DLCoggin

Estimates are that about half of all RNY patients never experience dumping (it's difficult to be exact because some experience dumping without realizing what it is while others think they are dumping when their symptoms are the result of another cause). Regardless, it is much more important to understand that there is no scientific evidence that patients who experience dumping are any more or less successful than patients who do not. There is a long list of potential benefits resulting from RNY. Not one of them is attributed to dumping. It's easy to understand how folks can be attracted by dumping as a way to force them to avoid certain favorite foods. But it is also all too easy for it to become a "crutch" and if it never materializes, some are disappointed and assume they are at a disadvantage or even worse, assume they are doomed to failure. That is simply not true. There are countless success stories, many on this forum, from folks who have never experienced dumping. The Prime Directive of RNY is and always has been - lifestyle changes. Follow your medical team's instructions as closely to the letter as you possibly can. Evaluate everything you do, are considering doing, and even your own expectations in terms of - is it healthy, is it realistic, and is it sustainable? Anything that does not meet all three, drop it in favor of an alternative that does. Change your thinking, and you'll change your world. You're gonna love the new you!!

If you're not doing so already, start maintaining a food log. My Fitness Pal is highly recommended but there are any number of good apps out there. Configure your food log app (usually in Settings) to lose X amount of weight a week (be realistic). The app will calculate your recommended daily calorie intake to meet that weight loss goal. Remember that that goal is an AVERAGE. Maintaining an exact calorie intake every single day is unrealistic and not sustainable. Maintaining an AVERAGE calorie intake is absolutely realistic and absolutely sustainable. When (not if) you exceed your goal on any given day, you simply make a minor reduction in your calorie goal for the next day or two and you're right back on track with your AVERAGE. Think of your log as a compass. Always pointing you in the direction you want to go. In my opinion, a food log is the single most important tool you can have. Pre-op, weight loss, maintenance - it works exactly the same regardless of where you are at in your journey. It's quick. It's easy. It allows you to manage your weight instead of your weight managing you. It gives you confidence. You'll never again say "I THINK I did well this week" - you'll KNOW you did well. I have maintained my log for close to two years and there is not the slightest doubt that I will maintain it for the rest of my life. It's all about control, not denial.

124 is likely your fasting blood sugar level, not your A1c which is a different thing altogether and much more important in terms of your surgery. I would go back to your surgeon and get the details. To tell you that your diabetes will affect your surgery without discussing what you need to do and at least some idea of a timeline is pretty insensitive. Get the facts and stay positive. Whatever it takes, it will be worth it in the long run. You're gonna love the new you!!

A better question might be "does your stomach ever stop growling?". Lol. No pain but it talks up a storm!

White rice. Love it. Absolutely can't eat it. A very small price to pay!!

If you've only had Water for "the last few weeks" I would definitely recommend calling your surgeon. Enough water will allow you to avoid dehydration but won't do anything toward helping you avoid malnutrition. Protein is crucially important at six weeks out - your body needs it for healing, it will help reduce your susceptibility to infection, reduces hair loss and reduces loss of lean muscle mass just to name a few. Do whatever it takes to get your protein in. Try taking a sip every 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes - whatever you can tolerate. Same for soft foods. Keep trying new things until you find one or two or three that you can at least get down. It's difficult when you're not hungry and as mentioned above, it's common for your taste to change following surgery. But your body will interpret eating nothing as a famine state and will begin to conserve calories - meaning your weight loss will slow or stop altogether. You can do this and you're gonna love the new you!

Shut up and be grateful - LOL! Stay focused on doing exactly what you've been doing, stay active and stay away from the scales. When you're doing everything exactly right, there are times when you simply have to let your body find its own way in its own time. Sounds like it's just taking a little break. You've thrown a lot at it in a short period of time. Just keep doing what you're doing and you are gonna love the new you!!

Wow Jenn - you and your story are an inspiration to us all. If anyone can do it you can. Just keep reminding yourself of what you've already accomplished. Whether you make your goal for your 30th or not, you will succeed! Congratulations!!

