February 2024 Surgery Buddies?

[RonHall908 60]

19 hours ago, NickelChip said:

But on an unrelated note, I drove to see the total eclipse in Vermont on Monday and it was amazing!

I live in Northeastern Oklahoma. We had about 95% coverage of the Eclipse. I took pictures through my welding lens. But it was grainy and not very clear. In 2045 there will be a total ecplise through our area. Maybe I'll be around for that one.

[gracesmommy2 21]

Hi guys!
So I had my surgery 2/22/24 and have been lurking on this forum since a few weeks before my surgery. Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to y’all that have been posting your journey whether it be struggles or wins. I come back to this topic anytime I’m having issues and y’all always make me feel better when I realize we all seem to be having the same struggles at some point or another. 😉

[LisaCaryl 51]

9 minutes ago, gracesmommy2 said:

Hi guys!
So I had my surgery 2/22/24 and have been lurking on this forum since a few weeks before my surgery. Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to y’all that have been posting your journey whether it be struggles or wins. I come back to this topic anytime I’m having issues and y’all always make me feel better when I realize we all seem to be having the same struggles at some point or another. 😉

Welcome out of lurking mode! We are true surgery buddies with the same surgery date! It looks like you are doing great weight-wise. How are you feeling?

[Noelle74 26]

32 minutes ago, gracesmommy2 said:

Hi guys!
So I had my surgery 2/22/24 and have been lurking on this forum since a few weeks before my surgery. Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to y’all that have been posting your journey whether it be struggles or wins. I come back to this topic anytime I’m having issues and y’all always make me feel better when I realize we all seem to be having the same struggles at some point or another. 😉

That’s my surgery date too!! I spend more time reading posts than posting. How are you feeling?

[gracesmommy2 21]

49 minutes ago, LisaCaryl said:

Welcome out of lurking mode! We are true surgery buddies with the same surgery date! It looks like you are doing great weight-wise. How are you feeling?

Ty! Yes we are! Some of that weight loss was pre-surgery, lost about 26# since surgery. I feel really good actually.
a) I too need to stop eating before I’m too full like so many others here, I’m having a hard time with that.
b) I was super nauseous for the first 3 weeks or so but was lucky in that my surgeon gave me Zofran for it. My Dr. cleared me to eat whatever (as long as it’s healthy) I want after my 1 month follow up and so far so good. My new favorite food is canned chicken crust pizza I make. It’s soooo yummy and gives me tons of Protein intake with just one piece.
c) I’m definitely feeling the stalls, I’ve had 2 (one currently) which is what makes me come see how y’all are doing and then I realize it’s not just me so that makes me feel better. It’s just so annoying bc I typically eat about 750-900 cal a day and my brain just doesn’t want to get why the weight doesn’t just drop off 🤣. I think it thinks I’m starving to death 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

d) I have on occasion gotten super hungry which I hate. I was so hoping that feeling was permanently gone but 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s only happened to me 2 or 3 times so maybe I was dehydrated? That’s what I’m telling myself for now. I also have a hard time getting 64 ounces of Fluid in but I try.

And going back to the nausea thing….i just had a couple of suggestions that I’ve tried and have helped me, but of course ev1 is different.

Even the thought of Protein Shakes now make me want to vomit, I do everything I can to avoid having to drink them. I try to hit 60-80 gm of protein a day. I eat a lot of tuna, chicken, Greek yogurt, the Only Bean roasted edamame Beans and chicken Pizza Crust pizza. And use liquicel if I need a protein boost before breaking down and having a shake.
I don’t ever take my Vitamins on an empty stomach, I always eat light and fit Greek yogurt first.

Water makes me nauseated now. So I very rarely drink plain water. I usually drink Decaf unsweetened iced tea and now add Mio to my water but I’m trying to integrate the plain water back in, I think it’s just some kind of weird mental block.

And just keep in mind that dehydration itself can cause fatigue and nausea! Of course so can the vitamins were all taking 😂 Sorry for the vvvveeerrryyyyyy long post guys! And thanks again for all y’all’s unknown help. I wish ev1 the best on their weight loss journey!

Edited April 11 by gracesmommy2

[LisaCaryl 51]

16 minutes ago, gracesmommy2 said:

Water makes me nauseated now. So I very rarely drink plain Water. I usually drink Decaf unsweetened iced tea and now add Mio to my water but I’m trying to integrate the plain water back in, I think it’s just some kind of weird mental block.

