Baconville

I am looking forward to hearing what they say about losing a bit more moving forward. You have done an AMAZING job and are a star patient. CELEBRATE! Carol

Way to go Mel! I have some concerns about mine. I see the doc and NUT tomorrow.

ABSOLUTELY!!! Life in a healthy body is wonderful!

It is actually rare to lose a lot in the first few days. They pump you full of fluid and you are very swollen on the inside. It takes time to heal. The weight will come. As for lifting your son, you should probably give it a good two weeks - your almost there, and then I would start slow and only pick him up when you have to. You don't want to hurt yourself and go back to the beginning. Most of the stitching is on the inside, and that is still very fragile. It needs time to heal. Congratulations on your baby boy and your new life!

Hi - I am one year post-op tomorrow. What a difference a year can make! I thought I would respond to some of your worries. They are all very legitimate worries. I am the Queen of worrying, so I had an even longer list one year ago today! 1. Hair loss. This happened. I thought I was going to get away without it happening, but between 4-5 months it began. I lost a lot of hair. It is now growing back. 2. Blood thinners. Didn't need them or clinic didn't prescribe them. But I do have MS and have had to give myself injections over the years for that. It really is amazing how fast you get the hang of it. 3. Gas. They do pump you full of gas. The best way to get rid of it is to walk as much as possible as soon as possible. Walking will help with every part of your recovery. I was up the evening following my surgery and walked every few hours all night (they are coming in and waking you up anyway!), 4. Catheter. I had a catheter. It was inserted after they put me out and it was removed before I regained consciousness. No memory of that at all. No infection. 5. Complications. I had NONE! I worried I would have them all, but I sailed right through. I could have gone back to work after a week off I felt so good - I work in an office. I am 49 years old, so I am not a kid saying this either. Being active makes all the difference. 6. Family / Friends / Coworkers. My family have all been terrific - I could not have done this without them. Friends and coworkers, some have been great, others not so much. I have taken a lot of support right here. It is one of the things I love so much about this site. 7. Dehydration. For the first week you full time job is to drink. It is very possible to get it all in and be fine. Just think of it as the number one thing you have to do in those first days. 8. Stomach. This one I can't speak to. I have not had any problems now or in the past. But this surgery has been around for decades. I am sure they know how to scope and look for problems post RNY. It is one of the advantages I think of having this surgery over some of the other choices. 9. Dumping. This has never happened to me. I have been very careful to follow my clinic's plan and have not had any dumping symptoms at all. As time has passed I have tried sweets, even a few M & M candies or a bit or cake or pie. For many people, as long as you follow the rules, it doesn't happen. 10. Lose skin. I wish I had a more positive response to this one, but this is a big problem for me. I have lost 198 pounds in the last year. I was 331 when I began this journey and am now 133. My arms are the worst. I had HUGE arms. I also have lose skin on my legs and stomach. I was never big breasted, but now am probably an A-B cup. I work out every day. I don't think there is much you can do about this one. They say age and genetics and how much you lose will tell the tale. I wish there was a magic answer for this one. Best of luck to you! Even with the down stuff, I wouldn't go back to where I was a year ago for all the money in the world. I love my new healthy life! Carol

I took two weeks off and planned half days for my first week back. I could have easily gone back after one week. I had no complications and a very easy recovery. I am an administrative assistant to the Curriculum Director in a public school district. The position is quite sedentary. I had my surgery laproscopicly. If you have an open procedure, you will definitely need more time to recover.

Thank you for sharing. That is good information to have!

