15 months out from bypass and still need advice

[tray]

HELP i had my bypass july 2010,

im not one of the lucky ones that seem to lose weight really quick. since my bypass i have lost 5 stone i still have 4 stone to lose,
i find eating protein so hard. i can sit and eat a sandwich with crisps, without any problem, i can eat toast, and any kind of chocolate and crap.

BEFORE ANYONE GETS ON THEIR HIGH HORSE, i know that i cant expect to lose weight, when im eating crap, well here goes, when i sit down to a nice cooked meal maybe a small chicken breast with veg, and mash, with gravy, ok it sounds good, looks good, but i am sick to death of only being able to eat two or three mouthfuls, and then thats it, as i feel sick and it gets stuck, ill chew and chew, the meat but for some reason i cant swallow it, as it feels like it wont go down, some times i have to spit it out, as i just cant swallow it, that goes with most protein foods , i can eat eggs and beans, im ok with ham, but beef, pork, chicken, tuna and fish just wont go down, so i am eating the crap foods just so i can have something to eat, its also getting to the point that im grazing a lot, as id rather pick at food, than sit and eat a meal that will only depress me, as i cant eat it, if anyone has any ideas of what the hell is wrong with me id love to know,

i have spoke to a couple of people that had there bypass at luton and they two havent lost much weight and also find protein a problem, maybe different hospitals do the op different who know.

i'm not saying im not pleased about having it down as my health has got so much better, im not on insulin, im not having to take blood pressure pills either now, thats the up side.

the down side is, if i cant get the last couple of stones of me, i will have to put up with all the lose skin on my body, that alone gets me so upset, when i look at the body im in now, at least when i was bigger, my skin was taught not sagging ...lol oh well maybe i'll never be happy. i need a face lift boob job, tummy tuc, thigh lift, bum lift .. bloody hell i need a whole new body ..lol

what i want to say to pre oppers is that, dont think this op is a wonder cure, because for some of us it is a bloody slow and hard slog, you have days when you just so regret having it done, when the scales just dont move, they do say that they only guarantee 50% weight lose, and i have lost that, but losing the rest is just a hard slog ...

 

[hopelesscase]

tray your looking fantastic. what are you like with minces products like cottage pie lasagne etc also have you tried tinned meats like the chicken breast and stewed steaks as they are so mych softer than fresh meats.x

 

[tray]

i struggle with mince too, if i eat cottage pie i have a few mouthfuls and feel sick ... i hate the full feeling it makes me feel like i dumping, i get really hot and start to sweat loads and feel just really crappy, luton are **** though, as i have only seen them once in 15 months, and that was just to take some bloods,

 

[chinsaway]

hi Tray, I'm Carol and I had my bypass at the L & D 7 months ago and am exactly like you. I can eat crisps and toast no prob at all, a piece of chicken and i'm stuffed, I can't eat fish unless smothered with sauce. I've lost 5 stone in all too and hope this junk food craving wont be my downfall. Good luckxx

 

[tray]

its a bloody hard slog isnt it. but hopefully well get there in the end

 

[Andy1968]

HELP i had my bypass july 2010,

im not one of the lucky ones that seem to lose weight really quick. since my bypass i have lost 5 stone i still have 4 stone to lose,
i find eating protein so hard. i can sit and eat a sandwich with crisps, without any problem, i can eat toast, and any kind of chocolate and crap.

BEFORE ANYONE GETS ON THEIR HIGH HORSE, i know that i cant expect to lose weight, when im eating crap, well here goes, when i sit down to a nice cooked meal maybe a small chicken breast with veg, and mash, with gravy, ok it sounds good, looks good, but i am sick to death of only being able to eat two or three mouthfuls, and then thats it, as i feel sick and it gets stuck, ill chew and chew, the meat but for some reason i cant swallow it, as it feels like it wont go down, some times i have to spit it out, as i just cant swallow it, that goes with most protein foods , i can eat eggs and beans, im ok with ham, but beef, pork, chicken, tuna and fish just wont go down, so i am eating the crap foods just so i can have something to eat, its also getting to the point that im grazing a lot, as id rather pick at food, than sit and eat a meal that will only depress me, as i cant eat it, if anyone has any ideas of what the hell is wrong with me id love to know,

i have spoke to a couple of people that had there bypass at luton and they two havent lost much weight and also find protein a problem, maybe different hospitals do the op different who know.

i'm not saying im not pleased about having it down as my health has got so much better, im not on insulin, im not having to take blood pressure pills either now, thats the up side.

the down side is, if i cant get the last couple of stones of me, i will have to put up with all the lose skin on my body, that alone gets me so upset, when i look at the body im in now, at least when i was bigger, my skin was taught not sagging ...lol oh well maybe i'll never be happy. i need a face lift boob job, tummy tuc, thigh lift, bum lift .. bloody hell i need a whole new body ..lol

what i want to say to pre oppers is that, dont think this op is a wonder cure, because for some of us it is a bloody slow and hard slog, you have days when you just so regret having it done, when the scales just dont move, they do say that they only guarantee 50% weight lose, and i have lost that, but losing the rest is just a hard slog ...

Tray- You look fab hun...What a transformation

Whatever you're doing you're doing something right !

Take Care

Andy x

 

[Josiegirl]

I wish that I could offer some advice but I am only a month out of bypass today and am moving on to the soft food stage. However, I did have a gastric band for three years and had more or less the same problem as you have now except instead of the dumping I had the productive burping.

I was wondering also if tinned meats wouldn't be much easier to eat as they were so much easier for me than fresh? I was thinking along the lines of Chicken in White Sauce (Tesco do a lovely one) with some nice vegetables? Someone also suggested tinned beef or Irish stew?

