2ndSpring

I've been a pescetarian for about 25 years or so. I'm about 12 weeks post-op. The focus on Protein is a huge change for me. For my whole adult life, I made whole grains the base of every meal, surrounded by veggies and just a little protein. I had to admit to myself after all these years that it wasn't working for me - constant cravings and low satiety. I still don't believe in the high levels of protein that most adhere to (except during the post surgery healing phase) Which is good, because veg protein sources don't get you anywhere near 60g a day and I don't want to rely on shakes and bars now that I'm past the healing phase. I'm a total convert to the low carb camp for the duration of my weight loss phase. It really does reduce hunger and cravings. I haven't decided on a maintenance plan yet - I'll figure that out down the road. I've been eating 3 meals a day comprised of 3 oz of protein (fish, hard cheese, eggs, nuts, beans) and 1 oz of veggies plus fats (olive, coconut, butter, avocado), Sometimes, I'll add a Protein Bar, but not everyday. The weight is coming off at a nice steady pace. I don't know if I am on the right track or not - all seems well for now and I'm open to experimenting down the road.

I can't answer about the dizziness and I don't know if it is related, but 35 ounces isn't enough. You could be dehydrated and that can cause havoc on your circulation and heart rate. If you have to chose between food and Water during this post-surgery period, chose water. When is your next appt? You should tell your doctor about the dizziness and let them check you out. Hope you feel better soon.

Go for it. You'll run into all kinds of people in your life and some will be jerks but most will be nice. Don't let the jerks keep you away. Keep us posted!!

week 12...should be any day now

Some people make friends so easily, right? I wish I was like that too!! But.. you would be amazed at how many people you are surrounded by every day that feel the same way as you or are lonely. Everyone is just really good at covering up their feelings. Even people who seem to be surrounded by a crowd may not feel a connection with anyone or that their relationships are superficial or just based on partying. Go ahead and put yourself out there. Can you join a club or get a job on campus to help you meet people?

What's the go with catheter do you have one or not? I did not, or if I had one, it was gone by the time I woke up. What was your hospital stay? Went in Wednesday morning and was discharged by Thursday afternoon (dependent on passing leak test and then being able to keep some food down) What was your operation time ? Under an hour Is there much scaring involved ? I have 5 incisions: the main one is about an inch, the others are about a half inch. They are still a little red at 12 weeks. Good luck!

I hope you get some good responses. I am interested too...... There is an "i love kickboxing" place near me and it looks very interesting. workouts are with gloves and a bag,

For the first few weeks, my main suture also kept getting pinched by the waistband of my work pants and making huge bruises. I'm about 12 weeks out now and can't remember exactly when it stopped hurting, maybe around week 5 or 6.

the scale showed a weight gain for me between my 1 week visit and my 1 month visit. I believe it is because at the 1 week visit I was dehydrated and hadn't yet eaten anything so my body was empty - so the scale registered an extra 10 lbs of weight loss that had nothing to do with fat. Don't worry about the scale at this point. As long as you are following the diet plan, the weight will come off at whatever pace your body thinks is right for you. and just wondering....is your name a sports or school reference or do you have bulldogs? asking because I have an English bulldog.

Welcome!! I'm sorry your family had to go through such a rough patch and I'm glad things are ok now. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

I have only told 4 immediate family members. It is not because I am embarrassed. It is because I don't want to hear unsolicited advice or intrusive questions. are you allowed to eat that? how much have you lost so far? I knew someone who had surgery and got sick. I knew someone who had surgery and gained it back. You can lose it on your own.

Your doctor bills the insurance company and then waits to see how much they are willing to pay. The insurance company sends a similar summary of payments to the doctor, so the doctor can now send you a bill for the difference.

I used Vega One, chai flavor. It is pea Protein based and has greens in it as well. I didn't like the texture when mixed with Water but it was very good when mixed with almond milk.

I guess the first question is, are you going to tell all of your friends? At 2 weeks post-surgery, you will need to tell them because your are going to need a lot of understanding and support from them. Some challenges I can think of that you'll need to be prepared for..... Someone will need to lift your luggage because you will have a 5 pound limit. Whether driving or flying, you will need to get up and walk at least once an hour to prevent blood clots (increased risk for the first month after surgery). You will need to carry Water with you at all times to stay hydrated because you can only sip small quantities at a time and you need to sip constantly to get in the 64 oz by the end of the day. Finding Protein based food for the soft/mushy stage will be a major challenge in restaurants, and you don't want to resort to carbs. You'll need to avoid alcohol. You may not be in pain, but you may still be really tired and need to take naps or rest. It takes a while to get your energy back while you are healing. All in all, you can probably make it work as long as you have supportive friends. Good luck!

thanks for posting the new pic. I am so glad you did, they look awesome and I am going to track some down. I'll try amazon first, they have everything!

I have been freezing since a few weeks out of surgery. I'm ok when I am moving but as soon as I sit still for a while or lay down it is like my thermostat shuts off. I assume it is a metabolism thing - because I still have plenty to lose, so its not an insulation thing!!

I work in HR. Regardless of her intentions, her behavior is unethical and unprofessional. It is shocking that an HR professional would violate such a trust. This is not a peer that you told a secret to. Discretion is part of her job. The fact that it may have been unintentional means that her department is inadequately trained on privacy laws and case law. You would be doing her department head a favor by bringing this breach to their attention so they can arrange training for their whole team. I would also question the department head on the internal controls within HR - who has access to your medical records? everyone in HR?. That seems a little lax to me as well.

For me, I am finding that low carb works to keep cravings away. I eat vegetables, fruit and Beans as my carb sources. When I eat this way, I am easily able to ignore foods that once would have consumed my every waking thought until I ate them and then ran out to the store for more.

interesting. can you take a pic of the ingredient list?

True!!

I had my surgery on a Wednesday too. I took the rest of that week and all of the following week. The doctor would have cleared me for the Monday after surgery, but that would have been too soon as I was still a little uncomfortable at that point ....and I hadn't told anyone at work and didn't want anyone to notice anything was a little off. Good luck

YAY YOU!!!!! that is a huge victory. and next time you are tempted, you can look back on this win and know you can do it.

I guess everyone heals at a different rate. My stomach was swollen for about the first week. On about day 7 or 8, i was able to get more fluids in so I could tell the inflammation had gone down. I think it is about 6 -8 weeks until it is considered healed. And even after that, my PA told me to avoid hard to process foods (like raw vegetables) for a few more weeks.

Hi PhillyAj. I wasn't allowed any liquids at all, not even ice chips. I wasn't thirsty because the IV kept me hydrated but my mouth felt gross. I was allowed to dip the little sponges in enough Water to wet them and then i could scrub the inside of my mouth. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I didn't use 90% of what I brought. The pain meds make you so sleepy and you don't care about anything. I walked around in the hospital gown and hospital socks - even though I brought my own stuff! The only things i used were Chapstick and my phone/charger. The nurses gave me the little sponges on a stick for dry mouth which I wound up liking so much more than the Biotene, (which I thought made too much saliva that i had to swallow).