I am going to have Gastirc By-Pass surgery...

[ssatterly]

Hey all, everyone seems to really be doing great on their weight loss. I have a quick question for the bypass group. How much food do you eat at one sitting? 1/2 cup, 1 cup, more, less? I just find it interesting that even though we had the same surgery other parts of it are handled different according to who our doctors are. So, for those that don't mind answering, it's just to satisfy my curiousity. Have a good one,

Sue

 

 

About 3 oz or so at a time for me!

[morgan1312]

Hey all, everyone seems to really be doing great on their weight loss. I have a quick question for the bypass group. How much food do you eat at one sitting? 1/2 cup, 1 cup, more, less? I just find it interesting that even though we had the same surgery other parts of it are handled different according to who our doctors are. So, for those that don't mind answering, it's just to satisfy my curiousity. Have a good one,

Sue

 

Sue, I would say I eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup at each meal and have about 5-6 meals a day, 2 of which are 3 oz of yogurt. However, I have been drinking a 17 oz protein shake for lunch lately. It takes me from about 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM to finish the whole thing. My doctor says to eat 1/2 - 1 cup at a time.

 

One thing I've noticed, if I have any bread, pasta, potatoes or rice (all of which I know I'm not supposed to be eating), I get full much sooner than usual, like after about 5 bites I'm done if 1 or 2 of the bites were those things.

 

I don't mind your questions, just remember that we're all different and what works for one may not work for another.

 

Janet

[tbrown]

Sue, I would say I eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup at each meal and have about 5-6 meals a day, 2 of which are 3 oz of yogurt. However, I have been drinking a 17 oz protein shake for lunch lately. It takes me from about 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM to finish the whole thing. My doctor says to eat 1/2 - 1 cup at a time.

 

One thing I've noticed, if I have any bread, pasta, potatoes or rice (all of which I know I'm not supposed to be eating), I get full much sooner than usual, like after about 5 bites I'm done if 1 or 2 of the bites were those things.

 

I don't mind your questions, just remember that we're all different and what works for one may not work for another.

 

Janet

 

Where do you get your protein shake recipes. I have heard of a few places to get protein but I am having a hard time handling the non flavored thick taste no matter what I put it in. I get my surgery date Monday

[morgan1312]

Where do you get your protein shake recipes. I have heard of a few places to get protein but I am having a hard time handling the non flavored thick taste no matter what I put it in. I get my surgery date Monday

 

I don't really use recipes, the 17oz ones I'm drinking now are ready to drink EAS myoplex.

I like the 17 oz as opposed to the 11 oz cause it has a screw cap so I can drink some and save the rest in my cooler for later.

 

I've mixed different brands with 1% milk or soy milk sometimes throwing in strawberries or bananas. A friend of mine is mixing it with yogurt and likes that alot, she's using the Dannon light and fit yogurts. I've mixed 1/2 scoop with cold water in the blender then put it in my coffee, only problem with that is it cools the coffee too much. I happen to like all of the chocolate brands I've tasted, both Whey protein and Soy protein. I think you just have to keep trying different ones till you find one you like.

 

The unflavored one I have right now I add to water and a packet of 4C morning orange or fruit punch, it tastes like a creamsicle to me. The biggest thing is you have to use a blender or special cup to mix it, otherwise you get a lot of lumps.

 

My surgeon told me to make sure I'm eating fruits and veggies, so I'm going to stock up on all the fresh produce available here in South Jersey and use my juicer to make juice then throw it in the blender with some unflavored protein and see how that goes.

 

I've also heard of someone mixing cottage cheese, sugar free peaches with a little of the juice from the peaches and unflavored protein. I guess you would put the juice and protein in the blender then add that to the peaches and cottage cheese.

 

The website for UNJURY has samples for 1.75 a piece, they also make a chicken soup protein, I'm going to try that.

 

The website for CELEBRATE vitamins sent me samples of various flavors when I ordered a container of chocolate and some vitamins.

 

The leader of my support group often brings samples to the meetings for us to try.

 

Hope your surgery date is soon!

