Creekimp13

I think dieticians for bariatric clinics should have had a period of obesity in their lives. I know this couldn't really be a job requirement...lol...but it's awfully nice when the dietician really understands what you're up against.

Nope, not bothered by onions or garlic, but I think I went through a phase early on where I couldn't do Thai food because the spice was just too much. Couple years later, Thai food and I friends again.

I feel a little sheepish about the response this has gotten. Didn't mean to be an attention wh*re, and I'm afraid that's how it reads. I just wanted to blow steam. I think this board does a better job than most...of extending value and tolerance for each other's perspectives. One bad experience doesn't ruin the whole batch, and I'm sorry if I gave the impression that it's a big problem here.....it's not. You all are terrific. I think most of my post was based on history and a composite of experiences at many bariatric boards.....and one recent trigger here... that, in retrospect, I might have been smarter to let go than talk about....but it irked me and I started typing...and...now I feel sheepish. I think we've all got great stuff to add. I think this is a great group. The folks whose goal is just to achieve better health. The folks who just want to be under 200 pounds. The folks who just want to improve. The folks who are satisfied with an average weight (like me). And the folks who lose like crazy and get super fit and work hard for that low BMI. Everyone has good stuff to offer and I sure didn't mean to imply there are any villians. All perspectives are valuable. One perspective that doesn't fit for one person...might be a perfect fit for another. At the end of the day, we're all figuring this thing out. We're all working hard to understand how to beat an unhealthy relationship with food. Every one of us. I sound fatalistic sometimes and I apologize. You guys really are lovely. And the rare exception....I think i'd be ahead to just ignore.

If sugar is a huge problem for you, consider bypass. Sleeve people generally tolerate sugar more, and if it's your particular addiction, bypass can do more to put that fire out because it can have more physical consequences for overindulging in sugar. Not to say you can't "dump" to some degree with a sleeve, but it doesn't seem to compare to bypass. I can eat about 200 calories of refined sugary stuff with no issues, but will feel pretty gross if I go over that. But not like a bypass where you get severely ill and sweaty and feel god awful. (on the other hand, if you WANT to be able to eat small portions of sugary stuff someday and don't want more severe limitations on sugar...sleeve might be better) If you have a personal or family history of anemia or iron deficiency, sleeve might be a better choice. It is less corelated with nutrient absorption issues than bypass. Acid reflux is more of a risk with sleeve, but I feel like this could have something to do with the skill of the surgeon. I had a hiatal hernia repair with my sleeve that actually corrected my acid reflux completely. I think this is due to my surgeon being truly excellent and up to date on good technique for preventing these issues. But yes, statistically, sleeve carries significantly more risk for acid reflux issues...and they are no fun. Best wishes whatever you decide!

^This. I used to love Egg McMuffins and Chili Cheese dogs. Both taste different to me now. Dozens of old favorites don't taste the same, don't satisfy, taste flat and crappy. Try new things. I've found new favorites. I used to hate fish. I love fish now. I used to feel meh about melons. Melon is my comfort food now. I don't think I like any treat as much as a chilled seedless watermellon stick. Used to love cheese and eggs. I like them ok now. Somtimes. Ish. Depending. LOL. I hated beans. Love them now. Black beans, chickpeas, white beans...green beans, soybeans, etc. Hated potato skin. Love it now. You'll find things you like. Some things become less repulsive with time. But for a lot of things, you might feel a little sad because they won't ever be the same.

You look amazing. If your health is good, I wouldn't bother. Ask yourself....as a permenant lifelong commitment...What net benefit in your life would be brought by losing those 30 pounds? What amount of flexability will you have to give up? I would stick to a healthy eating plan, and keep working out if you enjoy it. Maybe consult a trainer about strength training that targets the areas you'd like to refine. If you MUST lose X number of pounds for X goal....be patient. Once you're at a certain point, you're gonna lose a LOT slower. Sometimes half a pound a week is a victory when you get small. Stay consistent. Part of losing weight to the tiny sizes and numbers...is restricting calories more and more. There's a point where the flexability and livability a few more calories give you....outweighs the next size down. Make your lifetime habit sustainable.

