothes are fitting now, especially when I wear something that actually FITS - I feel like ITKYK - sometimes my belly just isn't feeling a snug waist band or a bra tightly cinched around my chest. (Usually after a meal, when I accidentally gulp too much water too fast, or after taking my morning medicine. Something about taking my three pills in the morning just leaves me feeling icky. I think it's the capsules before they make their way down, IDK) I like that the tops I was comfortable wearing pre-surgery (and kept)can pretty much be worn as nighties now. The other day I was able to wear a big poofy sweatshirt OVER a huge oversized flannel and look like I was swimming in both. I'm was into more grunge style clothing in my youth and it was absolutely something I would have worn as a teenager when I was hiding my body. Conversely, I can wear a properly fitting shirt now in a 2x, down from a 5x, and it be flattering. I took a look at myself closely in the mirror yesterday and could see how my hips and back have changed. I definitely can tell the difference in the size of my arms and the way bras got too big. Keeping up with bras that fit is my biggest challenge right now!

Small changes for the win every time! Small changes are always much easier to adapt to and adopt. It might take longer but it’s more likely to stick in the long term. Track your eating and drinking for a week or so. Over time it’s easy to become complacent and let things slide a little in regards to food choices, portion sizes &/or frequency of eating and activity. Then choose which one or two you’ll focus on changing first. Remember to hit those old goals. Get your protein in first, then vegetables, some fruit and some whole or multi grain carbs last of all. Ensure you’re getting in your water. I’ve put on a small amount this year after a hysterectomy. We’re still trying to sort out my hormones but it’s been an emotional time not helped by experiencing full on menopausal symptoms (after managing them for years) plus cravings, food noise, bloating, headaches, … even acne. My weight had been stable until this & my routines were deeply embedded.i felt in control for the first time ever so the weight gain was difficult to understand & messed with me. But life does throw crap at us at times. I’ve dropped a snack, reduced my portions a little, added a couple more stretches and movements to my non exercise activity routine. Deciding what I might change next. All the best.

I needed to hear this today! I'm losing around 3 lbs a week since sleeve was done Dec. 2. But went out of town to see my mom and sibs and drank her sweet tea and ate nibbles of things I normally don't now and I'm up in weight. Was 204.2 and now I'm 206.2. (On my phone right now but will change my ticker soon! 206 is better than 215! Lol!) Frustrating! I didn't eat much as I still feel extremely restricted but I think the sugar must cause inflammation and salt always makes me hold water weight. So I'm happy to be back home and working a lot and eating my grapefruit, cucumbers and protein shake, etc. daily. Hopefully I can begin going back down this week. So close to Onederland! Thanks for sharing this. Goes to show just how fast it CAN come back on us. I've lost and gained lots over the years. Hoping this surgery was the tool I needed to help me get my weight down and keep it there. At this point I'd be thrilled just to get to and stay at 199 forever. LOL! But my goal is much lower. But once I get into the 100s I know I always FEEL better. So I'm looking forward to that milestone!

Congrats! I had my testing earlier this week. Everything went well and I'm ready to go for Tuesday! Liver shrink is HARD. I'm fine all day long, but really struggling when it comes to dinner time when I can actually eat real food and not just a protein shake. I feel like I'm eating the same boring things every day. I think I'd almost rather being in purely shakes, because at least that I can vary the flavor of. @one more time, I wonder if it has to do with BMI? Maybe your bmi is lower and the size of your liver won't be as much of an issue?? I know bc my bmi was over 50, that's why I needed 3 weeks of liver shrink instead of my Dr's usually two week rx of it.

