Gottajustdoit

Hi sjemie--Can you attribute that pain to (1) eating faster than normal or (2) a specific food (e.g., bread, pasta, etc.)? I have had pain in that area when I've accidentally eaten faster than normal or ate something that was "thick." Does the pain feel like a crushing pain or something other?

Thanks for checking in, Rocketman! Love your post on paranoia. Very interesting perspective! I have been keeping my GERD at bay by taking a daily dose of Fromadine acid reducer and Papaya enzymes after a meal. I won't be seeing my doctor yet for a couple weeks, but I will be asking how long he thinks I need to take the Fromadine. I was really hoping to get rid of GERD for good! PS: Great photo! You look happy and upbeat. 🙂 Your weight loss has been amazing!

Thanks! I think you will eventually be off ALL medication for diabetes. 🙂

OK, not a guy, but I am noticing that my neck is looking very wrinkly. I took a selfie today and thought my face has more lines and wrinkles too. My arms are starting to look saggy. I think I'll have saggy skin around my thighs and gut as well. I wonder if it's possible to firm things up with weight lifting, etc., but I fear the answer might be no. Oh no.

Gabybab--Are you a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic? I am type 1, so I'll have to be on insulin the rest of my life, but I'm so happy to report that I'm off Metformin and have reduced my injections of long-acting insulin from 78 units a day to 28 units a day and my short-acting from up to 15 units to no more than 6 units per meal (often a lot less). This is by far my biggest success given insulin stores fat and I was in a horrific habit of injecting more insulin so that I could eat more carbs. NOT a good cycle to be in. Next month I'm due for an HbA1c check and am eager to see if I've come down from 7.9 just before surgery. As for calorie intake, I think I'm eating about 700ish calories a day. I have a protein shake in the morning, about 15 green olives as a snack in the late morning, a Kind (protein) bar for lunch, and usually chicken for dinner. I usually also have another protein shake before bed. I need to get in more vegetables as I'm not getting any in, but I do like having the olives as a snack. The "good" fat oil from the olives seems to help my constipation issue (along with the fiber gummies). If you like olives and do not have an issue with sodium, consider eating those as a snack---very low in calories. As for exercise...I try to get in 5,000 steps per day. I'm not a fan of exercise so this is a big deal from me and a change from my previous lifestyle!

Did you just start taking the medicine? I had gastric bypass and had to start taking Ursodial (brand name Actigall) right after I got home, one capsule twice a day, to prevent gall stones. Of course for the first 8 weeks I had to empty the capsules as I couldn't swallow them. Blech. I now can take the capsules whole and I do with as much water as I can swallow. You have to take it for several months for it to be effective and I've been told to take it for 6 months. I have not had any nausea with it, thankfully. I take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and at night before bed. On the Web it says common side effects include stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, back pain, hair loss, or cough. Maybe your doctor can prescribe an alternative?

GET OUT!!!! This is amazing!

Let me just say, these photos are amazing. Thanks for posting! I am shocked that you haven't had more comments about the already drastic weight loss. You can definitely see it in your face and absolutely all over. I do NOT think you look older but I know what you mean. I was following a very popular YouTuber who had gastric bypass and over the course of the year, I felt she looked so much older than she did before the surgery. She looked really good, but the "fluff" was gone in her face (as you mentioned) and it definitely aged her. I told my husband I think I will look older as well (I'm 53) when I lose weight because of my puffy baby cheeks. Someday I will be brave like you and post before and after photos. Looking good! (And welcome to the 50s!)

That's awesome!!!!

Awesome isn't it??? Hitting a milestone whether it be 299 or 199 is something to really celebrate.

Congrats on the victories. My bet is that with all the pilates you are doing you are building muscle and we all know that muscle weighs more than fat so you're on the right track! Scale shmale. Mine is refusing to budge much. I'm losing about 1 pound a week. Not speedy at all. I've started planning a summer vacation with the family to Jackson Hole/Yellowstone/Red Lodge, MT---I used to get excited looking at recommended restaurants in the areas we vacationed, but it's so different now. I am now just looking at their menus online to make sure there is SOMETHING I can eat and enjoy with the family. PS: Good idea on the consignment shopping!

Group--what are you thoughts on sugar-free candy? For the past several weeks I have had about 4 to 5 sugar-free hard candies during the day. I know they contain sugar alcohols and I am wondering if any of your NUTs have advised against them. They satisfy me between meals and when I feel like I want to eat out of boredom (not hunger). They are a quick fix for me in these situations. I have no issue with a laxative effect as I'm only eating a few. Thoughts?

