NewAngela

Surgey was March 9th, and I had bypass. I lost 40 pounds so far. SW 282x. Feel free to hit me up :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I take pills normally. People may be advised to crush them for a bit, but I really wasn't. My GE said pills that are smaller than an M&M are OK, my surgeon said that is very conservative. The only pills I won't take are Tylenol or NSAIDs. I only use liquid Tylenol now. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was thinking the same thing. I was at the hospital for two days and they only brought me ice chips, gatorade, and water. Nobody said anything about eating or drinking protein shakes the first few days. After I got home, I did start drinking protein shakes. I was only on clears for the first three days, and switched to shakes/full liquids afterwards. My clears included broth, sugar free Italian ice and jello, and even some fruit juice in the hospital. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

OMG, that was my experience. I think I had a brief energy burst the first few days out, but that may have been elation at not being in pain anymore and not dying. Still, if I have a day I don't feel like crap I might mistake it for energetic elation. I am about 2ish months out. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Usually not unless you have kidney problems. The doctor would tell you if you did. Also more than 30 grams may not be absorbed if you drink it quickly. At least that is the standard suggestion. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Do you know how much protein you are actually consuming? I agree 10 grams is scary, but if you are eating a few servings of high protein food a day, your actual total may be 30-40, which may not be ultimately ideal, but far less worrisome or unusual, especially in the first month or so. I know there are standard recommendations, but some doctors have what I call "old school" opinions. Actually some European doctors don't use shakes at all. They want you on real food. I am not saying this is right, but there is a professional difference of opinion. I do suggest you call you doctor to make sure you are following his recommendations correctly. Asmbs is the accreditation site for the US bariatric surgeons. The doctors with the highest certification are on there. They also have a lot of good resources for patients. You can see if your doctor is on there. I couldn't find dietary recommendations, but they may be on there as well. Actually, we all follow the "standard" recommendations, and I am not disagreeing with them, but I kind of wonder where they come from. Like, is there an actual scientific study that showed 60 grams is better than 40 grams post op? Or do protein needs vary and 60 is a safe bet? Obviously protein is first on your diet, so it isn't like you are living off of crackers and juice. Just check in with your doctor. It can't hurt. Long term we are all vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, and long term we all need to be proactive and self educated to get the best results. Also, some doctors just aren't up to date on recent advances. Surgeons excel at surgery. Nutritional counseling, maybe not so much. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think you did a good job explaining. The book seems like a really interesting journey through the science. I am a scientist, so I have read or skimmed a lot of abstracts, and there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle. I have to check out this book, but I am very interested because this book seems to go through a lot of the weight loss fads, societal implications, what we knew then, what we know now, and what we still don't know. Where is research heading? What are the new paradigms? I can pick up any recent review on obesity literature to get a sense of the recent publications, but this really seems to put it in context. It is the big picture, but seems to zoom into some of the biological details as well. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I guess it depends on your frustration. I know people think it is a waste of time, but I thought of every appointment competed as an accomplishment. If I didn't get anything else done that day, I at least got the test, report, consultation I needed to make sure I was healthy enough for surgery and for insurance coverage. The waiting was the worst part for me. I just wanted the surgery to be done and over. I mean, you don't have to like the appointments. It is perfectly acceptable to be annoyed by them or seeing a doctor or waiting forever to see the doc, and it can all get kind of repetitive l, but it helps to just accept them as a necessary step. They are important. The are ultimately beneficial, and a lot of potential health issues are discovered during pre op doctors appointments. I thought my stomach was pretty normal. I had no complaints, but my endo found some irritation that was really helped by an rx to a PPI. I used to get occasional stomach upset that I thought was normal, turns out it wasn't. It is all a step in the right direction, and you should get to a point you are basically done with the pre op appointments. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The appointments are annoying to some people. I didn't mind them. They are just assignments that need to be completed before you get to the prize, which is surgery and ultimately a better quality of life. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Great. Then it sounds like you received nutritional education and are following your program. Yeah, 80-100 sounded high for a woman, at least as an absolute. They gave us week to week goals, starting with 40 on clears (1 isopure). The liquid/mushy phase was only 50 than 60, and by my 3 week NUT appointment she suggested 70 for me, but overall women are at 60-80 gram (more is ok). I do agree that a nutritionist should push high protein, that is the "gold standard" and I would worry a surgeon or nutritionist not stressing a lot of protein may be not up to date on the standard recommendations. I didn't see the posts from yesterday. I am looking for them now. I know some of the leaders and people in my support group did struggle with protein in the beginning, but were ultimately successful. My nutritionist does not mince words if they were not eating well, but she did say that I was better off than some RNY patients that really struggle eating enough in first few months. I had no nutritionist with my lap band 8 years ago, but I guess I was younger and still managed well enough, but the weight loss was very different with this surgery, and during periods of weight loss when my band was too tight (long story) I always consumed Protein shakes. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My nutritionist has a recommendation of 60-80 g for women, but it is only 40-50 when you are on clears. That is more realistic I think, and after my first 25 pounds of weight loss, not one pound of muscle was lost. If I have 1 day I can't reach my Protein I don't stress, the vast majority of days I meet or exceed 70 grams. There are differences of opinions. My nutritionist is very experienced with bariatric patients, and well educated in this area. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

unjury has unflavored Protein, but added to tomato Soup it was inedible. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