Lemme see here....what order to roll with....I'll start with the No-Can-Do List. Gonna sound cornball...but then again....cornball is my wheelhouse, lol. Okay...here is the Top 5 that come to mind over my morning coffee: skydiving. hell to the NO. Added to that anything that involves heights. It wouldn't be cool for them to see me pass out from terror......although I did have a great conversation with a gal yesterday afternoon who has professional live saving medical skillz. So....she could probably take me to death's door....and bring me back. But no planes, roller coasters, wall climbing or the like. Wind tunnel is about the best I can consider.... Years ago she took me out for margaritas...took my arse out. We found solace as two souls in marriages that were struggling, no sharks. I grew up near the coast...snorkeling and scuba diving frequently.... continued it through college. At some point in my mid-20's I began to have sinus troubles equalizing the pressure when diving...made for painful surface intervals between dives. My Uncle had been through the same a few years prior. He tried surgical remedy....but it didn't help. My late wife, her brother, his wife and some other friends all took their diving certification stuff....and then for various reasons,...each of them dropped out of the class. I'd resigned myself to give the sinus surgery a chance....surgeon was also a diver and he felt like success was most probable. During my years diving I've been close....crazy close....to sharks a plenty. It was all good as I was most often near rocks, reefs, shipwreck structure, etc. Cover was close, if needed. The exposure and sketchy periods were when getting to the bottom & when resurfacing....there I sometimes felt like bait on a hook. Since then I have had some close calls when I was simply swimming on a beach day.....going for a swim to cool off from the sun. One time I had my early teenage son with us....We saw a sand bar a couple hundred yards off shore.,...there were surfers out there. He was deadset on making it out there. I finally caved in and told him we could go but he had to listen to me...currents and such. He agreed and out we went....all was well until it wasn't. I found out the scary way that baitfish were schooling in spots between the sand bar and the shallows. We were swimming amidst the schooling baitfish....joining them on the freakin menu. I saw one, two then three sets of dorsal fins surface in between waves. Then one came too close....got my son's attention and lied to him....told him to get in close with me and we were headed back to shore because I was cramping. He was pissed, but he did what he was told and then gave me a dose of ribbing later on...."Dad you wanna hand me a drink.....oh no...don't do it....you'll cramp up", "Dad....you want me to take the cooler back to the car....don't want you cramping up", etc. My favorite kind of vacation is to sandy places. Don't want to become baitfish again, though....ever. Never thought it would be an issue until recent weeks. Met a gal who is a diver....kept my shark aversions quiet, lol No yoga....period. Could be the greatest thing ever.....but I'm sidestepping. Same could be said of other types of group excursive. I'm a no-class sorta dude. Not going to line up and get into some torture. I prefer to do my torture in solo....lick my wounds and gain the benefits results. I have to protect my shout out knees and right shoulder and keep pre-habbing them until I can get schedules aligned to have joint replacements done. My geriatric-bariatric sorta gym stuff would likely have younger womenz laughing their butts off. So yeah....the gym is where I need to go it alone....for now, at least. Nothing illegal...or at least keep it mostly legal. I'm not robbing banks...but if she asked really nicely and had a killer smile....I may be her getaway driver and lookout. Snakes are off limits. So if they are into snakes as pets.....it is gonna take a HEAP of Dr. Phil-esqe counseling to make that something I can ease up on. My time in the woods has me averse to snakes. The part of Georgia where I live has many varieties of rattlesnakes, copperheads, moccasins, etc, etc. I've had some sketchy moments with 'em all and I went to guns every time. Probably wouldn't go over well with a date who had pet snakes. ......................................... Note that karaoke is now off the list. I'm averse to it. Averse as all hell......but developments yesterday have me sliding that one off my radar. I met someone who sings. I mean, sings at a high level, in formal events, etc. When the subject came up in conversation I was coy....thinking, "here we go with the freakin karaoke silliness"....but I kept my mouth zipped as she was discussing things she enjoyed....music...making music via singing wasn't a hobby....but a passion. My coy arse ...when asked about likes...simply said something cornball regarding singing. "Well...it is highly ironic that we have met...you being a singer, and all." Winked and nodded...knowingly (even though I no nothingsss...strong is my ignorance). She bit and wanted to know more. I deflected and said something about having a small bit of singing experience.....at a professional level....but didn't want to bore her with details....wanted to find out more about her. So it went for a few minutes until she went back to my singing and pressed the matter. "Well, young lady....here is the cosmic irony on this matter....you are clearly impassioned & talented with your voice.....so very