My weight loss journey started the day I attended a weight loss surgery seminar hosted by my soon-to-be doctor. It was the first step in a very long process down the weight loss surgery path. Surgery was just the beginning of a life long commitment to a healthier me.
Over the past year I’ve received so many questions about weight loss surgery and the road that I’ve traveled. I get insurance questions, doctor questions and of course the “what should I expect” questions. I enjoy doling out the information, passing on whatever knowledge I have to help a friend, or stranger, make an informed decision about weight loss surgery.
The majority of the questions I receive, however, usually have to do with my after surgery experiences. Everyone wants to know what my day to day life has been like since going under the knife. What surprises me the most is the preconceived notion that the journey ends as soon as the procedure is complete. If only it was that easy.
Diet After Surgery
The first four weeks after surgery I was gradually reintroduced to food. I spent one week on a liquid diet, two weeks on a pureed food diet, one week on a soft foods diet (anything soft that could be smashed with a fork) and then I was given the clearance to eat “regular” food. No one knows how their new stomach will react to certain foods, so doctors recommend that you introduce new foods one at a time, just in case you get sick.
The first few months after surgery I had to force myself to eat, I’d set timers, because I never felt hungry. The importance of high protein foods was stressed at this point. My average daily caloric intake was usually around 500 total calories and anywhere from 60 to 80 grams of protein. I’d eat 5 or 6 small meals a day, making sure to take small bites and to chew, chew, chew.
As the months passed my appetite grew. At one year post-op my average daily caloric intake is about 1,000 calories and about 60 grams of protein. I feel hungry more often and find that I snack on a lot more fruits and veggies during the day. I occasionally crave some of my favorite foods and when I do I treat myself. I’ve found that my “splurge” moments are not as frequent as they used to be.
Water intake is a major player in my diet now as well. I drink upwards of 64 ounces, usually more, a day. I never drink while I’m eating and as recommended by my doctor I make it a point to wait thirty minutes after eating to drink anything. This trick is supposed to help you feel full longer. Water consumption after eating usually pushes the food through your system faster.
I have had no post-op food issues, but I know that many weight loss surgery patients do. Many people can no longer eat anything with sugar, drink milk, eat eggs and I’ve heard a lot of patients have issues with beef or chicken. The only issue that I have noticed is the way food sits heavier in my stomach pouch if I eat too fast, don’t take a small enough bite or if the food is fried.
Exercise After Surgery
After surgery, while still recovering, it’s suggested that you walk a lot. Walking helps you heal and it helps release the extra gas build up within your stomach cavity. I walked the halls while in the hospital and once home I walked around the neighborhood daily.
For the first month or two, after surgery, I did a lot of walking. It was my main source of fitness. As the months progressed I hired a trainer and began putting my gym membership to use. I go to the gym no less than three days a week, if I can fit in an extra day or two I always do. I train, with my trainer, once or twice a week and have just begun the Couch to 5K Program. I feel more confident in a gym setting now and though I still have to force myself to get to the gym I always feel amazing after a good workout.
Follow-Up Appointments with the Doctor
As is the case with any surgery, follow-up visits with my doctor are a must. My first follow-up was one week post-op. He checked my incisions (all 6 of them), we discussed how I was feeling and he cleared me for the next food stage. My next appointment was scheduled at my two month post-op mark. At this appointment blood was drawn so that labs could be run to be sure that I was getting all the necessary vitamins and nutrients that my body required.
All remaining follow-ups are done at the six month, one year, eighteen month and two year post-op milestones. Blood is drawn at all 4 appointments, to check nutrient levels and any and all concerns are addressed. After the two year post-op mark follow-ups are scheduled once yearly.
Loose Skin
Loose skin can be an issue when an excessive amount of weight is lost. Working out can help tone the loose skin areas, but a lot of the time it will not prevent it. My problem areas are my arms (bat wings), my stomach and my inner thighs. My trainer and I work on these problem areas weekly to no avail. My arms are the only part of my body that I’m very self conscious about and when I’m ready I will be seeing a plastic surgeon to discuss my options.
The number one question I asked when looking into my surgery options was, “Knowing what you know now, would you do it again or recommend the surgery to a friend?” and this is also a question I get often. My answer is always yes! I know that surgery is not for everyone, but I also know that surgery is the best decision that I’ve ever made for myself. I have improved my life ten-fold and would do it again in a heart beat.
Do you have any questions for me?
Greis (pronounced Grace) is a single, 30 something, Texas girl with an iPhone addiction. She loves her hometown Houston sports teams, Astros Baseball & Texans Football! When she’s not working as an inside sales analyst for a local manufacturing company, you can usually find her on the internet, watching trashy reality television or snuggling her niece, Audrey. In her spare time she enjoys a good chick flick, reading teenage vampire books (the sparkly kind) and dreaming about what life will be like when she finally wins the lottery. You can read more from Greis on her blog, Amazing Greis.
