October 2022 surgery support

[raspberrylime 65]

26 minutes ago, Beantownposse said:

Great job. In October I had the surgery and was 295lbs. I am now 230lbs without 1 Protein Shake yet. I could not drink those. So Protein is tough to get in everyday but weight is coming off well.

Was sleeved on October 11th with a starting weight of 205. I am at 149 today. I agree about the shakes! Pre-surgery I loved the fairlife Protein Shakes but they make me so sick to my stomach post-op. I've tried different shakes and they all make me nauseous, so I'm also trying to reach my Protein goals strictly through food.

[Beantownposse 2]

Yes Rasberry, they are gross to me. What are you doing for Protein? How do you feel in general? I feel sick sometimes because I know I am not getting enough Protein.

[Vicky Sue 90]

41 minutes ago, Beantownposse said:

Great job. In October I had the surgery and was 295lbs. I am now 230lbs without 1 Protein Shake yet. I could not drink those. So Protein is tough to get in everyday but weight is coming off well.

My surgery was Oct 5th, but I started my weight loss May 9th. Down 105lb but I still rely on a Protein Shake a day to get my Protein in. I use either Premier Protein or fairlife, like them both. I have had a few stalls along the way but eventually a few pounds come off. Overall, so happy I had this done and wished I would've done it sooner.

[raspberrylime 65]

4 minutes ago, Beantownposse said:

Yes Rasberry, they are gross to me. What are you doing for Protein? How do you feel in general? I feel sick sometimes because I know I am not getting enough Protein.

I feel good most days but if I'm falling too far behind on protein or not drinking enough Water I find myself getting terrible Migraines that last for days. I'd say I'm not doing my best at eating real "meals". I work 10 hours a day and mostly just pack my lunch bag with high protein Snacks. cheese sticks, turkey Jerky, cottage cheese cups, mixed nuts, kind bars (I buy the protein version), dried edamame Beans, yogurt smoothies (the brand Two Good makes low sugar yogurt drinks with 10 grams of protein) those are a few favorites in my daily rotation. One of my favorite things to make for dinner is turkey taco meat. I mix a can of red beans into the meat for even more protein and top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.

[Jeanniebug 476]

6 hours ago, Snetsky said:

Hello folks! Just wanted to check in to see how everyone is doing. I’ve been hovering at the same weight for a few weeks now BUT am 1.2 pounds away from the Obese 1 category to Overweight. I know BMI isn’t actually a very useful measure of individual health, but still feels like an important milestone! Also, if anyone else was struggling like me to buy new clothes fast enough to keep up with weight loss, I highly recommend Vinted. You can get lots of nice high street brands for like a fiver, and even some designer stuff for shockingly cheap. I genuinely got a whole new wardrobe for £100. Plus you can sell on the clothes that don’t fit (or just donate to charity shops if you’re lazy like me) and the whole system helps to keep fast fashion out of landfills for longer. Win win!

I'm down 45 pounds since surgery on Oct 18th. I am now in the overweight category and I'm no longer diabetic!!!

My weight loss has had lots of stops and starts. I lose a couple of pounds, stall for a couple of weeks, gain a pound, stall for a week, then lose a couple of pounds again. It's so weird.

I haven't had to buy new clothes. I work from home and wear scrubs all day. I put drawstrings in all of my scrub pants. For the things I wear when I go into town, I just wear a belt. I tried on a pair of size 14 jeans the other day, just to see how far I had to go before they fit. I was absolutely shocked to discover that I could wear them, comfortably. They were a bit snug, but not uncomfortable at all. So, I'd say I'm probably down from a 22 to a 15 or 16, now.

Lately - the last 4 or 5 days - I've been struggling with overeating. One of my pre-surgery issues was being a member of the clean plate club and I seem to have slipped back into that. I have an appointment with my therapist today, so I'll be working on that.

Thanks for reaching out!

[Snetsky 27]

On 02/22/2023 at 16:08, Jeanniebug said:

I'm down 45 pounds since surgery on Oct 18th. I am now in the overweight category and I'm no longer diabetic!!!

My weight loss has had lots of stops and starts. I lose a couple of pounds, stall for a couple of weeks, gain a pound, stall for a week, then lose a couple of pounds again. It's so weird.

I haven't had to buy new clothes. I work from home and wear scrubs all day. I put drawstrings in all of my scrub pants. For the things I wear when I go into town, I just wear a belt. I tried on a pair of size 14 jeans the other day, just to see how far I had to go before they fit. I was absolutely shocked to discover that I could wear them, comfortably. They were a bit snug, but not uncomfortable at all. So, I'd say I'm probably down from a 22 to a 15 or 16, now.

Lately - the last 4 or 5 days - I've been struggling with overeating. One of my pre-surgery issues was being a member of the clean plate club and I seem to have slipped back into that. I have an appointment with my therapist today, so I'll be working on that.