odd that we would meet.....you see...you are now looking at the WORST singer on the face of the Earth.....or at least in this county.....I suck.....I've even been paid to NOT sing....had dollar bills tossed at me to put the mic down.....so there it is....I am in awe of your courage to stand up and rock your voice......I am in awe and I'm hardcore untrainable in that area". She laughed and took it all in stride. "So what can you be trained to do....." Mr Cornball here replied with something dumb like, "For starters, I am housebroken...errr mostly housebroken. I can bark...or not bark...roll over, shake and play dead, fetch....you know, stuff like that". She laughed again...but not laughing in the way of "somebody come save me from this nerd....somebody, anybody". Humored laughing....dare I hope, acceptance laughter....is that even a thing ? When I say we laughed....I mean throughout the afternoon and eventing we laughed. Either this gal is challenged or she was actually amused at my dipshyt self. I was intrigued of everything she volunteered about her life, likes, loves, views. @GreenTealael had recently stated major bigtime advice that was THE SURE 'NUFF TRUTH. it pertained to core values being integral to compatibility. Not realizing it was occurring, this lady and I spent hours yesterday covering so much ground that it was unreal. By dawns light this morning I am still shaking my head in amazement. Without me realizing it had occurred....we'd checked off a pile core belief simpaticoisms....yep that is now a word. Simpatico-isms. I was open and honest and simply went with it. Each topic was a new discovery of our views and feels about stuff. Been down this road a good bit lately....and there were always stumbling issues or categories where divergent views may be a red flag. I'm not talking about politics or stuff like that. I couldn't give a rip about that. I appreciate different viewpoints. I mean the bigger issues... Here are some of the hurdles or outright roadblocks that I've had recently in this bachelor living...and this is with even short term fun: No married women. As tempting as a couple have made it...No-Can-Do. I am NOT about to go there. DO NO HARM is the hill I will die on....regardless of the temptation. No coworkers...or at least within my work "zone". There is an engineer and another administrator in another "zone" where some interesting recent conversations have occurred. Even then, I waded much more cautiously than other situations. My sobriety will not be compromised. Long story...shortened version: haven't had a drop since February 2019. Quit for practical reasons to be a responsible caregiver 24/7. Considered myself a casual drinker...social drinker.....but in the years since I saw where I'd used alcohol as a crutch...a tool...a mechanism to distance myself from work stress....or marital stress... I later acknowledged it was a simply delaying those stress & ultimately combining them. So, after my wife passed in 2021...I maintained the sobriety...realizing it was in my best interest. Since then I have benefited hugely from it. I can go out with a girl and am A-Okay with her having a drink or three....I'll have my coffee, water and am just fine. I won't open a bottle or pop a top again, though. Matters of the soul. Didn't seem like this would be an issue for initial attraction and such. But I found that even in casual contact it can and does surface and diametrically opposing views are a non-starter....even if physical attraction is main the component the main draw. Back to yesterday's first meet with lil' Miss Singer....it--was--wonderful. Wunnerfull....I didn't want to be pushy,....or forward....but....wow. So refreshing, I was thirsty for more....and it was shared, clearly. She even stated such....boldly. Stepped up and put it out there....interest demonstrated. She made the first commit. I had been keeping my desires reserved...she was... different. I was having different feels and did not want to rush into anything. This was someone that, yes, major physical attraction is there...but all my no-can-do stuff were non-issues...taken in stride....acceptance. She probably has guys hitting on her all the time and I didn't want to be another schuck trying to come on to her. I mean...I DID want to...but there seemed to be "more than that" taking shape. Everything was.....different. Yeah, I know I said that already...having difficulty finding correct verbiage to accurately describe. Your ever had the thought that you'd love to go back in time and slap the cowboy shyt outa your past self..and do so at a most specific moment and change the outcome and improve the trajectory of past self ???? Yesterday at some point after an hour or so...it was almost as if I felt a hand on my shoulder....a warning hand...it was telling me to slow the roll...be real....look at the bigger picture....and boy howdy, there is a strong hint there is possibly healthy structure for a bigger picture. The hand on the shoulder clenched down more than once....the physical desires needed to be reminded of the cosmic slap that was needed. Dumb as it may sound.....and for whatever reason I can be grateful for....I was calm and didn't blow it....wasn't "that dude". It was rewarded with hours more talking, laughing, disclosing, supporting, etc, etc. --------------------------- So.... we have an actual, real deal, no kiddin' super official date next week...Wednesday. We had to plot through our work schedules to figure it out...but it is set. A date. Not a hook up.

