Gastric Bypass

jesielin23

Hello All
Has anyone here had gastric bypass?

Fieldsy

yes I have

it taught me how to learn proper portion control and I have lost about 225lbs

jesielin23

Good job
I had it a couple of years ago, then got pregnant 8 months out...I lost, at one point, 100 lbs...but have gained 20 back in the last 6 months...I hear that is pretty common, so I am trying to get back on track!

Fieldsy

yeah, I don't mean to brag at all...but I haven't met another gastric bypass patient who has had the success I have had.

A lot of people just have this surgery thinking its some magic bullet that will melt all the weight away. It basically forces you to limit your portions. In the beginning I actually ate too much all the time...so my stomach expanded much bigger. I am kinda glad I did it though because I can eat anything I want.....and big quantities. I have no problem drinking a half case of beer and eating a half of a pizza.

You just have to remember moderation. You have to workout too.

congrats on the 100lbs too!

I actually gained about 5-10lbs over the holidays due to over eating, no exercising, and drinking too much alcohol

well......holidays are over! lol gotta step it up again.....

dfra789

congratulations, you look wonderful

sandootoads

I did about 8 years ago. I had lost about100 lbs and have now gained about 80 of it back (this seems to be very common). It isn't a magic bullet. I am trying to get back on track.

jesielin23

I don't consider that bragging at all!! That's something to definitely be proud of!!

and, 8 years ago...when did you notice you started gaining again? Mine is definitely that I can eat whatever I want and can eat ALOT more than I should That...and I drink entirely too many coffee drinks..I am not good at moderating them at all, which are pretty much empty calories..I'm trying to limit myself to 1 per day now and use some sugar free flavoring when possible.

THanks for the input! Keep in touch...I love to talk to anyone who has had surgery like me

Fieldsy

usually the weight stalls from 9mons-1yr post op.....that goes for me too

I had mine almost 6 years ago

sandootoads

Started gaining about 2 years post op. Gradually I was able to eat more and I exercised less. I also can eat way more than I should (and I never had the dumping problem that some people do-the only thing I cannot eat is really rich ice cream). My downfall was diet coke-I think it played a big role in stretching the pouch. I did give it up for new years but I drank way too much of it. It is almost sad how the weight has crept back on.

Fieldsy

I drink diet soda like crazy........I feel like its an addiction lol

twilight_fan

I was going to do it, had the post op done and date to go under to follow through but i have heard to many stories about it, such as
death, illness or having to go do it again because its hard to keep uo with,. so as i was slipping into my hospital gown to get done i chickend out. i couldnt do it i was way to scared. :blushing:

jesielin23

really? I don't drink carbonated drinks ...however I can drink a Large Carmel Starbucks..with ALL the fat and sugar! lol

jesielin23

I was going to do it, had the post op done and date to go under to follow through but i have heard to many stories about it, such as
death, illness or having to go do it again because its hard to keep uo with,. so as i was slipping into my hospital gown to get done i chickend out. i couldnt do it i was way to scared. :blushing:

jesielin23

ooops, sorry everyone, still getting used to this!
I think that if you had any second thoughts then it's a good thing you didn't go through with it...
It's definitely not for everyone, but just make sure you didn't do it because of the right reasons...

jesielin23

Started gaining about 2 years post op. Gradually I was able to eat more and I exercised less. I also can eat way more than I should (and I never had the dumping problem that some people do-the only thing I cannot eat is really rich ice cream). My downfall was diet coke-I think it played a big role in stretching the pouch. I did give it up for new years but I drank way too much of it. It is almost sad how the weight has crept back on.

I can eat way to much too! My big vice is coffee drinks...I can't eat ice cream either for some reason..although that's probably good!

Deedles

I was really hoping to find other altered folks here!

Yes...I had RNY bypass in September. Like most newbies I'm following the rules to a T and am doing great. I don't know if I dump or not, I don't intend to test it but I'll assume I do! I've lost 56lbs since surgery and 115lbs total from last Feb when I started the insurance required diet. I've had no problems, can eat just about anything although I stay away from dry, dense meats. I've had a very uneventful recovery.

I haven't hit a stall yet but I've learned from dieting so many years I lose best if I vary my intake daily and stick to a weekly guideline instead of daily limits. For instance I make sure I stay within 5600 cal for the week instead of 800 a day. This keeps my body guessing instead of going into stalls. It works for me.