Oh god the arms..my arms are the bane of my existence right now..People ask if I will ever have anything done and I always say, “not until I have had kids and am completely finished having them.” There is no telling what a kid will do to my body, so I might as well wait and get it all done in one fell swoop. You are an awesome inspiration! I wish I had the dedication to work out like you. I just go randomly walking/jogging at the park a couple of times a week. I should really hit the weights.
I was thinking the same as you…wait til after kids, but I’m almost 33 and don’t have kids and don’t have a plan for any in the near future, so surgery may be in my near future. I may never have kids at this rate and the loose skin is annoying.
yup, the arms…OH the arms!!! i also have a LOT of loose skin around my stomach area as well as inner thighs. but not ONCE have i thought..man i’d rather be back to my old self than have all this loose skin.
it’s been 4 years since my gastric bypass surgery…i’ve had ups & downs. and now i’ve noticed that certain foods that would bother me at first don’t bother me as much as they used to. i’ve pushed it too far sometimes and ended up hugging the toilet…though who are we kidding..all the heaving and nothing comes up. and trust me…you can gain weight (it happened to me) but i kicked myself back into gear.
sometimes i do notice that i can eat more than other times. have you ever noticed that? like in one sitting, i’ll be able to eat almost all of a sandwich yet other days i can barely finish half of it.
my highest weight was 341, and currently i’m at around 178.
what is your current weight greis? btw….you look FANTASTIC!!! i mean you’ve changed so much from when we met last december…you go girl!!!
Yes, my eating habits change daily. Some days I can eat more than others. I can definitely eat more now than I could in the early months after surgery. It also depends on what I eat. Some things sit heavier in my tummy and make me full so much faster.
The week before my period starts I feel like all I do is eat. Apparently that never changes.
I’m currently weighing 172, the change has been crazy. I did go to a consult with a plastic surgeon and he doesn’t think I’ll lose much more. He thinks I’m pretty deflated and may be at my forever weight. I’m not so sure, but we shall see.
My insurance covered my tummy tuck (and a breast reduction/lift) after I lost the weight but they wouldn’t cover my inner thighs or arms. I’m all right with my arms, they are what they are, but the inner thighs are a killer.
And to AngieM – yes, I have always seen that some days I can eat a whole something and other days I can eat 1/4 of that thing (and I can always eat more during PMS – I physically seem to have more capacity). It’s really fascinating.
How did you get insurance to cover your tummy tuck? Is there a fancy trick to get around it? The only thing (so far) I would really like is to have my arms done, but I hear it is a killer..like you can’t wash your own hair and you can barely wipe yourself and you wanna die for awhile kinda thing..that scares me
My primary doctor and the plastic surgeon sent pictures and documentation of how my excess stomach skin was causing a rash in the fold (not terrible like some I’ve seen, mostly just daily irritation) and described how it was inhibiting my continued weight loss because it made it hard to exercise (I had to wear spanx to exercise b/c otherwise it moved around and actually hurt from the pulling when I would jump around during aerobics and stuff). My mom also got her arms done (tho she still hates them) and she got the full belt lift around her middle (she had gastric bypass a year before I did). Basically, the insurance company has to know that it’s not cosmetic – that it’s medically necessary.
OMG, yes the week before I start I am an eating machine. I could eat nothing for 3 weeks a month and in that ONE week I eat everything.
My insurance will not cover any plastic surgery. Well, they would, but they have a strict policy and I don’t fall under any of the guidelines.
That sucks. I was fairly fortunate w/the guidelines my insurance co had, although I still had to pay a large amount out of pocket, too.
No question really, just applause. You look great, but it’s more important that you feel good and you’re healthy and it sounds like you are.
You are brave to do this and even braver to share your story and help others.
Thanks! I feel great and really that’s what matters most!
Thanks so much for sharing this and for your honesty. I guess I’m wondering if you could talk more about how having gastric bypass has affected “social eating” situations–are you open about it? Does it change the ways you eat in public?
I am very open about my surgery. I’ve never hidden it from ANYONE. I do eat in social settings. I’ve been very careful to be sure I make “good” choices when I’m out. But, occasionally I do splurge.
I spent last week in San Diego for BlogHer and I’ll be the first to admit that I did not make great eating choices at every meal and I splurged on cake balls and some candy during the EXPO (so good). I gained 4 pounds while on vacation. Granted, my period should be starting soon and I’ve been bloated and retaining water, but it was 4 pounds none the less. Last year or years prior that 4 pounds would have bothered me, but now I know that I’m back on track and the extra 4 pounds will be off in no time.
hi..you look great and congrats for all the effort you put.
It has been 1 month since my operation….and i would like to ask you something that has been bothering me…( bare with me cuz im still quite panicking with this)
After some time like lets say 6 months or so…do we still have to eat this slow?? like leave 10 minutes between each bite? and will we always be restricted to types of food? i mean right now…i find eating rice quite hard and i dont digest it easily…will i always remain feeling this way?
thanks
Wow, this is hard to answer. I’ve never had to wait 10 minutes between bites. I’ve always made sure to eat slow and chew everything really well, but never a 10 minute wait. As time has gone on I’ve noticed that I do eat faster than at the beginning, but I still find that if I eat too fast I’ll feel it.
