Djmohr

Here is the thing, you have to control what you put in your mouth regardless of what surgery you chose. If you have an addiction to sugar that you are worried about you need to talk to a therapist. In the end it really is the only thing that will help you. Having bypass is not guaranteed to cause dumping, I should know I have never dumped. I could eat all the sugar I want but that doesn't mean that I do. By the way, I had a sugar addiction as well. There are times when I crave it but I know that if I eat it the cravings will only get worse. I have learned that I focused on sugar when I was bored. The more sugar I ate, the more I craved it. Half the battle is with your head when it comes to this process. I am not suggesting that you don't consider bypass because there is a chance you will get dumping and it could help you but I am saying don't count on it. Also, I would be interested to hear why you think there are more complications with bypass. Bypass is the gold standard for WLS. Yes there can be complications but there is the potential for complications for both surgeries. Many times people think malabsorption is a complication, it is not. It is designed to help you lose the weight and as long as you take your supplements and have labs done on schedule, everything will be ok. Those same supplements and labs are required for both surgeries. Which complications are you worried about?

It is completely up to us to maintain. You don't lose the restriction, you learn to eat around it. Your pouch begins to empty 30 minutes after eating, I guarantee you that I could graze to keep my pouch full all day long and gain every pound back. The most I should ever be able to eat is about 1 cup of food. (Think of that 1cup as already chewed up food). Of course I can eat a lot more salad than 1 cup in its original form yet dense Protein I cannot even come close to a cup. This is why it is so Important to ensure the food on your plate is protein heavy, with good carbs like fruit and veggies. If I were to fill it with Pasta bread and rice, I would become hungry faster and therefore would eat more frequently. Having this surgery takes a lot of hard work on your part. It is a tool that can help you achieve your goals if you follow the rules. If you don't and you graze you will gain your weight back. If you don't and eat garbage you will become malnourished. It is a huge commitment and requires 110 percent focus every single day. I have not entered the maintenance phase but I am close and I know that my focus will need to continue. My life has completely changed for the better and I never want to go back there. I hope that you guys continue to research until you are positive this is something you want to do. For me, it was a no brainier, I am the healthiest I have been in 28 years. My only regret is that I didn't do it 15 years ago when I was in my forties.

@@bhopeful I am so very sorry that your primary care physician is not supporting your decision. At your age and the amount of weight you need to lose should absolutely be supported. I am 52 and yes, maybe you will be successful in losing it but the issue is about keeping it off. I would not take any weight loss medications whatsoever. There are side effects that come with that as well and ultimately the minute you stop them the weight comes back. I have tried so many that I know from my experience that this is the case. If I were you (and I know I am not), I would either ask your primary care physician to support your decision or find a new primary care physician. Or have your bariatrician have a peer to peer consult with your primary. That may help as well. That being said, I don't know if there were medical reasons to not support it. Many times if you have heart issues physicians will push back. I hope you are able to get resolution and move forward.

@@Elode Woot woot! Isn't absolutely exciting to get to this point?!?! I am about 20lbs from normal and it feels good to be alive! Congratulations! I have been watching your posts for many many months now, I am so proud of you! You have such a great attitude and are such an inspiration to others.

For me the fluids definitely helped but you have to be a little careful because the more fluids you push washes the salt and potassium out. When I saw my bariatric an for the issue on July 30th he told me to stick to 64 and no more and increase my salt intake. I religiously get my 64 now and sometimes a tiny bit more. I increased my salt intake with salted nuts and beef Jerky. It has definitely improved but I still have that low heart rate when sitting so I have just learned to be very very careful when standing up. Be careful everyone, when I passed out I did it 2 weeks after my spine surgery. I had triple cervical fusion. I was terrified I screwed up my surgery but thank goodness that is not the case. I still wonder besides the hydration what has caused our pressures to go so low which of course is what is causing the dizzied. I had an echo, stress test, adrenal tests all of which were negative. It all comes back to WLS for me.

@@Elode Oh boy do I have this! Mine started in month 9 post op and it was severe. I have had every work up know to man and other than a very low resting heart rate (mine gets as low as 30) and low blood pressures (85/55) there is no explanation. I saw 2 cardiologists, and endocrinologist and my bariatric team. The good news is it has gotten better. Initially it happened every single time I stood up. The room would go black and once I actually passed out which sent me to the ER. Now 4 months later it happens once or twice a day. I have been instructed to simply get up very slowly, wiggle my feet and hands before I get up to get the blood pumping. I still really don't have answers as to why other than my heart rate runs very low and so does my blood pressure. Funny thing is, I had high blood pressure before bypass and was on meds for it. I hope you get answers and feel better soon.