Just wanted to share this video with you. It is a good representation of what happens to the pouch when you drink with or right after meals. No bueno!

YUM. I was happy to see olives. My new snack is olives. I have found them in individual servings of 80 calories, no carbs (but no protein either). I like the green ones, but they have black ones too. I think they provide the salty taste I'm looking for and they are good for you!

Thanks, Rocketman. I'll look into it at my next appointment if the pain persists. If so, I'll ask my doc about Zegerid.

Thanks for sharing. I can't believe how much I've been discussing my bodily functions with my family since the surgery. I have yet to have "southern dumping" but I've had the nausea and dry heaving and yes, the profuse sweating. Not fun! I would start off with a white, flaky fish. I have had tilapia a few times (just a few bites) and had no problem. Has anyone had steak yet (very tender, like filet)? If so, did it stay down?

Rocketman--please let me know what your surgeon says. I'm not sure if I'm dealing with an ulcer or heartburn/GERD. I have started taking the acid reducer again and it has helped a little, but I'm curious what your doc has to say in differentiating what might symptoms of an ulcer vs. GERD. I have the ache in the same place that varies in intensity. Thanks!

Now I'm super afraid to try salad! What were the symptoms of your reaction/dumping?

Thanks for all the responses on this so far. I was on pantoprazole for about 10 years prior to the bypass and was also told I could stop taking it after 4 weeks or so. I was told to take it after surgery to ensure that I would not get an ulcer. I am going to have to call my doctor on this one. I want to get rid of GERD for life!

I'm curious how many of you who had gastric bypass are taking an acid reducer. I have been having a lot of chest pain (heartburn?) lately. This can occur after a few sips of my protein shake, as soon as I start eating, or even an hour before I start to eat. I am very conscious of chewing everything and eating very slowly, so I can only assume its GERD. I was told I did not have to take my Protonix any longer at this point because I would no longer have GERD after gastric bypass surgery. Are others of you having this crushing chest pain on and off (not just when eating or right afterward) and if so, are you taking an acid reducer or not? I had the bypass as opposed to the sleeve because of my GERD (surgeon saying GERD would only get worse if I had the sleeve). SO confusing, I am starting to take my Fromadine (generic acid reducer) again as the pain is obnoxious!

That is pretty random since I think we have at least three countries represented in this group!

Taylormomto6--you are courageous. I've wanted to order a side salad as a meal, but was afraid the lettuce would be too hard on my pouch or I'd only get about two pieces in. Was it a tiny salad, or about the size that would come as a side salad in a restaurant? The cilantro lime dressing sounds really yummy. Dubchild: My nutritionist told me that I should be eating about 600-800 calories a day. Not sure if it's the same for men and women. Oddly, no one on my medical team has stressed exercise at all (that is, they haven't asked me about it or said I need to do it to burn calories). I am at a computer 8 hours a day and have to force myself to take a break at lunch and walk around. I'm trying to get 5,000 steps a day in but sadly, a normal day is way less than that. Oof. I really hate exercising.

Meat tenderizer? Who'd have thought? I also see the papaya enzyme. That has helped my digestion. Do y'all eat an ounce every ten minutes? I take a small bite, chew it to mush, then put my fork down while I swallow the food. I maybe should be even eating more slowly. My new plan is to read a book while I'm eating, committing to two pages before the next bite. I know if I'm just sitting down to eat with nothing else going on, I will get too impatient. Thanks for the protein bar recommendations. Do you think having a Pure Protein or Quest bar for lunch is a good choice? I'm in need of variety and one of these brands seems like a good choice to me. No?

Question for protein bar eaters: Today for lunch I was actually able to entire an entire Kind bar (protein bar). It was a peanut butter/dark chocolate variety, chock full of almonds and peanuts. After I was done, I looked at the wrapper. I was stupid and should have looked at the nutrition FIRST. I felt find after eating it, but was disturbed to read it had 200 calories, 13g of fat, 16g carbs, and 9g of sugar. Only 8gs of protein. I was wondering if any of you have found a peanut butter/chocolate (or chocolate) protein bar with way less fat, carbs, and sugar and more protein. I have always loved the Kind bars for their flavor and fiber, but I feel they are full of more carbs and sugar than I should be having. THANKS group.

Agreed. Success and Struggles!