Search the Community

I’m going through a divorce. As part of dealing with it all I took a short term contract as a travel nurse for the summer in Boston (Seattle is home). I felt like getting away from the situation and having time & space to clear my head would be the best thing for me. As such, no one here knows I used to weigh nearly 300lbs. A couple nurses and I were at the desk one night shift and one was talking about her patient, whose stats are just about where I was before starting this process. The nurse said something along the lines of “I wonder why she doesn’t look in to one of those surgeries”. The other nurse loudly scoffed and said “Then we’ll just see her in here for problems due to alcohol or drug addiction instead of food addiction”. It was said loudly, unkindly, and with clear bias. I was stunned and walked away. Of course she has no idea of my past. On my way home I thought of so many things I should have/could have said to that nurse to advocate and stand up for that patient, but was caught up in my own feelings of shame about my past weight problem. Ugh. Just when I think I’m doing really well and moving past that, I’m reminded of all the struggles and stigma there is about being overweight.

a couple of ideas - some people become lactose intolerant after surgery (sometimes it's temporary, sometimes it's not...). Also, certain artificial sweeteners can also have that effect on some people - esp sugar alcohols (those with names that end in -itol (xylitol, maltitol, etc)). So could it be something like that? You may have to experiment with giving something up for a few days to see if it makes a difference.

Thank you, yes I need restart I had a bad week snacking on bad foods not exactly overeating but no nutritional value, also had alcohol. I know myself now to get back on track this week tracking food again more protein and water. Thank you Sent from my SM-A505FN using BariatricPal mobile app

Just wanting to share my story and current status at 1 year in. I started the journey in June of 2020 after considering it for years. Having surgery was something that was in the back of my mind for years. I have a co-worker/friend who had gastric bypass about 3 years before me and quite honestly, she is the reason I ended up taking the plunge - Gastric Sleeve was the best choice for ME. Watching her journey and seeing her success motivated me. I appreciated the fact that she was willing to share her experiences both positive and negative. Prior to my meeting with the surgeon, she gave me a ton of insight on what to expect with both positives and negatives. Physically, I knew I was ready for a change. I needed to make sure I was also mentally ready for the change. I WAS! I started with a BMI > 40. I'm currently 80% complete towards my goal. I hoped that I would be at goal by now, but I'm ok that I'm not. Much of that is based on decisions that I've made with regards to how/what I eat and drink. I WILL get these last 20 off and hopefully another 10. I don't know how long it will take, and at this point, I'm not overly concerned if it takes another year. What's my life like now? I can move better,I can buy clothes anywhere, I'm confortable in my own skin (loose that it is!), and I have a newfound confidence in most everything that I do. I eat pretty much anything I want - Just in much smaller quantities. I've been lucky - So far, there's nothing that really upsets my stomach or makes me sick unless I eat too much (has only happened a couple of times). I drink alcohol when I want it - Some weeks I may have a drink or two a day, and then other times, I'll go weeks without a drink. Again, I'm ok with that - it works for me. Some weeks I gain, some weeks I lose. I've been horrible about tracking - However, if I see a gain, I start back just so that I become aware of exactly what is causing it. Again, OK with that. I DO get on the scale often. It works for me. Keeps me accountable. Every once in awhile I get frustrated with the restrictions (OMG, I ordered veal piccata the other day and it was AMAZING - I wished I could eat the whole darned thing at one sitting!!) - However, I choose to look at the upside now on this one - I ate it for 3 days!. Good food choice: NOPE - Worth it: YEP! For those just starting the journey, it isn't always easy - it isn't always fun. For ME, it's the best decision I've ever made for myself. It's definitely not a quick fix and I would encourage anyone who is using food as a coping mechanism to really look deep before you take the plunge. This surgery certainly doesn't "fix" anything like that. it's a tool (and a great one, but remember, the change is only to your stomach, not your brain) - I happen to be one of those people who just loves food, cooking, and the social aspect of it. Having the surgery has allowed me to continue that and still keep me in check with smaller portions. Hope this gives folks some insight into what CAN happen. We're all different and will have different experiences.

