AZhiker

I hear you! And I'm in Arizona! I am wearing socks to bed and sweaters every where. This past summer was the most enjoyable I can remember - even on the hot days! I used to need the AC turned to 68, just to sleep. Now I am perfectly comfortable at 80. My fingers and toes get cold, too. What a difference a layer of blubber makes! there's a reason seals and whales can live in cold water!

Update on Whole Foods Plant Based diet. I continue to lose weight - I think 3 pounds in the past couple of weeks. I am not yet 100% plant based (still using some Greek yogurt, whey protein, and occasional egg in chaffles), but 90 % plant based. This means a lot more legumes, nuts, seeds and whole cooked grains. I am getting plenty of protein - no issues with that. A lot more carbs, which is so counter intuitive with weight loss, but it is still coming off. This morning before my bike ride I had a bowl of Old Fashioned oats, cooked with quinoa, teff, and amaranth. Added some hemp hearts, flaxseed meal, and barrel cactus seeds (like chia). Sweetened with raisins, and a little banana, with soy milk. Very yummy and filling. I ate this 2 hours before my ride. For lunch I had split pea/lentil soup with carrots, celery, onions. Also some fruit (cantalope and berries.) I added half a scoop of pea protein to the soup. Also had a spoon of peanut butter after my ride. Dinner will be a "Budda" bowl with shredded Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, romaine, spinach, cucumber, tomato, avacado. Cashew nut/nutritional yeast "cheese" mixed with apple cider vinegar for a dressing. Topped with slivered almonds, hazel nuts, dried edamame, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, barrel cactus seeds, and hazel nuts. Cooked beans, butternut squash, and cooked buckwheat on the side. If I have room, I will steam some squash and beans from the garden, along with some broccoli. I may also have a couple mini corn tortillas with refried beans and salsa. Evening snack is soy (or Greek) yogurt with mixed berries, mandarin orange, slivered almonds, and homemade granola. Sometimes I have a square of 80% cacao chocolate. I eat about 2 pounds of vegetables/fruit per day (mostly veggies). Legumes every day, seeds/nuts every day, whole grains every day. I am completely full all the time - never hungry. With prepped veggies always in the fridge, there is always something to grab if I feel the need for a munchie. I feel good - mentally alert, physically strong, sleeping well (better, in fact). I don't feel as "heavy" inside as when I was eating more meat. However, I do have to be careful for bloating and smelly gas. I found this to be a problem with raw broccoli and beans that I cooked without draining the soaking water. Even Beano did not help. Canned beans do not do this. It can be a problem with bypass patients, as our gut biome changes, and it is harder to digest and break down those particular foods. I just have to cook the broccoli and be careful with the home cooked beans. So far, so good. My fear about inadequate protein is completely dismissed. I am getting so much good nutrition and I hope inflammatory markers will be way down with my next lab draw in Feb.

You have to read Dr. Jason Fung's book, "The Obesity Code." It explains the whole thing very well and will release you from guilt and shame. I am thinking about giving it to one of our docs at the hospital who still holds to the manta, "Eat less, move more." It is actually much more complex than that. If that were true, all of us would be skinny. Goodness knows we have all tried. Read the book. It is really a good one.

Yes. Is there anything else to deal with - like a hiatal hernia that will be repaired at the same time? Has chronic GERD done damage to the esophagus - like Barrett's? Are there any ulcers that need to be healed up prior to surgery? Are there any polyps that need to be removed and sent for biopsy? Chronic gastritis that needs medication? There are lots of things the surgeon needs to know before rearranging your anatomy, and the EGD is the best way to take a peek on the inside and see what there is. The surgeon does not want to find surprises or have complications.

