James Marusek

There are many different types of sweeteners and not all are bad. Those that should be avoided are processed cane sugar, any food ending in -ose (sucrose or table sugar, fructose or honey, dextrose), corn syrup, corn solids, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice. On the other hand natural sugar found in fruit and milk are O.K. as are artificial sweeteners. So even though the ingredients that go into making these smoothies contain natural sugar, they do not contain any type of sugar that needs to be avoided. It took me awhile to understand the difference between the various types of sweeteners, so I can understand the subject is somewhat confusing. You may want to have a discussion with your nutritionist to clarify this subject. Also I would not opt for the smoothies until you reach around 6 months post-op. Another subject that is probably worth discussing is the Protein requirement. The protein supplements are a totally separate element than the meal plan. There is no volume limitation on the protein supplements. Generally speaking you can have as much as you want. For example, you can blend a whole banana into your Protein shake and the banana will not count against your volume limit in your meal plan. It is part of the protein shake. There is no crossover. [My plan recommends protein supplements that provides at least 20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of process sugar per serving.] So during the beginning you will probably rely on something called a protein shake which in my opinion taste terrible. Later, Protein Bars, such as the QuestBar will become an option which comes in handy when you are away from home. The protein requirement is a minimum of 75-90 grams of protein per day. In the beginning, this will generally be obtained from protein supplements because the meal allotment is so small. But as you progress many months after surgery, it will become possible to obtain around 60 grams of protein from the meals alone which means that you can transition off the protein shakes and replace it with berry smoothies.

I am 14 months post-op. I lost 20 pounds pre-op and 85 pounds post-op. I drank Coke all my life. When I went to my bariatric surgery consultation they told me that I had to give up caffeine and carbonated beverages. That translated to no more Cokes. I went cold turkey at that point. Prior, I use to drink about 6 diet cokes a day. I went through withdrawal pains for about a week. I lost 20 pounds solely on giving up cokes. The hardest part of the WLS process is the complexity of the regiment after surgery. But after 7 months I reached my happy state where everything clicked and I have been in a happy state ever since. Prior to surgery, it is very important to get your daily exercise (walking). It will help you recover quickly after the operation. I told everyone about my surgery. The majority of people were either supportive or curious. But I think I am the exception to the rule since many people try to keep the surgery a secret.

Good luck. It won't be long now.

At 3 months after surgery, my nutritionist recommended that I try and swallow the calcium pill. I tried and it worked. That was one of the steps that made the process work easier. I wrote a short article about my experience with Bariatric Surgery. If you care to read it, you can see it at http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Since I live in a cold climate, I vary my liquids. During the cold months, I like to drink hot cocoa. In the morning I drink a couple large cups of Nesquik "No Sugar Added" Cocoa. This also helps me to meet my Protein requirements. During the hot months, I drink Crystal Light (the 5 calories per serving variety). Irrespective of the seasons, I like to drink one large cup of tea each day. I have found that the British teas are quite excellent by Harney and Sons. I order these over the internet. I also allow myself one large cup of decaffeinated coffee each day. I make my own "No Sugar Added" whipped cream and I have this with my coffee.

After surgery your taste buds change. I went out and bought a lot of different types of food for after surgery. Most of it, I never used. After surgery, I lost my appetite. I was not hungry. That is a very strange feeling because hunger use to be always present, always drove me like an obsession. And then it was gone. This does not happen to everyone but it happens to many individuals that undergo bariatric surgery. After surgery, it is a struggle. You struggle with making sure you take the correct Vitamins with the right time spacing between them. After surgery, you can no longer swallow. Large Calcium pills must be crushed to powder to take. I remember the Lovenox injections that I had to give myself each day to prevent blood clots. Then there is the exercise routine. Food was another issue but the quantity allowed at the beginning is so small that it doesn't really matter. You are living off your stored fat, your vitamins and your Protein supplements. I guess if I was going to give a recommendation, I would say try experimenting with Protein shakes (from the approved lists) and try and find one that you can tolerate. Also buy a blender, such as a Ninja for mixing the protein shakes. The entire journey after surgery is one of transition. The volumes of allowed food changes, the types of food changes, the levels of protein supplements change and the types of protein supplements change. So it is best to go with the flow. It was 6 months after surgery before I reached my happy state and I have been there ever since. Taking account of all the hassle after surgery, in my opinion the operation was well worth it.