Janet

[STAM]

Where do you get your protein shake recipes. I have heard of a few places to get protein but I am having a hard time handling the non flavored thick taste no matter what I put it in. I get my surgery date Monday

 

I like vanilla flavored protein because I can easily add to it to adjust the flavor. Torani sugar free syrups are great for sweetening and adjusting flavor. Go to http://www.vitalady.com and order some samples before you commit to one large container of protein. Also, visit http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/06/my-favorite-protein-shake-recipes.html for some tried and true protein shake recipes.

 

Good luck!

Sherri

[ssatterly]

I have lost another size!!. I am now in a size 16 from a 24!

[STAM]

I have lost another size!!. I am now in a size 16 from a 24!

 

Congratulations!!!

[kanitter]

Ssatterly and Janet, thanks for answering my question. I was just curious as my niece also had the bypass done and she eats a cup at a time. There is no way I could do that, I would pop!:rolleyes:. Good going on losing another size ssatterly!!. And for those interested I would definetly try Unjury's chicken soup protein. It really is good. So far it's the only one that doesn't gag me. Tbrown, good luck on your upcoming surgery, I know the time seems to drag until it gets here. Keep up the good work everyone, and have a good one,

Sue

[sherry7]

Hello everyone, and congrats to committing to a healthier lifestyle! :)

 

I had a laproscopic RNY in May 2008....my 13 month anniversary is actually tomorrow. I have lost 123.2 lbs so far, and I'm only 1.8 lbs away from my goal weight. I was previously wearing size 24 pants and 2x shirts. Now, I am wearing either size 6 or 8 jeans and either size small or medium shirts (depending on how they're made). I have made a promise to myself that I'll NEVER wear pants with an elastic waist again. :p Everything else shrank too...most of my shoes are now too big, all of my rings had to be resized, even my bracelets are big on me, and my necklaces are too long. Oh, and let's not forget about the "girls", lol. I've went from a 46DD to a 36C. :eek:

 

Besides losing most of my excess weight, I've lost a few other things along the way....I no longer have to take high blood pressure medicine or high cholesterol medicine. My CPAP machine for sleep apnea is a thing of the past. In addition, my excrutiating foot pain is 95% gone. I was only 37 when I had the surgery last year, but I felt like I was 30 years older. I'm so happy with how my health has improved, and how much better I feel now.

 

There's been a bit of talk about complications on this thread. Fortunately, mine have been relatively minor. I had to have my gallbladder taken out 3 months ago, and I have had some problems with my B-12, potassium, and iron levels. Those have improved greatly in the last few months with the proper supplementation, and are now within normal range. In addition, I lost about 1/2 of my hair. That was the most distressing thing of all for me. I'm happy to say that most of it has grown back in though. That being said, there are people who have serious complications from this surgery. That is something that everyone considering this surgery needs to seriously consider. In my case, I figured that the health problems stemming from being obese were going to drive me to an early grave anyway, so I was willing to take the small risk involved with the surgery. Oh, and one more complication I almost forgot about....I became lactose intolerant after surgery. That's a fairly common side effect of the RNY. Fortunately, I was still able to eat yogurt and cheese, because of the different type of good bacteria in those foods. I had to be really careful about my choice of protein powders, as alot of them have lactose in them. In the last couple of months, I am now able to tolerate small quantities of skim or 2% milk, so I think it's something that some people will eventually "outgrow".

 

For anyone considering surgery, I highly recommend reading the book "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies". I think everyone who has surgery should be required to read that book, because it really tells you what to expect both before, during, and after. In addition, there are some good online support forums. I frequent www.thinnertimesforum.com Another good one is www.obesityhelp.com

 

Someone else mentioned about eating more than the recommend 60 grams of protein a day. I definitely agree with that. I try to get in at least 80 grams a day, but usually end up at around 95-100 grams. I very seldom have protein shakes at this point, as I'm able to get a adequate amount of protein by eating lean meats, fish, eggs, Fage 2% Greek yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, low fat cheeses, edamame, etc. Most of my food intake consists of those lean proteins, along with some veggies and fruit. (And of course, at least 64 oz of water a day.) I try to keep my starchy carbs (bread, pasta, rice, crackers, potatoes, corn, etc) down to 1 serving a day. I track my daily intake of food at www.thedailyplate.com . It takes me about 5-10 minutes a day, and really helps keep me on track.

