Creekimp13

Yikes. I can't even imagine 6 weeks of that. I did two weeks of shakes and nearly lost my fool mind. LOL Best wishes, though. A day at a time.

Wayyyyyyy less back pain. Because of this....better sleep. Better sleep makes everything better. More energy, more fun. I used to think of doing something active and loved the idea of it...but groaned at the impending physical stress of it. Now, you can't stop me. I jump on my bike, on a horse, in a canoe, go for a hike. I just go. I don't overthink it and get in my own way anymore.

From first appointment to surgery date was about 6 months for me. All surgeons are different. Mine wanted a TON of prereqs. 10% weight loss with dietician and nurse visits, lots of testing, psychiatrist, fitness and healthy cooking classes, etc. Some will just schedule you. I remember thinking it was an unfair pain in the butt at the time....but all of the prerequisite hoops I had to jump through have been invaluable. It was a much bigger undertaking than I imagined, and I've appreciated the support.

Just made breadingless chicken cordon blue:) I don't do keto, but I think this one could work for you:) Smash chicken breasts flat with hammer sprinkle on a few blue cheese crumbles top with slice of ham Add chunk of swiss Roll this up tight, secure with a toothpick salt and pepper (if you want to bread some for your family, just roll in italian bread crumbs and leave some plain for you...that works great...my family just likes them plain) bake at 350 for about an hour Terrific flavor profile, all protien.

Wow! Nice work!

Myth One: I’m going to FINALLY be a NORMAL weight! A few people get there, but most don’t. In general, the success of weight-loss surgery is sometimes defined as achieving a 50 percent or more loss of excess body weight and maintaining that level for at least five years. So…let’s say you’re a 5’5” woman whose normal weight should be around 150….and you weigh 250 pounds. If you have bariatric surgery and get down to 200 pounds and maintain that for five years…you’re a success. According to a University of Michigan study of bariatric patients over seven years: Normal weight (BMI less than 25) was achieved by 2.3–6.8% of patients. 47% of patients achieved a BMI less than 30. And this of course, means about half of people who do bariatric surgery never make it to a BMI under 30. And I know this sounds REALLY FATALISTIC…but in all honesty, ANY weight you lose is so good for your health. Even 10% weight reduction is associated with tremendous health benefits. The surgery IS an invaluable tool. I don't mean to diminish that. I'm just saying... Bariatric patients get sold on this idea that weight loss surgery is salvation, that everyone gets skinny and healthy and that you never have a bad relationship with food again. There is this false idea that everyone is transformed and lives happily ever after, that food will never again be a challenge and that you can't end up right back where you started....which, very realistically, you can. And many people do:( There is this unspoken idea that you'd have to be a serious screw-up to gain weight after bariatric surgery. Guess who gains weight eventually after surgery? Almost everyone. You still have to pay attention. You still have to log your food and watch the scale and keep track of your triggers and not escape into denial. You still have to work on your mental problems with food. Fixing your stomach doesn't fix your head. The first year, you're all honeymoon dreamy and nothing is a temptation. The second year, the third year, the fifth year....things get a little tougher. Am I trying to talk folks out of it? Absolutely not. This surgery is an amazing tool. But that's all it is. The whole equation of solving the problem is a lot bigger and more compex. For what it's worth...my two cents... Work hard, be consistent, be patient. The best outcomes are achieved by folks who keep at it, who are unphased by losing slowly, who create livable realistic changes in their eating habits that are permanent. Avoid extremes. Extremes don't last. Extreme low calories, extreme exercise, extreme food choice limits, extreme structure...backfires. Life demands moderation and flexability. Don't punish yourself. Gently modify your life with workable new goals that you can stick with. Make livable changes that endure. And when you screw up (everyone will) pick yourself, dust yourself off, and get back to work. Don't waste energy on guilt or anger at self. Just get back to work. Modify. Adjust. Livable permanent change is your goal.

That is fascinating. Have you had an upper GI to check for hiatal hernia? I was just thinking how inconvenient it would be to run into one of those with a patient who wasn't intubated.

Are you sure you're getting a spinal block? That sounds very unusual. Not saying it's impossible, just from a technical standpoint, it seems like an odd choice. Could you tell us more about this when you're able?

