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What do you wish you had known



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To never even test your new self to see if you can have sugar ever again! I’ve slipped back into my horrible eating habits & have gained 25 lbs. I’m so upset with myself & I’m having a hard time getting back on track. Those food & alcohol demons will always be with me!

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I wish I knew that once the weight started coming off, I would experience unexpected anxiety and depression from the hormone dump. I never even knew that was a thing until after surgery and I did some research on the subject. I'm feeling better now but it would've been nice to know this was a thing. Good luck with your surgery!

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All my issues have been things that ppl always told me about on this site oddly enough. I was stupid enough not to really really listen. Im still dealing with what I look like now after having lost the weight and am at a normal weight, but it's all in my head (which ppl told me) BUT you never really understand it until you get there. SO if I had one bit of advice, it would be no matter what ppl tell you and what you read, the experience will be totally soul changing...sometimes bad..but MOSTLY good. It is so worth the journey!!!!!!

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The hidden hospital charges afterward....

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The recovery from the surgery will be more about fatigue than pain. I was sore for a few days, but needed multiple naps per day for 2 months! All worth it of course! Best decision I ever made!

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I wish I would have known that dumping syndrome can happen even if you get the VSG. It's happened to me, multiple times. I also wish I would have been less scared of loose skin and excess hair shedding and went for Bypass.

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11 hours ago, Krestel said:

All my issues have been things that ppl always told me about on this site oddly enough. I was stupid enough not to really really listen. Im still dealing with what I look like now after having lost the weight and am at a normal weight, but it's all in my head (which ppl told me) BUT you never really understand it until you get there. SO if I had one bit of advice, it would be no matter what ppl tell you and what you read, the experience will be totally soul changing...sometimes bad..but MOSTLY good. It is so worth the journey!!!!!!

So well said, Krestel! I read things on this site before surgery and thought, "I won't be like that" (such as being tempted by sugar and carbs). Almost all of it turned out to be true. The process is difficult and you will wonder at times why you did this to yourself. And it's still a challenge even at the maintenance phase. AND it's totally worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

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How much I will learn and grow from this life altering experience, not only about myself, but the terms of my relationships.

In a word, Relationships. My relationship to nearly everything is changing. Relationship to food, to clothing, to money, to myself in the world, husband, family, friends, new boundaries, etc.

For me, it has been nearly 100% positive but requires patience, persistence, no longer comparing, listening and learning, delaying gratifications, realizing that what I want most, may not be what I want right now.

Great question, Embody, you’re off to a well grounded start! 🌟

Edited by Lily66

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42 minutes ago, Lily66 said:

In a word, Relationships. My relationship to nearly everything is changing. Relationship to food, to clothing, to money, to myself in the world, husband, family, friends, new boundaries, etc.

✊🏼

Same, same, same here.

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9 hours ago, Circlesis said:

I wish I knew that the sleeve won’t in any way help keep weight off past year 2 and that it is normal for the sleeve to stretch to regular capacity by that point with no reduction in appetite.

At the time of sleeve gastrectomy, mean BMI was 43 and 78% of patients were female. They had a mean follow-up of 5.9 years. Overall, Peterli and colleagues found that the average excessive BMI lost after 1 year was 61.5%, and then 61.1% after 2 years. By 5 years, average excessive BMI lost was 57.4%, they reported.Jul 17, 2013

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Thank you, everyone, for your honest responses. I am considering gastric bypass and know it is a big life decision. Is there a best place to post questions about the mental/emotional piece?

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3 hours ago, Embody said:

Thank you, everyone, for your honest responses. I am considering gastric bypass and know it is a big life decision. Is there a best place to post questions about the mental/emotional piece?

One of the best places I found to help make decisions on what surgery to have and what to expect was YouTube. Just search "weight loss surgery" and there will be a large amount of content on the subject. I watched one yesterday from somebody I haven't watched in awhile because he started doing what seemed like pyramid schemes. It touches on some of the replies on this thread.

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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