AZhiker

I did develop an ulcer about 6 months post op. I was feeling a lot of discomfort when my stomach was empty, but there was not much relief with eating, either. It progressively got worse and when doc scoped me, there it was. I was doing all the right things, and none of the wrong things and there was no reason for it. Doc said maybe one of the stiches got irritated. Anyway, a couple of months on omeprazole and sucralfate and I have been fine ever since.

Having your throat close up with difficulty breathing is a very serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. It is life threatening. The second exposure can be much worse than the first. It might be worth having some allergy testing done to try to figure out exactly what food was responsible. Gluten intolerance does not usually result in anaphylaxis, but until you get actual testing you'll never know for sure. It would not be advisable to try to figure this out on your own by trying different foods to see if you get a reaction, because the next reaction could be much worse.

I also found the first weeks pretty easy because everything is so limited. Protein shakes, water, and broth is all you need at first. Your program should give you a list of foods for the various stages, but your body will tell you which ones will work for you at that time. I wouldn't advise to prep lots of meals, because you will probably waste a lot. I prepped fish, chicken, and ground beef in 3 oz servings and froze them. But I could only eat half of that and it was just too much to handle. Then I kind of got sick about them and didn't/couldn't eat any of it. I stuck with cottage cheese, refried beans thinned with broth, and yogurt for my soft stage. Really pretty simple and not a lot of work. Don't get too stressed by these stages. They pass quickly and you will advance to regular foods within a couple of months.

What was the offending food?

Fruits and veggies are not "empty" calories - they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are essential for good health. How do I handle them? With at least 10 servings a day, including the starchy ones!

There are tons of resources, but to start, please watch 3 documentaries: "The Game Changers," "Forks Over Knives," and "What the Health." There is so much information in these, that I have actually watched them several times each, as well as reading the books of the sources. Forks Over Knives magazine comes out quarterly and is packed with great recipes. You can also get on their email list and get good recipes as well. Many are total hits with my non vegan family. I can personally tell you that the claims made are true. Even a year after reaching my goal weight, my cholesterol was still 225-235. I attributed it to genetics. After going plant based for only a couple of months, my cholesterol dropped to 150! My triglycerides and LDL are off the charts on the LOW side now! I feel great, have better mental acuity, and the best thing is that I can eat all I want. It is such a natural, healthy way to eat and the numbers show it. Oh yes, I found that soreness after exercise is non existent. I can exercise very hard and never feel sore or like I need a recovery time. This has to do with blood supply and inflammation in the vessels of the muscles. It's pretty amazing.

Since I transitioned to a Whole Foods Plant Based diet a year ago, I have maintained my goal weight without difficulty, and I eat all I want, with no counting or measuring. The center of WFPB are fruits, and veggies of all kinds, including lots of the starchy ones like sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, etc. I eat apples, bananas, daily avocado, and all sorts of fruit, but no juice. Whole grains and legumes play a big role for protein, along with nuts and seeds. There is no sugar, added oils, or processed foods. I easily get 60 gm of protein a day, and the ability to eat unlimited volumes of food is so satisfying and filling. I eat at least 10 servings of fruit and veggies daily, and get about 60-70 gram of fiber a day, and this is one key for feeling full all the time. Anyway, I am healthy and strong and love not feeling enslaved to macros or calorie counting. This has given me so much freedom in my eating, and I know it is healthy and sustainable. Just food for thought.

All of your points are very legitimate and actually pretty common for most of us. My PCP told me, "Look, if you COULD have done it on your own, you WOULD have done it by now." She was soooooo right. There is no shame in using surgery as a tool to change your life. Your long-term success is going to be more likely, as well. One of the strongest predictors of success is the person who says, "I AM NOT GOING BACK!" No ifs, ands, or buts. There was too much work to lose the weight, and there is no way it is coming back on. Fix that in your mind. That strong determination will keep you on the straight and narrow. The new identity issue is very real. It's called body dysmorphia. You will be confused, unable to judge your true size after weight loss, and unsure of how to relate to others, as they will be relating to you differently as well. It passes with time. But it's real and just one of the things you will work through. Your body changes faster than your mind and it takes a while for the mental part to catch up. I went on my first diet at age 12 and had surgery at age 62. That's HALF A CENTURY of overweight/obesity. I reached goal in just 7 months, so it was quite an adjustment! And it is certainly normal to be both excited and scared. This is a huge decision, but one that will change your life. I felt like I got my life back. Surgery is not for the faint hearted. It takes courage and determination, and persistence in dealing with the many road blocks - like offices losing your info, delays in approval, appeals, etc. But it is a reward worth fighting for.

Oh my goodness - so many options out there. There are lots of plant based protein powders, both flavored and unflavored. For shakes, I use the Orgain brand. Beans are super foods - just smoosh them up and thin with vegetable broth. Refried beans were my go-to in the soft stage. There are plant based yogurts (Silk is made from soy, and there is a great one made from oat milk that is high in protein - Nancy's is the brand.) Tofu is also a go-to. You can scramble it, put it in smoothies, make dips and sauces from it - lots of options. For "milk" I use the unflavored, unsweetened Silk soy milk and also unsweetened Ripple which is pea protein based. These have the highest protein content.

I wonder if you have developed something like Raynaud's syndrome.

I agree that adding nut butters can easily add calories, but I think adding complex carbs in the form of whole grains and starchy vegetables gives more nutritional value, They are also filling and satisfying. Small amounts of nuts, nut butters and seeds also add healthy calories, but adding more variety will add more nutrition.