Yep. They did. Inceasant hunger can make people angry and filterless, apparently. I honestly am not particularly angry with them, and it's nothing new, and it doesn't just happen to me. When something like this happens....I think to myself....thank God it's you who is a hot mess today, and not me for a change. LOL. Meh, we all take a turn being the hot mess. I'm not taking it personally cause I don't think anyone LIKES to be hurtful to strangers. I think it's a byproduct of rigid thinking...crime and punishment. Rules that must never be broken. A way to feel in control against a foe that one feels helpless against. And I get that struggle. I really do. (only, I don't feel helpless against obesity anymore, or particularly threatened by it. I used to.) And I'm a known food criminal, ya know? I eat carbs. 😳 LOL🤣 How could I possibly eat BREAD and have an imperfect BMI and still feel like a total success? I mean...that's some gall there....

Nope, they don't. Three years out, been at goal over two years......still dealing with them.

I think sometimes people get this idea that when they finally reach the magic number....everything changes. The reality is...nothing changes. You look great, your health is better, but you've still got a lifetime ahead of you where food is always gonna be a concern and where life's stressors can poke those old bad habits and get you in trouble. Reaching the goal is NOT the end of the journey.....so try to relax and prepare for the coming chapters. There are a lot of them. LOL. Your body is stalling a little cause you've just lost a crap ton of weight and our bodies have dozens of strategies to keep us alive during bad harvests/poor hunting seasons due to a bazillion year of developing evolutionary defense mechanisms against starvation. If your body is convinced you're starving to death...it locks things down even tighter. As bizarre as this sounds, sometimes you can get a stall to break by eating a few hundred MORE calories than you usually would for a week. Just to get a metabolic shakeup going, add some exercize to eating more. It might get you unstuck. But honestly....patience is where it's at. You will eventually lose what you want if you're sticking to your program. Start thinking about where you go from there. What coping mechanisms are you working on putting in place for future rough waters? Where will you turn when food is not the right option? A couple different times I thought I had these bridges licked....and really thought I had everything nailed down fitness wise....and a new challenge showed up. Not meaning to sound discouraging...I don't feel discouraged and feel more at peace with this whole thing than I ever have....but I'm just letting ya know, there's more to it than just hitting the magic number. Wishing you the best:)

The high dairy content of the protien shakes gave me a liquid experience. I, too, was expecting constipation...and was confused by that development. Then, a few weeks out, the constipation caught up. Bodies are weird. If you feel well, roll with it. Be extra careful of dehydration. Get your electrolytes and lots of fluids.

You're under 180 and losing a pound a week. That's terrific progress. Be thrilled with that...seriously. You hit the smaller numbers and it gets HARDER. It's not a sprint. You didn't gain it all in a few months....and your body is gonna fight you as the last of it comes off. On the plus side....a little more time gives your skin better chances of reshaping with less sag. Patience. I know it's tough, but it's what's necessary. Hang in there!

It's a terrific idea. I'd just use protien shake or that flavored protien water.

Chantrella, sure would love to hear an update when you can. Thinkin of you.

Draw a circle around the bruises with an ink pen and put the time and date on the ring. If they get bigger, contact your team pronto. If they stay the same or start to get smaller...don't worry about it. Have you, by any chance, had any Rx blood thinners? Aspirin? Ibuprophen? Did you have a shot in the hospital to prevent blood clots? Anything that impedes clotting can cause increased bruising. I had pretty nasty bruising. Not quite as spectacular as yours, but close. It was not a problem for me. But again...if the bruises are getting bigger, if you have weakness, shortness of breath, gums bleeding, anything weird....get your doctor on the phone right away. Best wishes.

