lizonaplane

I have tried various strategies listed here. In my experience, you will need all of them, some will work sometimes, others will work other times. For me, my favorite is just to figure out what I'm ACTUALLY feeling and then act on that feeling. Am I ACTUALLY hungry? Then I eat. Am I really thirsty? Then I drink. Am I bored? Play some solitaire or call my mom or read. Am I lonely? Come here and read and respond to posts!

I wouldn't try doing a liquid "pouch reset". There's not much evidence for that. Rather, just go back to the basics: Eat lean protein, veggies, fruit, whole grains, lots of liquids, and make sure you're getting your vitamins in. Most people find when they eat lean protein (chicken, fish, pork, etc) they still have restriction even after a number of years. For me, if I eat crap like pretzels or sweets, I can eat a lot, but when I eat good food like meat or even cheese, I can't eat much at all. I do get a lot of hunger - always have - but I find it very helpful to drink warm tea all day. And @ClareLynn might be right - it could be acid reflux.

I agree with leftovers, but you can also buy deli meat, hummus, hard boiled eggs, raw veggies and fruits, cheese, etc. I travel for work so I can't take leftovers, but I find all of these things work for me. Also, protein bars.

My asthma is better, but it was better just from losing the weight I lost prior to surgery. My migraines have almost disappeared, but I think that is from being off birth control pills. But even people whose diabetes goes into remission after surgery often have it come back again in a few years, especially with sleeve. And like others here have said, it's often just fat bias that docs assume all of our problems are related to our weight despite many thin people having the exact same problems.

But... good or bad is RELATIVE. I mean, some things about cheese are GOOD - high in calcium and protein, while others are BAD - high in fat and saturated fat. Plus, people have different opinions about things.

@ShoppGirl Did you end up getting one? I did one in June, 3 months before surgery and I'm signed up to get another one next week. Hoping for improvement!

How long were you at "goal" weight before you had the TT? Also, I have a "pouch" above my girly bits that is something that bothers me more that the stomach, which is still more clearly fat. Did you have this lifted or removed? Or is that something else? Or maybe that wasn't an issue for you?

Are you taking medication like metformin? Are you changing your eating habits? I would say it would be unlikely to lower your A1c significantly in two months as it usually takes between 2-3 months to change it at all. Did your doctor suggest if this would be possible? remember, the surgery is just one part of your journey, and postponing it for a few months until you're in better shape physically will be better in the long run. In the grand scheme of things, a two month postponement is NOTHING

Thanks for the reminder! It's time to schedule my next DEXA scan!

How are you feeling? Did you figure out what it was?

My iPhone facial ID stopped recognizing me! I don't know when exactly this happened because I'm always wearing a mask so I always have to use the passcode, but a few times I've tried to use a banking app that uses the same facial ID and it says it doesn't recognize my face, so I tested out the phone itself, and it DOESN'T THINK I'M ME!!! I didn't think I looked that different, but apparently technology does. I will have to figure out how to reset it. Has this happened to anyone else?

My PCP was the one who referred me. She actually tried to refer me years ago, and said I bit her head off at the time. Most doctors get very little information on nutrition and weight during medical school so they just tell you "eat less and exercise more" but have very little clue how ineffective that is once people are seriously overweight. I don't recommend trying to "educate" or provide reading material to your doctor, or even challenging them. Usually it will not end well. I would TRY to find another doctor, although it's really hard right now since the pandemic. I had to find a new doctor because mine is retiring and the first one I found who said she's "accepting new patients" doesn't have any openings until 2023! Maybe you can ask your surgeon to refer you to a PCP who is supportive?

I read somewhere maybe on these message boards? That loop DS can cause really foul smelling poop and I think you need to have 100 g of protein a day. I would verify these things with your surgical team, but if you haven't considered these things, be aware. There is a whole forum here on loop DS. I had sleeve. I was very worried because I thought I had GERD, but I haven't had any issues. Make sure your current medications won't be affected by the loop DS. I take a lot of meds for bipolar disorder so I was recommended sleeve over bypass so it wouldn't affect absorption. I'm not sure if loop DS would have that issue. Another thing to consider is that loop DS is a newer, less researched surgery, although, the same could have been said of sleeve ten years ago!

I wish I knew that some people never lose their hunger after surgery. No one ever mentioned this as a possibility and when I told people - and mentioned this on this forum! - people said, no, it's just head hunger. When I told the psychologist for my surgery center, she said that 20% of her patients never lose their hunger. It's very hard because you can't eat much at once, and it's not good to graze, because then you just "eat around" the surgery and don't lose weight. They ended up putting me back on metformin, which has helped a lot.

