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Just that it's going to hit you FAST. It goes right into your bloodstream. So just keep that in mind (it leaves my system quicker than it did before surgery, too..). And in general, be careful with alcohol as some people have trouble with it after surgery - cross-addiction is real! I limit myself to a glass or two of wine a couple of times a month. Between the surgery and the fact alcoholism runs in my family (two uncles), I don't want to take chances.
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Okay, first, once you have the surgery you will not physically be able to eat that fast without throwing up and/or being miserable with pain. So you'll learn real quick to slow down when the time comes. Trust me. In the meantime, here is what you do to practice and start training yourself. First, if you can, make a commitment to only eat from a real plate while sitting at an actual table for the next two weeks. No eating standing up in the kitchen with two minutes to go before you have to leave or grabbing a handful of something from the pantry as you walk past. Second, get yourself a timer. It can be a kitchen one, or one of those little sand ones that go for a minute, or just the timer on your phone. Whatever works. When you sit down to eat, take a small bite of food. This means something about the size of your thumbnail, or even half that size. Set the timer for one minute. Put your fork and knife down. Chew. Keep chewing. Chew more than you have ever chewed before in your life. Your food will be like paste. You should feel no lumps in your mouth. At this point, swallow. If there is time left on your timer, sit and wait. Only when the timer goes off do you pick up the fork for another bite. Before you take that bite, ask yourself if you feel like you need another bite. Presurgery, your answer is probably going to be yes. But post surgery, this is a point where you might start to think wait, I feel pretty satisfied. This is when you want to stop eating, because with a limited capacity, you will fill up really fast and might overshoot and feel ill. If that's all you do, you will be fine. If you want to be more mindful, ask yourself some questions as you eat. Maybe ask what you like about this food and think about that. Think about the texture and taste. Think about how your body is responding to eating. Do you feel tense? Are you relaxed? Are you feeling any emotions as you start eating, and do those emotions shift as you eat? Use some of your time between bites to write down some observations. You don't really have to do all of that, but on the other hand, you might be surprised by what you learn if you do. Also, I will say that I struggled a lot with this presurgery but the slow eating is second nature now. When I forget, I don't feel well, so I have a lot of incentive to slow down. You will too! Just do what you can to practice now so your nutritionist is happy with your progress. I will almost guarantee if you keep a notebook for the next week or two with what you ate and when, how long it took from start to finish, and some reflections on the food and how your body was feeling while you ate, you will pass with flying colors.
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5 weeks post op (Sadi S)
ShoppGirl replied to Milagros Roman's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Everyone’s post op plan is different. At five weeks I was on soft foods post SADI revision but it’s important to follow the plan your surgeon set for you. It goes by pretty fast. You will be able to eat again soon. For soups, if you get a good soup and strain it (like from a restaurant) that can be a little treat because the broth is more flavorful even if you can’t have the noodles. If you are on soft but just can’t have the noodles, try having just the broth with the veggies (celery can cause some people issues, though so be mindful of that). Honestly the longer you can go without having processed carbs the better. Carbs make you crave more carbs (or that’s how it works for many people anyways). -
Hi, @ShoppGirl, I've frozen soups and ground meats in sauce in 3 oz glass containers, and it's working really well. I am not a cook, don't like to, and I often procrastinate so in the past I've ended up having fast food or ordering out. It's one of the main reasons I got so big. So those little grab n' go containers in the freezer are a lifesaver! And I'm finding that soups and ground meats freeze great, so I think your frozen chili and meatballs will be perfect. I'm planning to freeze some of the italian vegetable soup hubby's making from scratch, too.
