cindymg

Our local PBS station showed this BBC Documentary last night. Sounds like an infomercial title, I know, but it was really quite scientific and I learned quite a bit (and this from a woman who has read every diet/nutrition book around)! There is a really interesting part about why Protein helps keep us feeling fuller longer, and how exercise burns fat even long after the exercise session. Here's a free site that shows the documentary. Check it out, about 58 minutes: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-losing-weight/

Have you had your Vitamin levels tested? Cramps can be caused by low potassium and magnesium. I think you should call your doctor.

I am 7.5 months out and am having the same problem. Let me know if you find a solution.

Sounds like your food is causing gas. Are you on a PPI for stomach acid? I can't take the prescription stuff, but Pepcid makes a chewable tablet that's good (avail at Walgreens). Also get some GasX strips if you don't already have them. They really help. When you can take pills again, you might want to add a Probiotic. Look for "Pearls" brand as they are really small and go down easily. I also recently started taking Digestive Enzymes which help with the gas. Those pills are larger so you might need to wait awhile until you can swallow them. Finally, constipation is common until you can get to the normal food stage. Add in a couple of stool softeners a day, and add powdered fiber to your Soups and yogurt. It is tasteless, and helps keeps things moving. If it has been more than a few days since a BM, take some Miralax.

Surgery is scary and this is a permanent change. Go back over the reasons you decided to go this route. If you can't find more positives about the surgery than negatives, then you can always put this off. Overeaters Anonymous has a saying that when the fear of where you are going is less than the pain of where you are, that's when you'll change. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

Here's something that might help;

Get powdered Fiber and add it to your food. I add a tsp to yogurt and sugar-free pudding. The fiber I used has 5 grams fiber per tsp and I get it at Whole Foods. Also, take 2 stool softeners per day. That plus plenty of Water and walking should fix you right up. But just in case, I keep Miralax at the ready. Constipation is terribly uncomfortable.

40 years of morbid obesity for me -- save the few months every year when I would lose 40-80 pounds, then gain it all (and more) right back. I had most of the diseases that go along with obesity, and frankly I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm kinda old and pretty bitchy, so when I learned about sleeve surgery, I knew immediately it was for me. And frankly, I didn't care what anyone else thought. If anyone tried to make a negative comment, I was always ready with the details of my medical problems. That usually shut people up pretty fast. And for family, when I told them I was having surgery, I started out by telling them I was having a sex change operation. Then once they got over the shock of that statement, I told them what I was really doing. Success is the best revenge for those naysayers (I know there is a better cliche' there, but it's late and I can't remember it). 7.5 months post-op, I am a completely different person (still bitchy though), medical problems resolved, tons of energy, an entirely new wardrobe, and now an exciting new job! So there you negative nellies! Don't let anyone make you feel bad for a decision that affects YOUR LIFE. Keep moving forward. Soon you'll be so successful that they will all eat their words!

Yeah, my aunt and my mother kept commenting on how skinny my butt was getting when I visited for Christmas. I didn't think I could be embarrassed, but that did it! What else could expect though from my mother who gave me a sexy negligee for my 30th birthday because she was worried about my continuing single status. Thing is, I don't see my skinny butt. I only see my baggy-butt pants, because I have to buy my pants a size or two bigger to fit my stubborn waistline. All I see is the 30 lbs hanging on in my midsection. So I guess it's a good thing that someone notices my progress. Reminds me to not be so hard on myself. No one else is.

Set your alarm on your phone to 30 mins after eating. I just have to remember that it's two glasses in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, then 2 in the evening. If I forget, I look at my hands. My fingers get all pruny when dehydration sets in. You can do this!

I gave up sugar years ago when I went on Atkins. As a Type 2 diabetic, it was my way of staying off insulin. I HATED insulin, so it was a small sacrifice. How does someone who doesn't eat sugar end up needing WLS, you ask? By substituting other foods -- in massive quantities -- for sugar-laden items. Since my sleeve, I have been flirting with the thought of eating "just a little" sugar. So, in typical addict style, I baked 5 different kinds of Cookies, brownies, 7 layer bars for friends and family. I tasted just a corner of a couple of the items, to make sure they were okay. I told myself that "a taste, does not a binge make." And a taste was all I needed. So far so good. I also gave up wheat after my sleeve. Bread was a big problem for me before my surgery, and now I no longer have a taste for it. But feeling deprived with all of the surrounding goodies, I thought I might make myself some sugar-free pumpkin bread for my holiday treat. Made with Splenda and organic whole wheat flour and it came out dreadfully dry. Baked the bread, I had about 2 slices and went to bed. The next day the feeling was "did anyone get the license plate of that truck that ran me over?" Had another couple of slices (just to prove the theory), then spent the next day in the bathroom. Blood sugar went sky high! That's why i felt like warmed-over death. Sugar-free Pumpkin Bread went in the trash, and I am back to eating things that make me feel good. So totally not worth it, except to prove to me that I really cannot eat sugar and flour AT ALL, even post sleeve. Lesson learned.

