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Everything posted by SleeveToBypass2023
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For dairy, go with alternative milk (my favorite is unsweetened vanilla almond milk) but there's also cashew milk, hemp milk, soy milk, etc... Healthier and non dairy. Avoiding sunflower products actually isn't too hard at all, and being that you will have a dietician, you should be fine. I have a shellfish allergy, which sucks since I LOVE shrimp and lobster and crab legs. But all in all, it's not been an issue to eat around the food allergy and be compliant with my diet and feel full and satisfied.
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Nausea and Taste issues
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to Young 69 yrs's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
It gets better. I'm 5 months and 1 week out, and things finally taste normal again, although my aversion to certain things that I used to love (like pickles, olives, cottage cheese) are still there. I never had much of a sweet tooth, but now I literally can't stand any part of chocolate or sweet stuff. Also, the nausea with eating definitely gets better as time goes on. You're still pretty new post surgery, but I noticed by 8-9 weeks post op, I was totally fine. -
Always cold!!!!
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
YES!!!! Like, why? It's annoying. We're in Fall right now, but I live in Colorado. By the time full blown winter hits, holy cow I'm gonna be a popsicle lol -
Ok, I can speak on this since I literally went through this exact thing. First of all, you are in a stall. The first one usually hits around 3 weeks, but it can be a little earlier (like it was for me) or a little later. Keep eating what's in the plan, no more and no less, and get your walking in (maybe look into getting some ankle and wrist weights). That leads me to my 2nd point. Look for non scale victories. Anytime I hit a stall, I started trying on clothes and rings and looking at my neck and face and chin. The scale may not be moving, but that doesn't mean things aren't happening. The first time I was able to sit in a booth and there was space between my stomach and the table, I was elated. When my clothes were literally falling off me and my ring came off twice, I was ecstatic. Just because the scale is being stubborn doesn't mean progress isn't being made. Third, you have to eat. This will sound crazy, but if you restrict too much, your body will think it's starving and it will hold on to every little bit of weight it can. My dietician wanted me to stay at 700-800 calories per day, 50 or less carbs, 50 or less fats, and 60-80g protein. My body didn't like that at all. Not one bit. I hit stall after stall, would drop maybe 1 or 2 pounds, then nothing. I started experimenting and found that between 1050 - 1200 calories per day, 25-35 carbs per day, 70-90 fats per day, and 90-95g protein per day was where my body was happiest. I work out for 45 min - 1 hour 5 days per week. And then I started seeing MUCH better results, both on and off the scale. Now, I'm not saying that works for everyone, and those amounts are specific to MY body, and my body alone. But at about 3 1/2 months post op, I knew I had to do something. You body NEEDS food. It's like depriving your car of gas and then being surprised it won't go. Same thing. Lastly, I was in such a disordered way of thinking and behaving that I HAD to go to therapy. I'm still in it, actually. I had myself working out 2 hours per day every single day, living on flavored water, 300-400 calories per day, 10-15 carbs per day, almost no fats at all, and 40 or so grams of protein. And the less weight I lost, the harder I pushed my body and restricted what I gave it. I was so afraid of eating because I was convinced every bite would put all the weight back on. I was, at one point, eating 1 meal per day that I would make stretch all day and loading up on flavored water to curb the hunger pains. It's scary to think about what I was doing to myself. Find a therapist that specializes in bariatric surgery, and if you can find one that also works with people with eating disorders, that's even better. That's what I did. I still struggle sometimes, but I remember how far I've come and how much healthier and stronger my body is, and it helps me push past the feelings of wanting to cut my food and load up on water again. But a therapist is really important right now. I waited until I was in the thick of it before I even posted about it here, and I was encouraged to find a therapist, which was the best thing I could have done. I swapped one disordered way of thinking for another. I'm making my way back from it, but I'm still a work in progress. You can do this. I wish you all the luck
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My tips and why I Don't recommend Sleeve surgery for long term
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to strawberryga's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Um...what??? I don't think you and the OP are talking about the same thing. The sleeve being discussed is a weight loss surgery where 70-80% of the stomach is removed. Has nothing to do with amputation. -
8 weeks out and scared
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to GAYLELEEBABS's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
Take note of what you did, don't do it again, and from this point on follow your diet to the letter. Head hunger is the worst, so maybe get some sugar free gum to chew if that helps. But you'll have to train your brain that you aren't actually hungry and you're not eating again before your designated time. And above all, stick to your diet. This is a critical time and it's important to get yourself back on track. Maybe talk to your dietician and get some ideas, if you aren't liking what you have available to eat. Everyone slips up at some point, but for it to happen this soon after surgery is a little concerning. But you can come back from it if you dedicate yourself to the process. -
