mrsNilla

Hi peeps! To make it easier to find surgery buddies, I made a fb group called RNY November 2016. Everyone having RNY in November are welcome to join. Nilla Nilla

Thanks, I just got the Flintstones! Haven't tasted them yet.

What you've listed here is exactly the same as with "conventional dieting", except the recovery phase. Ever heard of Optifast? I didn't do it but compared to the length of their liquid phase, the surgical liquid phase pales in comparison. Compared with what I have endured with dieting in the past I'd choose surgery over and over again (but I admit that I had a easy recovery with almost no pain at all). As for plastics: even if one chooses not to have surgery to lose weight, plastics might be necessary. I understand that surgery is no breeze (I've had it myself after all) but it sometimes seems to me that there is so much emphasize on the "hard work"... as if obese people weren't allowed to "take the easy way" because they have to "pay for their sins". The sad part about this is: even obese people seem to think this way and emphasizing all this "hard work and commitment" sometimes seems like a kind of justification. I also think that people are making their lives harder as they need to be by telling themselves that "they have to work hard". I'm not saying, that there is no work and commitment involved after WLS - but is it really as hard as it was with conventional dieting? If you do think so, why? Because I think not having to battle constant hunger because of portion control or having to fill up on disgusting low-cal food and feeling full, but somehow empty nevertheless is a blessing and takes out a lot of the hard work. Is there work involved after WLS? Of course. There are slider-foods etc. after all. Is it "as hard as before"? I don't think so. Because if it was "as hard as before" - why get surgery in the first place? I can only speak on my behalf, but rny is harder for me than "normal dieting". I was always able to lose weight, but couldn't maintain my results. I lost more weight on my over 2 month pre-op diet than post-op. I developed a stricture, I dump on carbs really easily, my pouch is grumpy as can be. But, I'm really hoping to be able to maintain this time. That's why I decided to do this. Nilla

I had 4 weeks of total max 800 calories daily. Mostly shakes and other vlcd products, lean meat/cottage cheese/eggs allowed once daily. 64 oz of Water. No alcohol, smoking, cut back on caffeine if you do any of those. Used an app to keep track of my calories. Nilla

If we all woke up from surgery skinny, fit from workouts, without sagging skin and without the need for Vitamins and life long check ups, then yes, I could see how wls could be considered an easy way out. We all have to endure surgery, recovery, possible complications, liquid diets, learning what we can eat, exercise, track all food and liquids, cut back on social drinking, possible endure corrective surgery and recovery and finally maintain all that we accomplished, with the work WE did. So yeah, go ahead, call us lazy. We are saving money, since we can cut back on meds. We did this so we can be productive members of society, instead of couch potatoes. We can take care of our elderly family members etc. I'm proud that I had the courage to have this surgery. I still don't tell everyone I know about it, since it's my personal medical desicion. If someone asks or is thinking about having the surgery, I will be happy to explain and tell my story. My obese friends know about it, because they might benefit from seeing me do it. The skinny people in my life don't need the info, so why should I tell them? I don't agree that it is my obligation to educate people, just because they are curious. My friend was born transgender and she told me that she was having corrective surgery and started living as her tru self. I don't need to know the specifics or see the results of her surgery. I'm simply happy for her that she is now able to be herself and I can see the huge improvement in her everyday life. Nilla

I will also agree. But your 10 lbs in two weeks is still faster than me. I will be 8 weeks out next Monday and today I have lost 19 lbs since surgery. I'm taking both T3 and T4. Nilla

I had rny in November, but I was on a strict diet since September. I lost some padding... still ways to go, but I'm told that it shows. Here is my dilemma. I never told my Mom that I'm having surgery. She lives 300 miles from me and I see her whenever I have time to go and visit. Last time was just before my sugery and she wasn't happy that I was on a diet. She didn't notice that I already had lost some weight and I was trying to talk to her about wls in general. Nope. She would always change the subject to her sister in laws ass size. So I didn't tell her. I was supposed to go to visit for xmas, but my hubby is very sick and not getting any better, so it had to be postponed. So I don't know when I will see her next time. I'm below the weight I was when we got married. I'm losing slowly, just over 2 lbs weekly average, but still she will notice it next time I go. I had something called panniculitis in my stomach around xmas and I told her about that. So that might be my explanation. It comes with nausea ja puking, so not that far fetched. You might lose some weight with that. I just don't like to lie. The worse thing is my eating. She will notice that I eat very little. I can't just eat crap and in big portions for a weekend to hide my rny. I will be talked about, a lot. I love my Mom, but she is the worst gossip on the planet and likes to add her own views as facts on top of the story. Oh well, it's done and I'm happy, so who cares. I'm sure I will end up with some horrible disease in her mind. She also diagnosed my hubbys illness to be a result of our pet parrots... So maybe I lost the weight due to them? Nilla

Nice picture, looking great! I like when people post a pic where the background tells you even more about the person. I already have a whole landscape I mind from your stories about squirrels, generators and mrsLittleBill... and that's a sign of a great story teller! Nilla

