Hi my name is Sandi, I am post op WLS, and
here's my list of hints.
** Please note I am not a health care profesional, these are my opinions
you should always follow your Dr's orders.***

 

1- Research
research, oh yeah did I mention research. Make sure
you understand the procedure, the side effects, the limitations,
what will be expected of you and that it matches what you need.
For example I choose open RNY because I wanted to have
penalties for eating sweets, this was a problem area for me
by having a penalty, (dumping) if I eat sweets I avoid them.
It's behavior modification with a stiff penalty.

 

2- Exercise
- As soon as you Dr ok's you walking, do it.
Do it with a vengance, walking early is the best thing you can do
it helps clear you lungs, helps work out the stiffness in your muscles
and as an added bonus it does help you loose weight.
This hint seems to be the hardest for everyone. Well I looked
at it like this. I didn't go thru this surgery to get 1/3 of way to
goal, I did it to get all the way and if it means I have to get off
my butt, and exercise so be it. It helps your muscles tone,
so you don't loose muscle you loose fat,  it makes your
heart healthy, it does give you more energy, and you will
look fantastic, so put this on you list of I don't care how I
feel I will make a comitment to do it list.  If it's raning, cold
or you can't get to a gym, dance to a song in your living room.
lay in your bed and do leg lifts, there are a million ways to
get exercise into your life, even if you do it in 5 minute incriments
thru out your busy day,  If you spend time in your car,
at every red light, clinch your butt cheeks and hold till it's green.
If you have kids, lay on the floor with them and pretend your a donkey.
If your at work take the stairs.  When you shop park far away and walk.
Be creative, make the commitment.

 

3- Water & fluids
Ok here's the deal every Dr in the world will tell you
you need atleast 60 oz of water daily. and guess what.
He's right.  I hated water, I was a soda addict.  No sodas here
Only water, and I always have a glass. I prefer it ice cold
so I bought some sports bottles, I stick them in the freezer,
them pull em out and I have ice water all day long. I refill them
1/2 way and freeze them again. I keep a reserve of 4 that way
I can always have ice cold water on hand. I try to keep my
water goal at 80 oz a day, that way if I fall a
little short I am still ahead of the game. Caffine--
for every oz of caffine you drink, coffee, tea, or
yikes soda, you subtract 1 oz of water that you have
consumed, as caffine dehydrates you. so if you have already
drank 60 oz of water and you drink 10 oz of a cafinated
beverage, guess what your down to 50 oz of water, save
yourself the time and energy by skipping the caffine.
go for the water.  A sugar free, non carbonated, non
caffinated beverage such as crystal light, can count toward
your daily water goal..
Eating and drinking- dont drink 30 minutes prior
to eating or 30 minutes after eating, if you do, you can feel too
full, feel natious, or wash your food right down, causing other
problems. Stick to this rule, it may seem like it will be hard as
we all have to drink when we eat, but you will find yourself
following it with no problem in no time.  I found if I let a piece of
ice (not a whole cube, but a small chunk or chip)
melt in my mouth 10 minutes after eating, it helps curb my thirst.

4- Plataues

Ahh our favorite friend in the wls game...... NOT.
But here's the deal, we all know that it's a mental battle.
Everyone has them, some are just a week some are a couple months.
Remember, you spent your life morbidly obese, you are already
ahead of where you were when you started, stict to it, keep your
chin up and enjoy your already achieved wieght loss. As somone
famous once said, "this too shall pass". And it will, keep your water
above 60 oz, keep exercising,  take your vitamins, keep up the protien,
watch the nutrion, and viola, it will pass and the scales will start dropping.
I always platue around my cycle. I know that prior to surgery this would
have been a gain, so I think of it this way, wow this is a sudo loss, LOL.
I know it's crazy, but it's another situation where you have to phsyc yourself
into staying postive. If you are doing all the right things it will come off.
Also don't forget muscle weighs more than fat, and I would rather
have a little platue while my muscles wake up and get toned, and the
fat peels away.

 

5- Measurments
one of the ways to help with platues is to take
your measurements you may only loose 5 lbs in one month
you have toned your body and it will show in your appearance
clothing and measurements.  Just remember. measure in the same
area, measure twice each time. write them down and love them.
I have noticed several people mark the measurements of thier big
toe or wrist, and fingers, that's because we loose all over and it's
how they motivate themselves. Pick areas of your body pre op
measure them, and jot it down in a safe place, then every month
on your anniversary do it again, it's fun to compare them.

