Gratitude post

Jupiter6
on 8/1/07 4:06 am - Near Media, Pa- South of Philly, NJ

I have something really weird to be thankful for: food stays down. All food. So far, that's soups and puddings, refried beans, tuna salad, scrambled eggs, 8 ounce protein shakes. I can eat the whole 2 ounces without it coming back up, and I feel sated at about 600 calories a day... I think I am a lucky gal. It all tastes good, too. I was really most worried that for some reason I wouldn't be able to eat. But I took it slowly and followed the rules to the letter, and I think that made all the difference. I still *want* more in my head, but it's clear there's nowhere for it to go. It's kinda neat. I hope it stays this way. This part's been easy.

"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
     Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U.   Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift
     12/08
     Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09  -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
     Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
     6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
     Total Cost: $33,500   Start wt: 368   RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150   Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7

alevans4
on 8/1/07 4:39 am

At 600 calories a day, how do you get the necessary nutrition? All I hear WLS patients talk about is getting their protein, but at such a low calorie number I imagine everything is limited. Are you required to add other kinds of supplements and in what form? In the same vein, I wonder how low I could crank down the calories without surgery and still feel comfortable. There really shouldn't be a difference other than how it feels physically.

Bert Evans
514/419/225

Jupiter6
on 8/1/07 7:03 am, edited 8/1/07 1:43 pm - Near Media, Pa- South of Philly, NJ

RNY on 07/16/07

Good questions all around-- let's see what I can do to shine light in the darkness! Protein is priority one for several reasons: 1) It promotes fullness 2) It powers the system and promotes healing and 3) It's not well absorbed post op, so you need a bucketload of it. Every day I need to get in 80+ grams of protein. The number is high because a) I'm still quite a big chunk of change and b) I tend to be hypoproteinemic-- which means I naturally need more anyway. At this low calorie level, I accomplish this through 2 whey isolate protein shakes (20g or protein each) and meals that are high in protein, plus a protein-added pudding snack at night. Beyond protein-- I also take a mega-multivitamin plus iron every day, 4 calcium carbonate tabs (TUMS****il week 8 when I switch to calcium citrate, and twice a week I get mega boosters of sublingual vitamin B-12-- a dosage so high it's actually 12,000% of the USDA! In a couple weeks, I will add Biotin to the melange (for hair loss) and Actigal to keep my gallstones from killing me...and eventually when my clotting issue days are over, I'll be back on Flax Seed oil so I get all Omega-threed. Additional nutrition boosts: I never take iron at the same time as the calcium (it's poorly absorbed this way) and eventually, take a small amount of carbs with each protein (ie 2 wheat thins with 2 oz. of tuna)-- studies show it absorbs better this way. Keep in mind, Bert-- my portions will increase in size over the next year or so until I am more or less back at 1200 calories a day. The nutrition isn't so hard to do-- the real pain in the ass is getting enough water. Which I more or less never do, and better figure out before I croak.

"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
     Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U.   Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift
     12/08
     Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09  -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
     Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
     6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
     Total Cost: $33,500   Start wt: 368   RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150   Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7

Neecee O.
on 8/1/07 1:21 pm - CA

My 2 cents for free...it is much better nutritionally to be deficient in most given vitamins...it is toxic to to over do them. It would be months before shari's body would be in grave danger due to vitamin/mineral deficiency (there are certain kickers to this, potassium, calcium, etc) before shari's body can take a serious nosedive due to some deficiency, she should be able to take in more nutrients by food not supplements. most wls peeps must take some supplements for the rest of their lives! Shari, i am calling bull**** on that 50 cent word you tossed out here: hyperproteinemic. Did you make that up? I will be googling that term....never heard it.

Jupiter6
on 8/1/07 1:47 pm - Near Media, Pa- South of Philly, NJ

RNY on 07/16/07

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoproteinemia I'm hypoproteinemic, not "hyper". Sorry--mistyped. Both are real, Scooter.

"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
     Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U.   Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift
     12/08
     Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09  -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
     Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
     6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
     Total Cost: $33,500   Start wt: 368   RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150   Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7

alevans4
on 8/1/07 11:39 pm

Toxic? That's counter to my understanding unless you are ingesting *massive* quantities. It's been some time since I read much about it, but what I recall is that any level of vitamins above your body's needs are just passed through, which is why the super dose vitamin supplements are pretty much worthless. I vaguely recall that ingesting massive amounts of certain vitamins could be harmful, but my understanding was that it really had to be a huge amount.

Neecee O.
on 8/1/07 11:57 pm - CA

the fat soluble vitamins D-E-K-A can build up over time. It can be stored in fat in your body and harm many vital organs, most notably the liver!

Jupiter6
on 8/2/07 12:51 am, edited 8/2/07 12:53 am - Near Media, Pa- South of Philly, NJ

RNY on 07/16/07

The only supplement I take ridiculous quantities of is the B12-- standard for all post-op RNYers. To be absorbed properly, Vitamin B-12 requires help from your gastric mucosa. In some stomach bypass patients vitamin B12 is not absorbed, even when supplements are taken, leading to pernicious anemia and neuropathies. (This is why it's taken sub-linguallly or through injections.)The rest is basic stuff-- my multi is a standard Centrum (chewable) and the Tums are-- well, Tums. I don't think I am gonna croak just yet. Vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin B6 megadoses can be harmful or fatal--- the rest are pretty innocuous. The hardest part of efficiency is timing. I can't take my iron within 2 hours of my calcium. I can't have water 30 minutes before or 45 minutes after food, but need 64 oz. a day. I need to drink 8 oz. protein shakes, but keep them at about 30 mgs. protein because anything over that cannot be absorbed anyway. It's closer to brain surgery than stomach surgery, sometimes.

"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
     Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U.   Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift
     12/08
     Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09  -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
     Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
     6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
     Total Cost: $33,500   Start wt: 368   RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150   Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7

Donnamarie
on 8/2/07 12:32 am - NY

Lap Band on 03/29/11

Hey Bert, Yeah, sounds like almost nothing, huh? Short story. I wanted to have WLS back in June of 2005. Doc said no, I tried it on my own. Strange thing was though that I had been following the OH board and I decided that I would do their post op diets. No more than 3 ounces of chicken per meal, plus vegetables. Obviously it sounds a whole lot like South Beach (low carb) but I figured why the heck not. My calories averaged anywhere between 700 and 900 a day, sometimes dipping as low as 600, but never more than 1000. I did all the required vitamins that as a 42 year old woman I figure my body needs anyhow. I don't have the issues with malabsorption so I didn't feel sick or tired or anything like that. My theory was if it works for a while, take advantage of the ride. I did that for probably close to a year and in that time I lost 140 pounds. I average between 1200-1500 calories a day now, if I go over by much I start screwing myself up. These past 4 days I've been WAY back on track and I am probably averaging 1000 a day. My idea of "going back to basics."

"Accountability first to yourself, then nobody else matters"

Donnamarie
on 8/2/07 12:27 am - NY

Lap Band on 03/29/11

Shari, That is so awesome to hear. All too often you see that people can't keep stuff down, eggs and tuna are two biggies!!! How is the hematoma? Did it absorb?

"Accountability first to yourself, then nobody else matters"

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