learn2cook

That was well said, and I’m so glad to hear of your good results.

I ask the real haters if they know anyone who has lost 150lbs or more AND maintained that loss 3+ years without surgery or medication? Crickets …

Isn’t there a carafe in the middle of the table to pour into? I didn’t have alcohol that early on, but I did go to a wine/food pairing event last month (3+years out) and it went ok as long as I only took one sip per kind of wine and ate the one bite of food paired with it. I would bring a shake in your bag in case you find out the hard way that you dump or have delayed blood sugar issues.

Or, I would be tempted to say that you have strep throat or the flu, and skip the whole thing. I bailed out on a lot of stuff early on because of foamies and fear of dumping in public. It took about 9 months for me to figure out my new body. I also knew that the surgery was my one shot. (I kept singing Lin Miranda’s Not Going to Mess Up My One Shot.) I still take my health very seriously and don’t care about loosing face with friends/family. You’ve got some choices.

On 04/17/2025 at 08:34, ynotiniowa said:

Good morning. I'm not discounting anything SpartanMaker posted above. However, I was in the exact same boat as you. I was eating 1200-1400 calories, religiously measured/counted everything, plenty of Water, I played with my macros till I was blue in the face and for 10 months I did not lose and I did not gain. I'm a nurse so I probably have more background in nutrition than most, so I'm confident in how I was eating was appropriate and what most providers would "recommend". In February I went to my two year follow up. My labs were perfect, my vitals on point and I had not lost one ounce since the last visit nearly a year prior. After having a long conversation with my bariatric provider, the only change since the losing stopped was I was pretty much into full menopause. We discussed options and ideas on how to "overcome" the hormone influencing my insulin processes that was affecting my metabalism hurdle I may possibly be facing. She said based on her research Zepbound might be a great option as it also can help in reducing "hot flashes" which I was having twice a day, everyday. Long story short, even with my insurance, Zepbound would have been around $700 a month, so I choose to do the my budget friendly compound Tirzepatide route (the compound equivalent to zepbound) with my provider's blessing. I have been on the weekly injections for 6 weeks and have already been able to shed 19#. I have not ate any differently, no change in my physical activity AND the hot flashes are gone. I'm not suggesting this would be the answer you need, but it's been a game changer for my journey. Good luck ❤️

I was going to say the peri-menopausal syndrome has struck again. I had to switch to 50mg DHEA while the hormones were swinging around. I had my various doctor’s blessing. It is a hormone therapy treatment so please talk with your physician. Formal Hormone replacement therapy would have been better but alas, insurance. Now I’ve weaned off to 25mg at age 57. I live just fine on 900-1200 kcals at 5’4” and I’m not frail, I weight lift and have a super active job, and walk 20-30 minutes a day. Each of us is different. Soups make me very full, and salads when I can’t stand the hungries.

I feel deeply for you. Your doctors are the best source for help,. I’ve had some of those surgery’s but not back to back like that. I will say, when I feel very very sick I go back to shakes and drinking Gatorade zero just to keep some energy up. I can use Tylenol powder packets for kids for fever. I too feel intense cramps from GI when very sick and can’t tell the difference between what end it’s going to come out. I felt that way every day for about 6 months after RNY with hiatal hernia repair. My doctor told me he made many changes so it would take a while to recover. I used ice packs stuffed into Spanx at first. I use a small heat pad now when home.

You’ve been nothing but kind and helpful to people on this forum. I’m really sorry this is happening to you. I found 50 mg of DHEA helps my menopause symptoms and hormone issues including the dreaded brain fog. Some reports say liver damage at 100 mg. My OBGYN said, “I’m glad you found something that helps!” I was 25 mg before RNY, but due to malabsorption I switched to 50 mg and my bloodwork is good. You deserve a cute dress and a Happy Birthday!