I'm sure you didn't come to this desicion lightly. And you are doing it for the person who counts, you. Just continue with changing your habits and if others want to join in the sugar free pudding, just make more of it. They might have the same interest in losing some weight, but are not ready to say it out loud yet. All the luck to you! Nilla

How can it be so hard to try to get fit? I wanted to get some more motivation and ordered a Polar activity tracker as a xmas present to myself, since Santa didn't hear my wish. My requirements were that it tracks my heart rate from my wrist, records my sleep and is Water tight. So I measure my wrist and get the size S, with some room to spare. I'm happy to get a text 2 days later that I can pick it up at the post office... wait, what?!? That's not where I wanted it shipped! It's further away than the actual store I ordered the tracker from!! So I get on the chat and tell them it's been shipped to the wrong location. Ok, thank you, we will reship it to the correct location. I wait for the new text and again, they tell me to pick it up at the post office. So I repeat, they repeat and for the third time, they get it wrong! Forth time the charm? Yes and no. It's a the correct location, but when I *try* to put it on, the strap is too short. It's impossible to close in a way that my fingers would have access to any blood. I wonder what the tracker would think about that? Strong heart rate or dead person? At this time I don't have any trust for the shipping to work, so I go directly to the store. In a blizzard and freezing temperatures. I get a new (or so I thought) tracker size M after 35 minutes of waiting for service. I get home and open the box and the thing has been used! *insert favorite cuss word and multiply* I have no patience for the chat and make a call to the customer service. The barely out of school sounding girl on the other end just suggests I go back *in the blizzard* and change it. Nope, thank you, get the sales person on the phone. He calls me a bit later and has no answer for me other than come and change it. He will give me a small gift card for my troubles. So I go, another, but also freezing day. Try the new tracker on my wrist and check that it's unused. Get my gift card. Get home and load the tracker... And it works!! Finally! I will get fit and track my life even closer than I have since my wls journey started. I'm a sucker for statistics and gadgets... Now I just have to give the rowing machine a work out. It has been used as my hubbys coat rack for far too long! Nilla

Wait wait wait! You can't stop there! I can't do the instructor from my flight school justice, but here is my short version: Two eskimos are drinking at the local igloo bar. One says to the other "my igloo is so cold, it snows when I breathe". The other one answers "my igloo is even colder, my piss freezes before it hits the toilet". A lonely voice from the nearby table asks the two drunk eskimos to join him in his igloo... when they get there he lights a candle and starts taking the covers off his bed... the two eskimos get worried and want to leave, but the host stops them. He takes a brown shape from the linens and holds it over the candle... *fart noise* It's so much better live, but you get the picture ???? Nilla

Thanks for everyones input! I had a lovely nut who asked if I was interested in wls, because she considered me a good candidate. That was my start to this journey and she will get a bunch of flowers when I see her in 2 months! I saw her in September the last time and she has always been very supportive, even though we don't see eye to eye on everything. But we can agree to disagree ☺ Nilla

I've been on so many diets and never threw any nice clothes away. I did do goodwill etc. but I have enough clothes to get me to summer. I arranged them by size and get to open a box when the clothes I'm wearing now get too big. I have a really nice shirt that I bought last summer and never wore, because I was saving it for a special occasion... How smart was that?!? ???? Nilla

NSV at its best! I can't wait until my next lecture. The problem is, the crowd is always new, so nobody will notice anything, but I will know. Nilla

You know I'm just having some fun with you, right? Your answer before reminded me of a joke that includes 3 eskimos, a bar and fart Nilla

@@LittleBill, let's just take @@OzRoo up on her offer and soak up some sun for a change. I will bring the rum flavoured GENEPRO and some bread cheese! Nilla

Just saying, sugar free is not fat free. And the sugar free part was explained so well by @clc9. I would stick to the surgeons prescribed diet. He/she has a lot more experience and the post-op diet is meant to help us heal, not to be an inconvenience. Have some jell-o if it's on your diet for this stage and try to learn how to read labels. That will increase your chances of success hugely. Nilla

That doesn't count as cold. We had -13F (-25C) last week and a blizzard to top it off... Nilla

...when there are his and hers shelves in the fridge. ...when you went too far stocking up on Protein puddings before surgery and just can't seem to make a dent in the pile. ...when your physical therapist is laughing out loud at the sagging butt of your jeggings. Nilla

SW 228.8 CW 210.1 Rny Nov 21st Height 5'6 So my average is better than 2 lbs weekly. Going slow, but losing, hoping my head and skin will keep up with my snail pace. Nilla

I had a stricture fixed and that cost me a total of 8 days in hospital. First two days when they found panniculitis in my belly and thought that was my problem. A week later I couldn't keep even a teaspoon of Water down, but I felt fine when I wasn't puking. My hospital has an er that you go to first for evaluation and then they send you to the correct ward for care. My surgeon is the boss of the wls department and she has set up very strict guidelines when it comes to the care of her patients. I was in the hospital for so long due to dehydration, otherwise I felt quite ok. But they wanted me in good condition so I didn't have to come back for some more iv fluids anytime soon. Just make sure you know where to turn to in case something goes sideways. I feel great after the stricture repair. Nilla