Many team will just start you out on the vitamins that people tend to become low on to try and get ahead of it, but you should be getting labs every three months for a while and then at least once a year once you are on track. Your team should tell you what to change based on your labs.

Not sure if this is a win, or if it's just in my mind, but here it is. I was in the US for Thanksgiving so I haven't been riding my bike to work for the last two weeks. Today, I got on the bike for the the first time in two weeks and I just felt lighter and faster than I usually do. I think my bike is breathing a sigh of relief that she has less weight to carry. I can feel like I'm really flying now, even on the eco power mode (ebike) and not the full power mode.

Some people tend to have more diarrhoea than constipation in the beginning. A friend did - she wore disposable knickers for a week after her surgery. It’s just one of those things we can experiences differently. It could be related to stomach acid (it takes a while for our body to realise we don’t need as much as we did because we’re not eating as much & the excess irritates the bowel). A PPI will help with this if you’re not on one. Could be a lactose intolerance. Some people develop an intolerance temporarily or for life after the surgery. Try a whey free shake if it might be this & see if it improves. Could also be your body excreting old blood from the surgery (especially if your poop is darker) or another way to excrete all the fluids. Or it could just how your body is reacting to the change to your digestive system until it gets used to the new system. If it persists check with your team though. All the best.

Most likely it’s because your body is detoxing from carbs and it’s screaming for more. Once your body is rid of them the cravings will subside and it’s actually a great deal easier. For me it’s usually almost a week before the cravings are completely gone but they get a little less with every day. For future reference too if you are like me the natural carbs like fruit and veggies don’t cause me issues or even a very small portion or brown pasta or rice, but processed carbs I have to be VERY careful with. One cookie and my body wants more. Two cookies and I’m craving carbs for a week. You can do this and it will get easier each day and even easier post surgery when your appetite is gone. If I’m busy now, I even forget to eat lunch on occasion if I’m out and i have to stay up late to have a second dinner to get all my protein and vitamins in. Soooo many people say that that preop is the hardest part of the whole process mentally. Just keep your eye on the prize. You can do this. ❤️

I just love seeing people's stats. I wish I had done mine to help me through the stalls. Absolutely amazing loss 😍

This is a question I'd recommend consulting your bariatric surgeons office about. Now having said that, everyone is different, I personally didn't have much pain following my surgery BUT my energy was low for several months (5-6 months) remember you will be on a significant reduced calorie change that your body isn't used to. Disney requires a lot of walking and I know I couldn't have done days at Disney walking that much only 4-5 weeks out. Again, everyone is different. Also, I was told NO travel for 3 months following my surgery: too much sitting on plane (blood clots), distance from surgeon if an emergency medical situation were to arise etc. So again ask your surgeons office. Sorry to not answer directly.

HOW Long does this thirst thing last???? So 3ed week after total gastrectomy, similer to bariatric surgery; but the whole stomachs out. My body is telling me thirsty All the time, it lessens when i eat something but i am going insande. I will try popsicles and ice.

I just checked and at 2 months, I was down 20.6 lbs from the day of surgery. There's really not a hard and fast rule for how much you'll lose. Everyone is different and it depends on your starting point and how much you lost pre-op, too. I had some months when I lost a lot and other months where I hardly lost anything, but overall it moved steadily downward. My weight loss has stalled for the past month or so, now that I am more than a year out. The only guidelines I was given was 60g minimum of protein per day and 64oz water. I am now almost 14 months post-op and I've gone from 225 lbs on surgery day (251 was my highest, which was 6 months pre-op) to anywhere from 162-165lbs. My exercise consists of walking and that's it. I'd like to lose another 10 lbs but I'm also pretty fine with where I am as long as I don't gain (which is why I do hope to lose a bit more). I've gone from a size 22 to a size 12. I think I could still lose a bit more if I focused on cutting out some bad habits that have crept in with sweets/simple carbs, and if I increased my daily exercise to something a little more challenging than a walk. I don't count calories and I don't really track macros at this point, either. I just try to eat reasonable meals that focus on protein and veggies, and not snack too much or eat junk food too often. A typical day is either spinach frittata, Kodiak protein oatmeal, or a Greek yogurt for breakfast, plus a serving of mixed fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, grapes. Lunch is a good size spinach salad with 3oz chicken and some black beans. Dinner might be a bowl of homemade chicken, bean, and veggie soup, chili, or maybe some grilled meat and veggies. Sometimes I eat chickpea pasta with marinara and meatballs but other types of pasta and breads don't settle well. For snacks, I like string cheese and an apple, or some mixed nuts or roasted edamame. I have to be careful of overindulging in things like popcorn, candy, and cookies because they are too easy to eat without getting full (and sadly I don't get dumping from them). Red meat fills me up very quickly. The hardest thing for me now is dealing with the head hunger that makes me want to reach for food if I am bored or stressed. Getting the stuff out of the house completely is the only strategy that really works for me with that. My only real advice is don't drive yourself crazy. Just do your best each day and pay attention to your body. That's more important than counting calories. You're not on a diet! You need to figure out what you can sustain for the rest of your life, while paying attention now to the basics (protein and water, plus vitamins) to keep up your health.