It sounds like at least a chunk of this is due to not taking supplements and developing an alcohol and painkiller addiction rather than the surgery itself. I'm sorry that you did not get better advice and support from your surgeon.

Howdy y'all! I'm so sorry I haven't been keeping up on here, things have been a whirlwind! Here I am 6 months post op and some days I can't believe the number on the scale. Guys, I found a journal I kept in high school, maybe junior-ish year and I had noted my weight in the nurse's office from beginning of school weigh in at 256lbs...as I sit and write this, this past week I weighed in at 255.7lbs. I haven't been this light since high school...we are talking uhm....maybe 16 years old, maybe 17? That boggles my mind. My surgeon's goal for me is 193, mine is probably closer to 140-150 if I can get my lazy ass off the couch. It is now summer in Texas and guys, I HATE Texas in the summer, it's like living in hellfires. My dog hates it, I hate it, it's a bad time all around. So now that I've enjoyed being lazy for 6 months(not counting some hiking we did this past spring) it's time to nut up and get my **** together. I am paying money for my Fitbit premium and I have a Wii fit game I really enjoy just lately we have been so slammed at work and so, SO shortstaffed I feel like I live at work and just come home to sleep...My days off are usually spent overwhelmed with how far behind I am with housework, schoolwork(started vet tech school back in February when I had hope), house is filthy, schoolwork hasn't been touched for almost 2 months(I'm doing an online only program) and I am always so tired. But that changes now. Boundaries for how late I stay at work will be set(the clinic closes at 6pm, most techs and doctors leave between 6:30-7pm, for the past I don't know how many weeks the receptionists have had to stay till close to 9pm to finish tasks that we just don't have the time/staff to get to while we are open. So if any of you have been nasty to your vet(and I'm sure some of you have been because people lately have sucked hard ass) you should probably by your vet clinic people food or alcohol...but that's a rant for another day. ANYWAY, back to the matter at hand, my crappy eating and lack of movement. I'm on the band wagon of the "I can have whatever I want in moderation" group but I'm sick of stalling so frequently and my crap food choices so first order of business is to trash the sugar. I know, it's BAD, I know, I quit it prior to surgery and it inched its' way back into my life...time to kill it for good...it isn't even the same "high" I got before surgery it is basically just a habit, my brain tricks me into thinking this time it will be tastier, like it was before that it will make my exhaustion ease some and guess what? It doesn't. It lies. I eat it and I'm still miserable. Step 1: kick sugar to the curb...again. Step 2: Develop some sort of exercise routine that I can enjoy enough to make into a habit, key word is ENJOY. I ENJOY hiking-but preferably in drizzly 40-50 degrees and certainly not in 95 degrees...also, I am inherently lazy even though I KNOW exercise makes me feel good if it is something I enjoy doing. It's gonna be trial and error, but I need to get into shape, going on vacation in the North Carolina mountains in September and I remember what the elevation is like and I am NOT where I need to be to fully enjoy the trails I wanna go on. I digress from most of this, I'm sure some of you are here to see what the last 6 months have been like and if I have regrets etc. The first 2 weeks after surgery physically wasn't the worst thing ever, did it suck? Absolutely, especially when I found out the hard way that while I LOVE my adjustable bed it was to high off the ground for me to get in and out without having to stretch my body...imagine me trying desperately to get my feet to get the floor and sliding while laying on my back but that doesn't work because that stretches my abdomen---and it HURT, well it burned/stung/something and it made me cry a little. Lesson learned, my happy ass slept on my MUCH lower couch for the 2 weeks and I learned to pull myself up to sitting positions from laying down or standing from sitting with nothing but my arms. Each day was gradually better, went to work 2 weeks post op, sitting up straight(not reclining or on an angle but like sitting with decent posture) put tension on my abdomen and work for the 2 days I worked before I had off for Christimas(previously asked off) were exhausting as was my commute to and from work which is an hour each way. However, after coming back from Christmas break(a 5 day reprieve) it was much better and I didn't have much if any problems after that. I don't know if my surgeon is extremely skilled at getting the gas out after they were done with the surgery but I had zero gas pain, just the incisions pulling and burning. No nausea except a little when waking up from surgery and maybe a couple of days post op. Biggest struggles so far: eating the best choices with my work schedule, with my hair loss that was inevitable I did incorporate protein shakes to help make sure I am getting the minimum amount--I shoot for 2 shakes a day, sometimes I make that sometimes not. Water intake. This has been the single hardest thing for me, as someone that routinely drank 100+oz a day and enjoyed flavored waters to struggle to get in around 44oz has been a huge bummer. Exacerbated by that is my stomach is not a morning stomach and has been known to be extra nauseous when I give it water in the morning and it hasn't woken up enough-granted that is me in a nutshell since I am not a fan of mornings but still, really annoying...especially when it tolerates my Java Monster just fine(yes, I drink one a few times a week, just no bubbles). Most flavors of water taste like fake fruit chemicals and I can't really tolerate them for the most part but I did find a couple of products to help minimize dehydration: Hoist which is a premade flavored beverage that touts itself as "IV level hydration" and was apparently made for soliders on the battlefield. I also found Banana Bag powder, basically it is what you would find in a banana bag for iv fluids. The WHO has recognized it as being used for dehydration, decently priced, I stumbled on it on Amazon and loved I could try it by only buying 5 packets or 15 or 30. It is not the tastiest thing, I would say expect it to taste like a VERY salty lemon lime gatorade--MILD hints of the lemon lime. Luckily it is made to be mixed in only 8-10oz of water so it isn't a huge chore to drink it. I look forward to trying it to keep my dehydration migraines at bay when I do hike later this year because those are quite possibly the worst things ever...I KNOW to get rid of it I have to drink but a lot of times at that point I hurt so bad I'm not even thirsty...yuck. Anyway, I have rambled enough, i plan on getting on the forums more to hopefully kickstart my restart on food and exercise and hopefully help others with their journeys. Until next time-could be a couple of days, could be a solid 6 months, Amanda

