Hi Gang! I'm Meow. I was scheduled for a 100cm Bypass on June 29th and they just moved me UP to June 9th! AHHHHHHH! I'm usually pretty grounded with life's hurdles but all the sudden my mind went blank and I thought "I'M NOT READY!" Any other May, June, July Bypassers want to join up and share and support? I'm not sure how to put my stats in my profile but I am 5' 5" female. Late 40s. 220# at the Doc yesterday. Goal weight is 150. Having BYPASS instead of Sleeve due to life-long reflux. Told I only need to do 3 days liquid liver shrink beforehand since my BMI is only 36. Feel both overloaded with info and under-prepared to say goodbye to the contrasting albatross/joy that is FOOD in my life. Both glad and nervous about the timing as it feels like an easier time to stay away from friends and family who social-eat until I get a handle on my new digestive system. But also I'm pretty bored as my line of work is largely halted until the conditions are far safer. Likely won't have regular work until 2021. I'm ashamed to say the last 2 months have been more of a food funeral than I anticipated so I have a lot of mind-prep to do in the next 2 weeks. I am keeping this a private journey. Only my husband and best friend know. Even keeping my tween daughter in the dark at least for now. Would love some buddies who check in frequently to go thru this with. I've been posting on other June thread but thought a BYPASS thread would be great. And of course Veterans are WELCOME to pop in and share. Share your stories with me! Let's do this together!!

Hi everyone! Checking in with you all and hoping you are all well. I’ve been out of the US on a mini vacation and wow it’s been a crazy time. First of all there’s not much I can eat obviously. I tried ground lean beef and chewed the heck out of it, and felt severe tightness, sooo much pain for about 20 minutes. Literally only had a bite of it. Won’t try that again. I bought eggs and my stomach loves it as well as turkey meat.

I have Been working out and lost about 7lbs during my vacation. All I can think about is how much food I would have eaten had I not had surgery. Lol. Yumm frozen margaritas with guacamole and chips on the side.

How are you all feeling ??

Hello bypassers, hope everyone is doing well. I'm 11 weeks post-surgery and just had my 3-month follow-up appointment with the Nurse Practitioner at my surgeon's office. After this I'm transitioning to a bariatrician, the doctor that I'll see annually for blood work etc. But that's not until December. I also have to see the nutritionist again in October.

Anyway! I honestly can't believe that I'm almost halfway to my first goal. My hormones are weird as hell. I'm getting hot flashes again, even worse than before surgery. Those two months post-op with no hot flashes were heaven! Oh well. I went back on black cohosh, which seems to help. But as far as the hunger hormones go, I'm still doing well - I still almost never feel truly hungry. I do have the odd craving, but they're easily satisfied with a small quantity of something, like a teaspoon of ice cream, a piece of fruit, or a few cocoa-dusted almonds.

I'm still eating tiny amounts, my stomach has apparently not stretched at all yet, though it does seem to be healed enough that I can eat whatever I want and don't have to restrict myself to soft foods etc. I make and drink that high-protein iced coffee every morning, and then eat lots of dairy and protein throughout the day, but I still only get up to about 60g most days. It will just have to be enough! Same deal with fluids, I can hit 50oz on most days but there's just not room enough for more than that.

My biggest problem right now is my left shoulder, which is frozen. My right was frozen two years ago and I saw an ortho, went through PT, etc. It's completely recovered, and I know what to expect this time but it still sucks - frozen shoulder is SO FREAKING PAINFUL. And now I can't take NSAIDS ever again, which is um...difficult. So I'm doing stretches and strengthening exercises with bands, and then using ice, heat, and self-pity to deal with it. HA!

I hope you're all feeling good and staying safe.

Groovy,

When my wife had a frozen should, she got great results from a steroid shot. They did it right in the doctor's office, and she was better almost immediately. Might be something to consider.

Dave

Hi there. I had bypass on 6/17. Our situations sound very similar. 220 pre surgery, 200 at surgery, current weight 171 and goal 125. I’m 5’1”. Also had a hernia repair.

I’ve tolerate most things I’ve eaten but have been sensitive to dairy.

Issues I’ve experienced so far is constipation, really bad gas and some water aversion especially in the morning. Also experiencing some mood changes.

Otherwise all has been pretty good. I’m 7 weeks post op and starting to walk/exercise!! For the most part I feel great and I’m pleased that I am down 2 sizes already!!

14 hours ago, Dave In Houston said:

Groovy,

When my wife had a frozen should, she got great results from a steroid shot. They did it right in the doctor's office, and she was better almost immediately. Might be something to consider.

Dave

Dave, thanks. I'm considering it. Last time I didn't need it because it was a non-pandemic world, so I went to PT, cryotherapy, massage, etc. But if it keeps getting worse instead of improving, I'm probably going to try the shot.