Thanks for reaching out!

Same! I’ve definitely felt practices like eating slowly, waiting a minute between bites, and stopping before I feel totally full have started to slip over the past few weeks. Anyone else having this problem? Also, I’ve started to notice hunger showing up, especially first thing in the morning and before lunch. I’m trying not to get too freaked out because I always knew it was likely to return at some point. It’s just hard not to interpret hunger as ‘bad’ after such a long time without it, you know?

[katvondemon 8]

Hey everyone, surgery was 10/24 and I’m down from 215 to 167. The last 4 weekly weigh ins the scale has bounced between 168-171 so I may be in a stall. I was in one after the first 4 weeks for almost 6 weeks. It’s annoying but I’m happy with my progress as I’m officially the smallest I have been in 20 years with all my yo yo dieting. I also know that I may be getting closer to my new size my body wants to be so the weight loss may stop. I’ve been trying to focus more on working out now. Before my surgery I lifted weights regularly. I know I’ve lost a lot of muscle these last couple months and I feel much weaker. So I’m trying to get back into that. Clothing wise I’m down from a size 18 to a 10. I haven’t really had to buy new clothes yet as I kept clothes from all my previous lose and regain episodes. I also wear uniforms to work every day which are provided so being that it’s winter my non-work clothes is mostly hoodies and sweat pants anyway 😁

food wise it’s hit or miss. I have started to feel hunger signals again but my portions are still pretty small. My doctor never told me to track my food intake which I’m grateful for because I don’t want to feel like I’m on a diet. But I would rough guess my intake to be about 1000 calories a day. I still try to prioritize Protein first which doesn’t leave much room for anything else. But I do try to snack on fruit or veggies throughout the day to get my nutrients in. sugar free sweets and Cookies have helped with any sweet tooth cravings I get. I have ate plenty of things with sugar at this point as I really don’t restrict anything, but I do try to limit it to just occasionally. I also struggle with feeling like I have to clean my plate, even when I start to feel full. So I try to start with a small amount to begin with. Then wait a couple minutes before deciding if I want more, and usually I don’t. I still eat really fast so pausing for a few minutes helps my stomach to catch up. I’ve been out to eat several times. Usually I just split a meal with my wife and it works out great. She’s not going to eat the entire dish and I only need a few bites.

The weirdest part with food for me is that my tastes have changed. Foods I used to enjoy don’t sit well or taste as good. I used to drink black coffee every day, now it hurts my stomach so I’ve just quit it. I thought the lack of caffeine would be an issue but it really hasn’t been. I do occasionally drink instant sugar free Cappuccino but not daily. Also hot wings used to be a favorite of mine and now they taste off. Same thing with a lot of spicy food actually. So while I wouldn’t say I restrict food, at least for weight loss purposes, I’m trying to learn how different things make me feel and structure my eating like that. Just like with overeating I tell myself while something might sound appealing, is it worth me feeling kinda crappy for the next 30-45 minutes? That helps to think of it like that. I have definitely overdone portions and regretted it. Hence why I try to start smaller to begin with. It’s hard when you have one bite left not to just eat it, but that one bite will cost you and it’s just not worth the discomfort for me.

All in all I would say I’m feeling good and I’m happy. I’m starting to see myself as smaller for the first time. I’ll catch my reflection in a window or something and be like damn, is that how skinny I am? It’s a crazy feeling I’ve never felt before. I knew I was getting smaller because my clothes sizes were going down. But I’m just now really seeing it. I have more work to do, more so in the gym now than the scale, but I’m feeling accomplished and motivated.

[smc124 118]

My surgery was in December’22 but I just wanted to say since I joined BP pre surgery I’ve appreciated the activity of the OCT ‘22 group which at two months ahead of my own surgery has almost served as a crystal ball for me at every step in this journey.

It goes without saying this is an Oct 22 surgery group appreciation post.

[MANDY2910 6]

Had gastric bypass 10/3. Down 77 pounds total. 19 of that was before surgery. Anyway, I am barely getting in 600 calories a day at this point and can only handle about an ounce and a half of Protein with a couple bites of veggies at meals. I have a very clear full signal and don’t eat past it. I haven’t had sugar or carbs since surgery and I intend to stick with that. I cannot tolerate cheese, nuts, butter, basically anything but lean Proteins and some vegetables. I even struggle with fruit. I don’t have a dietician so I have no idea if I am on track or not with my eating so I just take each day as it comes. I am happy with my weight loss. As most everyone I wish it was faster. But I have only stalled once and that was at the 3 week mark. I am exercising some but with the low amount of calories I am eating it is hard to have a lot of stamina. If anyone has any pointers let me know. I also still rely on 1-2 Protein Shakes a day to get protein up to around 80 grams.