Hi everyone! I have my surgery date scheduled for the 16th of March 2024. Due to a high BMI of 61 I have to do 4 weeks of the liver shrinkage diet. I started on Friday the 16th and I'm really struggling. I'm on total meal replacement shakes x 3 daily with just sugar free squash and water to drink alongside these. My total intake per day is 800 calories or less. How did you guys do it? I know I HAVE to do it, but it's so hard. I cry daily because I'm hungry and I want food. My stomach constantly growls, my stomach hurts and the shakes never feel like they satisfy any of that hunger. My partner is so supportive, he eats away from me and hides food so I don't feel any further distress and jealousy. I know why I'm doing this but I don't know how I'm expected to do this for a whole 4 weeks. Any advice or support is welcome. If anyone is doing the same atm for their March surgery please let me know, maybe we can buddy up! Thank you all ❤️ xKirstenx

So glad to hear you are doing well. Yea when the cravings come back it sucks. I have been doing okay. Tomorrow is my last day of the infused chemo. Surgery on 3 weeks then radiation in five. I will be on the immunotherapy another year and maybe oral chemo depending on the pathology from surgery. 🤞 I don’t need the chemo because that may mean I’m immunocompromised still and I’m so sick of the isolation of trying not to get sick and miss treatment. I got a tiny little cold that made me septic and spent 10 days in hospital which made me miss two weeks of chemo so I’ve had to be super careful to not get sick again and all along they have told me once I get to radiation I won’t have to be so careful. I mean sick would mean I would miss treatment but only for a day or two while I had a fever or felt really crummy and it wouldn’t be life or death. Anyways, I only read about the oral chemo on the patient portal tonight so I will ask Dr more about it this Friday when we chat. Maybe it’s not a big deal. I have pretty much maintained my weight till recently. I’ve gained a few pounds. I’m still on the heavy steroids and the immunotherapy caused thyrotoxicosis I think it’s called. I was hyper thyroid to start but then like 3 weeks later it went back to normal and then to hypo thyroid and apparently it usually stays that way. I reached out to my bariatric team and asked him if I could start on with Govee to help get me off of some of these processed carbs and he acted like I was being crazy to be worried about my weight at a time like this. I said I’m not trying to lose weight. I know I’m not supposed to and I haven’t Since December when I started the Chemo, but I don’t think that if you’re so concerned about me, maintaining my weight to fuel my body and help myself recover that the foods I’m eating in order to sustain an overweight body weight are really helping me recover from anything. I said all I want to do is be able to stop eating the garbage and start eating healthy nutrition again and I would be willing to log all my food again and check in with you to make sure I’m not losing too fast or anything, but he says no way not until I get the all clear cancer free from my oncologist. But I’m helping my oncologist can reach out to him and tell him that I’m not gonna get that for another year and if I wait that long, I’ll probably be as big as a house again without any help. Or I may just have to go through an endocrinologist or my family doctor or something. Anyway, anyways, trying to not worry about it too much but I didn’t appreciate that. He acted like I have some kind of eating disorder or something and I have like a death wish. I mean, I wasn’t saying that I wanna take something that’s gonna make me starve myself to death. I was just saying that I want to change what I’m eating and eat healthy obviously if the medicine made it where I couldn’t eat anything. I would stop taking it. I’m not insane. 🤣 but it is very discouraging to see the numbers on the scale go up even if it’s only 5 pounds.