kyle.odom

Congratulations and good luck! You're gonna feel like a brand new woman!! Kyle

Hey guys, I need some advice/help! I am read to increase the intensity of my exercise regimen, however I need some help to battle my fatigue. A little about me - I had gastric sleeve surgery on 4/14/16 and I weighed in at 297 on 1/1/16. I'm 6'3" and was on the borderline of qualifying for the surgery but due to high blood pressure (which I'm no longer on meds for) and severe sleep apnea (a pain in my ass) I met the requirements. I've always had weight issues and the inability to lose, blah blah blah. I am now at 218 and feel great. I've never been this small, except when I was a toddler. I have been walking regularly and doing some at home general body weight exercises but I'm ready for some weight training. My main issue is, it is a struggle to eat enough food and get in enough Water throughout the day. It's not that I can't hold it due to constriction, it's I don't want it and it's hard to MAKE myself eat or drink until I start to feel the effects. I am very active, on my feet all day, and stay busy. Protein bars are my go-to because they're quick and easy. However, by the end of the day I am wiped out. When I get home I just collapse on the couch for at least 45 mins to an hour before I seem to get some energy back. I'm afraid that this will create an even larger issue when I start working out and I am just curious how others have dealt with this issue. I am taking daily Vitamins (which help tremendously) and BCAA. If anyone has any tips or even workout routines for easing back in, I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks for your help in advance! The picture on the left is the day that I started my 10 day pre op liquid diet. The one on the right was taken about a month ago after a "at home body weight" work out. I have lost a few more lbs since it was taken. Kyle

I eat the ones that are low sugar. And I have more than just Protein Bars. Usually I have eggs or eggs and turkey bacon for Breakfast, a snack mid morning which is typically a Protein Bar or Peanut Butter crackers. lunch I have something like a grilled chicken wrap or something a long those lines. I try to eat a mid afternoon snack and it's usually along the same lines as the am snack. For dinner I have meat and steamed veggies usually. I have protein powder for shakes but I don't drink them much because it's a pain to take them to work. I make them with milk, not Water. Kyle

That's awesome! I've heard of that app many times. I def need to check it out! Kyle

Thanks for the input I will definitely check out the site! Kyle

Thank you for your comments. I have another post op appointment this week and I'm going to discuss some things with them. My daily goal is 80g of Protein and 60oz of h2o. I have a hard time hitting both goals on a daily basis. I need to be better about logging my food to monitor my intake. I am always very conscious of what I eat. Limit carbs to a minimum, Proteins first, and add veggies. The sleeve forces you to be a meal planner and some days it's tough to get it all in. My gym does offer sessions with a personal trainer but all I hear it eat, eat, eat. Although eating is the key, it's hard because 8 hours a day I am on the go in a fast paced work environment. I usually grab a snack mid morning and mid afternoon and it's usually in the form of a Protein Bar. It's quick and easy. I will definitely ask my Bariatric team if they know of trainers in the area that works or has worked with WLS patients. Someone a little more familiar with the procedure may help. Kyle

Thanks, I just saw your workout regimen and saved it as somewhat of a guide. I know it's not a transformation that can be made overnight but it does help to have a grid to look at. I'm not a fitness junkie, but I'm also not "new" to the gym. It is hard to go in and not hit every body part in one day. The machines make it easy to overdo a workout. Kyle

Pre op I was in a XL and sometimes 2X in tshirts and such for comfort. I was a 40-42 waist. In 4 months I have gone down to a L t shirt and polo's and they're somewhat loose. I work in the medical field and have always worn XL scrubs. About a month and a half ago I went out and bought new L scrubs, hoping they would last for a while. Negative. I just had to go down to a M, which is INSANE to me. The top is a little snug in the shoulders if I bend or flex a bit, but I hate the baggy/frumpy look. I'm certainly not complaining. Kyle