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August Surgery buddies
Justarwaxx replied to Averdra's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Happy puree stage! It's so much nicer hahaha. I also over bought stuff but they are still surviving in my fridge. I wish I could advice u on the qty but I also read that 1/2 cup is right for now. If u guys read arabic, I would've shown what mine said and we would have a pretty good laugh as it basically says nothing informative teehee but I am surviving and losing the weight!! I wanna fast forward to 6 months -
Thank you so much for sharing your journey—it’s really encouraging to see how far you’ve come! Your progress is amazing, and it’s a great reminder that the weight loss isn’t linear but still consistent over time. I definitely need to shift my mindset and focus more on my own path, like you said. I love that you're fitting into jeans from when you were 22—that’s such a huge win! Hearing how your weight loss has unfolded over the months gives me hope, especially knowing that you’re still losing at 7+ months post-op. I’ll try to keep that long-term perspective in mind, and stop stressing about how fast or slow the weight is coming off right now. Thanks again for the advice and inspiration! I’m feeling much more positive about my journey now.
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August Surgery buddies
Justarwaxx replied to Averdra's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Oh God! I just experienced my first foamies attack! I think I ate too fast and didn't chew my food well! I was eating during a video call meeting and got distracted.. I can literally feel the food in my heart 🤣 To be honest, I am quite happy to finally feel fullness today! At breakfast and lunch and now dinner! I always felt out of place for not feeling "full" well I definitely felt it and I do not want to reach full stage or fullness again .. God I wanna push down the food 😩 ouchy but yay! -
Accurate Macro Calculator
ShoppGirl replied to AmberFL's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Well, it wasn’t exactly an AI generated recommendation. It was an AI generated summary of all the articles that applied to the question I asked Google. So basically One of the articles them gave that recommendation is below and you can read the full article of course and determine whether it’s a reputable source and applies to you. I agree with not going by a cookie cutter approach regardless of where it came from. Especially the Internet, but it logically does make sense to me so it would definitely be worth talking to your doctor about and asking for a specific plan for you. I know for me, my body is fighting cancer and processing chemo right now which both increase metabolism. Currently I’m logging like 1000-1500 cal more a day and still losing (albeit a little slower to appease my doctors). It changes your metabolism when your body is fighting something and it does burn more calories during times like this. How many that would be something your surgeon may be able to help you with a refer you to someone who can. I am very fortunate that I am at a big fancy breast center and they have an oncology dietitian that is helping me throughout all of my different treatments that I have in store for me over the next year to keep me on track for both that and my bariatric journey. i think the most important part would be to just be mindful of the fact that healing does require adequate nutrition and not to be at too much of a calorie deficit because yes, we will heal like we did from our bariatric surgery but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was the ideal circumstance or that we we’re healing as fast as we could have. I know you are itching to get out and back to your activity asap as I would be and good nutrition is very important for faster healing. I’m not saying that means you need to eat as much as you were eating when you were working out like crazy, but if it was me, I would focus primarily on fueling my body to get better faster, without gaining of course, and really focus on the weight loss once I was back on track (it won’t be that long). I mean if you can lose a bit great but if your body is screaming out for nutritious food it’s probable that there is a reason. The nutritionist that I am working with would not give me a specific calorie amount instead she told me to still try to avoid cookies and chips, but to eat when my body was craving nutritious food and she checks in with me every week to see how I am doing and make tweaks Does your surgeon have a nurse practitioner that you could talk to if you give them a call? Or was your dietician from pre surgery very helpful (mine was worthless 😂). Maybe you would get a more in-depth response from them than your surgeon who’s always super busy. -