Also, and this may apply only to a very small percentage of patients, some of us have livers that become highly sensitive to alcohol intake post-surgery. During one weekend, I drank a lot of wine and got very concerned when I went to the bathroom and noticed that my poop was jet black and diarrhea in form (sorry if TMI). I was afraid that this indicated internal bleeding so immediately went to urgent care. They performed blood tests and found that my liver enzymes were very elevated, showing inflammation/injury to the liver. They told me to not drink alcohol at all for awhile and to return in a month. They re-tested and found to my relief that my enzyme results had returned to normal. So I severely restrict my alcohol intake -- only a lite beer maybe twice a week. Nothing else.

I’m getting close to 8 months post op, and I’m not at maintenance yet but getting closer. I drink on occasion, maybe once every few weeks. I’ll have a glass of wine, or part of a beer. I was never a big drinker pre op but I feel like 5 ounces of wine every 2 weeks isn’t going to derail my efforts much. I have to admit I am I am very cautious about drinking too much because of my family history. My parents were one or two glass a night drinkers into their 50s/60s and then after they retired it spiraled out of control. They ended up becoming alcoholics and my mother had multiple strokes as a result of this. She is now wheelchair bound and cannot bathe herself, remember how to eat, etc. My dad has dementia in addition but it’s hard to tell what was caused by the drinking and what is caused by the natural cognitive decline. Their entire life is defined by when they can have their next drink, and they have lost all interest in living outside of it. They will likely die soon, and the last decade of their life has been a miserable existence, for them and honestly for me and my siblings as well. I’m not going to advocate teetotal lifestyle because that is not how I live my life. I just want to entreaty people to please be very careful, especially if you already know you have an addictive personality. I’ve witnessed firsthand smart, caring, highly educated people destroy their lives and relationships with this. My parents will still some days deny that they are alcoholics, as I have to search their house from top to bottom looking for hidden stashes of vodka in water bottles. This isn’t how you want to live your life, trust me.

