Jonathan Blue

I had over half of my body weight to lose as well. My surgeon hands down said full bypass. He said my age put me at less risk for complications even with it being a bit more of an invasive procedure. It also has the best success rate of all the major surgeries with 85% of the number of people having the surgery losing the proposed amount of weight and keeping it all off for 5 years. It is also the most effective for people who have more than half of their body weight to lose. I would say with the amount of weight you are looking to lose and you being so young, it would more than likely be your best option for success. Ultimately, it is a personal decision. I took my surgeons advice even though I was originally only wanting the band. After reading and researching extensively about the high failure rate and complication rate of the band I opted to agree with the professional. If you need any additional help at all or any other questions please let me know. You can contact me at the links below. I would like to help in any way I can. This is an amazing journey you are about to undertake and I am so exciting for the new world that will be opening up to you. I look forward to hearing great things from you.

Do not fret. This happens to everyone. While you are in the hospital they pump you full of IV fluids, not to mention scramble your insides. With this scrambling comes a lot of swelling. It can take up to three weeks for this swelling to go away. Give your body some time to heal. I would only begin to be concerned if after a month or so you still have not lost anything. For me the weight didn't really start falling off until i went back to work six weeks after my surgery. I just recommend time. That and not weighing yourself for a few weeks. You doctors follow ups will do that for now.

I think the common misnomer here is that you should never really feel "full". You should feel satisfied. If you are hungry then eat. Your body is telling you that you need it. Once that hunger is gone, then you are good to go. I know some who have that full feeling, but keep in mind that the full feeling means you are also stretching your stomach out. That is not a good thing. You will just need to begin figuring out a new feeling for what it means to be satisfied instead of full. If there is anything else I can do please let me know at the links below.

I have found in talking with multiple people that every doctor does their psych eval differently. Some use a multiple choice test while other just sit down and talking with you. If they talk with you, most of the questions will be about your past and why you feel you gained the weight. Most of the multiple choice questions will sound ridiculous. The biggest piece of advice is to just be yourself and don't worry. Not a ton of people are rejected just on this. We all have little things we would love to hind on these evals, but they are being used for a reason. Just let the process work. I promise you it will work out in the end.

I am not entirely sure I can help you but I just wanted the protein dinner lol. What did you want to know about using messenger? Where you talking about the one attached to this site?

