MiteyMom

Has anyone been told they cannot have a Roux-enY (RNY) if your BMI is over 50 even though your weight is less than 350 pounds? And the Duodenal Switch (DS) would be the choice? I hear horror stories about the DS. Any comments would be appreciated.

Congratulations!!! What a tremendous journey you've been on and you are an inspiration to us all! Best wishes for continued success!

Begin focusing on how you feel, like clothes being looser, sitting in chairs more comfortably, walking easier, etc. And don't keep a scale in your house! Yes, it will make you crazy! Hang in there. The weight will come off especially if you start some exercise. And do it slowly. Someone earlier said its a marathon not a sprint. Be kind to yourself. And be proud of every pound you've already lost, knowing it will stay off!! I'm rooting for you!!

I don't have a scale in the house. My surgeon recommended that. I've been following the eating plan and I exercise every day , at least 5 days/week, sometimes 7, for 30-60 minutes. I go by how my clothes fit. Clothes that were skin tight on surgery day are now very baggy and falling off me. I'm down 3 sizes in past two months. My next weigh in is my 100 day post op visit which will be May 31st. So between now and then I follow the eating plan and I exercise and we will see what my body does! Don't worry, focus your energy on taking care of your new body with good nutrition and hydration and you will see results.

I hope the suggestions help you Katie. And everyone, Thanks for all the ideas! I'm two months post RNY and have nausea daily. I will try the ISOpure. I'm already on lactose free milk but maybe I can find Fairlife and try that.

Too hot or too cold can cramp your pouch. Also too much at one time. I know it's easy to forget to sip and not gulp. Maybe slowing down will help. It takes me 30-40 minutes to consume an 8oz protein drink, sometimes longer if my pouch is cranky.

I so wish I could wear jeans/ pants. All my weight is in my hips and thighs and I haven't worn jeans in 25 years! Even losing over 65 lbs hasn't let me fit into pants. And I DO NOT WEAR stretch pants. So I'm looking forward to losing more weight, having the plastic surgery for the excess droopy skin and someday I will walk into Nordstroms and ask the personal shopper to find me some pants!!! I'm happy for the rest of you gals! Happy shopping!!

In my recovery, I was instructed to advance to soft foods after liquids and chewing 20-30 times, basically purée ing the food in your own mouth, to a baby food consistency. So foods that work well are low fat cottage cheese, low fat refried black beans, non fat low sugar yogurt, Siggi yogurt, strawberries, soft cheeses like Havarti, Oscar Meyer honey smoked deli turkey, Proti diet oatmeal, Progresso chicken Alfredo soup (chew the chicken well). Shrimp has been good for me, just make sure it's not over done and tough. Any meats should be cooked in a slow cooker to make them really tender, as well as the veggies. Good luck!

My recovery did not include puréed foods because I was instructed to chew my soft foods 20-30 times to purée it in my mouth to a baby food consistency. That made transitioning to soft foods easy. Tolerable soft foods for me are low fat cottage cheese, low fat refried black beans, Progresso Chicken Alfredo soup (chew the chicken up well before swallowing), non fat Greek yogurt, Siggi yogurt, strawberries (chewed up well), soft cheeses like Havarti, Proti oatmeal, honey smoked turkey deli meat chewed well, and of course eggs. Take it slow with introducing new foods. Good luck!

My recovery did not include puréed foods because I was instructed to chew my soft foods 20-30 times to purée it in my mouth to a baby food consistency. That made transitioning to soft foods easy. Tolerable soft foods for me are low fat cottage cheese, low fat refried black beans, Progresso Chicken Alfredo soup (chew the chicken up well before swallowing), non fat Greek yogurt, Siggi yogurt, strawberries (chewed up well), soft cheeses like Havarti, Proti oatmeal, honey smoked turkey deli meat chewed well, and of course eggs. Take it slow with introducing new foods. Good luck!

Ambermj, I so feel for you. I am 2 months post RNY and I face every day with nausea. Eating/drinking through it is a challenge indeed. I'm told it will pass but no time frame given as to when. In the meantime, I'm on two meds for it. What helps me is drinking/eating really slowly; and nothing real cold or hot as that causes cramping in my new pouch. Keeping hydrated is so crucial. Get your water in. I love grape so I add Hi-C or Kool-Aid sugar free liquid or crystals to my water. And again, you can't drink quickly anymore. Sip- sip-sip. Hang in there!

I'm two months post RNY and still have nausea daily. I have to eat really slow. Cold liquids make it worse, so nothing iced. I tried switching from chewable to liquid vitamins and that seems to help. And I've switched from Lactaid milk 1% to Unsweetened Almond milk and that has helped with the bloating feeling. Also sleeping with head of bed raised helps prevent morning nausea on waking. Also, don't get constipated. That makes the nausea worse. I'm on 2 anti-nausea meds. Some days are better than others. I'm told it will pass. I guess time will tell.