I have attended about a half a dozen bariatric surgery support group meetings prior to surgery and about a dozen after surgery. When I first started going to these, it threw me for a loop. It was one horror story after another. I was almost at the point of rethinking the operation. But then I realized that those that attended these meeting presented a distorted view of the surgery. Most regulars had problems and some were significant ones. Most individuals who had surgery and didn't experience problems by and large did not attend these meetings. If everything was going well, why go to the meetings! I turned some of this negativity around by adding solutions when I brought up problems and by informing new members that the discussions were somewhat distorted. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

On one visit with the nutritionist, she told me that I was within 5% of bottom. On the next visit after losing another 10%, she told me that I was at bottom and that if I lost any more weight to contact her immediately. So I figured that was it and moved from the weight loss phase to the maintenance phase. In the maintenance phase, I was able to add a few more calories to my diet. I have a weight scale that measures my weight in 0.2 pound increments. For the past 6 months, I have been able to maintain my weight between 160.0 and 162.0 pounds (my bottom). I still have fat on my body. It is primarily below the belt. Which leaves my body somewhat distorted. I just don't worry about it. I had the surgery to drive many of my health problems into remission, not to look wonderful. But on the other side, I am now able to wear great clothes, so I am happy.

A new study reports bariatric surgery benefits for diabetes seem long-lasting. http://acsh.org/2014/06/bariatric-surgery-benefits-diabetes-seem-long-lasting-new-study/

According to the bariatric surgery preparation book. Symptoms of Blood Clots * Approximately 3% of patients undergoing major surgical procedures will experience blood clots. * Symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clot): Dull ache or pain in leg. Tightness or swelling in leg. Pulmonary Embolism * 50% of all patients with a blood clot will develop a pulmonary embolism. * Possible symptoms of pulmonary embolism: Sudden shortness of breath or chest pain with breathing. A pain in the legs after surgery may be something to check into.

What to take with you for surgery? My spouse. My hospital allowed my spouse to remain with me after surgery until my release. That was nice especially during the first night when I was walking the halls with the IV rack in tow. Firm sole shoes. Should have good traction when you are walking the halls. Walking was probably one of the most important thing to do in the hospital. I walked 100 laps during the two days I was in the hospital. I never felt the pain after the anesthesia wore off. I could barely tell when it wore off. I never took any pain medicine after the operation. Never needed it. Recovery was a smooth transition. Many hospitals offer a pull bar that hangs above the bed which allows you to exit the bed easily. Make sure you ask for this if it is optional. Your spirometer. Also if you have a C-PAP or BiPAP machine, you probably need to bring these to the hospital with you.

These are some of the abbreviations used in these forums during the last month: ACL = Anterior cruciate ligament AMRAP = As Many Rounds As Possible (crossfit) bc = because BCBS = Blue Cross/Blue Shield bf = best friend BM = bowel movement BMI = Body Mass Index bp = blood pressure BPD = Borderline Personality Disorder or Biliopancreatic Diversion (Scopinaro procedure) btw = by the way 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 GBS = gastric bypass surgery or Guillain-Barre Syndrome 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 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 Onederland = a magical place or destination for those trying to lose weight. It might correspond to attaining a weight in the hundreds (less than 200 pounds) or by losing a hundred pounds. op = operation OSA = Obstructive sleep Apnea Oz = Australia 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 PVC = Premature ventricular contractions RA = Rheumatoid arthritis RN = registered nurse RNY = Roux-en-Y s/f or sf = sugar free sw = weight at surgery tmi = too much information u = You VSG = Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vit = Vitamin wks = weeks WLS = Weight Loss Surgery WOD = Workout of the Day w/o = without wt = weight YMMV = your mileage may vary : ) or :-) = = smiley face : ( or :-( = = sad face

Sparklingbeauty53 How do you make it a sticky or bookmark?