Hi Maggie, I am very sorry my post upset you. My intention was to motivate and inspire you, I obviously did neither. I will be 50 years old on my next birthday, and have dealt with weight issues my entre life. I am excited about my journey because it has been so successful and because nothing has ever really worked for me in the past - not for long anyway. For the first time in my life I feel like this will work for life. And I still think that it could work for you. That said, I have never met anybody that even when really, honestly, sticking to a very restrictive diet and getting regular exercise did not lose at least some weight. I do know that type 2 diabetes and thyroid issues can play a very big role in preventing weight loss. I have never had to battle either, and it sounds like you are dealing with thyroid issues. I sincerely hope that you find your answer with your medical team. If you are at a good clinic, they should have seen other patients like you and will be able to help. They are truly your experts, trust them. I do know what it feels like to feel despair that your weight is just too out of control and that nothing you do is going to work. I have felt exactly that way. I am flying high because tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my surgery and I have lost 198 pounds. My goal was 200, but the last two pounds just won't come. I have gone from a size 28 to a size 6. I never imagined that I would EVER wear a size 6! I hope someday you will be writing a similar post. I wish only the best for you... Carol

Exercise alone won't do it. It is a combination of diet and exercise. Your pouch will help you control what you can and can't eat. FOLLOW YOUR CLINICS PLAN EXACTLY! The exercise will impact how much you lose. You will hit points where the scale stops moving, that is when you need to up the exercise to get it moving again. Statistically, only about 2% of patients that undergo RNY lose no weight. Studies have found that these are the patients that fail to follow their clinics recommendations. It is why most clinics and insurance companies require so much of us prior to surgery. If we are compliant prior to surgery, we are much more likely to be compliant after as well. The more compliant you are, the better it will work for you. You need to make this the center of your life for now. Read everything you can, learn as much as you can. Don't try to outsmart the experts. This will work for you! The only patients that it does not work for are those that choose to make it not work. I want to reiterate that surgery is NOT magic. It gives you a very powerful tool that can help you live the rest of your life at a healthy weight, if YOU choose to do the work. Carol

I have been overweight since I was six months old! My Mother, who is thin, took me to the hospital in 2nd Grade to find out why her daughter was fat. They put me on a very restrictive diet, but didn't give her ideas about exercise, which I really needed. By 4th Grade I was joining Weight Watchers for the first time. In middle school I discovered that I enjoyed swimming, joined a swim team and slimmed down. It was short lived, though and the weight came back plus more. More Weight Watchers in High School, never really worked for me, but my weight yo-yo'd though high school and college. After college came The Weight Loss Clinic, where I lost 90 pounds in 7 months. I kept 70 pounds off for six years. Then I got married, had a baby, and just got heavier and heavier. There were brought with Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and NutiSystem. I would lose some, and gain more back. A few years ago, I joined the YMCA, thinking I would get back to regular exercise and that would help get me going. Well, my weight had gotten so bad that I was not able to exercise. Big Shock!! I had horrible knee and back pain. I give you this background because I was determined that THIS would work. From the moment I decided to explore having surgery I went at it with the attitude that I can NOT let this fail. I did everything I could pre-surgery to make my recovery as easy as possible. I stopped caffeine, added Protein shake s to my diet, joined MyFitnessPal.com, bought a scale and began using it. And I began to exercise, as much as I could at over 330 pounds. Wednesday I will Celebrate my first Surgerversary. I have lost 198 pounds and feel terrific. My entire life has changed. I wake up every morning without pain! I also live with the fear that tomorrow morning I will wake up and I will be back at 330. It keeps me motivated to stick with the program and live this healthy life I have been given a second chance at. The weight won't just come off. It takes determination and dedication on your part to make it work. But the tool you get really does work. Do the work! Life is so much better on the other side! Carol

Enjoyed Protein Pancakes for lunch today! Thank you for the tip, I think the will become a regular meal. The entire family enjoyed them!

I am one year post surgery on Wednesday. Head hunger does not get easier with time. Food is everywhere! Almost every social situation involves food. Learning to manage it now will help you so much as time goes on. You don't need to be perfect, you just need to make progress. Keep at it! Your health is worth it!!

