Experiencing Depression and Anxiety

[banksdea 10]

I am almost 1 month post op and I am starting to get depressed with feelings of regret. I was working out daily then my energy got low. I still make an effort to walk at least 5 days a week to keep some type of physical activity. I feel bloated all the time and it frustrates me how I can't drink Water as freely as I used to. I almost vomited from drinking too fast, which really wasn't fast but rather normal pace. I love Water and having to sip on it and still struggle to get in the recommended daily amount has been mentally hard to adjust to. I'm starting to get dehydrated and constipated due to not getting enough water in.

I feel sad not being able to enjoy a nice proportion sized meal with my family. After a few bites, I feel bloated and full. I wish I would've did more research on the psychological effects after getting bariatric surgery.

I wonder will I have to sip on water and possibly feel bloated often for the rest of my life now. I also knew I had to take Vitamins daily, but now that I'm in the routine and knowing that I run a very high risk of being malnourished if I don't take them is depressing. Most of the liquid and chewable vitamins that's recommended make me nauseous.

Enough though I heard bad reviews about the lapband, I wish I had gotten it that way I could reverse my decision if I wanted to. Getting the sleeve is a done deal and I was I could supernaturally get my normal stomach back and hire a personal trainer and nutritionist.

I have been searching for a therapist to help me cope with life after getting sleeved. I felt fine emotionally the first two weeks, but now things are getting tough to adjust to. Groups like these have been helpful so far. Has any one else experienced similar feelings? Did things get better?

[Bluesea71 698]

The first few weeks, or even months post-surgery are the hardest as your tummy is swollen and you are adapting to a new lifestyle. What I can tell you is that it gets better with time. In fact, I'm now 14 months out and while I still have restriction, it is nowhere compared to where it was in the beginning. I can eat almost anything and yes, you will be able to chug Water again at some point! As difficult as it is right now, embrace this period as this is the time where you have the opportunity to lose the majority of your weight. It gets more difficult to lose the weight as time goes on, especially as you able to eat solid food.

Experiment with different Vitamins. Both regular and chewable vitamins still make me sick. I found some melt away Vitamins by Nature Made that I love! They taste like candy.< /p>

Do you really wish you had the lap band? Having to get shots in the stomach the rest of your life and struggling to find that "sweet spot" of restriction? Having it possibly dig into your stomach? Feeling/seeing that port under your skin? Throwing up if you eat too much? No thanks. I can't even tell I have the sleeve at this point. It limits how much I can eat but that's it. And as far as how much I can eat, that's increased with time.

Personally I think losing weight is the easy part in the journey. The emotional part is difficult for many of us. I adapted easily to a new lifestyle post-surgery, but I still struggle with accepting my new body at goal weight. The boards of Bariatric Pal are a great resource for support. You may also consider therapy to address specific issues coming up for you.

Hang in there. We are here to support you.

[Miss Mac 6,262]

If your bariatric team's plan is similar to mine you will be transitioning from soft foods to regular cooked meats and non-starchy veggies in a few days. That made all the difference for me, to be able to taste and enjoy familiar flavors and textures and having a little something to chew.

It is a shame how are lives are structured around meals and entertainment that involves meals. Hopefully you will gradually become comfortable with the reality that even before we had our surgeries, our bodies did not need nearly as much food as we were eating to survive, I use the word "food" loosely because I know that most of what I was eating could only be called "edible products' made in a factory.

We are constantly bombarded with food porn and lovely enticing advertising telling us how much we would enjoy a greasy Big Mac and fries, a sugary piece of birthday cake, or that big bag of salty pretzles. Did you know that commercial frosting, like what they use is store bakeries is mostly shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Would you sit down and eat a can of shortening?

So I finally figured out that all I was missing was grease, sugar, and salt. Since I have been eating real foods (things you can pick, dig, and chase) my health has greatly improved . Now I know what real food taste like and I enjoy it that way. Because I lost a hunk of weight, I am more flexible and can be more involved in my own life. I can even get down on the floor and play with my grandchildren.

You will find as time passes and your weight drops, that you have not lost yourself, but are discovering yourself and the potential that you did not know was hiding behind the excess weight that was making you miserable.

