WannabeH

mmy welcome to my world. My weight is constantly fluctuating and in the beginning it infuriated me. I at times have put on 1.5 kgs, but I know now it's because my body is holding onto Fluid. Our bodies may hold onto fluid whilst burning fat. Try not to stress too much and stick to you plan, the weight will come off.

Yep I was relatively comfortable about my decision until I received my surgery date and then the fear kicked in. Also on the morning of the op I shed a few tears because I was worried I was making the wrong decision.... I'm a few months post op now and very happy with my bypass.

I'm 4 months out and not hungry. If I have a busy morning it's sometimes after 10am and I think 'I better have something to eat!' So definitely the bypass has stopped the hunger so far. I've had also had the head hunger, and sometimes I go into auto mode and stuff some food in my mouth...only to have regrets seconds later, because I'm suddenly full with only a tiny amount of food, or the food gets stuck and takes ages to go down. I go into auto mode less and less now because my brain is finally understanding I can't do it anymore!!! ....and that quick food fix is no longer worth it. So the bypass has really helped me psychologically and helped regain control with mind over matter, and now I'm at the stage where I'm really beginning to see a massive change in my body, I never want to loose this feeling again. I love the fact my 'protective bubble' has diminished, it's now been replaced with inner confidence which I find far more powerful then the extra weight I use to carry. So this tool has been very helpful to me both mentally and physically. Good luck gina171 with any of the choices you make

Have your tried putting a little lite cordial/squash in your water? My surgeon said for some reason our bodies metabolise the water when it's a little heavier after surgery. I find if I drink plain water it doesn't quench my thirst, but the cordial makes a difference.

Yes I have had a similar experience. A lot of foods taste dry and bland. But somethings are not too bad. It is frustrating in the early stages, but when I started to achieve real results with the weight loss that itself became the real reward. So for us former 'foodies' it's definitely a game changer....but remember that's why we got this done [emoji6]

Good luck applejenn.....your new life is about to start!

lakegirlmn mine was a mini open surgery (not to be confused with a mini bypass). My scar is about 10cm long. I wish you all the luck in the world. I know what it's like to be addicted to sweets, and the bypass so far has been fantastic. Just be prepared for the first weeks after the procedure as it can be quite challenging getting enough protein and water in. Patience is the key!

My BMI was 35. I had the bypass almost 4 months ago. I just had so much trouble trying to loose weight and considered myself a sugar addict and I didn't trust myself, so I wanted the most restrictive option possible. Also if I did turn to the sweets I wanted the 'dumping syndrome'; but looks like I'm one of those people that don't suffer from dumping, and to be honest, now I'm glad I don't have dumping as my dietary lifestyle has undergone such a radical change (I generally don't do meats and eggs very well). I find myself having a lot of Protein drinks and bars as an easier way to have protein. I also have to remind myself to eat ... which I love as pre-op I was always thinking of food. Another reason that swayed me was I read with the Gastric Bypass in general the weight loss is greater and there is a higher percentage rate of long term success, so that also swayed me to the GB. I'm now at a 26 BMI, so I'm just out of the 'normal' weight range. The greatest negative is I've started to have hair loss which is a little scary. Although I still have have thick hair, but I'm not sure for how long. I just had my blood work done and my levels are excellent ( I make sure I take my vitamins) except my ferritin levels are low, which could be a contributor to the hair loss. I also had a minor complication with a broken blood vessel during the operation, so I lost a couple of units of blood. I did have a blood transfusion straight after the op, and now I feel reasonable good but I just need to increase my iron/ferritin with more tablets. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I know there's no way in the world I could have done this on my own, after many years of trying. Now I receive endless compliments, and I really am for the first time in a long time beginning to feel good about myself. Good luck with any choices you may make!

I'm almost 4 months post op and enjoying the 'honeymoon' when I never feel hungry and have to remind myself to eat. My question is more for the veterans, once the honeymoon was over how strong did your hunger come back? Did you find you still had reasonable control or did hunger come back with a vengeance?