Go back to tracking, as well as measuring.

Start adding whole grain carbohydrates (oats, quinoa, brown rice, and lovely grains like buckwheat, millet, teff, and amaranth.) Mixed together, these make a really nice cooked cereal, Raisins, banana and cinnamon add sweetness without sugar. You can also add more starchy veggies like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin.) You can also start adding some small amounts of nuts and seeds. Doing these two things (complex carbs in the form of whole grains and starchy vegetables) and a small amount of nuts (raw nuts or nut butters) and seeds (raw sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, chia) will add calories to help slow the weight loss, but with a lot of nutritional bang. When I need to lose a little, I just back off the grains and nuts/seeds. It's an easy way to regulate weight without compromising nutrition. If you need to slow weight loss, just start adding them in,

First of all, this has nothing to do with WLS. And you need to be seeing your doctor right away, or go immediately to the ER if you are actually losing that much blood. With all due respect, I have to wonder if this a trolling post, as the obvious answer you will get from everyone is to go to your doc or the ER right away.

Congratulations on reaching your goal weight in such a short time! That's fantastic. And it's great that you are off medications now. That shows a lot of improvement in your baseline health. I developed an ulcer as well, with no reason for it. I don't drink alcohol, soda, or caffeine - nothing to account for the ulcer. The doc said maybe a stitch didn't heal properly and set up the area for irritation. Anyway, mine is also resolved after a round of omeprazole. I was 62 when I had my surgery, so I'm right there with you in the "Why are you having this done now?" club. I can't believe how many people asked me that - the surgeon, the psych, the nutritionist, my PCP...... but there is no question is the best decision I've ever made for my health and quality of like. When you get discouraged, try to remember how much you can do now - like move! Or get down on the floor - and get up again! Or play with your grandkids (if you have some), or ride a bike. Welcome to the group. It is a very supportive and encouraging bunch.

I cannot use whey based proteins, and for the life of me I cannot remember the brand of the pea based, unsweetened, unflavored one I use for soups. I got it at Sprouts. Sprouts also has some in the bulk food section and I've used that just fine, also.

By day 60 post op, I had lost 54 pounds, which includes 15 pounds lost on the pre op diet. BUT EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! It doesn't matter if you lose fast or slow. You cannot control that as long as you are following your plan. I lost fast, but had terrible body dysmorphia from the rapid change. I think losing slower has advantages in that area. But we really don't have a choice in how we lose - just the choice to stick with the plan. Hang in there! Don't get caught up in comparing your numbers with everyone else. It is interesting, but the journey is unique for each person.

WHY? Weight loss surgery is weight loss surgery, with the same challenges and victories for everyone. We don't need to know someone's race, age, gender, or sexual preference to offer encouragement, advice, and support.

Protein powders can be helpful. The vanilla ones are nice in yogurt, and the pea protein ones work well in soups. It's an easy way to add protein without drinking a shake. Yes, 60 gm/day is required, but as the previous poster said, you may need to work up to it. I cannot emphasize enough, however, that fluids are your #1 priority. All the protein in the world does not help you if you get dehydrated.

I went from a 42DD to a 34A. Can't find anything in the stores except training bras or sports bras that are hard to put on. So I special ordered my favorite brand from the Hanes company. Going to a higher end department store is a good idea, though. The cost might be higher, but then you could probably order online once you found one that worked. But the nice thing is about "rocks in socks" is that no one notices if I DON'T wear a bra, especially if I wear a shirt or vest over my first layer. I love the freedom. I recently broke 5 ribs from a bad horseback fall, and it is really nice not having the pressure of a bra on my chest. First time since age 12 that I don't HAVE to wear a bra!!! Wooo Hoooo!!!!!

Such a strange thing. When I was fat, I thought I was actually just a bit overweight. I look at the before pictures now and am horrified at the reality. But after losing weight, it's like there was no gauge to accurately judge what I really did look like. I was always looking to see if the distance between my outside thighs and the edge of the chair was the same as someone else, or comparing myself to others at work who wore the same sized scrubs. I kept trying to give myself more space than needed to squeeze between furniture or other objects. It does pass, but it just takes time. It's like we landed on Mars and have to learn stuff all over again.

refried beans, thinned with broth was a lifesaver for me.

All normal stuff. I used Premier Protein shakes preop, but after surgery they tasted way too sweet and I had my husband return them all to Costco where I had gotten them on sale. Then a few months later - BOOM! They tastee good again! So hang on to them - you may well use them later. You are still recovering from anesthesia as well as the surgery. Take it easy. Just walk to keep your circulation going, and do not try to push yourself at this point. Walking is important, but that's all you need to be doing right now. The main focus needs to be on getting your fluids in. Then the protein. (The liquid protein does count as fluid.) Hang in there. This is hard, but this too, shall pass. It's like child birth. The first couple of weeks are like labor and delivery, but there is a whole new life on the other side that will make this part seem distant.

Lisa, please put your stats in. It will help people know how to respond to you better. Go to your profile to fill in the numbers. What was your starting weight? How much did you lose? What was your goal weight? What is your weight now? Did you have regain since surgery? A lot of your questions seem to be more like what a new post op patient would ask, so please give us a bit more history. Tell us how you are eating now. Are you able to eat full sized meal? If so a lot of bloating can be from carbs or foods that you are not digesting completely. How is your simple carb and sugar intake? What does a day's menu look like for you? Are you still following up with your nutritionist? Sorry for all the questions, but it's hard to know how to offer answers without more information.

Who is on your insurance list?