MAY-JUNE-JULY 2020 BYPASSERS UNITE!! Veterans Welcome too!

[Repeatingthoughts 77]

52 minutes ago, WishMeSmaller said:

Hi Bypassers! Pretty quiet on this thread. How is everyone doing? Anyone have anything to brag about? Or gripe about, for that matter?

I am doing well. Exercising pretty much everyday. Getting around 9k steps per day. Went back to work in the clinic after 4+ months of working at home. And I puked up half of my morning meds this morning 🤢😂 I guess I took them too fast and I am still on one blood pressure med that tends to disintegrate before I can swallow it. Yuck!

Hope all of you are out there kicking butt! 💕

Glad to hear from you! That sucks at vomiting. Hope it doesn't happen again. Yassssss @ exercising. Same here, working out feels so much better now lol. I feel so happy knowing this time next year, I will be super healthy.

I have a small NSV. My XL Old Navy shirt, its huge..down to a large woohoo.

Keep pushing everyone! Looking forward to hearing from you all.

[Groovymommy 20]

Hello my fellow bypassers! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm doing great in general, although I've been doing a lot of thinking and confronting some hard truths about myself, my relationship to food, my exercise habits (or maybe I should say LACK of exercise habits), etc.

Firstly, my progress is GREAT. Almost two months and I've lost almost 40 pounds. All my clothes are now 1-2 sizes too big, which is pretty exciting. My weight hasn't been this low in YEARS, like maybe since before I had my daughter in 2006! I'm still obese of course, but damn! I feel so much better and I'm so excited about my progress. It's starting to feel REAL in a way it never has before. Very rewarding.

I have not thrown up at all (knock on wood, etc.) but I have had a few episodes where I was close. This is usually a result of me being stupid and not chewing something well enough. I get a feeling like a rock in my chest, I feel nauseated, and then my mouth starts watering overtime? Ugh, it's triggering to even write about it. Sorry.

On a related note, I find that I don't really enjoy food very much anymore. Even things that I do like, I can only eat a teeny-weeny amount. And my body's way of telling me I'm full is that "rock in the chest" feeling, which kind of sucks. So it's hard to enjoy something I'm eating knowing that as soon as I'm full I'm going to get that unpleasant feeling. Realizing this has me thinking a lot about my relationship to food, and how obsessed with it I used to be. I guess at this point I should be talking to a therapist or going to group therapy or something, but you know - Covid-19 has screwed up everything! So instead I journal and rant here. 😆

And exercise, ugh. I still don't like it, but I'm trying. My energy level is not terrible, but not great either. I get tired really quickly. I'm certainly not getting enough Protein (I am TRYING, but damn). Also my left shoulder is frozen and it hurts like an SOB but as far as I know I'm still not allowed to take the only thing that helps with that, which is ibuprofen. So yeah, poor me, huh? Haha j/k.

Taking my Vitamins? Yes.
Taking my Calcium? Um...yes, but most days only 2/3.
Getting enough water/liquids? I'm probably getting about 70% of what I should.
Getting enough protein? See above, again, about 70%.
Exercising? Hahahahahahahah....does walking the dog count?

How about the rest of you?

[WishMeSmaller 1,273]

@Repeatingthoughts and @Groovymommy! So happy to hear about your progress! The little milestones (like baggy clothes) are all going to add up to big milestones. Groovy, if I don’t have a 30 g Protein Shake per day I struggle to get my Protein in. And I hate the taste of whey protein post-op as it tastes like rotten milk to me. Talked it over with my dietian friend today though, and it really does give the best bang for the space, so I drink it. 🤢 Also, if you haven’t been checking out the food before and after thread, you should. It has really inspired me to get creative with food. I do miss big meals and eating whatever sounded good (I am a major foodie with a bread addiction), but I just ate an amazingly satisfying salad with chicken. I want more because it tastes good, but I have that tell tale pressure at the back of my throat that says no more. If I get that “rock in the chest” feeling, I will be miserable until I puke it up. Yay me 🙄

Let’s just keep on keeping on, bypass buddies!