Right on schedule, I started losing hair at about 3 months. So far it isn't bad but I'm prepared! If it gets too thin I'll just shave it and wear a hat! LOL! I make do rags for my online business so I'll just make some for me! Now my next challenge is daily exercise. I still have trouble with my knees so I'm having to work around that but it's no longer a decent excuse!

NjTex

Hey fellow WLS folks,

First of all, let me say congrats on all of your weight loss successes. I would like to share some of my own:

I had my RNY back on 6/16/2009 and I have eliminated 104lbs total so far with only 11 more to go. I follow the plan to a T too. I feel I have been given a 2nd chance and I don't intend on failing. I have never dumped but I have vomited on certain foods. At four months, I started loosing my hair too but it seems to be less and less. I am so happy I found this site because it has really opened my eyes to what I am really eating.

Someone mentioned they were at a stall, so am I but it's ok because I have lost 104 lbs and If it takes me six more months to loose the rest, I am ok with that. I started my exercise immediately after I got the ok (week 3). I am walking 35-55 miles a week and strength train two times a week. I am going to walk my first 1/2 marathon in March. I am also going to walk a 3 day 60 miles walk at the end of the year.

There is nothing easy to this surgery and I had absolutely no complications with my surgery. I am so thankful I was given that 2nd chance. Congrats to you all and keep up the good work.

jesielin23

On the hair loss..I definitely went through that...Make sure you are getting enough B12 and that will help tons...I use the B12 little tablets that dissolve under your tongue from GNC...they are so easy and individually wrapped so I keep them in my purse...I used to do the shots, but found that towards the end of the month I still got really run down.

So glad for you guys that have followed it exactly! I did too the first 8 months and then I got pregnant and had to increases calories a bit, but of course ran to far with it!

I dumped twice...once off a really heavy protein bar...and once, not gonna lie, off lindt chocolate truffles (that time of the month and was a necessity) LOL

Now that I have let myself slide it's really a hard time getting back up...for instance, yesterday I kept track of a normal day eating for me..it turned out to be 3,000 calories!!!! Holy cow I had NO idea!!
So, needless to say today that was cut in half...not the greatest, but a big step in the right direction...and I worked out today also..

Good luck everyone and keep it up!

momma_nany

Starting the process and it most likely will happen hopefully by the end of the year and with that said can you all help and give me all info you have and what i need to know. I am new to this and doing my homework now so please reading all this is making me think of questions and also getting very happy to do it. I have lived a big girl all my life and i am very very tried of it not being able to find clothes and etc. So appreciate all the advice you all have for me.

Fieldsy

after about 6 months I didn't follow the plan at all......I really just stopped visiting my doctor and did things my own way. I am happy to say that I turned out pretty good.....learned on my own what to do by reading a lot about nutrition and exercise.

I didn't experience any hair loss, but I did vomit a ton of times just trying new things plus going off my diet. I can eat or drink anything I want now. I heard carbonated beverages are hard for people who had the surgery, but not for me. I guess I expanded my stomach a little more than regular people who had the surgery.

The only two things that bother me a little is.....if I eat ice cream or a milk shake.....I will feel like **** for about 30min-hour

If I eat dry meat or don't chew enough....I will feel sick and throw up

debbielou93722

Congratulations... I had my surgery almost a 1 1/2 years ago. I have lost 130lbs so far. I thought I met my goal but my BMI says I'm overweight and need to lose 10lbs. I've found the only thing I don't tolerate is store bought sauces and salad dressings. So, I make my own at home. It's nice to meet someone else who has had success with their surgery. My husband recommended this site to me.

debbielou93722

I would recommend finding clothes at Goodwill. After my surgery I was losing weight quickly and it was too expensive to buy clothes at a regular store just to throw them out in 2-3 weeks. Goodwill was a budget saver and you can find clothes still with tags on them.

Fieldsy

I wish I went the goodwill route...but each time I just spent money at the other stores. Going from sizes like 4xl to M/L can cost you some money lol

FrenchMob

Wow...I'm sorry but if you're losing hair, doesn't that raise a few red flags? 800 cals a day? Yikes. How can this even be legal? I always thought the surgery route was questionable, but didn't think it was that bad. :huh:

No thanks. I'll personally do it the right way.

And Fieldsy, just reading your journal, seems you're returning to some old habits that got you to a bad place to begin with. I hope not for your health. Take care buddy.

Fieldsy

800 a day is way too low for someone to eat a day...right after surgery I can see, but then you have to start eating a good amount. This is why the surgery is real tricky.


