The Greater Fool

I don't have any low anything meal plan, let alone a week long one. My pouch is pretty much the boss from hell. If I try to plan anything, my boss from hell changes what it wants me to eat. So every meal is a negotiation that the boss from hell always wins. One benefit of the boss from hell is I don't have to think about calories, carbs, weight, or much of anything. Food does not rule my life, the boss from hell does. I know this didn't help your question one bit. But I didn't really come to this thread for that. I didn't want you to feel lonely, so I thought I'd come say hi. Hi. Good luck Tek

Welcome to the forums. Get rid of your scale. Your RNY doesn't need you to know your weight to work. You also won't be vexed by events of which you are currently vexed. Personal anecdote: I was too large for any scale but my surgeons. Thus, I could only weigh at Doc's office. After months and months I was finally able to weigh at home. I did if a very few times just because I could, then I never weighed myself again, except at annual physicals. Focus on your plan. Do your plan. It will work if you work it. [Cool cliche, huh?] Good luck and enjoy the ride. Tek

Just return to your plan. It's not quick, it's not flashy, but it will get you where you want to go. We got to our pre-op weights by doing crash diets, 'special' workouts, and every other dietary flash in the pan that came and went. You had surgery so you wouldn't have to live life this way. Slow and steady wins this race. Good luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums. I'd be willing to bet you are trying to drink too quickly. Warm tea folks tend to sip slowly. You should drink everything as if it's hot and will burn your tongue. Small sips, small sips. Watch the fruit juices are they are a lot of sugar, and the Gatorades as they are loaded with sugars and salts. You are on the right track with SF flavors, eventually you will find one that just clicks. Also, SF Popsicles force you to go slow, and it counts for drinking. I still love these. Warm drinks... thinking... thinking... You know, you can drink ANYTHING warm. I usually have a huge cup of something usually at room temperature. Hot/Cold is not a big deal to me. Good luck, Tek

A lot depends on your plan post-op. A lot of folks are on protein shakes only, a lot aren't. If you're actually eating food, do a test run preparing a post-op meal. You'll see what would make it easier. As a different view, I never used special plates, spoons, forks, or whatever. Because I was on pureed food for 6 weeks, a blender helped. Once you measure 3oz of protein for a week of 3 meals, I was able to accurately eyeball it thereafter. I wouldn't buy any medical stuff unless the Doc says you'll need it. I was open and I didn't have a binder or anything else. Oddly, being OCD I've over prepared for enough things to learn it's best to wait until I have an actual need. I spent a lot of money on things I thought I might need only to have them sit it a closet never used. Good luck and enjoy the ride. Tek

What does your Doc's plan say? Compliance is not just a river in Egypt. Fruit and fruit juice are very high in sugar, and if I'm gonna dump on something, it's going to be fruit juice. So, if you don't listen to me about compliance, listen to me about this. I've previously said that about 50% of RNY Post-ops dump, but it's actually my Doc's odds for me. It actually depends on how much is bypassed, slight procedure differences, and personal differences, so it can be as low as 20% or as high as 50%. [I did a google]. If you dump and get constipated, as I sometimes do, I do just enough fruit juice to cause things to loosen up, which is a symptom of dumping. If you don't listen to the first two parts, don't listen to this because it's not smart to try to dump as it can always go worse than you hope. So, in summary, Plan, dumping, constipation. Go out and kill it. Tek

Weclome to the forum. Hmm, "Positive advice" is not usually my thing... let me think. Nervous but excited is pretty normal. Focus on the excited part. I started a journal because it 1) allowing me to put the thoughts I wrote out of my mind; 2) I apparently have a rotten memory on some things; and 3) documenting your progress and changes. Oh, and 4) It's a distraction. You know you could d... Carp, never mind... staying positive. Distract yourself by doing stuff you enjoy in which you can immerse yourself. Part of my journal was 50 things I want to do post-op. Then cross them off as you accomplish them. It was fun. I've got load of 'negetive' and stern stuff. You're really missing out. Tek

It's a story as old as time... First you look, just a quick look which turns into a long, langorous gaze, taking in every curve... Then, you just must touch. Just a little touch. Before you know it, you're holding it, caressing the peperoni... Next thing you know, you are waking up in a gutter with pizza stains on your cuff, wondering where your weekend went. Nine months later, a pizza delivery guy shows up at your door with a package... Tek

Do you dump?

