Soon2bFit21

I had been prescribed Metformin mutiple times over a 10 year period and it made me so ill it was hard to get out of bed. Severe nausea, lethargy, chills, and acid refux. If you do not have blood sugar issues, it can cause hypoglycemia which is why I was so sick. It’s well documented to cause diarrhea too. I’ll never forget an endocrinologist I went to years ago that had told me she lost 30lbs because she was in the bathroom all day long. No thank you!

I competed in everything from bodybuilding to crossfit to powerlifting over the years. To be perfect honest, surgery made a huge impact on my strength and insurance levels and not for the positive. I’m 14 weeks out and also had a hernia repair along with VSG. My surgeon wouldn’t allow me to lift until 7 weeks post. Ive had roughly a 50% decrease in strength levels and overall endurance weakness. Things that used to be easy for me are very difficult. That said, losing almost 60lbs in a short amount of time like I have will tend to that. I feel better in terms of joint pain and overall well being, plus at this point in my life, I’m more concerned about looking and feeling better than being strong. Not everyone will have the same experience as I have, but the majority of people here aren’t lifting heavy. The stress of surgery along with the very low calories will definitely hurt your numbers. I’d love to hear from anyone here who’s been a competitive lifter and been able to maintain that after surgery!

Thank you so much, I’ll give them a try! :)

Do these have an eggy smell to them? What are they like texture wise? I’ve seen advertisements but was a little afraid to try them.

So this is a bit of an odd one. Has anyone noticed that the weight loss post surgery (I had VSG) is less noticeable compared to when you lost weight before? To explain a little more, I’m almost 14 weeks out and down 59lbs… but I don’t look like I’ve lost that much. Before, a loss of 10-15lbs was noticeable to me both on how I looked in the mirror and how my clothes fit. I do notice a SLIGHT difference through my weekly progress pics now and my clothes are fitting better, but it just doesn’t seem anywhere close to 60lbs. I find this a bit disconcerting on several levels. My goal weight isn’t a must for me, but how I look is. I feel like I’m maybe not losing fat the way I used to in a more balanced way, or that maybe I’m losing more muscle as well that’s contributing to this. I do strength training 4 days a week to keep up muscle building (I used to be a bodybuilder so I have more muscle mass than most) and do cardio 5 days a week for 20 mins. My diet 80-110g of protein and 850-1050 calories.

90lbs is a huge amount of weight to lose! Many people who drop massive amounts in a short time are very obese. I’m not sure where you started out at, but your initial weight may be a contributing factor. Someone who is much bigger than you and sedentary that went from that to being more active is probably going to lose more in the short term. Is 800 calories what your doctor wanted you at for this time frame? It seems a bit low. I know I start to stall if I’m not eating enough and being physically active. Some days I have to force myself to eat 1000 calories, but in the long run I know I have better results and lose more.

Do you happen to know the name of the antibiotics you’re taking? Certain ones are well known for fairly severe gastric distress and others are a bit kinder. I would definitely take with meals as Arabesque said, and ask if you can switch to a different medication if it’s intolerable.

I’m another one of the lucky ones that never really had any issues with liquids and restriction. I’m only 13 weeks out and down 57lbs, but can gulp water almost like I did before surgery. I still have food restrictions and limitations, though. Once I started semi solid foods, it became very apparent that liquids and foods are definitely not the same beast.

Do/did you have a drain post surgery? If not, you wouldn’t believe the amount of fluid that comes out via the drain. If you don’t have one, the body will naturally absorb this over time, but this will sit in your abdomen and cause bloating and fluid build up initially.

This happened to me as well. I’m 13 weeks post surgery and many things have come back smell wise. The only things I still can’t stand (which I used to love) is coffee brewing and eggs. Makes me want to gag. I’d say it took about 2 months or so before my sense of smell and taste came back.

Protein bars: I like Built Quest chips Beef jerky String Cheese RTD protein shakes Wasabi peas or roasted chickpeas

Collagen doesn’t contain every essential amino acid so that’s why they state that it doesn’t count. Mind you, either does soy or some vegetable protein. As long as you’re not using it as your primary protein source it can definitely be counted. There are so many myths and silly practices that happen around Bariatric surgery today, this happens to be one of them.

I tried the Banza and was definitely not a fan- thought it tasted very mushy and had a grainy texture to it. I like the Barilla protein pasta but it is higher in carbs and cals. There is also a edamame pasta (I think I found this at Whole Foods or Aldi) that is very good and has minimal cals. It was also the easiest on my stomach since I generally don’t tolerate any sort of pasta well. I don’t recommend soy consistently, but it’s a nice change that is still compliant with healthier eating.