Good luck!

Leg cramps can be a sign of significant dehydration.

Gallstones are an extremely common side effect of rapid weightloss.

When I got under 200 pounds, I could eat 1200 calories a day...absolutely measuring every single thing that went into my mouth...every grape, every squirt of mustard...and I would lose exactly one pound a week. (and this was averaging it over a month, cause you know it's gonna get stuck and drop here and there) It is so easy to eat more than what we're documenting....because documenting what you eat has to be the most tedious thing in the known universe. It's annoying and boring and I hate it. But it's a necessary evil. It is so easy to have a couple of weeks with the illusion of no weight loss due to hormones or salt intake or whatever weird glitch your body decides to throw at you. Just keep at it. Keep hitting your goals. Keep following your plan. Keep the faith. The number on the scale will eventually catch up to your effort. We didn't gain all of this weight in a few weeks....it's gonna take time to lose it. And one perk to slow weight loss...your skin has optimal chance of recovery. Hang in there and be patient.

This question deserves a visit to your Dietician. They are wonderful at figuring out good healthy strategies to adjust weight in either direction.

This would be a terrific conversation to have with a bariatric therapist, IMO. Wondering what mine would say?

I use the Aldi brand of extra tiny beans....they're young beans..skinny, more tender, easier to chew well. And incredibly delicious.

Woot! Congrats!!!😀❤️

I was a junk food slave...loved the worst foods possible...and you're 100% correct about your tastes changing. I was skeptical about this and thought people were just saying this...to motivate themselves away from unhealthy food...I thought it was purely Dumbo's magic feather. Nope...it's the real deal. I still love and crave sugary things like donuts. Candy still tastes really good, particularly chocolate. But greasy stuff and fast food are just not what they used to be. Tons of things I used to love have absolutely no appeal. Example... I used to love lasagna. Now, if I had my choice between a plate of lasagna and a bowl of vegetable bean soup...I'd go for the soup every time. I used to love french fries. If I had a choice between an order of greasy fries and a baked potato with black beans dumped over the top with salt and pepper...I'd want the potato...with green beans and a side of corn on the cob. If I had to choose between an Egg McMuffin and a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and berries...I'd go for the oats. I used to hate beans and fish. Love them now. I used to hate sweet potatoes. Love them. It's super weird. If I were reading my own words three years ago, I'd think I was delusional and making crap up to sound reformed. LOL. But no, very honestly...I PREFER a lot of healthier stuff and it's wonderful to finally WANT what's good for me.

Make sure you are taking your vitamins as directed, hitting your protien goal and hydration goal. All of these can help a lot with your energy. Get good sleep. Be patient:)

I'm also a hobbit. Breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, tea, supper, dinner...lol. My total daily calorie intake is about 1400-1600 a day and I maintain well. (I'm pretty active, lotta muscle mass) But yep, I can't put more than 200-300 or so calories into my sleeve at a time (unless it's a slider food)....so I eat more often. Meh...it works for me. Like Jaelzion says, everyone's different and finds their groove:) Example of my weird eating habits: Breakfast...whole grain english muffin with one tablespoon peanut butter 200 calories. (or two packets of reduced sugar oats, or a big bowl of coco wheats) Morning snack one ounce of chicken breast, one ounce swiss, 9 reduced fat whole grain crackers (or some other snack that has over 10g of protien)... 200 calories. Lunch...food on the run, maybe half an Impossible Whopper at Burger King 315 calories (I eat this in two sittings, a quarter of a sandwich at each sitting, and the other half of the sandwich goes home or is given to a friend), Fuit in the afternoon...two pieces...200 calories (or one fruit and a cheese stick or a hard boiled egg), Dinner I like to start with eating veggies, potatoes and beans. I eat a 200-300 calorie plate of veggies first (I like a small baked potato with 1/3 cup of black beans dumped over it with salt and pepper). Then I make whatever the family likes for dinner and eat a 200-300 calorie portion of it. And that leaves a hundred calories or so to satisfy my sweet tooth. A little square of dark chocolate, a Yasso bar, or a sugar free pudding. I aim for 50-60g of protien a day, 25g of fiber, less than 1600 calories. This works good for me. *For weight loss, I was eating about 1200 calories a day....so portions were a little smaller back then.

