blashlee

Surgery 04/06/15, 42 lbs down since surgery, 72 lbs total including preop.

Excited to share that my insurance approved me today and my gastric bypass surgery is scheduled for April 6! Feeling a range of emotions but mostly I'm feeling really motivated. Both my surgeon and my PCP think I'm going to do really well with the surgery and I've been doing really well with the liver shrinking diet. I'm excited about this new chapter of my life and using my new tool to lead a long and healthy life!

Any bypass patients take Zzzzquil post op? My doctor said it was fine to take. But I'm curious how fast it'll take effect now that I've had my bypass. I don't wanna pass out washing dishes and I don't wanna sleep through my alarm either. Thanks in advance!

What procedure did you chose and why did you chose it over the other options? I chose gastric bypass. After researching the 3 main types of WLS and consulting with my surgeon, we agreed that it would be best given the amount of weight I needed to lose and my lifestyle and diet at the time of the consultation etc. What was the general reaction from family and friends? Initially my parents were apprehensive about it. I took my mom with me to my first appt and I explained the procedure and the pros and cons to my dad. They came around and are two of my biggest cheerleaders. My boyfriend was supportive from the start and he is in the pre-op phases of WLS himself. All of my friends have been supportive and excited for me. Surprisingly a lot of them already knew someone that had WLS. Most of them gave that attempt at flattery "Wow really you're not even that big!" which I know is mostly their way of playing nice but nobody was against it or tried to talk me out of it. Everybody who knows about it has been nothing but supportive and excited to watch my journey. What was the biggest surprise during the process? How relaxed I was going into surgery. How minimally uncomfortable and in pain I was after. How long was your recovery? I took 3 weeks off from work but truthfully I could have gone back after two. But I was very fatigued during those first few weeks and having difficulty with getting in my liquids and with some foods. I didn't want to be sick at work. How fast did you lose the weight? I've lost 66 lbs so far. I lost 30ish in my preop and the rest since surgery 8 weeks ago. I'm averaging about 3 lbs a week, sometimes more. How has your life changed since having the procedure? I no longer need to shop in specialty stores for clothes. I enjoy exercise more. I'm more confident. I'm happier. I dont wake up with back and knee pain. I don't huff and puff on a walk or hike like I used to. I'm appreciative of little victories, like touching my toes or being able to cross my legs comfortably. I no longer feel trapped in my body or enslaved to food. My social life has slowed down unfortunately. A lot of my friends are foodies and love to go out and eat and drink and party and I can't eat the way I used to with them, and though alcohol isn't prohibited, it's not recommended since gastric bypass patients have increased absorbtion of the alcohol and because it's mostly empty carbs/sugars, i choose not to drink. To be honest, I'm a little afraid to. Would you do it again? In a heartbeat! Any regrets? Only that I didn't explore this sooner. Or visit the world famous San Diego Donut Bar What should I be aware of? Just because your body restricts your food intake doesn't mean your brain will follow it. You will still want foods. Things will trigger you. You'll test the waters. Know what affects you. If you're choosing RNY, know what makes you dump. Know what you're "i'm completely full can't eat another bite" feeling is. That one extra little bite can be the difference between your meal being done and your meal being spit back up and wasted. Don't compare your progress to others. Some people seem to lose 10 lbs overnight. Some people go over a year and don't hit their goal. Your journey is your journey, don't try to put yourself next to others. What, if any, foods do you miss that you can no longer have? Regular sushi rolls (with rice, sauces etc). It sometimes is hard to find a place that can do riceless rolls without having to show them a picture or without being charged extra.

There are a lot of topics asking this very question, my advice would be to browse the forums a bit more, here are a couple that might help: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/340349-newbie-with-questions/?hl=+sleeve+bypass http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/340870-cant-decide/

I found the unjury unflavored was better in things that were heated up, like Soup or in something blended like a fruit smoothie (if you're allowed smoothies) or a shake. When you put it in something just to drink, it gets thick and cloudy and you can definitely taste it. It's unflavored, but it's not tasteless.

