Recidivist

Can I clarify whether you have had bypass surgery yet? Your profile says that you are pre-op.

If you have been using the same protein shakes the whole time (before and after surgery), you might want to try different types and different flavors. I loved Premium Protein before surgery, but found them too thick and sweet afterwards. I found that I preferred protein powder mixed with water, which I found too "thin" before surgery. I also really liked protein water for the first couple of months; my favorite was Isopure Grape.

Definitely a blender and small dishes (so it looks like your portions are bigger than they really are). I had both of those before surgery so didn't need to buy anything new. (I have no idea what an immersion blender is.) And I'll be honest, I've never weighed my food. I could get an idea of how many ounces foods were based on my measuring cups--and after a while I had a sense of how big my portions should be. As those who have read my posts along the way, I'm not much of a cook and had no creativity in terms of my diet during the weight loss phase. I just threw stuff i the blender or mashed it with a fork during the soft food phase. Everyone does this differently, but for me it needed to be simple. I didn't (and still don't) have the patience to weigh my food.

Hands off my Dr. Pimple Popper. I love that show! I actually have the same reaction to some of her patients as I have to those on My 600-Pound Life. How did they go so long without doing anything? ("Well, I've had this lump for 28 years and I thought it might be time to get it looked at.")

Glad to hear your are doing so well! I did not weigh myself for almost a week after surgery, so I can't comment on the weight gain. I had a leak that needed to be repaired, so I didn't feel great for the first few days. After that, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how little pain I felt and how relatively easy the recovery was!

You are doing way better than I did before surgery! You will not be able to eat much for several months after surgery, without even trying. As Uomograsso said, you are already establishing good habits that you will need to continue later, so you have a big head start!

Not sure whether you will see this before you go into surgery tomorrow, but good luck! As quianmij said, you are very fortunate to have each other for support during the recovery process. The first few weeks are really tough, both emotionally and physically, and you may have some regrets about having done the surgery. You will also inevitably have periods when your weight loss stalls, which is normal. This board was invaluable for me to hear what other people had been through so I knew what to expect. It was so inspiring to see how much people had lost after a year or so--and nearly all of them say their only regret was not having surgery sooner (myself included). Throughout the process, just follow the program set by your doctor and nutritionist and you will do well, in spite of occasional setbacks. You won't be hungry for months, so take advantage of that time to maximize your weight loss--because your hunger will return. Try not to compare your progress to others, because everyone's journey is different. Listen to your bodies and go easy on yourself after surgery. You will have very little energy and will want to sleep a lot--and that's okay! See you on the other side in a few days!

I've had the opposite problem since the very beginning and have had to resort to laxatives on many occasions. I've essentially never had loose stools, but I do notice that they get much softer when I've eaten too many carbs.

Yep--completely agree! (I find myself agreeing with so many things Catwoman says.) I wasn't hungry at all for months, which was wonderful. I started "wanting" to eat again at about the six-month mark. Even after nearly two years, I'm still not sure whether it's head hunger or real hunger I'm feeling. However, it doesn't take much food at all to make that feeling go away--and I keep lots of low carb, low fat snacks on hand for those occasions. One confession: I NEVER ate as slowly as I was supposed to--not at the beginning, and not now. I definitely try to eat more slowly than prior to surgery and to chew everything carefully (and I succeed 95% of the time), but I honestly can't imagine how people can spend an hour eating the tiny portions of food we are allowed in the early phase of weight loss.

Those who were in my February 2019 group will remember that I had essentially no problems at all. Well, not entirely true: I ended up with a leak after surgery that had to be repaired and resulted in a longer hospital stay than anticipated. After that, however, I had essentially no pain and no major challenges. I actually felt guilty posting about my progress when some of the others who had surgery at the same time were struggling quite a bit. I'm happy to report, however, that all of us eventually ended up where we wanted to be. The journey is different for everyone, but the end result is usually the same.

I avoid high fat foods when possible, but I have indulged from time to time without any problem now that I'm in maintenance. This includes butter, sauces, fatty meat, etc. Not a problem with any of them in the past year.

