ready2B

I had the same issue after my gall bladder surgery 7 years ago. I found a pill form of cholestyramine called Welchol and was able to convince my doctor to let me try that instead of the powder. It has worked well all this time and also made my cholesterol amazing. (It's a cholesterol medication.) Before my bypass, I asked my surgeon if it surgery would effect this either negatively or positively. He said probably neither. He also said only about 3% of people get bile salt diarrhea after gall bladder surgery. Anyway, mine has actually been better. I only take 1/2 a pill now and only once every couple of weeks instead of a whole one every day.

I love your plans to be a better role model for your kids! I really regret that I wasn't with mine when they were growing up - we ate a lot of fast food back then and when we would go to regular restaurants, we'd order loads of fattening foods. I wish I had that part to "do over" with them! But I am a little baffled by your plan to take your own healthy meals with you when you take your kids out to eat. Why not choose somewhere you can go where you all can eat something healthy? Because really, if it isn't healthy for you to eat anything at that restaurant, then it isn't healthy for your kids either. This would be a perfect time to teach them about good nutrition, portion control, making healthier choices while eating out, etc. Just a thought. I wish I had known what I know now when there was still an opportunity for me to shape my kids' habits!

I love what @@SuzeMuze has said here! So much truth. But I will add a little something I realized: I suspect that when we compare ourselves to others, we pick and choose whom we compare ourselves to. And guess who we choose - those who are more successful than we are and so we feel like we have failed in comparison. Do we notice how many posts there are daily from people discouraged with slow losses and compare ourselves with them and think "Wow, I lost a little more than they did, so I should feel great about myself! I am doing well"? No - we seem to only take note of the ones who lost a lot more and think "Oh, wow, I should have lost that much too. I am such a failure at this and something must be really, really wrong with me!". I suspect if there was one big poll that accumulated all the weekly losses from each person here and somehow adjusted it by how many weeks out they were, how much they had to lose, how much they exercised, as well as other factors such as age, sex, etc and plotted that all on a bell curve - the majority of us would fall smack dab there in the middle somewhere! There will be a small handful who lose far faster than the rest and a handful who lose far slower - but for the most part, I am willing to bet that the vast majority of us are well within that NORMAL range. (BTW - @@Annek2014 - I checked my weight chart and I had lost 15 lbs after 3 weeks. My weight the day of surgery was 280 - so if you must compare, you are doing awesome!)

I could have written your post, @Lauriep. I lost a pound or two a day for the first couple of weeks then hit week 3 and things came to a screeching halt. Until just a couple of days ago, I had only lost 5 lbs in this whole past month. But then, suddenly I have dropped another 4 lbs in the past couple of days. I hope this is a good sign and will continue. @@Rogofulm - you make some good points. While I wasn't losing, I had started eating a few more carbs here and there. Nothing excessive, but I'd have 4 crackers when my plan said no more than 2 a day. Or an extra couple of bites of rice or potatoes more than was recommended - that sort of thing. I didn't really think it would matter much, but it did add extra calories as well probably affecting ketosis. I cut those things back again and still no change for a week, then suddenly the drop. So, I do think that made a difference.

I don't know what restrictions you might have, if any, but here's what I eat usually to get in all of my Protein. Breakfast is usually a Protein Bar that is 20 gms of protein. lunch might be 1 oz beef Jerky (11 gms) & 1/4 cup of soy nuts (11 gms). dinner is usually some kind of lean meat - 12-15 gms and a couple of bites of a vegetable. Then for a snack, I might eat a 2 low fat cheese sticks for another 10 gms and that adds up to 60-70 gms of protein without getting overly full or having to choke down a protein shake. Of course, I eat other things too some days but this is a typical day for me. I've become extremely picky at the store and just don't even buy things that aren't super packed with protein.

Women's sizes are so crazy inconsistent anyway that it just makes it even harder to ever know what size to get! On top of that, I find each time I lose weight that I carry it differently than when I was that same weight before and so I can't wear the same clothes. It really is nuts. I agree - go to Goodwill or somewhere like that, try things on and buy just a few things that you won't mind donating back in a few weeks when you are down another size or so.

I think this is pretty common though I don't know why. I am 2 months out and I can't drink plain Water at all or it feels like I've swallowed a rock. I do okay with Crystal Light (most of the time) but herbal tea has become my new best friend. Camomile & peppermint are really soothing to my tummy and I think the warmth helps as well.

