BabySpoons

*raises hand*
5+ year tracker, here.
been logging my food intake since day one. im not as anal/precise about it as i was in the beginning, when i weighed and measured EVERYTHING. even spices and items with single digit calorie counts.
now i kinda eyeball my food to determine portion size and sometimes just log a guesstimated calorie amount for an entire sandwich instead of breaking down the ingredients. i don't log when im on vacay anymore. but i DO still log. (oh and i still weigh myself every single morning- if i have access to a scale)
for what its worth, personally i believe my tracking habits in the earlier years contributed to my successful weight loss and maintenance...if my weight started going in a direction i didn't like, i would know (because of my daily weighing) and i would generally also know why (because of my daily food tracking and activity monitoring), and be able to take appropriate action before it got out of hand, you know?
at this point though, for me its more of a habit/hobby. i sorta feel like i'm pot-committed...i have all this data from the past 5 years and i feel like i should just keep going cuz it would be kinda cool to have like 10, 20, 30 years of data someday? i dunno. maybe i am still anal.
in any case, i reached goal in 7months, and maintained below that goal weight this entire time. I am 5+ yrs post op
i realize this M.O. is not for everyone and for some (most?) this level of effort would be more detrimental than helpful.
bottom line: you know yourself best. do what works, don't what doesn't.
good luck! ❤️
p.s. sorry this was so long

I wrote down every meal I ate for months ( the dietician said I had to ) but I got so sick of doing it, I stopped. I still weigh my food occasionally, but I can pretty much eyeball the amount. After eating low carb for years before the surgery, I'm pretty good at knowing my nutrition.

20+ years later, I never tracked a thing related to food.
Good luck,
Tek

Does your clinic want you to track it? Personally, I hate, like really hate, tracking food, it's inconvenient and annoying. My clinic wants me to eat 5 very small meals a day that are balanced, Protein, carb, veg, and fruit. For me, I am still losing weight and my energy increased once I was able to have these other foods. My goal was to eat how "normal" people should be eating. I do struggle with real meat and raw veggies, my system still does not like them, so I eat a vegetarian diet and cook/steam all veggies. I have learned when to stop eating based on how I feel, I now know when one bite will be one bite too much, that is how I track.
I just did my labs today for my 3-month check-up ( hit 3 months Jan 27) so I will see what my clinic has to say about my labs on Feb 12th and I will make adjustments from there if needed.

It was a while ago now but I remember I still wasn’t hitting my Protein goal. I wanted to do real food only too & plus I found the shakes disgusting & never touched one after liquids. For breakfast I scrambled eggs with extra milk & took three days to eat them or ate rolled oats again made totally on milk & took three days to eat a serve. lunch & dinner were often just protein (maybe 2 ozs) & nothing else or with just a green bean or two or a small cauliflower floret with dinner. And yes I’d take a while to eat that - 45 mins +/-. After a week or two on soft food I added a high protein yoghurt or yoghurt drink as an afternoon snack to burst my protein.
I wasn’t hungry or really interested in eating. I simply couldn’t eat more than I was but I was following my surgeon’s portion size recommendation of 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup by 6 months
If you are worried by getting your protein in try protein Water. You’ll get about 16oz liquid, 15g protein & about 70 calories. So fewer calories (if you count calories) than a shake (which is really a meal) but not as many nutrients. Just watch those with added sugar or sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners.

Talk with your doctor to see what's right for you, my insurance covered 80 percent and I had to pay around 6K out of pocket. I am only 3 weeks post op but I don't regret the surgery one bit. I can see changes in my body and progress. 😁

I don't know the figures but can say that if you already have GERD, the sleeve is not the surgery for you.

Hi Im 24 days po, ive been feeling nauseous since Monday cant shift it, also low mood i dont want to leave the house shower or do anything is this normal? Ive lost 35 pounds so far! My gp is doubling my omprazole and giving me anti sickness pick them up later i hope they help? Anyone else experiencing these symptons?? 😔😔

Ran into an old coworker earlier today and she didn't even recognize me! We worked together for over 6 years and it's only been maybe a year and a half since she last saw me.

My husband made me laugh today; I was kinda bummed because I hate shopping at grocery stores and its hard to find different foods that I can eat..so I'm looking at a label and I see movement to my left out of the corner of my eye.. Its my goofy amazing husband doing the electric side and booty shake down the isle towards me to the grocery store music...singing down the entire isle!. 😂 he's usually pretty reserved so it made me burst out laughing!

I buy 6pk Hanes at Walmart and they are inexpensive. So, outgrowing them is not a problem to replace while I'm dropping sizes.
Hanes Women's Cotton Bikini Underwear, 6-Pack - Walmart.com
Bras are a bit harder to fit into...literally. I buy at thrift shops and will, until my weight stabilizes. I buy stretchy full cups and use bra extenders when needed. Sometimes the cup is right, but the smaller band sizes don't fit around me. I'm able to wear for longer periods of time using the extenders. I am now wearing a couple bras I bought a couple months ago. No longer spilling out of them and no longer needing the extenders.
I'm having a harder time with pant sizes. I tried on jeans today I couldn't fit into a few weeks back. I guess I waited too long because now they are too big to even wear so they went into the donate pile. Makes me super happy :)

I wouldn't hesitate to look into a revision. You had such great success with your first WLS. I've read the weight will come off slower second time around, but it beats developing later in life co-morbidities.
Many are going for the Ozempic shot nowadays in lieu of surgery, but recent studies show a lot of downsides to using it. I had a few people ask me why I didn't go that route with those shots available. It's the wave of the future they say. Maybe one day improvements will be made. I heard the other day they are working on a pill form. I hope for future generations they can perfect it and make it safe and available to all those who need it.
Believe me.. I did my research before getting my RNY. But for now, no regrets.
Good luck in your decision making.