Well--yes and no. The darker the color, the more you need to hydrate. I had a terrible time with dehydration and nausea at first as well. My doctor gave me tablets for nausea and they were a life-saver early on. I have never vomited since surgery--not once. And I can tell you that there were times when I felt so sick (sometimes from eating too much) that I desperately wanted to vomit...and I simply couldn't. This happened as recently as two months ago. (I know that's not really a response to your questions, but I thought I'd share it anyway.)

I was going to say the same thing. We all love the fact that we look better after losing weight, but the main point of this journey is improved health and quality of life. Even if you don't lose another pound (although I'm sure you will if you stick to the program), you're way better off than you were before.

My answer is a bit late, but in general I think you should let your body tell you what it needs for the first few weeks. I took three weeks off from work after surgery and slept more than I ever thought possible. Yes, you should walk as much as you can, but don't get too fixated on a particular schedule. It's not the end of the world if you don't get your walking quota on a particular day. (I'll admit that I didn't walk nearly as much as I was supposed to for a couple of months, and things turned out fine for me.)

I notice that several of you mentioned GERD after bypass. I suffered from mild to moderate GERD before surgery, and one of the reasons I chose bypass over the sleeve was the fact that it (theoretically) eliminated GERD. Thankfully, I haven't had any problems since bypass surgery. I'm curious to know whether your GERD came back gradually or was it a problem from the very beginning after bypass surgery? Did your doctors tell you why it was happening?

I had crazy high cholesterol and blood pressure before surgery and was on medications for both. I was also pre-diabetic. My doctor told me that without something drastic (i.e., surgery) I was going to have a major cardiac incident within ten years that I might not survive. I was off both medications about three months after surgery. In fact, my blood pressure got so low that it was actually a problem for a while. Getting off the meds was one of the great benefits of surgery for me.

My sister and a very close friend were both very nasty about my decision to get surgery and tried to talk me out of it. Instead of being supportive when things were so unpleasant right after my surgery, their attitude was basically "I told you so." The relationship with my friend never fully recovered, and my sister is still very negative about my surgery, constantly saying that it must be terrible that I can no longer "enjoy life" because I can't eat some things. (I enjoy life more than ever, thank you very much.) Both of them are quite overweight themselves, and my guess is that they are threatened and a bit envious that I've made such positive changes. However, I don't really care. I refuse to let their negativity get me down. I had the surgery for me, for my health and for a better quality of life as I age--and I know I made the right decision.

What she said. I definitely had some doubts in the first few weeks, which were very unpleasant. Nearly two years on, I'm thrilled with the decision and also wish I had done it decades earler.

From the start, I weighed myself only once a week, and I've recommended that others do the same. It's hard not jumping on the scale every morning, I know! However, you can make yourself crazy with the little daily fluctuations (and two pounds is really not a meaningful amount). You just have to trust the process if you are following your surgeon's plan, and weekly weigh-ins will give you a much better idea of the overall downward trend.

I didn't dump at all until about the six month mark, and I experienced it several times in months six to eight. I did not eat sugar or fats, and I'm pretty sure it was because i was eating more than I should. I realized what my limits were and have been able to find a happy medium now that I'm in maintenance.

You really answered your own question with the above, didn't you? If you don't get the surgery, are you going to be an effective parent to your child(ren) when you can barely walk and have a host of medical problems? For me, recovery was easy, and I was surprised at how little pain I had. Yes, you will have low energy for two or three weeks, but isn't it worth it compared to a lifetime of low energy if you don't get surgery? I avoided surgery for years because it seemed like I would be giving up and taking the easy way out. My biggest regret is that I didn't do this 20 years earlier.

I don't think we should use the word "cheating." Most of go into this process thinking that we can never, ever eat carbs, sugar or fat again--and that's simply not realistic. You can deviate from the program now and then and still lose weight very successfully, as long as it's not a habit and you don't overdo it. Don't beat yourself up over this!

Which surgery did you have? I didn't try pudding and yoghurt until the soft food stage. They didn't cause me any pain, but I did find them unpleasantly thick at that point and waited a bit longer to include them in my diet.

I can't say about a revision. However, as a first-time Bypasser I originally took two weeks off (from a desk job). I went back on Monday of the third week and was so exhausted I left at noon and took another week off.

While I can't comment on menstruation, this is definitely true. Counting and measuring everything becomes an obsession during the weight loss phase, and you can let go of it to a large extent in maintenance. By then, you more or less know what you should be eating and what works for you.