Reactive Hypoglycaemia
ShoppGirl replied to Bypass2Freedom's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Yea. Just start with the times that you naturally do actually eat anyways and then pick other times that are convenient from there. I also do a proffee in the morning (just protein shake and coffee to make an iced coffee like drink). I really am not a breakfast person but I have to do vitamins 5 different times a day so I do that with my soluble fiber mixed in and take my multivitamin once I get that down. It’s fast and it’s liquid too so it’s a good start to the day getting fiber, protein, fluids and my first vitamin done. I like the premiere protein caramel and I just mix it with some chilled coffee. I use the whole shake in a tall cup and add coffee the rest of the way but I am one of those people that are asked if I want some coffee with my cream and sugar so adjust as needed. But for sure, start with the snacks. They are a must if you have reactive hypoglycemia. Then add alarms to remember to eat those snacks. Maybe around 1 if you haven’t eaten yet you need to get something soon or have one of your snacks to avoid the 2-3pm issue. Hopefully that will help. -
First: All because you can doesn’t mean you should. It takes around 8 weeks to fully heal. That includes all nerves that were severed or damaged to be back firing again & sending accurate messages to your brain around, hunger, satiety, damage and your restriction. It’s why sticking to the portion size recommendations you should have been given is so important during the healing stage. (If you didn’t get them ask your team for some guidance.) You don’t want to damage your healing tummy either (all those sutures and staples holding your tummy together). Secondly: Do you need the next bite or just want it? There is a big difference between needing to eat and wanting to eat. Stopping to think about each bite you take is part of mindful eating and reflecting on your eating vs. mindlessly shovelling food into your mouth. If you just want the next bite (to make you feel better, out of habit, or other head hunger related desires) put your cutlery down & sit back from the table. Sometimes you may take another bite after a few minutes, other times you don’t have any more. The goal is not to eat until you are full but until you are satisfied and have had enough for your needs (for your body to function effectively). It takes at least 20 minutes for the message you’re are full to get through. If you are eating quickly when the message gets through, you’ve eaten more than you need and are over full. The goal also shouldn’t be to eat until you feel the restriction. If you feel your restriction you’ve eaten too much, or too fast or food that is too dense. The restriction fades in time so you can’t rely on it as a long term maintain e tool. The two axioms have been very important to me and helped me stick to the plan I was given in the losing stage and then to maintain in the years after. I’ve often shared them & I hope you may find them helpful too.
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Well, I guess I'm not alone in this. Thanks to each of you for your thoughtful responses. Yes, it is mainly to get to sleep, but also to bring the brain down to normal ticking- I'm a wound up person, always was, when I worked a career I was a demon. Now retired but still, that tighter than a spring quality is part of me-- and yes, addictions are transferable for sure. I've been honest w/ my docs about it. They don't see harm in a couple drinks, generally. And yep, with the bypass surgery, the line between nice buzz and blitzed is a fine line--that much I learned pretty fast. Crazy thing is, I don't really have demons haunting me. Life is generally good. Sure, there's the usual life stresses but my life in general has never been richer (in quality). Thank you, my fellow/colleagues in this adventure.
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Slowing Down 😶🌫️
