AZhiker

Early on, when I was back to work, I would walk around an empty unit after my shift. I parked as far away as I could when I went to work or went shopping. I just made it work. As you lose weight, you will be able to go faster, so it wont take as long. Once I started training on my bike and swimming, I had to cut back a bit on the steps because there simply wasn't enough time, But the whole point is to get active, so it doesn't really matter if it is an hour walking, 2 hours on the bike, or 30 minutes swimming. And at the same time, I am taking care of my livestock and tending to the garden. I also used my elliptical machine during the summer. My resting pulse rate is in the 40's now, first thing in the morning, so I know I am in great shape cardio-vascular wise. Woo hoo!!! Summer is hard, no doubt, but I get up really early and just go for it. Of course, the snakes are out early, too, so a good flashlight is a must. I started having a hip issue with all the walking. Now it is bothering me when I ride my bike, as well. I think it is an old bursitis thing flaring up, so I probably need to go get an injection. It's a bummer, because it really is starting to limit my hiking and biking time.

Get yourself a step tracker and start walking. The tracker is a very motivating little friend, and I'll bet once you start getting some consistent walking in, you are going to feel better. You are still in the healing stage, no doubt, but there is no reason not to be walking daily. Again, the tracker is very motivating and really helps. I did not get an expensive FitBit - I think mine cost about $24, but worth every penny. My doc wants all his patients to get 10,000 steps a day. I was able to reach that goal by the end of week one. Then every single day, I made sure to get those steps in, and if I was close at the end of the day, I would march around my living room until I got them all in. Like I said, it is a very motivating friend. The exercise is very empowering and a great emotional lifter.

refried beans and maybe a soup? Refried beans were a real "go to" for me early on. Tasty, full of protein, and easy to handle.

I had just the opposite experience. I was like the energizer bunny on steroids. I only slept about 4 hours a night, and couldn't get in enough exercise. I thought it must be some weird metabolic unbalance or that my thyroid was going crazy, but then learned that it was most likely the effects of ketosis from rapid weight loss. It was actually quite euphoric. I completed my first triathlon and finished a 53 mile bike race that first year. I know others have had the same reaction, and I sure don't know why some people get the energy and others have a hard time finding any at all. I know I did start walking my 10,000 steps by the end of week one, just like my surgeon said. That may have jump started the energy surge.

Mine was quite beneficial. I had to do some paper tests and fill out forms, but then we had a discussion. She helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses and helped me see what I needed to do to be successful. She also talked about transfer addiction, and how to find comfort and release of stress without the aid of food or other addictions. We talked about strategies for dealing with anxiety and stress. I found it to be actually very helpful and I still think about some of the things we discussed.

You can try adding some healthy, whole food carbs like sweet potato, butternut squash, and whole grains (oats, quinoa, brown rice, teff, millet, buckwheat, amaranth.) A few nuts and seeds will also add some calories and have great nutritional value. These are the things I added when I needed to slow down weight loss, and these are things I start to limit if I gain a few.

No, do not save them "just in case!" Get rid of them! You are making a lifetime commitment to a healthier, thinner you. Keep pressing toward the goal and leave the old life behind. Determine in your mind that you are NEVER GOING BACK!!!! You will never need those old clothes again. Just save your largest pair of pants or jeans to remind yourself of where you were and where you are never going again!

Gotta love stretchy yoga pants!!!!! What loose skin??????

So agree with the clothes!!!!!! Fun to buy the cute small sizes, But...... I cannot find bras in the stores now, and have to order on line, which is a pain. I went from 44DD to a 34A and stores don't carry my favorite brand/style in such a small size. I also have noticed some of the cute dresses and outfits in some of my favorite catalogs don't come in anything smaller than a Medium. Lots of styles for the XL and XXL, but not for a Small. Oh, what a terrible dilemma, right? : The great side of this is that sometimes I DON'T EVEN WEAR A BRA and no one notices!!!!!!!

