bikrchk

WOW. It hadn't occurred to me that adjusting to the weight loss would cause me pain, but my pain from hip displasia, (initially better) has been worse lately. I'd attributed it to my moving more, but it makes sense that I walk differently now. Hoping it works its self out soon!

I DID feel that way, but it turned out to be an unfounded fear. Through reduced capacity with my sleeve, food journaling and exercise, I've developed a lifestyle that allows me to "eat like a thin person". For me, that means I eat what I like in small quantities. I don't give in to every whim immediately, but if there's something my body has been asking for for an extended period of time, I'll work it into my day. In this way I never feel deprived and I have far less "cravings". There's also no guilt because I make sure to get at least 75g of protein per day rarely go over on my calories even when planning an indulgence. Some choose to give up trigger foods, but I find this works better for me. Does your lifestyle have to change to be a success? Definitely. You have to figure out what will work for you, but know that it down't HAVE to look like complete deprivation of all that is good!

I'm nearing my 1 year mark. My original goal was to lose 100 pounds, (from 235-135) but I adjusted up by 10 pounds when I hit a size 4 pant\jeans. I've maintained, (a couple under, actually) for 6 weeks now but based on what I'm hearing from vets, I'm thinking I may go ahead and try to shave of the last few "vanity pounds", (I like that term) as I expect I may struggle a bit down the road. Wiggle room is GOOD. Don't think I'll change my goal weight either as that's really just the top of the range I wanted to be in. I appreciate the perspective of those a year or more out!

So the date was... Meh. Think it was a new record. Less than an hour, but not an all bad experience! Back in the pool for me!

Yep. I have one still after 11 months but it's getting smaller now. Feels like a mosquito bite sometimes. Probably a bit of scar tissue. Worth having it checked tho if its a concern.

I'm having some of the same conversations with friends and family. Today, my BMI is 23. Still in the top half of healthy, which is FINE. I'm still losing slooooowly as I try to figure out maintenance. If I go down to 21 or 22, that'll be fine too. It's still in the healthy range. If it goes much below that, I guess I'll have to add Ensure to my diet! LOL My friends and family think I'm too thin already. I think it's a matter of others perspective. They are used to seeing you a certain way and it will take time for them to adjust to your new body, just as it takes us time to get past the body dismorphia almost all of us experience. I also think that taking a family member with concerns to your next Dr. appointment is a great thing to do. She can hear from a 3rd party professional that you are in a healthy place and you're okay! She still may not agree, but it may help ease her concerns.

Ditto Quest is the best nutritionally. If you get tired of Quest and want a treat, Power Crunch is my other fav. Tastes like a cookie, but not quite as good as Quest nutritionally.

My Doc also stated that a WLS patient is considered a "success" if 60% of the excess weight comes off. Like you, I was not going to be satisfied with a grade equivalent to a "D" after going through surgery and achieving a total lifestyle change! He told me I was a "success" at my 6 months follow up when I was still in the "overweight" category by the BMI scale and that if no more weight came off, not to be concerned. I guess I'm an over achiever because nothing short of the healthy BMI range was going to do it for me! I'm 47 and 5'6" tall. I started out at 235 and we'd originally talked about my needing to lose 100 pounds. A goal of 135 pounds (right smack in the middle of healthy BMI) seemed inconceivable to me at that time. I'd never experienced being a healthy weight in my lifetime having been overweight since about age 8. So I kept doing what I was doing. 75g of protein per day, vitamins, protein first, small meals and exercise 5x per week. Guess what? When I got down to 145 pounds and was wearing a size 4 skinny jean I decided it might be okay to adjust up by 10 pounds. So I've been trying to maintain now for the last 7 weeks. I've adjusted my calories up, my cardio down, (just a little) and added strength training to the routine. Weight is still coming off. Slowly. My guess is that I will make that 100 pound loss yet. As long as I stay within the healthy BMI zone, I figure I'm doing okay! Everyone's journey is different, but don't let your doc's "statistics" distract you from your goal of achieving excellence! It IS TOTALLY POSSIBLE!