[AlwaysCruising 100]

12 hours ago, WishMeSmaller said:

@Repeatingthoughts and @Groovymommy! So happy to hear about your progress! The little milestones (like baggy clothes) are all going to add up to big milestones. Groovy, if I don’t have a 30 g Protein Shake per day I struggle to get my Protein in. And I hate the taste of whey Protein post-op as it tastes like rotten milk to me. Talked it over with my dietian friend today though, and it really does give the best bang for the space, so I drink it. 🤢 Also, if you haven’t been checking out the food before and after thread, you should. It has really inspired me to get creative with food. I do miss big meals and eating whatever sounded good (I am a major foodie with a bread addiction), but I just ate an amazingly satisfying salad with chicken. I want more because it tastes good, but I have that tell tale pressure at the back of my throat that says no more. If I get that “rock in the chest” feeling, I will be miserable until I puke it up. Yay me 🙄

Let’s just keep on keeping on, bypass buddies!

Yes, it is quiet. To be super honest, I stopped really looking at the posts here since it was from the start this thread was so strongly dominated by a very few people (some with such frequent or long essays that it seemed to be less sharing and support going on and more heavy reading). I was sleeved in June and would likely have shared more here, but felt I should look elsewhere for support during that crucial time 0-30 days out.

I am so glad to hear that you are doing well 😊

Edited August 13, 2020 by AlwaysCruising

[613cnn 11]

Hi everyone so great to hear how everyone is doing and Celebrate successes

I’m 8 weeks out today, just shy of 23lbs down since surgery and am back in onederland. I had thought I would have lost more but am ultimately happy with the progress. I had read a few studies saying that by 4 months most folks have lost 1/2 of what they are ultimately going to lose so I’m trying to refocus to have the next 8 weeks just as or more successful.

I was progressed to solid foods today - though I admit I’ve been eating some solids prior to today. I’m always surprised by what I can eat and how much - surprised and freaked out sometimes. chicken breast comes right back up, but tacos? Totally fine. Anything that has a slider attached to it... salsa, soft cheese, sauce, etc... well, slides. I eat about 800-900 cals a day, 80-110g Protein, 70+ oz Water and walk between 3-5 miles a day. I am not one of the lucky who lost all hunger- I get hungry, and 2oz of food 3x a day doesn’t cut it. I usually eat 3-4.

I had a bad week when my family came to visit where I snacked - that sucked. So I need to do more work on my head space.

Edited August 14, 2020 by 613cnn

[Lici 7]

Haven’t posted on here in awhile. I am finally starting to get my energy back and feel somewhat normal again. I’m happy with my weight loss, made it to onederland, down 56 lbs in 9.5 weeks.
NSV- I had to reset my saved seat position in my car, I can fit in my upgraded wedding ring again after it being too tight for the past five years, Had to tighten my berks since my feet have narrowed, and of course the extreme bagginess of most of my clothes.

Still struggling with Water and Protein, two trips to the emergency room and a hospital stay later and I’m working harder on my water. 😀

Glad to see so many of you doing great!

[AlwaysCruising 100]

14 hours ago, 613cnn said:

Hi everyone so great to hear how everyone is doing and Celebrate successes

I’m 8 weeks out today, just shy of 23lbs down since surgery and am back in onederland. I had thought I would have lost more but am ultimately happy with the progress. I had read a few studies saying that by 4 months most folks have lost 1/2 of what they are ultimately going to lose so I’m trying to refocus to have the next 8 weeks just as or more successful.

I was progressed to solid foods today - though I admit I’ve been eating some solids prior to today. I’m always surprised by what I can eat and how much - surprised and freaked out sometimes. chicken breast comes right back up, but tacos? Totally fine. Anything that has a slider attached to it... salsa, soft cheese, sauce, etc... well, slides. I eat about 800-900 cals a day, 80-110g Protein, 70+ oz Water and walk between 3-5 miles a day. I am not one of the lucky who lost all hunger- I get hungry, and 2oz of food 3x a day doesn’t cut it. I usually eat 3-4.

I had a bad week when my family came to visit where I snacked - that sucked. So I need to do more work on my head space.

I think of you being more typical than those with huge losses early statistically speaking as you are more typical than those big losers are. I am 7 weeks out and have lost 28 lb and that is quite on target for my starting weight and BMI. I also had hunger and my surgeon said about 1/2 of patients do (and nooooo I am not talking about head hunger). I also could eat 6 oz from early on and now eat most days 700-800 cal per day - the NUT said that wasn’t bad that I felt so little nausea. That was a very long phase of purée for you and those foods tend to be more caloric and that couldn’t have helped. But calorie wise many of us are the same.