My husband of 17 years is just really driving me CRAZY!!!! I've made a lengthy post about some health stuff I have going on right now (reflux, esophagitis, gastritis, esophageal spasms, and esophageal dysmotility which they think is caused by a hernia...waiting for appt for scope) and he's using it as an excuse to just stop working out, stop eating right, stop everything. None of what I have going on is from my surgery. I don't have any leaks, strictures, blockages, nothing. BUT, this started after I did an insanely intense workout, so everyone is thinking that's the cause. ANYWAY, he has a pattern of quitting stuff when he starts, as soon as it gets hard. College, 3 different side businesses, working out, keto, vegan, low/no fat, calorie counting, bariatric surgery (had 1 consult, set up the nutritionist appt and backed out. Did this 3x before they said he couldn't come back), etc etc etc. He's always been like this, but it's gotten worse over the last year or so. He literally follows through on NOTHING. Not one single thing. OH, unless it's involving wrestling or gaming. Oh THEN his follow-through is on point. Can't let his guild down!! Can't let his buddies down!! Can't miss wrestling (he literally watches Mon - Fri, and if there's pay per view on the weekend, he watches that, too). I work full time and pay all the bills. The deal we have is I will work and he is to take care of the house, grocery shopping, etc (I have a much higher earning potential than he does, and I love what i do, and he doesn't like to work, and I hate household stuff, so in theory the deal works) but he's been slacking on that, too. I'm cleaning up behind him, doing chores, grocery shopping. He's sleeping or gaming or whatever. We've argued about it and I told him if I have to take care of the house AND work, then he needs to go get a job too. If I have to work full time, do the cooking and cleaning and shopping then what the heck is he even here for? He's not supportive anymore, we don't do anything together, we argue a lot, and he has NO FOLLOW THROUGH ON ANYTHING. He gets all excited "I'm gonna start a youtube channel" or "I'm gonna start streaming on Twitch" or "I'm going to design websites for a living" or "I'm gonna go to school and get my degree in Early Childhood Education and work as a teacher online" etc. And he ends up doing NOTHING. "I'm gonna work out and get healthy so we can lose weight and have better health together" and "I'm gonna eat right and make sure we have healthy food in the house so neither of us are tempted to cheat" and then he goes to Burger King and buys 2 double whoppers with fries and eats it all. I'm just so sick of it all. I hate even being around him sometimes. He's just so LAZY and has zero motivation for anything at all. It's infuriating!!!
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No medical support
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to Sd14810's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Maybe your mom could drive you and your daughter there and keep an eye on her while you get fluids. That would make the most sense, if she's willing. -
No medical support
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to Sd14810's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Can your mom stay with your little one when you need to go to the out of town clinic for hydration? Dehydration is a major issue with this surgery, and it's nothing to play with. I'm so angry for you that the ER doctor treated you that way. In no way was that ok. -
Weight loss meds after surgery!
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to carpeediem's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I take an appetite suppressant and a metabolism booster. I was taking a carb blocker, too, but it wasn't really doing anything for me so I stopped it after 2 months (wanted to give it a proper chance). I don't take anything prescribed. -
Need help with husbands post op eating
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to HappyCruiser's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I never lost my hunger or had much of any kind of restriction. I didn't skip stages but I did move through them faster than a lot of others. No foods have given me issues or pain (although carbonation makes me very nauseous and lettuce sits very heavy in my stomach) so I have to make myself not over eat, eat too often, or eat the wrong stuff. I can eat a full happy meal sized meal (not that specific meal because I avoid all of that) but I don't let myself, even though I stay hungry most days. Talk to him and find out if he has hunger still, if he feels any restriction, and then talk about your concerns with him. If nothing changes, then I would reach out to the nutritionist and ask what you should do. Good luck!!! -
Feeling defeated 10 months post op
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to ASteff's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Literally me right now. I also have PCOS, and it is definitely sabotaging me. It makes you gain weight and then hangs on to it for dear life. As if the hormone, menstrual cycle, and fertility issues aren't enough, right? -
Feeling defeated 10 months post op
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to ASteff's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Literally me right now. I also have PCOS, and it is definitely sabotaging me. It makes you gain weight and then hangs on to it for dear life. As if the hormone, menstrual cycle, and fertility issues aren't enough, right? -
I REALLY hate PCOS...I feel defeated...
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I was put on Metformin for PCOS back in 2005 when I lived in Virginia. Once I moved here to COlorado and had the surgery, my surgeon took me off all blood pressure and diabetes meds, including Metformin. I tried explaining that I was on it for PCOS but he still told me to stop taking it because it might make my blood sugar go too low as I lose weight. Now that I'm 5 months out from surgery, I'm going to ask my PCP when I see her if I can go back on it. -
I REALLY hate PCOS...I feel defeated...
SleeveToBypass2023 posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I'm so upset. In the last 9 days I've gained 9 pounds!!! Nothing has changed with my diet and workouts. I take my vitamins like I'm supposed to. I never cheat on my diet, I work out 5 days a week. So I called my dietician and after we went over everything she said "remember when I told you that having pcos would cause you problems with weight loss? Well here it is. If you remember, you lost 100 pounds on keto and then the weight just started coming back no matter what you did? It looks like it's happening again." I literally started to cry, because nothing I did stopped the weight from coming back. I asked if I could do a pouch reset and maybe reverse it now and she said "you certainly can try, but you aren't gaining because of over eating or cheating on your diet. You're gaining because of a hormonal imbalance that seems to like you being fat". I don't know what to do. I had such high hopes that the surgery and weight loss would help improve the pcos, but it looks like, once again, it's out to sabotage me. I guess it's not enough that it caused me to have 10 miscarriages through the years, or need fertility meds to have my daughter, or never be able to get pregnant again after her. Now it won't let me lose weight and keep it off. I feel so defeated. All my hard work and once again, it's all for nothing. -
How often do you guys weigh yourselves?
SleeveToBypass2023 posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I thought I would be more obsessive about it and want to see every pound that comes off. Turns out, I weigh myself once a week. That way I don't see the daily fluctuations (which I know are normal, but I still don't want to see them lol) and the weight loss has a bigger impact. I'm still struggling with pain in my largest incision as well as the stomach muscle behind it (honestly, that muscle is the bain of my existence right now) so getting that wow factor from a week's worth of weight loss helps in dealing with the lingering pain. -
I REALLY hate PCOS...I feel defeated...
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
So I spoke with my PCP and I have an appointment to come in next week because some new and fun things are going on. So I'm noticing pain in my lower abdomen. Happens mostly when I go #2 and I didn't think much of it. Then it started happening at other times, and it would get so bad I couldn't take a full breath. And even the lightest touch on my abdomen would have me in tears. Can last anywhere from 5 minutes to almost an hour, then just goes away. Having nausea when I eat, and sometimes when I don't. She doesn't like the sound of that, so I need to see her and they can do an ultrasound in her office and refer me to yet another specialist if needed. I still have no restriction at all whatsoever, which surprised her. But we're still waiting on the results of my scope, and now this. She said the rapid weight gain and the pain and nausea could be related and she wants to get to the bottom of it. -
Went to see my doctor today....
SleeveToBypass2023 posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Had a fantastic appointment!!! Today I am exactly 4 1/2 months post op and I've lost 76 pounds!!! My blood sugar was 108 (had my a1c tested, waiting on that). My hematocrit (I always had iron deficient anemia - low red blood cell count, so the higher the hematocrit, the better the iron level) is at 46. My protein is at 8.2. My blood pressure was 113/70. And she agreed that since I work out 5 days per week and everything looks good, we can start to wean me off the Celebrex (anti-inflammatory for joint and muscle pain) and start to increase the turmeric (we've been doing this little by little but we're going to go a little bit bigger and faster now and see how it goes). I am currently off 4 meds. If I can get off the Celebrex, that'll be 5 meds gone!!! That's all I can get rid of since the rest are for my MS and my GERD issues (scope was rescheduled to this Friday to find out more about what's going on there). Here's a pic pre-op and a pic my hubby took today -
I REALLY hate PCOS...I feel defeated...
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
My doctor is ok with it, it's my insurance that won't approve it. -
I mentioned it's an MLM because they have a terrible business model, they have had several lawsuits, and they drastically overprice their products. You can get the same kind of products for a lot less from reputable companies. That's all I meant by it. I hate to see people get sucked into MLMs. You start as a customer and they will eventually try to recruit you to sell because that's how they make their money. Anyway, I do wish you all the best, and I hope you continue to see results.
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Post VSG Vitamins/Supplements
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to simplysmile's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I still take a multivitamin (I always have so I plan to continue), the D3 (I have to anyway for my MS, so again, I have no plans to stop), and biotin (it's not hurting anything, so why not?). I stopped the calcium a few weeks ago because I get what I need from what I eat (particularly the shakes I have for breakfast because I make them with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and add chia seeds and flax seeds to them) and I normally have 2 colby jack cheese sticks for a snack. My most recent bloodwork came back good, so I was told I could stop the calcium and see how things go. -
Weight gain going into week three
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to nymisc's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I tend to gain 2-4 pounds anytime I hit a stall, and then I stay there for a few weeks. Once the stall breaks, I drop like 6 pounds at once. It's normal, and it'll pass. Just be patient. -
Cabbage with tomato sauce? No thanks.
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Is that the MLM Le-Vel? I think they are the ones that have Thrive. I would say ask your doctor, but personally I wouldn't support anything from an MLM. Just looked. Yep, it's Thrive by Le-Vel: https://le-vel.com/
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I REALLY hate PCOS...I feel defeated...
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I'll look into it. I don't think anything is wrong with my heart but it never hurts to check.