AZhiker

When I went to the bike store to look at bicycles, the store guy wanted me to sit on the bike to check for frame size. I was a little hesitant to get up on the bike with him holding it. He said, "Don't worry. I can hold you, you're so tiny. I've held up much bigger people than you!" Woo Hoo! Made my day. Several times at work patients have said things like, "Are you sure you can push this bed, you're so tiny." Who? ME? Wow. How did I ever push the beds AND 100+ extra pounds???!!! And the really sad thing is that I am NOT that tiny. I'm 5'6" and at goal weight. That is actually an average weight, but I think it shows how heavy our whole society has become, that average now looks tiny.

BCBS Tennessee required 6 months of PCP visits/supervised wt loss program.

I think I have had fat malabsorption since surgery, but my vitamin levels have been good. I do not have any problems taking my vitamins except that sometimes I forget to take them. I try to eat an extremely healthy Whole Foods Plant Based diet to get all the phytonutrients and natural vitamins I can. I chew everything really well, especially anything raw. So every calorie is very nutritionally dense - not calories that are empty ones from simple carbs or processed products. This may well be why my vitamin levels are good. I have to admit I feel there are changes mechanically, but I can't really describe the feeling. Somehow, even though I have lots of energy and am healthy, I feel a bit more frail somehow. A little more vulnerable. Maybe that's because my bones are visible and I am not encased in an insulative, padded layer of fat. I feel that my pouch is more delicate than my old stomach and still vulnerable to ulcers. I am very careful to avoid all alcohol and soda, but I do have some decaf coffee occasionally. Its hard to describe, but I do not have a body that is simply thin - it is different and not completely intact like it used to be. That's not bad - just different. And I do not regret the surgery one bit. I knew it would be a complete life makeover, but didn't realize the total depth of that makeover until afterward.

So I actually did go out with my staff for a Christmas dinner last night. There were 8 of us there and I was the smallest! 2 years ago I was the biggest. So surreal still, sometimes. Like how did this happen? But then I looked at the plates and meals............... Hmmmmmm. You are what you eat. I am starting to feel a little anxious about regain during the 3rd year which will be starting in a couple of months.

You can make a delicious bone broth from a turkey carcass. Cook it to death in the crock pot, then crack open all the bones (they will be soft and you can cut them with kitchen shears if you cook the bones long enough), and then cook some more. Strain the liquid and freeze.

Sounds like he needs to see another GI surgeon.

I eat tofu all the time. It doesn't really taste like anything, but some people have to get used to the texture. I usually marinate it so it gets some flavor for whatever dish I am making. A lot of people (and the traditional way) fry it to get it crispier. I oven bake, rather than fry. A couple of real easy ways to incorporate tofu: 1) Scramble. Stir "fry" (sauté in broth or a little water) up your veggies, like onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc, and then crumble the tofu in. Add a little turmeric for color and it will look like scrambled eggs and the texture is also similar. 2) Add tofu to smoothies or anything else you want creamy. I make my vegan cheese sauce, salad dressing, puddings, and veggie dip by incorporating silken tofu which gives a smooth, creamy texture. Tofu is an excellent source of protein, low fat, low carbs. I've had tofu in vegan restaurants that was amazingly like chicken in texture and flavor. I don't know how they do it, but it sure is yummy.

Hang in there. It will get better and you will forget these "Birth Pains" when you discover a whole new Life!

Best wishes for your surgery. This will be one of the best decisions you ever made. Get ready to enjoy a new life! Congratulations for making it through all the hoops!

There have been a number of high quality, controlled studies that have shown consumption of increased vegetables, particularly the cabbage and broccoli family can prevent fibroids. The best results are with vegans who consume large amounts of veggies, and there is a higher incidence of fibroids in women who consume large amounts of red and processed meats. I can only think that the new dietary lifestyle that is required with any sort of WLS would help prevent formation of new fibroids. You are going to be eating more vegetables and eating a lot healthier than you were before surgery. Any positive dietary changes are going to help.

I agree with Deb9386 about the positive physical changes that can happen very quickly. My fatty liver completely resolved, as did my sleep apnea and GERD. High blood pressure is now normal, and my cholesterol has dropped over 70 points! A1C is very normal now, down from borderline diabetic. Even my asthma is so much better, and I have NO JOINT OR BACK PAIN!!!! NONE!!!! I lived with continual back and knee pain, and had already had one knee replacement. The pain is GONE! I can hike, bike, ride my horse, and get down (and up) on the floor with my grand kids. The life and health transformations are remarkable and I know I not only added years to my life, but QUALITY of life was added, as well. It is so worth it.

Look under the Forum tab for the Food and Nutrition Forum. There is a sub Forum for Vegan/vegetarian the 4th down.

It's a common thing. I had that dry mouth for months. I sipped water continually. It finally went away, but was so annoying at the time.

Same with me. It doesn't happen anymore, but I used to have dreams of totally pigging out on pizza, ice cream, and eating a whole cake. I would feel terrible, guilty, and shamed. Then I would wake up and be soooooo relieved!