If you don't get an adequate answer from your PCP, I would suggest seeing a sports med doc, (especially if you are active). They will likely do x-rays to make sure you don't have a mechanical problem and may offer PT or exercises to counter the issue. I say that as someone with hip displasia, (presented 20 years ago, but is degenerative to the cartilage and has caught up with me, even with the weight loss). I needed help designing an exercise routine that challenges me without exacerbating the damage. And yes! Hard surfaces are MUCH harder now!

It does. You record your intake and exercise, (pick foods and exercise from their extensive database or enter your own), and it keeps track of your macronurtients, calorie burn, etc. I also wear a fitness watch that syncs to my MFP account to track my workouts and steps. I used it religiously all the way through my process, mostly to track my protein intake, but now that I'm in maintenance and trying to hit close to a specific calorie goal, (not just "be under"), I find it an invaluable tool! I'm also bikerchk over there. Feel free to friend me.

You're NOT crazy! I feel like I could have written a lot of that myself! Dating just... sucks sometimes! I found a guy I really hit it off with. We are both tech people (we speak the same geek language), he rides, (a bigger bike than mine, which is a plus), he's recently lost 100 pound via Title Boxing so he'd focused on fitness, he's covered in tats, (I know a turn off for most, but a huge turn ON for me!). He told me when he first saw me his jaw dropped because it was so much better than he'd anticipated He was calling a couple of times per week and texting regularly, then it just kinda fizzled. I saw him last week at a local bike nite, (we'd agreed to meet there) and it was going REALLY well, till he let his friends drag him off to the next bar. Not a call or text since. I'm trying to date as many others as I can now, but it's hard because they are NOT him! It's really strange because I typically don't "attach" easily. It's a challenge letting this one go. It's harder when I'm having my morning coffee and I see him and his epic tailgate party group featured on the morning news! #can'tcatchabreak We deserve to be wanted deeply in every way. Settle for nothing less! Back into the pool! LOL

I used chewables for the first few months for bigger pills, Centrum chewable multi, Citrical calcium chews several times per day, biotin dissolavable, iron, D3 and B12 chewables. After about 3 months when the chewables ran out, I just started buying the standard supplements at Walmart per the advice of my bariatric nurse coordinator who is a 13 year survivor of gastric bypass. Still take, D3, B12, Biotin, calcium slow release and iron slow release iron in addition to the multivitamin, but swallow them all now.

I tell them I've lost "an Olsen Twin", the chunkier one, Ashley, LOL

Sorry you had a mediocre experience with your potential surgeon. You need a rockstar in the OR, no question. Do you believe this guy is that? I'd encourage you to look at the whole picture though. In my experience, 90% of the support you'll receive will come from the surgeon's support staff. Nurses, bariatriac coordinator lead nurse, the folks who will submit your paperwork and keep the doc on track. How was your overall experience? Are there support groups available through his office? You'll spend a few hours with the surgeon and you'll be asleep, followed by a few quick follow up appointments. You WANT a good experience with him, but you NEED a great experience with the rest of the staff as they are the folks who will help support you long term. I was VERY lucky to get the whole package on my first consult. A rockstar in the OR who is beloved by his staff as well as his patients and who has surrounded himself with a great support staff, (because he is most definitely not a paperwork detail guy)!

I waited until my first post op appointment, about 10 days, I think. Then once per week and no more every week at home after that which I continue in maintenance.

The Dr's surgical technique has more impact than bougie size, or so I'm told. It will relax some over time, but if it's really too small or you have a stricture or whatever, I think the only ting you can do is have your surgeon stretch it. I think they can do it like they do an EGD, but you should talk to a professional if it's that big a problem.

