rperchard

It's been 14 yrs since my surgery....I no longer remember those numbers. I can "ballpark" some numbers. Hgt: 5'6". Peak weight: 305. I lost, maybe 30 lbs of that before I even started program. Still, I had to lose "x" amount of weight pre-op (a percentage). There was approx 6 mos from 1st day in program to surgery date. I do recall my pre-op BMI met the eligibility criteria. Sorry I can't recall more.

?hw? sw? pls define.

For the longest time I couldn't tolerate large pills (like multivits & calcium tabs). I found both in chewable form...Centrum mutivit & Caltrate (calcium) chewables the most palatable...sort of like Necco Wafers candy. Was easiest to obtain consistently, via Amazon. Really cemented my compliance....confirmed by annual lab values. Sounds crazy, maybe, but my refrigerator door is my go to place for posting positive reinforcement stuff. Of all kinds. And when those struggle days/hours come along, I'll read them aloud. Self-talk is not beyond me, either: "is this true, body hunger or is this need something else?" That slows me down, which helps. Sending good energy your way.

Can't find link/page to post review of my surgeon. Can anyone provide user friendly instruction?

Congrats on all that work. Sincerely. You're right, struggle is ongoing. My path has been similar. Indeed: 1 day @ a time.

here's the thing....you gotta address the disease of obesity....the noise in your head that pollutes your determination to be (& enjoy) good health. A 50 lb gain suggests you're "off program". It's a symptom of your disease of obesity. Make appointment for follow-up. Speak w nutritionist in bariatric program. Weekly weigh ins @ the surgeon's office doesn't require an appointment, & makes you accountable. Get to support group. There's no shame in the struggle. Anyone posting here has been & is, in the same boat.

April 2019 marks 13 yrs since Roux-N-Y laparoscopic procedure. Peak weight: 305 lbs. I maintain between 155-160. I have, & will continue annual follow-ups. Not only medically necessary, but makes me accountable. My bypass continues to work for me: I listen to what it's "telling me" when I have those moments. You know..the voice in your head that leads you to haunt the refrigerator or cabinets; buy foods that you know could trigger cravings or worse (binge). Surgery can't eliminate the disease of obesity....which lives in my head. Your's too, if you're reading this. I take action when I begin to see numbers trending up on the scale. (I don't wait til it's 20/40/50 or more lbs). Besides, I'm uncomfortable...along w gain comes bloat, discomfort, snug waist band, increased cravings. After a few yrs, trying different "maintenance" approaches, Jenny Craig works for me...I feel better when weight is a pound or 2 on either side of 155. For me, I persist w weekley wrigh ins....keeps me honest. I've been as low as 145, but it's a struggle. And I don't want that struggle. I just want to be comfortable in my skin. I'm challenged with anemia (intolerant of oral iron) & insufficient protein intake. So, I do what I can to improve those values. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this. And so far, my bypass &, I pretty much listen to each other.

Hi Annie: oral iron supplements. I gave it a fair shot, both over the counter, prescription, pediatric form. For a couple of years I tried, but could not tolerate the side effects. Primarily: colossal constipation. Along w that came general misery (abdominal distention, loss of appetite, straining). I became an unhappy, unpleasant person. So I eat lots of dark green vegetables & cook up some beef of calves liver about once a month. I keep looking around for a form of iron that I can tolerate. In the mean time, my values (hemglobin, hematocrit, iron) have continue to decline....in Jan. values lowest they have ever been. I discussed giving oral iron another shot. Right now am experimenting w a liquid form. Ideally should be taken daily, but right now I seem to tolerate 3 times per week, without getting miserably constipated (with help of Miralax). Am due for repeat blood draw in a cpl months. If lab values remain low, the only alternative is intravenous iron (also known ad Venofer).

ttn: walking into this bariatric experience, I heard alot of stuff I've heard before (e.g. portion control). What was new, & novel, to me: using smaller dishes, smaller silverware. I literally switched to pediatric size utensils; sandwich plate replaced standard size dinner plate. I didn't care what it looked like, or what people said..all I knew was that it slowed me down. Altered the previous engrained behavior of "shoveling" it in, if you know what I mean. Imagine my surprise when I actually began to savor food! OMG, no lie. That goes for chewing thoroughly as well (a daily conscious choice). It seems the world has gone super-size. Eating out, I divide those huge portions in half as soon as the plate is put in front of me. No doggie bags go home with me. Meals w family/friends....the comments that inevitably arise ("have another, you've hardly eaten", or the killer "you've gotten too thin"). My responses of choice: "just takin' a break", or, "maybe later". No thank you's didn't seem to work. Over time my tastes changed. I find fried, greasy, high fat foods (a previous staple)aren't palatable any more. As has red meat. Go figure. I was raised on beef, butter, & potatoes. All if which smothered in gravy. Your health is the priority. It's not about getting thin, or size 10 or beauty, or pleasing others. It's a process, fer sure. But it's entirely do-able. (Apologies for the rant).

New to this site, still figuring out the A-B-C's. Am delighted w responses. We all deserve to be healthy, I figure. Took me a lifetime to own the fact that obesity is more than just a "challenge", or "struggle, it's life threatening. So, when I hear things like "oh, I can't afford that" (e.g. any commercial weight loss program), my response is: "Hey, getting fat isn't cheap, ya know". Group support is incredibly important. Since I moved to Houston (from L.A.), haven't found bariatric support group w daytime meetings. I stumbled upon this group when searching for protein bars. So, many thanks, you guys, for warm welcome.