The 5:2 is a great option. As is ADF (Alternate Day Fasting) which is doing the same thing but as 4:3 or simply every other day. The research shows that the body basically responds in the same way - it starts pulling from fat reserves and starts killing off the "zombie" cells (old cells that just don't want to die.) Personally, I love the 16:8 or even 14:10. I feel better in the mornings without food right away. When I DID have to go back to early breakfast on certain days, it didn't feel right and I was not as sharp mentally. On days when I train (like today - a long bike ride this morning) I have to eat a couple of hours before, but normally, I don't start eating til noon. I totally agree that the restriction limits what one can eat in an 8 hour window, but you can stretch it to 10 hours, as well. And like you said, it has to be healthy nutrition - every bite has to matter.

Just use dark chocolate and it will be great! Wonder what the kiddos would do if they got one in their bag? ???? Ha Ha. That might be a trick, not a treat! No sugar here, either! Isn't it empowering to "Just say no!" ???

So I will probably get a lot of kick back from this, but here it goes. Alcohol seems to be such a compromising issue for so many folks. The truth of the matter is, that NO amount of alcohol is good for you. Yes, there are antioxidants in red wine, but even very light alcohol consumption increases risk of throat, mouth, and GI cancers. Alcohol is a very strong chemical that is damaging to living tissue. Period. Think about why an alcohol swab is used on your skin before a shot. It cleans and kills. There is absolutely no reason for a bariatric patient, of all people, to drink alcohol. Yet, it is so hard to make the total break. It is the same argument I hear all the time with patients who smoke - "I just smoke 5 cigarettes a day," "I just smoke a pack every week," "I just smoke socially." When we all know that ANY amount of smoking is not good for health. All I am saying is that if we make this huge effort to improve our health with WLS, and we are willing to make total lifestyle changes to be successful in the long run for life, why do we try to compromise and flirt with seeing how much we can get away with concerning alcohol? Is it our addictive nature? Is it social pressure? It is a bit of rebellion? I believe it is a issue that is worth exploring deeply for each person and really asking the hard questions about WHY it is so important to continue drinking at all when there is absolutely no benefit, and only harm that can result. So fire away at me. I've said my 2 cent's worth and won't bring it up again.

It is especially bad where there is an anastomosis, as in bypass. These are where I have seen the worst ulcers. Look up "gastric sleeve and ulcers" and see what you find.

As I have said before, as a GI nurse, I have seen the horrible effects of alcohol on post WLS patients - even years down the road. Those surgical tissues remain fragile and vulnerable. There is nothing like alcohol or NSAIDS to totally erode and ulcerate the tissues. The worst ulcers i have ever seen are on WLS patients who return to alcohol. It's not worth it, but if you want to play with fire, that is your choice. You may well end up with a bleeding, potentially life threatening, GI emergency. You have gone through too much for that. If you felt your life was worth having surgery for, then your life is certainly worth giving up alcohol for.

Well I THOUGHT I would settle in at a 36B (former 42DD), but alas, the poor old girls are now down to 34 A! So pitiful. It does make mammograms a whole lot easier, however,

I have always wanted to see/walk Hadrian's Wall. What an awesome adventure. I am so jealous!

Intermittent fasting knocked down the last 15 pounds for me. There are LOTS of threads on IF on this forum. Lots of us have used (or are using) one form or another. It is a powerful tool, not difficult, and actually very healthy for you. I am not sure keto is the way to go, as the fat content is so high. With bypass, we already have fat absorption issues, and I know my intestines are not happy with too much fat. Also, your liver has worked very hard to process all the fat you have already lost. You might have had fatty liver disease, as I did, before surgery. From what I have read, adding more fat for the liver to work on is not a great idea. IF gives you the benefit of ketones, but without the high fat diet.

Absolutely get rid of the junk now! It will make recovery so much easier. You have to knock the sugar. Period. With bypass, you don't want to risk dumping. It takes about 3 days, but once you are off the sugar, the cravings will settle down - unless you take a single bite again. I was already wheat free, but knocked off the sugar, all soda, all processed foods, and caffeine preop. I was soooo glad I did. No withdrawal from any of that crap when I was already dealing with recovery.