RVachon...that journal is a little outdated, but yes....I will always drink alcohol...but just have to ease up a little more to reach my goals. Right now I have been around 200lbs forever it seems and its that I am drinking too much. (2 good drinking nights a week).

debbielou93722

Wow... 800 that doesn't sound right. I was told to eat at least 6oz at each meal (3x's a day) and to have at least 2 snacks per day. I wasn't eating enought and kept getting light head and passing out. It was really scary.

Surgery was the best option for me... I tried everything under the rainbow to lose weight with no success. My doctor tried for 7 years to talk me into doing the surgery but I wouldn't do it unless I had no other choice. I was diagnosed with a rare disorder and unless I reduced my weight I would not be able to control my illness. I kept losing my eyesight, I had ringing in my head 24/7 and headaches 24/7 (more severe then migranes). I was on Diamox for 7 years and the maximum lenght of time to take it is 6 months or it can damage your kidneys. So, I finally gave in a had the gastric bypass. It was the best choice I ever made. All the systems I described about my illness is gone. I woke up one morning about 3 weeks after my surgery and it was totally quite. It was AMAZING! A couple of days later the headaches were gone and my eyes went back to 20/20 vision.

Surgery is not for everyone. The best thing to do is get all the facts and then decide. And for everyone who can do it without surgery BRAVO!

debbielou93722

I have really thick hair and I lost about 1/2 of it. I bought alot of bandanas just in case I lost it all. I wore one to work and my bossed laughed at me. My hair is back to it's fullness again. Take your vitamins and try not to use to many chemicals on it.

NjTex

I am at a total of 120 lbs loss and the hair loss is not bad now. With this program I was able to monitor my protein much better. I still eat between 800-1000 calories a day and exercise 6 times a week. For the guy to say I have slipped into old habits is wrong. Who are you to say that anyhow. You don't me or my habits. I am healthier now than ever. I am 9 months out, 145 lbs pounds, exercise 6 times a week or more. I don't see that my habits are slipping at all. I am 47 years old and just did my first 1/2 marathon...

DaviDaSilva

I had my Bypass surgery 3 weeks ago and I've lost 30kg so far.

missysippy930

This is a 13 year old post🤷🏼‍♀️

brandyjaques7594

I had my initial roux -en-y surgery in late 2009, right at the holidays. It was great, I started at 273 lbs and lost over 100 lbs within a year. I hit my goal of 160 pounds easily, having some minor plateaus here and there. I watched my goal weight come and go. I kept losing, I just couldn’t stop. I only had dumping once, and boy when I had it I then knew what it was! It was like near a year post op, and I was just craving a hot dog. So I had one. You know, the kind you can get at a convenience store. Within 10 minutes I was back at that same store, locked in a stall, relieving from both ends, literally unable to walk, talk, or even hold my head up! I was like that for almost an hour, they were to the point they were going to call The hospital to come get me.
Anyways back to the main story, sorry. I lost so much weight, I became malnourished, I couldn’t keep anything down, hardly even water most days. Sometimes a bite or two of soup but definitely not any of my vitamins or anything. I was getting vitamin infusions 1-2 times a week. But I never realized how sick I was. I truly didn’t. You know how people just look at you when you lose that much weight that fast and ask how.. how did you do it? Like if you’ve done something wrong? It began to be more of the asking “if your ok because you’ve lost so much weight so fast” questions, like your so sick it must be something very bad type questions. Well apparently it was because when my husband finally convinced me to go see a surgeon for a follow up this Dr that I had never seen before in my life walked into the room I was in, took one look at me and said “ you are actively dying right in front of my eyes! Needless to say I had a full roux- en-y reversal within 2 days. That was in 2012. I weighed 103 lbs. I am a large framed person and should weigh about 155-160 pounds.

Ok, so I have struggled with my weight up, and down over the years since then, right now it is up higher than it’s ever been since then, hence why I am dieting. I am currently 213 pounds. I am struggling with that right now, I believe a lot is related to the change of life, but I haven’t Ben near this weight in the last 10 years. If I got heavy, I would lose weight, if I got too small, I would put more weight on.

Throughout it all, I have always said, and still say, I would do it all again. I learned so much about portions, food urges, nutrition, and just what protein can do for your body, or lack of it can do also. If you want to lose weight, most importantly, drink water, and when you think you have drank enough, drink more! Lol. Log everything you put into your mouth, and when you plateau or slip, start logging again, you will be surprised.
Most importantly don’t give up, keep trying! Be happy with who you are!