mistysj

Do a search for a user on here called nailsbyniki. She went through very similar stuff. You can PM her and I am sure she would be happy to talk to you. I'm sure you really don't want to hear it, but in most cases, RNY cures GERD. It is a function of how RNY separates the food from the bile and mixes them in the intestine rather than the stomach. And GERD is very serious and puts you at grave risk for esophageal cancer. By all means, get a second or third opinion. But please think seriously about why you are resisting conversion to RNY. If you continue to have the GERD and the spasms, you could be setting yourself up for many painful surgeries in the future. By the way I suffered from GERD pre-op. I had the sleeve with the informed knowledge that I may have to convert to RNY later. I took the risk. Right now my GERD is managed by Nexium, but it may not always be enough. Throat cancer is so much worse than RNY, at least in my own opinion, and I won't risk it. Here is Niki's thread. It is long. She had a kink in her intestine as well as Addison's Disease in the end. It was a very long road for her. It is worth reading the whole thing and then PMing her. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/248633-sleeve-revision-to-gastric-bypass-tomorrow/

Call your doctor or go to urgent care. Better safe than sorry.

MFP Endomondo to log exercise Fitbit to log my daily steps Fitbit Aria scale to log my weight and body fat percentage and send it to MFP automatically Kitchen scale Lots of real Tupperware containers because they don't leak. The snack cups are a perfect size especially in the early days and still hold a snack size of cottage cheese,yogurt etc. and the Tupperware tumblers with snap on lids are great for protein powder to be turned into a shake by adding water A carafe to chill water in the fridge Chewable multivitamins, calcium and iron that tastes like candy and keeps me taking them every day Really good Zojirushu vacuum flask to keep my coffee piping hot for 10 hours because sometimes it takes me most of the day to finish a cup and I like it HOT My kindle paperwhite which has let me read so so many books about WLS and nutrition and the psychology of successful weight loss after surgery Good running shoes that really fit

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Lots of those supplement diets use caffeine to burn more calories but it makes you jittery and grouchy and obviously stops working when you stop taking it. You will be better off sticking to your plan.

If you are not counting fat as much, 6 salted macadamias is a very satisfying snack. Beef Jerky is good. Or turkey jerky. Baby bels or string cheese or laughing cow wedges. I like the laughing cow with carrot sticks or bell pepper slices or celery but some people say celery is a bad idea post-op. lunch meat and cheese roll-ups. You can make Protein balls. Eggface has recipes on her blog. Those snack packs of applesauce and the individual packs of Peanut Butter. Snack packs of cottage cheese. A short skinny latte from starbucks. If you like milk, then a carton of skim milk. I have actually cut out my morning snack because I was just eating it to eat it, not because I was hungry.

I think our relationship is better now because I am not so depressed and self-conscious and self-absorbed! And also I have more confidence to speak my opinion and stand my ground. I felt like an unequal partner before and that was mostly my fault. I think it has been an adjustment for both of us. I don't have as many excuses to hide behind now either. And I am more likely to be stubborn and insist on what I want now, which adds another dynamic in. Before, I would defer to him more or give up on my opinion more. I also feel more like being in this relationship is not just something I am passively in, but something I am choosing to be in. I wouldn't have been able to articulate that before, but I think sometimes I did feel like I better just be thankful to be in a pretty good marriage and not to rock the boat. Now I know it is a good marriage and I deserve (and can work toward it being) a great one.

I no longer sweat by just existing. The more weight I lose, the more intensely I work out and I definitely sweat buckets on a hard workout when I am hydrated. It feels great!

Went to my first zumba class today and I loved it! The only thing is I am not graceful and I don't pick up dance steps easily, though I do have a good sense of rhythm. How many classes until you knew most of the moves? The instructor doesn't really stop to show us the moves because most people are regulars. I just tried to keep up and at least keep moving. Any tips? I am going to look at some YouTube videos but anything else I can do? I get two more classes at the intro rate of 3 for 15 but I have to use them by Jan 20 so I will get a little more practice. I would never in a million years have tried this before losing weight with the sleeve. I had a grin on my face the whole time and was so proud of myself!

I use endomondo. It is free and tracks everything and let's you listen to music or audiobooks etc. it can be social or not depending on what you want. It syncs with fitbit and myfitnesspal. You can pay for premium to get awesome training plans including 5k, 10k, interval training and other stuff. Endomondo can also track other exercises like cycling and walking.

You just type it or paste it in. Like http://google.com. If you mean getting the URL for a thread from the app, go to the top of the thread and click the thread title. That will open the thread in a browser window inside the app. Wait until the page loads all the way, then click the arrow thing at the lower right and click Copy Link. Then you can use the back arrow in the upper left to get back to the app and go to the thread where you want to paste it. It is a bit of a pain.

