NeonRaven8919

On 1/21/2025 at 3:38 AM, ShoppGirl said:

When we make up our minds to change our lives, most of us want to start NOW!!

Exactly! That's how it was for me. I knew today was the day and nothing stopped me!

It's really good that you're keeping up with the walking!

Today, I'm officially under 200lbs! only by half a lb but I'm counting it! I did a little weight conversion and had to remeasure due to disbelief!

After gaining and losing the same kilo for the last three weeks, I'm so happy!

Outside the US, you don't have to sneak anything into the movies, you just walk in with Snacks.

I recommend cycling! Mostly because I'm obsessed and I want to share my obsession, but also it's a method of transportation/form of exercise/easy to get into if you are out of practice. You could also cycle at the gym.

Also, I really love doing pilates and yoga. You can do it in your own home, you just need a mat and a youtube video.

I cancelled my gym membership in the month I had my surgery since I wasn't going to be able to exercise for 6 weeks after the surgery and I would be away for another 4 weeks and Christmas was coming up and didn't want to waste the money (month to month membership). I need to get back into the gym, but I've not been in months so I'm going back to complete novice stage. But I have been cycling so that's at least something. I want to make going to the gym a habit again.

I haven't renewed my membership yet because it will be too crowded with all they "new year, new me" types who use the gym in January for two weeks and then never again.

6 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I’m the same. Acetaminophen do nothing for me either. My surgeon said it would be okay to take NSAIDs with my sleeve (at about 2years) if I took half a dose & didn’t take them regularly. Think it’s likely more important to eat something g before & after taking them though to protect t your tummy a little more than the average person.

Like @SpartanMaker I wonder if it was too high a dose of the codeine too @Bypass2Freedom. Panadeine Forte (Australian) is a combined over the counter med but the dose is 500mg paracetamol and 30mg codeine.

PS: Codeine messes with my head. I get very irrationally emotional and spacy, Drove through a red light (thankfully no one else on the road) and then sobbed uncontrollably curled up on the floor in my kitchen (very Meryl in The Hours). Was my first & only time taking it. Doctor advised to always say I’m allergic to it because of that reaction.

Panadeine Forte (Australian) is a combined over the counter med but the dose is 500mg paracetamol and 30mg codeine. That's what we get over the counter here in the UK to. The same does anyway. I got straight 30mg codeine after my operation. I was just told to take every 4 hours as needed. I didn't need any after day 1. It's so odd how doses are different for everyone.

4 hours ago, 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.

This is interesting. NSAIDS (and the occasionally opioid as they prescribed after my op) are the only medications that have worked for getting rid of pain for me. Acetaminophen (aka paracetamol, Tylenol, *insert regional name here) has worked for fever for me, but never pain. I've been dreading ever needing a pain killer (and I've got nerve pain from a broken tooth). I will look into this for the odd one-off pain.

It's my 3 month anniversary since the surgery. Not much weight loss this month, but with Christmas I did a lot better than I though I would. I managed to lose about a pound and been gaining and losing that pound all month. But considering that this time last year I would have gained a lot more, I'm happy so far. In three months though, I've managed to go from a size 24 UK to a size 16 UK. What a difference three months has made.

It's ok to be nervous and anxious. It's major lifestyle change. But the time will fly by and you will be really glad you did this.

I'm three months post-op today and the time has really flown (so have the lbs).

I went with the sleeve because my surgeon recommended this based on my age and general health (35, no comorbidities, no history of GERD) I went on the NHS here in the UK so as it was covered by public funds, I only got the choice of sleeve or bypass. I was also hesitant to choose the bypass because my mother had it, had insufficient weight loss and because her operation went wrong and the had to fix something years ago, they couldn't fix a bowel perforation that she had which she died of. So because of her history with that, I wasn't sure that I wanted to go that route. If my surgeon had recommended bypass, I would have chosen that.

You've done so well! This is my goal at the moment to get down to "overweight".

You are three days post op. Most things will hurt. I could only have 30mls of Water by syringe for the first two days and only once every 15 minutes. Then the swelling stopped and I have about double that and start drinking broth.

As everyone else says, take little walks and try to move as much as comfortable to get the gas out.