@@Martene81 Wow. Your post goes to show everybody's surgeon is literally completely different and all over the place when it comes to what to eat. My doctor wanted me on liquids only for a week post op. After that I was able to try yogurt, refried Beans, soft cooked eggs, and soft cheeses for a week. Crackers, oatmeal, toast etc are foods she wants us to avoid completely if possible because they fill your pouch and absorb moisture. And they're not high in Protein so you basically fill your pouch without getting sufficient protein. My guidlines are to eat meals that are 75% protein and as minimal carbs as possible. I'm to avoid breads, rice, Pasta, oats, etc. Anything that absorbs or "swells" in the stomach is a no-no as far as my doctor is concerned. Foods I do well with are chicken that's moist (grilled or baked is best), lean fish, ground meats, well cooked vegetables and soft fruits. I'm careful with foods that tend to be "slider" foods. Yogurt can be a slider food for me so I make sure it has lots of protein and is in low in sugar and sometimes I freeze it a bit so I can eat it more slowly. Some days I'm not hungry at all, so I just my nutrition. Lots of protein and supplements.

I work with a bunch of jerks who come to work sick and use their sick days for vacation. Now I've got this terrible cough happening. Can anyone recommend cough syrup or cough drops or cold medicine that are ok for us bypassed folks? Everything I have at home seems to have alcohol of some sort in it :-/

When a featured model is said to be wearing a certain size (14/16, 1XL) but she's perfectly proportioned (flat tummy, hourglass shape, perfectly defined waist, perfect bust) and looks like she probably wears half that size. I hate that plus size clothes have extra room in the bust; not all plus size women have large chests. I hate that there's such a big jump from plus size to regular sizes; the inbetween phase is so not fun.

Don't hate me, because I certainly don't hate any of you. But it truly bothers me to see people on here complain about how little weight they've lost. Especially when it actually isn't a little bit of loss. "I've only lost 40 lbs in 2 months since surgery! What am I doing wrong??" Are you crazy? Do you know how amazing it is to lose 40 lbs PERIOD let alone in just 2 months?? Yes, WLS is a tool that is supposed to help weight loss occur a bit more quickly than if you were to do it on your own. But downplaying your losses, regardless of how slow they are, is doing a disservice to yourself and also to people who haven't undergone WLS yet and are here to get some insight and do research for their own possible surgical journey. Stalls happen. Weight loss slows down. It seems the closer you are to whatever goal you're working towards, the more evasive it becomes. I think it's really important to focus on what you HAVE accomplished rather than to let what you haven't done yet get you down. This isn't a race. The journey to health is just that: a Journey. There's no finish line. This is something we do as a lifestyle. The next time you think you might be about to complain that you've "only" lost xx amount of weight, please stop for a second and think about how you might feel if you hadn't lost any of that at all. And think about what message you might be conveying to someone who hasn't had WLS yet and is looking for advice here. It gives newbies and pre-ops the idea that weight is supposed to just magically melt away and that 30 or 40 lbs in 2 months after surgery isn't an acceptable rate of weight loss.

Is that Rx? I'm just looking for something I can grab at cvs. I have alka seltzer and DayQuil but neither of those are ok now that I've had my surgery.

Exactly!! This is lifelong. The whole point I'm making is for people just like you. I joined this site during my pre-op and I would see people actually complaining about weight loss. Who would ever complain about weight LOSS?!

People make comments like this because they think they're being helpful. I've had all kinds of people say it. Then I tell them what my starting weight was and how awful my lab reports were when I was pre-op and then they STFU. I guess they think it's a compliment to say "I don't even think you're that fat!" Well. I am far enough where my health is affected. Maybe to you I don't look "that big," but I'm big enough where surgery is an option. Anybody who gives off an opinion and isn't a bariatric nurse or doctor, don't listen to.

1. 18 lbs in a month is amazing. I keep seeing a lot of people post "I've only lost xx lbs since surgery." If you're using the word lost, you're doing great. 2. You're healing. Your stomach is inflamed and tight. It makes it really hard to get anything in, even liquids. My first few weeks I would get so frustrated about not being able to get my liquids in. Now, I'm 7 weeks post op and still I can barely finish a kids portion of beans from Chipotle. But I take down all the fluids! Anything i ever eat there's either leftovers or i end up throwing something out (or feeding it to my dog). 3. If eating is a struggle for you, then drink your nutrition. If you're on a proper vitamin regimen, your body can survive on water, vitamins and protein for awhile. Protein and fluids also aid with healing. If you're feeling restriction in your stomach, that means your surgery is working. If you're not able to pass any food or liquid at all, you need to see your doctor. It doesn't sound like the latter is your problem. You will eventually get more comfortable eating. Some foods work better than others. Try soft foods for longer than what your dr recommends. Add protein to soup or yogurt etc. I found yogurt to be the easier thing to tolerate in my first few weeks. You'll get there! Focus on your fluids and protein to maintain your nutrition levels. If your vitamins are too big or are gross, try some other ones. Everything I take is chewable or liquid except for my B complex, which is a very small gel cap I bought from my Dr's office.

