Airstream88

Dumping syndrome, also called “rapid gastric emptying”: Happens when food (especially sugar) moves too quickly from the stomach into the small intestines Is common after bariatric procedures that bypass a large portion of the small intestine, like gastric bypass surgery Comes in two forms: early dumping (30 minutes after eating) and late dumping (over time) Includes symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, bloating, fainting, anxiety, and weakness Is usually treated effectively by diet changes and/or lying down after eating (does not usually require medical treatment) Is often thought of as a “good thing” by weight loss surgery patients since it discourages poor diet choices

Yep. I think once the surgical tape fell off I was allowed to use Benadryl cream.

My surgeon tested for leaks the morning following my surgery. I think as long as you follow the food stages as prescribed and don't eat things your stomach isn't healed enough for, leaks should not occur. One patient at my surgeon's went to Taco Bell on the way home from the hospital and had a taco. Another's family ordered pizza on the day she came home which she ate (talk about sabotage and disfunctional families!). Both ended up right back in the hospital.

The hair loss is the normal shedding we all experience regardless of surgery. The problem is the hair isn't growing back because the body is using the limited nutrition we are feeding it to take care of more important things. My stylist has discouraged me from doing anything that might cause further distress to my hair follicles. I do have my roots done to hide the grey which helps make my hair look less thin but no highlights or perming.

You should go for whatever weight you want. I'm sure your PA was just trying to give you a realistic goal so you wouldn't be disappointed if you can't make that goal. I'm in the opposite situation. My surgeon has my goal weight at 140 pounds. I haven't been that since I was 16 years old. My NUT has my goal weight as being 199 - 222 (70 - 80% of my excess weight). I was actually pretty satisfied weighing around 200 so if I get there then I will be thrilled.

My NUT recommends eating 4 - 5 mini meals a day every 3 - 4 hours. She doesn't want us to be hungry in between meals. This might help with your hunger. Also if you are more active, you probably need more calories. Add a healthy snack in between 2 of your 3 meals.

How many calories are you taking in per day? At 4.5 months I was at 800 - 1000 minimum. You many not be eating enough, especially on those days you are exercising. That said, the weight loss does slow down the farther out you are from surgery. My NUT has me eating 4- 5 meals daily - approx. 3 oz protein at each meal, 2 multigrains and 2 fruits daily (not at the same meal) and 3 healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, guacamole, etc). I lost 37 pounds the first month, then 9, then 13, then 9, then 15, then 15, and probably may only lose 10 for the 7th month.

Yes it's normal to feel nervous. Any surgery is a big deal, especially because this one changes your life forever. I won't lie and say there aren't foods that I miss, but now at 7 months I can pretty much eat any healthy thing I want and small bits of things like chocolate from time to time. It's hands down the best thing I've ever done for myself. My quality of life has improved dramatically. The arthritis in my knees and back is so much better. Since I waited so long to do the RNY, I won't ever be running or jumping again but just being able to walk more than 10 feet pain free is game changer.

Did your surgeon prescribe you a anti-reflux medicine like Prevacid? I had to take that for 6 months. Also, are you getting your fluids and protein in? Especially the fluids - you could be dehydrating. If you can't drink plain water, try warm or hot decaf tea, broth, etc.

I don't count calories or carbs. My protein goal is 75 - 90. I have 2 servings of multigrains and 2 servings of fruit daily, 3 healthy fats daily to include nuts, olive oil, etc and greens veggies if there is room. I probably eat between 1200 - 1300 daily depending on exercise level.

I'm only 7 months out but I can eat a piece of dark chocolate and a tiny bite of cake without dumping. However, I totally avoid anything made with pure sugar. I had a teensy, tiny bite of a jellied fruit slice and while I didn't dump, I felt bad for 30 minutes. bariatriceating.com has great recipes using the Stevia or Truvia baking blends. I've made the brownies made with black beans, the pumpkin bread, and the chocolate chip cookies. Not exactly like the full sugar originals but close enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without having to worry about dumping (which I have never experienced so far)

I had my RNY last October. I am eating both salads and fruit. At first eating real food is strange. It feels heavy in the new stomach and can cause some minor discomfort. And something you may try one month may not feel so great but then a month or two later it's fine. You just need to chew well, eat slow and not give up. At almost 7 months I can eat most proteins, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, broccoli, thin asparagus, spinach, grilled zucchini, etc. I eat toasted multigrain breads, multigrain crackers but haven't really tried any rice or pasta to speak of. The thing with salads is you should really eat the protein first and then you don't have as much space after. So lots of times I have lots of salad left over.

In my bariatric practice, the Nutritionist is a registered Dietician who specializes in Bariatric patients. Our surgeon defers to her in the areas of what to eat and when. My plan is 4 -5 meals daily at least 3 hours apart. Each meal to have 3 oz protein - eaten first, a multigrain or fruit serving (2 each max per day - not to be eaten at the same meal) and any quantity of green veggies. At 6 weeks I was supposed to be eating at least 800 calories and at 7 months I'm around 1200 or so. Of course it wasn't until 12 weeks that I could fit in anything but the protein and only 1 - 2 oz so I still supplemented with a protein shake daily. At almost 7 months, I eat only real food as I can' stand protein shakes any longer. They make me gag.

