Berry78

If you can get a blood glucose meter that would be good. When you feel that way, you could test your sugar to see if it is the culprit. But, because you have a history of feeling that way, and eating didn't remedy it, it doesn't sound like hypoglycemia. You might have a sensitivity to something you are consuming. Dairy (including whey in the shakes) and artificial sweeteners are common problem-causers. That feeling of hunger is usually acid. Make sure to take your acid meds religiously. And, of course, feel free to mention this stuff to your surgeon.

Don't take any vitamins this close to surgery. Postop I started taking them after a couple weeks.. and I went with powdered ones from GNC. A couple flintstones chewable will get you through until you find out what you need. As for swimming.. I wouldn't do it. Not only are your incisions barely closed up, but the physical exertion might be too much. Just walk along the water's edge and enjoy getting your footsies wet. Good luck! I don't think the vitamin patches work.

Anytime you notice a decrease in the amount you can consume, (I'm not talking about being extra full for a day or two.. but consistently being unable to eat as much).. contact your surgeon. It's a red flag for strictures.

The concept of moderation has been lost to us for so long (preop), that without guidelines and parameters telling what moderation IS... of course we're lost! Yesterday my 17 year old daughter and I sat down and formulated a 1500 calorie diet for her. (Her BMI is around 31.5). Breakfast: 7oz sweet potato with a little butter Lunch: salad with fruit and nuts and 1oz ranch dressing Snack: 2 eggs and fresh bell pepper Dinner: 4oz meat, 1 cup black beans, green beans She'll have 150 calories to spend on milk and honey for her tea. If/when she needs more calories, she can add a few grains. Without creating a plan like this, she eats 4 pieces of pizza or 2 large plates of spaghetti or 2 bowls of cereal, etc. Same as I did at her age. Preop, I would have discussions with her, but I really didn't know what the right thing WAS for her to do, and I didn't want to screw up her metabolism or start her on the yo yo dieting path, so I was clear that she shouldn't change anything. Now, 5 months postop, and I now KNOW what to do.. and it is such a wonderful feeling! She knows that she'll have to watch what she eats forever, same as any of us.

How long have you been eating this way? And I'm trying to figure out how you got to be heavy if you have been eating this way for a while. And if you haven't been at it long.. how quickly it must work to clean up those organs.. (I know tone doesn't carry over the written word well, but I am asking with honest curiosity, not any kind of nastiness).

No need to get nasty! She isn't comparing your losses to her journey, she's comparing your losses to all those journeys she has heard about in a decade. 40lbs in a month is crazy-high loss rate.. and yours was twice that! It's not surprising for people to be skeptical. The body only seems to be capable of burning off 1-2lbs a day of fat. Your loss of almost 3lbs a day didn't seem possible. But, like I said, I suspect a bunch of it was water weight (and especially since 12lbs came back on.. that was definitely water).. so 40-12 = 28lbs/14 days= 2lbs/day, and that is still super high, but within expectations. 70lbs over 2 months is just over a pound a day.. fabulous! And quite believable.

I also started out 100lbs heavier than you I lost 17 the first month (30 was the first and second combined).. so not that much difference...

There are a lot of different options. Personally I like Under Armor for sports type compression. If you want something more discreet for under clothing, Spanx is a big name, but they aren't necessarily the best. I don't know who's best for that. Lookin' forward to other responses.

What seemed to help stop the cramping 3 weeks ago? You said you were constipated, and now you have diarrhea, so it sounds intestinal. What have your bathroom habits been over the last month?

Absolutely not true. I haven't had protein powder since trying it those first couple weeks postop (and trying it one more time 3 months post). My protein goal is 70g and I always get at least 65g. Blended tuna salad was actually good after all the milk and broth. I only had it a couple times since I preferred greek yogurt and cottage cheese..fewer dishes to wash! Lol! The sugar in the kefir IS a trade off. It'll knock you out of ketosis, but that kefir really will help you meet those protein goals. You don't have to be in ketosis to lose weight. Remember, the liquid diet isn't forever. Once you move to solids you can always go back onto a keto diet if you want. To me, those first two months are about healing, not weight loss, so I did what I had to to support that healing (i.e. meeting goals). And even with that outlook, I lost 30lbs the first 2 months.