Yes. It was a sign I really needed to focus on my fluids.

Haha I see what you did there You're almost there! It evaded me for a little while. I was hovering at 208-209 and then the last week I've been really stepping up my exercise and paying better attention to getting my fluids in.

I had it last month. I'm 28. I'm glad I didn't do it much earlier because it would have been for the wrong reasons and I likely would have failed. Losing weight to look better rather than to live better was why so many diets and programs and previous efforts weren't successful for me. I'm older and thinking more about my future and how I want to live my life instead of focusing on looking like my peers or what clothes I can buy.

I think she definitely helps. My frustration with seeing "plus size" models was that they were still a seemingly unattainable standard of beauty and size. Like, how are you gonna tell me this goddess with her perfect hourglass is a size 16? I was a size 16 and I looked like a watermelon with limbs. I had absolutely no waist or shape at all. Just round. There are size 20+ women who need to see someone who represents their demographic in fashion. Many women that size think that fashion doesn't exist for them, and it's simply not true. They're just underrepresented. If you follow Tess's social media, she seems to be a pretty regular woman. She works out, she's got herself a man (a damn good looking one too) and just works and lives like you and me. I can't speak to her bill of health because I'm not a doctor, but if she and her chosen medical professional are okay with her weight and shape, then who is anybody to disagree?

I don't eat them because they're breaded. Most chicken tenders are frozen after being fried, so there's that also. A lot of places offer a not breaded alternative. Chick FIl A has "naked" nuggets (unbreaded grilled chicken bits), and Wendy's offers a grilled chicken piece vs a breaded chicken piece in just about every chicken item they sell.

To be at a size and weight where I can shop in "regular" clothing stores. To be at a point of health where I can safely conceive, carry and deliver babies. To be able to run around and be active and play with forementioned babies as they grow up. I set my goal weight as 150, but truthfully I just want my BMI and body fat % in a healthy range that my doctor and I both agree with.

I'm on IG! @tinytummy_biglife

I signed up for the FroYo5k a couple of weeks before surgery, and today was the day! There were a lot of people there and a ton of strollers, but in the areas where the course opened up, I ran. Not fast, but consistently. I would say I maybe ran just under half the total course. And it felt really good. My feet didn't hurt, my shins didn't burn, I was able to maintain my breathing, and I finished in less than 50 minutes! It's so much easier to move this body without an extra 52 lbs to slow me down and crush my knees. Now I feel a lot more confident about preparing for the Disneyland Half Marathon later this year.

My surgeon's guidelines for eating are different. I'm only to eat about once a day maybe twice, and only if I'm truly hungry. Not because others are eating, not because I think I should eat. I only eat if I get a slight headache or after I've gotten in a heavy workout so that I don't feel sick later. Some favorites I eat: soft chicken (grilled or baked), Wendy's chilli, chicken or sofritas + black Beans and guac from Chipotle, casseroles with ground meat and lots of cheese, refried beans mixed with ground turkey and cheese, baked ricotta with meat sauce etc. Mostly soft foods, but I keep everything very moist and chew. I'm not allowed many vegetables yet, but I've tolerated fruits really well so far. I've had strawberries, blueberries, watermelon and banana with no problems. I've also had tart/plain and no sugar added lowfat and fat free frozen yogurt, which I also tolerate really well. Back at work, back in the gym and down 26 lbs since surgery and 54 lbs overall.

costco FINALLY offering free shipping two-packs of Premier Protein RTD in all 3 flavors. It's about damn time! LOL http://m.costco.com/CatalogSearch?langId=-1&storeId=10301&catalogId=10701&keyword=shake0403&EMID=B2C_2015_0403_1040_Spring