The key to controlling and eventually eliminating the worldwide obesity epidemic is understanding the underlying causes of the problem in the first place. This article offers some deeply thought provoking ideas and insights into this very serious threat. Broad in scope and exceptionally well written, this article is a great first step. The following are just a few excerpts from the article. I highly recommend clicking on the "Full Article" link to read more. Truly excellent. "With a decline in the number of smokers, obesity has emerged as the main source of many of the pathologies that reduce the quality and length of Irish lives. But where does the lack of restraint that leads to that condition originate? The stress of modern living plays a significant role according to new research." "But nutritional deficiencies caused by an agricultural system dedicated to the production of meat also plays a part. The restricted space dedicated to crops grown for human consumption, as opposed to the area set aside for livestock and the crops grown to feed them, has led to the cultivation of high-yielding but often nutritionally-deficient varieties. The insatiable eating that leads to obesity may be a response to nutritional impoverishment." "He says increased stress levels, especially fuelled by employment uncertainty have had deleterious effects on dietary choices: “Physiologically, stress leads individuals to prefer fatty and sweet foods, and frequently to consume more calories, exacerbating weight gain, especially in the form of risky abdominal fat”. The idea of a link between insecurity, stress and obesity is supported by the ‘social gradient’ of obesity”: it is most prevalent among those at the bottom of the social scale." "Illuminatingly, in the month after September 11th, sales of snack foods increased by more than 12% across the United States as paranoia, verging on hysteria, swept the country. The national sense of homeland security was bolstered by Twinkies and M and Ms." Full Article

My surgeon never mentioned a goal and I didn't want to know so I didn't ask. I went into the journey believing that my body would tell me when it was where it wanted to be and that's exactly what happened. I followed the protocol as closely to the letter as I could and when I stopped losing weight, that was the number - 155 lbs and loving the new me!!

Three weeks out is probably a little early for solid foods. Has your doctor cleared you for solids?

Post-op your body is going to be focused on healing and that takes a lot of energy. Pain is subjective but you can expect to be sore and you're not going to have a lot of energy for at least a week, maybe more. It will be important to get a lot of rest and let your body do its thing. And it's a pretty safe bet that you're not going to have any appetite at all. It's actually quite bizarre but most folks have no hunger at all for a period of time following surgery. Several weeks is not unheard of. So you're not likely to feel like cooking. The good news is that every day you'll have a little more energy and before you know it, you'll start having more energy than you've probably had in a long time. And yes, your appetite will eventually return but it will probably be "different" than it was pre-op - not unpleasant, just different. It may not sound like it now but the whole experience is truly amazing and very, very exciting. It will be the dawn of a new day and a new you!!

Very interesting - thank you for sharing!!

Although not the answer that you (or I) would really like to hear, the fact is that science does not yet have the answer regarding exactly how RNY works. Statistically, the fact that it works in a very high percentage of cases is indisputable. But exactly "how" it works is an entirely different, and much more difficult, question to answer. For example, the results of a study published on April 30th of this year found that "Gastric bypass surgery alters the hormones and amino acids produced during digestion, hinting at the mechanisms through which the surgery eliminates symptoms of type 2 diabetes...". You can see the full article at: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-gastric-bypass-surgery-hormones-relieve.html In another separate study published the same day, April 30th - "Scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center used a catheter to re-direct the flow of bile from the bile duct into the small intestine, producing the same metabolic and weight-loss benefits as bariatric surgeries such as gastric by-pass. They named the procedure bile diversion, or BD." You can see the full article at: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/30/5382960/study-finds-possible-alternative.html And a third study published on April 21, 2013 found that - "While bariatric surgery helps people drop pounds by rerouting the digestive tract so the stomach holds less food, a new study by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital shows that changes in the bacteria found in the gut may have more of an impact on weight loss. According to the study, conducted on mice using the specific Roux-en-Y method of gastric bypass, the surgery almost immediately transforms bacteria into microbes most often found in slender people." Full article at: http://diabeteshealth.com/read/2013/04/21/7847/altering-gut-bacteria-could-rival-bypass-surgery-effects/ The good news is that the unparalleled success of RNY has resulted in very substantial increases in interest and research dollars aimed at a better understanding of "how" the surgery works. It is clear that the answers are much more complex than simply limiting the amount you can eat by reducing the size of your stomach. The bad news is that the wheels of medical research move slowly. It will likely be several years (if ever) before we have definitive answers regarding changes in all of the processes that early indications point to being changed by the surgery. In the meantime, the odds of successfully alleviating or eliminating obesity and more than 30 co-morbidities associated with obesity are overwhelmingly in our favor with RNY.