If you plan to get skin removal surgery and want it to be covered by insurance, make sure you document with your doctor ALL problems with skin rashes, sores etc. It isn't usually covered since it is considered cosmetic but if you can show a history of problems, there's a better chance of it being covered.
I have lost over 100 pounds and have some loose skin, but I am getting cryo therapy twice a week. It helps to produce collagen and tightens my skin as the weight comes off. If I had waited till I hit goal weight, I don't think it would have been as effective. I also sit in an infrared sauna which has its own list of benefits. Rebounding helps too.
There are some alternatives to surgery. Being proactive is important but it also depends on the amount of weight you have to lose and DNA. When I had rashes before losing the weight, I used a baby powder/cornstarch blend to keep the area dry. Moisture can make things painful and possibly infected.
Good luck!!

Dr Matthew Weiner just did a post on his IG account (poundofcure) today about the pill trials - not that successful yet. Terrible nausea with one & consequently participants dropped out early. Yikes! There are a large number of companies developing them though.

If you plan to get skin removal surgery and want it to be covered by insurance, make sure you document with your doctor ALL problems with skin rashes, sores etc. It isn't usually covered since it is considered cosmetic but if you can show a history of problems, there's a better chance of it being covered.
I have lost over 100 pounds and have some loose skin, but I am getting cryo therapy twice a week. It helps to produce collagen and tightens my skin as the weight comes off. If I had waited till I hit goal weight, I don't think it would have been as effective. I also sit in an infrared sauna which has its own list of benefits. Rebounding helps too.
There are some alternatives to surgery. Being proactive is important but it also depends on the amount of weight you have to lose and DNA. When I had rashes before losing the weight, I used a baby powder/cornstarch blend to keep the area dry. Moisture can make things painful and possibly infected.
Good luck!!

It's tough to be positive during those first couple weeks while recovering from major surgery. Especially when experiencing complications. Be kind to yourself. Let yourself heal and look forward to (as your name states) new beginnings.
If you work the program given you, results will come and you'll exchange your regret for gratitude. Wishing you the very best and good luck going forward!!

I wouldn't hesitate to look into a revision. You had such great success with your first WLS. I've read the weight will come off slower second time around, but it beats developing later in life co-morbidities.
Many are going for the Ozempic shot nowadays in lieu of surgery, but recent studies show a lot of downsides to using it. I had a few people ask me why I didn't go that route with those shots available. It's the wave of the future they say. Maybe one day improvements will be made. I heard the other day they are working on a pill form. I hope for future generations they can perfect it and make it safe and available to all those who need it.
Believe me.. I did my research before getting my RNY. But for now, no regrets.
Good luck in your decision making.

I had the 2 incisions that hurt for a couple weeks, and I was so afraid of ripping something if I wasn't positioned right. My surgeon seemed miffed when I asked about it. He said there's no way his stitches were going to come loose. "I didn't use cheap common thread," he said. Seriously?? LOL
After that I just took my pain meds, slept on my side with a huge body pillow which I hugged tightly for support and quit worrying about it.
Wishing you a speedy recovery!

If you plan to get skin removal surgery and want it to be covered by insurance, make sure you document with your doctor ALL problems with skin rashes, sores etc. It isn't usually covered since it is considered cosmetic but if you can show a history of problems, there's a better chance of it being covered.
I have lost over 100 pounds and have some loose skin, but I am getting cryo therapy twice a week. It helps to produce collagen and tightens my skin as the weight comes off. If I had waited till I hit goal weight, I don't think it would have been as effective. I also sit in an infrared sauna which has its own list of benefits. Rebounding helps too.
There are some alternatives to surgery. Being proactive is important but it also depends on the amount of weight you have to lose and DNA. When I had rashes before losing the weight, I used a baby powder/cornstarch blend to keep the area dry. Moisture can make things painful and possibly infected.
Good luck!!

I have an appointment with the family Dr on the 22nd and will show her what is going on to have it documented.. I honestly did not know if I would do skin removal cause I did not think it would be an issue but I am only 10 weeks Post op and still have 95lbs to lose so I am sure I am going to need it..
I will try the baby powder/ cornstarch blend..

That sounds horrible! But good on you for pushing through!

Also, I’m very glad everyone likes that quote. A teacher my Sophomore year said it and I’ve been sticking to it in life every time I get stuck in my own head. It’s so true! No one’s journey is the same at all.

At 10 months post-op, I am losing fat stores that haven't been touched for YEARS. Since our fat holds toxins along with hormones, I can't help but wonder what's circulating in my blood. I have days where I feel tired or have headaches and know I am detoxing stuff my body has held onto forever.
High Copper levels can become dangerous if not addressed. I would want to know how high and possibly get a second opinion if your doctor has no answers. But if he's testing every few months, I'm guessing levels are elevated but not in the danger zone. And it could be as simple as dietary.
Good luck and hopefully you will get a good report soon!

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am feeling much better this morning.

It's tough to be positive during those first couple weeks while recovering from major surgery. Especially when experiencing complications. Be kind to yourself. Let yourself heal and look forward to (as your name states) new beginnings.
If you work the program given you, results will come and you'll exchange your regret for gratitude. Wishing you the very best and good luck going forward!!

Have you had a liver function test done? Excess copper is excreted from your body in your bile by your liver. While we’re losing, it’s not uncommon to have odd liver function results (processing our fat out of our body strains it). Maybe if your liver isn’t functioning effectively or being stressed by your weight loss may mean it’s not processing the copper out of your system & it builds up. I don’t really know either. Just wondering. Worth a deeper conversation with your doctors as to why it might be happening & what can be done to help reduce your levels.