Why in the world would my 5'4" small framed body need a full plate of buffet food, second helpings of everything laden with salt and butter, plus a dessert or two? Oh, don't forget that I was washing it all down with a quart of soda.

Now I can eat three ounces of meat and a small helping of two non-starchy veggies. If I have a dessert later, it will be an apple and not apple pie a la mode, maybe with a second helping of that, too.

The amount of food I used to eat was rediculous. I found out that I feel waaaaaay better on less food, and I am not deprived at all. We had a cookout here at our house last summer and I ate 1/2 a grilled burger, a small piece of chicken, some sliced Tomato, and some fresh fruit salad later. I passed on the roasted corn, potato chips, and cupcakes, and nobody paid any attention or even cared.

Don't be so hard on yourself. As you get further along in your recovery you will develop ways to eat in a group without feeling so conspicuous. Scoot around the internet and find paleo. primal, low carb, Atkins versions of your favorite healthy foods. Unless they are a bunch of crude no-goodnics, your family is not going to hold your mouth open and shove macaroni and cheese down your throat.

Make skewers of cheese cubes cherry tomatoes, and a slice of dill or sweet pickle. Get creative and adjust your foods to fit you. For family gatherings, offer to bring something you can eat that they would enjoy, too.

For recipes, this forum has a recipes sub-forum. Explore Sparkpeople, Marks Daily Apple, and the World According to Eggface - all great resources.

I can drink Water maybe three ounces at a time, then I have to wait a few minutes before I drink some more. I am going through around 100 ounces a day.

If you can become a great conversationalist, you can carry the talk while others load their bellies. I don't think you will miss the bloat and reflux all that much. Chin up, now. You will make it through this. We are here to support you.

[gabrielafig 0]

Hey just to let you know I am about 6 weeks post-op and have good days and bad days. Surgery affects our hormones in a very drastic way, and we are doing our best to adjust. I completely understand your frustration but once your body adjusts you will feel better. My doctor compared the hormonal change to that of being pregnant. Made me feel a lot better I wasn't alone and this was a very common occurrence post-op. I just try to take things day by day, and if I'm having a depressed day I'm honest with myself and I don't beat myself up. I just attribute it to being part of the process and allow myself to take a nap or sleep in or isolate myself and then the next day I usually feel better. Best of luck- everything will get better

[banksdea 10]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I'm still going to seek out a therapist and support group. I pray this daily bloating will subside. I don't want to be dependent on laxatives either because with the bloating comes Constipation.

[amoreno 31]

Dear banksdea - were you depressed before surgery? We're you an emotional eater? Because everything is an adjustment! However regret is a waste of your emotional strength. NO Going back. STAND TALL - Never say die!!!!!!!!!!!! You are stronger than you know!

[DebiDoo 12]

Hi..I am scheduled for June 2nd. I am nervous because I do have anxiety. I'm afraid it will get bad after and the hormones are going crazy. I see a therapist already,and am hoping I don't have horrible problems after.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@banksdea ...

How you feel early on is just that ... how you feel early on, not forever. In time, your stomach will heal, you'll suffer a lot less from the toxins / hormones (which are currently flooding into your body as you lose weight rapidly these early months), you'll be able to eat more good veggies and fruits with Fiber, which will resolve your Constipation problems down the road with more Fiber. It may take months or even a year for all these things to even out for you.

And in the meantime, I strongly endorse your instinct to seek psychological support in the form of a counselor / support group. It's good to know we're not alone in all these WLS changes that unsettle us.

What's REALLY tough to confront is just how badly we were eating pre-op and how badly everybody else in our lives is still eating. Like @@Miss Mac says, eating lots of crappy food made us not only fat, but unhealthy. Part of what you're now feeling is the waste products from all those toxins stored in your body fat that are now flooding your body.

The longer I go post-op (I'm 9 months, 1 week post-op and already at goal), the more I continue to learn about nutrition. I now understand that I had NO idea how badly I was feeding my body pre-op. I needed a lot more healthy veggies and fruits and whole grains and healthy Protein (both plant and animal) than I was eating.

