talkingmountain

Relief from GERD has been a wonderful byproduct of my RNY. Dumping only happens if you eat stuff you shouldn't be eating. So if you eat what you are supposed to eat, you will be fine! So no fried foods, no high-sugar foods. I also can't tolerate any of the sugar alcohols so that's made it easier to tame my sweet tooth

My program emphasizes learning to listen to your body rather than weighing and measuring. So far it's worked for me. Some days I'm super hungry and others I'm not. Some days I can eat an entire quart of salad for lunch and other days only half that. When Ive eaten too much, I know because my stomach hurts. Usually this happens when I eat too fast. Used to be able to shovel the food in but not any More!

@vegbeth, fwiw I read in some published research study that only about 20-25% of protein is not absorbed after having RNY. the average woman only needs about 30-ish grams of protein The "60 grams a day" recommended some programs recommend even higher!) has no basis in research-backed science - its just a guess that was made back when RNY was much more invasive/restrictive/malabsorptive So, given all that (and the fact that I'm a year+ out from surgery and in the "maintenance" phase) I shoot for an average of about 35-39 grams a day (I.e. 25% over the average woman's needs). . I dont worry about getting exactly that every day, since some days I have less and other days I have more. I enter my food into Cronometer every once in a while to make sure I'm in the right ballpark. So far this is working for me. My blood works is great and I feel great. My kidney function is excellent (excess protein causes kidney damage). BP has gone from 140s/90s to 110s/60s If I can cut out the daily hunks of BellaVitano Merlot cheese (new obsession!) I hope to get my cholesterol down from 180 to my goal of 150!

Happy new year to everyone! Like others who've posted on this forum, I want to move towards a more plant-based diet. For my, my goal is hopefully to return to being mostly vegan (I've gotten re-hooked on cheese, ugh!) There aren't many of us out there, and we are constantly subjected to misinformation -- even criticism -- about how we "need" to eat animals products regularly. So here's the challenge: pick one day a week and post on this thread on that day EVERY WEEK until Valentine Day. Post more if you want; once a week S the minimum. Post about anything you want -- what you ate that day, what you wish you'd eaten, something funny your cat did...anything goes! Let's just start supporting each other by simply letting other veg*n & " eg*n wannabes" know they aren't alone. Who's in?

@Shana Lee Most of my meals include some variation on beans, salads, potatoes, nuts, and fruit (particularly oranges and berries). These have become my "go to" foods -- they leave me satisfied, taste great, are easy to prepare, and always agree with my "pouch." I have air-popped popcorn sprayed with soy sauce and smothered in nutritional yeast almost every night. Oh, and some good quality dark chocolate most nights 😄 Lately I've been drinking some wine and also eating more foods that are "high" (relatively speaking, lol) in sugar. And eating cheese (not just a sprinkle as a flavorant -- I mean eating several ounces at a sitting!). Cheese is horribly constipating and I've started having "late dumping" from the sugar... soooo it looks like I need to "dump" the crap from my routine, which is just as well: empty junk food calories are the devil!

@Shana Lee My "exercise regimen" is super basic. try to walk briskly at least 15 minutes a day, usually during my lunch break on weekdays.When I feel like it, I try for 30-45 minutes because some days I don't walk at all. Basically that's it! On Saturdays over the Summer, I was jogging about 1-2 miles at a trail near my home. But Jogging seems to make my tendinitis flare up so am not sure I'll do it again this summer. I started lifting weights 2-3 times a week this Winter but injured my shoulder so didn't accomplish much. Wanted to build up some bulk because I'm actually too skinny (lol never thought I'd say those words!) I don't feel like I exercise enough.... But fwiw we were talking about exercise at my local support group and I was shocked to discover that I was literally the only one in the room who even walks regularly! what are you doing for exercise? And have you ever tried Zumba?

Hi there ! I'm sorry for "disappearing" after starting this thread! My mom has Parkinson's and when it's bad, I tend not to have any spare time at all for internet posts! Anyway I hope to have some time this week to post more, including responding to some of your questions, Shana Lee. I've been in a terrible hard cheese phase and the past two days without it have been full of cravings! Cheese has casomorphines in it and you guessed it - that's a relative of morphine. Which explains why cheese can feel almost like an addictive substance, lol! How is everyone's weight loss and blood work going?

VegBeth, it's normal to have sad feelings sometimes. You did all the smart things -- reached out to your therapist, posted here, etc. If you can walk or do any form of gentle exercise, that can be a huge help. I hope your beautiful kitty cat gives you some additional comfort as you continue to heal!

I feel your pain! . I am a former water chugged and also went through a period post-surgery where it cause terrible pain. But it's all better now. Sticking to cool but not ice-cold water and adding a few drops of lemon juice seemed to help. Also, for some reason, SmartWater (a brand of bottled water) didn't bother me as much as regular tap or filtered water. I also found that drinking with a straw (at the suggestion of my surgery program) helped quite a bit -- I actually swallowed less air that way. So hang in there. Your beloved water will become a joy to drink again in a few months.

