cricket5461
Things I've Learned Post Op
Sep 22, 2007
Foods that sit nicely in the pouch and satisfy...
Chili - Make a pot of chili once a month and freeze a bunch of single servings. When I eat one I take another out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw so that is ready for the microwave
Refried Beans - I can't handle peppers so I find the kind that having nothing in them except the beans and some mild seasoning. They are great all by themselves with a little cheese on top or rolled up in a small tortilla for a burrito.
Chicken - Seems this is one of the best meal choices for me. Baked, broiled or grilled chicken sits nicely and keeps the hunger pangs away.
Tofu - I love Tofu! Fortunately, it sits well in my pouch and I eat a lot of it.
Oatmeal
Cantelope
Avacados
Spinach
Sugar Free Freezer Pops - helps get the fluids in.
It is very hard to learn to eat slowly. I am still working on this and I do suffer when I don't as am more inclined to eat one bite to many. If I overeat I must lay down and nap for about an hour so I have to be extra careful when eating away from home.
Breakfast within one hour of rising is a definite must. If I do not eat breakfast I find myself hungry throughout most of the day and am more inclined to graze. I have never been a breakfast eater and so this is a new habit for me.
Taking the vitamins is very important. I do not lose weight if I do not take the vitamins. Seems this effects my progress even more than if I do not get enough water.
Only weigh in once a week. The numbers fluctuate so much day-to-day that it is much more encouraging to see the change by the week.
Hope that other newbies find this helpful.
Chili - Make a pot of chili once a month and freeze a bunch of single servings. When I eat one I take another out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw so that is ready for the microwave
Refried Beans - I can't handle peppers so I find the kind that having nothing in them except the beans and some mild seasoning. They are great all by themselves with a little cheese on top or rolled up in a small tortilla for a burrito.
Chicken - Seems this is one of the best meal choices for me. Baked, broiled or grilled chicken sits nicely and keeps the hunger pangs away.
Tofu - I love Tofu! Fortunately, it sits well in my pouch and I eat a lot of it.
Oatmeal
Cantelope
Avacados
Spinach
Sugar Free Freezer Pops - helps get the fluids in.
It is very hard to learn to eat slowly. I am still working on this and I do suffer when I don't as am more inclined to eat one bite to many. If I overeat I must lay down and nap for about an hour so I have to be extra careful when eating away from home.
Breakfast within one hour of rising is a definite must. If I do not eat breakfast I find myself hungry throughout most of the day and am more inclined to graze. I have never been a breakfast eater and so this is a new habit for me.
Taking the vitamins is very important. I do not lose weight if I do not take the vitamins. Seems this effects my progress even more than if I do not get enough water.
Only weigh in once a week. The numbers fluctuate so much day-to-day that it is much more encouraging to see the change by the week.
Hope that other newbies find this helpful.
My story
Sep 21, 2007
Haven't really gotten around to posting this yet so I'm gonna put some of my history on here today.
Growing up I didn't have any problems with my weight but in my early 20's while pregnant with my son I picked up a lot of extra pounds that never went away. I wasn't really diet conscious so didn't worry about it at the time but then as I got a bit older more pounds packed on and then in my late 30's it escalated. Mostly this was my own fault, my husband liked me the way that I was and I was comfortable so really no motivation to lose.
Then I started having health problems and also became dissatisified with the way I looked and not being able to find fun clothes to wear. I started trying diets, Herbalife, Weight Watchers, grapefruit, whatever. Nothing really worked for me and I got discouraged and stopped really trying.
Then I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes and that scared the dickens out of me. My mother heard about the Atkins diet and bought me the book and it seemed like a very easy plan to follow so I gave it my best shot. It worked great for a while, I lost a lot of weight and had so much energy. Not only that but it controlled my diabetes really well without having to take any meds. It was harder than I thought tho because I love pasta and potatoes and fruits and not being able to eat those things frustrated me to no end. Bad side effect was that I would get to the point where I would have to have the "bad" foods and then would go on a binge for days eating things that I couldn't normally have until I would literally make myself sick.