 

I haven't taken a cruise since my surgery, but I'm really looking forward to my next one. I know that there are plenty of healthy choices for me, both in the dining room and the buffet. As long as I can keep myself away from the desserts, I'll do great! :) (I don't dump, so my willpower is going to have to be really good!)

 

For those of you still searching for the "perfect" protein drink...don't give up! Protein is SO important. I didn't get nearly enough for the first 3 months or so, and I think that's why I lost so much hair. I finally found a few that I like: Nectar Syntrax Fuzzy Navel mixed with orange Crystal Light (instead of plain water), Optimum Nutrition Any Whey unflavored (my favorite...it's heat stable so you can mix it with hot things too, like oatmeal, coffee, etc, or just use it in a frozen fruit smoothie), and BSN Lean Dessert Chocolate Fudge Pudding mix (that one is sinfully good when blended with 8 oz of skim milk or soy milk and a few ice cubes). www.vitalady.com sells sample packs of many different proteins...definitely better than wasting $25 - $30 on a whole tub of something you don't like. When buying your protein, always look at the ingredients and make sure Whey Protein Isolate is the main ingredient. For reasons that are beyond my ability to explain, we absorb that type better because of the amino acid profile. Other types of protein are Whey Protein Concentrate and Collagen Protein, but we don't absorb those types nearly as well.

 

If you absolutely can't find a protein powder that you tolerate, you need to get it in through your food intake. For those of us further out like me, that's easy to do by eating meat, fish, etc. For those earlier out, try fat free cottage cheese, fat free ricotta cheese (add almond extract and Splenda for a sweet treat), eggs or Egg Beaters, and Fage 2% Greek yogurt (plain, not the type with fruit). That particular yogurt is a little hard to find, but it has 17 grams of protein per container (as compared with the typical 5-8 grams in most yogurt). Trader Joes also sells their store brand of Greek yogurt, which is nearly as good. Greek yogurt has a different taste to it...kind of like sour cream. (I actually use it for a sour cream substitute in dips, etc.) Most people don't like it plain, but add some type of flavoring like sugar free jelly or diced fruit, Splenda, etc.

 

Someone asked how much food we're able to eat at one sitting. Early out, it was hardly anything for me. But as time goes by, I am having to be very careful about the quantitiy I eat. (I weigh and/or measure absolutely everything now.) If I'm eating meat or fish, I'm full after 4 oz. If it's something softer like cottage cheese or yogurt, I can easily eat 8 oz if I let myself. Soup goes right through my pouch, so I really have to be careful to not eat too much of that. Last week, I ate an entire Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken salad with Fat Free Italian dressing, and didn't feel overly full. For me, it really depends on the texure of the food. The more dense it is, the fuller I get. That is why I'm so careful to weigh/measure all of my food, because I'm naturally able to eat more at this stage. My digital kitchen scale is my best friend, lol.

 

I remember being told before surgery that I'd have a "honeymoon period" of 6 to 12 months, during which it would be really easy to lose weight. I didn't truly understand that phrase until the last 3 or 4 months. I now know that I am going to have to be very diligent for the rest of my life, or I'll gain back every pound of what I lost.

[ssatterly]

I have now ost 58lbs!!!!! WOW. I am 2 lbs away from 1/2 way to my goal of 140!!!!

[kanitter]

Welcome Sherry and thanks for your input and congratulations on your weight loss. Congrats to you also ssatterly.:D Isn't it great to get on the scale and see a loss instead of a gain. To me it still seems unbelieveable after all these years spent going up and down. Keep up the good work everyone and have a good one,

Sue

[ssatterly]

Welcome Sherry and thanks for your input and congratulations on your weight loss. Congrats to you also ssatterly.:D Isn't it great to get on the scale and see a loss instead of a gain. To me it still seems unbelieveable after all these years spent going up and down. Keep up the good work everyone and have a good one,

Sue

 

 

I am now down another size...I am in a 16.....