Split pea soup is high in Protein. It's pretty much all I ate during the first week or so post-surgery. I don't know any canned soups that are low in salt but there might be a reduced-sodium split pea soup available. Don't worry about the relatively high carb count: its mostly Fiber and some complex starches, both of which are good for you, gently on the stomach, and very satisfying. Just read the ingredients to make sure there are no added sugars or added oils (I didn't see any with added sugars, but you might have access to different brands). Some brands have chunks of ham, so watch out for them and pick out the ham before eating; Ham does not agree with a newly post-surgery tummy!

I have BCBS NC and had my surgery last year. I would say that the safest bet is to figure it will cost whatever remains on your out-of-pocket maximum if you have a plan that includes separate company's (which typivpcally do not count towards your out-of-pocket costs) then add that copay in as well. I used the cost estimator but don't remember if it was accurate. If it had been wildly inaccurate I'd probably remember, though, so I'm guessed NC it was correct within a couple thousand$ or so. If you go to a Center of Excellence (which I highly recommend), then they usually have a person who can help you figure up your costs. Avoid getting your surgery in late Dec if you can. I did it Dec 29 and had complications which sent m back to my local ER on Jan 2... which started a whole new deductible year! We will be paying off those medical debts for a loooong time

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 8-10 years ago. Met Forman and spironoloactone helped a bit with the excess facial hair but not much with anything else. Had gbp surgery 1 yr ago and have lost all my excess weight. Other than the facial hair that I already had from past pcos, all the other symptoms are "gone baby gone". What the endocrinologist who diagnosed me said has proven true -- "lose the excess weight and your PCOS will go away". Don't know if this is true for everyone but it was for me.

Omg I eat the stuff with a spoon! LOVE it and its full of B Vitamins and Protein My nightly snack is a big bowl of popcorn sprinkled with low-sodium soy sauce and about 1/2 cup nutritional yeast. Yum.

Are there any Protein bars out there which do not have sugar alcohols in them? I'd like to up my protein a little but every bar I've tried has upset my pouch (RNY). Some of the common sugar alcohols include xylitol, maltitol, erythritol, etc.

Ugh. Well good luck! At least no one else is noticing it!

Many Dress Barns and Cato's have a plus sized section. I've found many a suit there, I also got some nice suits at KMart of all places. Can't think of the brand but it was a famous TV actress's line. Lane Bryant may still sel suits or separates that work as a suit. Jessica London carries suits. If you want to look at a little higher price point, Nordstrom, Macy's, Bloomingdales, all sell plus suits online. I imagine some of the stores carry them in-store, too If you want to pm me your size, I will see if any of the suits I'm planning to donate would fit you. They are all pantsuits; I don't do skirts, lol!

I'm the same way. Arms, legs, face are all normal looking now, but my belly and back still have loads of fat. I've heard that when losing weight, it's "first on, last off". That's certainly proving true for me!

Now that I'm post surgery, I have to amend what I'd like to see in a vegan Protein powder. Before surgery, I wished for a powder that was sweetened with fructose, xylitol or erythritol. Post surgery, I can't handle any amount of sugar alcohols, and my nutritionist says that is pretty common. So, my "perfect" Protein Powder would be sweetened with little or no stevia, and monk fruit, a tiny amount of real sugar (so it tastes natural), and/or perhaps the new "sweet fiber" like VitaFiber.

I will be starting my liquid pre-op liquid diet soon. The purpose is to shrink my liver so it has to be low carb (6-7 carbs max) & high Protein (min 15 g) all-liquids to help clean out my intestines. Problem is, all the protein drinks I've tried literally nauseate me. Some even give me an immediate headache. Obviously I have to find something, and fast! Here are the drinks I've tried: - Premier Protein (ready-to-drink, vanilla. This was sooo sweet, with a horrible artificial sweet taste. (And is the brand that is most people's favorite !) - Atkins Advantage coffee flavor. The first few sips weren't too bad, but it's then the sweetness took over, and it even gave me a headache. - Vega One chocolate had the same too-sweet, artificial sweetened flavor that makes me gag. Plus since its dairy free, it has a slight gritty/grainy texture. - Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein chocolate had the same problems as Vega One. - Garden of Life Raw Protein chocolate was the only one that Sint have the sickeningly sweet taste. Since its dairy free, it has a slight gritty/grainy texture, but I think I could live with that better than the sickening sweetness odf the others. If I had to. Years ago I was on a doctor-supervised liquid diet and I recall liking the drinks quite well, so there's got to be something out there!

@oxbermaid - sorry for the late reply! I'm not very good at figuring out this forum thing so I just saw your posts! The unjury chicken soup was a lifesaver during the pre op diet. Post op tho it's pretty unappealing, tho not a nauseating as the sweet shakes. By now YOU must be post op too! How are things going for you?

