Gottajustdoit

I have never figured it out either. I just "reply" to a post and ramble on about a different topic. 😀

Stick legs! You look great. And so does the cool new car.

I can see by your smile how great you feel! Congrats!

The otters! Definitely the otters. I love seeing those guys. You can't but help smiling when you see them play. I wish you luck with your test. I know you must be very stressed. Stay strong and think positive!

Thinking of you on the other side of the world, EmzBee!

I apologize if this is too much information, but I need to figure out how to end this horrible constipation I'm experiencing. I'm in my 5th week after gastric bypass and I'm just starting small amounts of food. I am not taking any pain meds, nor have I after day 3 of the surgery, but I am taking all my vitamins, which includes Bariatric Advantage soft chew multivitamins (2 a day) and Celebrate's Iron + C and Calcium Citrate softchews (1 each per day). I drink two Premier Protein drinks and day (60 grams of protein total) and approximately drink 60 ounces of water. The foods I have been eating are unsweetened applesauce, cottage cheese, and mashed potatoes. It takes four days for me to feel like I need to go and then it is MISERABLE. I am chockerblocked to the max. I have had to resort to laxatives and enemas because taking Colace and drinking Smooth Move tea regularly is NOT working. The laxatives only work some of the time and they cause bad cramping. Has anyone else suffered like this and what has worked? Are my vitamins causing this horrific experience and has anyone found a better type of vitamin that helps with constipation? Is it my protein intake? I feel as if I'm drinking enough water.... would love to know if others have experienced this and how it was solved. Thanks!

CPAP users: Since my surgery, I've been waking up with an extremely dry mouth, despite how much water I drink. I've been using a CPAP for about 10 years and I've never had this prior to surgery. Anyone else waking up to a super dry mouth? If so, have you done anything to change this so that it no longer occurs?

I'm not sure you made a dent in this breakfast! Love that you ordered a kid's portion.

I'm four months out (gastric bypass on Feb 13) and I, too, feel a difference at the 4-month point. I'm starting to crave the foods I used to really like and I'm frustrated that emotional eating might start. I find I can eat more than before and it's not good. I don't feel sick with chest discomfort anymore when I eat, which IS good, but I had a chocolate chip cookie yesterday and ate it all with no consequences in the gut department. NOT good. I definitely feel as if the honeymoon phase has ended. I am also frustrated because I severely injured my tailbone on Monday and am in a ton of pain...can't sit, can't stand, can't walk....not getting my steps in. Also, this morning I woke up and noticed I'm just starting to lose hair and my hair has always been thin--can't afford to lose any! I should NOT be complaining so much as my 50-pound loss is truly fantastic, but I am a bit nervous at the 4-month point I am praying there is no regression. I am so proud of my Feb friends hearing about your successes, but also hearing about your challenges. I am so encouraged to hear that my struggles are not alien and that others are working through the same issues I am. Not that I want any of you to have struggles, but it feels good that I'm not alone!

Recivist--are you tired too? I feel very tired at night. I am thinking it's because I'm forgetting to drink as much waster as I used to!

Thank you for sharing your insights!

I too have a child (son) on the autism spectrum. He's graduating from high school on June 11. Seriously, I never felt this day would come. He's really done it--by the grace of God!

You may be the first person to go on a cruise and lose weight! Aside from the butter, it sounds like you were eating a lot of protein given the lobster, crab, and shrimp all are protein-rich foods. Glad you had such a success AND an awesome vacation.

I hope all of us are starting to feel pretty good at 3 months (or a little more). I have not been counting carbs, fat, or calories because I really don't feel like I'm eating that much of a variety of foods that are dense in any of those. I am losing about 1-2 lbs per week but losing inches faster than I thought. My lab work was all great when I had it checked recently, but my thyroid levels were low. My endocrinologist told me not to take my Synthroid within 4 hours of taking any vitamins so I need to change the timing of taking my meds. I have been feeling more tired in the evenings and not sleeping as soundly at night. I am also getting a lot of gas pains on my left side that are annoying me. My other gripe is lower back pain. Seems to be worse lately. I've heard a lot of folks have tailbone pain after the surgery. I need to drink more...it's so easy to forget to make myself do that. Overall, though, I feel pretty good. Just wanted to share the way I'm feeling physically at this stage.... What kinds of foods are y'all in a routine of eating? Anyone still having issues keeping food down? I know some of you have been really battling that. I am really noticing the changes in the way my body feels. I definitely need stronger bras to hold the girls up and I can grab skin on my thighs and arms that feel loose. I am loving the weight loss, but gravity is not being kind. My chicken wings on my arms are annoying and I'm wondering if lifting weights will do anything at all. Has anyone noticed that added arm muscle helps with the chicken wings?

But did you notice you couldn't actually eat as much as you used to? Or did you eat food like ice cream, cookies, etc. and feel yucky? Don't beat yourself up! You get a re-do tomorrow!

Hi Froufrou--I can't say I have had any pain like that wake me up. It sounds unusual. Does it go away soon? Do you have your still have your gall bladder? Are you eating gaseous foods before bed?