I worked for a Fortune 50 company at the time of my surgery. I took a week of sick time, then 3 weeks on short term disability. I had 3 co-morbidities, so surgery was not considered "elective." And mine was a traveling job and because if the lifting restriction I was able to get the extra time.

So, when someone makes a big deal about my weight loss, I look them straight in the eye and say, "Thank you. I had weight loss surgery." That usually shuts them up. There really is no cliche response to that statement, so mostly I just get that deer-caught-in-headlights look, and life goes on.

Take Fish Oil. The post op diet doesn't contain enough fat which is one thing that can cause hair loss. I take Krill Oil 2x a day because the pills are small. You can also take Coromega, which is an orange-flavored gel in indiv packets. Avail at GNC. Also take Biotin, zinc and a good multi. But getting your 60-80 grams of Protein will help as much as anything. I also use Revita shampoo and conditioner. It helps prevent shedding and helps with regrowth. And, I try not to wash my hair everyday to keep it from drying out even more.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping. Okay, I've always had that addiction, but now I have so many more choices!

I was thinking about your joint pain and have a theory. What prescription drugs are you taking? If you are taking a PPI like Protonix or Nexium, those drugs can cause joint pain. Also if you are taking a Statin (like Crestor or Lipitor) those can cause joint pain. Even if you have been taking these drugs for awhile, as you lose weight you might become more sensitive to these and other drugs. Hope this helps.

Hi Cindy! Cindy here. Had my gallbladder out 12 days ago. 2 surgeries in 6 months -- my body is not happy. Surgery is a lot easier than sleeve. In and out the same day. Some foods are nauseating me (the fatty ones of course), and I am REALLY tired, but otherwise okay. I have had intermittent pain in my right side for about 7 years, and I kept telling doctors that came from "that family". All women in my family have gall bladder problems. But ultrasounds didn't show any gall stones so gallbladder issues ruled out. My Bariatric surgeon sent me for a HIDA scan when I casually mentioned nausea 4 months after my sleeve. HIDA scan showed a gallbladder full if sludge and basically non-functional. So it had to come out. Don't let them dismiss you with an negative ultrasound -- insist on a HIDA scan! Good luck to you. And feel better!

Broths got me through pre op. I used to go to restaurants (Panera Bread was my go to place), and order Chicken Noodle, Vegetable or French Onion soup and ask for "just the broth, please." I guess a lot of people do this now, because no one batted an eye. It was a nice change of pace from the overly sweet protein shakes.

There is an arthritis-strength Tylenol available when you can swallow caplets again. It is not ibuprofen, but works okay. Also, are you taking anything for gas? The gas they fill you up with works it way into your joints. Use GasX strips if you are newly sleeved. Take lots of them, and walk, walk, walk to disparate the gas. A heating pad helps too. C

Get the "Climate Smart" Cuddle duds. They are made from the high-tech materials that are used in running clothes. They have the wicking ability. You can wear them indoors under your clothes without getting hot. I live in Chicago -- we layer. I have Cuddle duds in every color and give them for gifts!

Do you have any co morbidities? I had 3, and I led every conversation with those 3. The one that was the most effective was the fact that due to my out of control diabetes, I was losing the feeling in my feet and was in danger of losing them in a few years if I didn't do something now. That usually shut up any naysayers.

I had a problem with insomnia early on. I found that if I had a high-protein dairy snack before I went to bed, then I could sleep. Try cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. Something easy to digest. Also, don't exercise before bedtime. And take Calcium and magnesium before bed. They help make you sleepy. Take multi- Vitamin early in the day. If none of that works, call your primary care physician.

Can you find a PCP that is WLS-friendly? Some are and know everything about Bariatric surgery and the required tests. Some are not WLS-friendly and I would think that would be a nightmare. My PCP is WLS friendly. She referred me to my surgeon and they work well together. I think my PCP is more excited about my surgery than I am!

I had that pain for awhile after my sleeve surgery. It goes away. But now I am 1 week out from gallbladder surgery. And that "stitch" is back. I think it is gas, so I am taking GasX. You can use GasX strips if you are newly sleeved.

What phase are you in? Stand up and walk around. Drink as much as you can. They will eventually melt.