Facing the Battles

Weight loss and stress is very common. People think ok a person lost weight they are happy. Yes people want to loose weight and be happy. Though there is a lot of stress when it comes to weight loss.  At first when you are dieting people can get moody. People get a lot of headaches at first too till their body is used eating less.  Since you are loosing weight and eating smaller portions, you have to eat more often. If you wait to long, you get dizzy. If you don't eat you can get cranky. Not all the time are you around food. I always bring protein snacks out with me.  Also you get the people that tell you, you just ate 2-3 hrs ago. How are you hungry? Did you not realize I only ate 150 calorie protein bar. Or they tell you , you are always eating. Exactly once again I ate 150 calorie bar now it's a few hours later.  Then you get people that say ok you want pasta? Or try this, yet it is a very unhealthy food. As you are being good to stick to your diet. They aren't su...

I lost 80 lbs so far. I go to the nutritionist. 1. Key to weight loss eat   small portions  2. Eat low carbs under 17 grams or no carbs all protein drinks and bars will have carbs look for the lowest, no pasta , no bread  3. eat every few hours,  4. eat or drink 60 grams of protein a day,  5. low sugar or sugar free (all protein bars and drinks have sugar but some are low 1-5 grams )  310 protein drink is stevia sugar substitute which is better . 6. No fried foods.  7.  Frozen meals are horrible high in sodium . Get low sodium foods.  8. Eat veggies with high fiber   I eat protein bars /snacks /shakes as snacks and meal replacement for breakfast .  For main meals I eat salad and grilled chicken or chicken breast . Or you can have any protein turkey , fish, eggs. 

Before and after gastric surgery we are on liquid diets . Protein shakes , jello , soup broth, water , flavor water , ice pops, ect  How do you deal with liquids ? I've done liquids in the past. It wasn't that hard for me. I did drink at least 60 grams of protein a day. There are power proteins you can mix in with liquids as well. I did not like genepro. I like premade protein drinks more.  Though after surgery a lot of protein shakes bothered my stomach for a while . Whey isolate is better on the stomach then whey.  Ice pops that are sugar free I wasn't a fan of because they have aspertame.  Sugar free jello also has aspertame . Though before surgery I found a yellow island tropical hello that was good. Ralph's ices makes sugar free also.  I had chicken broth soup and sweet potato soup. Though to much sweet potato soup at first can bother your stomach. As well as soup gives gas pains more.  Sip slowly you will not be able to drink a lot. After surgery I wa...

How I know my Nissen fundoplation failed and slips.  I had got burning pain so badly pain in my stomach and heart burn. I would fell the burning going up. Sometimes I couldn't even sit up. I would lay down for a while. Nothing would help the pain go away. It would last and be on going. I would never throw up anymore. Then all of a sudden I threw up. After that I would feel my stomach muscles killing. The burning pain. It wouldn't go away till I had to repeat the surgery and fix it. First I would do a barium swallow to make sure it slipped. Yes barium is not that fun to drink. The scan is 1-2-3 easy. The test will show where the Nissen fundoplation is and if there is a hitial hernia.  They say every 7 years you might have to do it over. For me it was every two years. Yes you will have pain. Even with pain you have to wait to get a date to have surgery again. Of course larascopic is the easiest. After two surgeries I had to have it open thoracic. The pain and recovery was hard. ...

Hey I haven't been on this in a long time . We'll I had my first nissen fundoplation surgery two years ago. Last year I had my second . Now I'm going in for 3rd . After the first everyone hopes to never have to go through surgery again . Two years after my first larascopic surgery , I went away and I started throwing up a lot. Right after I came back I went to my surgeon. I went take take an upper gi scan. I found out I had a sliding hitial hernia back again. Also that my wrap slipped into my chest. I went back in for surgery . I was told it might be done larascopic or open through chest. Both surgeons were on stand by . I had an epidural put in my back. They had problems with it coming out , I was scared. Finally after hrs they got it out . My surgeon was able to do the surgeon larascopic full wrap again. After the second surgery I was able to sit up and move around then the first one. Of course I was in the hospital 4-5 days. I had to follow the same diets as the first ...