Bon voyage! Glad you're feeling better. I had my 3-mo post op yesterday and overall I am doing well. My NUT advised me to drink more water (especially now with the heat and humidity setting in) and to ensure I'm getting my protein in. She did not seem to be concerned about weaning me off the protein shakes (whew) but said if I'm only drinking one a day to make sure I take my calcium chew. I've been avoiding that because I know it can bulk up the system and I've finally gotten my constipation under control. 😮 Apparently with two shakes I was getting the right amount of calcium. THE GREAT news is that my labs came back and they are perfect. I see my endocrinologist on Friday for more labs but I've got a good feeling my HbA1c (formerly 7.8%) will be in the 6 percentile range. That would so great. Also great is my 47-lb loss since surgery on Feb. 13. I finally bought a few basic clothing items (skirt, few work blouses, capris) as I was trying to get away with wearing way-too-big clothes and it left me feeling very frumpy. Once I started wearing the right-sized clothes people at work really started noticing the weight loss (many awkward conversations around that topic!). I have gone from a 2X/18W to a size 14/16. Feels wonderful to be lighter on my feet and NOT having to shop in the Plus-Sized section. It was exhilarating, but funny, as I had NO idea what size to try on. I also cleaned out my big summer clothes from last year and off they will go to the Salvation Army. As Marie Kondo would say: They no longer spark joy! Foodwise: Tonight we went to a diner for dinner and I had one egg and about 1/3 cup of hash browns. So far, potatoes are my biggest indulgence. Other than a potato cheat here and there I'm essentially eating only talapia, chicken, cheese, hamburger, almonds, Kind Bars, olives, raspberries, strawberries, and protein shakes. I am woefully low on eating veggies. Need to get with the program there because potatoes do not count!

Just wanted to pass along tidbits I heard from my bariatric support group tonight. I have to go to three sessions and so one more to go. I have no idea if what the group shared is true or not, but I want to pass the info along to y'all in case it's helpful. First, vitamin patches. The NUT that runs the group says research shows it only provides Vitamin D and no other vitamins. I don't use the patch but some of you may want to and look into this further. The NUT does not recommend getting vitamins through the patch. Second, my surgeon told another person in my group that the Ursodial reduces your chance of developing gall stones from 30% to 3%. Guess I'll keep taking those nasty capsules. Finally, one person who is stalling said she heard that taking in more protein helps with stalls.

Hi Transforming_T--welcome to the group! I believe taylormom6 is correct. I'm pretty sure no one in this group has lost an average of 70 lbs post op. I had gastric bypass on February 13 and personally have lost about 35 pounds. I do not exercise much, but I do try to get out and walk around 5,000 steps a day. According to the Internet, that's an "underactive" person. Ha! It's much more active than before! I think you're doing great, but it's a bummer about your stall since April 9...maybe you are resetting? You lost a lot of weight since surgery! Sorry about the hair loss. Is it coming out in clumps? My hair is super thin and I am started to feel it thinning even more.... fortunately no clumps yet, just thinning more where the part is. So sad. Overall I'm doing well, but still dealing with a lot of wind, some cramping, some chest pressure, some frustration...I guess better than some, as I know some in our group are wrestling with horrible nausea.

It may not be the best advice, but whenever I am starving, I suck on sugar-free hard candy. Now, don't overdue it or you'll have bad cramping and possibly diarrhea, but for me, it does take my mind of wanting to eat something every once in a while. Also, what you had today is not that much. I snack on salt & vinegar almonds and green olives throughout the day. Funny how I'm feeling a lot hungrier these past few days. I'm wondering if we are at a new stage????

I wish I had good advice. Wouldn't it be great if all transference was healthy transference? Are you finding you have more time on your hands? I have resisted shopping until my clothes are literally falling off me as I walk. Not there yet, but I am looking a little lame with oversized dresses. Might I suggest volunteering somewhere? I don't know, I've thought about helping out at an animal rescue. I am not bored, but just feel as if I need to get moving around more. I suppose I'm useless at giving addiction advice because I had my own addition to food. All I can do is offer ideas....sorry! Come to think of it, if I do volunteer at an animal rescue, I'm sure my transfer would be to saving homeless cats and dogs...and then I'd be homeless because we already two dogs and a cat so my husband would kick me out! Maybe if I just say I'm a short-term foster care for the animal..... See I'm already slipping!

You must be feeling so good in those loose-fitting clothes! Your transformation is very obvious. Thanks for posting photos!

I'm pretty sure it's not a stomach bug. There is a small chance it's a reaction to sugar-free candy, although I haven't had that before because I don't have many of them at a time. Today i had three hard candies in a row. Maybe...?

I am not sure, but I just crawled in bed with horrific stomach cramps, bloating, and gas (all but the diarrhea). I ate small amount of chicken breast and a few fried potatoes that my husband made. I am attributing this horrible feeling with the fried potatoes, even though I only ate 4 slices of potatoes. I am doubting now, though, as I have not had this reaction before after eating and it sounds like what you are experiencing. The cramping is all throughout my upper, middle, and lower digestive tract and it's very uncomfortable. Even the papaya enzymes I took after eating are not working. I have no idea what's going on!

A cruise with friends sound fun! Happy 60th! I find it much easier to eat at a buffet-type restaurant than ordering off a menu because yes, you can pick and choose proteins to eat and just take what you need. An Alaskan cruise is on my bucket list. Have fun!!!!!