I'm almost 3 months post op and gone from a UK24 to size UK16. I haven't been that weight in years. This time last year, I never would have even thought it was possible. This time 6 months ago when I was approved for surgery, I never even thought any of this would be possible! My knees hurt less when walking, although my butt hurts because I have less padding, so sometimes I actually prefer to stand. Never thought I would do that.

I do sometimes still grieve food but not for the reasons I thought. I grieve the way I used to be in some ways because my best friend and I would get together and eat and we don't really have that anymore. We are still trying to find other things we can do together. But also, sometimes I grieved I can't order a pizza or other takeaway anymore because I live alone and don't have anyone to share it with so to avoid wastage, I actually need to cook even if I'm too tired.

This year, I'm going to get my health on track and finally move out of London. I can't afford to live here anymore and I want a new start. Now that I know goals that seemed impossible are now achievable, I want to start new goals.

Size UK16/US12! So proud! Also, these are actual jeans not pull on stretch pants!

I don't usually make goals for the new year because I never stick to them. But, this time last year, I was thinking my goal of losing weight was going to fail again, and I've already lost almost 70lbs! So I think I will start making more goals. Mine is to build up my savings account. I'm going to start small with goals since I know now that I am capable of sticking to things that I want badly enough, but I don't want to get overwhelmed.

On 12/22/2024 at 2:40 PM, joya09.24 said:

Hi Meg!

I had a lapband for 14 years and successfully kept off 100 pounds. I was never hungry with it. Sadly, it died in 2023 and had to be removed.

The first weeks without it were glorious-- I was able to eat things I missed--- salads, brocolli, Bagels. I told myself I would stil eat smaller meals but it was impossible without my tool. I started eating Bagels weekly, would have a second slice of pizza, etc. I tired to keep my calories to 1500 but even then I was still eating more. than the 800 cal a day with the band. The weight packed on quickly. I gained 30 pounds in 4 months. And all 100 pounds within 10 months. I totallty failed. With the added. weight, came all of the medical problems again. My blood pressure went up, I had the rashes and skin rub, my plantar facuitis made it impossible to walk far.I hated myself again.

I was finaly approved for a revision and converted to RNYGB a week ago. I am taking my life back and only wish I had pushed for a revision at the get go.

You didn't fail, most people seem to have less success with the band than other procedures. It just means it wasn't the right tool for you.

18 hours ago, ShoppGirl said:

I think the best reply to that is just that your doctor is pleased with your weight and your fitness. And if they keep pressing that you’re going to defer to the one with the medical degree. I honesty believe that some people are just a tad jealous.

Definitely this! People only care about how you look when they can feel superior to you. When you change your health, they have to start focusing on fixing themselves and God forbid they should do that.

2 and a half months post op. I survived Thanksgiving, but there wasn't a lot of Snacks like there is with Christmas. I did however have a small mince pie and was able to stop at just one so I'm definitely getting better at self-control. Since I'm going to see friends Christmas Eve and Christmas day (only one last day at work until then) I'm bringing a dish that I can eat and I've asked if I can bring a container so I can take home any of my left over portion of turkey etc. I just had a stall that finally broke so I'm feeling confident again.

I've kind of had a breakthrough this morning. I took the meds on an empty stomach because I'm supposed to take them at least a half hour before food. About 10 minutes later, I felt like I was starving, but because I was on my bike and cycling to work, I knew I would have to wait to until I got to work in 20 minutes to eat anything. But the "starving feeling" just stopped after about 5 minutes. I think I've spent so much of life thinking "any sensation in my stomach means I need to eat". And then I had a yogurt about half an hour later and I feel completely full. So I think if I get any sensations in my stomach, I need to wait and actually see what it means and wait about 20 minutes.

4 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Yes, it could be your hunger returning. PPIs reduce your stomach acid and consequently the crampy ‘hunger pangs/pain’ excess acid can cause which makes you think you’re hungry. Never known them to make you hungry. (i’ve been on daily Nexium since my surgery and prior took it randomly yet never experienced hunger.) Might be worth asking your doctor or surgeon. You never know.

PS. I’m so over these pharmaceutical shortages. Back to not being able to get my HRT patch - was 5 months without them last time. I mean what the F! I ask my pharmacist to double dispense all my scripts and I still run out.