Coffee: I had to start the day with a cup and now I can’t even stand the smell of it in the morning Any breads: these make me sick and completely do not agree with my new stomach, so just looking at them makes me feel ill. Sushi: once one of my favorite foods, rice is my number least tolerated food. I vomit within 15 mins of eating even a tiny portion. Sushi still looks appetizing to me, but I have it associated with so many vomiting or uncomfortable episodes that I’m turned off to it now. Eggs: they just taste rubbery and gross. I also have trouble digesting so the appeal is now gone.

This too shall pass. I was an emotional mess after surgery since I did not expect the pain level or general uncomfortableness. I focused in more on people that seemed to have had almost no pain and everything was a breeze and thought that would be me. I also had odd reactions to the anti nausea meds they sent me home with and was very dizzy/couldn’t see straight until I was told not to take them anymore by my surgeon. Also, track your progress! Don’t just use the scale, track your water consumption to see if you’re reaching/surpassing goals. Do measurements. Invest in a scale that measures body composition. Create a calendar where you mark off days on your journey for certain food goals and changes. If you feel something isn’t right, call your surgeon’s office! Chills can be a sign of other issues like lizonaplane said. Don’t be afraid to report this and ask questions. There may be something that they can do to make you more comfortable.

I second MyFitnessPal. The database is huge, and you can even scan in barcodes from items at home or the store to upload the data if it’s not found on the site. I’ve used it for years and it’s a daily tool for my food tracking. There are also daily goals you can breakdown by macro or calorie which is so helpful. They do offer a paid version that has a lot of bells and whistles, but the free still has so much.

I had the sleeve and a hernia repair, but I was in severe pain post op and for about 5 days after. Most of it was gas pain in my chest and shoulder that felt like I was being ripped apart internally. I could barely sleep, and when I did it was in an uncomfortable upright sitting position. It will get better! You went through a major surgery and your body is in the middle of trying to heal. In a few days time you should feel a significant difference. I know right now is difficult, just know that we’re here and understand the frustration and pain along with it. You’ll be able to look back on this phase soon and get back to a more comfortable lifestyle with your new tool that will greatly improve your life!

10,000 isn’t that high nowadays where many doctors have realized that it takes high doses to get lab results to go up. I have yet to see anyone with out of range high levels of vitamin D and I look at thousands of lab results in a year. My GP himself takes 30,000iu a day for maintenance. Vitamin K really seems to make a difference with supplementation for many people who are resistant, but that is certainly something that needs to be discussed with the doctor first.

I’d agree to call your surgery center just to be careful and better safe than sorry. Sometimes things can end up inflamed if you are something that didn’t agree with you and there can be discomfort. I’ve vomited due to a food intolerance and then not felt right for a couple days in terms of pressure or spasming. Your stomach is still healing and can easily be irritated.

Minimum of 5000iu daily and add in vitamin K2. It takes forever to get levels up. I spent years with mine around your range until I added in the K2. Please consult with your doctor if you have any clotting disorders before starting the Vit K. Spend time in natural sunlight as well.

Too much biotin can also falsely elevate liver values for bloodwork. I agree with your NUT, it’s very overrated and does not do much for hair loss. Hair loss is followed in periods of extreme stress or changes to the body. It will come back.

I know it’s not fun weighing and measuring, but at this point if you’re not having progress, I’d say it’s a definite must. Once you develop the habit, it becomes second nature and isn’t a task to chore. Since we eat so few calories to begin with, it’s SO easy to go over if things are not tracked right. The cream in a sugar free coffee or a few bites of this or that can add up to hundreds of cals in a day. I’m completely sedentary too unless I am doing my daily walk or working out. It is possible to lose weight like this. In terms of hormones, I’m worried that your doctor(s) may be overlooking something. The thyroid is a slippery slope and just because one doctors says it’s fine, does not mean it is. You mentioned going on synthroid before, so it does make me think that someone has considered your levels to be an issue at one point. Personally I gained weight on synthroid and terrible side effects. It often doesn’t work for many. If something isn’t right, keep pushing for answers and don’t give up. It took me years and many thousands of my $ to figure out what the cause of my issues were. VSG was an amazing tool to help me on my journey, but if you have something going on that is not detected, it will vastly slow your results.

Excess weight puts a huge amount stress on joints and also changes your body mechanics and how you move. Most people are much less flexible at a higher weight and also have gait issues that put much more stress/uneven wear on the body. I’m down 50lbs and already feel so much better joint wise.

Has this been something you’ve had since surgery or did it develop suddenly? If it’s sudden, it may be food related or possibly a structure. Just because your plan says you can tolerate something, does not mean your stomach will be ok with it. I am perfectly fine with any types of salad/lettuce but can’t eat an egg to save my life. I’m concerned about the water component of this though. Dehydration can easily make you end up in the hospital. How much do you think you’re drinking per day?