PorkChopExpress

Yeah I work the night shift and I take vitamin D every morning, as my levels were low (as it seems is has been for most of us night owls). As for how it affects anything else, it pretty much doesn't. My eating schedule is what it is, I take my supplements when I'm supposed to, and just try to squeeze as much protein and water into my day as I can. I think it's actually easier during the night shift, because there is no prescribed "time" where everyone goes for lunch, and I don't deal with the social aspects of that. I can do my own thing.

I'm done with caffeine forever. I was a giant Coke addict for most of my life, and it probably bears a lot of blame for getting me to my top weight of 385 or so. The problem isn't just the sugar, the caffeine causes a lot of issues systemically, no the least of which is how it acts as a diuretic, so you dump Water and become chronically dehydrated. I know the feeling of dehydration all too well, and it feels miserable. Waking up in the middle of the night because my calf is cramping up like crazy. Tingling sensation all over my body, sunken eyes, or swelling in my extremities. It even made my gums ache. It's awful. Anyone taking caffeine in any form after bariatric surgery, knowing what a challenge it is just to meet the bare minimum for water intake, is hurting their health, in my view. For me, the decision not to ever drink soda again is one of the many decisions to change my behavior that I'm making, post-surgery, to improve the quality of my health.

Her attitude is really, really poor. I can understand being disappointed, but then saying "I'm not gonna do it because we can't do it together" is immature, IMO. Plus, two people recovering from this surgery together simultaneously, neither can really be any help to the other. My wife wanted to get the surgery too, and it looked for a while as though she might be able to do it earlier than me. She was very excited for it, and then we had some life changes and she ended up getting a teaching position, and it closed her window until next summer. Meanwhile, mine went forward and I got it done a month ago. She was disappointed and frustrated, moreso now because she has to continue to maintain a 40bmi due to insurance, until she can get it done. So it's a bummer. But it didn't change her mind about getting the surgery done, that's for sure! In the end, it'll be better because I will be very far along toward my goals by the time she can get her surgery, and I will have experienced everything, so I'll be better able to help her through it. But if your partner is claiming YOU are the selfish one for going ahead, then your relationship - in my opinion - is in a questionable state, to begin with. Love is putting someone else's needs above your own. She should feel happy for you, and plan to do it at another time.

I think this is why it's super important to go through the mental preparation for a long period of time, before surgery. I had about a year to think about it, due to classes, supervised diet, tests, and just finding a good time to get the surgery done. I went to support groups and listened to the peoples' stories...including the cautionary tales of people who had failed, and had to do it all over again, with the right mindset. It's a challenge mentally, I mean the surgery is really the easy part. It's the mental part that we have to really get under control, because that's what will keep you healthy long-term. It's hard to give up your old lifestyle, there is a comfort in it and when you remove that, it's like you're naked, in a way...there is no protection anymore. You can't use food for any of the purposes you've been using it, to this point. It becomes fuel. It can taste good and you can enjoy it (what little of it you can eat) but in the end, if your mind is right, you will start to see it more as fuel than as anything else. It's important to find other coping mechanisms - healthy ones. Exercise has been good for me as an outlet for stress and feeling good physically. Otherwise, try to stay busy with other things and start identifying and consciously thinking about all of the reasons your mind is trying to tell you to eat. Start to see how messed up your "programming" has been. It becomes super easy to see, now that you don't feel hunger and you aren't able to eat much of anything. It's not an easy process, but embrace the change and set about the process of taking back control over your mind. You just had a procedure that will enable you to do that, and now you have the tools you need to reprogram yourself. You can do it, just take it one day at a time and each one will build on the previous one. The first week or two is the worst.

After about one week post-op, I really started to notice all the "eat" triggers in my life and identified them for what they were...conditioning and programming that I needed to re-write. Now when I see food advertising, I see it for what it is - an attempt to condition my mind and take my money. If I get obese because of it...they are probably happy, because I'll buy more of their product. There are triggers I have that are just circumstantial and behavioral, habit...and then there is advertising, and I know what they're trying to do. I think by being conscious of it, I can defeat its negative influence on me. It especially helps not feeling hungry, right now. I can see things without that fog of hunger.