That makes sense that the ac8d just makes me think I'm hungry. I don't really remember what huger felt like pre-op.

3 minutes ago, learn2cook said:

I got my hunger back just after the third month so maybe it’s that? I like to think like a scientist so I would do experiments with using the medication vs not. I would also ask my doctor if they could substitute a prescription. I would also look into the possibility of special holiday foods being a little too persuasive. Winter holidays and parties trip me up every year. I now go onward with a plan that this year seems to work. I survey the food, pick one or two bites so I won’t feel deprived. I also eat my normal healthy choices before going. Good luck finding what works for you. (I put peppermint lip gloss under my nose for a pie sale. It worked!)

It's definitely the holiday foods too, but I managed to survive Thanksgiving without feeling as hungry. So it could be hunger returning, holiday food and stomach acid going haywire. My stomach is constantly doing something. I just feel like a burp waiting to happen lately. Even with an empty stomach.

I ran out of my lansoprazole (PPI) medication and while there was a shortage at my local pharmacy, I couldn't take it. All in, I was off it for about 8-9 days. Now that I'm back on it, I feel hungry all the time. To the point where I've just eaten my recommended portion size and still feel hungry and so I eat more. My weight has started to creep back up (about .5kg//1lb) and the only thing I've been doing differently is taking this medication again.

Is this a common side effect when one resumes taking this or is there something else going on? I'm also 2 and a half months post op so I just wonder if this is also the return of my appetite?

I set a my goal for what the BMI chart considers "normal", but really, I just want to get down to a UK 12 dress size. That was a size I just skipped over. I went straight from teenage sizes to size 16. I've been overweight all my life.

When I feel like I'm stalling, I tend to panic and think I've failed and I'm trying to stop that so I take my measurements and remind myself how far I've come even if the numbers don't match what I wish they did.

33 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I wasn’t going to discuss this on these boards since I don’t want to turn the discussion away from weight loss. I figured I would talk cancer at the cancer support group and weight related stuff here, but I am quickly realizing that it’s very much intertwined.

I had my revision surgery to SADI on 8/7/2024 and I felt something on my breast in the shower in September. I went to gyno, got sent to get a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound and then biopsies and it came back as cancer 11/6/2024 (about 4 months post op). A few days later I was with the breast surgeon and was told it was triple negative and it’s very aggressive so the process is a little different for me in that it’s all very fast moving but it’s pretty much the same collection of treatments for most cancer I believe.

I am currently two rounds into chemotherapy and just started immunotherapy and also doing appointments for all kinds of scans and imaging as well as meeting the rest of my doctors and setting up my future treatments which will be double mastectomy, then radiation and then maybe oral chemo. Basically I have not sat down since I learned the diagnosis and I have had to learn a tremendous amount very fast to make some pretty heavy decisions very quickly to keep the ball rolling. It’s been a whirlwind

From a bariatric standpoint things have been incredibly challenging. For one my appointments are all over Florida. I have a medical oncologist, a breast surgeon, a cosmetic breast surgeon, a radiation oncologist, and a second opinion oncologist and now a gynocologist in the mix but that’s pretty specific to me. So far and I have had to have imaging done at 3 different places as well since it’s all been so rushed it’s just about who can get me in the soonest and then since these places aren’t connected I have to wait around for records and discs and carry them all to each of my appointment to make sure everyone has everything

I have been traveling non stop with little time to prepare things so prioritizing my nutrition and exercise has been a huge challenge just in terms of time. There are just not enough hours in the day!! Then there is the chemo, the shot that builds up your white blood cells, and the immunotherapy infusion which also take time (2-3 different appointments depending on how it works out that week) but also all of this effects my cravings and energy.

First there is the fact that I have to be on steroids which we all know are the enemy of weight loss but also the fact that eating is different. I consider myself very fortunate that food doesn’t taste bad to me and nausea is not an issue like it is for so many but it’s still not the same. I crave something very specific. I taste it and it’s good but I eat three bites and don’t want it anymore. My refrigerator is a leftover graveyard lol.