@@wildGoose, My understanding is that a tummy tuck (panni only) will be covered only if it is deemed medically necessary. And it is not easy to get that deemed medically necessary. A breast augmentation and tummy tuck is considered cosmetic surgery and few insurances if any will cover these. I cannot imagine that Medicare would actually pay for this. Did your plastic surgeon tell you this? I would be curious to know where you learned this. I would hate to see you get stuck with a huge bill at the end and if your doctor has found a loop hole, I am not sure I would trust them.

Trust me, the gas they pump into your stomach cavity is not the only gas pain you will be dealing with. The hospital actually gave me gas x late at night the night of my surgery and it definitely helped. For the gas they pump into your stomach cavity there were only two three things that helped make it more comfortable. 1. Walking from the moment they allow you to. And walking a lot. For me, the moment I got back to my room from recovery I began walking because I had to go to the bathroom. I noticed right away that the pain lessened as soon as I was standing. All that pressure was much better. 2. While you are laying in bed, heating pads or heat packs really help for comfort. I slept with a heating pad on my belly for the first week. (Be careful though, I had mine too high and actually burned a spot on my tummy so bad that it blistered. Make sure you have something between you and the heating pad. 3. Sitting up for me felt so much better. After my first night which I did not sleep a wink because of gas pain, I asked to sit in the chair in my room knowing it felt better when I sat up. I literally spent the whole day when I wasn't walking, sitting in that chair with my heat packs. There is a reason they have you sitting in bed rather than laying in bed when you come out of the OR. All I know is the pain us definitely more tolerable when sitting or walking. The good news is that gas pain resolves for the most part within a few days. The bad news, pain meds do nothing for that pain, they simply make you so tired that it is hard to tolerate the pain. I took heavy pain meds that first day and after that I only took them if I was severely uncomfortable. At day 3 I stopped taking them altogether. They suggested I use liquid Tylenol if I needed it but honestly it burned my new tummy. Good luck!

When I saw the title of this post I held my breath! After all I have been reading your posts since you joined and I certainly did not want to hear that insurance denied you and you were giving up. That happens to so many people and I knew how badly you wanted to change your life. I am so very glad that you have the opportunity to do that now and trust me, you won't want to be anywhere near that Halloween candy so soon after surgery! You will likely have 6 months before you even care about Halloween candy! Just in time for Easter! LOL I am just kidding! Keep us posted on your progress! Best of luck!

Congratulations! You will likely lose somewhere between 10 and 15 lbs on the 2 week liquid diet. I should warn you though, you will likely gain most if not all of it back while in the hospital. This is from all the fluids they pump into you. Many people don't know this and get very very upset when they get home. It is normal and will come off within a week or two. In terms of losing that hundred pounds, it will happen if you follow the plan. If you have a little more to lose, that will happen too. By setting a numbers goal, so early on you may find yourself disappointed. If you can handle that without losing ground great! I have seen a lot of people freak themselves out when they don't hit those numbers goals within the timeframe they have allowed themselves. I wish you all the best on your upcoming surgery!

My family has been so supportive and encouraging me every step of the way. However they are around me a lot so they don't notice the changes from day to day. Just like I don't. I swear when I look in the mirror I still see the fat me and not this thinner, healthier body that has been emerging for 9 months now. I know it is happening because my clothes continue to get smaller and when I see a picture of my self I am shocked at how thin my body looks compared to 9 months ago. Well the other day my oldest son was here. We have spent a lot of time together and of corse he has told me how great I look. I actually weigh less than him now and both my boys are at healthy weights. He just happens to be 4 inches taller. He was talking on his phone and I got up to go into the other room. I walked past him and mid phone conversation he says "Mom! I cannot believe how skinny you are getting!" You look absolutely incredible! " When he got off the phone he said, it just shocked him when I walked past him. That made me go back to some professional photos that were taken of me 3 weeks before my surgery when I was at my heaviest and feeling like crap. We had gone on a cruise. I pulled them out and literally I started crying for pure joy. I look so different now. I have chosen not to post any pictures of myself and won't until I get to my goal weight. I am 34 lbs away. I am now looking forward to posting those pictures. Now of course my family debates how my weight loss will stop. They don't want me to get too thin. I have had to pull out the healthy weight charts several times to explain that my goal is to get there. I do plan to have some plastics done so the big debate is should I lose all the way to my goal knowing that a body lift, abdominalplasty and arm wing surgery will take even more weight off. Because I am focused on the top end of the weight chart I believe it will be fine, they are a little worried I will be too thin. For those of you who have had plastics, when did you start shopping for surgeons. What approach did you take to when you did this surgery? Did you wait until you got to goal and if so, did you lose a lot more weight post plastics? I thought I would get to goal and maintain for a while before having plastics just to get stabilized. Not sure what the best approach is and could use some guidance.

