Beyond vites and protein: healthy secrets after WLS

[JJ The Jet Plane]

Beyond vitamins and eating good protein, I found that going to the chiropractor regularly while loosing was very important. As I have lost a few people, (300 + pounds), I needed to readjust my spine and hips and most of all my neck. I do exercise too but the chiropractor became like a secret weapon in combating aches and feeling out of place. I know others who benefited from regular massage.

Can you share what you did to keep yourself in balance while you were loosing or while maintaining?

 

[JJ The Jet Plane]

My feet shrunk. I lost 2.5-3 shoe sizes... so I had to replace all my shoes. I was freaking Cinderella, walking out of my shoes for a year until I finally got it in my brain that I needed to give in and get new shoes. I had my prince before surgery, so didnt need one of those. New Shoes were a bonus.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Ditto to both of these.

I'm very grateful that I had a good strong relationship with a therapist that I've continued since my DS. If I hadn't done all that therapy work before surgery (MANY years' worth), I would have sabotaged myself big time.

 

[JackieOnLine]

this is a good idea for a thread - I found reading and posting daily was good for me and I did have a massage now & then (never enough, however, and every time I get one I think I MUST do this more often) - I also tried counselling and went to see a NUT. those two things didn't turn out to help, but I think just being mindful of how freaking stressful such a major change is helps to some extent.

 

[JJ The Jet Plane]

Wouldn't it be easier if they gave you a little brain surgery before WLS too? Because you have no clue until you are here. You think you know, but you don't, as much as I read and researched I still felt like a fish outta water for a long while. Counseling was helpful, I do have WLS friends and family. (& online support)

 

[JackieOnLine]

it is a mind blower - and you lost 3 times what I did, holy moly.

looking back I think the biggest thing was I was, somehow, absolutely sure it wouldn't work for me. I could not imagine not being obese.

 

[JJ The Jet Plane]

I totally agree-- I still think Im big. I do weird things and say weird things, I still side step in crowds and make plenty of room for people to get by me. Its weird. I feel like I look old, fat don't crack baby! I feel like I aged 30 years. LOL A girl can dream... Im off to play the lottery. Of course when I was younger and I wasnt fat per se, I felt fat because all my friends were size 0 and I was a 10. The mind is a wicked thing.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I think you will adjust, it just takes the mind longer to change than the body.

 

[bearmom]

Wow, I can relate to every post above. One thing that helped me regain balance, was re-learning to ski and snowboard. I would lose my balance doing simple things, because my center of gravity had changed with so much weight loss, so doing something that forced balance really helped me. I think tia-chi (sp?) would be great for that too, but I've never gotten around to it. I do do yoga though, and think it my be almost as good for balance.

The other favorite thing post op that I think everyone should have if they can is a bidet, to wash the behind. I don't have any problems with roids or fissures, and think it may be the bidet, or maybe just luck, but I'm not changing a working routine. I used to get a bit of "burn" from a supplement I took, and it has ended that too. I'll be traveling for a month fairly soon, and am already worried about being in hotels w/out bidets, lol.​

 

[JJ The Jet Plane]

Wow, I can relate to every post above. One thing that helped me regain balance, was re-learning to ski and snowboard. I would lose my balance doing simple things, because my center of gravity had changed with so much weight loss, so doing something that forced balance really helped me. I think tia-chi (sp?) would be great for that too, but I've never gotten around to it. I do do yoga though, and think it my be almost as good for balance.

The other favorite thing post op that I think everyone should have if they can is a bidet, to wash the behind. I don't have any problems with roids or fissures, and think it may be the bidet, or maybe just luck, but I'm not changing a working routine. I used to get a bit of "burn" from a supplement I took, and it has ended that too. I'll be traveling for a month fairly soon, and am already worried about being in hotels w/out bidets, lol.​

Um YES, the bidet is a wonderful thing.... I think I have "sold" the bidets to friends and family after we got one. LOL I 100% agree!