Lilia_90 replied to Bypass2Freedom's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I don't know if I'm a good example, but I'll share my experience anyway. I reached goal at 3 months, but continued to lose until about 9.5 months, stabilized for nearly 3 months before losing a bit of weight again now (12 months postop exactly). I lost most of my weight in the first 4 months, then a total of 10 kgs in the next 5. If we look strictly at my journey then my weight loss and stabilization happened early on, however, if we look at how much (context) then it makes sense. I lost around 38 kilos starting at a BMI of 33. Will I lose more weight? Maybe, Maybe not. Now, everything about my journey has been fast, the weight loss has been intense and rapid, my restriction was(is) the bane of my existence, and during the first 4 months I barely ate to survive. I learned that that is not the case with everyone, I have seen people who were able to eat much more than I did and lose a ton of weight, some people ate little and lost weight very slowly, I heard stories where people continued losing for 24 months post op. Your diet is the most important factor and exactly how much you eat, your activity and your new metabolism will determine when you stop losing and what weight you stabilize at. As long as you are conscious about what your intake is and maintaining some level of activity (that is sustainable for you in the long run), I don't see why you won't reach your goal, but when depends of the former factors. Another thing is, what gets measured gets managed. While I'm not a fan of obsessive tracking, keeping an eye on your weight and caloric intake can really help you stay accountable and understand what needs to be tweaked, added or omitted. I say, don't sweat it and don't compare yourself or your progress to anyone. Also, life is too short to live in anxiety and fear, if you lost weight then that is already a win, I feel we get so hung up on a certain number or BMI or percentage or size forgetting that living in fear and anxiety is the worst way to exist, no matter what our body fat percentage is. And, Well done on your success so far! -
August Surgery buddies
draikaina8503 replied to Averdra's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Wow you have progressed so quickly. I know each plan is different but holy cow that's so fast! "General food time" for me isn't until 6 months post-op. Congrats to you! Definitely listening to your body is the important thing going forward. I'm in the puree stage, but I'm sticking more to the liquids at this point because I'm nervous about the fact that I'm still not getting full signals. So I really don't want to push myself too much. -
Report Your WINS ..What is your today's win??🥇
Mspretty86 replied to Mspretty86's topic in Rants & Raves
Thanks the journey is Hard but it's REAL! I'm a 4am every morning crazy lazy running 5 miles I think that contributed to the fast drop in these 4 months! -
Best shoes for walking
ShoppGirl replied to ShoppGirl's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Got my HOKA shoes today. Pretty fast shipping from the manufacturer site. They shipped the next day and arrived two days later. They look just like they did in the picture and they fit perfectly. I have walked around the house for like an hour and so far they are really comfy. LOTS of padding on the bottom compared to my everyday Sketchers. Almost put a Spring into my step. Guess I won’t really know for absolute certain until I wear them for an actual walk but so far so good. 😊 -
NEVER thought I would be asking this
ShoppGirl posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I had a revision surgery from sleeve to SADI a week ago today and I am a little concerned about how fast I am losing. Between the pre op diet and now I have lost 26 pounds. I think 14 pounds Pre Surgery and 12 this week. What’s odd is that the surgeon warned me that with it being a revision my loss would be quite a bit slower than with a virgin surgery and I don’t think I lost quite this fast with my sleeve. Obviously I want to lose And the faster the better so long as it’s still healthy. I have my first post op tomorrow and I plan to ask the NP but I am just curious to hear what others here have experienced. Maybe I’m worrying too soon. It could be that everyone loses this quick this early out regardless of vigin surgery or revision. It’s just something on my mind and I’m curious about what others experience has been with revision surgeries. Did you lose pretty quickly the first week as well? -
I was starving one week post-op. My hunger never left, but the signals changed. The hunger I feel is like hollowness in my abdomen, it feels like physical pain rather than craving something that is specific (taste or texture). I did lose my interest in eating between my snacks and meals (and what to eat was not on my mind), but once the clock hit 2 hours past my last meal/snack I felt the pangs. I lost a lot of weight very fast, and my post-op experience felt like I'm starving to death and withering away if that makes sense. The feeling of physical hunger pain is probably my body's way of preserving itself (I guess). Now that I am a bit more stabilized I have many days where I'm just not interested in food, and days where I'm ravenous (especially when I've hit it really hard at the gym).
