soccermom2

I am 11 days post-op. I cannot tolerate Protein substitutes. I’ve tried everything and all of it makes me sick. Even Genepro... I can smell it, taste it, it gives me horrible gas & makes me nauseous. I’ve only averaged around 30g of protein a day since surgery. Yesterday I had to get IV fluids for dehydration because the protein makes me so sick. I can drink Water just fine until I start trying to get my protein in. Staying hydrated needs to be my priority right now & the protein is affecting my ability to do that. So what are the consequences of not getting enough protein at this point? I’m starting soft foods next week & I feel like it will be easier to get my protein from food as time goes on. Other than the protein issue I’m starting to feel semi-normal again. Most of my pain has subsided & I feel like I have a lot of energy today.

Thank you for your recommendations. I’ve actually been using fair life milk & chocolate milk it just doesn’t seem like I can get to the number of protein that I need since it’s a smaller amount of protein per serving. As far as hair and muscle loss... is that something that will happen from just one month of not getting enough protein? Once I’m eating solids if I’m able to get enough protein then will I be good or will I have done a lot of damage?

What brand do you use? I’ve tried clear premier protein drinks & mixing various powders with water & crystal light.

Just that I need to get more. My goal is 70-100g per day. Idk how I’m supposed to get it at this point when the supplements make me sick & I can’t eat to get it, though.

Girl, this is 100% me too right now. I also had surgery last week. I was crying pre-op, didn’t want to do it, pushed myself to go to the OR. I immediately regretted it upon waking up & have every day since. I wished my husband had talked me out of it. Recovery was much, much harder and more painful than I was expecting. If I had known it was going to be like this, I would have tried so much harder to lose the weight without surgery. However, we can’t change it now. It’s done, there is no rewind button, and this is life now. I am starting to feel better as the pain has eased up tremendously & now I’m on full liquids instead of clear. It also helps me to think that this will not last forever. Eventually I will feel “normal” and be able to eat normal foods, just less of them, which is what I wanted from this. I wanted to be able to eat normally- binging & having multiple servings like I did was not normal. I also made a list of all the things I will be able to do as a result of this surgery. I won’t feel like hiding myself because of my weight, I’ll take pictures with my family which I haven’t done in years, be able to enjoy social gatherings & going out in public without feeling embarrassed of my weight, play and ride bikes with my kids, swim, feel good in clothes, etc. My weight has held me back from living & enjoying my life for the past 5 years. Thinking in terms of that helped me so much. Good luck! Fingers crossed that a year from now when we have lost weight & aren’t so restricted, we will be grateful!

I just started the process of getting approved for weight loss surgery last month. I went to my first diet class last month too. I have Anthem BCBS and am required to complete a 6 month diet program where I successfully lose weight. Tonight’s my 2nd diet class and weigh in. I weighed myself this morning and I’ve gained 5 pounds in a couple of days time. I’m starting my cycle and I always bloat like this beforehand. Will this gain keep me from getting approved? I’ve been told that I have to show I can lose weight- but what if I gain weight at one of my weigh ins? Thanks in advance for the replies!

I was set to get my surgery in June, then we found out that our house had termites and there went a good portion of my surgery fund! I was nervous mainly because I had already paid my $500 deposit to have the surgery. However, Bill was very understanding and quickly got my deposit refunded. I still hope to have surgery as soon as I can save the money back up, but I was very impressed with how this company handled my situation. They could easily have just taken my money and ran with it or told me that I had to make it work but they didn't. They are not out to get your money! From booking to having this unfortunate situation arise, I have had nothing but positive experiences with BariatricPal! Thank you BariatricPal TeamMX! Not only do you have one of the best bariatric surgeons in Tijuana, but you are a team that I know I can trust- a team that has its patients' best interests at heart!

Since you've started your journey, what has been your favorite NSV (Non-Scale Victory)? I am just starting my journey and a thread like this would be really encouraging at the moment. Surgery fear is starting to kick in, so I am trying to keep my mindset positive. For me, I can't wait to ditch the spandex underclothes & be able to run around the park with my kids & take them to the pool without hiding. Yesterday I realized how much time I spend every day tugging my clothes away from my body & sucking it in... I really can't wait to not worry about that all day anymore. It's hard to wrap my mind around how much different my life will be in a years time. It doesn't even seem possible!