[katvondemon 8]

18 minutes ago, MANDY2910 said:

Had gastric bypass 10/3. Down 77 pounds total. 19 of that was before surgery. Anyway, I am barely getting in 600 calories a day at this point and can only handle about an ounce and a half of Protein with a couple bites of veggies at meals. I have a very clear full signal and don’t eat past it. I haven’t had sugar or carbs since surgery and I intend to stick with that. I cannot tolerate cheese, nuts, butter, basically anything but lean Proteins and some vegetables. I even struggle with fruit. I don’t have a dietician so I have no idea if I am on track or not with my eating so I just take each day as it comes. I am happy with my weight loss. As most everyone I wish it was faster. But I have only stalled once and that was at the 3 week mark. I am exercising some but with the low amount of calories I am eating it is hard to have a lot of stamina. If anyone has any pointers let me know. I also still rely on 1-2 Protein Shakes a day to get Protein up to around 80 grams.

My dietician stressed to me that protein was the most important. So for my “meals” most of the time I only eat my protein source (chicken, fish, etc.) with no side so I can eat more of it. I add veggies and fruit more as Snacks throughout the day as I’m able. Certain fruits are harder for me. Bananas (even though I usually only finish half) and grapes seem to work the best.

My dietician also told me that to break your plate into 3 categories, protein, veggie and carb or starch and eat in that order. My protein size she recommended 3-4 ounces. I can tell you even now once I finish that much protein (and that’s IF I can finish it all) I’m full. I may have a spoonful of mashed potatoes just because I want a taste, but that’s about it. It’s way too much food for me still.

By 8 weeks post op they wanted me at 60 grams of protein a day without relying on shakes. That was a really daunting number that I still struggle with. Even if I eat nothing but protein each day some days I don’t hit that. I do still add in shakes on workout days but not as part of my normal diet. So I see the 60 grams a day as a goal I’m working up towards instead of something I must hit every day. I can’t physically eat more than my stomach comfortably can handle. But I can choose items higher in protein when deciding what to eat. tuna packets are small enough (3 ounces) and have a lot of protein (12-15 grams). I prefer the deli style tuna salad one by Starkist. I take that to work for my lunch most nights. I can eat the entire packet if I don’t eat anything else with it.

Exercise was hard in the beginning. I started off just walking a couple times a week. I was eating so little that just carrying laundry upstairs made me light headed and fatigued. That has gotten better though and I’m slowly increasing the intensity of my workouts.

So just take it slow, eat protein first and just listen to your body. Everyone is different on what we can handle when.

[Jeanniebug 476]

5 hours ago, Snetsky said:

Same! I’ve definitely felt practices like eating slowly, waiting a minute between bites, and stopping before I feel totally full have started to slip over the past few weeks. Anyone else having this problem? Also, I’ve started to notice hunger showing up, especially first thing in the morning and before lunch. I’m trying not to get too freaked out because I always knew it was likely to return at some point. It’s just hard not to interpret hunger as ‘bad’ after such a long time without it, you know?

I think this is when the real work begins.

[Snetsky 27]

On 02/23/2023 at 23:34, katvondemon said:

My dietician stressed to me that Protein was the most important. So for my “meals” most of the time I only eat my protein source (chicken, fish, etc.) with no side so I can eat more of it. I add veggies and fruit more as Snacks throughout the day as I’m able. Certain fruits are harder for me. Bananas (even though I usually only finish half) and grapes seem to work the best.

My dietician also told me that to break your plate into 3 categories, protein, veggie and carb or starch and eat in that order. My protein size she recommended 3-4 ounces. I can tell you even now once I finish that much protein (and that’s IF I can finish it all) I’m full. I may have a spoonful of mashed potatoes just because I want a taste, but that’s about it. It’s way too much food for me still.

By 8 weeks post op they wanted me at 60 grams of protein a day without relying on shakes. That was a really daunting number that I still struggle with. Even if I eat nothing but protein each day some days I don’t hit that. I do still add in shakes on workout days but not as part of my normal diet. So I see the 60 grams a day as a goal I’m working up towards instead of something I must hit every day. I can’t physically eat more than my stomach comfortably can handle. But I can choose items higher in protein when deciding what to eat. tuna packets are small enough (3 ounces) and have a lot of protein (12-15 grams). I prefer the deli style tuna salad one by Starkist. I take that to work for my lunch most nights. I can eat the entire packet if I don’t eat anything else with it.

Exercise was hard in the beginning. I started off just walking a couple times a week. I was eating so little that just carrying laundry upstairs made me light headed and fatigued. That has gotten better though and I’m slowly increasing the intensity of my workouts.

So just take it slow, eat protein first and just listen to your body. Everyone is different on what we can handle when.