I can taste it now! It's chewy with a slightly crisp outside. The sweetness dances across my tongue as I let it linger there for just a moment or two. I savor each and every bite. The feel of the thick sugar crystals in my mouth. The glass of cool milk flowing over my tongue, wiping my pallet clean to be able to savor round two completely from scratch. For me it is pure ecstasy. Did I make you hungry? Do you know what food I am talking about? I am talking about my number one trigger food of all time: Sugar Cookies. I could eat them on a train, I could eat them in the rain. I could eat them here or there...I think you get my point. I love them to death. Actually, they almost did kill me because I got fat eating them. Trigger foods are the foods that will ruin your diet because, as soon as they touch your tongue, you are transported back to a time that they made you feel comfortable and you begin to eat your way through that feeling. By doing this you will ruin all the hard work you have put in so far. Hence the name, they trigger you into a relapse on good habits. We all have trigger foods. They are the foods that when we have a bad day , are feeling a little lonely, or maybe just cause, that we go to for comfort. It gets to the point with these foods that we dream about them. We fantasize about them. We even talk about them the way we would a lover. If you always find yourself sneaking food or even lying about how much you have eating, that is a definite sign you have found a trigger food for you. It seems a little weird when you think about it, but these trigger foods are taking away your hard earned weight loss results and depriving you of the amazing body you deserve. Why do we crave these foods? Some would argue that it is chemical. That the serotonin spike in our brains cause by certain foods that are different for everyone cause us to fall hopelessly addicted to the. It is the need to get that fix again just like a junkie trying to shoot up. When you are feeling lonely, or depressed, unloved, and miserable the chemical boost to your system alleviates the emotional pain you feel inside. It's like a pacifier for adults. Have you ever caught yourself tired, crying, or stressed and you reach for the cookies, ice cream, chips, or even beer? The famous ad campaign for Lay's potato chips goes, "Bet you can't eat just one." I can't think of a better way to describe it. Some people would also say environment has an effect on your need to overeat. I agree that the way you learned to deal with stress and loss in your family may well have shaped how you use food, but I also argue that it had more of an effect on what trigger foods you have. I bet if you thought about what are your go to foods, they were ones you had on a regular basis when you were younger or for specific events and holidays. In my house growing up, every Friday night was pizza night and every Sunday night was snack night. Still to this day, at both of those times I have a much stronger desire to eat these foods compared to any other day of the week. However these foods became your triggers, the big thing to keep in mind is that you need to avoid them or learn to be triggered by healthier versions of these foods. The easiest way to start off is to cut yourself off entirely. You need to allow yourself to go through withdrawal. It is definitely not easy, but it will be one of the best things for you. Take the time to go cold turkey and every time you feel like giving in, do something physically active. Go for a run. Walk around the block. Punch a donkey in the spleen. Just get your mind off of it. Over time you will find you don't think about it as much. When I finally decided to have weight loss surgery, I cut myself off from sugar cookies completely during that time. The only exception was when I ate them as a part of my bucket list. I did purposely save them for last so I wouldn't have as much of a choice in giving in to temptation if I was just days away from surgery. If you are not trying to prepare for a surgery and are just trying to eat healthier or lose weight, then once you have gotten past where the cravings are so intense, you can begin experimenting with finding a healthier alternative. For example, I have found that I enjoy creating a sugar free sugar cookie using a sugar free cake mix and I eat one or two cookies instead of twelve. The biggest thing I can tell you is that discovering these foods that are your go to foods, the ones you overeat to the point of almost being sick every time. These are the foods that will ruin your diet and take away from all the hard work you have put in. I can promise you, if you figure out what these foods are for you and you enact a plan to handle the cravings, then you will be successful. My challenge for you today is to come clean about what your trigger foods are and then to suggest a plan on how you intend to handle them. Putting it out there for everyone is just another way of admitting you have a problem and as most 12 step programs will tell you, it is the begging of healing.

That is definitely quite a lot of carbs. In particular I would also be concerned about how many of those carbs come from sugar. I would highly recommend you try Isopure Zero Carb powders or pre-mixed drinks. They taste great and some flavors are fruitier and can be mixed with Water very easily and still taste good. I have found that most of the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ones taste better with milk of some kind. The beauty is each scoop has 25g of Protein and no carbs. I would definitely say you need to check this out. You may be able to handle those carbs fine now, but after surgery all that will change. Better to get used to not getting as many now.

I have not had a lot of experience with the anti-anxiety meds though I do know they are known for increasing appetite. I am sorry this is happening. I can only say stay strong and keep working through it. The fact you recognize that there is an issue and you are taking steps to figure it out says a lot about you. I know you will find a way to make things work. If there is anything I can do to be of help, please contact me at one of the links below. I just want to see you succeed.

I agree. Talk with your primary care physician and ask them for a referral to a local bariatric surgeon. This is the first step in an amazing journey. You will not regret it. I want to encourage you as you prepare to check out my blog at the link below. It has recipes, encouragement, and information about how to deal with everything that is happening to you. I especially want to encourage you to check out the three posts I did on How I Prepared for Surgery. It is never too early to start thinking about these steps. I wish you the best of luck. Please keep us informed of your progress. If you have any additional questions or need anything at all don't hesitate to contact me at the links below. I am an open book and here to help.

I agree with everyone. It definitely sounds like you have moved on in your relationship. A lot of people do after the surgery. I agree you definitely need to take care of you and be that role model for your daughter you are talking about. About letting go of food, I strongly encourage you to read How I Prepared for Surgery Part 2 on my blog. The link is below. I talk about how to mentally prepare for surgery and I take some time to discuss saying goodbye to foods you love. I agree with others that eventually you will be able to eat those foods again but your relationship with them will be different. This grieving process with food is necessary to be able to deal with what you will have to do to be successful post op. Perhaps you could Celebrate your birthday early to have one last bash before the pre-op diet as a final goodbye. I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you are starting to get your head in the right place so I know you will be fine.

