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Dumping is fairly uncommon, like 30% of patients I believe, so odds are in your favor it won't happen to you. I've had my heart race for several minutes from what could probably count as dumping, but that was admittedly after having something very high in refined sugar that I had no business eating in the first place. Fruit has never been an issue in that way, but it can be an issue for me with the skin or texture as my stomach can be very picky about that. I have been sick from a peach with the skin on, as well as from a piece of thawed frozen mango that was a bit tough. But honestly, you just have to give it a try and remember that dumping is something that, while it could be a little unpleasant, isn't really bad enough to be nervous about for the vast majority of people.

I just got my labs and EKG today. I’m really hoping that’s okay because the lady put four of the little sticky things under one of my boobs. They have always put them on both sides so that was weird. The dr looked though and didn’t say it was bad or anything. I actually just had one like a month ago but they said they wanted the labs to be within a month of the surgery so I said let’s just do it again just in case. I don’t want anything to push my surgery date. Im trying to get back into the habit of taking my vitamins too. It’s really hard to remember them. I take the procare health multi and bariatric advantage calcium chews but i did try the bariatric pal ones and they aren’t bad. I just want to ask the NP about them before I make that switch. I bought the bariatric advantage chewable multi for the first month. That’s awesome to hear about the smoking. I quit a while ago and it’s definitely an accomplishment. I remember it being kinda freeing that it was one less thing I always had to keep track of and worry about. And now I don’t now how I ever was a smoker. I smell it and it takes my breath. It’s so weird. I meet with the NP tomorrow to verify but I think my liver shrink diet is supposed to be a week long. If so, that means next week I will do a low carb diet to prepare. That’s not required but I just don’t want to go from eating like I do now to the LSD. If I’m correct, I will be starting that process this Tuesday. I am trying to tie up all my loose ends by next week. I don’t want to have anything extra to do the week I am on the liver shrink diet. I figure I will take that time to get my house in order. Every surgery I ever had I sit here and look around at what I could be doing if I wasn’t physically restricted so I hope to get it all done this time.

Oh my gosh, me too! But: We got this!! I'm going to get my lab work done next week and I know it should look really good with as long a path I've been on to get to this point and all the vitamins I've been taking! I've been taking the Barimelts multi w/iron (dissolved crazy easily, best I've found) the Calcium from BariatricPal every other day, and some Multi-collagen Peptides w/Probiotics for like, two months. I also had to quit smoking cigarettes and with the help of Chantix I've managed to do it, and just passed my fourth month of not smoking! I use the Baritastic app for my food tracking. There's SO much to the process! I'm nervous and wondering if I'm going to end up feeling like a stranger in my own skin but I'm trying to keep focusing on my reasons for doing all of this - better health, longer life, better quality of life, etc. Feel free to message me; I can be bad about checking my emails but I found an app called Finch that is helping me keep track of everything, thank goodness, and reminds me to CHECK my email. Sorry for the delayed response!

It won't cure the arthritic knees and pain but it will help as you will have much less weight to be walking around with so less pressure on them. I have no cartilage in either knee and have been getting steroid injections and also hyaluronic to cushion the joints and they only last a while. Doctors told me I needed both knees replaced at a later date but I had to loose weight first and my knees need to thin down more (as I have bad lymphedema). I can already feel the difference now with the weight loss, I can walk further and faster without much pain. Whereas before I would not be able to sleep at night due to knee pain. I will get another round of injections in September before my holidays just to be on the safe side and will see what the ortho says about my knees (I don't think they have slimmed down enough yet) and I think my knees have a few more years in them.

Ugh, I definitely get the foamies from time to time (nice to know there's a word for it!) but a few times it's developed into all-around nastiness: sweating so badly my skin is wet and I soak all my clothes, bad cramping, concurrent vomiting & diarrhea, dizziness, and basically wanting to die LOL. I just assumed it was dumping, but none of those times have occurred with sugar -- and I'm pretty sure none of them were due to high fat content cause I've been ridiculously careful about that. (Other than the chicken, which was thighs cooked with skin on -- removed before eating though.) That said, most of the time it's also been with food cooked in a restaurant so who knows what kind of things they put on that they just weren't admitting too. At this point, I'm too scared to eat out other than at a few restaurants I know I can trust. :S