I expect I am not being very helpful but I do send love and hugs your way and hope that you manage to find a way of eating that is comfortable and healthy soon sweetheart :wave_cry:

 

[Nightwitch]

i know how you feel....i have basically fluctuated around the same few pounds all year...I am now 19 months post op.
I have lost almost 10st and feel great for it...my suregry has done it's work so i cannot fault it...now it is up to me to shift the rest and that is where it gets harder for all of us....and where we all used to struggle before out ops so don't beat yourself up over it, just take ach day as it comes.

ideally i want to get down to about 14st (another 2ish to lose) and then I am going to go private for the plastics/lower body lift surgery and hope that will shift the other 1.5st I want to lose, or at least a good chunk of it lol

But like you i also got back into bad habits, can easily eat a full sandwich, the occasional handful of pringles and whatnot....i have bought myself a bike and intiend to start going back to the gym, increasing my exercise and also re-look at my diet to try and shift the weight

best of luck on your journey x

 

[Mazza]

Hi Tray

I know its not everyones cup of tea but have you tried quorn as a replacement for meat?

I dont know much about the bypass but it doesnt seem right that after so long you still cant manage like you said a nice meal.

Is it worth going back to your team? x

 

[Rebirth]

Hi Tray, you look great. I remember reading your story whilst waiting for my bypass. I can't believe that a year has gone by and I've lost 7st. I too have fluctuated over the same few pounds over the last 4months or so. However, I am overjoyed at the new me and the health benefits I have gained. Like you, bad habits can creep in. Have you thought about doing the 3 day pouch test? I think that's what it is called. I'll do it with you if you want to.

I have to admit I have never regretted having my surgery, just the fact I didn't know about it before. Chin up girl. You can do it.

 

[louket]

Hi

I had my bypass in 2008. In my experience the bypass will help you drop the 'bulk weight'. That's the bit that comes off really quickly.

I dropped 50kg in the first year so I must have had a lot!

After that is when the hard work begins and that's what they don't tell you pre-op. You effectively have to diet and exercise like anyone else in order to get to a desired weight and like any other diet and exercise plan your body will fight you all the way.

I'm down to 89kg but not for want of trying and this is my third time at this weight. I gym 5 days a week and am relatively careful about what I eat but bounce between 92kg and 97kg which is where my body is most comfortable.

I'm fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you view it) as I can eat anything and a normal portion of food 3 times a day.

I rarely get dumping, unless I pig out, and the only thing I cannot tolerate is a certain brand of ice-cream for some unknown reason.

My advice is to conquer your issues with food. If you don't you will continue to struggle, bypass or not.

Keep going, make it a lifestyle change and persevere. The benefits at the end are fantastic.

 

[tray]

thank you all for your support, i am now going to join the gym tomorrow and try and get some of the meat in tins and see how i go with that ...i'll keep you posted on how i go xxx

 

[yorkiegal]

I'm the same Tray. I go into the kitchen and look at the protein I can eat and my heart just sinks because I know I'll be full so fast. It's so much easier to reach for the crisps because at least I can enjoy a full packet. I've started buying chicken tikka chunks from the cooked meat aisle because I can just snack on them throughout the day and get my protein that way. But I would so love to be able to sit down and have a chicken dinner. I made some tiny ones and froze them but ended up giving them to the dog because they were wasted on me. Think I'll need to give the tinned meat a chance too. Or go back to having lots of soups again perhaps.

 

[Rebirth]

Hi Tray and Yorkiegal, have you tried cooking your meat in a slow cooker or pressure cooker? I find that the meat is really tender and have no problems getting it down.

 

[Nightwitch]

Hi
I rarely get dumping, unless I pig out, and the only thing I cannot tolerate is a certain brand of ice-cream for some unknown reason.

I am the same...rarely dump, too much sugar just gives me a slight headache....and i cannot touch hagan daz icecream cos it makes me feel sick (tried some of the boyfriends a fw weeks back lol)

 

[louket]

I cannot touch hagan daz icecream cos it makes me feel sick (tried some of the boyfriends a fw weeks back lol)

That's the brand I was talking about. I don't know what they put in it but it obviously doesn't agree with bypassers!

Yorkiegal & Tray, have you tried eating 5 smaller meals a day? The protein does fill you up quickly but passes through the pouch much quicker than carbs. Snacking on small pieces through the day is another good idea.

 

[tray]

i will give all the food ideas a go, thanks again xxx

 

[Miss Tickle]

Thanks for sharing this y'all. It's very interesting reading for a relative newby like me. I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with nice food and frustrated that your wl has stalled a bit.
I'm just going into my 3rd week of solids, and am finding it a real struggle. I eat slowly and chew thoroughly, take small bites etc but protein keeps getting stuck. Usually it's meat or fish , but sometimes it's even my friend cottage cheese. I'm getting pain under my left ribs every time I eat, HORRENDOUS pain if anything gets stuck and get sick often. The leaflet from the hospital says it can take 2 years to acclimatise to solid food. TWO YEARS! If left to my own devices I'd just eat tinned mince, mushy peas and Auntie Bessies mash, albeit in tiny portions! However, I keep persevering and hope I'll learn how to eat properly soon! From your posts though, sounds like it could be a very long job indeed !
Hope things get easier for you soon xx

 

[joffy01582]

6 weeks out but i'm happy with my smash ,stewing steak and a bit of veg i'm not really missing solids much ............i've tried pork a few times but it does'nt like me anymore :cry::cry:

 

[mariew]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but surely you had the bypass so you would feel full on a small amount of food and lose weight. If you decide that you don't want to eat a small amount and feel full, but choose to eat crap and ice cream, it's not the hospital where the surgery was done that's to blame! You were obviously told this was a tool. If you were doing what you were told, and had no restriction, then you could blame the op. If not I think you have to look a little closer to home.