I have to say, flying in an airplane without having to ask for the dreaded belt extender was one of my very first NSVs and it made my whole week! I was very comfortable and super excited about it. You are going to love the feeling. It really is not a small thing at all!

I have not had plastics yet but I have had drains for both my bypass and a recent spine surgery. Yes they are gross to think about but the reality is most of what is in your head is worse than reality. They don't hurt when they are in and they don't hurt coming out. Try to focus on how fantastic you are going to look! I can hardly wait until I am ready for plastics! Good luck to you!

I have learned this lesson the hard way but I will say it took me a while and some money! I now wait until my current size is slightly lose and then I buy pants one size down. They are very tight but I know when I drop 10 pounds they will fit me great. Last week I was shocked when I went to try on a new packer sideline jacket. All the stuff I got in January I am swimming in including a brand New Jersey. Ugh! Anyway, I figured I would need a large instead of an xl. I tried on the large, too big. I tried on the medium thinking it would be too small. It fit perfect! Part of me was thinking maybe I should be thinking about a small but just could not get my head around that. Same thing with Victoria's Secret yoga pants. I bought extra large because there is no way, I also bought larges. The xl are too big and the large is even slightly baggy. I returned them both and ordered a medium. By the way, I started in a 26 for tops and a 24 for bottoms. Wow! I am now in a 12 comfortably.

I don't know but I have to say, it really doesn't bother me. I know how big I was and how big I looked. I am proud of losing 120lbs so I really don't mind saying it. I also have not had anyone ask me that question that doesn't care about me. Maybe if it was someone who I didn't trust I clearly would not say. Now, I shout it from the rooftops. I can't wait until I can say 145lbs, then I know I will finally be a healthy weight for my height. Then, I am going to do the dance of joy!

I think most of us have this worry but as you learn more you gain strength. If you believe you can do it and are willing to change I promise it will happen for you. Already you recognize the need for counseling and are taking those steps. Now it is time to take control of you. Once you decide you can do something there will be NO stopping you!

I am so very sorry to hear this! I hope you are able to lose a bit of weight so you can get this done. I hope you recover fast and the Fluid weight will come off very very fast. Try to stay positive, I know that must be hard given this set back but it will work out if you want it to. Take care!

Considering you are 4 weeks post op a bit of hamburger might be ok without the bun. You will need to take it very slow and chew well. Sometimes beef is one of the harder Proteins to get used to for some people. I did not have a problem. The bread, buns, crust thing is very uncomfortable for most of us that have had bypass. First, it does not leave much room in your pouch for Protein and they are empty calories. Most important, bread products actually feel horrible. Even now 11 months post op, it does not feel good unless it is really toasty or almost like a cracker. As far as pizza goes, I would not try it at this point. Way too soon. I would give it at least 4 months and then try a very very thin crispy crust. I eat pizza about once per month. I have my tiny little piece I get full and I am happy. I have to say, I do miss eating a regular cheeseburger with the bun, pickles, ketchup......it just doesn't sit well with me and I don't like just eating the patty. Good luck!

Good morning everyone! I need a bit of advice/guidance. I am closing in on my 1 year surgiversay at the end of September. I have done extremely well the past 11 months losing just short of 120lbs. I have struggled in the last few months with exercise as I have been on restriction doe to a major spine surgery. Even without that restriction I would be struggling with exercise other than walking. I try to walk outside or on my treadmill at a brisk pace for 30 minutes about 5 times per week. That bit of walking right now is the majority of my exercise. I am still not allowed to do housework but I do cook and do the dishes. I am not allowed to bend, twist, reach....you get the picture. Anyway, in the last 3 months I have stalled once for 28 days and now I am 2 weeks stalled. The good news is I am not gaining but to be literally stuck for that long has been frustrating. I track my food and beverage(I only drink water) every day. I usually will consume between 1100 and 1200 calories a day. I always get between 70 and 90 grams of Protein per day. I am pretty good about sticking to my food plan from day to day but it just does not seem to be working for me as it once did. I am wondering if I am literally not eating enough calories at this stage or if I should be backing off. My meals consist of the following: Breakfast - Premier Protein shake lunch - 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 3 strawberries or a salad with chicken on it snack - either pistachios or beef jerkey or an apple with Peanut Butter dinner - chicken, fish, beef or pork with a vegetable or garden salad Snack - either pistachios, beef jerkey or a pudding I really appreciate any insight you might be able to provide. I would really like to break this stall soon! Thanks! Deb

I agree with cowgirl on this. The premier Protein ready made shakes have so many positives: 1. They are ready made, no fuss, no muss! 2. They tastes delicious, especially their chocolate 3. Only 1 gram of sugars 30 grams of protein and 160 calories I honestly have not found one that tastes better and provides that level of nutrition for us gastric bypass patients. It was recommended by my bariatric center of excellence after I struggled with the powders.