I did not tell anyone about my surgery except some immediate family members. I did not want to overload them with all my needs and emotional support, so this board was really important to me. I would say the board even became my lifeline and sole support group as I went through the ups and downs of the first year post op. Unfortunately, some of the most informed, experienced, and supportive members formed their own forum and moved away from this site, but.......there are still many supportive and great folks here who will help you through the process. Spend some time exploring the different threads and you will find answers to most of your questions. I can almost promise you that you are not going to experience anything (including complications) that someone else has not also experienced. Make this journey your own. No one else has the right to tell you how to navigate this in your life. You are making this decision for your own health and well being - not for anyone else. And you are the one who will reap the benefits of your decisions, or...... not, but the choices are still yours to make. Expect that some people will feel threatened by your decision to have surgery and by the dietary and lifestyle changes that will follow. Even my supportive family was knocked off kilter a bit by my new energy, focus of exercise, and all the new ways I needed to eat. (Like, "Mom, I don't know how to cook dinner for you anymore." or "Mom, you are riding your bike so much I don't know how to spend time with you.") These are areas that have to be navigated and redesigned - not just by you, but by those around you. Not all of them will be happy. It's easier for them if you stay fat and everyone knows their role in the relationship. As soon as you get thinner than others, they will not be able to justify they own obesity and you will upset the order of things. THEY will be the "fat girls" in the room now - not you, and that is going to be pretty hard for them. I do have in-law relatives who were obese and lost a lot of weight from other programs. They got tons of praise and compliments at Christmas dinner, for example, and by the next year, they had gained back ALL of their lost weight! Now I am the thinnest one in the room - really! I used to be the fattest, and now I actually AM the thinnest, and NOT ONE of those relatives have acknowledged my weight loss or given me any kind of compliment at all. Amazing, but it just means that my own weight loss has highlighted their regain and sense of failure. Again, make this YOUR journey! Lots of people will give you their opinions, but YOU are the one behind the wheel. It is your body, your life, your health and your decision. This board will help you. Hang in there! PS: I would also suggest branching out socially as you continue this journey. As you form new relationships with people who do not know about your surgery, you will have freedom from all the back story and baggage. Most of my co-workers now never knew me when I was obese or that I even had surgery. My relationship with them is different than with others who knew me 100 pounds ago. There is no fat shaming or labeling, and no expectation or unsolicited advice, as they have only known me as thin. It's kind of refreshing to just be me in a normal body.

Congrats!!!! So happy for you!!! As tempting as it is, I would suggest not rushing into plastics. Give your new bod at least 6 months and you will probably find that some of the looseness will tighten on its own. I was 62 with even more loose skin, but it doesn't look nearly as bad now as when I first lost the weight. Again, so very happy for you and your new active life!

Nearly everyone experiences a stall at 3 - 4 weeks. You are doing all the right things. Stick with the plan. It will work.

What exactly is the problem? There are others who weigh more and who have had surgery. Do you have some risk factors that disqualify you for surgery? Please tell us more.

I was 62 when I had bypass, and it was the best decision I ever made. I have my life back!!!!!! With no pain now in the hips, knees and back. All my co-morbidities have resolved. I can hike, bike, ride my horse, and get down (and up) on the floor with my grandkids. I've done a triathlon and a 50 mile bike race. Woo hoo! Who would have thought it even possible? My next goals are a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike and ultimately to finish the 830 mile Arizona Trail. I think being older gives a deeper perspective that this is the last chance. We've tried everything else for literally decades, and there are no more options. And there are no more games. It is this or nothing. We are all in or all out. We don't worry as much about hair loss or saggy skin or looking great in a bikini - it is about health and quality of life. We are also past menopause, and so don't have to worry as much about hormone fluctuations or about slowing metabolism - it's already slowed for us and things can only get better, right? I am seizing every day with joy and gratitude that I am now able to live again, because what I was doing before was just slowly dying. Best wishes to you! You have every chance to be successful at this, regardless of age.

At five months I was still eating less than 500 calories per day. From that point I went up about 100 calories per day per month. By the end of month 7, I was at goal and exercising a lot, and trying NOT to lose anymore weight. I was up to about 1,000 a day by then.

Probably not getting the height back. I've lost 2 inches, BUT it increased my BMI and helped me qualify for surgery! There's always a silver lining.

Had mine repaired at the time of my bypass surgery. No problems and no, it did not make my recovery any more difficult.

I also check the menu ahead of time if it is a new place. I have found that ordering sides makes it easy. I am a gluten free vegan, so it is challenging to find item without dairy or wheat. But like the other day in a Mexican restaurant, I just ordered a side of whole beans, some rice, guacamole, and corn tortillas, so I built my own burritos.

I often order sides instead of full meals. I might order a house salad and a side of black beans, for example. Usually, everyone else is so preoccupied with their own food that they really don't even notice what other people are eating or not eating. If I do order a meal, at least half of it goes home with me. Other than my immediate family, no one else knows about my surgery. My friends and coworkers just think I know how to eat healthy and that is also why I am thinner than the rest of them.