Yes this has happened to me, so I asked at the gym. Most of the folks prevent it by having a Protein Shake during and after a workout. I tried it and it works for me too. The shower tiredness just went away by itself as I built up momentum. I do shower mostly in the morning, after a workout in medium to cold Water (1800’s house old pipes). I asked diabetics that maintain a healthy weight what they do when their glucose levels drop, and most of them said to eat or drink some fat/ Protein combo so you don’t cycle up and down again. I stay away from sugar recovery because it just makes me dump immediately like a bad rollercoaster ride, like they said. I asked adult type I diabetics that grew to adulthood well, and successfully had children and grandchildren. There’s one old dude at church that’s 85 and has great-grands, but he uses a sugar recovery. So, you’ll have to do your research and see what works for you.

I lean into almonds, walnuts, and tender beef Jerky but I used PN2 powder and hard boiled eggs too. I like the less heavy shakes in the morning with my coffee still. Just keep trying. Self care is health care!

Woop, woop good job on you all around!

I agree with the above posters. I even drove home from the hospital the next day. The hospital staff told me that I could drive because I walked a lot and took no pain meds. I did order online for products and food more than normal. The surprise was it was much harder to get up from sitting or lying down, after a few days I got a rolling method. I bought a cheap toilet seat extender that added height. I was organized and stocked up ahead of time. It would depend upon how your personal health is. I’m also kind of stubborn and want to control my own healthcare based upon data, like peak flow and oxygen levels. I grew up with nurses and doctors in my family and they deal with strokes, heart attacks, and cancer. They don’t notice silent asthma until you’re blue. I did have my 14 yr old son as a helper. (He stayed with his dad during my surgery.) He could run out for TP at the corner store if needed. (To prevent the house burning down I still had to cook for him). I have dear neighbors who could help as a backup. Each person and situation is different, but it can be done.

“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best!” That’s what my mom used to say. I’m wishing you a doable solution and a triangular foam pillow to keep your head elevated. Let that barium stuff fly out so the doctor can see how bad it really is! Keep us posted and best wishes xoxo!

I know that job and state insurance choices come up yearly. Maybe you could switch to a higher/better coverage plan temporarily to get this done? Just thinking…

I agree with SpartanMake above. Be prepared to fight with insurance. It is a medical need and eventually causes cancer. Your bariatric doctor should be able to help after you initially get declined. Fortunately, in my case the hiatal hernia was caught before bariatric surgery, but my doctor still had to fight for me. It turned out the insurance doctor was a retired pediatric physician so was not not well informed. Best of luck to you because the fight is a long hard slog. I personally feel that taking extra Vitamins is easy compared to cancer. Do what you need to do whatever your decision.

Wow, those pictures are amazing! You’re being consistent and really living life to the fullest. You are truly inspiring!

I talked with my doctor about the stomach noises. He said it was normal. When I hear them, it’s my normal stop point if I haven’t finished yet anyway. Carrots took me a long time to get to. Cooked veggies were better the whole first year for me. I tend to like cooked veggies in the winter and raw vegetables in the summer and fall. Spring is a mix. Keep drinking your Water. It helps with lovely skin, but also digestion and understanding true hunger signals.

Yeah!

On 01/07/2025 at 08:01, NickelChip said:

I'm going to preface this by saying I am not a doctor and definitely in no position to give healthcare advice, but the most recent studies seem to indicate that very occasional ibuprofen use after a bypass does not significantly increase your risk of ulcers. Not all doctors are up on the research and some just don't want to change their advice on the off chance a patient has an issue, but some doctors will outright say that if you take an ibuprofen or two for a really bad headache or that one time you have an unusual pain, it's fine. You just don't want to exceed maybe once in a week or a few times in a month.

The study I read looked at outcomes for thousands of bypass and sleeve patients in Denmark who had been prescribed daily NSAIDs for less than 30 days or more than 30 days, and then looked at how many developed ulcers. Only the bypass patients who took them for more than 30 days had an incidence rate higher than the general population.