Should I start any vitamins prior to surgery? Like Biotin to help prevent hair loss? What vitamins will I need each day after surgery? Thanks in advance

I'm probably not the best to respond since I am still pre-op but you post really got to me. I am so sorry that you've gone through all of this. Have you thought about revision surgery? I have seen a few people on these forums who had regain or didn't lose as much as they wanted. They did a revision to the mini gastric bypass or full gastric bypass and had a lot of success with it. Of course I don't know if you meet the BMI requirements or not for that. I've also seen people do a "pouch reset" where you go back to what you were doing in the beginning right after surgery. Liquid diet, then purees, etc. It's supposed to help regain some restriction. I really think you should try seeing a therapist too. They can help with the depression you have & even help with the binge eating problems. Are you exercising? Using a Fitbit helped me a lot. I thought I was active but I was gaining weight. Then I tracked with my Fitbit and was actually only getting around 4,000-5,000 steps a day when I'm supposed to get 10,000.

What is their reasoning for dropping you? I don't see how the surgery has any effect on them. Shouldn't your pcp be supportive of you trying to better your health? I would switch doctors. This is 2017. Medical tourism is something a lot of people do every year now. As long as you've found a reputable surgeon your pcp should be understanding and supportive.

I've tried premier protein shakes and genepro powder. I can't stand the taste premier and could even taste genepro though it's supposed to be tasteless. More than that they both made me so sick. Nausea and a burning pain in my stomach for the rest of the day after just a little bit of them. Anybody else have this issue? I'm nervous about getting enough protein in after surgery if I don't find something that's easier on my stomach.

My surgeon recommended bypass for me over the sleeve since I have GERD. They said they could do the mini gastric bypass if I wanted something with less malabsorption. I'm still going to go with the sleeve though because bypass scares me. I didn't have GERD issues before gaining weight so I'm hopeful that it will subside with weight loss or remain manageable. Worse case scenario I'll have to have a revision.

I don't think anyone is comforted by thinking that sleeves stretch. To me, it's more of a reason to follow guidelines to make sure that this works and I don't mess it up. I think it's important to know that the restriction won't stay the same, that I will be able to eat more and I need to be more aware of it. I don't want to go in thinking, "Oh my stomach will never be able to hold much food again so I have nothing to worry about!" It goes much deeper than that with obese people. That's the whole point of this thread right? Issues with food ruining results? Why would anyone need an excuse to make themselves feel better about failing? If you keep overeating and sabotage your results isn't that still your fault?

I did read the second link about the stomach. The stomach is still the stomach even if you remove a portion of it. It is still made up of the same tissue, tissue which expands when you eat. You also still did not answer where you got your information from. Every surgeon I've spoke to, every person I've talked to that's had the surgery, everything I've read says the stomach is able to stretch to hold more food as time goes on. It's biology. That's how the stomach tissue is made to work, its elastic. The sleeve is ONLY a tool. Just because you have one experience doesn't mean everyone else does and from the sound of it, it seems as if you are following post op guidelines and not frequently forcing food to the point of being sick. Eventually your body will get used to your eating habits and they will catch up to you if you keep over eating. If the sleeve got rid of all elasticity in your stomach then failure wouldn't even be a possibility. I may be in the pre-op stage, but I have been researching this surgery for two years now and I have plenty of family and friends who have been through it. I guess we will have to just agree to disagree.

What I was wanting to know though is where did you get this information from? Modified sleeves aside, I have a hard time believing that highly regarded US surgeons who have performed thousands of bariatric surgeries can't properly form a sleeve. I personally know two people whose sleeves were ineffective because they refused to change their dietary patterns and they no longer feel any restriction. I know other people who used the exact same surgeon and have had great results. Also the stomach is elastic. It does relax and expand when we eat, and just like with most things if you continuously stretch anything to its max it's eventually not going to snap all the way back. Maybe the proper term isn't stretched, but becomes more elastic? Able to hold more? I do not see how a stretched sleeve is a cop out for surgeons. With that logic if you're not eating proper portions is it the surgeons fault that you're able to eat bigger portions? Are you saying that anyone who does not have success with Bariatric surgery is a victim of medical malpractice? I don't think so. Any surgeon will tell you the sleeve is a tool and it will not work if you don't work with it. The stomach does expand to hold more food over time. If it didn't then we would physically be unable to eat more as time passes without experiencing dumping syndrome. A couple of things I found from a quick google search: "If you continually overeat, the stomach may stretch. If your stomach stretches, you will not benefit from your surgery." http://www.northwestdavinci.com/health-library/hw-view.php?DOCHWID=hw252781 "However, when we prepare to eat, our brain sends a signal to our stomach that food is on the way. In anticipation, the stomach muscles relax and the stomach gets ready to be filled with food—a process known as "gastric accommodation." While eating, the average human stomach can stretch up to five times its normal fasting state. "The human stomach can actually hold 48 ounces, or roughly one liter, at its full capacity," says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian who works with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Chiefs." "Rather, eating patterns change the amount of food the stomach can expand to hold. Think of it more as "increasing stomach elasticity" than "permanently stretching your stomach." The scientific term for this is "distensibility"—defined as "the ability of something to become stretched." http://www.stack.com/a/does-overeating-actually-stretch-your-stomach-the-answer-might-surprise-you