Thanks for answering her, Missy. I didn't see she had asked. Congrats on your great A1c postop! That has got to feel good knowing you may not be diabetic anymore!

It depends on the surgeon. Some people on this board have gotten the surgery at your weight (But they started heavier). Most everyone has to go through a lengthy process that takes 3 months to a year to complete all the requirements, including a diet. So you should expect to lose some weight before the surgery. Welcome!

I agree.. a stricture could be getting started. Let your surgeon know what has been happening. Hopefully it's nothing... good luck!

My MIL had this done. She had a HUGE flap that was removed.. 30lbs! They did remove her bellybutton, but either way the scar will be similar. It'll be horizontal (probably will curve up some), right above the pubic hair. Hip to hip. The recovery is about 6 weeks, typically.

Excision means to be cut off Subcutaneous tissue means stuff that's under the skin Lipectomy means cutting out the fatty layer that is attached to the skin Infraumbilical means below the belly button. So basically they cut skin and fat, leaving the muscle underneath untouched. I assume your bellybutton won't be touched either.

Woo hoo!!! Congrats!!!!

Oh my, it's a sh*tty feeling, isn't it?

My doctor doesn't make predictions for his patients, so I have to go searching for statistics Even at 80%, it's not 100%. We see sooo many posts.. "how do I lose these last 20lbs?". I'm just mentally preparing for the scale to stop at 20-30lbs over ideal BMI. C'est la vie!

It's the luck of the draw. 65% is average, which means some lost less, others more. Personally I think it is that the surgery won't reset our set-points all the way down if we are more than 80-100lbs overweight. So the surgery can do x-amount, and the rest is up to us. Many of us get bored with the constant battle, and at some point the effort isn't worth the payoff, so we stop. It's not wrong, it just IS. And that's ok. The fat rats could lose it all and keep it off, but they never were double and triple their bodyweight.

Your plan sounds great!

Nope..2 weeks is correct. Her surgery was June 14th, and this post was made on June 29th. The only thing I can fathom is she dropped a lot of water weight. I would say possible scale error, but I think it was a doctor's scale both times. Either way, it's fabulous!

Ok, so let me get this straight. You had reached a low of 163, but regained 20lbs (now 183?). Did you regain on the 1200 calories? Or did you eat more for a while, and the nut says cut it back down? Were you exercising and gained anyway, or are you just now rejoining the gym?

Ok, so you want actual meal plans! Lol. Here's mine: 1. 1 cup milk 2. 4oz full fat cottage cheese 3. Fruit.. however much gives me 15g net carbs 4. 1oz nuts or seeds 5. 4oz non-starchy veggies 6. 4oz meat or fish 7. 1-2 eggs 8. 4oz starchy beans 9. 2 cups coconut water or 1 cup low sodium v8 I eat this schedule every day, but mix up the times. So it's a framework, but every day looks a bit different. I.E. dinner: salmon and green beans or hamburger patty and spinach. I get 1200-1300 calories a day, 70g protein, 60g carbs.

Congrats on deciding to finally do it! And you can! The best thing you can do for yourself is to make a chart of what you will eat for the day (meeting protein, carb, fat, and calorie requirements). Then eat the same thing every day. Since you work nights, plan for a meal and snack while you work ("lunch"). If you tell me your macro goals and any food aversions, I can help you come up with a plan.

They can try one and see how it goes. As long as it is mushy it might work. (The tough stem is a no-go, but the tender top might be ok). Starchy beans are also full of fiber but they squish down nice and smooth, so they usually work well.