Hey guys! I haven't been on in a while but I am trying to get into a slightly more intense work out routine to build muscle, so of course Bariatric pal was my first source for advice. Google doesn't have much for sleevers. I'm having problems "tiring" too quickly into a workout. It's hard to eat enough food for the stamina required in a good workout. Hope everyone is doing well. Any advice is appreciated. I'm down 80 lbs - 4 months post and op and I'm ready to look good naked! Lol Kyle

4 months post op April 2016 on the left - late July 2016 on the right. Still losing. I have lost about 80 lbs so far. Kyle

I have been on a bipap machine since March. My sleeve surgery was 4/14. I have the nasal only mask and I really like it. I HATE the whistling sound the full face mask made when it wasn't properly sealed around my face. My pressure setting was extremely high and I had a hard time getting used to the machine. At my 3 month check up I asked them to lower the pressure setting for me so that I could adjust to wearing the mask. (I would wear it for only 45 mins per night. I would unknowingly take it off in my sleep) that seemed to help. I am almost 4 months post op and have lost 80 lbs. I have recently started having issues with the mask again. I haven't worn it over 4 hours / night since getting the machine almost 6 months ago. My doctor told me that I may have to have another sleep study to try the auto flex machine? I'm not really seeing any difference in how I feel since I do not wear it for any length of time. I do put it on every night, I just pull it off and don't realize it. Anyone had similar issues? Does the auto flex seem to help? Kyle

I just posted a similar thread in the fitness section. I have had trainers in the past prior to surgery and, now that I've been sleeved I have found it to be a lot for me to just dive into an intense workout regimen. I would suggest that you try doing some at home stuff to get you moving and build some stamina. I use the YouTube app on my smart tv and have found that the fitnessblender channel has a lot of great workouts to help get you started and lay a good foundation for your body and muscular system. Check it out. Kyle

Tomorrow is surgery day for me and I am set to arrive at the hospital tomorrow at 7am. I am already feeling nauseas and I'm not sure if it's because today has been sort of strict, diet wise, or if I am getting nervous about the surgery. I am excited about it, and the positive lifestyle change it will have on me. Oddly enough, the concerns about nausea after the surgery, or being able to keep down liquids, has left me. I think because its here and I'm just really to do the damn thing, for lack of better words. I am also ready to start slowly easing solid foods back into my diet so that I can get back to exercising regularly. I have not been able to do much on the liquid diet due to energy levels. I was just thinking to myself earlier tonight that I feel like I have been ultimately tested during this process, and even though I am not over "hump" yet, I feel like I have already won because I beat the prep op diet. Even though its not the best way to lose weight, I feel happy having lost some thus far. I feel like as far as surgery and recovery goes, I can beat anything now. I have undergone that pre op diet and made it. I might now jump at the opportunity to do it again, but I have succeeded! I would appreciate it if you guys would keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. Goodnight!

Thanks! Went back to work yesterday and I think it's probably just the adjustment. I haven't taken hardly any of my pain meds, because I am not crazy about how they make me feel. I may just have to take a few from time to time until I get adjusted to a little bit of activity. I have a sedentary job but it's still work. Thanks for the advice!

Hey guys, since y'all are further out than I am (tomorrow is two weeks), I am curious to know how long you abdominal pain lasted. Mostly just on the side where the larger incision (stomach removal) is. It's just sort of achey, anyone else have that problem? Thanks for your input guys.

Hey guys, you make me feel a little worried not that I see what you all are eating. At my 7 day post op appointment (I was sleeved on 4/14), my surgeon basically gave me the go ahead to have any type of food I can handle as long as I chew it very well. They said as long as I'm chewing my food well then I am basically pureeing my food as I eat it. I've even had chicken, small pieces and chewed very well of course. I haven't had any problems, other than filling up quickly. Now at 10 days out, my only issue has been the incisions on my belly. I've had some numbness and itching. It feels uncomfortable for my shirt to even touch my stomach. Is anyone having any problems like that?