Don't overthink it. We tend to want to over-prepare, pack too much, stock up way too much, read every single thing we see online and then obsess about any negative thing we see. You're ready. You've finished all the hurdles, you've been approved, you have the date. There's not a lot you can do 2 months before your surgery. Maybe start looking at different food tracking apps to see which feels the most user friendly to you. Look through youtube to find some good GENTLE workouts for the first 6 weeks post op and save them to a private playlist for yourself. Make sure you have some loose clothing for after surgery. I bought one of those big, cure jugs that is 64fl oz so it would be easy to measure how much water and fluids I was taking in (admittedly, at first I was barely getting in 3-4oz at a time, but I quickly worked my way up and was glad I had that because it was cute and convenient). Make sure you have plenty of Miralax on hand and possibly, if things are really plugged up, a laxative/stool softener combo. And I made sure when I was drinking broth, it was bone broth because it has more protein. That's really it.

I am sure you have just reached a stall period, don't let it worry you, EVERYONE has gone through it, or is going through it, as it is raised as a topic here every few days it feels like. Your body is trying to adjust to the new you, new routines etc. so even if the scale has stalled (or even goes up a bit) you may be loosing inches etc. Over the last year I have had a few stalls and it is frustrating but part of the process. It also gets harder/slower as you get closer to your natural weight as there is less to loose. When it has happened I have upped my exercise (an extra walk or longer walk, more time in the pool etc.) to try and give the body a little nudge to get loosing again not sure if it helps or not but makes me feel better. Try not to stress and just keep up the positive changes you have made. It is seriously not that long into this part of your journey.

I dump and my first sensation is feeling loopy, then I see bright spots that don’t go away, they get worse. Then the sweats and shaking starts, and if I haven’t fixed myself with some protein then it turns into vomit/diarrhea town. Others could feel different, but the clue to me is you saying your “skin was crawling.” If it’s food allergy related, it’s very serious. I wish you the best!

Hellooooooo So I'm one week shy of being 7 months post op, and for those 7 months I have avoided sugar like the plague except for some rare occasions where I was traveling and the European country I was in was famous for desserts that I would order and only have a miniscule bite of. On one occasion I got excited and had 3 bites and thought I was fine. 10 minutes later I started feeling extremely nauseous that I was almost dry heaving, I started walking back to the hotel and after 1 kilometer I felt much better so I guessed that was dumping! Not fun Yikes! So fast forward this week, and it is that time of the month and I was craving some chocolate, so I picked a 72% dark chocolate square which I had with a few roasted cashews (to manage the blood sugar spike) and guess what? 10 minutes later I am extremely nauseous and queasy that my skin was crawling. I was at my desk and got up and walked back and forth but to no success. It lasted a good half an hour/40 minutes and it only fully subsided midway through my Pilates class. Does this happen to anyone? The chocolate square barely had any sugar! Will I ever be able to have a little fun? A tiny slice of cake for my birthday? Ice cream? Anything? I don't crave sugar anymore but I like to taste things and take bites here and there especially when I'm travelling/out for a nice meal (which is often).

Nothing like completely avoiding the digestive tract. I love the convenience of only having to change the patch twice a week. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my script filled - supply dramas sigh! My GP swapped me to a gel & a progesterone pill for two months hoping the patch would be available by then & also hoping I’d absorb enough progesterone to cover me for the short term. They’re hoping end of August for the patch to be back which means I’ll need four months of the gel & tablet. Unexpected effect of being smaller was I was told to rub the gel into my upper arm. Tried that but I’d had to rub it over my entire arm because of the amount of gel & it still wasn’t enough skin. I now rub it all over my butt & tummy. That’s only 1 pump. I’d be rubbing it all over my body if it was two pumps. Lol! PS I found eucalyptus oil really great at removing the sticky residue left on my skin from the patch.

Its hot as h**l in Greece in September. If you are going Self catering then you will not need as much as if you are in a Hotel. I took a huge case full for 3 weeks in May and wore 3 swimsuits and 3 dresses and 3 tops/dresses for over my costume. I wear swim dresses and feel confident in them. The rest I didn't wear for the most part. Lesson learned for me. Its a very laid back country and unless you are going in a 5* hotel, you will be ok dressed down. Shorts are what everyone wears. Loose dresses look great and are practical. I would buy a size down. I went down a size every 2 months.