6- Hair loss

YIKES !! From spending a ton of time on the internet with wls post ops
I have heard a million stories, a million solutions. Here's my personal take
on the whole thing. If you follow your nutrion plan, take all your vitamins
and suppliments, keep an eye on your protien, and you still have hair loss
well, it's probably and effect of the anthesia.  Yes there are a million reasons
that can lead to hair loss.  Anthesia, mal nutrion, lack of protien, vitamins, body
trauma, rapid weight loss. the list goes on and on, I have heard rumors that there
are topical things that help, like shampoos and conditioners, I am not a beautican,
but my hair falls out at the root, there for I can't forsea anything topical helping.
What I did. I have long straight hair, at 3 1/2 months, I sitll didn't have any hair
loss, but it usually happens between 4 and 6 months, so I ran to the salon, and
ask for a nice tight spiral perm, I asked them to use a sensitve perm, for color
treated hair, (even though my hair is not colored, it is a more gentle perm)
I keep my hair pulled up on the sides or in a pony tail, hence easy maintance
and I am not combing, touching, messing or pulling on my hair as much
I do have fall out, due to the amount as of yet, or the hair style I have
no one can tell as of yet. Just remember it does grow back,

 

7- Protien
Every Dr has a differant required amount of protien, and a differant solution.
Some may sugest somthing like carnation instant breakfast (cib) or the ensure drink.
I steared clear of these 2, as they are both kind of high in calories for me and I don't
prefer milk, for those of you who share this view,  I found a couple solutions.
Smoothies, if you have a smoothie king nearby. Order a sugar free, honey free,
sweetner free smoothie with an extra scoop of protien.  Yummy. it's double the protien.
Or go to a vitamin store and express to the person that is working exactly what your
looking for. Becareful, they may push a weight gain protien powder off on you.
Tell them you had surgery and you are trying to loose weight, due to the surgery
you are concerned about your protien and you want to keep muscle tone, but not
the fat, if they act confused, or non shalant, ditch them and go to the next store.
Also these powders can be quiet expensive and you may not like them much at
all, infact some are extrememly nasty YUCK ! When the store person finds
somthing they think will fit my needs, I ask them if they have samples or trials
for sale, I will purchase 1 or 2 packs of many differant flavors and brands,
this way I am not making a huge investment in somthing that will double as
a paper weight.  I go to several stores purchasing samples and find the ones
I like. Always read the ingrediants and nutrional information as it is your only
guide as to what you are ingesting.  You can use protien in a million ways.
Mix it in juice, no fat milk, water, take yogart and juice and drop it
in the blender with ice, make your own smoothy.  Sprinkle some in your
food, mashed potatoes, or such. There are super protien recipes available
on the FOA recipe page follow the FOA link off my site to get there.

 

8- Eating
EAT    S   L  O  W  L  Y. !! If necessary make yourself a note that says slow down
or chew more.  I can not express the importance of chewing. You should try to
chew every bite, atleast 65 times, somtimes when you subconsionsly eat,
(eat while participating in another activity, ie: driving, or tv) you will just chomp
and swallow, after all we have been doing this for years, you have to retrrain youself
to take small bites, I mean SMALL,  chew the dickens out of it, and take some time
between bites.  Here's my secret.  I always want to see a total circle of the spoon
around my food in other words, my food amount should not cover the spoon, or fork.
When I chew, I say my abc's to myself. I try to finish before I swallow. Then between
bites, I think of 5 postive things to say to myself or about the person I am with
, ie: I am self disciplined. I am following my plan, she has great hair,
or she is a caring person. I think of 5 differant things between each bite, and depending
on who your lunching with it could take forever to come up with some nice things
hence you will eat even slower LOL.

 

9- Stay postive and get support
Keep yourself in a postive mental mind set. You are the person that controls you
you may allow others to affect you, but you are the one in control. You make
the decisions concerning your body and therefore you have the power
to handle it. None, of us can do this with out some support. the more
the better.  A real life support group sponsored by your wls program
is always first choice. if that's not availabe find a support group. If all
this is impossible then do it on line, in a postive manner, slandering,
arguing and bickering, is only a waste of time and energy that could
be focused on helping yourself or someone else. Somtimes it's hard
to get along with everyone, but in the imortal words of my daughter
when she was only 4years old, Mommy, be nice, cause mean people
just need more love. Well she was right.  Find a group that will be
there when you mess up and lovingly point you in the right direction,
Find a group that will celebrate in your triumphs, share in your
pain.  But make sure you don't end up in a circle that enables
each other to not follow the program by making excuses,
excuses never took the weight off did they? Well they wont
now either, You make your choice, you are in control, you
place yourself in a positive enviorment and always try to
help others, because at some point somone helped you.

Well that's all for now,
I hope it helped or gave
some ideas, or even made
you smile. Good Luck
on your journey and
remember, it's
YOUR commitment
to your life that will
make all the differance.


 

WLS
(WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY)