JennyBeez

5 mo post-op (bypass) here, and I still don't get any full -- nor hungry -- feelings. I can feel certain foods leave me with a sensation of heaviness about an hour after eating -- or if I'm eating something that's too dry or not the right texture for my stomach, I can usually feel that after a few bites around mid-chest level. My team has assured me numerous times that eventually my body will relearn itself, and start sending hunger and full signals again. (I think they're mainly trying to warn me not to rely on the lack of hunger, lol). Anyway, because of all that I find I have to be a little extra careful about portion sizes because my body is not going to tell me anything unless it's too late and I'm throwing up. At this stage, I'd suggest going with the minimal servings your plan suggests. You can always supplement by 'eating more' an hour or two later -- but you can't 'eat less' once it's past your lips.

Walking around the lake with my dog yesterday, I noticed that my feet kept sliding around in my sneakers. I had to stop and tighten them as far as they go -- and now they're serviceable, but I can still feel areas where they certainly don't fit right anymore.

I get so angry when I hear people say that WLS is 'the easy way out'. It's not. If it were the easy way out, none of us would need to come on these forums for support. Some people make it sound like WLS is cheating, a dark and dirty thing. The implication is that we should all be able to do it with diet and exercise, and if we're not doing it that way it's because we're lazy and lack willpower. These people are, frankly, bullies -- even if they don't mean it that way. I think some people feel threatened by the idea of us having WLS. I have three of them whom are still in my life. One has become more supportive since the surgery but still makes it known from time to time (especially whenever I've facing a struggle) that he didn't think I should have the surgery. The other two were supportive pre-op but as soon as the weight started coming off, jealousy kicked in and they started talking about how 'easy' it was and how they want the surgery but can't afford it / don't qualify, etc -- all while talking about how they would 'cheat' by doing this, this or this. The people that want to support you, no matter your decision, will support you. They'll read any literature you give them -- or do their own research. They'll ask you questions about the process & the post-op lifestyle and will listen to your response. There are bound to be people in your life that will need a bit of a learning curve, or who can't get out of their own heads enough to really consider the different between helpful comments/criticism and cattiness/bullying/cruelty. Some might just need a little conversation or confrontation about their phrasing and word choices; others might need to be cut off until/unless they learn to not be sh!tty humans. At the end of the day -- at the end of every day, actually -- only you can decide what's right for you. You are the only one with full knowledge of your body, your physical/mental/emotional struggles, your trials up until now, etc. Even your doctor can only go so far in helping to decide if this is right for you. Try to push out the words of people who Don't Know your details, or even basic knowledge about the surgeries. Do your own research, talk to people who've done it, consult with your physicians, etc. ❤️ Good luck. Whatever you decide to do, make that choice with the faith and confidence that you're choosing for your best life, whatever that looks like.

Well done, you! Seriously, you're doing so marvelously. And you sound so upbeat, content and energized. Ugh, I was so happy to be off the lansoprazole too. It can cause / add to constipation, so maybe now that you're off it you'll have that ease off a bit too.

Ugh, I feel you. One of the things that irks me the most about troublesome foods is having to cut my protein short -- or getting ill and losing what little I got down. I seem to have trouble with chicken even before it's been reheated -- again, other than ground. Lately beef has been giving me problems too, other than barbacoa brisket from my local burrito place. Oh, other than jerky? I found a no sugar /sweetener added beef jerky that has given me absolutely no issues and is nicely high in protein. It takes me close to an hour to eat a 30g serving but it's helpful to stash at the office for an afternoon snack. Today, I realized I grieve dim sum. I don't know if it's the socialness, the overall experience or the food itself -- or some combination of the three. I've had some steamed Korean dumplings a few weeks ago and just didn't eat much of the dumpling wrapper itself, and have been able to eat shrimp siu mai at a Japanese restaurant. But being able to go to a dim sum restaurant and eat whatever they pass by with -- without having to interrogate them about ingredients or cooking methods -- I will miss that.

Or florals, and 'ditzy florals'. I don't mind me some dark botanical prints with kinda moody vibes or mushrooms, but stop putting flowers on half of plus-sized clothing. Ughhh. Looks fine on other people, but on me it's like my clothes can't decide if I'm trying too hard to look younger, or have given up and aim trying to look like my grandma. I love (sarcasm) how the fashion industry just decided they could get away with charging a premium -- both on women's clothing in general, and on plus sizes especially. If it was premium fabric or custom-made / bespoke items, sure, but when it's just a few more inches of cheap poly-blend? Pfft.