This is good to hear. My shoulder seemed to start hurting at the same time "the pulling" feeling started happening again after 2 days of having very little of it. Is the pulling feeling heavier some days than others for you? And open Question for anyone else that would like to chime in. Best, Sanju Yeah, it is. Some days it feels like the soreness and "tightness" near my largest incision is worse that others. I just assumed that maybe I overdid it a little the day before or something like that.

Today is 8 days post op for me. I was really slow with the water/liquids the first few days. Made sure that I didn't do anything to cause any complications. Now I have no problems with liquids or getting them down/full feelings, as long as a take a few small swallows at a time. At the instruction of my surgeon at my 7 day post op visit, I am on solid (but soft) foods. I have been told by nurses/doctors everywhere that I needed to stay on liquids for two weeks, until my surgeon told me that. He told me that the idea is to have soft pureed food, and if chewed enough, you are essentially pureeing everything that goes into your mouth. I do get full extremely quickly.

Today is day 8 for me and I am still pretty tender, but I expected as much. Whats really annoying to me is the slight numbness. It itches and feels funny when my shirt touches it.

I am 8 days post op and yesterday at my doctor's visit to have my drain removed, I asked about the same issue. The pain that I had would hit the hardest at night when I would lay down. Wednesday night I actually slept in the recliner to reduce some of the pain. When asked, my surgeon said that the pain should subside with time but that it is cause because when the blood supply to the stomach is cut, the spleen sort of goes haywire a little bit and thats where the pain tends to be felt. I will say that as soon as I had my drain removed, the pain went away. I assume it was touching or pushing on something in there and the pain did radiate in my left shoulder. Hope you're feeling better!

I am 4 days out and I have the "tugging" feeling on my left side. I still have my drain tube in, and it's on my left side, so I sort of contributed the tugging feeling to that. I have another question though, I read that I was going to have strange feelings after surgery, rolling and tumbling and such, and that I would get used to it. However, after I eat, I have a strange feeling. It's like the "empty" feeling I would get before when I was hungry, however I know that I cannot be hungry or empty. I know that I have to get adjusted to the new feelings and such, but this is so odd to me. Has anyone else had any of these feelings or can tell me what it is?

Hey guys, today is day 4 post op. I haven't had any issues at all, just anxiously awaiting the drain removal. It comes out this Thursday morning at 8:45! I have had no indigestion, nausea, and I haven't thrown up. I know that it something that some people have issues with in the beginning. The only thing that has been an issue with me is the gas pains. For the most part they were gone by the end of day two but still come back every so often. Chewable gas x and tums have been my friend.

Today is post op day 3 for me and I feel, almost like nothing has happened. Still a little sore in my abdomen but thats about it. The drain is annoying, and no longer having the dump it very much. It comes out in 4 more days. I am still on liquids but sliding in some "heavier" things periodically. Mostly stuff like mashed potatoes or something like that that I can easily thin down. I am trying to get in as much Water and Protein as possible, but occasionally I want something filling that tastes good. Most people suffer from nausea, vomiting, and acid reflux after surgery and I suppose I can consider myself lucky because I have not dealt with any of those, what so ever. The only issue I had was gas pain, mostly in my left shoulder. It was horrible! The best thing that I found to help was chewable gas x and tums. Took 2 days to work the gas out but walking definitely helped. I am curious, how long did it take you guys to get back to a "normal" diet (normal sleeved diet)? I love cooking, and I love cooking healthy foods. I feel like I am having withdrawals from being in there cooking. However, it seems pointless to get in there and whoop something up that I cannot have. Oh well, soon enough I will be back to my routine!

I have had a lot of Soup (clear broth) and thinned yogurt, even some thinned pudding. I am having to get adjusted to the new feelings and determining the difference in "full" and "slow down its not a race." No matter how hard I try to slow down and take my time, I usually feel like I have a block somewhere between my throat and my stomach, but if I relax a bit and swallow, it goes away. It's definitely new.

Today is post op day 3 and it's not really an issue anymore, just sort of an annoyance. There is very little draining anymore, so it hardly have to dump it. As you can see, my incisions were minimal. I took this picture last night. It's amazing how quickly I have felt more like myself.