I doubt you did any damage. Just focus now on portion control. Restriction or no restriction, people can gain all the weight back. The honeymoon is over and now it is a daily walking out the new lifestyle and mind set.

Gastric bypass here. My numbers were just about like yours. I had surgery at age 62, and reached goal in 7 months. Wouldn't trade my new life for anything!!!!!!!! Start reading a lot of posts. There are tons of testimonies by plenty of folks who had addressed all your concerns.

AMEN!!!!!!!! 19 months now post op, I don't even think about loose skin anymore. I am too busy enjoying my new life. I thought about plastics soon after, but am so glad I did not go through all the expense and pain and risk. It doesn;t matter. My hair is back as good as new, and my amazing new body does more that I had even hoped for. It looks a little funny without clothes, but not an issue since I don't make a habit of going out in public naked! Besides, it is so fun wearing cute clothes now, that even with some sags and loose skin, I still look a LOT better now that I did 100 pounds ago!

I started feeling less restriction about 15 months after surgery. As many others have said, "You can't chase the restriction." In other words, you can't let a feeling of restriction determine the volume of food. You have to pre-choose your food intake and eat just that amount. This is learning how to eat normally. It is hard. I struggle with it, too. Before surgery, I could put away HUGE volumes of food. I have no idea where it all went, but once I started eating, I could not stop. I have those same feelings now - like I want to keep eating once I start, and if I eat slowly enough, and stretch out my meals, I can put away a lot more that I should. I have to work every day to write down my meal plan and then do my best to stick with it. And to STOP once my meal is finished. Intermittent fasting helps. I don't eat until noon and then try to stop by 7 pm. I can still put away a lot of calories in 7 hours, however, and it is a new learning curve to learn how to eat 2 good meals a day, with some raw veggies in the afternoon and a small yogurt fruit bowl for evening dessert. No second helpings and no other snacking - regardless of how full I feel. The volume limit has to come from your head, not your pouch.

Start educating yourself - I read books, and watched tons of Youtubes and especially liked the ones by Dr. Matthew Weiner. You will get a lot of your answers. To make a long story short, I left an obese life of multiple co-morbidities, including the continual immobilizing pain of my knees, hips, and backs that left me unable to do all the things I valued in life - hiking, playing with my grand kids, riding a bike, and even riding my horse. I already had one knee replacement and the other one was coming on very soon. I did not know a day without pain. I lived on Aleve every day. In six months (after WLS) I entered a whole new world of mobility, activity, and freedom from all pain!!!!! I completed a triathlon and a 50 mile bike race. I started riding my horse and could actually get myself off the ground all by myself. I could hike and have not used ANY pain meds! My co-morbidities evaporated. All my blood levels and vital signs returned to normal and my sleep apnea disappeared. I went from night to day, from darkness to light, from barely functioning to wildly active, from depression and misery to joy. I cannot begin to describe the whole new life I have now. I could not do it on my own. Decades of yo-yo dieting had completely wrecked my metabolism. WLS was my life saver and the tool I needed to begin this new healthy life. Yes, it is a big decision and demands a commitment to a new lifestyle and a new way of managing food. However, the alternative is a shortened, miserable life. For me, it was a no brainer. I was scared and nervous, and did have a couple of complications, but I would do it all over again. The rewards on this side are more than I can fully express. It is a very individual decision that you must make for YOURSELF - not for anyone else. But you will never know what is on the other side until you walk through that door.

I had gastritis, Barrett's esophagitis, a Barrett's polyp, and a hiatal hernia. The polyp was removed. The hiatal hernia was repaired during my gastric bypass surgery. I was put on omeprazole after surgery and follow up scope showed total resolution of the Barretts! However, there were signs of eosinophilic esophagitis which resolved once I stopped whey protein. THEN....... I developed a bleeding ulcer 9 months post op. Fortunately, it also resolved with omeprazole and remains resolved now 19 months post op, with no medication. With the weight loss and elimination of whey protein, and time to completely heal (doc says maybe a rogue suture caused the ulcer), it seems that all issues are now resolved. I continue to avoid all caffeine, soda, and alcohol. PS: Chronic gastritis (inflammation) and irregular Z-line are very common findings in the general population. Once you lose weight and reduce the acid reflux, this may well resolve. It is nothing that will prevent surgery, and surgery will most likely help.