In terms of energy I am on the strongest treatment regimen the oncologist says so fatigue sorta goes with the territory. I have been walking everyday still except for the biopsy day and my chemo port surgery day and I have done my yoga when my schedule permits but I have not done my cardio class because I think I sweat too much considering how dehydrating the chemo already is. Also I can’t touch community stuff for 24 hours after chemo without possibly exposing others to the chemo drug and we use balls, bars, discs, etc. Also more recently there is the fact that I have lost about 85% of my hair and I get too hot to wear a hat. I think once I’m bald it will actually look better and I am going to try really hard to just get over that but right now I don’t look like I have cancer. It just looks like a botched hair cut to me so I’m living in hats. The good news is it’s going very fast. It started falling out last week and it’s almost gone already so by next week I think I will just be bald.

Well, yesterday I did totally forget to exercise with all that I had going on and I’m feeling guilty today now that I remembered but I know that’s silly. I am just hoping that as treatment goes on I am able to keep up my exercise. All the doctors say it’s good to keep pushing myself just not too hard. Exercise and good nutrition are going to make this alot easier on me.

Back to food again. Not sure if it’s just the stress of the whole situation or the fact that chemo puts you into early menopause but Thursday was a particularly bad day. My moods were erratic to say the least and I had a bunch of blood drawn after having nothing but a Protein Shake all day so at 7pm I was pretty much famished by the time we stopped to eat. Olive Garden was the most convenient option and I planned Soup and salad but when I got in there that went out the window. I went totally off plan. Again I feel guilty but these darn steroids and all the crazy emotions are making it so much harder to make the better choices when it’s staring at me tempting me I did still get my Protein for the day though if there is any good in that

What’s really hard about this is that even with the Pasta and bread I am actually still losing weight so for my previously obese brain it’s tempting to not just enjoy that while it lasts. But I know that the processed crap is not good for my body, especially right now. I don’t feel as good since I have not been exercising as much and I’ve been eating off plan. I don’t sleep as well at night and I seem to crave more and more junk as well as have less energy throughout the day.

thankfully my program has provided to me free of charge an oncology dietician, but I am her first patient who is actively still in weight loss phase undergoing chemo. She had agreed to check in with me once a week since this is new for both of us and she seems amazing so far. She suggested that I do not lose more than two to three pounds a week which was my average before the chemo. Because the chemo has apparently sped up my metabolism she says that I need to increase calories but to add healthy ones which is extremely difficult because adding calories goes against all we just learned and over 2000 calories of healthy food is a very large volume of food that my body is just not wanting right now (I was eating around 900-1000 before this and already felt like I was eating all day. And remember that most of these meals are on the road these days so I have to eat what I can fit in a cooler or stop somewhere on the side of the highway most times. Not easy to find clean healthy food on the road.

Enough stating the obvious that it’s tough, here’s what I actually have to offer so far in terms of advice. First thing when I wake up in the morning I have a Protein shake which is a really good head start to the day and if I am lucky enough to still be around a couple of hours later I have a second Breakfast instead of waiting until there’s time to eat on whatever adventure the day brings. That helps with the protein if I don’t have time to stop at all. Although recently the shakes haven’t gone down so well so I just wake up and have scrambled eggs with 2% cheese and whatever leftover veggies are on hand..

If I know I won’t have time for that I also have some boiled eggs In the fridge that I can eat real fast or slice up with some cheese and take on the go. I carry in my cooler a high protein yogurt drink, Chomps pepperoni flavored turkey Jerky and baby bell light or mozzarella sticks. It helps to put the ice pack in a ziplock with these items if you live where it gets hot. I also carry a bag with high protein Snacks Quest protein chips, kind minis, cliff minis, pistachio nuts, nut butter packets, Quest cheddar cheese crackers, granola to add to yogurt, etc

Freezer meals!! Omg. I was doing these before my diagnosis and they were super convenient then and have been a lifesaver now. I have tex med chili, chicken chili, turkey meatballs, turkey taco meat, grilled chicken, meatloaf, etc in the freezer and it’s all measured and weighed out so that I can pop in the fridge the night before or even jet defrost in microwave if need be. When I have time to cook I do double batches so I can keep my freezer stock replenished. I have a note in my phone notes that it titled In freezer and I just keep adding to it what I freeze and how many portions are in there so if I’m not home I can check my freezer stock.