Congratulations! It is a very brave step stepping out and doing something this drastic to change your life. I know you will do awesome. Please keep us all updated on your progress.

Alright, I will do my best to answer your questions. When I was loosing I was working about 1 hr every day (walking, running, swimming, biking, etc.) and taking in around 1000 calories a day. Now that I am still trying to loose but working out more heavily (2 to 3 hours a day) I take in closer to 2000 calories a day. At this point you should not need to crush your pills. You should be able to swallow them. Just be sure to take your time to let each digest for a couple minutes between pills. You could possibly be fatigued due to not getting enough calories in the day verses your exercise. How often and for how long are you exercising? Intensity? I have made it a point to get a fitbit and use myfitnesspal.com to track every calorie I am taking in vs. every calorie I am burning. This is a very delicate balance. You should experiment a little to find that sweet spot where you aren't taking in too much and you are not getting light headed. Then use your tracking to stay on top of it. I know if I don't eat something right after one of my workouts I get light headed. The other thought is that you may be dehydrated? Do you know how much water you are taking in during the day? Another good thing to keep track of. This is a question best left for your doctor. I personally don't see the need for it every day, but there could be a special reason unique to your situation that leads him to think you may need it. When in doubt, ask the doctor. Keep up the great work. If you have any other questions or need me to clarify anything for you, please get in touch with me. The links to contact me are below.

I am glad you are feeling better. The key for now will be to focus on all of the amazing things you will be doing in the future. Try to dwell on the good things going on instead of the bad. I know that is easier said than done. There is an amazing group of people here to work as a sounding board. If you need a buddy or anything at all, please don't hesitate to contact me. You are not alone

I have a lot of very good recipes to use. From potato to cauliflower (tastes a little like alfredo), to a version of chipotle and a protein fruit smoothy. The recipe for the protein fruit smoothy along with a cooking demo are on my blog. The link is below. I would only recommend that you not use a seeded berry so close after surgery. I would say to us half mango and half peach. For any of the other recipes, feel free to send me a message and I can write them out for you.

I highly recommend the IsoPure Zero Calorie shakes. They have some great flavors for mixing with water like pineapple orange banana and mango peach. These are really worth looking into. Another one that a lot of people like without milk would be some of the fruitier Nectar brand powders.

The biggest thing for me was to try and stay busy. The other thing, and many would say I was insane, was to watch the food network. It gave me the chance to think about all the foods I liked and gave me some ideas on how to make them healthier. It also have me ideas about how to adapt them for the different stages of food. For example, I figured out how to do a version of chipotle during the pureed food diet. In the end, everyone is different and you may have to expirament to figure out what exactly works for you. I personally found post surgery, that I was so engrossed in taking the next sip or scheduling the next meal that I came to loath food. Almost a year later and I still really don't get hungry. I do however have the phsycological need to eat. It happens when I am bored, or tired, and even stressed. Learn what those triggers are and try to take inventory of how you are feeling when you being feeling "snacky" even when you are not hungry. Then you can begin to address those issues. Keep up the communication. This is an amazing group to bounce questions off of. If you need any additional recipes or ideas feel free to contact me at the links below, or check out my blog where I have some of my go to recipes and cooking videos.

Congratulations on finally having this set in stone! This is an amazing journey and it sounds like you are ready for it. I am so excited to see all the amazing things you will be doing post surgery. If you need any help, encouragement, or guidance at all, I would like to offer my help. Feel free to contact me at any of the links below.

What you are currently going through is perfectly normal. Most of us have dealt with diarrhea, cramps, and a bubbly stomach as the gasses used in surgery work their way out of your system. This will take about two weeks. You are on the right track just getting in Water and Jello. You should even try low sodium chicken broth as well. You really shouldn't even begin worrying about the Protein shakes for about another week. At first you may only be able to get in one a day, but keep at it. I want to strongly encourage you to make a list of all the reasons you wanted to do the surgery in the first place. List all the things you have always wanted to do, but couldn't because of your weight. Keep that list with you and reference it every time you are feeling ovewhelmed with the process. This will not be the last time you feel this way, but you have an amazing community of people here that want nothing more than to see you be successful. We are all rooting for you. If you have any questions or need anything at all I am here for you. You can contact me through any of the links below.