A lot of people been asking me , how did you lose so much weight? Almost a year ago I had a major stomach operation called nissen fundoplation. Since the surgery your stomach doesn't handle as much anymore. No this is not a gastric bypass. This surgery is for serve acid reflux. Since the surgery I have been on a fluid and soft food diet. I can't handle solids even after esophageal surgeries. I was doing fine for months. I dropped a lot of weight. Friends are telling me omg you look great, tell me your secrets. I have people telling you are getting to thin ,are you eating , are you anorexic?I tell them are you kidding me. I can only have what I can handle. People that do that go through these surgeries don't understand. Don't let anyone bring you down, you have to be strong. handle what you can. Some people want to lose the weight and wants my secrets advice you can do it. Though unless you went through surgery it might be harder. I was on 800 calorie diet. I was on baby...

After nissen surgery you are told to follow a liquid and then a soft food diet till you can increase to solids again. Not everyone can. I'm addicted to whole foods, but I'm not telling everyone to go run. I drink a lot of protein drinks or I buy protein mixes diary free. I been sticking to a lot of soy also. I can handle soy yogurt but can't handle regular. I need very thin. In the beginning I was on earth's best baby food. Hey the strawberry banana was yummy. Anything like carrots puree , mash potato is ok to have. ices, jello. Now with pasta I can't have small noddles they get stuck. The best is lasagna noddle. Chew it in small pieces. Its a flat noddle. There are many sites you can look up after surgery diets or what best fits you.

I haven't blogged in a while and I was told I need to go back on blogging to talk about the life of after surgery and update. Its almost been 11 months since I had nissen fundoplication surgery. It has changed my life so much. I had it back last April. All I remember was recovery was hard. I was in a lot of pain. Though when you hit rock bottom and medicines aren't helping your going to try the next step. I wrote a few blogs update till 5 month post you can read. Since the surgery I ended up getting 3 balloon esophageal surgeries. The first was in June, then need another in Sept. After Sept I was fine till Feb. I went a good 5 months perfect, no major problems. I was having pain every few months going to Er's. I was like hotel hospital you might as well make a room for me. Sometimes even going into the er they still can't find out what is wrong. That they send you back to the Dr's that send you to the er, discharge you or keep you over night on iv's. Then bring...

I know I'm really bad with blogging. Its been 5months now since my big surgery. I'm so happy one more month to go till I can start eating more again. Though I'm getting used to this protein soft food diet. Weight lost is a plus. Anyway go figure one month more and now I have problems again. Just fri I started getting food stuck again, feeling sharp burning pain o no! Today went for another scan again. Lets see what happens. b8230fd1-029d-4df5-8ace-a949bf6aeff8 1.03.01

Now its is officially 3 weeks since from surgery. I been good the whole time. Following dr's orders. I figured I been to weak I can increase my diet. My surgeon told me I can try a lasagna noddle. Something soft like that. I try ravoli. Bad decision. Break down point. It got stuck in my throat. I'm coughing everything pulling stomach muscles and the incisions. I thought I'm going to end up in the hospital on iv. I thought this is it I'm to weak, I can't eat regular food. Later I tried lasagna still got stuck but it was much better eating then the ravoli. The only problem I had with that was the sauce. The sauce gave me a little burning sedation in my throat. Well on a positive note at least I tried it. Guess I'll stick to the puree, liquid, smoothie, and protein shake diet for the next 6 months .

For a while I had pain, sick, & best of it all doctors couldn't figure me out. I'm a mystery, just great! Never give up. If you have a go for 4-5 opinions do. If you have to repeat tests do. Things change over time. So recently 2 1/2 weeks ago I just had a major stomach operation. For once in my life I wasn't thinking about it before I went in. I enjoyed every weekend. I got my mind off it. I wanted to think positive. I go to the hospital. Lets do add I brought my pink peep keyring with me as a good luck charm. Her name is peep. I have an obsession with peeps. Anyway as soon as I went into the hospital of course your going to freak out. A nurse came to talk to me & we get into a covo about American Idol. Anesthesia came to talk to me. Hi I tell her just to let you know I'm not going to be an easy patient. I want anti nautious med, I need something to relax me, iv in the arm only. She tells me are you and your surgeon plotting against me? No! haha. My pressure...