[morgan1312]

I am now down another size...I am in a 16.....

 

Ssatterly, you are doing awesome! When was your surgery? Janet

[ssatterly]

Ssatterly, you are doing awesome! When was your surgery? Janet

 

 

My surgery was 4/15/2009 just 2 1/2 months ago!

[kanitter]

Ssatterly, you make one hell of a poster child for gastric bypass!:D And I mean that in a purely good way. I haven't done quite as good as you but it hasn't been too bad. In 6 weeks I've lost 37 lbs. Right now the goodwill is my best friend. It seems like by the time I've worn something twice it no longer fits.:D. Even tho I'm not real thin, (never will be) I refuse to wear the old baggy clothes anymore. I found I even have a waist again!! Haven't seen that in a while. But enough about that, everyone keep up the good work and have a good one.

Sue

[ssatterly]

Ssatterly, you make one hell of a poster child for gastric bypass!:D And I mean that in a purely good way. I haven't done quite as good as you but it hasn't been too bad. In 6 weeks I've lost 37 lbs. Right now the goodwill is my best friend. It seems like by the time I've worn something twice it no longer fits.:D. Even tho I'm not real thin, (never will be) I refuse to wear the old baggy clothes anymore. I found I even have a waist again!! Haven't seen that in a while. But enough about that, everyone keep up the good work and have a good one.

Sue

 

 

Nah.. I don't think I should be a poster child...But I do love telling everyone about what I have been through and lost so far.

[ssatterly]

How is everyone doing this Monday!!!! How was your 4th of July!!!!

[kanitter]

Hope everyone is doing ok. :D It's been storming like crazy here. We've been joking about maybe needing that cruise ship just to get off of our property.:eek: But I'm kinda happy today, I just got on scale and have finally made it to a 40lb loss.:) I know I'm not near you, ssatterly but trying?;)

Keep up the good work and have a good one.

Sue

[morgan1312]

Kanitter, Congrats on the 40 lbs!!!! You are doing fine, some of us just lose slower, but as long as it's going down that's good.

 

I just finally moved down again after almost 3 weeks of stall. I weigh .2 less today than I weighed on June 24th...there is a decimal before that 2 but at least it's a loss. I track my weight (food and exercise) at http://www.fitday.com and I just keep looking at the chart for 4 or 6 months to see how far I've come down. I'm 5 months past surgery now and have lost a total of 66 pounds but it's been a rocky road the whole way. I notice the weeks I don't lose on the scale I lose inches and people have been complementing me like crazy these past few weeks so I guess my body is just catching up with itself.

 

Ssatterly, you are doing awesome too, I haven't heard of anyone else losing as fast as you are, keep up the good work... Just curious, How much are you exercising? I"m sure I'd have lost some more if I were more consistent with the exercising, I'm doing it but not everyday like some people suggest you should.

 

Keep hanging in there and make sure you're getting in the protein, water and viatamins that you're supposed to be getting.

 

Janet

[ssatterly]

Kanitter, Congrats on the 40 lbs!!!! You are doing fine, some of us just lose slower, but as long as it's going down that's good.

 

I just finally moved down again after almost 3 weeks of stall. I weigh .2 less today than I weighed on June 24th...there is a decimal before that 2 but at least it's a loss. I track my weight (food and exercise) at www.fitday.com and I just keep looking at the chart for 4 or 6 months to see how far I've come down. I'm 5 months past surgery now and have lost a total of 66 pounds but it's been a rocky road the whole way. I notice the weeks I don't lose on the scale I lose inches and people have been complementing me like crazy these past few weeks so I guess my body is just catching up with itself.

 

Ssatterly, you are doing awesome too, I haven't heard of anyone else losing as fast as you are, keep up the good work... Just curious, How much are you exercising? I"m sure I'd have lost some more if I were more consistent with the exercising, I'm doing it but not everyday like some people suggest you should.