And just keep in mind that dehydration itself can cause fatigue and nausea! Of course so can the Vitamins were all taking 😂 Sorry for the vvvveeerrryyyyyy long post guys! And thanks again for all y’all’s unknown help. I wish ev1 the best on their weight loss journey!

You sound so much like me. I think about certain things and get nauseous! Water is so difficult. I took some Mio to the beach with me this past week and it did help some. I used to LOVE Crystal Light Decaf tea and lemonade mixed. I haven't been able to tolerate it since surgery. I did make another 1/2 pitcher this morning and am praying I will like it again. Nearly all liquids make me gag. Oh and don't get me started on pills! Lol.

I eat fish, but not chicken or meat. tuna is good, and I can tolerate small amounts of baked, grilled, or broiled fish for dinner. I also like smoked salmon a lot! I've fallen for Dave's Killer bread, thin sliced. A friend who had sleeve surgery 2 years ago recommended it. The slices are small, and I can usually finish one slice with some tuna salad or smoked salmon on it. PBFit powder is another thing I like. I never had it until NickelChip talked about it, I can't tell it's not Peanut Butter for the jar!

I don't ever want to get dehydrated again! I didn't mind being in the hospital getting fluids, that was a nice break from life... but the way I felt was just horrible. Dehydrated, nauseous, and low blood pressure. I was a zombie! That alone is forcing me to sip on fluids even when I don't want to.

[RonHall908 60]

18 minutes ago, gracesmommy2 said:

Ty! Yes we are! Some of that weight loss was pre-surgery, lost about 26# since surgery. I feel really good actually.
a) I too need to stop eating before I’m too full like so many others here, I’m having a hard time with that.
b) I was super nauseous for the first 3 weeks or so but was lucky in that my surgeon gave me Zofran for it. My Dr. cleared me to eat whatever (as long as it’s healthy) I want after my 1 month follow up and so far so good. My new favorite food is canned chicken crust pizza I make. It’s soooo yummy and gives me tons of Protein intake with just one piece.
c) I’m definitely feeling the stalls, I’ve had 2 (one currently) which is what makes me come see how y’all are doing and then I realize it’s not just me so that makes me feel better. It’s just so annoying bc I typically eat about 750-900 cal a day and my brain just doesn’t want to get why the weight doesn’t just drop off 🤣. I think it thinks I’m starving to death 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

d) I have on occasion gotten super hungry which I hate. I was so hoping that feeling was permanently gone but 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s only happened to me 2 or 3 times so maybe I was dehydrated? That’s what I’m telling myself for now. I also have a hard time getting 64 ounces of Fluid in but I try.

And going back to the nausea thing….i just had a couple of suggestions that I’ve tried and have helped me, but of course ev1 is different.

Even the thought of Protein Shakes now make me want to vomit, I do everything I can to avoid having to drink them. I try to hit 60-80 gm of Protein a day. I eat a lot of tuna, chicken, Greek yogurt, the Only Bean roasted edamame Beans and chicken Pizza Crust pizza. And use liquicel if I need a protein boost before breaking down and having a shake.
I don’t ever take my Vitamins on an empty stomach, I always eat light and fit Greek yogurt first.

I've seen many different recipes for Pizza Crust using chicken and turkey. I use ground chicken or turkey to make the crust mix with prok rinds to make the crust base easier to mold.

My weight loss has been slow. According to my scale which could be off a couple pounds. I've lost 30 lbs since Feb 7th. I eat small snack size meals 4 sometimes 5 times a day. My goal is 90 G of protein a day but I typically hit 110-115 G. Carbs I'm supposed to stay near 30 g. But I typically hit 40. I always log on the baritastic app. I exercise each evening. Rowing machine with light weights. Im sure I'm trading some muscle weight with fat loss. I think our bodies are so used to eating more calories, that it's a shock and the body needs a lot of time to adjust. I've lost a lot of inches in my waist. So that's a plus. It's going into the right direction a lot slower than I expected. Which my doctor has said is normal. This evening im going to get an IV with Vitamin Infusion to see if that helps with me feeling exhausted in the evenings.