Do you have any idea of the kinds of temperatures you could be looking at so you can plan around that? We generally go to Cyprus in mid September and the temps can be mid-40s. Have a look at Superdrug for Lanacane anti-chafing gel https://www.superdrug.com/health/medicated-skin/medicated-skin-treatments/lanacane-anti-chafing-gel-28g/p/687900 I would also have a look for some mozzie repellent too as you don’t want to be bitten to death! Lots of stores are having a sale now, especially as our summer has been a complete washout. Have a look at Roman - 60% off sale plus use the code EPIC for a further 15% off everything (got to love a discount code 😉) The Next sale began at the weekend, Tu has up to 50% off brands, George (Asda) have their sale on plus Debenhams always have some sort of sale on! Thin, floaty things are always a winner as already mentioned by others. Thin tops and loose shorts are good for daytime, just be careful on sitting on hot, plastic seating outside cafes etc as you can end up leaving the skin off the back of your thighs behind (definitely speaking from experience with that one 🙄) A hat is a must as well as some high factor sun cream to begin with. Tescos dry oil is pretty good - you don’t end up feeling horribly sticky with it; Boots have sun cream and after sun that has insect repellent already in and doesn’t stink. A pack of one a day over the counter antihistamines are really useful if you suffer from prickly heat (or if you don’t normally but start with it on holiday) Take it with you as it’s generally expensive abroad, same with paracetamol. More importantly, have a totally wonderful time and revel in your fantastic weight loss to date!

I know the autumn styles will be in the shops closer to when you go so it could be difficult to find summer clothes by then but if you can wait a few weeks I would as you could drop a couple of sizes before your trip. If you can't wait you could get a summer dress (or three) in a size or two smaller than you are now and then have some belts if the style suits that way you can cinch them in if needed. Another thing is drawstring loose trousers as that way even as your waist shrinks you can adjust the waistband. I got lovely ones in M&S in both navy and black and even though they are the bit too big now they have a nice summer flow to them.

Do you like dresses? I adore dresses for warm weather. I suggest getting some loose, flowing types and a few light cardigans or those scarf-life draping kimono/shawl thingies for if you go inside somewhere that is cooler or want to cover your arms. I would probably take measurements to match up to your size on online size charts and try ordering or shopping in mid-August. You might get some things on end-of-season clearance. Actually, one of my favorite tricks is to find one dress I like and buy it in 3 or 4 neutral colors, and then top it with different accessories that I can use at any dress size. Three different kimonos will make a single dress look like you have three.

Other than the mozzarella it sounds nice to me though I am jealous, I have found since my op I can't chew/break down sundried tomatoes and they seem to stick in my throat, no issue with regular tomatoes. Same with grapes, not sure if it is a skin thing but I miss them both as used to love including the tomatoes in a salad and snacking on frozen grapes.

I didn’t loose any weight with the liquid diet because I had already been following the bariatric plan for a whole year before the surgery so my body was used to being calorie restricted. The salt levels sound kind of high… like others have said. Don’t be surprised if you gain weight while in hospital because the IV fluids are full of salt too. Just keep drinking water and it will come off. Best of luck with your recovery!

I kept loosing until the 2 year 3 month mark. I found the last year of it needed more attention from me. I still need to be mindful, not obsessed, but mindful. If you make the effort to keep your good habits up the scale will go down and stay down.