Lizolvera1 I came across this article and thought it might be relevant, especially the section titled Malabsorptive bariatric surgery. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/2/481.full

I am 1 year post-op and I do go out to eat dinner. I will either eat a smaller portion or if I order a standard (large portion), I get a take home box and bring the leftovers home with me for 2 days of additional meals. Some people feel others will monitor what you are eating and that you are put under a spotlight but that is not the case. When you eat out with others, they will be too busy looking at their food not yours. Eating out is a social experience. When you eat smaller portions, it really gives you more time to be social.

I am 1 year post-op from RNY bariatric surgery. I found that my body tolerates high Protein chili and Soups well. I put several recipes (beef, chicken, sea food) in the article I wrote titled "How I Survived Bariatric Surgery" which is available at http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Lindafromflorida Several months after surgery, I developed a terrible problem with constipation. Nothing worked. I finally stumbled into a simple cure. I eat one or two apples each night before bed and that solved the problem. But I had to eat the skins of the apple also for it to work. This technique has been working for me consistently for 6 months.

In the beginning I had to split or crush my vitamins but at about the 3rd month, I was able to swallow the large (horse pill) calcium pills and everything became much easier after that.

You might visit a specialty drug store that specifically caters to the elderly. Most medium size cities have one. They should have a wide range of items. Perhaps you can find what you are looking for there. Hopefully as you lose weight, this will become a non-issue.

I am a year post-op and have lost a goodly amount of weight. I am about the right size now. Most of the time, I notice people do not recognize me. They stare at me and try and figure out who I am. My wife made the comment one time that I looked so skinny that I reminded her of an (Auschwitz) concentration camp survivor. This was when I went to church and wore a suit. The only suit I had at the time was one of my old suits that was now 10 times too large. But it was all I had. Well that was an excuse to buy a new suit. In general, I am having a blast. I have replaced all my wardrobe over the past 6 months. The new clothes really adds to my appearance.

I would say that my stamina increased after surgery. It's not that I had more energy, its just that I had more stamina to accomplish greater tasks - like shoveling off my 1000 foot driveway from snow without working up a sweat.

I underwent Bariatric Surgery 11 months ago. I lost 20 pounds pre-surgery and 80 pounds post-surgery for a total weight loss of 100 pounds. I wrote a short article (How I Survived Bariatric Surgery) about my experience thus far. The article is at http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf I have also included a before and after picture at http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Operation.jpg

Well that is good to know. I am 65 and I would hate to feel there is some time of age related complication with the surgery.

Hi Liz I will talk to my friend in California and ask him to join this thread. See if he is experiencing the same problems as you. I need to ask one more question. What is your age? My mom is 85 years old and I take her to see her doctors. She never had bariatric surgery. I have come to learn (from her doctor) that the human body undergoes major physiological changes as we age especially around the age of 85. She only takes about half the dose of medicine to treat her diabetes and high blood pressure than she did a few years ago. It also affects weight gain because she is not absorbing nutrition like she did before. So I was wondering if the conditions you have encountered may be related to aging. Maybe the effects of aging is amplified by the surgery. In looking at the following reference: http://consultgerirn.org/topics/age_related_changes/want_to_know_more/ under the heading Age-Associated Changes in the Oropharyngeal and Gastrointestinal Systems there are two effects of aging identified of interest: * Malabsorption of carbohydrates, Vitamins B12 and D, folic acid, Calcium. * Decreased metabolism of drugs. and then under implications: * Risk of chewing impairment, fluid/electrolyte imbalances, poor nutrition. * Gastric changes: altered drug absorption, increased risk of GERD, maldigestion, NSAID-induced ulcers. This might explain some of your symptoms.

Its interesting that you described your operation as a "Y". I had a friend in California who had weight loss surgery 22 years ago in 1992. I talked to him about the surgery and found out that it was substantially different than the Roux-en-Y operation that I underwent. It seemed like they cut away part of his intestines. He described his surgery as a Y-bypass. The operation was fairly successful. He lost a lot of weight and maintained the weight loss for decades. The last time I talked to him, a few months ago, he was worried because he unexpectedly dropped around 30 pounds for no unexplained reason. He was going to make a trip to see his doctor and find out what was going wrong.