catwoman7

I worked with a dietitian for six months. She had me gradually make changes so my eating looked more and more like how I would be eating post-surgery (not like you're eating the first couple of months post-surgery, but after that, when you can eat more types of food). We started off with having me stick to 2300 calories a day (that in itself was kind of a challenge since I'd probably been eating 3000 or more to maintain my weight). I gradually moved to eating more protein and fewer carbs. Three meals a day, plus two snacks. More fruits and vegetables. Less processed stuff and low-nutrient stuff. More fluids. Getting some exercise most days of the week - even walking was fine - but I also did water aerobics a couple of times a week. I lost about 40 lbs in that six months (knowing I'd have to meet with her once a month and get weighed (by her) helped, too - accountability!). Then I lost another 17 lbs in my two-week pre-surgery liquid diet (although that would have been mostly water, of course) . So down 57 lbs by the time they rolled me into surgery. the point of this is that they want to see if you can stick to a diet long-term, not so much how much weight you can lose (although they may be giving you the 10% goal since that's the only way they can objectively tell if you've been sticking to a diet or not). And unfortunately you WILL have to monitor your eating after surgery, too - as people say, it's just a tool. You do your part, the surgery does its part, and you'll succeed. It's not much different than being on a diet (although having a smaller stomach and losing your hunger (as most of us do) for a few months definitely helps!). The difference is, this time your effort will pay off. I could never lose more than 50 or 60 lbs on my own. This time I lost over 200, and have managed to keep most of it off for eight years. Never would have happened without surgery. P.S. and you will have to monitor your eating for the rest of your life. If I slack off for more than a handful of days, it shows up on the scale. But honestly, this is no different than a lot of my never-been-obese women friends. A lot of them have to watch what they eat, too, unfortunately. There aren't many people who can eat what they want and as much as they want and never gain weight.

clinics really vary on this, so it's probably best to check with yours. Some don't even require pre-op diets - just a 24-hour clear liquid fast before surgery. ours allowed broth - but I think just chicken broth. They now allow pickles, but they didn't when I went through the program eight years ago. We were just allowed 4-5 protein shakes a day, plus a cup of broth and/or a cup of V8/tomato juice, plus unlimited zero (or close to it) calorie fluids, sugar free popsicles, and sugar free Jello

most of us have the other problem (constipation), but some do have diarrhea. It could just be a fluid in/fluid out thing (in which case, it'll clear up on its own once you start eating real food) - or it could be a reaction to an artificial sweetener in the shakes.

the eczema theory sounds more plausible since going through a major surgery and major lifestyle changes can be very stressful. I'll be curious to learn what they find out through the biopsy. Keep us posted - and sorry you're going through this!!

it's probably fine - but check with your clinic just in case.

it's almost certainly gas. leaks are uncommon and are almost always found (and fixed) before you leave the hospital.

it shouldn't complicate it at all. Once you're out a ways, other than eating less food than before, things are pretty normal...and often much easier than they were before surgery.

I rarely gain weight anymore when I travel, or if I do, it's one or two pounds which is gone in a few days (likely water weight or excess "material" in my intestines). I think it's because I do a lot of walking when I'm on vacation - which I wouldn't have done back when I weighed over 300 lbs..

I took three weeks off work but could have gone back after two. Other than being tired in the afternoons (or most afternoons), I felt fine.

Arabesque is correct. There's no way you're going to be eating anywhere near the calories you'd need to gain weight. You WILL continue losing. Plus you can't live on just fluids for the rest of your life. Not only would that be unsustainable, but you can't do that for long without being under medical supervision. I lost over 200 lbs over the course of two years, and it sure wasn't from only drinking fluids...

that's too bad he's anti-shake. Most of us have to use those for a couple of months - or until we can meet the protein requirements through food. I wonder If he'd allow Fairlife milk? That's much higher in protein than regular milk.

I wasn't out long enough to take FMLA (a lot of us are back to work in about two weeks, and I had a lot of unused PTO so I just used that), but I would guess you'd be granted it if you apply since it's a medical issue.

as usual, I agree with everything Arabesque said. And I know this sounds weird to say, but enjoy your loss of hunger and appetite while it lasts, because it will come back - and things will become a lot more challenging then. Even though it was weird at first, I honestly wish my hunger and appetite had never come back. It was SO much easier to lose weight when I was never hungry and couldn't give a flip about food! My hunger came roaring back at about five months out. It lasts longer for some, less for others. But use it to your full advantage.

yes - definitely sounds like a reaction to artificial sweeteners. Would they let you have Fairlife milk instead? (It would probably have to be the plain milk since I'm assuming the chocolate milk and the Fairlife shakes have artificial sweeteners, too). Although maybe there's a sweetener that you can tolerate (most people aren't intolerant of all of them - just some (sugar alcohols are a common culprit. They're the ones whose names end it "-itol", like xylitol)

it may be fine over time - I think I had something similar after surgery.