The Last Supper. LOL. I went crazy with food funerals. And it was silly, becaue there isn't anything I haven't eaten again after surgery....just in small sensible amounts. If you need food funerals....go ahead and have them. But honestly, you eventually can eat about anything if you watch your calories and balance your day.

Thinkin of you Chantrella. Hope all is well.

Good luck, Amanda! Welcome:)

Can't speak for Maine, I'm afraid. My surgery was 6 months after initial consultation, but it didn't feel like a long time at all because we had a massive checklist of things to get done before we were approved. This will vary a lot by surgeon. My surgeon wanted 10% weight loss through diet with the help of monthly PA and Dietician appointments. We had to take a fitness class, attend a support group meeting, take classes that covered our pre surgical liquid diet and our diet after surgery. Had a whole bunch of medical tests and stuff, two therapy visits, and healthy cooking classes were also strongly recommended. Lots of appointments, lots of hard work on your diet to get ready. But again...some surgeons will just schedule you and that's that. My experience was pretty involved, but I'm really grateful I had that much support and preparation. It has been invaluable. Your first visit, you'll likely get measured and weighed, talk about your BMI and comorbidities, talk about which surgery is the best fit, get an outline of your program and get a feel for the timeframe.

Not a gym rat, but I do ride huntseat and jump horses again. I mountainbike with my dog and have an ever increasing step goal every day. So yep, I've gotten bitten by the exercise fitness bug even though I'm not much of a gym person. Have been known to dabble in and enjoy circuit training and water areobics, and I do have an eliptical I use quite a bit at home now. Does that count? I don't think I'm the gym rat type, but I do seem to be drawn more and more to exercise. But only stuff I enjoy, and only stuff that provides relief from stress. The gym itself...expecially with Covid...stresses me out.

This one is kinda messed up and I have mixed feelings about it. Strangers treat you better. Isn't that sad? But it's true. Men hold the door, say hello, run over to help you do things. I was loading giant bricks of bottled water into my car trunk the other day and some random dude jogged over and asked to help. Same dude would have NEVER helped me when I weighed 270...and when I was 270 I needed the help a hell of a lot more than I do now. But there he was...Mr. White Knight, slaying my Ice Mountain Spring Water, talking to my boobs. LOL. You really do forget that crap like that used to happen....until it happens again and it strikes you as ridiculous. Medical staff do listen better. Customer service is better if you have a question or need something anywhere you go. It says something very icky about the world....when being just a little more attractive....gives you agency and priority. Bleh! But on a happier note! I love being able to try on tall boots and zipping them right up without having to look for "wide calf" Being able to sit in booths in restaurants without squishing myself in there with a shoe horn. Oh, and being able to get out of them helps, too. LOL Here's a weird one. I take a certain pleasure in throwing half my meal away. This probably sounds awful, too, (because it's wasteful and I do try to take leftovers home when possible) but there's a freedom in it. There's a freedom in honestly not feeling obligated to order fries because I'm stopping at McDonald's. LOL. Who knew you could just order Coffee and be happy with that? I like feeling like I control food and not the other way around. That's an amazing feeling. Like that first time I found one of my husband's candy bars...and instead of eating it secretly in the bathroom, I put it on a plate, sliced it up into a million little slices, had a couple, and left most of it on the counter....and actually felt good about that. Like, that felt normal...my new normal. That's a great feeling. No denial. No binge. Just....I'm gonna have a bite or two and leave it because I can and I want to. That's new...and it's freedom. Another odd one. Feeling like I deserve pretty underwear. Never wanted to be seen naked or near naked...so bought cheapo ugly utilitarian undewear. Now, I get a certain twisted pleasure out of getting the super pretty more expensive stuff...cause even though my body isn't remotely without flaws or extra skin or scars and stuff...I feel like it's not that bad. I want the jewel tone pretty stuff now. My underwear drawer cracks me up and makes me feel weirdly pretty. Some very cool stuff in there! Being able to shave my legs and trim and paint my toenails effortlessly. NO MORE HEMORRHOIDS! Woohoo!!!! Things are looking (and feeling) brand new in that particular area. TMI, I know...but it's a truly wonderful thing to have fixed:)