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One week post op and feeling scared about never having favorite foods again
summerseeker replied to Cassafrass83's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Hello and welcome in the forum. There is a whole thread listed as Bariatric grief, its very worth a read. I had mine pre surgery. Anything with noodles was my thing. I had lots of Asian food funerals. I promise, it gets better. I eat everything I feel like except I cook it or it comes from a quality restaurant. I live in a part of the UK with out fast food places and the only one is a Dominos Pizza, I dislike the price £20, so would make it at home if that was my thing. I can eat a good amount of good icecream and some good chocolate, too much and I puke. I can eat a Magnum for instance. I eat Falafel with Tzatziki regularly and thats the first time I ever heard of it being off anyones menu. I bake it rather than fry it. I have had some Pad thai but its not really a thing for me anymore as I can eat so few noodles. I will go for Tom Yum or Tom Kha at our Fav restaurant. I can not eat anything ultra blitzed like Guacamole, shudder ... the puree stage has left a memory on my soul. I tried making it chunky but my brain will not accept it. All those slimming classes did have something to tell me after all. Being skinny is better than a bowl of the very best tasty noodles. Saying that .... if I could eat them I would, but not every meal, every day or week. -
5’3” and was 200lbs when I made my decision. For me, it’s been the best decision. But only you know what’s best for you in regards to your weight and your overall health now & in the future. I was healthy without any co morbidities before my surgery but I knew carrying the weight I was meant health issues were in my future. Only you know if you can continue on your current weight loss journey and fully adopt your new behaviours around food, eating, etc. (Congrats on the changes you have made.) Of course after surgery you have to adopt new behaviours as well, but the surgery gives you benefits (some temporary) to support you as your losing & helps gets you through the period when you’re adapting to the changes. BMI shouldn’t be used as a hard and fast rule as to what is a healthy weight range but merely as an idea of what might be good for you. (The science/studies behind the development of the BMI metrics is flawed and did not take in many factors like ethnicity, muscle mass, your frame/build, age, etc.). You’re right, everyone carries their weight differently (I carried it all over) and what’s a comfortable weight for one may not be for someone else. Some people feel happier at a higher weight whilst others don’t. Some here have got to a lower weight but happily settle at a higher weight. I thought my goal of 132lbs was fine for me and achievable. I had always been happy at that weight. I ended up less than that (108) and I feel great at this weight. Discovered I actually am quite finely built and so I look slim/tiny but not bony. And I still have an hourglass shape though the ratio is much smaller than before (lol!). Usually, your approval for surgery is based upon your starting weight (before your classes not your weight after you’ve completed them. So your starting weight would make you eligible in most cases, Why not meet with the surgeon, see what they suggest. Ask too if you can delay your decision & for how long so you can see how you continue on your own. I know I haven’t answered your questions & have only given you some more things to consider but I hope they help you decide your next steps. All the best whatever you choose to do.
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I wasn’t going to discuss this on these boards since I don’t want to turn the discussion away from weight loss. I figured I would talk cancer at the cancer support group and weight related stuff here, but I am quickly realizing that it’s very much intertwined. I had my revision surgery to SADI on 8/7/2024 and I felt something on my breast in the shower in September. I went to gyno, got sent to get a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound and then biopsies and it came back as cancer 11/6/2024 (about 4 months post op). A few days later I was with the breast surgeon and was told it was triple negative and it’s very aggressive so the process is a little different for me in that it’s all very fast moving but it’s pretty much the same collection of treatments for most cancer I believe. I am currently two rounds into chemotherapy and just started immunotherapy and also doing appointments for all kinds of scans and imaging as well as meeting the rest of my doctors and setting up my future treatments which will be double mastectomy, then radiation and then maybe oral chemo. Basically I have not sat down since I learned the diagnosis and I have had to learn a tremendous amount very fast to make some pretty heavy decisions very quickly to keep the ball rolling. It’s been a whirlwind From a bariatric standpoint things have been incredibly