Wow, how exciting! I am just starting to research more about plastics. I am 25lbs from goal and of course want to maintain that for a while before moving forward but I have huge bat wings, lots of extra skin at tummy, thighs and of course my butt and boobs are literally gone. I have to figure out how I will pay for this surgery so I want to get some idea of how it will all work. My number 1 priority is my arms, they keep me from so many clothing choices. Good luck to you! I hope all goes well and you love your results!

Congratulations on taking steps to get healthy! You will likely have no problem qualifying. Usually most insurance companies will approve a person with a BMI over 40 as long as you follow their requirements. Jumping through all the hoops is a pain but in the end you learn a lot along the way. I am glad to see you are excited! I know I felt the same way going in, the morning of surgery felt like Christmas morning for me. I was very ill and knew this was literally going to save my life in the long term for me. There are things you can do now that will set you up for success post surgery: - begin removing as much sugar from your diet -if you smoke, quit now, you will be required to and it gets hard changing everything all at once -if you drink carbonated beverages now, stop. You won't be able to ever again post surgery. -if you drink caffeine, try to ween yourself off if it. You will need to for a period of time. If you can live without it, even better. Caffeine dehydrates you and post surgery it is difficult to get hydrated properly -if you drink alcohol, you will need to stop that as well. It hampers your weight loss and your body changes post surgery to where you can become drunk very quickly. My surgeon had me sign a contract stating I would not drink for the first year. Not hard for me I only drank a handful of times within a year. -start drinking lots of calorie free liquids. 64 oz. per day - start walking everyday for 30 minutes. - remove distractions while eating so you can pay attention to how your tummy is getting full. Along with this eat slowly over the span of 20 minutes to no longer than 30 minutes. This will become important post surgery. -this one is harder than you think to do but nothing to drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. Once you have surgery this becomes much easier unless you eat a lot of spicy food. These don't all have to to be accomplished at once but these are a lot of the changes required. For me, I had 9 months to work at them so by the time I got to surgery day, life was a lot easier to adapt to! best of luck to you and feel free to reach out with questions!

All I can say is UGH! This is the danger especially when it comes to your family members. I love my father n law to death. He is a very sweet person normally but he is in his late 80's and sick as heck with type 2 diabetes. He is close to losing his limbs due to poor diet and lack of adherence to the fact that he is a diabetic. He was always very quick to point out when some woman in particular was heavier. Well, he never said it directly to me and he loves me very much but when he would say something rude of course I knew he likely felt the same about me. Now, I am down over 120lbs and to him I look thin. I swear every time I see him he first compliments me on how thin I look and then follows it by asking if I would like a piece of cherry pie, chocolate chip Cookies or ice cream. All 3 some of my favorite treats. He knows that I chose not to eat like that any longer and he tells me he is sorry that I cannot and when I eat in front of him and eat my 1/2 cup of food he says, that's a shame that you cannot eat what you love. I remind him that I love what I eat and especially love the fact that I get full fast and stay full longer. He tells me constantly that I should eat more. I want to say, love you Dad but remember all those times you would see an obese person and call them a cow or a fat ass? Well, I know what really is in your head.

@@CharlotteKat I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it is normal to slow down after that first initial big loss. It also depends on how much you have to lose. If I lose 10lbs per month now I am lucky. I slowed down after the first 3 months but the important thing is I have still been losing. I was right around 80lbs lost at that point. I am now down 120lbs. Also a stall is no weight lost. 2 lbs per week is excellent! Think about before surgery, when were you last losing 2lbs per week? I know this is not what you want to hear but it is reality. You are doing fantastic!

You also have to remember that there are different opinions on what a stall is. For me a stall is simple, it is no weight lost at all for a period of two weeks or more. In some cases you can even see a small bit of gain but it usually comes back off immediately. There will be many usually along ones journey. It is your body simply resetting itself. I tell myself that every time I experience one. I think I am currently at the tail end of one now. The scale has not moved in the last two weeks until this morning. I am hoping it continues. I seem to stall about every 10lbs as I near my goal. Congratulations on getting your surgery done and your weight loss so far!