Berry78

I went to Mexico with Dr. Illan. Had a wonderful experience. My BMI at time of surgery was 45, so I wasn't quite in your shoes. The best thing to do is contact each surgeon you are considering and ask all your questions. Being turned away would definitely be for your own safety, if it were to happen. In order to make the process as safe as possible, I would recommend you start a low-carbohydrate diet immediately. Every pound you lose now will get you closer to goal, and make surgery that much safer and the recovery easier. The diet would be as much as you want of the following: protein: eggs, beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, tofu nonstarchy vegetables: such as green beans, spinach, broccoli, summer squash, raw tomatoes, lettuce, raw carrots, etc. Butter, oil, vinegar and herbs can be used on the veggies. Add a few starchy vegetables or fruit (potatoes, beans, berries, melon etc.), but keep the carb count below 50. Under 20 is a ketogenic diet. If 50 doesn't have you losing weight, 20 will. Going keto can have unpleasant side effects, so I recommend 50 as a start. The diet would change to whatever your surgeon recommends, closer to surgery. You need a minimum of 2 months to really prepare for the surgery (many believe it is more like 3-6 months). You need a passport, plane tickets, and self education. I spent 2 months of constant research before going under the knife (I'm talking 8+ hours a day of research). Because by going to Mexico, we miss all the nutrition classes, psychological evaluations, counseling, and the like. There is a huge adjustment period post op, hormones go crazy, the diet is strict, and everyone handles these things differently. Bariatric surgery is truly a life changing event.

Make sure you have at least 2 BMs a week. Less than that and you risk getting impacted. Love nuts and seeds. I also was allowed at 8 weeks. I limit my consumption to 1oz a day.

Should be normal. I gurgled a lot for the first couple weeks. Gas and swelling tend to get the liquids noisy as they pass through.

I'd say so. Soft stuff, well chewed seems to slide through a sleeve..guess it does a pouch as well. I was about 5 weeks out and shocked when I ate 8 oz of potato soup. Taught me to measure first

A sudden weight gain might be pointing to an underlying new condition (hypothyroidism or the like). Be sure to explore/rule out a physical cause. If you've just let yourself go, then getting back to basics will help. Protein, nonstarchy veggies, limited carbs, vitamins, non-caloric beverages. Good luck!

I had a change of heart. I mentioned 40-50g of protein would be enough, but I think I was wrong. That may be enough for a typical person of your height that doesn't exercise intensely, but that's not you. Because you have the malabsorption component of the surgery, you have higher protein needs. If you exercise, you also need more. I'll revise my recommendation to at least 70g of protein.... or whatever your team recommends (of course!).

Ok, so if your carbs are on target, then I wouldn't touch your diet yet. Exercise sounds like an excellent plan. (I'm proud of you! Your dietary management sounds great!!). Again, gradually increase exercise so you don't get low blood sugars!

{Hugs} It WILL get better! In another month, you'll be eating regular food, and wondering why you felt so down. Do you have family or a support system? Now would be a good time to try to get out of the house, get some fresh air and a new perspective. If you are seriously contemplating self-harm, please call 911 or go to your closest emergency room.

At this point, you're just walking. My surgeon recommends walking for 4 weeks, add bike and elliptical until 6 weeks, then released to do what I wanted after 6 weeks. Your own team will give you guidelines based on your own medical history. I know 6 weeks seems like a long time, but it will fly by, and you'll be happy to not injure yourself

Great job! Everything you said sounds spot on. The only piece we're missing is what your macros look like currently. Essentially, keep your protein consumption up, and increase fats (if they're low), and carbs. As a general rule, 70g protein, 150g carbs, and 1-3 tablespoons of added fat is a healthy diet... especially when the carbs come primarily from fruit, veggies, nuts, and legumes with occasional whole grains. But, we are such an eclectic group, where some of us gain weight on 50g carbs, that it's impossible to say exactly what your macros should be, other than to say increase the food gradually until you find the level at which you maintain.

Are you feeling better?

Well, I don't know a way of adding friends per se. There is a way to "follow" people, but I don't know what that does. I'll PM you! Thanks!

*Sniff, sniff... it's not me {Cries}

We see doctor's offices and nuts putting people on Ensure for 3 months, causing blindness in diabetics.. we see surgeons recommending soft foods, right out the gate.There is plenty of insanity to go around, including that in the medical field. Do I RECOMMEND ice cream immediately post op? No. Do I believe it will hurt them? No... not in the way a pork chop could hurt them. (Which is essentially the question, right? Will ice cream make my stomach explode?) People need to put on their thinking caps, and do what makes sense. About the only way ice cream will kill someone post op is if they are allergic to an ingredient. (Not intolerant.. Face swell up like a toad, ALLERGIC). It's not my place to know their medical history.. that's their own job.

Maybe 80% regain 15 or 20lbs, but the statistic I saw said that 85% keep off at least 50% of the excess weight. What that would look like for me: Starting weight 305 Excess weight: 150 50% of excess weight: 75 305-75=230lbs I have an 85% chance of staying below 230lbs long term. I'll take those odds, thanks! But it isn't magic, and it does require getting our heads and diets in the right place. That 15% who regain most or all of their weight do not have their problems under control. We need to use our 6-18 month "honeymoon" period to make sure we fix our issues for long term success. To the OP.. use this time to do your research, learn new recipes, shopping habits, make a plan for future exercise, etc. There is lots of work to do over the next year to make sure you are in a good, successful place. Congrats, and good luck!

