healthyme1963

Michelle and Nancy ~ Congrats on your decision to take control of your health and good luck to you on your surgery. I am almost 6 weeks post-op and am doing pretty well. I just want to echo everything Chelly recommended regarding getting your Protein and Water in every day. I still struggle with the water on a daily basis because I still have slight pain in my pouch when I swallow water (or any liquid over room temp, but especially water). It gets a little better every day, though, as it continues to heal. Just follow your doctor's plan and you will have success. You may find that your tastes change somewhat after surgery. You may not like some of the foods you used to like, or be able to tolerate them; and, you may suddenly find you like foods that you never really cared for before. You will probably be somewhat bloated and have some gas pain right after surgery. Walking definitely helps. Walk as much as you can tolerate those first days after surgery to help alleviate some of the gas pain. You'll be pumped full of fluids during your hospital stay, so don't expect to lose much weight in the first week or so, until the fluids have had a chance to be flushed out of your body. Again, good luck to you both. I wish you health, happiness and great success!

Way to go! Congrats!

I'm five weeks post-op and have issues with my hands being cold a lot. I've always been on the warm side, but lately I have been feeling a bit colder than usual. I find that the more I move about and get the blood pumping, the warmer I stay. I've had several people who have gone through the surgery tell me that feeling cold is very common.

I've also noticed that a few smells can make me a bit queasy. I'm only five weeks post-op so am hoping this goes away soon. Certain foods (mainly Protein drinks) tend to make me more queasy than smells do, though. Good luck; I hope this symptom goes away soon.

Everything you're feeling is perfectly normal, so don't sweat it. You made the decision to take control of your health and this first step is a doozy, but you'll do great! I'm only five weeks post-surgery and still have some fears regarding success and being healthy. I don't think it would be normal if we didn't have 'cold feet' and fears. Ultimately, you just have to remind yourself why you are doing this and follow your doctor's plan. The rest will fall into place if you do that. Good luck to you on this journey!

I know it's easy to say 'don't stress over it', but seriously - don't. I'm only losing about a half pound a day on average, but I'm also losing inches, which makes me very happy. There are days when the scale doesn't move for a couple of days, but I'm not worried about it. Your body is still healing and adjusting to this new lifestyle, so some weeks your weight loss will be slower than others. Don't focus on the weight loss, but on following your doctor's plan and getting enough Water & Protein. You are going to do great!

I wish you the best of luck! You have made the decision to take control of your health and I know you'll have fantastic results!

I have to agree with everyone, Phil. MFP is a wonderful tool and really helps keep you on track. I agree, also, that it would be a good idea to do your own meal prep. This way, you know exactly what is going into your meals. Yes, it's a pain to measure everything out, but soon enough you'll be able to eyeball most things. Good luck to you!

I had my surgery on March 18th and my problem was just the opposite. I was only losing about 2.5 lbs a week until about a week ago. Now, it's coming off at a better pace. I've read a lot of posts from others and it seems that everyone hits a stall at different stages. Don't get discouraged; from what I've learned this is normal. I guess we can expect to stall every couple of months or so. Hang in there; 22 pounds in 5 weeks is still impressive!

I'm kind of different in that respect. I prefer to be alone when I'm hospitalized. I really don't want anyone around. My husband was there during the surgery and for a couple of hours afterward, but then I cut him loose. He came by for a couple of hours the second day, but again, I sent him packing. He picked me up on day three to take me home. He wasn't thrilled that I didn't want him there, but he understood. I told everyone else (family and friends that knew I was having surgery) to stay away. I had very little pain, so was able to get in and out of bed by myself to do my walking while I was hospitalized. The staff at the hospital was amazing, though, so that definitely made a difference.

Definitely increase your Water intake and maybe add more cardio to your exercise plan. Get your heart rate up. And, like James said, don't cut out sodium completely. Your body does need a certain amount of it. I also use myfitnesspal to track my food and exercise. It's a great tool, as long as you are completely honest with your entries, and maybe it will help you see what you might need to change in your diet. Good luck! You can do this!

Good luck, eschy! You'll do great! You made the decision to take control of your health and now your journey begins. Soon, the pain will be a distant memory and you'll see the great results of your hard work.