I had flu recently and liquid children’s Motrin got me through the worst of it. I stopped ASAP because I do have a history of nsaid damage but my doc said low doses of children’s meds in liquid form would be enough. I had the dosage for a 60lb kid at night only. I used powder Tylenol for kids during the day. Not sure if that would be strong enough for IUD placement. I had RNY 3 years ago.

Maybe I should make this a thread, but I recently got the flu. I had been under the impression that I would never be able to take any pain meds. The inflammation was so bad my doc suggested children ‘s medication. It worked. I took what a 60 lb kid would take in liquid form. I felt better and could sleep. I stopped ASAP. It was liquid Motrin and powdered Tylenol. I just kept switching back and forth like you do for sick kids. I was surprised there was anything I could take.

Also, I was surprised that regular osteoarthritis symptoms and mild asthma can be controlled through a high protein/low carb lifestyle. I stopped taking all shots and meds 3 years ago. (Not for asthma, that’s a different beast, but my baseline is back to where I was at 20. I’m 57 now.)

You really do a have a great attitude towards weight loss and maintenance! That’s half the battle for me. The surgery still makes the body shrink back to manageable size when our tracking and weighing attention comes back. I gain weight every Christmas because the foods only happen at that time and OMG pie… But by New Years my WLS still works great. I find I have to ease back into tracking and Water etc. I usually start with drinking water. I had a roommate in college that had ED and would punish herself with being severe suddenly with food restrictions and over exercising. I hope you continue to be kind to yourself. Your honesty has been an absolute inspiration to me!

I feel down right now too. I took stock and realized it is mid winter. I do this every winter. I have a nice hair appointment set up, a vacation planned, and a new angle for advancement at work. My back up plan is to work a second job that’s completely unrelated to my current one, and see where that goes.

I work out first thing in the mornings. The trigger is to put headphones on and I feel weird if I DON’T exercise. I hope this helps, cause it’s all over the place.

You are not your job, but I remembered reading a post from you about nursing being your bucket list dream. So, nursing can go so many different directions. Keep your mind open to possibilities you haven’t expected?

That took strength of persistence and consistency! I am so impressed.

You are amazing!!!! Thank you for sharing.

On 01/09/2025 at 11:10, PeachyPaige said:

I start in-person classes again on Monday. I feel so scared and so not ready. I'm down 30lbs 1 month post op but I still feel disgusting in my clothes and I'm terrified of people seeing me when I can't stand to look at myself. I'm trying really hard to become the person I want to be with college and lifestyle, getting healthy and losing weight but I'm still so scared of other people seeing me as I am now. I feel fat and ugly, and I just want to stay in my house and never leave until I'm "skinny".

I love your honesty. I went back for my undergrad at 30, and my masters at 50. No one cared how old or how fat I was. The young people were so so so supportive and kind. Most were a little self absorbed (which is age appropriate) so they honestly didn’t even notice me. Two things helped, college the second time (and third) around was better because I went to a smaller university (5k vs 20k). Second I had therapy to help me get out of my head. You are fabulous just the way you are! If you don’t figure that out now, you will find out that you don’t trust anyone who befriends you when you get to goal. Been there-Meg

On 12/16/2024 at 02:55, Bypass2Freedom said:

Yeah it is definitely normal for it to slow - and a good thing to remind us of the priorities when it comes to eating etc! Definitely good prep for the future

I can see how that is a thing - I definitely weigh myself far far less than I used to in the earlier day of surgery, but I still find myself on that scale maybe 3-4 times per week! I need to perhaps take a step back and get the tape measure out instead and just weigh in once a month as you say!

I kept loosing until the 2yr 4 months mark. Stuff will get very stressful at work and extra pounds just peel off. Extra holiday foods come in and pounds go on (a bit). You will loose weight as long as you’re in a deficit. You are doing great. Also, there’s a reason doctors no longer tell terminal patients that they have x amount to live, because it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Your new intestinal system will work for you even in maintenance. It honestly keeps working. You got this!

Many insurers in the US don’t cover this method even though it has slightly better outcomes than the sleeve or RNY. You might get more responders in the DS threads, since the surgery is more like that.