Because you're literally starving. That's why you're hungry. This "no hunger" thing is a myth for most people. The reduction of hunger hormones will help you, but this will not eliminate hunger...which you will (probably) always feel when you are losing weight. The good news.... we can survive hunger. Eventually, the weight loss stage turns into the maintenance stage. Since maintenance, I've almost never been hungry. But yeah...every single day I was losing weight, I was hungry. And that period of time right after surgery? I was freaking starving. I do think that a few people don't experience hunger after surgery. It happens. But I don't think this is true for the majority of people. I also think that surgeons love to give people a magic feather to hold on to...."you will no longer feel hunger" that many people will buy into completely. Placebo is good medicine, however, so far be it from me to take it away. But yep...I was freaking ravenous. Sorry.

Cancer sucks and it's so stressing. So glad you're on the mend! Talk to your doctor and your dietician about good strategies to improve your fitness while continuing to support your body's healing. 1. Support your continued health and healing. 2. Lose the extra weight. In that order. Talking to a bariatric therapist would be a really great idea, too, if you're open to it. Lots of people a few years post surgery can get into trouble when stressors push the limits of their coping mechanisms and those bad food habits come back. Talking this over with the bariatric therapist can give you some better options, and better ways to identify the self sabotage before it gets out of control.

I must find this!

If you're in the US, most of the major grocery chain stores here have it. In the frozen food next to the garden burgers. (Walmart, Meijer, etc)

LOL...it is kinda weird if you're not used to it. I grew up on it. Love it. Phytoestrogen is something to be aware of, for sure, but given that countries that consume a metric F-ton of tofu and other soy have decreased incidence of reproductive cancers compared to the rest of the world...I'm not overly concerned. Also, in perimenopause, sometimes a little phytoestrogen is nice. LOL. To each their own. If tofu isn't your thing....maybe try mycoprotien? Quorn products are really good. Even my junkfood eating visitors enjoy them:)

My other reason...livestock are just incredibly hard on the environment. Getting the same protien with a better carbon footprint makes me feel good. I don't judge anyone who eats meat....crap, I do, sometimes. But cutting back a little is good for cholestrol levels and good for the planet.

Catwoman is dead right about the risk of GERD with sleeve. That said...if your GERD is being caused by a hiatal hernia and you have it repaired with your sleeve surgery...it can result in resolving the GERD. This was the case for me...I had awful acid reflux, but since surgery have not had any. So...it's individual. I avoided Gastric Bypass because people in my family are prone to iron deficiency, and taking heavy iron supplements makes me super nauseated. I have a relative who had gastic bypass who continues to significantly struggle with iron and a few other trace nutrients. It's a catch 22. Weigh the risks and benefits specific to your situation. Getting the endoscopy will give you more information to work with. In the end, you try to get the best information you can....line up the best doctor you can (can't hurt to get a couple of opinions)...and take your chances. No guarantees. Best wishes.

It absolutely can be done! Please consider adding visits with a bariatric therapist to your tool box. For me, this was as important a tool...as the surgery itself. Maybe moreso. Self sabotaging behaviors always have a cause....and learning to see that cause and get ahead of it made all the difference in the world to my maintenance. Everyone should read posts like yours to realize this is a lifelong battle. The surgery doesn't "cure" the condition.

My favorites were Yasso bars, refried beans with cheese and salsa, and oatmeal.

I had to go in for an endoscopy before my surgery. I had acid reflux from my very large hiatal hernia. There was a little concern about an ulcer, so we tested for ulcer bacteria. This is something you really want to resolve BEFORE the surgery, so if there is any concern, an endoscopy is a good idea. Gastritis should not rule out sleeve for you. But given your symptoms, taking a look around physically with an endoscope is a smart thing to do for your safety.

I just like it better. Meat has never been my thing. I do eat meat, but have always eaten a lot of vegan and vegetarian dishes simply because I enjoy them. I'd a lot rather get my protien from oats, whole grains, beans, chickpeas, peas, potatoes, mushrooms, soy. I do eat dairy and eggs quite a bit, greek yogurt and cottage cheese go into a lot of recipes. I do like fish, shellfish, mollusks. I do like roast turkey and chicken...but I avoid deli meats and prefer the real deal. Red meats are a very rare thing in my diet. Ground meat is a total turn off...don't eat it. In the end, it's all personal preference. No one size fits all. Eat what you enjoy:)