I am glad you found it helpful! My protein shake I always enter for breakfast, but I actually drink half first thing in the morning and the second half in around 8:00 in the evening. If you ever have questions, I am happy to help. Just ask. Good luck!

You are absolutely correct. My clinic encourages keeping one shake a day for life. They caution against nuts because they are high in fat and calories. So many different plans!

Thanks for the tip. I am going to try them this weekend!

Post you request under Basics for Gastic Bypass. You will get many more responses. The site used to be just pre and post surgery support. Many more folks are still active there and many of us use MFP. Carol

Just sent you an invite. If it doesn't work, I am baconville@q.com Carol

Hi Wayne, I thought I would add in what I have learned in this journey, although you have already received some pretty good advice. Every clinic is different on recommendations at the beginning, but most that I have seen really do focus on getting Water and Protein in for at least the first three months. Calories, fat, sodium, carbs, really don't mean much, because we simply are not eating much of them. Most WLS a patients will not really begin to feel hunger until sometime around eight months post surgery. The nerves that send the message to the brain normally are fully healed about that time and begin working again. This is an average, some feel actual physical hunger sooner, some later. This is why they do not recommend that you wait to feel hungry to eat. You want to keep your blood sugars steady, and the best way to do that is to eat at regular times throughout the day. Because the volume of food that we can ingest is so small, the real only good way to reach protein goals is to have the shakes, although my clinic was fine with one Premier Protein shake a day - they have 30 grams of protein. I use MFP to track everything I eat - still. In the beginning my calories were around 300 per day, with exercise I was normally in the negative at the end of the day. Even a year out, I still have days that my calories intake minus exercise puts me in the negative. I am very healthy and feel great, so this is not a bad thing! Your clinic staff really are your best experts. Some of the advice goes against what we have been taught about eating for weight loss over the years, but it really does work in a WLS patient. I have followed the plan as closely as possible and my success has been beyond anything that I ever imagined. Feel free to ask questions! That is how we learn! I am willing to help in any way that I can. Carol

They had booked me with a NUT I don't like but I rescheduled to the one I like in my office. I actually can't wait for the appointment next week. Except for these recurring gout attacks I am in fantastic health. I'm excited too. I skipped the 9 month apt so they haven't seen me in six months, and I am anticipating a really good appointment!

I am at 132 - 133 depending on the day. Not stressing about it either. I am very proud after all I have accomplished! Still, that I could lose 198 pounds and not be able to lose two is frustrating. I meet with my team on Thursday, and am also anxious for their input. We will have to compare notes about suggestions. I was disappointed to learn that the NUT that I had been working with had left the clinic, so I will be seeing someone new. I am not terribly confident that this new NUT will have much experience with WLS nutrition. We will see....

I just took a look back to the beginning of June and mine are kind of all over the place. A high of 40 grams and a low of 8 grams. Most days I was between 15 - 25 grams. This is not something I have paid a lot of attention to. Scale is still being stubborn, but I am hitting it hard this week still hopeful that I can lose 3 pounds by the end of next week. How are you doing? Carol

It is important to go slow. No more than one or two new foods a day for the first couple weeks. If you do have a reaction you want to be able to know exactly what caused it. If you do react, know that later that same food might be just fine. Your new pouch is going to be most sensitive while it is healing.

I am in St Paul MN and the support groups that I attend have been great. My clinic sponsors two, one for those pre surgery to four months post surgery, and one for those beyond 4 months post surgery. Those of us that are further out are encouraged to keep going to the pre op meetings, to support those starting the process. My clinic's studies have found that those that continue to attend have better results long term. I don't always make every meeting but I really make an effort to get there at least once a month. I think it is very important to keep me motivated.

I ate pureed tuna or canned chicken mixed with a bit of light Miracle Whip, scrambled eggs, Greek Yogurt. I also had thin mashed potatoes and some cream soups. This phase goes quickly, and you really are not eating much at all. Don't get too much. Carol

What are "protein pancakes"?