Eventually the low-carb dieting didn't work anymore as far as losing weight but if I stuck to it I would at least not gain any. How frustrating is that? Bad enough to not be able to eat the foods you love, but to not have them and not lose weight either was just the ultimate wrong.
I had thought about gastric bypass surgery for some time but never more than a passing thought since it seemed so drastic and I also had no idea that my insurance could cover such a thing. Last year my diabetes started getting worse tho and I became desperate to do something because I definitely did not want to have to take insulin. My sister and a friend were going to a seminar about having the Lap Band and invited me to go along and that is when I found out about how gastric bypass has the wonderful side effect of helping diabetes patients like myself so I decided to go for it if I could.
Three months out I can honestly say that I have no regrets at all. It's been a bit difficult learning to be satisfied with such small amounts of food but I'm getting used to it and changes I'm seeing in my body are well worth the struggle.
Basically, I love my RNY and I'm so glad I chose this path!
Growing up I didn't have any problems with my weight but in my early 20's while pregnant with my son I picked up a lot of extra pounds that never went away. I wasn't really diet conscious so didn't worry about it at the time but then as I got a bit older more pounds packed on and then in my late 30's it escalated. Mostly this was my own fault, my husband liked me the way that I was and I was comfortable so really no motivation to lose.
Then I started having health problems and also became dissatisified with the way I looked and not being able to find fun clothes to wear. I started trying diets, Herbalife, Weight Watchers, grapefruit, whatever. Nothing really worked for me and I got discouraged and stopped really trying.
Then I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes and that scared the dickens out of me. My mother heard about the Atkins diet and bought me the book and it seemed like a very easy plan to follow so I gave it my best shot. It worked great for a while, I lost a lot of weight and had so much energy. Not only that but it controlled my diabetes really well without having to take any meds. It was harder than I thought tho because I love pasta and potatoes and fruits and not being able to eat those things frustrated me to no end. Bad side effect was that I would get to the point where I would have to have the "bad" foods and then would go on a binge for days eating things that I couldn't normally have until I would literally make myself sick.
Eventually the low-carb dieting didn't work anymore as far as losing weight but if I stuck to it I would at least not gain any. How frustrating is that? Bad enough to not be able to eat the foods you love, but to not have them and not lose weight either was just the ultimate wrong.
I had thought about gastric bypass surgery for some time but never more than a passing thought since it seemed so drastic and I also had no idea that my insurance could cover such a thing. Last year my diabetes started getting worse tho and I became desperate to do something because I definitely did not want to have to take insulin. My sister and a friend were going to a seminar about having the Lap Band and invited me to go along and that is when I found out about how gastric bypass has the wonderful side effect of helping diabetes patients like myself so I decided to go for it if I could.
Three months out I can honestly say that I have no regrets at all. It's been a bit difficult learning to be satisfied with such small amounts of food but I'm getting used to it and changes I'm seeing in my body are well worth the struggle.
Basically, I love my RNY and I'm so glad I chose this path!
2 weeks post op
Jun 27, 2007
Feeling so much better now. Yesterday I was really weak but today am feeling pretty much A-OK. Still easily tired but I am getting back into some of my normal routines and feeling pretty good.
Not having any problems with upset stomach or vomiting and that is fabulous. I have always had an icky tummy, most of my life I have woken up feeling sick to my stomach and I noticed the other day that I am not anymore and that is just wonderful.
All-in-all I'm feeling pretty good and very happy with my decision.
Not having any problems with upset stomach or vomiting and that is fabulous. I have always had an icky tummy, most of my life I have woken up feeling sick to my stomach and I noticed the other day that I am not anymore and that is just wonderful.
All-in-all I'm feeling pretty good and very happy with my decision.
Surgery complete
Jun 21, 2007
Well I guess I am surprised at how difficult the surgery has been. I've had major surgery's in the past so I wasn't expecting how much this would take out of me. I had my procedure done on Monday, the 18th and today is the 22nd so I'm just barely into recovery and hurting more than I could have imagined.
