Krista Porter Agocs

I appreciate your input on the weight loss, Tom, but I'd really like someone to chime in on how I can increase my protein absorption without gorging myself every day or having to succumb to using a protein shake. Clearly those of us how have had bypass surgery have malabsorption issues so my post here was hoping that maybe someone else has run into this problem and could guide me how to correct it.

Thanks, Runnerchick! It's definitely a process. Getting your body on track and functioning like it should can reveal all sorts of things about your body and how it functions. I hope I can get these issues resolved soon and back to feeling great!

Just for the record, the pig is without a doubt the tastiest of all animals. Eat the pork and then thank me later.

Update - I've been having issues with severe edema in my legs, ankles, feet so I went to the doctor last Friday to have blood tests run. I am hypothyroid and figured it was something to do with that. Turns out my protein levels are low. I am 12 years post gastric bypass so I have malabsorption issues with protein anyways, but I found it odd that apparently my body really was craving what it actually needed the most...protein. I eat a ton of protein every day (because I know I have to due to the malabsorption), but I'm going to figure out another way to increase those levels. I'm not sure how I'm actually going to be able to do that without a supplement (shake) of some sort. I literally can't eat more than I already do.

Hi there. I am 12year post RNY and I've been having a problem with edema in my legs recently. My stomach stretched back pretty quickly after surgery so I have no intake limitations (meaning, I can still eat a LOT). I am also hypothyroid and have been having a lot of extreme lethargy lately and no matter what I do I cannot lose weight! To put this in perspective, my husband and I started CrossFitting in January and eating Paleo at the same time. I've also completed a Whole30+ during that time. Despite months of clean eating and intense exercise I have only lost 10 pounds. So, the lethargy combined with inability to lose weight plus the edema seemed to mean something serious was going on with my thyroid. I went and had blood tests last Friday. Got my blood tests back yesterday. My thyroid is "slightly" elevated so I'm not really sure what that means, but my Doc doesn't feel it's necessary to increase my dose (for the record, I disagree and plan to see an actual endocrinologist in the near future). She thinks the problem seems to be that my protein levels are low. I already know that I have to eat more protein than normal because of the bypass. But, seriously, I feel like all I do is eat protein!. How can I possibly eat more??! And what amount do I need to increase it to to bring my blood work back into the normal range? The easiest thing to do would be to drink a protein shake, but the good stuff is all Whey protein and filled with artificial sweeteners. I'm supposed to go back in 3 weeks to have my blood retested. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for me? I mean, how do I determine how much of the protein I'm eating is actually absorbed? I. Am. So. Frustrated!

Got my blood tests back yesterday. My thyroid is "slightly" elevated so I'm not really sure what that means, but my Doc doesn't feel it's necessary to increase my dose (for the record, I disagree and plan to see an actual endocrinologist in the near future). She thinks the problem seems to be that my protein levels are low. Backstory, I had a gastric bypass almost 12 years ago now so my digestive tract doesn't function the same as it would in someone unaltered. So, I already know that I have to eat more protein than normal because my body only has time to absorb some of it before it's passed through my system. Seriously, I feel like all I do is eat protein. How can I possibly eat more??! And what amount do I need to increase it to to bring my blood work back into the normal range? The easiest thing to do would be to drink a protein shake, but the good stuff is all Whey protein and filled with artificial sweeteners. I'm supposed to go back in 3 weeks to have my blood retested. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for me? I plan to post this is the Medical category too in case there's other bypass people who might have some insight.

I feel like I follow the template and that my meals are definitely big enough. We cook with coconut oil and use olive oil as dressings and such so I don't feel like fats should be an issue either. Maybe I'm just hungry right now. I definitely eat a variety of veggies and protein sources, but these past 2-3 days I've just been craving eggs and chicken. So strange!

So, I'm on Day 45 and a couple of days ago I started having insatiable cravings for chicken and hard-boiled eggs. I seriously can't get enough of either of those things. I've been eating them without abandon for a few days (probably 3-4HBEggs/day and chicken for basically every meal). Is there a point where I should be concerned about this or should I just stop stressing and go with it? Just for the record, last week I was craving sushi and Spaghetti O's (why I'll never know because I haven't eaten those in probably over 20 years!) so, this is a very different feeling for me. Are these protein rich cravings indicative of something else going on?

Just an update. My leg/ankle/foot swelling continued for 3 solid weeks and got progressively worse. Finally, last Friday I had had enough and went to the doctor to have blood tests run. I haven't got the results back yet, but it seems very likely that this is tied to a thyroid issue. I've been on hypothyroid meds for several years, but I honestly think the clean eating I've been doing has shifted my hormonal balance (we'll see if I'm right when I get the results). The edema combined with my inability to lose weight despite signifcant lifestyle changes and the extreme abnormal lethargy I've had lately are all big indicators for thyroid malfunction. So, if you haven't had your thyroid checked lately I might look into that!

