gpmed

Has anyone else had it? How did you manage it?

This is interesting. I'm not currently having any trouble, but this sparked a question. I'm 19 months out from RNY and I've had to deal with reactive hypoglycemia. I find it helps me to eat smaller amounts throughout the day instead of three meals and no snacks. So what's the difference between this and grazing? Or how does one do this without falling into the pitfalls grazing presents?

I'm 19 months out. If that's not far enough out for you, I totally understand and you can let this go in one ear and out the other. I recently lost 15 pounds, bringing past my stretch goal. That was after maintaining at a higher weight for months. I believe that months-long lull came partly as a result of the honeymoon phase ending. (I could be wrong. Maybe it gets even worse...haha.) Anyway, my point is, losing that last 15 was pretty hard and took really focused effort. I tracked my food using myfitnesspal and activity using my Fitbit. I set both to the goal of losing two pounds a week. I set a goal of exercising every day. That way, I ended up exercising at least six days a week. About half of my workouts burned about 500 calories and the other half about 300. I did my best not to eat back all of the calories I burned through exercise. I went off the rails twice, but I got right back on track immediately, like the very next day. I also tried really hard to notice when I became susceptible to off-plan food. For example, was I getting cranky/hungry in the afternoon? Then I'd bring an extra protein-filled snack. This worked for me. YMMV. Now I'm just deciding whether to be done losing weight or go after my extra stretch goal...

@@James Marusek I am. I'm locked out.

Hi everyone! I've been a member of this board for about a year and a half, since before my RNY in September 2015. It would be hard to miss the drama that's happened here, but I've sidestepped it because it's just not interesting or relevant to me. What I'm struggling with, though, is finding a place here where I can talk with others about what IS relevant to me. Most of the posts I see are from people who are pre-op or only a short time out from surgery. It's difficult and time-consuming to weed through all of these posts to find anything helpful or that I can relate to as someone more than a year out. At one years, four months out from surgery, I still won't be allowed to post in the vets forum until March. I could use some support, good info or even just camaraderie from people who are further out like me RIGHT NOW. Any suggestions? Where do you all who are a year or more out go for support? Thanks!

@@jenn1 I wonder what the difference is between the neat hour glass and the full hour glass?

So I found the part about the role glucose plays in decision making fatigue really interesting. It helps explain why eat as few calories as possible diets fail while fuel your body with healthy foods (proteins, healthy fats and carbs) diets work.

So there's a stereotype about overweight people: We all think we have a large bone structure. I remember hearing this many years before surgery was even a blip on my radar. I thought, yes that's true. Lots of overweight people probably think they have a large bone structure and don't. But not me. I REALLY have one. Well guess what? I don't. My Fitbit broke after having it 10 months. It was a size large, but I'd gradually been tightening it to nearly the last hole. I measured to make sure a size small would fit before I got a new one. My wrist was 6.25 inches. Wow, that seemed small. So it got me thinking. I looked up a bone structure calculator online. Sure enough, at 5'6" that means I have a medium bone structure. Who would have thought? The fun things you learn after WLS!

@@Hammer_Down All good points. I think they mean how many decisions you make per day, not over long periods of time. The idea is that you rest at night and your decision-making energy is restored each morning. But I see what you mean. Auto-piloting allows us to make good choices without having to think about them. If you just go the gym every day after work, you don't get too caught up in wondering "should I go to the gym today?"

This New York Times article about decision fatigue, particularly it's hidden affects on willpower, really has me thinking. The idea is that each time we make a decision throughout the day, including going to the gym when we don't want to or resisting junk food, it uses mental energy and makes it harder to make a decision or resist temptation later. I've never thought about it quite this way before. I'm wondering if having a strategy for dealing with decision fatigue towards the end of the day can help us stay on track. Thoughts? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?contentCollection=smarter-living&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

I'd listen if a medical professional, especially more than one, told me I was too thing. As for anyone else, pfffft. My surgeon is reluctant to set any kind of goal weight for patients. I told him at my one-year appointment that I didn't feel overweight anymore, but my BMI was still 28. He said that's the average BMI for Americans now, so I guess I wasn't overweight anymore for an American. He told me and I've heard here that many people bounce back up a small amount after two years or so. I'd feel good if that bound up was to where I am now, so I'd like to lose some more for that reason. If people start telling me I'm too skinny, I'll just laugh and remind myself they don't know what "normal" looks like anymore.

For me personally, I believe I received a tried and true WLS method when I had RNY. It's been proven to work. If I ending up gaining back so much weight that I'd quality for WLS again, I will feel that I messed up big time. I can't say for sure what I'd do if I reached that point cause I'm not there, but I think I'd be too embarrassed to ask for a revision. I will have failed cause of me, not the surgery. However, I disagree with the quote about the lap band. My hospital stopped performing that surgery more than a year ago because it just doesn't work well enough for enough people. So if someone had RNY or sleeve gastronomy after a band, I'd see them as getting the "right" surgery this time and not fault them so much for the first one not working. If they failed to change their habits so that RNY or sleeve didn't work, THEN I'd say it's on them. Just my $0.02.

I'll cut right to the chase: What I'd prefer to do: Catch an Uber to the hospital on the day of surgery and catch an Uber from the hospital when I'm released. Between those rides, friends can visit to their hearts content. Do this. It's your surgery and time of need. When someone offers support in your time of need, it's up to you to decide whether you want that support and politely accept or decline. Then it's up to your family and friends to respect that you know what you want and what's best for yourself and accept your decision. Remember, this YOUR time of need, not their time of need.

@@kayelly It should be safe to sip continuously. Liquids move through the pouch much faster than solid food. Shortly after surgery, you really need to get in all the fluids you can to prevent dehydration. The 30/30 rule comes into play when eating solid foods.