I'm 11 months post op, 92 pounds down and in maintenance for the last 7 weeks. The worst part was the prep, hoops and waiting required by insurance. Once all of their requirements were met, the rest went really well. Release form the hospital after 24 hours. Never needed narcotic pain meds and went back to my desk job the next week. Today, I'm off all 10 pre-op meds with normal labs and blood pressure. I exercise 5x per week and continue to log all food and exercise in MFP. I eat pretty much what I like now, although my choices are different than pre-op because I must choose protein first, always now. For me, I would not have been successful without adding exercise and food\exercise journaling. My sleeve is the BEST gift I could have given myself!

First of all, in my experience recommendations\treatment plans can vary dramatically from physician to physician. I can only speak to what I was told to do by my team. Women need at least 73g of Protein daily. I've been tracking my intake in MFP form the beginning and plan to do so always. Purees are not that bad when properly prepared. Check out theworldaccordingtoeggface.com for recipe ideas for all stages of WLS. I ate lots of home made Soup and chili, whizzed in a nutra bullet to smooth out the chunks, eggs, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt in the puree stage.

Finding out that the COD on my dad's death certificate (at 52 years old) was Super Morbid Obesity and being diagnosed as pre-diabetic myself at 47. Diabetes does not run in my family.

Not sure if I qualify as a "vet" yet, but I'm 11 months out and reached my goal range 7 weeks ago. I can and do eat anything I choose to eat! That said, I'm serious about "protein first", keep a food and exercise journal, exercise 4-5 times per week and wear a fitness watch that helps me monitor my actual burn via it's heart rate monitor during focused exercise and with its pedometer for general activity. It syncs with MFP so I know how many calories I should eat on a given day based on my activity. I make different choices now. Regular bread is replaced by P28 Protein supplement bread, regular Pasta is replaced with a high protein variety. I dump a scoop of chocolate whey in my coffee every morning. I eat carbs, and desert, but take pains to buy them in portioned controlled packaging when shopping and I don't have multiple servings of that stuff. Ever. I work the things I want into my day and manage my intake with good tracking. I find that I'm WAAAAAAYYYY more food focused than I ever was as a fat person, but I get to enjoy quality over quantity now. It's a freedom I've NEVER known before and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

How I coped with stalls 1. Weighed once per week (no more, no less) on the same day at the same time, naked. 2. Maintained an exercise plan 5x per week. Hill intervals on a stationary bike. Exercise increases metabolism among its many benefits. 3. Got at least 75g of Protein per day, every day 4. Ate between 1000-1200 calories per day and tried to vary that intake up and down from day to day, (ruts are bad for me). I did stall, but weighing only once per week kept me from focusing on the scale and kept my focus ON MY BEHAVIOR, where it belongs long term. I think there were only like 2 weeks where I actually lost nothing or gained and one of those was when I gave up the Water pill I'd been taking for BP. I showed at least a fraction of a pound loss the rest of the time.

Never heard of a pre-op ultrasound. They did an EGD on me to have a look around the upper digestive system to search for "surprises". Is the ultrasound is in lieu of an EGD?

You need to check with your medical team. Most of us receive very different professional advice on diet progression. For me, I think I stuck to decaf for the first couple of months since I'd already weaned off caffeine. After that, I opted to allow a single caffeinated drink per day. I had been a "drink coke zero like it's Water girl before" and it took me 6 months to break that addiction. One of the reasons caffeine is bad is that it leeches the Calcium from your system. As we've had major gastric surgery, we have a decreased capacity to absorb minerals to begin with and need to retain all we can.

It depends on your insurance. I gained weight on my "6 month monitored diet" required by insurance, but all they were interested in was the 6 months of documentation that I went, not in my results. If I'd lost weight, I'd have been just under a qualifying BMI for surgery so I was kind of stuck. I was submitted the day of my first consult with the surgeon and started then and there (AFTER insurance submission) applying myself to my new lifestyle. Lost the required 10 pounds prior to surgery, (and then some with time to spare). You'll have to see what your particular requirements are.

I did get a promotion about 4 months in, but it was something I'd been working on pre-op. I've found that with the weight loss comes greater confidence that spills into all areas of my life, work, and social situations. I'm much more inclined to ask for what I want these days, (and get it)!