 

Keep hanging in there and make sure you're getting in the protein, water and viatamins that you're supposed to be getting.

 

Janet

 

I go to the gym 5 days a week after work. I am now down to 202 so i have now lost 62lbs! Not too much more and I will be under 200lbs!!! WOW!

[Q-T pi]

Hello everyone, and congrats to committing to a healthier lifestyle! :)

 

I had a laproscopic RNY in May 2008....my 13 month anniversary is actually tomorrow. I have lost 123.2 lbs so far, and I'm only 1.8 lbs away from my goal weight. I was previously wearing size 24 pants and 2x shirts. Now, I am wearing either size 6 or 8 jeans and either size small or medium shirts (depending on how they're made). I have made a promise to myself that I'll NEVER wear pants with an elastic waist again. :p Everything else shrank too...most of my shoes are now too big, all of my rings had to be resized, even my bracelets are big on me, and my necklaces are too long. Oh, and let's not forget about the "girls", lol. I've went from a 46DD to a 36C. :eek:

 

Besides losing most of my excess weight, I've lost a few other things along the way....I no longer have to take high blood pressure medicine or high cholesterol medicine. My CPAP machine for sleep apnea is a thing of the past. In addition, my excrutiating foot pain is 95% gone. I was only 37 when I had the surgery last year, but I felt like I was 30 years older. I'm so happy with how my health has improved, and how much better I feel now.

 

There's been a bit of talk about complications on this thread. Fortunately, mine have been relatively minor. I had to have my gallbladder taken out 3 months ago, and I have had some problems with my B-12, potassium, and iron levels. Those have improved greatly in the last few months with the proper supplementation, and are now within normal range. In addition, I lost about 1/2 of my hair. That was the most distressing thing of all for me. I'm happy to say that most of it has grown back in though. That being said, there are people who have serious complications from this surgery. That is something that everyone considering this surgery needs to seriously consider. In my case, I figured that the health problems stemming from being obese were going to drive me to an early grave anyway, so I was willing to take the small risk involved with the surgery. Oh, and one more complication I almost forgot about....I became lactose intolerant after surgery. That's a fairly common side effect of the RNY. Fortunately, I was still able to eat yogurt and cheese, because of the different type of good bacteria in those foods. I had to be really careful about my choice of protein powders, as alot of them have lactose in them. In the last couple of months, I am now able to tolerate small quantities of skim or 2% milk, so I think it's something that some people will eventually "outgrow".

 

For anyone considering surgery, I highly recommend reading the book "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies". I think everyone who has surgery should be required to read that book, because it really tells you what to expect both before, during, and after. In addition, there are some good online support forums. I frequent www.thinnertimesforum.com Another good one is www.obesityhelp.com

 

Someone else mentioned about eating more than the recommend 60 grams of protein a day. I definitely agree with that. I try to get in at least 80 grams a day, but usually end up at around 95-100 grams. I very seldom have protein shakes at this point, as I'm able to get a adequate amount of protein by eating lean meats, fish, eggs, Fage 2% Greek yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, low fat cheeses, edamame, etc. Most of my food intake consists of those lean proteins, along with some veggies and fruit. (And of course, at least 64 oz of water a day.) I try to keep my starchy carbs (bread, pasta, rice, crackers, potatoes, corn, etc) down to 1 serving a day. I track my daily intake of food at www.thedailyplate.com . It takes me about 5-10 minutes a day, and really helps keep me on track.

 

I haven't taken a cruise since my surgery, but I'm really looking forward to my next one. I know that there are plenty of healthy choices for me, both in the dining room and the buffet. As long as I can keep myself away from the desserts, I'll do great! :) (I don't dump, so my willpower is going to have to be really good!)