I hated Isopure, tasted pretty nasty...every flavor. Very strong medicinal taste, to me. Get yourself some GENEPRO powder. It's almost totally flavorless and mixes nice. I have mixed it with Crystal Light, Hormel Chili, and even Taco Bell pintos & cheese. One tablespoon is 30g of Protein, so it's a great alternative to protein shakes. I'm with you, after four weeks straight of surviving on them, I was so sick of those shakes I couldn't stand it. The Genepro has been a great discovery. As for the taste buds, I'm fortunate that my surgery didn't create any changes in how I perceive the taste of things. I don't know if that'll be a permanent thing, or if it's hormone-based, or what. But some people do say that their tastes change after surgery, in which case you kind of just have to find new things that will work. In terms of Water, I'd try to see if purified or R/O water makes any difference. It might be the metals in the water or something else, that are bugging you.

Everybody has to start somewhere! I have a membership at Planet Fitness and I recommend them - $10/month and the vibe there is much more "fitness for everybody." You have all types of people in there, from meatheads to people just starting out, and everywhere in between. Pretty good beginner gym, for sure. As for gym clothes...it ain't a fashion show I don't wear anything special. Just comfortable clothes I don't mind sweating in.

Ended up taking a break from the gym today...I'm SORE. My body isn't used to all this MOVING business. Heading into week 5 and that means I get to start on whole pieces of meat for Protein...no more need for mushy or shredded. This is the final week of restrictions, and then I am left to my own devices, to try things and see how they work out for me. So far, I haven't had anything give me trouble...but I haven't been very diverse about my selections, either! I guess we'll see. The funny thing is, the freedom is a little daunting now. I'm not sure what to try. I know I'm only supposed to try one new thing at a time, to isolate which ones do and don't work out...but I also don't want to waste a bunch of food (and money). So I'll be getting stuff that can stay frozen, I guess. Trader Joe's has been a good source of protein options so far, I expect I will keep going back. Might try Whole Foods too. I find that I care much more right now about the quality of what I'm putting in than I ever did, before. It's a very positive development.

In terms of meal planning, a great program you can use for your smartphone is called MyFitnessPal. It'll let you enter every single thing you are eating each day, tell you what the calories and macro breakdown are (protein/carbs/fats) and let you really get targeted in your diet. If you were to come in with something like that and demonstrate that you've been diligent about sticking to a program, and tracking your diet, that might satisfy their desire to see you taking control over your diet. If they've given you an idea of what your calorie goal should be every day, then pre-program your meals into MFP and see where you end up with calories. Tailor your meal plan to hit your calorie target.

There is a lot of science now that is demonstrating links to obesity not just in sugared soda, but also diet. It creates chemical changes in your gut and hormonal changes that contribute to weight gain. I'm a lifelong Coke addict and I swore of soda completely. I would recommend you do the same. The point of getting this surgery is to make a permanent change. That has to include mental changes and if you think you'll just eventually go back to how you used to do things, you'll gain weight back. Commit to change. Let go of the soda. Just my two cents, I know I'm not a veteran but I DO read a lot.

Do you like mashed potatoes? I love 'em. As long as you get it without chunks and it's smooth, that's close enough to puree. Mixes nice with flavorless Protein like GENEPRO, too. Throw some cooked chicken in the food processor with a little bit of chicken stock, and add some seasonings. I know a guy who did a touch of fat-free ranch and some buffalo wing sauce, and had it that way lol... You just kind of have to get a little creative. You can also grab some Hormel chili and throw that in the food processor, blend it until it's basically a paste. If you have a food processor, you can more or less puree anything. It's not going to be like eating solid food, but you don't have to do it forever.

Well, think of it this way...if you don't have your mental game in order, there's a good chance your effort will be wasted even IF you have surgery. There's a reason they put emphasis on the mental preparation on these surgeries...because long-term success is mostly mental. So if you're not ready, you're not ready. What has been the challenge with the CBT?