I also do a version of meal prep with chick fila as well I like their market and southwest salads (I get the market one without the blue cheese) I buy one of each with two extra chicken fillets and take them home and I make four salads out of that. I take off all the toppings with a bit of lettuce and put into a smaller container to make a market salad and do the same with the southwest. Then I put the leftover lettuce with the chicken into another container and I have fresh shredded Parmesan in snack ziplocks and ceaser dressing also in ziplocks (sorta less pleasant looking but I figure less risk if bacteria than them tiny containers which are hard to get really clean since I am immunocompromised and infection is so dangerous right now) i cut off a corner and squeeze it out like an icing bag. I just use half of the packets of dressing with the market and southwest salads and then toss the rest. I have the ziplock containers that have the twist top lids and these are easy to toss into the cooler when they do not open at all

I still log my macros in Baritastic this has really been helpful for me to be honest about what I’m eating with my oncology dietician so she can keep me on track . It also lets you log your activity, weight, inches lost and set notifications for Vitamins and stuff. I added a reminder to put on my fitness watch and to take my regular meds too

I also carry my Water with me and I set alarms again to drink. You have to wear a mask and for me that seems to make me drink like a quarter as much as I do without one so I have to have reminders again. Vitamins need alarms too. Chemo brain is a real thing and when your days is never the same it’s hard to have a routine anyways so I actually have alarms for just about everything in life right now. I made different tones for Water, vitamins and appointments and I have a checklist to go over before I leave the house to make sure I did and packed everything. My friend and family also have reminders for me in their phones for the real important stuff and they call or text to make sure I haven’t forgotten.

I just found out that two of the programs I belong too offer virtual yoga sessions. I haven’t tried it yet because they are at set times as well but I added them to my calendar as recurring appts just like the live one so I can attend whichever one I have time for. Someone else suggested you tube for videos but I haven’t tried that either. Yoga by the way is my only sense of calm throughout all of this so I HIGHLY recommend it. That and meditation I know that both of these sound a little fruity before you give them a good fair try and meditation takes a lot of practice before it really Did anything for me but I swear my mind runs non stop with anxiety and worry and for that one hour I’m in yoga or the few minutes I’m meditating it is at peace. It’s amazing!!

So I am a little over a month into this and I’ve got a good year and a half to go if all goes well so I’m sure I will have more to add to this but I just wanted to pop In and share what my experience has been juggling a new cancer diagnosis while pretty early out from bariatric surgery. I hope this helps someone. Even if it’s less advice and more to let you know that you are not alone in the struggle.

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through all of this. But you got this! We're all here to support you.

13 minutes ago, NickelChip said:

Oh, yes. I'm just a bit ahead of you surgery-wise at nearly 10 months post-op, and I've noticed a few things as time has gone on. First, the number of pounds I'm losing in a month has slowed. Early on, I was losing 10+ lbs in a month. Two months ago, I lost 6lbs in a month. Now, I'm losing more like 2lbs in a month. Second, there's more noticeable daily fluctuation now. (I like to weigh myself every morning right when I get up, just to have a record.) In the past, I would bounce up or down a few ounces over a few days and then continue my downward progress. Now, I see half a pound or more difference, and I might bounce around for a week or two before reaching a new low weight.

I'm currently about 12 lbs away from a "normal" BMI, so that has a big impact on how quickly weight changes. My smart scale also tells me I have higher than average muscle and bone (taken with a grain of salt since I know they're not completely accurate). One thing I notice now is that some of what I see on my body as "areas for improvement" are no longer simply "would look better if less fat." Now it's more like "would look better if more toned."

As for staying on plan with nutrition, I'm not going to lie. This time of year is a challenge. There are sweets everywhere, and sadly, I can eat them with far too few side effects. I'm not going crazy like I would have pre-surgery, but I would say it's pretty easy to not be in much of a calorie deficit, either. Plus more eating out at restaurants, more holiday parties, etc. Nutrition is something I will tackle again in January.

Thanks for this! I'm only 2 months post op and I'm struggling with holiday Snacks and sweets. It's helpful to know I'm not alone in this struggle and it's sometimes not easier even a few more months out. I think i've been a slow loser after the first two weeks, but knowing it will keep going even if it's slowly is easier to deal with. I'm currently at 209 lbs (94.8kg) and I just wanted to get under 200lbs by the new year, but I don't think that's going to happen yet. But by the end of January, I hope so.