Yes, just buy the canned. I usually get the fat free ones. You can also find refried black beans if you prefer. They will have lumps of beans in them, but just smoosh them out and thin with broth. It's like a bean soup and really quite yummy and well tolerated.

Physical goals are so fun and important, too! My whole family has done the Canyon many times - but not me. I am soooo looking forward to this! Am working on segments of the AZ trail, and lots of stairs to build up for it. Our trip will most likely be next Oct when the north rim opens.

You are planning your food! That is not bad! As soon as you get the sandwich cut it in 4ths. Wrap up 1/4 to take home and then enjoy every single bite of the other 1/4. Eat it slowly and savor every single wonderful flavor - even the rye bread! See this as a liberating experience and a sign of how far you have come. What a difference from gobbling the whole thing to slowly savoring 1/4th! This is what eating should be about - enjoying the "normal" portion and eating with "normal" control. It is a victory!!!!!

Refried beans, thinned with bone broth.

Did my first triathlon last month, doing a 50 mile bike race next month, and planning a rim-to-rim hike (in one day) of the Grand Canyon next year! This new like is awesome beyond words!

You say it like none other!!!!! So happy, happy, happy for you and your wonderful new life!!!!!

Just keep saying, "I can't have that (food item) now, but I will have it next year." It also helps to think of all the negative outcomes from cheating. Add them all up. List them. Convince yourself of how bad they are for you right now and how they will derail your progress. Then when tempted, tell yourself, "It's just not worth it!" And it isn't. The shame, guilt, physical illness, weight gain/stall are NOT worth it!

No, you cannot IF right out of the gate. You need to wait at LEAST 6 months or longer. Let your plan work for you at this point. When you are very close to goal and get stuck for a couple of weeks, then that is the time to maybe add some IF tools. I LOVE IF, however, I cannot do it daily while training for athletic events. I simply cannot eat enough calories within a limited window. So I will fast 24 hours 1 day a week instead. That still gives me the benefits of fasting, without the daily caloric restriction and resultant weight loss. (Believe it or not, weight loss can actually become something of a problem once you reach a healthy goal!)

Absolutely! Offer to bring some goodies/food, and you are set!

Always be prepared with you own snacks and beverages. Never go any where hungry and without your own healthy resources. Holiday season is upon us. This is when we can really shine! Everyone else gains weight and we take it off!! You have to make a predetermined plan before and event and stick with it. Each event is only a small blip of time. You get through them one at a time.

My sleep pattern has also changed - from 7 hrs/night to 5 hrs. This happened as I was losing weight rapidly and even more as I started Intermittant Fasting. I also found that I had so much extra energy that I felt like the Energizer Bunny on steroids. I had my thyroid checked - twice, and it was OK. From what I have read, rapid weight loss, or any situation (like IF) that results in ketones causes the release of adrenaline and cortisol. These can cause a LOT of energy and also insomnia. I just couldn't get my mind to settle down at night, so I would go to bed way too late, and then wake up several times, wondering if it was time to get up. I had plenty of energy during the day. I talked to my PCP and sleep doctors about it, but their answer was medication or supplements, which I am not going to take. As my weight has stabilized, I am getting sleepy again earlier in the evening and am actually getting more hours of sleep, and staying asleep during the night now. So in my case, I truly believe the insomnia was from metabolic changes related to the weight loss and fasting state each day. My suggestion is to try your best to establish a sleepy time pattern in the evening - a couple of hours before bedtime, do the same routine every evening to get your brain into the sleep mode. IE: no devices or TV an hour before (read a book), no lights on once you go to bed, drink warm cammomile tea a couple of hours before, get your PJs on, etc, etc. Establish a pattern that tells your brain it is time for bed.

I felt the same way about sugar and dumping. Sugar is not something I should ever eat again, so why not seal the deal with bypass? No way I want to ever experience dumping!