7 hours ago, Bizbaileymiller said:

Hi there. I had bypass on 6/17. Our situations sound very similar. 220 pre surgery, 200 at surgery, current weight 171 and goal 125. I’m 5’1”. Also had a hernia repair.

I’ve tolerate most things I’ve eaten but have been sensitive to dairy.

Issues I’ve experienced so far is constipation, really bad gas and some Water aversion especially in the morning. Also experiencing some mood changes.

Otherwise all has been pretty good. I’m 7 weeks post op and starting to walk/exercise!! For the most part I feel great and I’m pleased that I am down 2 sizes already!!

Hope you continue to feel better. Walking and exercise will help with the constipation, as will staying hydrated. Until I was able to eat grains, I used to just have a teaspoon of Miralax every day (luckily it dissolves in everything so you can't even tell it's there). Also I switched to the multivitamin without iron. The one that had iron in it had like 65mg which was just too much for me. After starting the vitamins without iron and taking a separate, lower dose iron supplement (18mg), my constipation got much better. The low dose is plenty for me, since I'm post-menopause. Good luck!

1 hour ago, Groovymommy said:

Dave, thanks. I'm considering it. Last time I didn't need it because it was a non-pandemic world, so I went to PT, cryotherapy, massage, etc. But if it keeps getting worse instead of improving, I'm probably going to try the shot.

Hope you continue to feel better. Walking and exercise will help with the constipation, as will staying hydrated. Until I was able to eat grains, I used to just have a teaspoon of Miralax every day (luckily it dissolves in everything so you can't even tell it's there). Also I switched to the Multivitamin without Iron. The one that had iron in it had like 65mg which was just too much for me. After starting the Vitamins without iron and taking a separate, lower dose iron supplement (18mg), my constipation got much better. The low dose is plenty for me, since I'm post-menopause. Good luck!

Thanks so much @Groovymommy! I stopped the iron and have been taking stool softeners as directed by my surgeon. I walk quite a bit and it definitely helps. Gas and constipation is slowly subsiding thank goodness!

I’ve heard other people mention this but I feel like I struggle with which I want to get the most of in, water or protein. It seems one Or the other most days!! Thank you for your feedback on this!

hope you have an awesome day!!

@Groovymommy you’re doing so great! Very happy for you and your success :)

I continue to be on the slow end of things. I’m 11 weeks out today and just shy of 30lbs down. I went on vacation for a couple weeks and ate more than I should; and things I shouldn’t. I ate 1/2 a salad yesterday which was very surprising to me. Apparently my dr is known for making small pouches and yet I can eat about 3-4 ounces of things. More if the food is at all wet - like if it has sauces or salsa, dressing or anything like that. My dietician was not surprised by this. She said that the bad foods - anything fried, puffed, chips, super crunchy things, all of that condenses down pretty efficiently when you chew it so it slides. And you can eat a lot of it. Which is not good. I’m sharing because this was a nuance I didn’t realize before. The irony is that the snacks are easy to eat, and the healthy foods - like grilled chicken, are not. In short - headspace is very important. I need to work on that.

Other than that - my labs are stellar. Everything is normal or in the “very healthy range”. I’m walking 4 miles a day 5-6 days a week. Getting in water and protein. My cholesterol dropped from 270 to 160. I’d like to be further down on the scale, but I know my food choices have hindered that. I have to refocus every day and work very hard to address emotional and recreation eating.

Next up - strength training :)

hope everyone else is doing well and staying safe!

@Bizbaileymiller yeah it's really tough at first to get protein AND water. Remember that any fluid you drink counts towards your total, so if you have a protein shake or a protein water, that counts towards both protein AND fluids. Most people will never be able to get enough protein in the day without using some kind of protein supplement (shakes, bars, waters, etc.). That's why I make my protein iced coffee every morning, made with skim milk it's 35g of protein, which kick-starts my consumption for the day. I can't drink the protein waters (don't like the taste or the aftertaste of the artificial sweeteners) but if you can handle them, I'd start drinking those as much as you can.

@613cnn great point about the snacks. I think that's why they discourage us from even trying them. Luckily I *love* cheese and it's got tons of protein so when I want a snack I eat a cheese stick or a string cheese. Plus that calcium ?!

The only thing I can eat a full cup of is watermelon, since it, like snacks, crunches down into nothing when you chew it. Luckily it's good for me, but don't know what I'll do when the season is over!

I've been doing well, like @613cnn I've been losing a little slowly. My high weight was 245 lbs, surgery weight on 7/27 was 215 lbs, and I'm currently hovering around 198 lbs. I weigh often and found I tend to alternate between losing for 3-4 days and stalling for 3-4 days. It might be a result of me measuring at night with clothes on, instead of in the morning... but part of me likes the idea that my 'real' weight is a couple lbs under what I see on the scale ?. I also started out at a lower weight so I imagine that factors in. My weight for the past month...