I too was disappointed initially and surprised by all the things you bring up as surprising you. I am not sure it always helps to see all the bragging kind of posts online, unusually large losses may make you feel like you are doing something wrong even if you aren’t. 😊 Good luck on your journey! ♥️

Edited August 15, 2020 by AlwaysCruising

[Groovymommy 20]

Based on everything I've read, plus discussions with my nutritionist and my surgeon's staff, the post-surgery weight loss is completely different for everyone. Some people lose a ton of weight really fast, others lose very slowly. The important thing is, fast or slow, it's still weight loss. Those of us who have lost quickly are going to slow down eventually, and we're all in it for the long haul. Honestly, losing quickly worries me a little bit, because I know I'm losing some muscle mass as well as fat. That's why it's really important for me to improve my Protein intake as well as starting some strength-building exercise.

My weight now is the lowest it's been since before I had my daughter in 2006, but I'm still a long way from Onederland. Gotta keep keepin' on!

BTW I finally figured out a way to get a big dose of protein every day that I actually enjoy. Iced protein coffee!

10 oz of skim milk (or whatever milk you like)
1 scoop of Isopure (or any brand) unflavored protein powder
1 teaspoon of instant coffee
1 tablespoon of flavored coffee creamer

Throw all that in a Blender Bottle, shake the hell out of it, then pour over ice. You could also blend it with ice to turn it into a frappuccino-type drink.

Nutrition info: 240 cal, 2g fat, 20 g carbs, 20g sugars*, 35 g protein

*These are mostly the sugars in milk, which are not simple sugars and do not cause dumping syndrome etc. You can cut about 5g of sugar by using sugar-free or unflavored Creamer, but I love my vanilla creamer.

[Lanie992 168]

11 hours ago, Lici said:

Still struggling with Water and Protein, two trips to the emergency room and a hospital stay later and I’m working harder on my Water. 😀

Glad to see so many of you doing great!

Yikes @ 2 trips to the ER... I am having issues with getting my water in, not protein.. but that scares me so much. Don't want to have to go to the ER.

On 8/12/2020 at 9:08 PM, WishMeSmaller said:

I do miss big meals and eating whatever sounded good (I am a major foodie with a bread addiction), but I just ate an amazingly satisfying salad with chicken. I want more because it tastes good, but I have that tell tale pressure at the back of my throat that says no more. If I get that “rock in the chest” feeling, I will be miserable until I puke it up. Yay me 🙄

Let’s just keep on keeping on, bypass buddies!

Have you tried Aldi's 1 net carb bread? I felt it was very bland at first, but I am getting acclimated to it and actually enjoy it now. It is nowhere near good as regular bread but it does sate my craving for bread.

I use one slice and have an egg with cheese. There are two varieties: wheat and multiseed. I bought both and prefer the wheat.

16 hours ago, 613cnn said:

I was progressed to solid foods today - though I admit I’ve been eating some solids prior to today. I’m always surprised by what I can eat and how much - surprised and freaked out sometimes. chicken breast comes right back up, but tacos? Totally fine.

Taco meat has been super easy for me since week 3... (I was still in the puree stage so I pureed it a bit but not enough to look like dog food). I made tacos last night -- I use half of a low-carb Mission tortilla or the Ole Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Low Carb Tortilla Wraps. I used to eat chicken like 5 times a week before the sleeve.. and I've had a tougher time with it too. It doesn't come up, but it just sort of sits there.. I barely eat it now. I actually do better with sirloin steaks than chicken... which I know some people have issues with steak but I do well with it, but not chicken.... strange.

If you shred the chicken -- it does make it easier to get down.

[Lici 7]

3 hours ago, Lanie992 said:

Yikes @ 2 trips to the ER... I am having issues with getting my Water in, not protein.. but that scares me so much. Don't want to have to go to the ER.

Scared me too! Both times were for dehydration. The first time I could’ve just gone to my doctors for fluids but I didn’t know that. The second time I was severely dehydrated and extremely low on potassium causing severe nausea as well. That was a week ago. They also ended up doing a swallow test that showed no issue, which actually made me feel at ease. Since then I’ve been improving my water and Protein intake and feeling so much better.

Just pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you and you’ll be fine.😎

[Lanie992 168]

3 hours ago, Lici said:

Scared me too! Both times were for dehydration. The first time I could’ve just gone to my doctors for fluids but I didn’t know that. The second time I was severely dehydrated and extremely low on potassium causing severe nausea as well. That was a week ago. They also ended up doing a swallow test that showed no issue, which actually made me feel at ease. Since then I’ve been improving my Water and Protein intake and feeling so much better.