It's a total re-learning process. You HAVE to go slowly. It doesn't even matter if you look at your food and go, "That's hardly anything," you need to make that last at least 20 minutes and more if possible. Your bites should be very small, probably at least half of what you were used to. You have to chew until it's like a liquid in your mouth.

Usually depends on the availability of rooms. I unfortunately had to stay in the recovery room until like 5:00pm on the day of my surgery (I came out of surgery around 11:00am).

In a week you'll feel pretty much normal, maybe with a tiny bit of soreness but not bad. Just give it time, take it day by day, and do your best to get your water and protein in. Both are critical to the healing process, and you'll heal a lot faster and better if you get enough.

Forget alcohol for a year post-op. Ignore its existence. And after that, you will probably find that one drink is about all it's going to take to have you flying like a kite. I'm not a big drinker personally, so it's not a huge loss for me.

I usually tend to go with the surgeon's advice. Your BMI puts you in the "superobese" category and at that weight, surgeons are all probably going to go with the one that will result in the most weight loss, most quickly. You are young, so you will probably recover well and it's a good time to hit the "reset" button - now that I've done it, at 45 years of age, I'm sure I'm going to wish I'd had surgery 15+ years ago. Discuss the pros and cons with him, express your concerns and go forward with whatever you agree is the best option. The results are what you're after, and at this weight your health is of primary importance...so my feeling is, go with what will get you the best result, the fastest. I initially intended to do the gastric bypass, however they had to convert to sleeve due to scar tissue from a prior abdominal surgery. At this point though, I'm just happy to have had a correction made so that I can be successful now

Drinking is the biggest challenge now. I'm one month past my surgery date and I struggle to hit 64oz even including my two protein drinks. There just isn't space in the stomach and I give up at least 4 1/2 hours of my day in the "no drinking" zone surrounding meals. To be successful you literally have to be sipping every few minutes, all day long. It's pretty tough. But I'm sure as my stomach capacity increases in the months to come, it'll get easier as the swallows can get bigger and the amount the stomach holds improves.

You need to have a talk with your husband about why he feels so strongly against you doing it, and then try helping him see it from your perspective. But a lot of times, I think people react this way for either concern for your health and well-being (fear of complications or even death from surgery), OR they do it because they have their own selfish reasons for you to remain as you are. It's hard to say what his motive is, but you need to clear the air with him and if it's important to you, which I'm sure it is, put your foot down. It's for your long-term health, which is no joke...and your family should appreciate that fact. To forbid someone from doing something that will improve their health and longevity dramatically is asinine to me. There's something else at work, here.

I would go back to clear liquids for a couple of days, and see if it settles down...and keep taking your Protonix as directed. Hopefully it will start to ease up. Make sure you are doing as well as you possibly can on water intake, too. That may be part of the reason for the constipation. But I'd really lay off of anything that requires your stomach to work for a couple of days and see if that helps.

I think I would get seen by your surgeon ASAP, call them first thing in the AM. It could be an allergic reaction to the anesthetic or medication you received for pain, but aches in the extremities and skin rashes are never a good thing. If your tongue starts to swell, you have difficulty breathing, or anything like that, get to the ER immediately.

Yeah, a lot of them you can kind of tell that they aren't mentally committed to the change and are likely to just right back to their old habits. Some people just can't be helped, no matter how hard you try.

Pretty much just a seroma in one of my incisions that had be drained, about a week post-op. Wasn't pleasant, but also wasn't the end of the world. He opened the wound, pushed all around it to drain it (not too fun), then they "packed" the wound with gauze (a little uncomfortable, but not too bad) to absorb drainage. Then I was told to remove the gauze later (weird feeling, not really painful though) and then just start pressing all around it, squeezing out whatever Fluid buildup there was. I was also given an antibiotic to take, which helped a lot over the course of 7 days. I just had to keep it dressed, push the crud out of it every day, and eventually it sealed itself up and was fine. Sounds a lot worse than it actually was, and that was really my only issue. I honestly have no real complaints because everything else has been super smooth, and I had much, much worse complications after my gall bladder surgery years ago.