Done! I hope you are able to get the information that you needed.

Having a taste every now and then isn't bad depending on what it is. The only concern is that those tastes could trigger what I call a trigger food. I have another post about them on here. It is those foods that send you back into old habits? That would be my only real concern. Amount of food if it is just a bite is not really all that concerning. It is very good for you to allow people in. I know that for many this is a very private thing, however you need people who know what is going on to support you and be there for you. My journey has been quite a bit different. I have purposefully kept my journey very public. It has kept me accountable for all of my goals and decisions knowing that someone is watching and that everyone knows. I do this in a effort to be a motivation to others and as a motivation to myself so I can continually keep pursuing ever more lofty goals. I can understand why people don't though. It is a very personal and often times embarassing thing. On the Protein front, what brands have you tried? I recommend shopping different brands. I personally love Isopure Zero Carb, after trying about a dozen others. They have the traditional flavors and others like mango peach that taste just fine mixed with Water. That is my go to on the road shake since I don't need to carry milk, just a scoop in a Blender Bottle. You should also try different Protein Bars as a supplement to that. Once again, just expirament. Everyone is different and has different tastes. I would also highly recommend getting connected with a local support group through your surgeons office. That will connect you, like this forum has, with like-minded people who are experiencing or have experienced the same things you are. Just remember to keep strong. Always try to have a goal to better yourself physically that you are working toward to keep in mind each time you think about taking that extra bite. For me I am a year out and down 210 lbs. I am training for my first half marathon and constantly keep that in mind with my eating choices. I also carry a picture of how I used to look with me both for motivation and as a warning each time I think about eating something I shouldn't. This journey often times is an internal struggle with yourself. You are rejecting the old you and creating a new one. To do so, you will need to start trying to figure out what motivates and drives you. Use those things as motivation and inspiration. I strongly urge you to get connected and bring other in with you on your journey that you know and trust to help you. Family is a great start. Also, if that doesn't work, I am just a phone call or an email away. I want to see you succeed and I know that you can. Just keep strong!

I live in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. I am not sure how close that is? If you ever need to talk, you can contact me at one of the links below and I can tell you how to reach me by phone from there. Remember you are not alone. Everyone here has dealt or is dealing with exactly what you are going through.

I lucked out. After surgery, while trying to keep up with all of the dietary changes, I was so full all the time I actually started loathing food. I even hated the idea of thinking about what to eat. Every second of every day was sip this, chew that, and it go so annoying. The first few weeks are rough while most things still could not be eaten, but after that once I hit pureed food I could incorporate it all into whatever I was feeding my family. I don't mind an irreverant sense of humor sometimes so bring it on. If you need anything or have any questions don't hesitate to contact me through the links below.

Annie, I have a hockey jersey that is a 2xl. It was pictured on my profile if you want to see it. I have not fit into it since my freshman year of high school almost 16 years ago. I was so happy I think I almost haven't stopped wearing it lol. I highly recommend having goal clothes. There will be days when you just aren't feeling it, you will feel bloated and gross. Those are the days you try on your goal clothes and see how much better they fit. Then Celebrate Celebrate Celebrate!!!

Congratulations! Keep up the amazing work. I can't wait to see how far you go in a year. Having a scale is a blessing and a curse. Just be sure you try and only weigh yourself once a week. This will keep you from falling into the traps that a lot of post surgery patients succumb to. At first it is exciting to see weight loss every day, but as things progress and your losses start leveling out it can get very frustrating to not see weight loss every day. Just something to keep in mind now.

It will be a major benefit to have someone there to help you for at least the first week after you get home. They can help you stay on track with medication, keep you company, and make sure if something were to happen, God forbid, you had someone there to help.