You want to start making changes long before you have surgery as the surgery is only another tool for you to reach your weight loss goal. For me, it is the last tool as I have done everything else and could not lose the weight or keep it off. What I did was I started an exercise program 2 years prior to the surgery and it paid off as I was able to move about easily pre and post operatively. I didn't lose much weight, but I really got strong. And that was important to me. Three months before surgery I began practicing the chewing each mouthful 20-30 times, also eating 6 small meals a day, drinking 48-64oz fluids a day, recording what I ate on Myfitnesspal.com. And be ready for "head hunger". When you really aren't hungry but you still want to eat that cheeseburger and fries you see on TV. I am two months post op and have some intense head hunger going on. I remind myself that it's those food commercials, over the years, that got me to 380lbs and today I'm 299 because I followed the post op plan and continue to exercise. So you see, you need to do some soul searching and determine what you want the rest of your life to be like, and are you willing to give up a few things. As they will be replaced with other good things like feeling great! And moving around without pain, or wearing jeans again! Or fitting into an airline seat!! Figure out what's important to YOU and you will know what to do. Good luck!!

OMG I can't believe you all can eat!! I'm two months post RNY and still on soft food and not much of that. Just about everything makes me nauseous. Food that causes less nausea is low fat refried beans, cottage cheese, unsweetened yogurt, strawberries, some soups like turkey barley, and grilled shrimp. I still need the shakes though to get the 80-120grams of protein per day. It's a daily battle for me.

All the above advice is good. My problem is I get full so fast. 2-3 ounces over 30 minutes and I'm done. I'm 2 months post RNY and still have problem getting all my protein and water requirements. I've had nausea since day 1 postop and am on meds. I'm told this will pass but it is frustrating.

Ambernicole, it will get better. You must walk, walk, walk to get that gas moving and out. I too was miserable. It took all my energy to get out of bed and up walking. And you must follow all instructions for keeping hydrated and get the protein needed to heal. It took me a full month before I was feeling ready to get out and about. It is now two months post RNY and I'm at the gym every day riding the bike 4 miles. I never thought it would happen but it did, the energy returned. Recovery from major surgery is no picnic. Our insides have been re-routed and this takes time to heal. Take it one day at a time, don't look too far ahead, follow the plan and you will survive this. Keep a positive attitude!!

What I do is at the top of the hour, example 9am, I will take 20-30 minutes to drink my 6 oz of protein drink. Then, the rest of the hour I sip water. Then, at 11am I have another 6oz of protein over 20-30 minutes. And the rest of the time it's water. I continue to space out the protein over the 12-14 hour day. Every 6oz drink of Nectar or UNJURY has 21-23gr protein. So I need only get 4 shakes in during the day to get the 80gr required. That was when I was 1-3 weeks post op. Now, for me, it's a different challenge but taking the 20-30 minutes to drink protein has trained me to take 20-30 minutes to eat the soft food that I'm learning to eat.

UNJURY is another great option. It has all the amino acid proteins you need. Not all protein is created equal. Whey protein is the best. UNJURY makes a good chocolate flavor. My doc has us use 1 % lactose free milk, like Lactaid. I found that after awhile it was filling me up too much. An alternative is UNSWEETENED Almond Milk, Blue Diamond brand. It won't have the protein in it that milk has but it will give you less bulk, making you feel less full or bloated. And don't drink thru a straw. Straws cause more air in your new pouch and you will feel full.

Every day will get easier for you to take in all the required fluids. Congrats on getting it all in today! Syntax Nectar is a good choice as it tastes good mixed only with water. You won't feel as full. Yes, sipping is your new job during recovery. You sip all day long. I'm 6 weeks post op and I still record my intake as it does vary daily for me. My doc has me on 80 grams protein and less than 80 of Carbs, and minimum 48oz water daily. I have just been advanced to soft foods so this is my new challenge, to get all this into my body. I'm learning it's one day at a time. Just remember to stay hydrated. Get that water in. It will keep you from feeling tired and your skin from drying out.

I lost 20 lbs and 10 inches off my torso. My surgeon was very pleased with my progress. Cleared me for surgery for February 16!

February 16! In 2 days!

Hello everyone! I had to do 2 weeks of 6 small meals per day of 110grams or more protein and 80g or less carbs and journal it all. Then, I progressed to the liver shrinking diet of same protein but carbs cut to 20g or less for 3 weeks and right up to surgery which is this Tuesday, February 16, 2016. I have lost 20 lbs and 10 inches from my torso!! YES 10 INCHES. My surgeon was very, very happy with my sticking to the eating plan. It was not easy at times but it sure paid off for me. Tomorrow, I get to drink the Magnesium Citrate bowel prep and have only clear liquids. Then, Tuesday, nothing by mouth as I will be checking in to the hospital. I am a little nervous!!

I just finished day 3 of the liver shrinking diet. 17 to go. I'm restricted to 20 grams of carbs per day. It's tough for me as I don't like to eat a lot of meat and I don't like fish. I have canned chicken and tuna. I like stir fry so I can get lots of veggies that way and of course salads. Can't have whole grains, beans, milk, or fruit. 20 grams is brutal. I'm just doing one day at a time and trying to keep busy.

I began working out 2 years ago to strengthen my muscles and work my core. I could barely move around and I was so sore everywhere. I knew I'd be having surgery at some point and I wanted to go into it with strength. I do circuits and TRX. I love it! Two years ago I couldn't even lift a carton of milk to put it in the fridge. Now, lifting is no problem! It was all baby steps. Keep up the exercise as it will keep you flexible as you age. Believe me, I'm 60 and I wish I'd started years ago!

I start mine tomorrow. 3 weeks of 20 grams carbs. I've been on 80 grams for 2 months and that was hard! Well, it is what it is!