Yeah, I don’t know how people hit their protein goals without Protein Shakes. I’m lucky that I can tolerate clear whey protein pretty well, so can just have a few of those a day and I’ve hit my target. The meal plans my dietician has sent through just seem so unrealistic. The portions are DEFINITELY too large to finish and would still come under target. And then in my last meeting she lectured me for eating 1/3 cup instead of 1/4 cup portions, when in some instances the meals on the meal plan would be more like a full cup! Hard eye roll. At the moment, I’m relying on protein Water and Vitamin supplements, and trying to eat a good mix of fish, yoghurt, soy, veggies, and complex carbs. I have to say while the pre op and hospital care was pretty great, the post surgery care leaves something to be desired. But still skinnier than I’ve been in 15 years, and no major health complaints that I’ve identified.

[kiel_d-01 9]

Hey y'all! Glad to see some updates around here. It's been 4 months and some change, and I've lost 70 lbs since surgery! Almost 125 since my highest weight. I feel better than I have in years.

I started off as a 5XL and now can wear 3XL and even some 2XL! Went from a 30 in jeans to 24 (which are loose on me, so I think I may be 22 or lower now - I still need to update wardrobe)

I had a stall in mid-December and just recently had another that lasted 10 days where my weight only went up and down or stayed the same! Finally started trending downwards again a few days ago.

My pouch tolerates everything I've given it. No problems there. I eat whatever I want at this point but still do 1 Protein shake/day. I'm hovering around 800-1000 calories per day.

Pros:

• I used to get horrible pains in my lower back and hips and now I have a ton of stamina and can actually walk around a grocery store to go shopping!
• Sex is a lot more fun! ☺️😆
• I can feel my bones. Especially when I sleep on my side at night, my kneecaps actually touch each other (can also be a con lol)
• I can cross my legs! I can sit on the floor and not feel like I'm going to fall over backwards!
• It's fun to jiggle parts of my body 🤣
• Physical hunger still gone and full cues still intact. I know to stop when the hiccups start.
• food bills are so much cheaper!!! I'm content with a happy meal.
• No heartburn (yet)!

Cons:

• My mood is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Hormones from fat loss make me up and down all the time. I never know what kind of day it's going to be when I wake up. I also have a mood disorder to begin with, so that doesn't help either.
• Loose skin everywhere!! If I'm too "active" it will make a clapping noise. Like it's cheering me on. 😂 I'm a bit self-conscious about the skin under my neck The rest of it I can deal with, lol.
• My boobs and butt are leaving.
• Mental hunger is rude! I have to carefully watch myself from grazing. Some days are harder than others.
• I think my food addiction has turned into a shopping one.
• I'm still lazy and don't really work out. I do a lot more than I used to though, so it balances out I think. 😅
• Food isn't fun anymore. But that's also a good thing... I can say it has been way easier than I expected it to be though. I thought I'd be more upset about it.

Here's some before/after pics! They're from last month, but I don't think I've lost much more 10 lbs since then anyway due to the stall I had.

This one was right before the liquid diet and the after is the end of January, so about 75 lbs difference.


This was on my way to my first appointment in early 2022 and then last month. I've lost 105 lbs between those 2.


This is a fun graph of my weight loss since the beginning of the liquid diet. I weigh myself everyday using this app (Libra) so I can see the trends. Then I only record my actual weight every week in MyFitnessPal. It's worked well for me so far. My current goal is to hit 100 lbs lost before my 6-month surgiversary! 30 lbs to go!

[heatherdbby 70]

just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing

had my one year followup this week and the doctor said Ive lost 94% of excess weight!

[Jeanniebug 476]

1 hour ago, heatherdbby said:

just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing

had my one year followup this week and the doctor said Ive lost 94% of excess weight!

Great job!

My doctors are very happy with where I am. I've regained about 10 pounds, which I'm not super happy about, but here we are. LOL!

My personal weight goal is 150. My doctor's goal for me is 163. The lowest I got was 166.

I'm struggling with food choices, right now. I'm eating too much Protein. But Proteins are easy, grab-and-go, fast to prepare, so they're what I tend to reach for. But, they also make you gain weight, if you eat too much of them. I'm trying to strike a balance.

I've also developed hypoglycemia. So, I have to eat about every 2 hours. When I prep my food, I do better with my eating. Again, the grab-and-go thing really helps. And having veggies already washed and cut up, in the fridge, encourages me to eat less protein and more vegetables - which I really need to be doing.

But, overall, I'm doing really well. I'm no longer diabetic. My cholesterol is normal. My blood pressure is actually on the low end. I'm off of all my obesity-related medications. I had my final visit with my therapist, on Tuesday. He thinks I'm in a really good place and don't need him anymore.

Besides a couple of little speed bumps I've had along the way (an issue with my diaphragm and the hypoglycemia) this has been an amazing, wonderful, journey. I have no regrets.