Berry78

This only happens to me when I take too big of bites. Do you think that's the issue, or something else?

At 9 days postop, do NOT eat anything solid. Just be patient... restriction will come when your diet advances.

I'm in the middle of the weight loss phase and am eating around 60-70g. Right after surgery I relied on milk for my protein, so carbs went up to 100g. Brought them down as I eased into a normal diet. Some people might look at a spoonful of sugar next to a spoonful of beans, and call them equal. They ARE both carbs, but I'll eat the beans, not the sugar. Beans come with other things I need.. fiber, protein, etc. We have a carb or calorie "budget". I want the most bang for my buck!

It usually slows down by 8 months postop and should be done after a year. Mine has been falling out for 5 months straight, it's thin but I'm not bald yet. Not sure what will happen if it continues for 5 more months!

Foamies usually happen when something you ate doesn't agree. It's the body's way of "cleaning house". Hopefully something will click and it will solve itself. In the meantime I'm trying to get a sense of how much trouble you're in. How many ounces a day of fluid are you keeping down? What fluids have you tried? You say "eat", what do you mean? How many times a day are you peeing? Have you pooped since surgery?

Your nerves were cut in your stomach, so you can't feel everything going on. Because of this, continue going slow. Not too much at once, etc. That hunger is probably acid. Keep up with your acid medication, and you may need more too. You should be on a ppi (once a day), and some liquid that you take a few times a day.

Congrats!

You may not need extra calories, but you do need extra nutrition. Complex carbs like sweet potatoes and beans are my favorite. Grains can be iffy.. your homemade bread sounds delicious, particularly if it contains 100% whole grains that you grind yourself... but if it sets up cravings, then it isn't the best choice for you. You'll just have to experiment. Maybe keep it to one slice of bread a day and do other things for the rest. Bread freezes pretty well too. Slice it, then put into individual ziplock baggies. Freeze, then toast. Corn has no real nutrition, avoid. Oats are pretty good, and don't forget about all the lesser known pseudograins like amaranth.

Your weight should be stable for 9 months or a year before getting plastics. Those that get it sooner have mobility issues or something like that. Whether your weight stabilizes at 160 or 125 doesn't matter.. just has to be stable. Since its already been stable, you can say "forget 125, I'll be satisfied here" and make your appointment.. or you can keep trying to go lower. Personally, I believe in the set point theory, and I believe trying to go lower will be fighting your set point, and you will find it difficult to lose, and then even more difficult to maintain. But, if you get to goal, then have lipo and skin removal, that surgery might help actually lower your set point, making the losses easier to maintain. This is a good question for your surgeon, since they know more about these things..

I would recommend a night or two in the hotel near the hospital. You'll feel much better 3-4 days post-op for the trip, and if you did have trouble, you are still close to the hospital and help. In fact, you may feel well enough to just go home at that point.

I started at 305lbs, lost 13lbs the 2nd month, 8 lbs the 3rd month.

The heart disease wasn't diet-related, but the high blood pressure could have been.

I recommend taking a few hours to sit down and really formulate a meal plan. Once that is done, then food no longer takes up much of your time. Your meals need to be as nutritious as possible because the baby is taking your nutrients. Eat 4 times a day, 2-3oz protein, 2-3oz complex carb, plenty of veggies. Make sure you put some fat on your veggies to absorb the vitamins. Nuts, seeds, avacados are good sources of fats too. Limit fruit to 1-2 servings a day. No white sugar, white flour, or fried food.

No, Dr. Atkins died of a fall. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Atkins_(nutritionist)

I did an enema every other day for the first couple weeks to keep things moving. My GI doc was impressed, since most people just let that stuff go. When I could start taking fiber, things started being more normal. I like enemas because I can schedule the 30 minutes in the bathroom instead of not knowing when it will happen.

Anyone familiar with Dr. McDougall? He believes in a starch-based diet. For example, the Okinawans of Japan used to subsist on 69% sweet potatoes, colorful veggies, rice, tofu, and fish about once a week. (Pork once a month). 6% of calories from fat, 10% from protein. Almost no fruit or sugar. What is interesting is after 1960, their diet changed, and they aren't living as long.

I first tried nuts at 8 weeks postop. Cashews are very soft and don't have skins. Chewed them up very well, one at a time, no problem. I now eat all kinds, but limit it to 1oz a day (I weigh them out into little containers to grab and go). I weigh out peanut butter the same way, and love peanut butter on celery with a few raisins on top.

This isn't normal, but it may not even have much to do with your stomach surgery. Could be gallbladder problems. Either go to your regular doctor or the emergency room. You need some tests to figure out what is going on.

I probably was only "allowed" skim milk too. Hmm.. oops, there is only 2% in the fridge.. sue me! Fat and carb control was absolutely necessary preop to get that liver to shrink. Postop, we do what we have to do to heal and be able to function. Sure, my fats were high, and my carbs were insane (like 100g from milk sugar).. but you know what? I healed like a champ, my emotional state was good, and once I got to the regular diet, I put my macros where they belonged. Of course you should listen to your team, and if you are diabetic, my diet may not work well for you. But I encourage "big picture" thinking so we can all feel like we are participating in our own journeys.

I remember stepping on the scale when I was 8 and it read 105lbs. (average is 58lbs.) I thought wouldn't it be great if it could stay there until I was a teenager. When I was 14, it read 178lbs. 17 years old, 215lbs. My 20s saw my weight bounce between 145lbs and 305lbs. My 30's saw it hold steady between 280 and 305. At 38 years old I had high blood pressure and prediabetes. Enough was enough. Surgery time!

Congrats! Here's to a quick recovery!

It happens.. if you have less than 80lbs to lose and are under 40, you'll likely be ok. Otherwise, you'll probably want to start saving for a nip or tuck in a few years. I'm only halfway to goal (have lost 74lbs), and I can tell there will be significant skin.

Warm (not too hot) herbal tea went down nicely those first days. Temperature does make a difference.

Are you permitted regular milk? (Skim, 2%, whatever?) The shakiness is likely blood sugar issues, and milk has sugar, protein, and fluid. If you can tolerate it, it's a good thing to try. I couldn't do protein shakes, so lived off milk and dairy for the first month. Do take your temperature to make sure nothing is brewing, especially if broth is bothering you too. Electrolytes can get out of whack, so try some coconut water. Walking is good, but it only needs to be around the house to keep circulation going if you are getting weak. You don't need to be burning calories you aren't consuming. And if you are really start feeling bad, talk to your doc or go to the ER.

We talk about you getting a new baby stomach.. the preop diet is the labor before the surgical delivery. It sucks, but we all go through it (for varying lengths of time), and then it's over, and the real work begins!