However you spell it, this is my first post to BariatricPal! Got a "welcome message" when I joined this group that suggested I give some background, so here's a little about me. I hope to get a surgery date next week. I've jumped through all the hoops other than the 4-hr educational class and whatever pre-op is required. I'm hoping to get it done either the week before Christmas or the first week of January. Now that I've finally decided to do this, it can't happen soon enough as far as I'm concerned! The nearest WLS center is 2 hrs away but my GP is very supportive and has other WLS patients, so I am not worried about the distance. The WLS is a " Center of excellence I've toyed with the idea of WLS for more than 10 years. Each time I started thinking seriously about it, I'd give healthy eating one more try-- usually with minimal results. About 6 years ago, though, I adopted a low-fat, plant-based diet and lost almost 50 lbs -- way more than I'd ever lost on Weight Watchers (9 times), Jenny Craig, OptifSt, Atkins, the Zone,...you know the story! And even though I felt fantastic, somehow the crap started sneaking back in and I regained all the weight (plus some extra, of course). A couple of months ago the idea of WLS popped into my head out of the blue, and it just felt right. Since then I've gone full bore on meeting the requirements. Once I go through the mandatory 4-hr class, I'll have met all the program's requirements and they will submit my paperwork for insurance approval. If I understand the process correctly, I can get a surgery date once insurance approves me. Since I've met all the insurance requirements, it is not supposed to take them long. I am 5'6" and weigh about 255-265 lbs. I think that makes my excess weight about 130-140 lbs (assuming an ideal weight of 125 lbs). Supposedly most WLS patients stabilize at 50-70% of excess weight lost. If I'm using the right calculations, that would be 164 to 195 lbs. I'd really like to stabilize at 145-150 lbs, though if I stabilized at 15-170 and didn't have to struggle to stay there, I'd be satisfied. But boy, I sure would hate to get my guts rearranged to end up at almost 200 lbs!

Hi DDBug, I am praying that you get good news at your appointment. In the event that you find that it is RA, though, please look up Dr John McDougall (a doctor whose diet has been shown to halt numerous autoimmune disorders - he provides all his info for free) and Dr Garth Davis (a Bariatric surgeon who recommends a McDougall-like diet to his patients). Both are leaders in their fields and will be easy to google. Congratulations on your baby boy and your weight loss. I hope you get some answers soon!

Congratulations MsLeann! What an exciting time for you! Pain seems to vary a lot but the vast majority of people I know we're off pain meds within a few days. For me the pain the first 4 days was horrible, but it was gas related - the surgery itself caused only minor discomfort. Never needed anything but Gas-X strips after that (LOTS of Gas-X strips, Lola!) I think it's unlikely you will need pain meds by week 3 and if you do, most likely Tylenol will be sufficient. To be safe, get a bottle of Childrens Tylenol so you have it if you need it The most important thing you can do to ensure you are ready in 3 weeks is to prevent complications. I ended up having to stay in the hospital a week due to dehydration (couldn't keep anything, even Water, down for the first 4 days) and then the night they sent me home I developed trouble breathing and 104.7 temp -- yes the hospital had sent me home with pneumonia so I ended up spending a second week in hospital. Even though I had done everything they said to do (walked a LOT & used spirometer every couple of hours), after my surgery had refused to let me take my asthma maintenance inhalers ("the dr didn't prescribe it") and they ignored my complaints that my chest felt tight and I couldn't get in a full breath of air. Now don't worry - pneumonia is a rare complication. The point of all that is that it's critical to not only stay hydrated, walk, and use your spirometer (even once you are home), but also while you are in the hospital do not let them ignore you. Many of us who have been obese a long time have "people pleaser" tendencies and it can be hard for us to insist on our needs being taken seriously. One tip on staying hydrated at home - buy yourself a nice 16- or 20-fl-oz insulated travel mug that's all steel inside (my favorite brand is Contigo because of the one-handed operation and they simply do not leak). It will keep hot things hot and cold things cold for hours, and the steel interior won't give your drinks any kind of "off" flavors. Keep it full and just take it with you everywhere (that's where leakproof comes in handy -just throw it in your bag when you leave the house). For typical 20-fl-oz mug, you only need to refill it 3 1/4 times to get all your fluids in. 30 mins after every meal, start drinking and aim to finish one before your next meal. It's easy peasy!

Of course check with your doctor, but assuming he/she isn't opposed to you taking pills,, I don't see any reason to continue crushing pills of the size you showed. I am 3 weeks post-op and am back to taking fill-sized Calcium citrate pills and generic Allegra pills. Both would be considered "horse pills" in size. My doc okayed any size pill the second week, but warned that the big ones like calcium pills may fill me up for a while (and they do)! I waited till week 3 just to be safe. I'm careful to take a sip of Water and hold it so the pill can slide down really easily, and I take only one pill at a time, no matter it's size. One alternative to taking the crushed pills is getting your meds in liquid or "quick-melt" form. They did this for my antibiotics right after surgery (I had pneumonia so was on antibiotics for 2 wks). I bought children's formulas for all my other meds, though now I've switched back to regular.