James Marusek

The Protein requirement is the sum of the protein you get from meals combined with the protein from supplements. As my meal volume increased, I was able to derive more protein from my meals and as a result reduce my protein supplements (Protein shakes, protein bars). The supplements have calories. In my case dropping some of my supplements (while still meeting the protein requirements) meant less calories and the weight loss picked up again.

It sounds a little on the light side. During the first couple weeks your body is healing and you are losing the Water weight that you gained from the surgery and hospital stay. The amount of weight loss is also a function of how much weight you need to lose. Double check to insure you are following all the requirements of the program. Sometimes medicines can interfere with weight loss.

Around 15 years ago long before surgery my hair started to turn white and fall out because of age. At the time I began taking a supplement called Juvenon (available over the internet). It was to try and restore my mitochondria in my cells. I had asthma and the supplement increased my lung function substantially (around 200 in my peak flow meter). One of the side effects of this supplement is that my hair stopped falling out and stopped turning white. I had RNY surgery 29 months ago. I began using the supplement as soon as my surgeon allowed. I never noticed any hairless from the surgery. So if a lack of Protein isn't the problem, you might give this a try.

One of the requirements for surgery is to give up caffeine and carbonated beverages. So you might begin that ahead of time. I had a 6 Coke a day habit and I went cold turkey. I suffered a week of withdrawal (severe headaches). So you might get the withdrawal out of the way so it doesn't compound the effects of the surgery. Also try and get 30 minutes of walking in every day. It will go a long way on the recovery process.

Are you getting the required daily protein?

I had RNY surgery 29 months ago. Severe acid reflux or GERD is incompatible with the sleeve. RNY is definitely the better choice here. I had several episodes of severe acid reflux before surgery and none since. I had a number of medical conditions prior to surgery and the main reason why I did the surgery was to get those under control. Within days after surgery, my diabetes, high blood pressure, GERD, sleep apnea, frequent urination problems went into remission and stayed there. I was off my meds. One of the reasons why I liked RNY was that it caused you to lose weight the quickest and produced the deepest weight loss and most importantly had the least amount of revisions. If I went under the knife once, I sure did not want to do it again, and again. RNY surgery is not like dieting. I tried dieting a couple times and it was a complete failure. After surgery I completely lost my hunger. It wasn't difficult to lose weight when hunger was not constantly gnawing at my bones.

Go to the drug store and buy a pill crusher and a pill splitter. You inability to swallow should only last a couple months after surgery and then you should be back to normal.

Your doing good!

These are some of the abbreviations used in this site: Abbreviations ACL = Anterior cruciate ligament AMRAP = As Many Rounds As Possible (crossfit) BB = belly button bc = because BCBS = Blue Cross/Blue Shield BED = Binge Eating Disorder bf = best friend BM = bowel movement BMI = Body Mass Index bp = blood pressure BPD = Borderline Personality Disorder or Biliopancreatic Diversion (Scopinaro procedure) bs = blood sugar btw = by the way CBT = cognitive-behavioral therapy CC = common channel c diff = clostridium difficile cos or cuz = because CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure CRNP = certified registered nurse practitioners cw = current weight CXR = Chest X-Ray Dr. = doctor DS = Dumping Syndrome or Duodenal Switch EGD = Esophagogastroduodenoscopy EKG = Electrocardiography ff = fat free GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disease GI = gastrointestinal GNC = General Nutrition Corporation store GP = general practitioner or family doctor HBP = high blood pressure hr = heart rate hw = highest weight ICU = Intensive Care Unit Idk = I don’t know IMHO = in my humble (honest) opinion IMO = in my opinion IUI = Intrauterine insemination LAP Band = Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band lol = laughing out loud LSG = Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy med = medicine msg = message NASH = Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis nf = non fat NG = Nasogastric NP = nurse practitioner NSAIDS = Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSV = non-scale victory (“scale” means “weight scale”) NUT = nutritionist OA = Overeaters Anonymous Onederland = a magical place or destination for those trying to lose weight. It might correspond to attaining a weight in the hundreds or losing a hundred pounds. op = operation OSA = Obstructive sleep Apnea Oz = Australia PB = Productive Burps PCOS = Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCP = Primary Care Physician PM = private message (email) PMS = premenstrual syndrome postop or post–op = post-operation or post-surgery PPI = Proton Pump Inhibitors ppl = people preop or pre-op = pre-operation or pre-surgery PTSD = Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PVC = Premature ventricular contractions RA = Rheumatoid arthritis RTD = ready to drink RN = registered nurse RNY = Roux-en-Y s/f or sf = sugar free smh = shaking my head, scratching my head SOB = shortness of breath sw = weight at surgery tmi = too much information TPN = total parenteral nutrition TT = tummy tuck u = You UGI = Upper Gastrointestinal VSG = Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vit = Vitamin wks = weeks WLS = Weight Loss Surgery WOD = Workout of the Day w/o = without wt = weight : ) or :-) = ☺ = smiley face : ( or :-( = ☹ = sad face

A recent study appears to show that "sleep-disordered breathing" accelerates the onset of "mild cognitive impairment" by at least 11 years. http://acsh.org/2015/04/study-shows-that-snorers-vulnerable-to-earlier-cognitive-decline-why/ Before Bariatric surgery, my wife said I snored so much that it would keep her awake all night long. This condition went on for years. But within a few weeks after my RNY the snoring stopped. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and find my wife standing over me. I was sleeping so quietly that she was trying to figure out if I was still alive. It is good to know that the loss of this condition (snoring) has a ripple effect to minimize the threat of Alzheimer's disease.