I always thought 20 was the LOW end of healthy BMI, with 25 being the top end of "normal". But also, BMI is seriously flawed, because it doesn't take into account our muscle mass, which should be high for many/most bariatric patients because we needed more muscle in our legs to hold us up. Unless you lose a lot during weight loss. It was the psychologist who talked about expected weight loss with me, not the surgeon. She said, "here is what we think is what we predict you will weigh after this. Will you be okay with that?" I was not okay with that! But, it is just an average. Now that I am about 6 pounds from what she said, I realize that if my body tones up a bit, I would be okay - not thrilled - with it. Remember, if you have to struggle every day to keep your "perfect" weight, you will likely not be happy. This is going to be a life-long battle, and you can't spend all of your energy every minute focused on it

My tastes didn't change either. I was hoping not to like sweets anymore, but no such luck. I do get sick of things. The only thing is that now I only like water if it is ice cold. I tend to drink iced coffee and hot tea more now. Dates and cream of wheat and crackers taste amazing because I don't eat a lot of carbs

My surgery center didn't say we had to only drink whey protein isolate, but I've heard that they absorb slightly better. I don't worry too much about it. I think if you have duodenal switch it's more of an issue. I would follow your surgeon's advice if you can, but try not to obsess over it. I like the Fairlife nutrition plan shakes, which are just filtered milk (30g protein for 11 oz). I couldn't stand the powdered protein mixes, which tend to be the whey protein isolate, so I wouldn't have been able to get my protein in at all if I stuck to those.

I found this on Mayo.org: If a ferritin test shows higher than normal levels, it could indicate that you have a condition that causes your body to store too much iron. It could also point to liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory conditions or hyperthyroidism. Some types of cancer also can cause your blood ferritin level to be high. Again, wait until your doctor tells you what to do or if they want you to have further tests. Can you check prior results to see if your ferritin is usually high?

Whatever you decide to do for pregnancy prevention do something highly effective like IUD. You are much more fertile after surgery and it's not good to get pregnant right after surgery because you will not be taking in many calories. Like @Queen ApisM said, maybe they can figure out what you were exactly allergic to so you know what else to try. I am down 95 lbs and I already have loose skin in my thighs and my breasts are totally flat, but you can't see it with my clothes on. Don't panic. I don't plan to have skin surgery unless I am physically uncomfortable because I have heard the recovery is really unpleasant. Most people who have this surgery will have fatty liver. Just be sure to follow the pre-surgery diet closely - the purpose of that is to shrink the liver so it's easier to do the surgery.

I agree with @GradyCat. There's not a lot of research that you can "stretch" your pouch. Don't do one of those "pouch resets" where you just drink liquids. Just focus on lean protein and veggies, get in your fluids and vitamins, and avoid added sugar. The weight will come off. Try connecting with a dietician/nutritionist for help tailored to your situation.

I like the Atkins Smores bars and the Quest and Atkins Peanut Butter cups. Quest protein bars are okay for a lunch on the go. I find that I can often find Core Power protein drinks (low sugar, 27g protein) at many drug, grocery, and convenience stores, so that's great when on the road. I like the Starburst brand drink packets. Fairlife high protein milk, sugar free hot chocolate, etc. If you don't like the protein drinks you buy, try mixing them with iced coffee. I like them okay, but I get sick of them.

Last time I lost a lot of weight I got a bit of grief when I came back into the US from Colombia. I have updated my passport since then, but it was again at a higher weight. It's new, but at a higher weight. I didn't have any issues coming back from Mexico a month ago, but I also have Global Entry now, so maybe that helped?

I don't own any dresses but I've seen some people recommend to wear a dress after surgery because it won't rub against the incision sites as much. I don't know if it's worth buying a dress I would never wear again to wear for the week of surgery. I don't even have a nightgown or anything like that, nor a robe. Can I just wear baggy, elastic/drawstring waist pants? Thanks!

I have tried a lot of things because I travel a lot for work, so I'm eating out constantly. 1. Panera - Warm Mediterranean bowl with chicken. I ate about half (almost none of the rice - next time I will skip the rice; I didn't know it came with rice) 2. Chipotle - Bowl with no rice, just beans, meat, and toppings 3. Most restaurants have a grilled chicken sandwich of sorts. Sometimes with cheese, bacon, and flavored mayo. Just skip the bun and the fries

My surgery center has no issues with straws and says that carbonated beverages are fine after 4 weeks. I use straws in my iced coffee and I'm drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper right now (No straw but that's personal preference). OP needed to get something in their stomach. They accomplished that. Was it ideal? No, but passing out wouldn't have been better. I agree with your suggestions on pre-made protein drinks, bone broth, sugar-free popsicles, and jello. I also got Tom Yum and Hot and Sour Soup and just drank the broth. Fluid is more important than protein when you're just starting out