challenging. For one my appointments are all over Florida. I have a medical oncologist, a breast surgeon, a cosmetic breast surgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a second opinion oncologist and now a gynocologist in the mix but that’s pretty specific to me. So far and I have had to have imaging done at 3 different places as well since it’s all been so rushed it’s just about who can get me in the soonest and then since these places aren’t connected I have to wait around for records and discs and carry them all to each of my appointment to make sure everyone has everything I have been traveling non stop with little time to prepare things so prioritizing my nutrition and exercise has been a huge challenge just in terms of time. There are just not enough hours in the day!! Then there is the chemo, the shot that builds up your white blood cells, and the immunotherapy infusion which also take time (2-3 different appointments depending on how it works out that week) but also all of this effects my cravings and energy. First there is the fact that I have to be on steroids which we all know are the enemy of weight loss but also the fact that eating is different. I consider myself very fortunate that food doesn’t taste bad to me and nausea is not an issue like it is for so many but it’s still not the same. I crave something very specific. I taste it and it’s good but I eat three bites and don’t want it anymore. My refrigerator is a leftover graveyard lol. In terms of energy I am on the strongest treatment regimen the oncologist says so fatigue sorta goes with the territory. I have been walking everyday still except for the biopsy day and my chemo port surgery day and I have done my yoga when my schedule permits but I have not done my cardio class because I think I sweat too much considering how dehydrating the chemo already is. Also I can’t touch community stuff for 24 hours after chemo without possibly exposing others to the chemo drug and we use balls, bars, discs, etc. Also more recently there is the fact that I have lost about 85% of my hair and I get too hot to wear a hat. I think once I’m bald it will actually look better and I am going to try really hard to just get over that but right now I don’t look like I have cancer. It just looks like a botched hair cut to me so I’m living in hats. The good news is it’s going very fast. It started falling out last week and it’s almost gone already so by next week I think I will just be bald. Well, yesterday I did totally forget to exercise with all that I had going on and I’m feeling guilty today now that I remembered but I know that’s silly. I am just hoping that as treatment goes on I am able to keep up my exercise. All the doctors say it’s good to keep pushing myself just not too hard. Exercise and good nutrition are going to make this alot easier on me. Back to food again. Not sure if it’s just the stress of the whole situation or the fact that chemo puts you into early menopause but Thursday was a particularly bad day. My moods were erratic to say the least and I had a bunch of blood drawn after having nothing but a protein shake all day so at 7pm I was pretty much famished by the time we stopped to eat. Olive Garden was the most convenient option and I planned soup and salad but when I got in there that went out the window. I went totally off plan. Again I feel guilty but these darn steroids and all the crazy emotions are making it so much harder to make the better choices when it’s staring at me tempting me I did still get my protein for the day though if there is any good in that What’s really hard about this is that even with the pasta and bread I am actually still losing weight so for my previously obese brain it’s tempting to not just enjoy that while it lasts. But I know that the processed crap is not good for my body, especially right now. I don’t feel as good since I have not been exercising as much and I’ve been eating off plan. I don’t sleep as well at night and I seem to crave more and more junk as well as have less energy throughout the day. thankfully my program has provided to me free of charge an oncology dietician, but I am her first patient who is actively still in weight loss phase undergoing chemo. She had agreed to check in with me once a week since this is new for both of us and she seems amazing so far. She suggested that I do not lose more than two to three pounds a week which was my average before the chemo. Because the chemo has apparently sped up my metabolism she says that I need to increase calories but to add healthy ones which is extremely difficult because adding calories goes against all we just learned and over 2000 calories of healthy food is a very large volume of food that my body is just not wanting right now (I was eating around 900-1000 before this and already felt like I was eating all day. And remember that most of these meals are on the road these days so I have to eat what I can fit in a cooler or stop somewhere on the side of the highway most times. Not easy to find clean healthy food on the road. Enough