Thanks, Robin! I will have to give that a try. I did go to sleep much earlier last night and today I'm feeling a lot better, but I think I could definitely benefit from both. Just out of curiosity, what is an appropriate amount of food for a post-workout snack? Like a hardboiled egg and a few bites of sweet potato? What is the timeframe of when it needs to be consumed?

You could be in ketosis as well.

Well, maybe it's just as simple as I'm not getting enough sleep. During the week M-F I usually get about 7 hours per night (more on the weekends). I try to go to bed by 10 but it's usually more like 1030, so maybe I'm really only getting 6.5 hours per night (we get up at 5AM to go to the gym). I'm a night owl so trying to go to bed at 9PM would be extremely difficult for me. We do have a very dark room and I typically wear ear plugs at night because my husband snores Maybe I'll try using a sleeping mask. Also, I do take a magnesium capsule at night so I'm not sure if I would need to add more? I bought some Natural Calm, but when it was shipped to me it had Organic Stevia in it so I haven't used any of it.

I have been having this same issue recently (I'm on day 38). I literally almost fell asleep driving to work this morning. And often times I will find myself nodding off at my desk (could be any time of day). I know I'm getting enough fats and starches in my diet so I'm not sure what to tweak or what else could be going on. I just feel exhausted all the time. Here's a sample of my meals from the last week: Monday Breakfast – Leftover spaghetti squash mixture (At work I will drink several cups of tea – loose leaf green tea – and put a tablespoon of coconut oil in it) I consume on average 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil per day with this method. Snack – Red bell pepper Lunch – Paleo chili with ground beef, zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, onion, lamb (approx. 2 cup serving) Snack – Small portion of pork belly (maybe 1-2 oz.) Dinner – Seared salmon and salad (mixed greens with bell pepper, red onion, olive oil & balsamic vinegar), ½ sweet potato, dill pickles Tuesday Breakfast – 3 eggs, ½ bunch asparagus, mushrooms, ½ avocado At work – tea/coconut oil (3 servings) Snack – Red bell pepper Lunch – Paleo chili (same as day before) Snack – Chicken Jerky (65 calories, 14g protein) Dinner – 6oz. Halibut, tostones (mashed plantains “fried†in coconut oil), 2 tomatoes Wednesday Breakfast – 3 chicken legs, ½ bunch asparagus, 3 mushrooms, 1 avocado At work – Tea/coconut oil (2 cups/servings) Snack – Red bell pepper Lunch – Paleo chili Snack – 1-2oz. Pork belly Dinner – Sauteed baby bok choy, onion and yellow bell pepper with shrimp For vitamins/supplements I take 5000ius Vit-D, B-12, C, Probiotic, fish oil x2 daily, multivitamin x2 daily, Zinc, Iron (per Dr.), Magnesium, Biotin (nails and hair), and then my 3 prescription meds (Citalopram & Wellbutrin for anxiety/depression and Synthroid for Hypothyroid) Exercise - My husband and I do CrossFit 3x/week at 545 AM and Kettlebells 1x week at 545AM. Trying to add in another day of straight weight-lifting and we plan on adding in some walking). I don't eat pre (way too early) or post workout meals, but I eat breakfast about 45 minutes-hour after working out. Any thoughts or suggestions on how I might remedy this problem would be greatly appreciated!

I know I'm making positive changes. I've had to buy new clothes, etc so I'm definitely building muscle, etc. and my body is shifting. But, I started this at 240 pounds. It's not like I have just a few pounds to lose. I have a LOT of pounds to lose. Not trying to throw a pity party for myself, but 10 pounds for a person starting where I started from is discouraging after making such HUGE changes. Note to self: Don't weigh myself again.

So, I completed my first Whole30 on Sunday. I plan to keep going for at least 60, maybe 90 days. On Saturday I had a full body assessment for the first time in 3 months. Let me state that in the past 3 months I have gone from a completely sedentary lifestyle to doing CrossFit 4xweek at 545AM, I've switched from the 4-hour body diet to Paleo and completed my first Whole30. After three months of exercising religiously and completely overhauling my diet I've only lost 10.4 pounds! 10 pounds in 3 months! I am SO FRUSTRATED!!! I know this Whole30 isn't about weight loss, but doesn't it seem like I should have lost more than 10 pounds in 3 months with such radical changes to my life?? I know I'm gaining health and moving in the right direction but this is so discouraging. Does anyone have any insight or wisdom or just a pep talk for me? This has been a serious kick to the teeth for me.