P.S. regarding vomiting - I did experience some in the early weeks after surgery - I had to figure out what my stomach was going to tolerate (I can now eat pretty much anything - and have been able to for years - I just have to watch my portion sizes to avoid gaining weight). I don't vomit any more now than I did before I had surgery. But I just wanted to say that vomiting after surgery is different from vomiting before surgery. Your stomach is much smaller, so there's not much to vomit up. Plus your stomach is not producing as much acid, so you don't get that horrible taste in your mouth, either. It tastes the same coming up as it did going down. So suffice it to say, I don't dread vomiting like I did before I had surgery.

mortality rate on bypass (at least when I had it eight years ago) is 0.3% It's even lower on sleeve (I don't remember the exact stat on that since I wasn't interested in sleeve). That means you have at least a 99.7% chance of NOT dying. That's better than a lot of other common surgeries, like hip or knee replacements. stop reading social media. I was doing that as well before my surgery and had to make myself stop. Major complications are rare. You just hear about them more because people post about those, looking for advice and support. The jillions of people who don't have them generally don't post that everything is hunky-dory. I had two strictures after my bypass. Easy fix. The PA in my bariatric clinic said those are the most common complication after bypass - and that about 5% of bypassers experience them. I personally wouldn't call something that happens to 5% of people "common", but that does give you an idea of how common complications are. Most complications, when they do happen, are minor and easily treatable or "fixable". The ones you mentioned about people carrying around bags for vomiting, etc - that's got to be incredibly rare. Spend some time here on BP or similar forums (like Obesity Help) rather than Facebook groups. I've been on here for nine years and have never heard of people carrying around barf bags because they vomit so much. I think you'll find this site will give you a much better picture of post-op life.

I agree with everything Arabesque said. Lots of us have issues with eggs the first few weeks or months out. I'd lay off them for awhile. For most of us, it's just temporary. only about 30% of bypassers dump. I never have - and I know lots of others who never have. If you turn out to be a dumper, you can prevent it by limiting the amount of sugar you eat at one sitting (some people dump on fat - so for those folks, they have to limit the amount of fat they eat at one sitting). That egg you ate definitely wasn't dumping - it was just the infamous egg intolerance.

we were told not to count calories the first few months...just to focus on getting protein and fluids. You're not going to be able to eat enough for awhile to worry about calories.

yep. I had my bypass over eight years ago. I'm healthier now in my 60s than I was in my 30s or 40s. And malnutrition shouldn't be a problem as long as you take your supplements as directed. My bloodwork is always great!

unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", 14 lbs in three weeks is pretty normal. Most of us "average" WLS patients lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first MONTH, so you'll end up somewhere in that range. as for stalling at three weeks post op, do a search on it on this site. I just did. There are literally 17,501 posts on it. Happens to almost everyone. To get through it, stick to your plan and back what off on weighing yourself. Maybe weigh just once or twice a week until it breaks. And it WILL break, as long as you stick to your plan. Usually lasts 1-3 weeks. And it'll likely be the first of many stalls.....

I agree with Greater Fool - they've improved quite a bit on techniques in the last 20 years, so what you're experiencing is less likely to happen. Sorry you've had to deal with that.

32 lbs in two months is excellent. You've lost more than I did in that time frame. Also, stalls are common. You're likely to experience several of them on your journey. When you hit one, make sure you stick to your plan, and back off on weighing yourself for awhile - maybe only once or twice a week until the thing breaks. And as long as you stick to your plan, it WILL break. Usually takes 1-3 weeks to run its course.

very common problem. For some of us, it goes away once we start eating more normal food (i.e., since some of it contains fiber). For others, it's a chronic problem. I still deal with it at over eight years out. First you need to get rid of the current "blockage". You have some good suggestions from the posters above on what to try. After that, take preventative measures to keep it from happening again, People use various OTC meds to keep on top of it - Miralax (I take a capful every morning), stool softeners (like Solace), prunes or prune juice, Smooth Move tea, magnesium tablets, etc. Just figure out what works for you...

I lost over 200 lbs and had a ton of it. It was very easy to hide in clothes, so no one knew it was there except of me (well, other than my husband and doctor). I eventually had it removed, but even if I hadn't, I would have taken thet saggy skin any day of the week over weighing almost 400 lbs again. ANY DAY! Here's a picture of me BEFORE I had my skin removed. See all that saggy skin? I didn't think so. Honestly, being severely obese vs having some saggy skin that no one can see? It was a no brainer for me.