At this point, anything that comes in a box from the grocery store is suspect. If you read food labels you'll find processed foods are full of sodium (preservatives), corn sugar, and artificial flavorings.

Sorry for the rant ... it's just really hitting me lately how my body deserved a lot better nutrition than our culture and our food industries encourage us to eat.

I'm really rather surprised that I'm turning into a bit of a nutrition enthusiast. As I said, I really did not understand earlier what my body needed and deserved.

Live and learn.

[banksdea 10]

@ amoreno I was not depressed like this before surgery. I'm gonna focus on foods high in fiber to rid me of the bloating. All this dairy Protein is causing the bloat.

[amoreno 31]

Perhaps you could switch to a soy or almond milk for one of your shakes? It would cut down on the diary Protein. Don't be depressed - I know that's easy for me to say, but you are just beginning. Don't give up!

[nancynew 198]

If your bariatric team's plan is similar to mine you will be transitioning from soft foods to regular cooked meats and non-starchy veggies in a few days. That made all the difference for me, to be able to taste and enjoy familiar flavors and textures and having a little something to chew.

It is a shame how are lives are structured around meals and entertainment that involves meals. Hopefully you will gradually become comfortable with the reality that even before we had our surgeries, our bodies did not need nearly as much food as we were eating to survive, I use the word "food" loosely because I know that most of what I was eating could only be called "edible products' made in a factory.

We are constantly bombarded with food porn and lovely enticing advertising telling us how much we would enjoy a greasy Big Mac and fries, a sugary piece of birthday cake, or that big bag of salty pretzles. Did you know that commercial frosting, like what they use is store bakeries is mostly shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Would you sit down and eat a can of shortening?

So I finally figured out that all I was missing was grease, sugar, and salt. Since I have been eating real foods (things you can pick, dig, and chase) my health has greatly improved . Now I know what real food taste like and I enjoy it that way. Because I lost a hunk of weight, I am more flexible and can be more involved in my own life. I can even get down on the floor and play with my grandchildren.

You will find as time passes and your weight drops, that you have not lost yourself, but are discovering yourself and the potential that you did not know was hiding behind the excess weight that was making you miserable.

Why in the world would my 5'4" small framed body need a full plate of buffet food, second helpings of everything laden with salt and butter, plus a dessert or two? Oh, don't forget that I was washing it all down with a quart of soda.

Now I can eat three ounces of meat and a small helping of two non-starchy veggies. If I have a dessert later, it will be an apple and not apple pie a la mode, maybe with a second helping of that, too.

The amount of food I used to eat was rediculous. I found out that I feel waaaaaay better on less food, and I am not deprived at all. We had a cookout here at our house last summer and I ate 1/2 a grilled burger, a small piece of chicken, some sliced Tomato, and some fresh fruit salad later. I passed on the roasted corn, potato chips, and cupcakes, and nobody paid any attention or even cared.

Don't be so hard on yourself. As you get further along in your recovery you will develop ways to eat in a group without feeling so conspicuous. Scoot around the internet and find paleo. primal, low carb, Atkins versions of your favorite healthy foods. Unless they are a bunch of crude no-goodnics, your family is not going to hold your mouth open and shove macaroni and cheese down your throat.

Make skewers of cheese cubes cherry tomatoes, and a slice of dill or sweet pickle. Get creative and adjust your foods to fit you. For family gatherings, offer to bring something you can eat that they would enjoy, too.

For recipes, this forum has a recipes sub-forum. Explore Sparkpeople, Marks Daily Apple, and the World According to Eggface - all great resources.

I can drink Water maybe three ounces at a time, then I have to wait a few minutes before I drink some more. I am going through around 100 ounces a day.

If you can become a great conversationalist, you can carry the talk while others load their bellies. I don't think you will miss the bloat and reflux all that much. Chin up, now. You will make it through this. We are here to support you.

Well said.... You were responding to someone else but boy oh boy that was very helpful to me also. Thanks a bunch. ????

[LadyPullings 94]

I have been soooo moody it's crazy! My hubby said I seem really isolated since I had surgery but I think it's bcuz my tolerance is really low so I'd just rather be alone and not be bothered! Hopefully this passes for me and you as well!