Hi all! Sorry I've been in a whirlwind (I'm not sure thats how you say that in english...) of work for the last few days. The political situation in France is very unstable and unsettling right now and because I work with public funding it's been more than crazy. I'm in Canada but am having to unexpectingly having to fly back to France early later today ( was meant to be in the US next week) to be able to hit the floor running if **** hits the fan with the election results Sunday. That said... I am proud of myself because I put my foot down and will not work through the weekend. I'm going to a music festival in the loire valley instead and will dance and be merry. Happy belated birthday @LisaCaryl! I hope this next trip round the sun is a good one and that by the end of it you are where you want to be. @NickelChip I'm happy your holidays went well and applaud you making good choices when away from home. I've got to the point where I'm loosing very slowly ( 5 pounds in 6 weeks) and so am just trying to make the best choices I can without over thinking things. I've finally dropped to 67.5kg (148.8lbs) (BMI 23.9) and have accepted things are going to be slow from now on .... I have three weeks of hectic work left before I'm on holiday for 5 whole weeks before starting my new job in September. Once I'm on holiday I'm going to try and up my steps and focus on eating the best I can( and drinking less alcohol) and I'll see where that gets me. @RonHall908 Like every true Parisian I know .... I leave Paris 48 hours before the games start! I'll be away on holiday for 5 whole weeks with my partner. The longest holidays we have ever taken. The games are going to be hectic and access to a lot of areas in the city are restricted - most of the bridges are also closed ... so we're just leaving the city... like every sane person I know! That said... in France we get 5 weeks of paid holiday a year plus 1 extra week if we work over 35 hours a week (my case) plus 11 bank holidays plus basically unlimited paid sick leave plus like an extra day when you move houses, 3 days for a wedding, 3 days for the death of a parent, 2 weeks for the death of a child, 6 months full pay maternity, up to 5 days a year full pay for sick children under 14 etc etc etc ... so we only use holiday days for holidays so every summer ( office working ) Parisians tend to leave paris en masse for most of August - we all joke that the 15th of August Paris is empty every year ... so this isn't so specific to the olympics! I did go for a walk in Versailles not long ago and saw the prep for the horse racing ... it's going to look so so cool with the chateau as a backdrop!

BMI isn't always the best way to judge for people who've lost massive amounts of weight because even though we've lost muscle and bone mass in addition to fat, we still have more muscle and bone than "normies" who weigh about the same but were never obese. (we needed a lot of infrastructure to hold up all that weight!). The PA at my bariatric clinic said we often look 10+ lbs lighter than the scale would suggest, because of that extra muscle & bone (well, there's the extra skin, too - but skin doesn't weigh very much. I think I "lost" about 4 lbs after my skin surgery - but there's that, too, if you haven't had it removed). Your PCP evidently hasn't worked with a lot of massive weight loss patients....

I was doing grocery pickup earlier so I couldn’t look it up but this link shows what I was trying to describe for baggy shirts. I guess it’s a little about the belly button. https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2015/01/how-to-style-your-loose-tops-with-a-rubber-band-the-kimtuck-revealed.html

Hi Crissy, the more I thought about it the more I think it was an episode of toxin leaving your body because it does end! I know no amount of lotion does remediate because it’s not a case of dry skin. It is just a case of toxins, leaving your body and that is a good thing, but I know it is awful!! Hang in there, sister

Happy 6wk anniversary!! It doesn't help in the bathing suit / swimming costume part of things (cause those often have to fit more snuggly to prevent flashing other swimmers), but for clothing I've found some fantastic clips to help when you're mid-size, or don't want to spend too much while you're still losing so quickly. Cardigan clips with rubber / silicone teeth (so they don't harm the fabric). I used to only see the fancy ones for the front of cardigans, but there's a bunch of elasticized fabric ones online that are much more comfortable on the back of a loose shirt to make it a bit more form fitting. I've still had to buy a few items here and there (which is honestly part of the 'hurrah' for losing weight anyway), but it's helped me fit into some tops better without having to sew them.

I know exactly what you mean by the stretchy clothing. I think the past couple years before my surgery, I was able to fool myself by only buying the stretchiest clothing. I stopped wearing jeans and bought lots of leggings, loose tunics, and flowing kimono-style wraps to wear over. They always fit, even if I went up 10 lbs. It was such a nice day when my jeans fit again, but it also drove it home to me how I had been kidding myself about not changing size in all that time.