Mine required only the sleep apnea test, but it was more so the hospital could prepare for any anesthesiology requirements or post-op recovery pertaining to CPAP patients. It wasn't really to rule anyone out in terms of candidacy. The nicotine test seems to be a surgeon-specific thing -- some do, some don't. I would definitely advise not lying to your care team about smoking though, and just be upfront about whether you're still smoking / struggling to quit / etc. The same about any criteria they may have set out in their pre-op approval criteria. Some things may sound like stupid criteria for them to have, but it's not worth having your recovery affected by things you didn't think would be a problem.

I grieve the convenience of high fat/sugar/calorie foods. The ability to go anywhere with friends or family for a meal and not have to worry about 'will I be able to find something I can eat?' and cruising the menu online first. I grieve being able to go to my comfort foods for emotional comfort rather than having to actually work through it. Even though I'm happier, overall / in the long run, when I first sink into a bad mood that first little while is rough. I don't really grieve the particular foods themselves (yet?) -- but I think that's a mental block on my part at the moment; so many foods have been giving me problems that the idea of many food types make me feel ill, and the idea of anything greasy or fatty makes me downright nauseated. (Seriously, I had a conversation with my mother last week about pepperoni and her stomach issues when she eats pizza, and just picturing pepperoni had me breathing through my nose trying not to gag lol) (I do grieve that on excruciatingly hot days at work, when the guys make a run for iced-capps , there's no soothing ice slushy to make my afternoon more bearable.)

Honey, those curves!! You've got so much extra room in those sleeves too! ❤️

I don't think most partners realize how hurtful and kind of insulting it can be when they make comments like that. I know it's coming from a place of fear -- of losing their partner by not following suit, of not being good enough for someone looking to improve their lives, etc. But it can be a tough comment to hear. It might be good to have a good couple of conversations with him about it. Reassure him that what you need and desire in a partner is mutual support, respect, etc (and that romancey-love-stuff, I guess, lol), and that as long as he is able to support you through this you'll be just has happy with him tomorrow as you are today. Remind him that even though this journey is going to be tough and will require a lot of focus on yourself at first, you're still there to support him as well.

Happy Anniversary!! Or Happy Re-Birthday, cause it's really like a whole new you. ❤️ I'm glad to hear that things have been going well for you for so long. It's really encouraging for those of us still at the beginning of our journey to see what successful WLS lives look like. You sound happy and proud -- as you should!

I don't know what sizing you're looking for (or whereabouts you live), but if you have a local Walmart -- check out their George brand. I particularly like their bralettes (range in sizes from S-XXL). They're soft, minimal padding for a bit of shaping, no wires. Not adjustable, but for $12 CAD each I bought my current size and one size down for the next stage. They were comfortable enough to wear even when I was technically a bit too large for them still, but as I've been dropping they've been doing the job well. They've got some plain ones, but also some lacy racerbacks, etc. In terms of adjustable bras, I've had absolutely no luck since I started shedding pounds -- and I'm not willing to spend a lot of money on a bra that might not fit me in 2 months.

I'm so glad to hear your pain levels are going down! My mum was in physio for a long time for her knees (also need replacing but she's too stubborn to get them done), and she always said her favourite part of physio was being hooked up to the TENS machine afterwards lol. (This was of course back in the day before you could get decently priced home-versions.) It sounds like everything's moving the the right direction for you. It must be such a relief. ❤️

Ugh, I hear you -- I can't do tinned fished anymore, either. I used to love tinned salmon and tuna, but now if it's not sashimi or freshly cooked filets it's a big No Thank You. I have a can of salmon (and a couple of flaked chicken) that I need to drop at the food bank. Thanks for the reminder lol! I think I'll end up binning the rice protein. It wasn't that expensive and because it was in a bulk-baggy I don't think my local FB would take it. I'll call it the cost of learning. :D

Does anyone use brown rice protein powder, specifically the unflavoured & unsweetened variety? I bought a small sample from my local bulk health food store, along with a larger amount of pea protein powder. I knew what to expect from the pea protein powder as I've had it before in years past, but I was unprepared for the smell, taste, aftertaste and immense chalky-ness of the brown rice powder. I've tried it in a few different things now (oatmeal, shakes and smoothies), and most of them had to be pitched entirely; I was able to choke down the smoothie I made with it but it was still unpleasant. Online blogs suggested almond milk and unsweetened cocoa powder to combat the chalky texture -- both did nothing for me. I tried PB powder, regular fairlife milk, thickening the smoothies with bananas or avocado, greek yogurt, etc. I still have a little under 500ml left, and I'm tempted to just give up and throw it away. It's one of those vicious thought cycles: I hate to waste food by throwing it away, but I hate to waste other foods by trying to combine them and getting the same result lol. If anyone has a method to using this while masking basically everything about it, I'm all ears. Can you bake with it? I've had mixed results baking with other protein powders in the past and am honestly mildly exhausted just thinking about it. XD (I apologize with harassing you all with my constant protein supplement queries. Egg protein was a miss for me, but pea protein is a morning-time lifesaver for me.)