Food choices are different for everyone. I’ve never had an issue with food. I mean some things do sit heavier in my tummy and make me full faster, but not so much of an issue.
Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions. You can find me on Twitter @AmazingGreis or by email amazing_greis (at) yahoo (dot) com
Parents, like to learn how to feed your children healthier – check out this site http://www.debragarner.com/debras-dvd
For me its been 9 months since my gastric bypass. My eating is still not easy sometimes. I do have to wait time to finish a whole small snack size meal. I do not or should I say I cant eat rice, un cooked dread (sometimes), ice cream, pasta, meats (steak,chicken, pork). I was told to try deli meats and still no luck. My eating habits are still very stricked and I find before my period is no diffrent. For me I can not eat more freely. Maybe with more time I will be able to. However, since my surgery I have lost over 155lbs. I want to loss 50 more pounds then I will see if my insurance will pay for the reconstructive surgery. Although, I has had issues with 3 hernias and my gallbladder has been removed to also, find out that I have no musule in the adboman (the 6 pack one, due to a 50lbs ovarin cancer tummor that adsorded it). So I am hoping with my insurance does cover the surgerys to reconstruct my adboman. With the rest of my body I am just happy to be healthy (like someone above said). I Hope this answered a few questions.
How are you doing now? Any luck with insurance covering your other surgery?
Well I am just over 2 weeks out from my surgery and I am feeling really good. I have read some really good things hear that give me hope for the future and eating real foods again. I am in the puree stage right now. My program is, I was on 1 week of liquids after surgery, now puree for 3 weeks, then soft foods for 4 weeks, then unrestricted after that I just will have to go slowly and introduce foods one at a time to know that I can tolerate them. I know so many people who have had this surgery done but it is still nice to read all of your comments
Congratulations on taking the BIG step towards a healthier YOU!! How are you doing/feeling? How’s your food tolerance going? If you need to talk or have any questions please feel free to email me directly amazing_greis@yahoo(dot)com.
Hope all is well!!
Christa, I am pretty much in the same time frame as you. Had my surgery on the 5th. My food plan is a bit diff than yours. I cannot start pureed foods til the 28th. I had to do liquids only for the next day after surgery and went on to the next stage that evening when I went home. It allows me to only consume things I dont have to chew. Yogurt, pudding, soup, etc. Its tough. I just want some kind of substance. I feel great health wise, though. I lost 50 pre op and now 15 since my surgery date. I am happy with my results. Seems to be a pound or more a day right now. Not much sickness. Just some stomach pains when I take in cold liquids, plain water, and sometimes my protein shakes. The pain comes and goes. I just gotta deal with it for the short period of time. Makes me worry for when I get into eating food. Ill just have to go real slow and chew. Hope you are doing well. It would be nice to chat with someone who is on the same time frame as me. ~Kelley
How are you doing? How’s the food going? Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to chat. Hope you are doing well!! amazing_greis@yahoo (dot) com
Hi ladies! I’m encouraged reading your replies and the fabulous post above! Thanks so much for sharing! I’m currently looking into weight loss surgery, since I’ve tried it all… Literally EVERYTHING. And I’ve lost a little but it comes back so crazy fast it scares me.
I’m wondering if any of you had to fight insurance companies, or had them say they don’t cover, but you got them to? My hubby works for walmart dc and I’m told they won’t cover, I’m getting more information but that’s what HR said. I have no way to pay out of pocket, so I’m just looking for tips
Anyway congratulations on everyone’s success! I hope to join you very soon!
I had no issues with insurance. My doctor’s office did all of the work. I have heard of some insurance denials in the past, but I think most insurance companies cover the surgery now-a-days. If you have any questions or want to chat feel free to contact me amazing_greis@yahoo (dot) com. Good luck to you!!!
My surgery is scheduled in 3 weeks and I’m scared. I’m scared that i will not be able to eat my favorite foods again!! I’m scared that I will lose too much weight. I need to lose 100 pounds per my dr. But i’m afraid I’m going to lose more. I’m 32 years of age. Am i too young to get it done? I don’t want to tell my employer that i’m having surgery so what do i say to him? Please help me
I had RNY 16 days ago. I just got progressed to pureed food a few days ago. I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to eat “normal” food again. From what I have read here, and heard from others, it seems like some foods (pasta,rice,bread) just aren’t well tolerated-and thus probably won’t be in my diet. I am finally feeling a bit better emotionally; the first week was awful, I cried daily, and reacted strongly (poorly) to things that wouldn’t normally have bothered me. I had no idea how brutal the emotional tumoil would be after surgery.
Hi everyone, I finally decided to have weightloss surgery after many failed attempts of trying to lose weight. It has been a little over two months since my surgery and its not easy but the best decision I’ve made. I was a emotional eater, it was my comfort zone,past time and now I have to find somethin else to do besides think about food, go figure lol. The good thing about having the surgery is, you will lose weight and a healthier you is on the way. 30 lbs down & more to come. Thanks for listening.
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