Ice cream (no chunks) will not hurt the stomach after surgery. It's not a diet-friendly, weight loss CHOICE, but it isn't going to damage the surgical site. After all, what is ice cream? Basically milk and sugar that's frozen. Might cause dumping, but dumping is itself not harmful.. just unpleasant. Did I have ice cream immediately post op? No. Like I said, it's not a diet friendly choice. I did eat two small spoonfuls yesterday at a birthday party for the first time, and it was gross! But I'm 10 weeks out and life happens... sometimes experience is the best teacher. I'd rather have a handful of blueberries. Joann.. Lol! Then I can be Deadpool!

I have found 2 good friends that I PM all the time. Big Viffer, if you wanna be my friend, just PM me! (Of course now I'm paranoid that you have a betting pool on me to f-up!) Lol!

They increased her insulin because her blood sugars had been running too high. The way to decrease blood sugar levels is through strict dietary management. An ideal carbohydrate consumption goal is 15g for each of 3 meals, and 7.5g for each of 2 snacks. For a total of 60g carbs per day. This is assuming you are still trying to lose weight. If your carbs are much higher than this, you need to taper down gradually, so as to not suffer hypoglycemia from too much insulin. Not everyone can exist successfully within an "ideal" framework, so that particular plan may or may not actually work for you. But it is a plan you can try out and see.

Of course burping is just air coming up from the digestive tract. The question is where does the air come from. Swallowing air.. you swallow more air if you eat quickly or use a straw. I had a banana tonight, set me to burping quite a bit. I must have swallowed a ton of air while eating it.. weird. Carbonated beverages of course are full of air Sometimes burping is from the type of food. Cucumbers and watermelon are both known to cause belching. Any number of other foods may do this, based on your own tolerance. Hopefully your issue is to do with the above. (Carbonated beverages, if you are drinking them, are best not consumed).

Sweet!!! You don't even look like a 34 BMI right now...(you look smaller!) Fabulous job!

First, are you type 1 or 2? Type 1 .. well, I have no experience. Have to defer that to more knowledgeable peeps. As for type 2.. I live with an insulin dependent type 2 diabetic. We do notice that his eating can vary widely on a day to day basis at home. When that is the case, he invariably needs more and more insulin. When he is in the hospital or rehab (unfortunately a frequent occurrence), the regular, consistent, counted meals result in his needing less insulin and weight loss. He is a hopeless case, and there is no fixing his home habits, so don't worry about him. But we can learn from him. In order to get control of things, you need to set up an eating schedule with counted carbs, and stick to it. Be extra conscientious about taking your blood sugar levels and adjust your insulin accordingly (if it's a system you can make modifications yourself). At first, don't change your eating habits, just keep track of them for at least a week. Once you know what you are eating, you can make tweaks. Drastic changes will likely result in low blood sugar levels, so make changes slowly. Meal management does become a full time job, but with your condition, that's part of the deal. The alternative, as you have discovered, is more insulin, weight gain, and possibly all the other diabetic complications.

{Hugs} It will get sorted out, somehow! Just take it one day at a time. The dilation is the simplest of several procedures they can do to get you fixed... it most likely will work, but if on the rare occasion it doesn't, the doctors have other tricks up their sleeves to get you right. In the meantime, you will lose weight faster than you would have, and you'll get to goal sooner! (There is always a bright side!). Don't worry about exercise, except walking around (or whatever the doctors suggest). TPN doesn't give a bunch of extra calories for physical activity. Get plenty of rest, and do what you can to pamper yourself. See what kind of help you can get with your home responsibilities so you can just kick back, and take a nice vacation. You deserve it!

You are quite welcome!

I'm very sorry to hear about these troubles {Hugs}. Hopefully someone here can give you some good tips. My take on things.. ensure and other liquid meals are chalk full of strange ingredients, of which one or more may not be agreeing with you. I would love to see you take it back to basics, and do a start-over, testing different things to see what agrees with you. How do you do with milk? Whole milk has 150 calories per cup, so it adds up real quick. Lactaid might work if you are lactose intolerant. Milk is a buffer, which means it is typically soothing in the presence of acid. Nuts are a very good, concentrated source of energy. Fruit has lots of excellent nutrients, and if you find a mix you like, blended in a smoothie, you are drinking plenty of calories. Bananas might be better tolerated than the more acidic types. A runny oatmeal can also be a healthy slider. Add plenty of extras that taste good, including cream. Avacados Whole milk yogurt or cottage cheese. Don't shy away from fruity add-ins if they help. Dried fruits are a concentrated source of calories, just be sure they are softened and chewed well so they don't hurt your pouch. Dates are pure sugar, so if you use them, go slowly in case they cause dumping. If you notice, I'm not listing meat. By now, you are aware of the importance of protein, and are probably aware of the easiest protein types for you to consume. But, even though protein is important, you don't need as much as you did during the weight loss phase, and you shouldn't be filling up on it. You probably can get by on 40-50 grams of protein a day, and if you can get that in dairy, eggs, beans, nuts.. then you are going to have more room for carbs and fat, which will help boost your caloric intake. Does any of this sound reasonable?

I can vouch for the all-inclusive nature of Dr. Illan's package. I paid the flat fee, bought my tickets (mine were about $600) and passport ($70 for the card), and that was all the required expenses. Extras: Tips for the Valets and drivers (Much appreciated) Cab fares for running around for 2 days after leaving the hospital. (Plan for about $20-$30, depending on how much running you do) Cost of food at great restaurants (Broth and beverages)... plan for $40-$50 per person. Each time we ate, I spent about $10 for just me. Extra days at the hotel..(I forget, but around $80/night.. confirm this). Souvenirs (Can get a few little things for $5, but the sky's the limit... I spent about $300 because I spoil my kids, lol.)