stating the obvious that it’s tough, here’s what I actually have to offer so far in terms of advice. First thing when I wake up in the morning I have a protein shake which is a really good head start to the day and if I am lucky enough to still be around a couple of hours later I have a second breakfast instead of waiting until there’s time to eat on whatever adventure the day brings. That helps with the protein if I don’t have time to stop at all. Although recently the shakes haven’t gone down so well so I just wake up and have scrambled eggs with 2% cheese and whatever leftover veggies are on hand.. If I know I won’t have time for that I also have some boiled eggs In the fridge that I can eat real fast or slice up with some cheese and take on the go. I carry in my cooler a high protein yogurt drink, chomps pepperoni flavored turkey jerky and baby bell light or mozzarella sticks. It helps to put the ice pack in a ziplock with these items if you live where it gets hot. I also carry a bag with high protein snacks quest protein chips, kind minis, cliff minis, pistachio nuts, nut butter packets, quest cheddar cheese crackers, granola to add to yogurt, etc Freezer meals!! Omg. I was doing these before my diagnosis and they were super convenient then and have been a lifesaver now. I have tex med chili, chicken chili, turkey meatballs, turkey taco meat, grilled chicken, meatloaf, etc in the freezer and it’s all measured and weighed out so that I can pop in the fridge the night before or even jet defrost in microwave if need be. When I have time to cook I do double batches so I can keep my freezer stock replenished. I have a note in my phone notes that it titled In freezer and I just keep adding to it what I freeze and how many portions are in there so if I’m not home I can check my freezer stock. I also do a version of meal prep with chick fila as well I like their market and southwest salads (I get the market one without the blue cheese) I buy one of each with two extra chicken fillets and take them home and I make four salads out of that. I take off all the toppings with a bit of lettuce and put into a smaller container to make a market salad and do the same with the southwest. Then I put the leftover lettuce with the chicken into another container and I have fresh shredded Parmesan in snack ziplocks and ceaser dressing also in ziplocks (sorta less pleasant looking but I figure less risk if bacteria than them tiny containers which are hard to get really clean since I am immunocompromised and infection is so dangerous right now) i cut off a corner and squeeze it out like an icing bag. I just use half of the packets of dressing with the market and southwest salads and then toss the rest. I have the ziplock containers that have the twist top lids and these are easy to toss into the cooler when they do not open at all I still log my macros in Baritastic this has really been helpful for me to be honest about what I’m eating with my oncology dietician so she can keep me on track . It also lets you log your activity, weight, inches lost and set notifications for vitamins and stuff. I added a reminder to put on my fitness watch and to take my regular meds too I also carry my water with me and I set alarms again to drink. You have to wear a mask and for me that seems to make me drink like a quarter as much as I do without one so I have to have reminders again. Vitamins need alarms too. Chemo brain is a real thing and when your days is never the same it’s hard to have a routine anyways so I actually have alarms for just about everything in life right now. I made different tones for water, vitamins and appointments and I have a checklist to go over before I leave the house to make sure I did and packed everything. My friend and family also have reminders for me in their phones for the real important stuff and they call or text to make sure I haven’t forgotten. I just found out that two of the programs I belong too offer virtual yoga sessions. I haven’t tried it yet because they are at set times as well but I added them to my calendar as recurring appts just like the live one so I can attend whichever one I have time for. Someone else suggested you tube for videos but I haven’t tried that either. Yoga by the way is my only sense of calm throughout all of this so I HIGHLY recommend it. That and meditation I know that both of these sound a little fruity before you give them a good fair try and meditation takes a lot of practice before it really Did anything for me but I swear my mind runs non stop with anxiety and worry and for that one hour I’m in yoga or the few minutes I’m meditating it is at peace. It’s amazing!! So I am a little over a month into this and I’ve got a good year and a half to go if all goes well so I’m sure I will have more to add to this but I just wanted to pop In and share what my experience has been juggling a new cancer diagnosis while pretty early out from bariatric surgery. I hope this helps someone. Even if it’s less advice and more to let you know that you are not alone in the struggle.