Exercise may not help with weight loss but building up your core muscles really helps with everyday living and not so everyday situations. I was working out with a trainer years prior to surgery. Within that time I ruptured my Achilles Tendon, had to have surgery, and was in a non-weight bearing cast for 3 weeks. At 370 pounds, if I hadn't built up my arm, stomach and back muscles, I would have not been able to get out of the bed. Those muscles in my stomach, back and glutes along with my arms helped hold my weight while transferring on one leg from the bed to the commode or the bed to the wheelchair and then when I was using the walker. I can't emphasize enough the benefits to doing core exercises to strengthen stomach, back and glutes and some weight training for the arms and legs. You never know when you have to rely on them.

Have you been taking your vitamins, calcium, iron, and B12 vitamins as directed? If not, you are probably suffering from Vitamin deficiencies as MarinaGirl said. It can take years before the side effects show up. Go to your doctor and have bloodwork done to check your levels!

WLS isn't a miracle cure and it won't solve your self-esteem issues. You may also still crave those sugary, salty, fatty foods afterwards. I would say get your issues worked out with your therapist and then pursue your options. I am so glad I had my Gastric Bypass surgery and only wished I had gotten it sooner before arthritis screwed up my knees, back and neck. I feel so much better.

Probably. The fullness feeling happens much higher up post-op than pre-op. Normally I feel it right between my breasts. It gets worse if you eat that 1 or 2 more bites than you should. That happened to me yesterday and I felt miserable until it went away.

I'm pretty much eating the same proteins I ate prior to surgery. Chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, crab and some white fish. Pre-op I taught myself to like yogurt so I would have something to eat during the soft foods stage but after eating it for 3 weeks straight, I can no longer stand the stuff. The only thing I have forced down is the protein shakes and that stopped once I could eat enough real food to make my protein goal.

You probably aren't eating enough yet. My NUT has all her WLS patients eating 5 times a day - - every 3 -4 hours. Protein and fluids were our only goal at 1 month - no calorie counting. At that time I was just starting to eat solid foods and could barely eat more than 1oz of solid meat like chicken, steak, etc. We weren't allowed to have any raw or fibrous veggies until week 6. But I never had any room for veggies anyway until the 3rd month. I was probably averaging 400 -600 calories at that point increasing to 800 by the end of month two. You may be experiencing the dreaded 3 week stall. Our bodies have gone through a lot with this surgery and sometimes take a break. Are you constipated? Is it that time of the month? Are you walking or exercising yet?

I was like you - healthy but overweight for my 20s, 30s, and 40s, Then everything went to hell. HIgh blood pressure, bordering Blood Sugar readings, arthritis in my knees, neck and back, etc. Losing the weight via RNY has helped immensely with all of that. Since you are not having any issues right now you have to ask yourself another question: Have you ever been successful with weight loss and kept it off for any amount of time? Many here were great at losing weight but could not keep it off long term. Also, why are you having DS instead of RNY or VSG? That surgery isn't even offered by my surgeon's practice - a BC/BS Center of Excellence. If you are uncomfortable with that surgery, can you ask for one of the others?

I did not have a revision but with RNY it took until I started eating dense foods around week 6 (chicken, beef, etc) for me to feel the fullness.

Meet your targets consistently and make sure you are eating enough calories. At 3 months I was eating 800 - 1000 calories daily per my surgeon's recommendations. It helps to get the protein in by eating mini-meals every 3 - 4 hours.

You are doing great - you don't seem to have experienced any stalls so you must be doing all the right things. And as long as you are losing a pound a week you are doing good. Are you getting in your fluids and eating your protein? Are you eating enough to support the exercise you are getting? If so, maybe a visit to your nutritionist for a review of your food log is in order. I've found that things are slowing down now that I'm at the 6 month mark but as long as I'm losing I'm happy. Unlike diets that have an end, I view this as a lifetime journey. As long as I follow the plan my nutritionist gave me I'm confident things will move along and I will get to my goal, I'm not in a hurry. (I can't afford to keep changing sizes monthly!!)

My NUT allows me 2 servings of fruit daily to be eaten AFTER the protein serving at a mini-meal. I don't eat fruit every day but do tend to eat it several times a week. I am also allowed 2 multigrain servings daily (not to be eaten at the same time as the fruit serving). So far my weight loss is pretty steady so I'm not seeing any harm from eating these fiber rich foods daily. And I hardly ever have any issues with constipation.

The long term consequences of not taking the multi-vitamin, iron, B12, and calcium as a RNY patient are severe. The most common deficiencies are vitamin B12, folate, zinc, iron, copper, calcium, and vitamin D and can lead to secondary problems, such as osteoporosis, Wernicke encephalopathy, anemia, and peripheral neuropathy.6 There has also been reports of teeth breakage in people who slack off on their vitamin regimen.