My surgeon did my surgery with the Davinci robot. It isn't what you think - they don't turn a robot loose to operate on you - the surgeon still guides it by hand every step of the way, but he explained that it enables him to do more intricate things like actually doing tiny stitches internally instead of just staples.

I put all my vitamins for the week in daily containers and set them on my desk so they are right in front of my face all day and now I don't ever forget them. I love the Blender Bottle GoStaks because they are big enough to hold all the Calcium chews and other big things. Doesn't really matter what you use though - just find a place to set them out where you can't miss them!

I think it really depends on your doctor. Mine doesn't believe in "you can never eat XYZ again" but rather all things in moderation and if we can tolerate it, as long as we get in our Protein and liquids and don't go hog wild on things that are not healthy.

I am 2 months out and I do get hungry and my tummy growls at times and I can feel that gnawing empty feeling you get when you are truly hungry. It's weird, I didn't think that would be the case, but I guess we all are different. But - that said, I don't have as much "head hunger" as I did before and I do get full a LOT faster, so it is much easier to eat far less.

Wow - so many people here with the same story I have!! I had my surgery Nov 10th, 2014. Lost almost a pound a day for the first few weeks then almost completely stopped losing since! I've only lost 5 freakin' pounds in the past month - and for only my second month after RNY, that seems really pitiful. It's very hard not to be very discouraged and feel like my surgery didn't "work" at this point. I've tried adjusting my calorie intake up and down - and neither is moving that darn scale. I don't really know what I can possibly do different, so I will keep doing the same thing and expect some results soon. (Isn't that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? )

Mine was also just liquids the day before surgery. So glad it wasn't 2 weeks!!

Thanks for your responses. I also think that one week of no loss doesn't mean a stall. There's too many factors that could account for a couple of pounds in either direction over that short of a time. For example, if I am just constipated, that can easily make 2-3 lbs difference! My nutritionist said that at this point (8 weeks post op) it is realistic to expect 2-5 lbs of weight loss a week. However, I've only lost 5 lbs this past month! Very frustrating to be losing so slow, but I am still losing SOMETHING every few days or so (sometimes only a half a pound) so that probably isn't a stall even though it is definitely maddening!

Just curious - how do you personally define a stall? A few days with the scale not moving? More than a week? Two weeks? A month? A loss of less than a pound a week? I have a feeling people define it differently and I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Hi - I am in the same boat! I had my surgery on Nov 10th and have only lost 26 lbs since surgery (21 in the few months before). So, yes, it is frustrating, especially when we see others dropping weight much faster. But, everyone is different and we are still losing even though it is slowly. In a year or two, it won't make any difference how fast we lost the weight, just that we DID! I get in my 60 gms of Protein a day and my liquids, but I am concerned that maybe I am getting more calories than I should. Someone asked recently on the support board for my particular clinic how many calories we should be getting (because they tell us not to worry about that - just focus on Proteins & liquids) - and the answers varied considerably from 600/day to 1400/day! I've been getting around 1000/day lately and I think maybe it is too much. I eat my three meals a day plus a couple of snack. The Snacks might be what is slowing down my weight loss. Or if I eat something for each meal that might only be 10 gms of protein rather than 20 - then that means I might eat twice as many calories over the course of the day than if I had something higher in protein at meals. So - I do think the overall calories play a part too - whether it is too much or too little. Do you use anything like MyFitnessPal to track what you eat? Do you measure your portions? Maybe doing that for a week or two might give you some insights as to what might be the issue. You can also show it to your nutritionist for her feedback.

One of my favorite new Snacks is edamame! Very high in Protein and it isn't meat, dairy or something sweet like a Protein Bar. Once I was cleared to eat regular foods, I also make them roasted with different seasonings. A wonderful nutty crunchy snack!

I watched a video of a laparoscopic gastric bypass too and you are right, not for the faint of heart! Fortunately, I didn't watch it until after my surgery! My lowest incision is also right above the belly button so no need to tape anything up. I was completely out of it before they did anything to me in the OR, so I wasn't aware of any lifting of my gown, draping or anything that would have embarrassed me.