What studies did you read that slower rate loss resulted is less BMR reduction. The studies I have been reading showed conversely, faster weight loss is associated with better weight loss maintenance. There are at least 1 study I read that seem to indicate weight loss surgery may be helpful to avoid abnormally low BMR reduction or helping to reduced the "metabolic set point", but that is less clear. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

CICO is a gross over simplification. The body can be incredibly resourceful when it think it is starving, and we digesting calories, before we can use them for energy. We are not calorimeters. I think the CICO paradigm works ok for people who need something simple to grasp portion control, but the way people push that "religion" on others is exasperating. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The only burst of energy I had was in the first week once I got to add caffeine back. My weight went from BMI 44 ish, to below 40 so I feel I can move so much better, but I am definitely not very energetic yet. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The first month was the worst. It improved once my calories went higher. I am at about 8-9 weeks now and I feel cognitively normal, mostly anyways. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It is a question for the surgeon, and a far as I can tell no studies have done to compare calorie absorption between the two surgeries. They both have similar efficacy though in some of the studies I looked, so at the end of the day they are both similarly effective. I personally think RNY is better studied and much for common, so I went for that. The mini wasn't a consideration. Since the mini in technically an easier surgery, some places may choose do it. One surgeon's opinion "In Dr. Sasse’s opinion, the Mini Gastric Bypass causes very similar changes to the digestive process and the appetite, and also similar changes to nutrient absorption as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The technical simplicity of the Mini Gastric Bypass may offer an advantage over the RYGB, with less chance of scar tissue or opportunities for twists or blockages related to the “Y” reconstruction of the RYGB" http://sassesurgical.com/bariatric-surgery/laparoscopic-procedures/mini-gastric-bypass/ Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

There is much more data for RNY. The malabsorption is relatively minor as far as calories, but since the duodenum is bypassed, there is a need for lifelong supplementation for most people. People get deficiencies years and years out. I don't know why your surgeon said that, maybe some people are able to reduce supplements later on, but i was told I will always need to take supplements. Since the mini bypass hasn't been well studied, I don't know if it could be said definitely it causes more malabsorption (I read that it might), but from what I read the weight loss is as good or better as RNY, but variable lengths of the intestine are bypassed (2-6 feet I think). So all minis might not be the same. As far as weight loss, it is more that just calorie restriction for most of the surgeries except for band. The surgeries change hormonal regulation, and they reduce appetite and might even change the metabolic set point. The actual hormonal mechanism of weight loss isn't well defined, but some models show a hormonal pathway is necessary for the surgery to be successful. Reducing the amount of hormones produced by the body of the stomach, either by removing or bypassing it, is how RNY and VSG work. The DS has this component too. It is hard to quantify how much is what, but without the hormonal component as well as restriction, the malabsorption is probably not enough on its own. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I definitely had diarrhea that soon out. The opposite now at 8 weeks out. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had my Nut appointment around 3 weeks, and my goal was 800-1000 calories. I couldn't eat much then, but in the last few weeks I am closer to and even exceeding those goals. My weight loss went faster once I was able to get closer to 1000 calories a day. That broke my plateau, and I guess let my body know it wasn't actually starving. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Embrace the stall. I had one at about 3 weeks. At 2 months tomorrow my weight loss seems to be speeding up even though I am eating more. My body surprised me by dropping a few more pounds this week. My surgery was only 3/9, and I am down about 40 pounds including the 7 day pre op diet. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Being able to jog on a treadmill. I haven't been able to actually run/jog in so long. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So far not a fan of unjury. I tried some plain in soup (ruined my soup) and stawberry sorbet. My Baritrack Protein Powder is still better. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

According to my nutritionist you don't need shakes to get enough protein. It may take a few months to get there though. I do a shake in the am with coffee because it is easy. Also Fairlife milk is low carb. Some people just drink that. You still need a lot of protein at goal weight. It has so many benefits. My protein goal is 60-80 grams, but I try to get a least 70 now that I can eat meat without issue. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My nutritionist recommended Baritrack. I really like them. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App