Thanks for your comments. It looks like for some there isn't much of a honeymoon. Good luck to all of you. Pedro have you seen your dietician, may they can help, or maybe you are encountering one of those infamous stalls. ...

I'm 3 months post op and yes the first few weeks my energy was far from good. On average the maximum calories I eat now would be 700 (and I make sure I take my vitamins), but now my energy is good, in fact really good. It actually amazes me how well my body does on such a low food intake. I think it's partly because my body doesn't have to work so hard on processing all the food I used to eat. I'm certainly not perfect but I eat mostly clean now and alcohol doesn't interest me (I know it's different for everyone). I also sleep better.

pinkguppy you are describing me pre-op. I would eat sugar straight out of the sugar bowl or buy a dozen donuts just for the icing only and then throw the rest of the donut away. After eating sugar in what ever form I literally would get a high and then would feel a sense of calm. I couldn't control my addiction. I'm only 3 months post op, but the surgery has changed me. The cravings have gone and now if I have a little sugar it taste incredibly sweet. So far I've haven't had to work too hard on the psychological aspect, because the procedure did this for me. I just want to add I know things may change, but this surgery has given me an incredibly good start on breaking the addiction.

I agree pre-op is tough. Post op the game changes and you'll likely be struggling to eat and getting enough protein in. Just hang in there and do your best. It's all worth it. Best of luck!

I strongly recommend taking before photos. I'm now 3 months post op and a lot of weight has dropped off. I now take a photo every month to mark my progress , and I find it amazing to watch my body change; and I can't believe I was ever that big.

Well done from me too. You look fantastic!

.....and now it's time to rest and heal. Be patient with yourself and your body. If you face challenging times remember it gets better!

Congrats to you [emoji122]???? ..a lovely story. It was also very brave of you to make the decision so young, now you have a long life ahead of you were you can life to the fullest.

Jools64 give yourself time. I'm still a relative newbie myself at 8 weeks and the energy does come back. I'm still on the learning curve with food and slowly learning what I can and can't eat. So I agree it is a major change; I would have never imagined that I would be the person that would have to remind herself to eat. I had the 3 week stall, I also put on about 4 pounds during that time (I was ready to throw my scale out the window), but it's now it steadily coming off. You may want to try increasing your Water intake, if you can. As a lack of liquid may contribute to stalls, but regardless I'm sure those pounds will start dropping again!

Hi, I'm 7 weeks post op. I'm finding most meats (fish, pork, mince etc) taste dry and bland, even though my family members tell me it's juicy and tasty. Has anyone had this experience, and did your tastebuds improve after a while?

bigguy928 your complication sounds like what happened to me; and I was pretty good during my pre-op diet, and the proof was my surgeon said my liver was in excellent condition. When I was in recovery I felt incredibly nauseous and all I wanted to do was vomit, finally I did and threw up at least half a cup of blood. I also ended up needing a blood transfusion. I was rushed back into surgery. I found out my blood loss was due to a burst blood vessel. I too was in hospital 2 days longer. So sometimes if you are good or bad complications can happen regardless! Although I'm feeling much better now, and I'm glad you are doing well now too.

I had a bad day last week. I ate some chicken with low fat mayo. I spent the next 4 hours frothing and heaving and throwing up several times during the afternoon. I had chicken a few days beforehand and I was fine. I'm putting it down to maybe eating too fast or the chicken was too dry. I consider that to be a bad day out of mostly good days.

You look amazing. Such an epic loss in a short amount of time. You also look soooo young now, you look half your age from your 1st photo. Congrats!!

I'm sure some of you may have already seen this before for those who haven't you may find this interesting ...... it's an explanation on why our body has weight loss stalls: The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet. However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

I'm only 5 weeks out but I'm already at a weight where I haven't been for 5 years. Good luck tomorrow and remember be patient with your body during the healing process. Good luck!

Yep normal. I'm now 5 weeks post op and finally getting my energy back during the day. Although in the evening I'm still feeling it. Mind you I did nearly a 4 mile walk today. Just be patient and let your body heal and you'll feel better in no time [emoji6]