Ok I did it again! A little easier today but I still don't know if it is for me. I feel like I could be working a lot harder but the moves mix me up! I will go and have the third class I pay for but then I might try BodyPump which my friend tells me I don't need to be coordinated for!

If you do a search for Books you will find a ton. Are sure to tell it to look in all forums. I know there is a current thread in Research and Statistics.

You are awesome! I love it. Another Couch to 5k graduate!

I am just over 8 months post-op VSG. I have lost a little more than 70 pounds, and gotten my BMI from super morbidly obese (43) to overweight (28 and change). I've gone from a size 22W to a size 12. I love how I look, how I feel, how much more physically active I can be. But that's really not the best part! My GP ordered a full panel of blood tests for me recently. He also ordered a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), the test that is used to diagnose diabetes and gestational diabetes. As background, I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007. Since my surgery, I have not had a single high reading. The GTT results I just got back today show NO SIGN OF DIABETES! I can metabolize 75 grams of glucose in a single (disgusting) drink just the same as a non-diabetic person can! VSG has cured my diabetes! Not only that, but my cholesterol numbers are perfect. My blood pressure is perfect. All of my Vitamin and mineral levels are perfect. My hormone levels are perfect. VSG has turned my health around. My doctor said that he cannot remember his last patient who turned their health around the way I have in the last 8 months. Even if I never got to goal (which I will), I am so happy! I am just thinking about all the damage that is NOT being done to my tissues by diabetes. I won't have neuropathy, kidney problems, blindness, amputation. Because of VSG! SO HAPPY!

It is unlikely to experience dumping from cauliflower. Dumping is a specific phenomenon that has to so with undigested sugar or fat entering your intestines without being processed by your stomach. You probably got indigestion or diarrhea after eating it. Dumping comes from high sugar or high fat, but especially high sugar. It feels like the flu -- chills, dizziness, heart racing, sweating, and possibly diarrhea. Fibrous foods like cauliflower might need to be introduced further out from surgery. Your stomach muscles may not be strong enough to break them down yet. Try cooking it to a softer consistency by boiling or steaming it next time.

How'd you do, Dee? I am kicking my exercise up a notch this week. I am going to notch up my speed on the treadmill and I'm going to Zumba twice. I'm sick of seeing the same number in the scale. Doubling down on. Low carb too. I will let y'all know how it goes. I'm not complaining because this is effectively my first stall, at more than 8 months post-op.

Please share in the Recipe forum!

Lots of people have regrets in the first month or if they experience complications. Other than that, most people do not seem to regret the surgery.

Grilled red snapper and stir-fried bok choi with garlic and ginger

Whatever you call it, you have been living it for what, 2 years now? When I first found VST I read a lot of old threads and I remember when your run of bad luck seemed to start, and it just doesn't seem to let up.

That is crazy. I wish you didn't have so much drama in your life. Please be safe! Dee, you are my hero, my c25k buddy!

My part of the grocery bill has gone down except for Vitamins, Protein, and torani syrups. I have bought some nicer tupperware to pack my lunches and Protein shakes in but those are one-time costs. I guess some foods are more expensive, like the yogurt and the baby bel cheeses, but then things like lunch meat cost a lot less per meal than they would have before. I also used to eat out a lot, and now I do that a lot less, and tend it order smaller meals. I used to go out for sushi and have $25 worth all on my own. Probably 5 plates at a sushi train. And I would really be wanting more, but stop myself. Now I go and have one order of edamame and one order of salmon sashimi (2 pieces) and I'm full, for maybe $8. I have to remember to take cash because the debit card minimum is $12. I used to do a lot of expensive sneak eating (chips on the train, stopping at mcdonalds on the way home and still eating a full dinner at home, a dozen donuts on a Saturday afternoon, etc). I haven't indulged in that behavior since I started preparing for surgery and I have been very proactive about learning why I did it and how to avoid going back to those behaviors. They were expensive for my pocketbook AND my health.

Also, full disclosure, I have (and love) your book. It is great to get Australia-specific advice, especially since our bariatric-products market is so immature.

I also think it depends on the surgery. It is my understanding that the sleeve and RNY give the most restriction, followed by DS and plication, then the band. I know that at 8 months post-sleeve, I can still only hold about 60 grams of dense protein or 2/3 of a cup of less dense food. Knowing that, I don't dish out a cup because I know I can't eat it and it will just tempt me to try.

Use a timer until you get used to it. You won't have much of an appetite but you need to be eating something every 2-3 hours since you can't eat much right now. As soon as you finish eating, set the timer for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, set the timer for 2 hours and start drinking. When it goes off, set it for 30 minutes and stop drinking. When it goes off, eat. Yes it is complicated but you won't need it long.