Don't get discouraged. You are probably still retaining a lot of the IV fluids you were given in the hospital. Like Baconville said, it takes about a week to get rid of that. Give it another week and you'll start seeing more rapid results. It took over a week before the swelling and bloating went down for me. Then, the weight just started falling off. If you like cottage cheese, tuna and assorted fish, those are good high-Protein soft foods. Also, you could incorporate soft-cooked veggies (try to stay away from the 'gassy' ones). Always try to get your protein and Water in every day and walk as much as you can.

Hello ~ I am 4 weeks post-op and opted for the bypass. I too struggled with that decision and it took me weeks of research and discussion with my doctor before I decided on the bypass. I wasn't thrilled about resection, but on the other hand, the bypass does have good long term results. I wasn't too worried about malabsorption; I take a full regimen of Vitamins and supplements everyday and make sure I get my Protein in. My energy levels have been fine and I'm feeling pretty darn good. Good luck with your decision and your surgery. I'm sure whatever you decide will be the right decision for you.

It's perfectly okay to be nervous. You are about to undergo major surgery. Just keep in mind that it will all be worth it, when you are healthy and active. Pretty soon, it will be your little boys trying to keep up with you instead of the other way around!

Thanks for the terrific article! I read every word and printed a copy for future reference. I am 4 weeks post-op and will definitely put into practice some of your tips. You answered a lot of my questions and addressed a lot of my concerns in the article. Again, thank you!

Congrats! That is awesome! I'm looking forward to the day I get my 'onderland' ticket punched!

Hi NMFS ~ I am 4 weeks post-op and in the same boat. I used to drink a ton of Water every day. I've been struggling with water consumption because any liquid over room temp causes pain in my pouch. It's getting better each day, but still happens to a mild degree. I have started sipping more decaf hot tea and decaf coffee to get my liquids in. Plus, if you are drinking Protein drinks, sipping broth or liquid Soups, those all count toward your liquid intake. Good luck; I know it can be a struggle.

Congrats on your progress! Sounds like you are setting yourself up for great success!

That is awesome! Way to go!

Hello! I just had my GP surgery 16 days ago. It was quite the journey getting to that point. I'm very fortunate because I have a wonderful support system (husband, kids, a couple of friends I chose to tell) and a fantastic medical team. Finding this site has been extremely helpful. This community is very supportive of each other and you can find all sorts of information. Good luck with your surgeries, ladies!

Hi! My name is Lori and I just had my surgery two weeks ago. I live in Albany and work in Salem. I was a pretty healthy (but slightly overweight) person until an injury sidelined me a couple of years ago. I started gaining weight at an alarming rate because I could no longer be as active as I used to be. I had surgery for this injury almost two years ago and am just now starting to feel like the area is healing. I decided on weight loss surgery because I couldn't stand the thought of continuing to get bigger and more unhealthy. I am now off of the blood pressure meds and starting to feel healthy again. I can get back in the Water now, so I'm headed back to water exercise class tonight. I'm really looking forward to that. I'm also looking forward to dusting off my golf clubs and hitting the links, as well as hiking. I've missed a lot in the last couple of years and can't wait to be a healthy, active person again!

Thanks for all the good suggestions, everyone. I, too, travel a bit and those are all really good suggestions. I also plan to take along several of my Protein drinks and my own non-perishable Snacks when I travel.

I'm also two weeks out and went back to work yesterday. I've done pretty well except that I still get pain in my pouch when I drink anything above room temperature (even room temp Water makes it hurt). My doc said that it would start to go away soon, and I sure hope it does, because it's slowing down my liquid intake. I'm not getting quite enough liquid most days. I'm excited, though, that I can get back to my water aerobics class tonight! Looking forward to it. Good luck, everyone, with this incredible journey!

Two weeks out today and going back to work. The last two weeks have been a roller coaster ride, that's for sure. I got to start my 'very soft' diet yesterday and was excited about that. A month of being on a strictly liquid diet was plenty long enough. I'm still having a bit of cramping after swallowing cool or cold liquids, but everything else has been going well. No pain and my energy levels have been pretty good. I'm down six pounds since surgery two weeks ago, so I'm pretty happy about that. I wish all the best to the rest of the March peeps and to everyone else who is about to start this incredible journey!