catwoman7

it depends on the person - and also what kind of job you're talking about. I had bypass - and a desk job. I took three weeks off, but I could have gone back after two.

it does for most people (not all - but most). I had bypass - hunger comes back from most bypassers sometime during the first year post-op - I'm not 100% sure about sleevers.

Arabesque answered the food question well - so ditto what she said. as for exercise, in the beginning I walked and did water aerobics, because at over 300 lbs, that was pretty much all I could do. The last few years I've added Zumba and bicycling (I think those started up when I got to around 200 lbs). oh - I also did the stationary bike at the gym right away, too - those things can handle over 300 lbs. .

according to your profile, you're hoping to lose about 150 lbs, so yes, you'll almost certainly have loose skin. Fortunately, most of us are able to hide it pretty well by the way we dress. I'm sure no one noticed mine (well, except my husband...). I originally lost 235 lbs, so I had a ton of it (I've since had it removed since it was driving me nuts, even though no one could see it). Honestly, I think I can speak for most vets who've lost 100+ lbs that we'd take the lose skin any day of the week over being morbidly obese again. ANY DAY!!!

these are the guidelines of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. They give the requirements for all the common surgeries (including RNY and VSG) - might have to scroll down a ways to see it. As long as your vitamins "fit" these requirements, you should be fine ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf

actually, I've only seen very few programs that allow gummies. Most say no...

soft chews would be fine. We were just told no gummies.

Mine completely went away the first three years after surgery. I have reflux issues occasionally again now, but they're mild - nothing some Tums or Rolaids won't knock out. gastric bypass IS known to improve if not outright cure GERD for most people (not all - but most people)

yes - that's the usual recommendation for patients with GERD. Sleeve can make that worse (it doesn't in everyone, but it does in some). Bypass usually improves if not outright cures it. I had bypass for the same reason.

yes - there are a lot of hormonal things that go on the first few weeks after surgery. A lot of women complain about screwed up menstrual cycles as well as moodiness. It has to do with estrogen being stored in fat cells - it's released during rapid weight loss. It'll all level out eventually and things will go back to normal. Just hang in there...

seven years out. I lost 235 lbs and put about 20 lbs back on during year 3 (which is pretty common - most of us experience a 10-20 lb rebound after hitting our lowest weight). there are no food restrictions once you get a few months out. Some people can't tolerate certain foods (I can't handle really fat-laden meals, for example), but nothing is off the table once you're out a ways. I can eat pork and other red meat with no problem. Edited to add that I almost never went off plan until I was a year out. I'm not really on any plan anymore other than I still eat the minimum grams of protein that I'm required to eat. I'm also cognizant of my calorie intake, but I'm not longer obsessive about it. If I eat too much one day, I just cut back a bit the next day. As long as it all evens out in the end and my weight is pretty stable, I don't worry about it.

like Arabesque said, food plans vary - your clinic should give you a plan to follow.

I wasn't allowed to eat fruit that had skins or seeds for the first few weeks (strawberries definitely have seeds) - but like others have said, check with your plan. Plans can vary...

^^^ agree with everything she said.

could be the gum - either air or the artificial sweetener they use. otherwise, some people develop intolerance to certain foods after surgery. Some become lactose intolerant - and some can't handle some of the artificial sweeteners (esp sugar alcohols - the ones whose names end in -itol. Like xylitol or maltitol or sorbitol. Those can cause G/I distress in some people.

a couple of things going on here - 1) purees go through you pretty quickly. You'll start feeling restriction when you move to solid food. 2) as others have said, you've had nerves cut, and it takes awhile for them to regenerate. So right now, your stomach isn't really talking to your brain. Just measure out what you're supposed to eat and eat that, rather than going by your former full signals. and speaking of which, full signals are often different after surgery. I rarely feel "full" in the way I did before surgery. Now, I start feeling a discomfort in my chest - sort of like a pressure. I know once I start feeling that, I need to quit eating or I'm going to be sorry. Others have even weirder "full" signals - like a runny nose or sneezing! So it may take awhile to figure out your new "full" cues, too. But this'll all come with time..

it took awhile before I needed smaller sizes - but then, a lot of my clothes weren't exactly "form fitting", since I wanted to hide my fat! But I can say that 10 lbs can mean a different size when you're at or close to a normal BMI. It's quite a bit more than that the further above normal BMI you get. I think I wore the same clothes for a good 30 or so lbs -- maybe more - at least at the beginning.

I haven't been to a Smoothie King since I had surgery because I assume their smoothies are loaded with calories - but then I've never actually checked. But I would definitely check that before going, if I were you. I make my own smoothies at home - then I can control the sugar and calories. I just googled their nutrition page. Even at almost seven years out, most of these are too high in calories for me (a meal for me is 300-500 calories - a snack more like 100-200). A handful of these would work for me calorie-wise at this juncture - but probably not when I was early out. Plus the carbs are very high, if you're on a low-carb plan https://www.smoothieking.com/menu/smoothies/nutrition/fitness-blends

he's just joking around

docusate should be fine. It'll come - eventually! Probably soon if it's been a week already...

I like them, too - I think we're among the few! I still drink one almost every day at nearly seven years out!

it took me a week. That seems to be pretty normal. There's not much in there - plus it takes a few days for your intestines to fully "wake up" from the anesthesia. Be aware that that first BMI can be a doozy. Some people start taking stool softeners or Miralax a few days before to make it easier to pass. May not be a bad idea...

from what I've read, about 30% of sleevers have or develop reflux, but it usually can be managed medically (e.g., with PPI's such as omeprazole). There are some who have it so severely that they end up revising to bypass - I don't know the percentage, but I don't think it's huge. It may appear that there are more people who revise than actually do, because people post about it. Those who don't have issues aren't as likely to post about it. Your surgeon may know the stats, though...

that's part of the reason it takes so long to have a BM after surgery, but still, that first one is often awful. Like passing a bowling ball. Stool softeners (or Miralax) make it a bit easier...

I'd mention it - if you're not on some kind of PPI, they may put you on one. A lot of surgeons automatically put all of their WLS patients on one for the first 3-6 months after surgery. also, not everyone is ready to move on to the next step. If your stomach is complaining, it's fine to keep at the previous step (in your case, purees) for another week or so before trying again.