Avocado. The taste & texture of it seems gross now. I don’t really enjoy alcohol like I did. I have a glass about once a month but often don’t finish the glass.

I would ask your nutritionalist as every plan is different. Mine allowed them in the soft food and “normal” diet stages. I’d stick with something easy to digest and not high in sugar alcohols like many are

Hello! I’m scheduled July 9th for bypass. I’m sure each surgeon is different so do what yours tells you. But mine wants me on a two-week diet prior to surgery in the hopes that I’ll lose 10-15 lbs and help shrink my liver for an easier operation. my nutritionist needs me on two protein shakes a day and one light meal, with some snacks. Salads cauliflower cucumbers etc are unlimited with lite ranch. Some mother snacks were on the list. My clinic is extremely thorough and even gave us a shopping list and discount codes for certain protein shakes and vitamins. They want me to also change behaviors prior to surgery, such as no alcohol, no fizzy waters, hew food extremely thoroughly, so I’m used to it by my surgery date.

I asked a lot of stuff that was pretty much answered in the videos I had to watch (and take tests on) afterwards and in the binder that was sent to me. But these are some of the things I asked (some may seem silly but it was all new to me lol)............. Various types of surgery? Which is best for me? How long does it take? How many days in hospital? How many holes in stomach? Medication after surgery? How many have you performed? Mortality rate? What tests need to be done prior? What makes the surgery work when dieting and exercise never has? Will it fix my PCOS and Insulin Resistance? Does insurance cover all the pre-testing as well as the surgery? Time line of stuff to be done until we get to surgery? What does my Insurance require? Recovery questions: How worried do I need to be about the insides coming undone? Do the staples inside the stomach stay forever or does the stomach sort of mend itself together? OK to get future MRI w/staples (if they remain in the stomach)? How often do I need to worry about getting up and walking as to avoid blood clots? How long after surgery before you can exercise w/bike, swimming, weights, etc.? Hair loss? Will I continue taking my medication as usual? What pain meds, tylenol, etc can I take afterwards? How long after until you can have sex? Post Op What would be my goal weight? I am personally comfortable with ..... (I gave 180). How long will digestion take/how long does it take food to empty from stomach afterwards? What will my stomach capacity be short and long term? Supplements for life? Alcohol use after? Fears Fear of death. Fear of losing too much/looking older. Fear of problems down the road. Right now carbs and sugar stop me from losing weight and whenever I try lose I always know to avoid those foods. Once I have the surgery, will I be able to eat foods that I currently stay away from such as whole wheat, oatmeal, fruits, certain rice, beans, etc. Things that are normally a part of any other persons normal, healthy diet?

Wow! I'm so excited to find you all! I've been struggling and yo-yoing for years. Almost every time I meet a new doctor, one of the first things they ask is if I want to consider WLS. I've always said NO. I really thought I could do it on my own, and I have, several times, but always gain it back and more. Now my knees are bone-on-bone and I am in constant pain. My quality of life stinks and I hate not being able to do even the most "normal" things, like clean my apartment, walk up stairs, etc. I now work at a hospital and have good benefits and noticed on our website that they are offering a virtual info session on their weight loss surgery options. So, I signed up! I found this website by searching about alcohol after WLS! lol . I have a goal for 2023, to do a Mediterranean cruise. I went on one in 2016 when I was about 30 pounds lighter. I was able to walk and get around, but I know it would have been so much better if I wasn't so heavy/morbidly obese. I want to go back and see the places we missed (I travel with my daughters) and I know if I don't get this weight off, I won't be able to do it.

Yes!! And I truly believe this is yet another reason to try to avoid alcohol (at least for me); I tend to pay no heed to the signals of fullness if I have had a cocktail or wine.