I recently watched a surgery on here of a sleeve conversion to a mini bypass. The stomach looked obviously bigger than sleeve surgeries that I've seen and the doctor noted how a little stretching like that over time was normal with the sleeve. How do you explain a visibly larger sleeved stomach like that if stretching of the stomach isn't possible? Not trying to be rude or say that you're wrong, I'm just curious where your information is coming from. Especially when surgeons who perform these surgeries and physically see the stomach over time in situations like this claim otherwise.

I'm going on spring break vacation with my in laws in a week and I shouldn't be but I'm so depressed and anxious over it. My MIL lost quite a bit of weight the past year, she had a mommy makeover about 10 years ago. She's a size 6 now. She looks amazing! And she's wealthy. I am happy for her but I would be lying if I said I wasn't envious of how perfect her life seems. I know it's not and I know she has her own issues but I want it to be my turn already. I also hear the remarks they make to my husband about his weight when I think he looks great... so I know they make them about me when I'm gone. I hate feeling like "the fat one" everywhere we go. I feel like everyone around us, everyone in our family is thinking it. Sometimes I think she loves it because I used to be really thin and beautiful... now I'm not anymore. What is wrong with me? I shouldn't think that way! Having kids has destroyed my body and depression from that has cause my weight to balloon in the past 5 years. I'm getting sleeved this summer. I wish I had done it sooner specifically for instances like this. More than that I wish I hadn't let my weight get out of control. These things shouldn't be consuming me. I want to be out in the sunshine enjoying an amazing vacation with my kids but instead all I want to do is lock myself in the room for the week. They'll all be out in the pools and ocean and swimming with the dolphins... I'll just be observing in the longest swim dress coverup that I can find. I'll be the one wearing jeans near the equator because I'm too self conscious to wear shorts or dresses or anything remotely form fitting. Sorry for the long post and I don't know what I'm really asking for with it. I guess I'm hoping to maybe hear from some people who can relate.

My current weight is 210 pounds and I'm 5'4". My goal weight is 130 pounds. I'm 29 so I'm hoping age & being at a slightly lower weight might be on my side with this... is there anything else I can do to prevent loose skin? I'm particularly concerned with my arms and legs. I'm already planning on a MMO so the tummy area doesn't bother me. It's already beyond hope after having kids lol Exercise? Laser treatments?

Your friends situation is what I'm afraid of. I've gained about 60 pounds since having kids. My skin wasn't really loose considering but I got a ton of stretch marks from pregnancy. Luckily I haven't gotten anymore from this weight gain. So I'm worried about if everything else will bounce back. Getting extra plastic surgery for those would take a while to save up for. I hope I end up like you!

Mommy Makeover [emoji2] It's a tummy tuck and breast lift/augmentation.

When did your surgeon give you the ok to exercise? Things like jogging, going to the gym, or weight training.

For those that have had leaks did your doctor just staple the incision on the stomach or did they take other precautions like stitching on top of the staples or gluing on top of them? I've heard surgeons mention doing that so I'm wondering if that makes any difference.

Can you share your experience with me? How much does it cost, how long was your hospital stay, is it a lot more painful? Is it more complicated for the surgeon to perform? Will I have more acid reflux problems since the stomach will be smaller? Thank you.

I have had my heart set on getting sleeved but was recently told by my surgeon that bypass would be a better option for me since I struggle with acid reflux. He suggested the "mini" gastric bypass. Will this actually cure my reflux? Obviously if I go the sleeve route I don't want to be on PPI's for the rest of my life and I do worry about the risk of cancer with reflux. But I'm also terrified of getting bypass. The sleeve feels safer to me since it doesn't involve messing with intestines and there's more stomach left behind. I worry about long term deficiency issues and dumping syndrome. So I'm sort of torn right now...