Long before surgery, I began to bruise easily. In my case I was taking an aspirin a day. I reduced my dosage down from 325 mg down to 81 mg and the bruising went away. Some over the counter pain medicines such as Excedrin contain large amounts of aspirin. Aspirin is a blood thinner. My mom was taking 4 to 6 Excedrin a day for pain relief. She did this for several years. Eventually she saw blood in her stool. She had to have blood transfusions. Once I got her off the Excedrin she recovered.

Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. Life might seem a little discouraging to you but look at the positives. In my case, because of the surgery, almost all my medical conditions went into remission and stayed there. Also my stamina (ability to perform manual labor) improved dramatically. Last year I moved by hand 100,000 pounds of gravel and 50,000 pounds of concrete landscaping blocks. I am 66 years old. Also I was able to go to normal department stores and buy clothes. I went from a size 3X in shirts down to a size Small and from a size 46 in pants down to a size 32. WLS may not fix all the problems in your life but it helps. It sounds like you need to get out of the rut, exit out of your safe box and do something really exciting.

Perhaps due to 2 reasons. 1. You are from England and are asking questions that are somewhat specific for weight loss surgery in England. Although some of the members on this site are from around the world. Most are from the U.S. 2. When you send out a question, you blast it with 3 or 4 threads almost at the same time. It is better to send one and only one thread on a subject, not bombard the site.

It sounds like you are getting enough exercise. In my case I made one change prior to surgery that caused me to lose some weight. I knew that after surgery I had to give up carbonated beverages and caffeine. I had a 6 diet coke habit so I decided to go cold turkey. It was hard because after 50 years of drinking cokes I was addicted. I suffered severe headaches for a week by withdrawal syndrome from the lack of caffeine. But because of that one change I lost 20 pounds. I suspect that it has to do with the carbonation. I feel that the microscopic bubbles exploding in my stomach expanded my stomach microscopically which enlarged my stomach over time and caused me to gain weight. Stop the bubbles and some weight is shed. Now that I am 29 months post-op from RNY surgery, I might offer a couple other suggestions. When you eat, concentrate on eating Protein foods. Go easy on the carbs and almost complete restrict yourself from processed sugars. Use only artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda, and sugar alcohols), non-nutritive natural sweeteners (such as Stevia) and the sugars found in fruits and milk. To curb your hunger use fats.

I basically told everyone even strangers on the street. Most people were either supportive or curious. I think the reason why some people are so guarded about discussing this is from their past experiences with dieting which normally ended badly. Perhaps the reason why I was so open was because I wasn't much into the dieting thing prior to surgery.

For me it took about a year from the time that I started the process and I had the surgery. But I am in the States. Medical insurance was a big thing. They required that I undergo a 6 month medically monitored weight loss and exercise program in order to qualify. So the steps that I went through: Initial Consultation Psychiatric Evaluation 6 Month Medically Monitored Weight Loss Program Began diet and exercise program Attended Bariatric Surgery Support Group Meetings Finally approved by my insurance Half day of extensive pre-op testing Half day of bariatric program classes Second round of pre-op tests (These tests are done by specialist in the field when they uncover medical conditions that could impact surgery.) Had RNY gastric bypass surgery

I found the whole experience exhilarating. I couldn't buy clothes in a normal department store before surgery because I was too large. After I dropped the weight and went into the maintenance phase, I completely replaced my wardrobe. I am a good bargain shopper. Generally I can find good brands on sale for 70-80 percent off at the end of the season. Generally I shop at Macy's because that is where I find the best bargains. But it is all a matter of preferences in clothing styles and shopping outlets. Go out and have some fun.

I found that my nutritionist was very helpful. But you had to ask the right questions.

The weight loss will vary by individual and the type of surgery. Generally an individual will gain a few pounds in the hospital because they pump your body with fluids. So you first have to lose that weight. Also in the beginning your body is in heal mode. I had a RNY. Once I started to lose weight, it came off quickly. Sometimes at a rate of 2 pounds per day.

If you have gastric bypass surgery, there is a good chance that your taste buds will change after surgery and what might taste good now will not after surgery. So just a word of warning. Be prepared to experiment to find a Protein shake that agrees with you. There are many types available. I used Muscle Milk Light (vanilla creme) powder. I blended it using a Ninja blender with a single serve cup with Water and a half a banana. I found that trying to mix protein powders by hand would not provide the proper consistency. I had a RNY and Protein Bars were off limits for several months.

How did your visit go?

If a couple weeks goes by then probably a good idea to give a call. But I would start with my doctor's office first.

Generally I weigh myself each morning. I normally have a BM before I weigh myself. If I weigh myself before I have a BM, I weigh about a pound more than after a BM. During the day my weight can fluctuate around 2 pounds throughout the day.

The skin on my face developed very fine wrinkles. My wife suggested that I use BioOil which is available at CVS and other drug stores. I followed her advice and applied it once each morning and that fixed the problem.

Your taste buds may change after surgery, so be prepared to experiment some more after the operation. I used Muscle Milk Light (vanilla creme) powder and it was lactose free.