As a kid, teenager and young adult I was very active. I did a lot of sports, track and field, figure skating, ballet and basketball. I even trained juniors in basketball. I had a lot of injuries, that finally led to the sad conclusion that I had to stop training so hard. I started gaining weight, not too much in the beginning, but it added up. My Mom shows her love with food and sweets. I don't blame her, her Mom was the same way. My Mom still has no idea I had wls, because she hates any kind of surgery and I only told a few people. My hubby and Dad are supportive, so that's all I need. I will tell my Dads wife on Thursday, since we will be spending xmas with them. I met my hubby when I was 21, so he has seen all my ups and downs, I'm a textbook example of a yo-yo dieter. I know what to do to lose weight, I just never mastered the maintenance phase. I worked hard in my dream profession, I was an aviation specialist and very good at my job. It all came to a bitter end when I was 34. My arm stopped working in the middle of a phone call with an air traffic controller in Russia. I'm now on early retirement at 42. I had 2 surgeries on both shoulders, because they were too loose. I regained mobility, but never really got my full strength back. 2 years later I was diagnosed with a rare syndrome, EDS, and found myself to be a part time wheelchair user. Try keeping your weight at a healthy level when your mobility is minimal? So I had a 9 month private pity party. Smart, right? I was mourning the loss of my former life and had to find my new path. Today I counsel other patients, lecture about my syndrome and related issues and have an active role in my patient organization. I live my life happy. Still travel, go to concerts, do most things I want. My manual wheelchair is pink and my electric wheelchair is decorated for xmas, lights and all! A year ago a went to see a nutritionist. I lost some weight again on a very strict diet on mostly frankenfoods. Yay! But when I started going back on real foods, my weight turned back up. This summer my nut asked if I have considered wls, that I would be a good candidate. Nope, never thought about it other than watching some shows on tv. I wanted some time to do research and told her that I would give her an answer the next time I saw her. So sep 14th I said yes please and she said she would send my papers forward. That day I put myself on a 1300 cal low carb, high Protein diet. When I got my surgery date of nov 21st, I lowered my calories to 1200 cal. I also did a 4 week pre-op diet that was very similar, but more frankenfood and an 800 cal limit. I had rny on nov 21st, as scheduled. I was wheeled to recovery to wait for my turn, second wls that day. I started having second thoughts... Do I really want to put my body thru this? Am i really sure i can't do it on my own? I didn't get very far with my thinking before they took me in. I remember that my last thought on the table was that I can still change my mind. When I woke up in recovery I had the worst gas pain I ever experienced. Horrible! The meds didn't work for it at all! I regretted my desicion instantly. But when they asked if I wanted to go to the bathroom I was so happy to realize that all the stories of moving around to get rid of gas were true. I had to stay 3 nights in the hospital due to drinking issues. I never had any other pain than gas pain, but boy was it painful before I was able to move around. In total I had pain and took meds for about a week. Now, 13 days post-op, only a tiny bit of discomfort when laying down. And today I'm happy to report that my drinking issues seem to have gone away slightly! My surgery weight was 228.8 lbs and today I'm 222.0 lbs (hw his summer was around 255 lbs, that I recall). I have been in a stall for 4 days now and I hope that the increase in liquids will help a lot with moving forward. The only real post-op complication I had was that the heparin shots were too much for me. I was supposed to do them for 10 days at home, but had to stop half way thru. I started bleeding from my nose and other parts... I called the hospital and they agreed, no more heparin for me. The bleeding stopped the very next day. My post-op diet allows food quite fast, I'm on soft foods right now. But the only solids, other than dairy products and puddings, have been cottage cheese and meatballs. I have tolerated everything I have tried, with the exeption of mashed potatoes. I got a 15 min dumping episode... But I have not thrown up even once and the regret went out the window the second I was able to stand up in recovery. I average 400 cal per day for now. I will be posting more on this thread as time goes by, as a small journal to myself. I hope everyone has as an easy journey as I have had with my wls, I think it's totally worth it. Just waiting for my stall to break... Happy holidays to you all! Nilla

Ok, I have to start covering my mirrors. Getting too scared. I have noticed that the skin under my chin is looking like it belongs to my mom. Streaky skin... Today my left cheek around my dimple is looking the same when I smile!! Can you guess who started paying more attention to skin care? ???? I guess I have lost some weight in my face, but I can't tell yet, other than the skin getting weird. Please tell me this will go away?!? Nilla

Oh I so need some heat after the freezing cold weather we have had. The snow is covering everything and the streets are so slippery. My friend flew in from FL today and I ordered a bunch of stuff for him to bring me (and yes, he volonteered). I got a message saying it's all soaked in the rum he brought for another friend... oh well, I guess GENEPRO could taste worse?!? Nilla

Today I'm 210.1 lbs. Slow, but steady, 7 weeks post-op. I have been able to eat and drink more easily, so that's a big relief. I went to the pool on Thursday and suprised myself, it went almost as well as before surgery and I had almost a 2 months break due to my complications. Still haven't dared to touch my rowing machine, but any day now... Have a great week everyone! Nilla