I think I’m entering my ‘stall’ period now. Having had numerous attempts at weight loss in the past, I know my body sulks between week 3 and week 7. I’m just beginning week 5 so the timing is bang on. My weight has gone up 1.5lbs from my lowest weight this week but it happens so I will just keep on keeping on. Once my body has got over its sulk the weight should start coming off once again. A couple of NSV this week. I don’t know about anyone else but my clothing sizes can be a bit all over the place. One size of clothing can have 3 meanings for me, depending on what it’s made of. So, for example, there’s the ‘I’m kidding myself’ sizing - plenty of give, elasticated, stretchy material. It may say 22 but I know it’s really a 24+. There’s then the ‘huh, it’s not too bad’ sizing - some give, not that stretchy, a definitely generous 22, and then there’s the ‘unforgiving’ sizing - no give, no stretch, no elasticated waist etc, a definite 22. For long enough I’ve been at the ‘I’m kidding myself’ stage but I went shopping in my wardrobe and found a couple of tops with no give, a definite 22. Tried both on - they fit!! And they didn’t look like sausage skin!! Very happy dance around the bedroom! I also went out of my comfort zone at the weekend and bought myself a size 22 no-stretch denim maxi skirt. I can fasten it, just, but don’t rate my chances of sitting down and/or breathing in it 😮‍💨 However, I’m keeping it as I know I will fit in to it comfortably at some point. We’re off to London for a few nights in 3 weeks or so, so fingers crossed it may fit a little better by then 🤞🤞 Meds have finally been sorted and delivered, had my Oximetry test last week so hopefully that’s gone well. No Bariatric appointments this week but I have my endoscopy next week plus knee X-rays for my arthritis. Food wise things are going OK. My new favourite thing is Lindhals Stracciatella Kvarg protein yoghurt - oh, I could eat barrels of the stuff! I’ve also tried the Warburtons Protein Power bread as a change to the whole meal. It’s definitely nice as a change but doesn’t want to make me eat lots and lots of it, which is a definite plus! Hope everyone has a great week… Onwards and Downwards!

So close to the 60 lbs. lost mark.... I'm feeling great since my May 1 surgery. Clothes fitting nice and loose, people at work saying "whoa!" Still struggling a bit with hydration. I've been trying to find the perfect protein shake and I invite you to join me on my journey thus far. I'm going to rate them in order for worst to best. This is my opinion only and reflects only what I've tried thus far. I'm not affiliated with any protein powder corps but if someone wants to throw some cash my way for an endorsement, I won't say no. Be advised I don't mix the shakes with anything...just 7-8 oz of cool, clear water. Worst - Avoid at All Costs - Bodytech Whey Protein Isolate. They should call this, "aftertaste with a hint of flavor." I got the Melted Marshmallow and Cookies & Cream flavors in the 1.5 lb tubs. I choked the C&C down but couldn't stomach the marshmallow. Vitamin Shoppe did me a solid and let me exchange the opened tub back for store credit. Your Mileage May Vary - Ghost: The gimmick with Ghost is that they put a little of the flavored stuff in with the mix. That means the Oreo flavor I bought had a few Oreos mixed up in the powder. Not so many that it makes the protein/sugars mix per serving bad, but enough to effect the flavor and make you feel like you're having a forbidden treat. But hang on. For me, the shake (even with just water) was super sweet. Plus, the Oreo bits clump together and make for a chewy gooey swig. Ghost was too much for my newly cut stomach and made me nauseous. Now that I'm a few months past surgery, I can tolerate it somewhat better but it still isn't my favorite in consistency or stomach tolerance. Middle of the Road - Gold Standard: This powder never upset my stomach, mixes well, and is a good mid-range price point. There is a bit of aftertaste but it's not a deal breaker. Flavors are kind of forgettable. Double Rich Chocolate and Cinnamon Roll are safe bets. Getting Better - ISO100: This is a little more expensive than the choices below, you get fewer servings per dollar. You get what you pay for though. This powder mixes up nice and the flavors are pretty good. The Dunkin Glazed Donut was great! Gourmet Chocolate was also a cut above. Best so Far - Transparent Labs: Figures it would be the most expensive brand right? But this powder has been great on my poor stomach. The selling point here is that it's a minimalist powder, there are only 4-5 ingredients compared to the long list of additives you'll see in some of the cheaper brands. No stomach upset at all with this. Flavors are also subdued but pleasant. I've had the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Salted Caramel. Nice taste, not overwhelming. When it's shake time I think to myself, "Ah, this will be nice." rather than "Oh good grief...yeah, let's go choke it down." Ones I Want to Try: If any of you have tried these brands, I'd love to get your take before I shell out money: - Ryse - Gorilla Mode - Clean Simple Eats