[RonHall908 60]

20 minutes ago, LisaCaryl said:

You sound so much like me. I think about certain things and get nauseous! Water is so difficult. I took some Mio to the beach with me this past week and it did help some. I used to LOVE Crystal Light Decaf tea and lemonade mixed. I haven't been able to tolerate it since surgery. I did make another 1/2 pitcher this morning and am praying I will like it again. Nearly all liquids make me gag. Oh and don't get me started on pills! Lol.

I eat fish, but not chicken or meat. tuna is good, and I can tolerate small amounts of baked, grilled, or broiled fish for dinner. I also like smoked salmon a lot! I've fallen for Dave's Killer bread, thin sliced. A friend who had sleeve surgery 2 years ago recommended it. The slices are small, and I can usually finish one slice with some tuna salad or smoked salmon on it. PBFit powder is another thing I like. I never had it until NickelChip talked about it, I can't tell it's not Peanut Butter for the jar!

I don't ever want to get dehydrated again! I didn't mind being in the hospital getting fluids, that was a nice break from life... but the way I felt was just horrible. Dehydrated, nauseous, and low blood pressure. I was a zombie! That alone is forcing me to sip on fluids even when I don't want to.

I use PBfit2 that's chocolate flavored. Very good with Greek yogurt.

Edited April 11 by RonHall908

[BlueParis 48]

Welcome @gracesmommy2 ! I had my surgery just a few days before you on the 16th. Love your glasses!

[gracesmommy2 21]

1 hour ago, BlueParis said:

Welcome @gracesmommy2 ! I had my surgery just a few days before you on the 16th. Love your glasses!

Ty! I actually just went and got a new pair at the optometrist and was disappointed in them cause they were boring so I bought these online at zeelool and love them! And they were pretty inexpensive for glasses 😉

[gracesmommy2 21]

@RonHall908 I use the Baritastic app also just to make sure I’m getting my Protein in. And my weight loss is a little slower than I’d like but I’m also not an exerciser so I definitely need to work on that. I wonder if a few more carbs would help your fatigue, but definitely hoping your IV helps you!

@LisaCaryl We’re definitely similar with the nausea. Things that I used to drink tend to make me nauseous now so I just started trying things I didn’t drink before and that seems to be helping 😂. I mean I drank tea occasionally but I was mostly just a plain Water drinker at home and now 🤢

oh and yes ty to @NickelChip too for the PB2. I’d heard of it but never tried it before. I love the regular one and the one with cocoa and use them in my yogurt sometimes for a dessert like Ronhall908. Or if I must drink a dreaded shake I add the PB2 and it definitely helps.

Edited April 11 by gracesmommy2

[Noelle74 26]

On the road today so eating out has consisted of two chicken nuggets for lunch and a few bites of a bean burrito for dinner and not nearly enough Water to drink. I’m officially off blood pressure meds too!!

[gracesmommy2 21]

4 hours ago, Noelle74 said:

I’m officially off blood pressure meds too!!

Yay! That’s awesome!

[LisaCaryl 51]

5 hours ago, Noelle74 said:

I’m officially off blood pressure meds too!!

Congrats!!!

[NickelChip 742]

My surgeon told me at my 6 week appointment that I needed to start doing more exercise. This week, I'm happy to say I've gotten out my little walking pad treadmill twice in the evenings and have been walking while watching TV. I've gone from a daily average of about 3k steps to more than 5k this week, and I'll be working toward 10k steps each day for the coming month. I can hardly wait as the weather improves to allow for more outside walking. I'm really hoping the additional activity will give the scale an added nudge in the right direction. Once I can hit 10k most days, I will start looking at ways to add resistance bands to build muscle, but if I'm honest, I have been almost completely sedentary for several years and need to pace myself for it to be sustainable.

Today, I am less than 4 lbs away from the lowest weight I've recorded on my app in the past 7 years (which was 203.8 after doing the nutrition program at my old weight loss center). 203 lbs is the next milestone I have my eye on, followed by making it to 199 lbs, and then hitting 185 lbs to officially no longer be obese. I chose my weight goal of 155 lbs somewhat arbitrarily, though it's the lower end of the estimates I saw for how much I could lose on various calculators. But when it feels impossibly far away, it helps to have some smaller goals to focus on.

Oh, and it's almost time to swap out my winter clothing for spring stuff, which means I will have a lot of items to take to the donation bin. Many of my long-sleeve tops are swimming on me and several pairs of jeans are hopelessly baggy. Purging my closet will be an awesome feeling!