Sleeve vs. RNY is often decided by your personal history. For example, most doctors seem to favor RNY if you have a history of GERD. Sleeve is relatively new (first described in 1993) vs. RNY which has a history spanning more than 30 years so there is considerably more clinical data for RNY. If there is no medical basis for recommending one or the other, your doctor may not have a specific recommendation and the decision is essentially up to you. But... As others have said, if you have the slightest doubt about surgery being the best option for you, that is a compelling reason for waiting. You are much better off waiting until you are confident that you have exhausted other options. You are also much more likely to succeed with the surgery option when and if you are completely committed to making the all important lifestyle changes that are the basis of success. Either surgery can be defeated. Having said that, I believe that most RNY veterans would say that the Vitamin regimen (life long) is indeed a small price to pay for the life-changing results. I lost 130 lbs over 13 months and have maintained my weight of 155 lbs for more than seven months. Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, back and joint pain - all gone. And my vitamin profile across the board is spot on. The majority of "all the restrictions", including "not being able to eat more than 1.5oz of food", are in the first year. After that, there is relatively little that you can't eat - but you will likely find that there are many things that you simply choose not to eat. Everyone is a little different but I can tell you that at 20 months post-op, I eat anything I want with one exception - white rice. I've only tried it twice but that was enough - late dumping in the form of hypoglycemia both times. You also will likely find that compared to pre-op, a whole world of things open up to you that were not options pre-op. I have more energy than I ever imagined possible. Regardless of the method you choose, I think that you'll find that losing the excess weight will result in a remarkable change in your energy level. Elective surgery is never something you want to rush into. Do the research, exhaust other options and honestly evaluate your personal commitment to doing whatever it takes. In the words of Winston Churchill, "It is of no use saying 'we are doing the best we can'. Success means doing what is necessary." We all wish you the very best in your journey and hope that you will continue to keep us posted on your progress. You're gonna love the new you!!

You might find the information in my post "Dumping the Confusion About Dumping" informative. Just search for that title here on the forum. You're gonna love the new you!!

Kristy, I don't think five pounds in a week is anything to be alarmed about. Almost certainly Water weight. But as a successful RNY patient, you know better than most that not eating and drinking is simply not an option. Go back to the basics - Protein is your number one priority followed closely by some form of water (decaf coffee or tea, Crystal Light, etc. etc.). chicken, fish and turkey - a single bite ten (or more) times a day will go a long way toward helping you avoid a protein deficiency. And you obviously want to be religious about taking whatever Vitamin supplements your medical team has recommended. Tough times never last but tough folks - do!

Protein bars and shakes, virtually all nuts (including peanuts) are healthy but almonds are especially good, turkey jerky (you might want to try Pacific Gold from Costco), Old Wisconsin Turkey Bites (Walmart and over the top tasty), Kashi pita crisps, Babybell Light Mini Cheeses, string cheese, some (not all) trail mixes, yogurt (Oikos is the best I've ever tasted), rice cakes (Quaker has some really good ones, both sweet and savory flavors), I like the "small" Lunchables (Ham and Swiss and crackers only are my favorite but they can be hard to find - try Target), Kellogg Special K Cracker chips (great substitute for potato chips or fries), and you can't go wrong with chicken, fish or turkey as long as it's not fried. Colorado has the most beautiful mountains in the world!! Have a great trip!!