You’re doing so well. Congratulations. But I do understand that lethargy that comes when you’ve been so vigilant. Our will power & focus starts to waver & it all just seems to be too hard. I think most of us experience it at some time. As @GummyBearQueen suggested reflecting on your non scale victories can help regain your focus. Are you moving about more easily? Has your health started to improve? Have you dropped clothing sizes? Is it easier to bathe or do your hair? I loved looking at the graph of my weight loss. Watching that line going in a downwards direction was often more motivating than looking at a number on the scales every day. Also reminding yourself why you made your decision to have the surgery helps. Set yourself some staged goals (every time you lose another 20lbs, walk 3 kms, ...) & reward yourself with a new haircut or colour, a spa day, a new accessory or jewellery, etc. when you achieve them. How we feel when we’re full or hungry is different after surgery. One of my learnings was the difference between feeling full & having eaten enough. You don’t necessarily need to be full to have had bough to eat. I still ask myself do I need this bite or just want it. It was a bit of a come to Jesus moment for me. Seems like you’re meeting your water goals, increasing your activity & if you’re meeting your protein goals, you’re already ahead of the game. To begin you are really focussed on your food intake. You’re learning to eat in new ways & it does take a lot of effort to ensure you’re doing the right thing for your plan & for you. I’d like to say in time you won’t be consumed by what you eat (bad pun) but it does get easier. I know what foods I can eat & what ones my tummy doesn’t like all that much (like oily fish or char grilled meats). I’ve worked out what foods I don’t want to eat anymore (processed carbs) & what foods/drinks I’m happy to have less frequently (alcohol) or those I’ll have only on very rare occasions (desserts, cakes, etc.) I used to worry about how much I thought about food but then I realised I used to think a lot about food before surgery. Before surgery I was always thinking about what I could eat & when I could eat again. Now I think about good food choices, the nutritional benefits of a food & if I really need to eat. But it is so worth it.

I just saw another post yesterday that people are peeing less after they lose weight, possibly because their smaller stomachs aren't pressing on their bladders as much. If your urine is not bright/dark yellow and is straw colored or almost clear, you are probably fine. Another thing to consider is how much sodium is in your diet. More salt could cause you to retain water. Also, if you used to have a lot of caffeine or artificial sweeteners or tea or alcohol and no longer do, those all cause more peeing for various reasons, so that could be why you are peeing less.

I don't drink anything other than water. Tea or protein cocoa in the wintertime on occasion. I do not drink alcohol at all. I have not tried Lactaid pills. I may have to try that. Bada beans sound awesome. Where do you get them? I never heard of them. Funny thing is that this nutritionist is from my bariatric surgeons office. TY

Even caffeinated beverages count to your fluid intake. It's outdated thinking that caffeine dehydrates you more than the fluid hydrates you. They've done new research on this. So, if you drink coffee or tea, include this. The only drinks that would NOT count would be alcohol. Have you considered taking lactaid pills with your dairy? For some people that completely solves the problem (you have to take it each time you have dairy). Or drinking lactose free milk? It depends on the person, because some people have a slightly different lactose-related problem. One of my friends can eat dairy just fine as long as she has lactaid pills with it, or uses lactose-free milk, but my neighbor can't have dairy at all. I agree with adding beans if you can digest them, and foods like farro, quinoa, chia seeds, vegan protein powder (it doesn't have dairy - only if you decide to increase protein again), etc. There is also a snack I've found called Bada Bean (I don't think that's the exact name), which is toasted fava beans in different seasonings, and I think they're great. They are high in fiber and have some protein and fat. I agree with others who say to find a different nutritionist, but I would suggest finding one who specializes in bariatric needs. I'm so sorry you had this experience.

Freedom. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy with all the dietary restrictions. For the first time in my life, it's easy to stop eating and drinking. Prior to surgery, a weekend like this would have involved massive amounts of food (as in yesterday we had: lobster mac and cheese, smoked pork, hot dogs, hamburgers, all the sides, beer, and more liquor than you could possibly imagine). Spending the day with famiy and friends would have previously involved me eating all day and a VERY high liklihood of lots of alcohol. Instead, I tasted a little bit of the things that looked/sounded good (one or two bites), had a small cocktail and was very satisfied without feeling deprived. The forced restrictions keep me under control and still allow me to enjoy life without the stress and "shame" of overeating/drinking. Having this surgery has given me the tool that I needed to take control of my life instead of food controlling my life.