 

For those of you still searching for the "perfect" protein drink...don't give up! Protein is SO important. I didn't get nearly enough for the first 3 months or so, and I think that's why I lost so much hair. I finally found a few that I like: Nectar Syntrax Fuzzy Navel mixed with orange Crystal Light (instead of plain water), Optimum Nutrition Any Whey unflavored (my favorite...it's heat stable so you can mix it with hot things too, like oatmeal, coffee, etc, or just use it in a frozen fruit smoothie), and BSN Lean Dessert Chocolate Fudge Pudding mix (that one is sinfully good when blended with 8 oz of skim milk or soy milk and a few ice cubes). www.vitalady.com sells sample packs of many different proteins...definitely better than wasting $25 - $30 on a whole tub of something you don't like. When buying your protein, always look at the ingredients and make sure Whey Protein Isolate is the main ingredient. For reasons that are beyond my ability to explain, we absorb that type better because of the amino acid profile. Other types of protein are Whey Protein Concentrate and Collagen Protein, but we don't absorb those types nearly as well.

 

If you absolutely can't find a protein powder that you tolerate, you need to get it in through your food intake. For those of us further out like me, that's easy to do by eating meat, fish, etc. For those earlier out, try fat free cottage cheese, fat free ricotta cheese (add almond extract and Splenda for a sweet treat), eggs or Egg Beaters, and Fage 2% Greek yogurt (plain, not the type with fruit). That particular yogurt is a little hard to find, but it has 17 grams of protein per container (as compared with the typical 5-8 grams in most yogurt). Trader Joes also sells their store brand of Greek yogurt, which is nearly as good. Greek yogurt has a different taste to it...kind of like sour cream. (I actually use it for a sour cream substitute in dips, etc.) Most people don't like it plain, but add some type of flavoring like sugar free jelly or diced fruit, Splenda, etc.

 

Someone asked how much food we're able to eat at one sitting. Early out, it was hardly anything for me. But as time goes by, I am having to be very careful about the quantitiy I eat. (I weigh and/or measure absolutely everything now.) If I'm eating meat or fish, I'm full after 4 oz. If it's something softer like cottage cheese or yogurt, I can easily eat 8 oz if I let myself. Soup goes right through my pouch, so I really have to be careful to not eat too much of that. Last week, I ate an entire Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken salad with Fat Free Italian dressing, and didn't feel overly full. For me, it really depends on the texure of the food. The more dense it is, the fuller I get. That is why I'm so careful to weigh/measure all of my food, because I'm naturally able to eat more at this stage. My digital kitchen scale is my best friend, lol.

 

I remember being told before surgery that I'd have a "honeymoon period" of 6 to 12 months, during which it would be really easy to lose weight. I didn't truly understand that phrase until the last 3 or 4 months. I now know that I am going to have to be very diligent for the rest of my life, or I'll gain back every pound of what I lost.

 

 

I am wondering about your foot pain. I have foot pain from arthritis, and was wondering if weight loss would help that? What caused your pain??

[ssatterly]

I am now down to 200 lbs!

[morgan1312]

I am now down to 200 lbs!

 

Way to go Ssatterly....pretty soon you'll be in One-derland!!!

[DobberDog]

I had RNY Gastric Bypass in April 2008 and maintaining at 140. I lost a total of 120+ pounds and would have the surgery again without question. We are taking our second cruise this coming Saturday and Im looking forward to the food (just in smaller amounts and proteins first). If you are in TX and are having problems getting approval, there is a company called Neweigh in Houston area that will help you secure approval from your insurance. My insurance at the time told me they wouldnt cover my surgery but Neweigh got them to and to date my total bill that I had to pay out of pocket has been under 100.00. The neweigh doctor took what insurance paid him and only charged me 40.00. yes FORTY BUCKS! Neweigh is so worth it.

 

Good luck to all who are beginning or on their journey. its a new life after surgery!

[kanitter]

Congrats ssatterly and Dobberdog, You guys are doing great! Ssatterly, I finally get to join you, I made it down to 200 today.:D Of course, you're probably below that now:rolleyes:. I had to go buy new shoes today. My shoes are too big! I wasn't expecting that. It's just great to finally be getting smaller instead of bigger!!Everyone keep up the good work and have a good one.

Sue