I thought I wanted the sleeve, as well, but ended up with bypass due to my GERD. I do not regret it at all. My GERD is gone, including the Barrett's esophagitis that had progressed to the point of a precancerous polyp. Malabsorption has not been a nutritional issue. All my vitamin and mineral labs are fine. Malabsorption actually starts to resolve after a couple of years, as the jejunum starts to take over the absorption role that the duodenum used to perform. Bypass surgery has been around for a long time. The procedure is just as safe as a sleeve and it works. I'm glad I had it. I lost weight quickly and have maintained easily.

The worse part about endoscopy is a little prick for the IV. Then it is a short nap, the procedure is done, and you get breakfast. I've had several done, and it really is no big deal. The actual procedure takes all of 5 minutes. The doc needs to see what he/she will be dealing with. I had an undiagnosed hiatal hernia which was then repaired at the time of my bypass surgery. The cardiology is also just a matter of procedure. They may want to do a stress test, which may involve an IV and medication to make your heart beat fast, as if you were on a treadmill. It's not exactly pleasant, but doesn't hurt, and the medication wears off very quickly. For me, there were abnormalities that needed further investigation, all the way to an angiogram. I was really nervous about that, but it showed that my coronary arteries are clear! I feel like a dodged a bullet with decades of obesity, and it really gave me so much more positive hope that I wasn't waiting to drop over from a heart attack. It was a GOOD thing and I am thankful for having done it. You just have to tick these items off. You deserve to know what you actual health profile looks like, and of course , your surgical team needs to know this, too. Just keep copies of EVERYTHING! Go to medical records after the procedures and get your own copies or ask your doctor for copies. It's good to have these in your own personal file as reference points for the future. And anything like a cardiac clearance, psych clearance, nutritional eval - KEEP the copies! Doc offices have been known to lose these things and when you have a copy it will same time and frustration. Take things one step at a time and you will be fine.

There is a whole section of the forum dedicated to vegan/vegetarian, with over 1500 posts. Check it out. I am vegan and follow a Whole Food Plant Based eating plan. I started this about a year after surgery, and have never felt better. Protein supplements are necessary immediately after surgery until you can get at least 60 grams of protein from normal food. I've used Orgain shakes and Garden of Life powder. I think there are a LOT of good recipes in the Forks over Knives magazines that come out quarterly. The fall issue featuring Comfort Foods was excellent. Even if I tweak the recipe a bit to my own spice preferences, they give me great ideas and a starting place for a meal. I just made a really yummy jackfruit chowder and added some cannellini beans and corn to up the protein a bit. Anyway, I get great ideas from the mags and my family likes them, too. PS: AnaBar, almond mild doesn't really have much protein. Can you switch to soy or pea based milk like Silk or Ripple?

38? You haven't even lived half your life yet! Even though you look saggy now, wait at least 6 months after surgery for plastics, IMHO. Skin actually does start to tighten up on its own. I was 62 when I had surgery and even with a lot less elasticity and collagen than you, my skin has tightened considerably. Waiting also gives your mind a chance to catch up with your body.

If you can hold them up to the window and see through them, then they are considered "clear." Clear liquids includes coffee, but NOT with cream or milk of any kind. Apple juice is clear, but OJ is not. Popsicles and jello are clear liquids. Pudding is not. Generally, nectars are not clear. Plain broth is clear. So hold your drinks up and see if you can see through them. If not, save them for post op.

just dont give the onions to the dog!

Intermittent Fasting really helped me shed the last 15 pounds. IF is a powerful tool. There are lots of threads here on IF, so do some searching if you are interested. Personally, I skip breakfast and start my eating window around noon. I stop by 8 pm at the latest. I also try to exercise during my fasting time, as it just revs up the fat burning. You've already used the stored glycogen in the liver and muscles, so the body starts into the fat stores.

What helped me was seeing other people at work in size Small scrubs. We have a scrub dispensing machine and the scrubs have little colored tabs that designate the sizes. It's not too hard to see who is wearing the same size and I found myself looking at other Smalls a lot - just trying to get into my head that I looked like that, too. It did help to have this objective way to compare. It really messed with me for a while, and still does a little. I am always caught off guard by remarks like, "you can squeeze in here" (a small space like a restaurant booth) or "you're so tiny - how do you push that heavy bed?" or "you look like you've taken good care of yourself" (if only they knew!!!). See if you can find other folks who wear Small or X-Small scrubs. That can help.

I'm enjoying life so much more. I still struggle a bit with feeling fat - like walking into a new place and automatically looking for a large chair or thinking that people are mentally fat shaming me. But then I realize I look like everyone else - actually thinner than 60% of the population, and I can sit any where I like! I gained 7-8 pounds during the whole Covid stress thing, but have lost that and maintain pretty easily at my goal weight or a couple pounds below. I've adopted Whole Food Plant Based eating and I feel really great. I've lost the gaunt look I had originally. A lost of my loose skin has tightened up. I am very happy I had the surgery to get the weight off quickly and now WFPB lets me eat as much as I want so I am never hungry or feel deprived. I hope all of our other Feb 2019 buds are doing well.

So Thanksgiving was the practice run to learn what to do and what not to do. Christmas is coming and we can all make changes that will improve our compliance with our plans. A slip up is never a failure unless one fails to learn from it.