Congratulations. Tek

As I keep repeating, it is critical to stay on plan. That your plan changed from your Doc's "bible" is exactly the point. The Doc knows what he did better than us strangers on the interwebs. You did the plan your doc gave you. If we encounter issues on Doc's plan then we need to work with Doc to adjust as may be appropriate. This then becomes the plan with which we need to remain in compliance. Making our own changes is a recipe for problems now and for the future. Changing our plans ourselves, or because people on the internet have a different way that worked for them, is ruinous. It's a trap. My Doc's plan didn't take a bible to convey. It was 9 simple rules (principles). Yet... When I began binge running I could not maintain both the plan and the binge running. I worked with my Doc on adjusting my plan. I then had a plan that would have been off-plan for his other patients. As I progressed my plan changed still more: I was his only patient allowed to supplement with protein drinks. My plan no longer resembled my Doc's standard plan. I still focused on staying on plan. But, the changes you and your doc made, or me and my doc made, don't change the fact that everyone should work their plan with their doc. And stay in compliance with it. Tek

That's not unreasonable. It is a drastic action and you really need to be sure. Tek

If the program is protein shakes, then this is what was agreed to pre-op. At least, I agreed to my post-op program before surgery. Does anyone NOT know what their plan is post-op? Unfortunately, not enough people actually think about and ask detailed questions about their early post-op programs. Like a typical 5 year old I asked "why?" a lot. By time I had surgery, I understood Doc's thinking so I understood how to replace one example of something with a different thing that also satisfies Doc's program. I think most docs go with protein drinks or liquids because they think it will be easier. It doesn't always turn out this way. Putting energy into whatever the plan calls for *is* worth the energy. But, you are right, it is about finding a way that works... WITH the Doc. Which get's us to advocating for ourselves when difficulties arise. Make a plan together, make a plan together for monitoring, make a plan together for what happens. When changes are made with the Doc, you are still on program. Tek

Changing further out should not be a huge issue for your surgeon. Check with your insurance if there is an expiration date on approval. Good Luck, Tek

My Doc was very firm, which many took to be lack of understanding. He was not interested in excuses, he simply required compliance. Even the slightest deviation from the rules got a firm lecture about following the rules. Pre-op, we found reasons why our current diet wasn't working, or why we just had to go off plan. We don't want to repeat this post-op. Even if you can't stomach your program, you MUST do it. Figure it out, it's up to you. You've had your plumbing rearranged so even good excuses won't help. You have to make your program work. You really have no choice. At one week post-op, you are still dealing/suffering with the effects of surgery. Things are swollen and painful, which tends to gum up the works. So be patient with yourself. You need to figure out how to do your protein drinks (if that is your Doc's program). Week one, it's not the end of the world if you don't eat or drink every bit of whatever is on your program, just do your best. You may not be able to drink a whole or even half a protein drink at one time and even then you may have to take small sips. Try thinning or thickening the protein drink. What physically works does not always make sense. Make sure it is mixed well, as any lump could get stuck. Small sips. Take your time. You can do this. You need to do what your Doc says. Compliance is critical to long term success. You didn't get to needing surgery by doing things the right way. Not being able to eat or drink easily is your gateway to learning success. Small sips (whatever your doc says), go slow. When you get to food, small bites, chew well, then chew some more. Your first 6 months are when you learn everything, both good and bad. No excuses. It's up to you to make it work. Exciting times ahead. Enjoy them as best you can. Tek

Congratulations and welcome. I hope everything works out just how you imagine. Good luck. Tek

Gatorade is a salt and sugar concoction, so you may want to ponder it. At 5 weeks adding a meal in response to gaining 2 pounds in the last couple days seems odd. Heck, making any changes in response to what happened in the last 2 days seems questionable. I can't help but think we're missing some information here. I do understand wanting to increase 40g of protein, though. But, as I always say, it's more important to follow the plan then what the plan actually is. A big part of our program is learning to follow rules. At 5 weeks, I was on puree of 3 oz protein, 1 oz veggie, 3 times per day. That comes out to 60 grams protein. Actually, my program is still not all that different. For folks on protein drinks, a quick look at Amazon says 25-30 grams per drink minimum. So 3 of those = 75g. Food protein or drink protein, 3 times per day should not be overly taxing. Is it? So, I guess it comes down to your plan, and how you are doing on it. Good luck, Tek