I'm not doing a family gathering but a get-together with a bunch of friends who are camping for the weekend. There will be a big horseshoe tournament and lots of alcohol. I plan on bringing my own little cooler with my rations and not having any alcohol. Most of my peeps already know that had my stomach cut on, so I am not concerned. The only one who has commented in a non-positive way a someone who is very big who probably should consider surgery but doesn't want to have affect their lifestyle of upscale food and drink. To each their own... Happy Mem Day!

Officially 9 months post op and I weigh 169lbs at 5’8 1/2. HW 252lbs (January 2020) Pre-op diet starting weight (236lbs on August 14, 2020) SW: 228 (August 27, 2020) CW: 169 Goal Weight (158-163 range) My BMI is currently 24.99 so I’ve finally crossed into what “they” call the normal range! Ha I feel great. I’ve had zero complications. I have not had any alcohol since pre surgery and don’t plan on trying any until at least 1 year post op. (I’ve never been a big drinker but would enjoy the occasional margarita or glass of wine). My surgeon asks his patients to wait a year and I told him I would. I do exercise at least 5 times a week incorporating cardio and strength (arms to try and tighten the loose skin- at age 44 things down bounce back like the used to). I’ve done this since I was 6 weeks post op. I haven’t cut out any foods. I don’t tolerate spicy foods like I used too so I don’t eat a lot of those. I don’t eat a lot of pasta or rice either - I’ll try a bite or put a small servings (think tablespoon) on my plate but I’m still focusing on protein and still aim for 80 grams of protein a day and drink one premier protein shake on most days). Yes I eat carbs and will have mashed potatoes, cookie or piece of cake (everything in moderation right?) Some days I get in 64-72 ounces of water other days I’m lucky if I get 45. For all of those in the fence (I was too), just know you can do it - it’s never too late to get yourself healthy.

most protein bars do have artificial sweeteners, so it could be some artificial sweetener you're reacting to. Sugar alcohols, those whose names end in -itol (like xylitol) are the worst offenders for causing gas and bloating (and sometimes diarrhea) redundant colon is an abnormally long colon. People with this have issues with gas, bloating, and constipation. So that's a possibility as well...

are you reacting to sugar alcohols or some other artificial sweetener? Could you be constipated? Or maybe redundant colon? (I have the latter - they discovered it during a routine colonscopy)

Hi everyone, Just sharing my experience so far of my 2 week pre op liver shrink diet. A week before I cut back in carbs and sugar, but still ate as much of anything else I wanted. On Sunday I started my diet (2days early) and I have to say I feel great so far almost 4 days in. I am allowed 600 calories, but can’t seem to get more then 430 calories in. I drink a protein shake in the Am, one for lunch with a sugar free apple sauce, dinner is 2oz of high protein meat and 1 cup of vegetables. I am allowed as much sugar free jello, popsicles and broth that I want, but I can’t seem to fit anymore after the water and Gatorade zero throughout the day. I walk about 4mi a day. I am noticing a slight drop in my energy today, but nothing bad yet. I still cook for my family whatever they want and then eat my food with them. They hide snacks when they eat lol, but seeing the food doesn’t bother me shockingly. This whole process is very unlike me bc I love food and love to eat so I’m so nervous this honeymoon stage is going to end and hell take over! We will be out of town for a few days at a demolition derby this which means lots of grilling food and alcohol! I have my stuff all packed to eat and plan to walk a ton especially as a distraction from the food. If I can make it through this demo derby party I can do anything lol! Just wanted to share for others to have another perspective on the diet and that it MIGHT not be as horrific as it seems. We shall see...... good luck to you all!