@@Tootles1975 - I had a bypass too and expected to feel a lot fuller than I do sometimes. However, some meals, I can only eat a couple of bites and feel VERY full. For example - a couple of days ago, I made some black bean & cheese nachos and I could only eat 2 small ones before I felt so full I could pop! Then today, I made the exact same thing but could eat 5. It seems like there is no rhyme or reason sometimes. I didn't think I would ever feel hungry, but find that I do a lot on some days while other days I have to make myself eat. No idea why the variation but I am trying to listen to my body more and go with the flow. After the first few weeks, I felt like I'd swallowed a rock sometimes when I ate meat. It didn't seem to matter how much I chewed it up or how moist it was - it just didn't well and I'd also feel that "I have to burp bad" distress and often I would actually throw up a lot of foamies. The nutritionist told me that was perfectly normal at that stage (not having enough stomach enzymes to break meats down yet) and it would get better - and it has already in just a couple of weeks. I can eat meat without that effect most of the time now. So - don't stress too much about it, maybe supplement your protein intake with a shake here or there if you need it, because soon you should be able to handle meat better.

@@mzjaejeffery - The only saliva issue I have had so far is when I have eaten something that didn't sit well and I am very nauseous. That's usually a big hint for me that I will be sick soon. Hasn't happened often at all. Other than those few times, I had dry mouth right after surgery from anesthesia, but totally normal since. Have you had increased acid reflux or gassy stomach since surgery? That might make you salivate more.

I am only 7 weeks out and there's not a whole lot of foods I can't eat. The first few weeks were a challenge, and I remember getting really down thinking I would never be able to eat my favorites again. But after talking with my nutritionist at my one month check-up, I very cautiously have had a small slice of thin crust pizza, a taco, some kung pao chicken with a little fried rice, a cookie, a half of a PBJ sandwich, a slice of bacon, and some of my other absolute favorites with no ill effects. (Not all at the same time, obviously! LOL) That's boosted my morale considerably! Granted, I can only eat tiny amounts, but that doesn't matter since I don't really have much appetite anyway, but I can TASTE the foods I love again and don't have to give anything up "for life" like I thought I would.

My nutritionist explained to me that some of us, especially with bypass, might not have enough stomach enzymes to break down meat for a while. When I ate meat, it felt like I'd swallowed a rock! For weeks, it just came right back up. No tolerance and no desire to eat tuna or things like that. So, I'd take a week or so off from trying, then try again with a very small amount - like no more than an ounce - and then only with other food. That seems to help. Eventually our pouches and small intestines will make more of the enzymes needed, but until then, I will just limit meat eating. My vegan daughter is happy about that!

I am right there with you feeling a bit discouraged and worried that this isn't working. I know I have such a fear of failure and I went into WLS with the belief that it would be almost impossible to fail with this. So, it is very scary to think that even still I could not lose the weight. Others keep telling me, don't worry, you WILL lose. But like you, I've only lost 25 lbs in the past 6 weeks - and most of that was in the first two! I've been stalled most of the time since. I'm a real rule follower - so I've been doing everything I was told. So - I just keep hoping things will improve and I will start seeing more results and you will too!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! Hope everyone is doing well. @@carriekos - this is a hard time of year with lots of temptations everywhere! I've done pretty well so far, but I imagine I will give in to a few along the way. Don't beat yourself up. Just keep moving forward! I've been really frustrated lately. The first few weeks went well for me. Other than having a hard time finding things I could tolerate okay, I was losing weight fast so I didn't mind at all! Now I have a lot better tolerance for a wider variety of food which is good, but I am SO stalled!!! It's really messing with my head. I keep thinking, "why the heck (or other four letter words) did I go through all this if I am not going to lose weight?" I've lost absolutely nothing this week and less than 5 lbs in the past month! I am eating well, following the guidelines I was given, getting in my 60 gms of protein and usually getting in all my fluids. Not eating a bunch of junk. Getting more exercise than I used to. So why am I not losing???? I thought it would be pretty impossible for me NOT to lose. Part of why I went with the bypass instead of other options was I thought the malabsorption would also help speed things along. I just don't understand why it isn't working. I am still wearing the same clothes I was so not seeing it in inches really either. Anyone else struggling like this to see results?

I am sure this is different for everyone, but am trying to get a general idea here. I will be done with all my requirements by the end of this month. My insurance has always approved things really fast, within a week at the most. So my question is how long did it take after that to have your surgery? Was your surgeon's schedule booked up for a long time or where you able to get a date within a couple of weeks or so? Just curious. I have a couple of things timewise to work around and getting a general idea of when I might be able to have the surgery would be really helpful.