Just pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you and you’ll be fine.😎

What were your symptoms & what prompted you to go to the ER? I went to an emergency clinic once for dehydration from a stomach virus a long time ago... my legs literally would not work. I could not walk. I crawled it was so bad.

Hope things get easier for you (and me too lol).

Edited August 15, 2020 by Lanie992

[MaybeMeow 129]

On 8/11/2020 at 6:18 AM, tarotcardreader said:

Meow here is an article on limb lengths https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00464-002-8933-4 i sAw you mentioned it earlier

Thank you!! This was fascinating. And contradicted what my surgeon said about the shorter bypass slowing the loss. I do find it interesting that the study didn't address the negative side effects of losing weight and whether those symptoms differed with the shorter vs longer bypass. Thanks again so much for sharing!! It makes me want to dig deeper.

[MaybeMeow 129]

On 7/26/2020 at 7:09 PM, 613cnn said:

I’ve had a bizzare week. I’m not getting on the scale until this Friday but I suspect I haven’t lost much. I’ve been craving a ton of bad things and feel like I’m eating too much... and then apparently got a severe gout attack in my wrist / hand. I have never had gout, doesn’t run in my family, and never heard of this as an issue. But apparently it’s somewhat common? Has anyone else has this?

omg the pain was horrible. Event went to the ER and cried for an hour. A full hour. No injury to my hand, Uric acid was low, but since we can’t take anti-inflammatories I got a 3 day dose of steroids and was told to “just watch it”. So I got that going for me. Lol

@613cnn how is your wrist? I've read about the gout and bypass. SO WEIRD. Why is it more common with bypassers? Hope you have relief now. How's everything else going?

[MaybeMeow 129]

Hi Gang! So good to read your recent posts and catch up. I've been away for a couple weeks navigating life and wanted to pop back in and read and update.

Boy can I relate to ALL the recent posts. Like others my hunger is back. Not terrible but since it was gone for about 7 weeks I certainly notice it's return. It causes me to eat too fast and then I too experience that ROCK ON THE CHEST feeling. I find I have to go walk in my backyard and gently twist at the waist to find relief after nearly every meal. The twisting and holding briefly at the waist while walking seems to help move the food or gas along a bit. You might try it if you're struggling like I am. Hope it helps!

Like @Groovymommy I'm not exercising enough. I do walk for 30 minutes every evening. But it's easy and time for me to dial it up with some weights and harder cardio.

Really inspiring to hear about your weight losses! I'm progressing at my slower rate and pep-talking myself into believing it's right for me. I'm 9.5 weeks post op and have lost 25.5 pounds. Hoping to say 26 pounds gone by this Tuesday at 10 weeks post. I will say my greatest joy is my daily 1 cup of Fairlife 2% chocolate milk mixed with cold brew coffee and a little whipped cream. There's no doubt it increases my hunger and the Constipation but I've decided it's worth it. YUM!

Also started taking Senna. Two pills right before bed and it helps keep me regular with no side effects at all. The colace was starting to make me nauseous and so I was very happy to discover the senna. Give it a try if you're struggling. Very gentle.

I'm getting between 60-70 Protein a day. Hit 48 oz of Water daily despite by best efforts at more. And get about 800 calories a day. I know my daily carbs are a little high. My nut recommended under 40. I try and keep them at 60. And never higher than my protein. But I just can't give up that Fairlife and coffee with whip.

As far as deep analysis... I've been doing some too. I sure do relate to the discoveries that come from not loving much food anymore. The desire for it is like a drug. The lack of satisfaction from it is like a little nagging whisper in my ear. I do see how other addictions can become an issue. Carbs taste good and go down well but I can only eat very little or I feel sick. And everything else is harder to digest. I think acknowledging those feelings of dissatisfaction is helping me manage them. I still see my eating like "rewards". I get those protein grams and drink that water so I can have my carb treats. I'm afraid I'm just wired that way. But really admire those who find joy in healthier things.

Let me state here to make it official that I plan to kick UP the exercise starting now! My first WL goal is 60 pounds and at 25 i'm nearly halfway. Time to dial it up.

So great to hear from you all. Keep popping in, Bypassers, let's help inspire one another! ONWARD!!

Edited August 16, 2020 by MaybeMeow

[Lanie992 168]

I just realized this was for BYPASSERS, not all WLS. It only was in caps in the title....and I still missed it. 🙄

Sorry for posting in the wrong thread.