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August Surgery buddies
ShoppGirl replied to Averdra's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
How is everyone doing over the weekends when schedules are more flexible and chaotic? I was pretty proud of myself today, my hubby asked me late last night if I wanted to go car shopping today and I didn’t really have anything to pack in terms of food but figured we may get stuck there if he found one he liked and we decided to get it so I threw a couple of shakes in the cooler for lunch and dinner. Luckily we didn’t get stuck, although we may next weekend because he has narrowed it down to one car now, but I was proud of myself because in the past when I didn’t think ahead for stuff like that I would end up starving and eating out of the vending machine and/or fast food when we finally got out of there. I think I will always keep shakes on hand for situations like that (just toss one into the cooler when I go shopping with a friend or whatever). Or protein bars but I’m not sure if they make me feel as full as a shake does. -
He just had me work an elastic band and said to do that but I ended up not doing it. But I can walk probably for 2 minutes or so everyday and increase it to 3 minutes next week. Especially when I have to go to saranac next week for my last followup before my surgery. I kind of want to tell them I've been exercising. I don't have a smartphone my wife has one and brings it to work with her everyday but I have a computer that I can setup reminders on. I go on it every morning so it would work perfectly. If that doesn't work I do have a tablet that I can use for reminders but I'm not on my tablet very much. I mostly just go on my tablet to check my email once every few days. My team will be taking good care of me after my surgery yeah. Even if I choose not to have the surgery they want to keep me in the program because I'm overweight and eligible. But I want the surgery because it should be a good tool for losing weight. Next Wednesday is just around the corner and hopefully I'll get all of my questions and concerns answered. I think even if I'm hungry though as long as I fill up fast I don't think I will eat as much as I am now. My problem is I am NEVER full even if I eat 3k calories in one sitting. It's ridiculous. The surgery should definitely change that.
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I agree with the others. You’re just not ready yet to eat solid foods. Your symptoms of discomfort, vomiting, hiccups, burping are evidence of that. It takes at least 6 weeks for you to heal ( all those sutures and staples holding your digestive system together) which is why we’re put on the slow, usually two week cycles, of progressing from liquids, to purées, to soft foods to regular solid foods. Even following this schedule, many have to go back a step simply because they haven’t healed enough tolerate the denser food yet. And that’s okay. You may have to do this too. There are even solid foods that some people take even longer to be able to eat without experiencing side effects. Foods like chicken breast & steak. Some foods can be too rich like eggs or they’re too dry or coarse (sauces & gravies are your friend). Your tummy is very sensitive and can react to any food (texture, flavour even smell) and this can continue for a couple of months. I used to describe my tummy as a petulant two year old who throws random tantrums. Unfortunately there’s no hard and fast rules about this. You just have to try things and see how you go simply because of our individual differences. Never give up on a food you struggle with initially though. Give it a break for a couple of weeks and then try again. Glad you’re on a PPI (sumac) which will help with the excess acid your body is still producing (it hasn’t learnt you don’t need as much yet). Will also help with the hiccups and burping. Actually many people find hiccups are a signal they’re full. Make sure you’re eating slowly (take 20-30 minutes), small bites and not eating too large a portion yet. Out of curiosity what are your portion sizes at the moment?
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I had a gastric bypass about 6 years old. Fast forward to today. I was recently hospitalized with severe anemia (hemoglobin 5.2). I had to have emergency blood transfusions. I'm still receiving weekly IV-iron infusions (8 weeks). I am also deficient in several nutrients despite taking my bariatric vitamins. My bariatric surgeon figured out the reason for the anemia. Two ulcers detected by an EGD (upper scope). I was slowly bleeding out. At one point, my family thought I was falling asleep... when I was really passing out. Anemia hurts. Your whole body aches. Recovery is slow... the fatigue is unreal but I'll get there.
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Report Your WINS ..What is your today's win??🥇
Lilia_90 replied to Mspretty86's topic in Rants & Raves
I had a fun weekend too. I was invited to a wedding where they served hors d'oeuvres all afternoon followed by dinner. I had 4 mini appetizers, dinner and dessert (tried everything 1-2 mini bites). Went home and was famished LOL and the hubby had ordered Mexican so had 1/8 or so of a burrito, then some protein chips before bed. I did dance all night and broke a sweat so there's that. The funny thing I worked out my legs the next day (FASTED) and had tons of energy (thanks carbs) and even ran 2 miles after my workout. Weighed myself today and I had dropped 200 grams, how? God knows.