Absolutely nothing to worry about. You won't feel a thing. It's perfectly understandable to be frightened by the idea of a tube going down your throat. Just like it's perfectly understandable to be frightened by the idea of surgery. But it's also perfectly understandable that you won't feel a thing. Lol. You're gonna love the new you!!

Courage does not mean never being afraid. It means doing what's right for yourself and your family in spite of being afraid. Although you may believe strongly in the message, it sounds like your friend is not in a place where she can receive it. You might, or might not, have more success with encouraging her to seek the help of a professional. Or you could just call a spade a spade - "If you're not willing to take any action to improve your situation, at least be willing to stop complaining about your decision." A "tough love" approach to be sure. But coming from a place of love all the same.

It's interesting how so many RNY veterans experience the same "shout it to the world" desire. But as others have pointed out, it's difficult, possibly inappropriate and probably pointless to approach someone until they're mentally ready and committed to the challenge. My son's best friend has recently been referred by his PCP to the same surgeon I had. The first thing he did was call me to get my thoughts. It has been an amazingly rewarding experience for me to have the opportunity to share my journey with someone I know well and who I believe will be successful and will look back on his decision with no regrets.

Not so sure about the amazing part but I am grateful for your kind words.

Great job Heather - good for you!! I get so excited about logging because I truly believe that it is a quick and easy way to establish that all important "accountability". I actually stopped logging for about two months after I had reached my goal weight. Huge mistake and one that I won't make again. There were days when I weighed thinking that my weight should have gone down only to find that I gained a pound or two. And days when I weighed thinking my weight should have gone up only to find that I lost a pound or two. It was a real emotional roller coaster. I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me two months to come to the realization that the ONLY thing that had changed was my own foolish decision to stop logging my food. As soon as I resumed logging, all the "why's" and "why nots" disappeared. A real eye opener and one that I hope others will benefit from.

You can add water in MFP just like you would add food. When you select "Water - Municipal", it comes up as one cup or 8oz. All you have to do is tap "Number of Servings" and select whatever amount you want. So to put in 1oz, just select "1/8" as the serving size, 2oz would be "1/4" etc. If you add one oz of water to your "Frequent" list, then all you have to do is select it and change the serving size to however many oz you want to add. Sounds complicated when you explain it in words but actually doing it takes about 15 seconds! I'm not sure what protein total you're looking for but MFP totals protein (and much more) on a daily basis - tap Home > Daily. For example, I know that I had 122g of protein yesterday, 101 the day before, etc. It also shows weekly protein totals - tap Home > Weekly > tap the center button on the upper right side of the screen. For example I know that I've had 325g of protein for the first three days of this week, 632g for the entire week of Jun 17th, etc. And again, it also shows the same daily and weekly numbers for Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Potassium, Carbs, Vitamins A and C, Calcium and Iron. It also shows what your goal numbers for each of those and how much you are under/over your goal. And you have control over your "goals" by the settings you choose. Very powerful app!!

I'm not a nutritionist and most certainly not a doctor. But I think it is impossible for health care professionals to specify the perfect calorie intake that will allow every person to lose or even maintain their weight. There are simply too many variables. YOUR log on the other hand will, with a little experimenting, tell you exactly what YOUR number is. Pick an AVERAGE number you feel is appropriate and try it for a week. If you're trying to lose X lbs a week and you gain a little, reduce your average a little. If you lose less than your X lbs a week goal, reduce your average a little. If you don't lose anything, reduce your average a little. If you're trying to maintain your goal weight and your weight doesn't change - that's YOUR number. Just keep in mind that YOUR number may change from time to time, up or down. When you know what you're eating and you know that you can make small adjustments any time, there's no fear in enjoying a meal. That's the power of the log!