I've been mercifully able to tolerate most foods I've tried. Ground pork shaped into a meatball has been the worst so far. Turkey, cheese, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced steak, ground beef, fish, potato... all have been fine. I average 45-70g protein and 500-700 cals per day. I have yet to attempt any desserts or fried foods, but the cravings are starting to come back. Focusing now on not snacking in the evening!

Edited September 4, 20205 yr by Double_Me

On 9/4/2020 at 9:25 AM, 613cnn said:

@Groovymommy you’re doing so great! Very happy for you and your success

I continue to be on the slow end of things. I’m 11 weeks out today and just shy of 30lbs down. I went on vacation for a couple weeks and ate more than I should; and things I shouldn’t. I ate 1/2 a salad yesterday which was very surprising to me. Apparently my dr is known for making small pouches and yet I can eat about 3-4 ounces of things. More if the food is at all wet - like if it has sauces or salsa, dressing or anything like that. My dietician was not surprised by this. She said that the bad foods - anything fried, puffed, chips, super crunchy things, all of that condenses down pretty efficiently when you chew it so it slides. And you can eat a lot of it. Which is not good. I’m sharing because this was a nuance I didn’t realize before. The irony is that the Snacks are easy to eat, and the healthy foods - like grilled chicken, are not. In short - headspace is very important. I need to work on that.

Other than that - my labs are stellar. Everything is normal or in the “very healthy range”. I’m walking 4 miles a day 5-6 days a week. Getting in Water and Protein. My cholesterol dropped from 270 to 160. I’d like to be further down on the scale, but I know my food choices have hindered that. I have to refocus every day and work very hard to address emotional and recreation eating.

Next up - strength training

hope everyone else is doing well and staying safe!

@613cnn I could've written your post above. Except I'm 12.5 weeks out and 29 pounds down. Everything else is the same... walking 4-5 miles a day (tho I'm 7 days a week) . Carbs go down easy and I eat too many but try and keep them at least the same as my protein most days. Gotta commit to strength training.

@Groovymommy... My hot flashes are miserable. My doc husband just recommended a vitamin with Black Cohash and I started it last week. Nothing so far. But I'll stick with it since you say It works for you. Also my hubs is a big believer in the shoulder steroid shots. (and knees). Go for it. By the way I've now had two ibuprofins. Took them during a migraine with a prilosec and lots of water. No stomach problems. Don't plan to make it a habit but after 3 months of no Nsaids it sure worked. Envious of your lack of hunger. No such luck here. I'm getting about 1000 calories a day. Hence the slower weight loss. On the plus side no hair loss yet and my labs are great.

I forgot to mention, I'm having some success in the constipation-battle with taking a senna every other evening. I wouldn't say it makes going easy but keeps me from getting backed up and colace was starting to make me a little nauseous. You might give it a try

Anyway, good to hear from you both. Here's hoping we hit our halfway goals soon! I've got 4 more pounds to halfway! Hope it happens by 4 months post as I've read 4 months is often where most hit their halfway. Onward Bypassers!

Edited September 6, 20205 yr by MaybeMeow

Hey everyone! Happy Labor Day. Hope you are all well. Just checking in. I’m heading into my week 7. So far so good. Glad I can finally begin to do some intense workouts. Still feel some pain on my left side so I will take it somewhat easy. Lol. I feel so good and loving all the NSV. So far I’ve lost 37lbs since the day of surgery.

11 hours ago, Repeatingthoughts said:

Hey everyone! Happy Labor Day. Hope you are all well. Just checking in. I’m heading into my week 7. So far so good. Glad I can finally begin to do some intense workouts. Still feel some pain on my left side so I will take it somewhat easy. Lol. I feel so good and loving all the NSV. So far I’ve lost 37lbs since the day of surgery.

37 pounds is AMAZING!! Keep doin what you're doin. What kind of workouts are you up to?

21 minutes ago, MaybeMeow said:

37 pounds is AMAZING!! Keep doin what you're doin. What kind of workouts are you up to?

thanks!!! For cardio I either take peloton classes or use the elliptical for 45 minutes. I make sure I get over 10k steps at least 6x a week. I was also doing very light weight training. No more than 10lbs. Now that I am clear for everything, I am doing a lot of strength training and cutting back on cardio. Exercise helps a lot withy anxiety. Sadly a few years ago due to an injury I slowed down and gained a bunch of weight.

hey everyone..hope you are well!

Hello there bypassers. Hope you're all doing well.

Had a follow-up with my surgeon's office. I'm ahead of schedule according to the standards they use. I'm happy with my progress but I'm prepared for the eventual slowdowns and even plateaus that I'm sure are coming.

I still don't really feel hungry, but lately I've also had a lot of problems with things making me nauseated. Some things never seem to cause a problem: cottage cheese, fruit, toast, pasta. Other things seem like they should be OK but I get super nauseated after eating just a little, even with tiny pieces and thorough chewing: steak, chicken, hamburger. Obviously it's a problem that proteins are some of the worst offenders!

Something to discuss with the nutritionist next month, I guess.