Welcome. How do yo feel about your Doc? Office staff can be frustrating. Somehow, it seems our paperwork and approval is not as important to them as it is us. My Docs staff was generally, well, frustrating. I got all my requirements documented and submitted to the Office Insurance Coordinator. She said she would get it to the insurance in a day or two, great. In three or four days, I called the insurance company to 'help' if they had any questions or concerns. No file. I called the office person, oh it's sitting right in front of her, she's putting it together and will get it to the insurance in a day or two. In three or four days, I called the insurance company, and guess what? No file. Grrrr. I called the office again, and oh, they moved the office over the weekend, and the fax machine has not been hooked up. The file is right in front of her, and tomorrow when the fax is working, they'll get it out. A week later, I skipped calling the insurance and called the office. No, they hadn't faxed it yet. But they'll get right on it. If insurance has an issue, they kick it back pretty quick. Two days later, the office called me! I was approved. Moral of the story is don't take incompetence personally. If you like the doc, stick it out. Good luck, Tek

I may have answered through the lense of my baggage: Once I got the word from my docs I would not be asking about what the Doc obviously knows better than strangers. Sometimes I forget it's about listening rather than fixing, and sometimes it *Is* just about asking questions and not how to get around what needs to be done. Sorry. I'm a dumb guy who sometimes doesn't speak woman. I'm still learning. Worse, I'm overly analytical. Again, sorry. Good luck, Tek

Headline answer is eating rules work about the same for band as for RNY: Small bites, chew thoroughly, then chew some more. No drinking during meals. We are not supposed to drink with meals for the very reason that it washes it through a bit too quickly. Unlike the Band, there is no full stomach below our pouch, so when you drink you are washing it into your intestines. You won't be able to get as much food through with the band and it probably won't change your sense of hunger. Do it enough and you defeat the restriction aspect of surgery. So, don't get back into the habit of drinking during meals. Burping won't change things much. In fact, with no stomach below the restrictive pouch, burping probably won't be an issue as long as you don't swallow air when you eat. Like the band, you need to learn to chew thoroughly then chew some more. Fruits with skins or membranes (oranges, grapefruit) I find difficult to chew well enough that they definitely won't get stuck, so I tend to eat fruits I have more success with (grapes, peaches, banana). I don't care for strawberries, but the few times I ate one were no issue. Chewing well is the key to a happy life. Obviously, you know the band doesn't change, it's just our own "stuff" going on that lets us eat well at some times and less so at other times. So, your good and bad times will likely remain in some fashion with the RNY. For me, morning eating seems to be more restrictive also. As time passes I developed a sense memory such that I imagine what I want to eat and my pouch will communicate that it is good or not. I've learned not to argue with it. Good luck Tek

Welcome. I haven't had this test, but since it is a measurement of reflux and it turns out you have reflux then it's a good news, bad news situation: The good news is reflux is a comorbidity so it will likely improve your case to insurance; The bad news is you have reflux; Good luck, Tek

Congratulations on your baby boy and your other successes. The offer of answering questions regarding pregnancy is very generous. Being a guy it's obvious I know everything there is to know about pregnancy. I have done extensive research on pregnancy and rearing kids. So while it may sound counter-intuitive your baby boy is going to require a lot of your time, attention, and energy. In fact, your new baby boy will require almost as much time and energy as your spouse. As you said, accountability is up to you. It sounds like you are pretty good at it. You will get back into your healthy routines. Exciting times ahead. Tek

Congratulations! Tek

Welcome. I'm assuming that when you say "regular diet" you mean your food plan that you will be following the rest of your life? If so, your calories as part of your plan will be north of 1000 kcals, which along with drinking, should relieve some of the deprivation sensations. Cravings, however, are in your head not your stomach. Depending on your plan, you may be able to eat some of these cravings in much smaller quantity. Some folks change the cravings food to something more in line with their plan. However, at 6 weeks it's critical to your success to follow your plan. You making decisions about food got you to where you needed Gastric Bypass. The lesson we need to learn is to follow rules. Once you start changing things to off plan, then you are back where you were pre-op. Right now you are learning how to eat and what to eat and you need to stay on plan and create a pattern and history of success. Stay on plan. Good luck, Tek

Welcome. I'm confused. Why would you not trust what your surgeon is saying. He knows your plumbing better than anyone else, certainly better than us. The sleeve doesn't really change much about your plumbing. All the things that could have caused GERD pre-op is there for the sleeve post-op. Since your Doc said *IF* either you have not done imaging yet or you have not spoken to him about the imaging yet. That is what will tell him what is going on. Until then guessing and vexing, while fun, is not useful. The kind and generous folks here can share their experiences and give you encouragement, but your Doc has the answers. No one can make you get RNY. As your doc indicated, if it's a hernia it can be fixed. If it's GERD you can deny surgery and hope and try possible medications. Or you can simply choose to suffer with it. Chances are it will not kill you soon, but your Doc will be able to give you the scoop. The choice is ALWAYS yours. Good luck, Tek