All Activity
This stream auto-updates
- Past hour
-
I remember the first time I realized I have food noise. I was given Saxenda and several weeks into it as I increased the dose, I noticed that the mental pressure to eat was gone... It was like that voice that often brought up food throughout the day was suddenly silenced. I never even realized it was there before, it was such a familiar thing in my mental landscape it didn't occur to me that not everyone has that! GLP-1 medications in general are known for this side effect. Meds for ADHD like Vyvanse and anti-depressants like Wellbutrin are also known to help with this. When I went off my Ozempic before surgery, the voice came back with a vengeance!! I didn't have much of a appetite pre-op, but man did it come back post-op... For the first month I was sooo hungry. And the voice was SO loud. Thankfully I have a lot of techniques to manage inner voices, due to a decade of somatic based trauma therapy. I think without that, the process would have been so much harder for me. One thing that helps me the most is distinguishing that part as a PART of me, not ALL of me. So instead of "I'm hungry!" it is "I'm noticing a part of me feels hungry." This may seem like a weird distinction, but research has shown when we do this with emotions "A part of me is angry." vs "I'm angry!") it helps us create a little space between us and the feeling and helps us remember that there are other parts of us present and not all of them are caught up in the emotion of the moment. Remembering there are parts of ourselves that are like Switzerland helps us navigate internally when voices get loud. So I apply this to head hunger too. I identify the part of me that is hungry. I ask it what it needs. I validate its experience. And then I offer to just sit with it for a while and be present with the feeling of hunger. Then I let it know when we are next going to eat and orient that part to thinking of what we might want to eat at the coming meal. I'm sure this approach won't work for everyone, it is just what I tend to do. I notice when I hear the parts of me that feel things and give them some presence, they often start to soften, or have something important to tell me about what we are experiencing in that moment. For instance, I have severe ADHD. I get easily distracted and forget to eat. Post op it has been a struggle. That voice is there to remind me to tend my body. It may be louder than most people have it, but it still serves a purpose and when I can give it a job it tends to fight with me less. I eat every 3 hours. Without exception. If I go past 3 hours the voices get really loud and I feel sick, probably my blood sugar dropping... So I eat every 3 hours. But I eat within a 30 minute window, then I'm done. I don't snack in between. If my body tells me we need more food before the 3 hour mark I stop to reflect why this might be. If it is because I am bored, I find something to redirect the energy to and wait. If it is due to a workout or being sick and burning through energy faster. I may add in an earlier meal. Seeing my body as something to partner with, as something I have a relationship with that I want to be a GOOD relationship, seems to help me remember to treat my inner voices with kindness and compassion instead of judgment and irritation. If someone you were closely connected to constantly ignored you or snapped at you, over time you'd either get louder or go away. That is what I did to my body. So now when I hear the voice it is a reminder that this is something I'm working to relate to in a healthier way, so I choose a reaction to it like I'd choose a reaction to a friend reminding me to eat or drink water. Sorry for the long ramble, it just happens to be something I've been reflecting deeply on over the past 6 months!! ETA: I do take Wellbutrin for depression. I have never noticed it affecting that internal voice, but some notice an impact. If you are struggling deeply with this voice, you might consider a medication that can support you in this. I have a good friend who has ADHD and noticed when she started Vyvanse it significantly helped with the food noise and binging behavior. It isn't a good solution for everyone, but it is a good solution for some. ❤️
-
2 weeks post op with minimum restriction and present hunger
ChunkCat replied to KaterinaC's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
There is nothing wrong with you... First, when we have surgery, a lot of nerves are cut that need time to heal. These are the nerves that tell us we are full, or getting full. So you are not getting accurate feedback from your stomach right now. These cut nerves take several months to heal fully. I noticed a distinct change in my fullness cues around 3 months out. Second--just because you CAN eat that amount doesn't mean you SHOULD (I'm so thankful the regulars here remind us all of this early post-op). You aren't getting accurate messages about your restriction right now, and different foods will cause different feelings of restriction or lack thereof. Try to stick to the small portions your dietician should have gone over with you. You have a lot of sutures holding your healing tummy together, you don't want to stress them. Take your time here, there is no rush. Third--different foods will cause different feelings of fullness. Purees often don't cause fullness, even meat purees. When you get into soft foods you might start to feel restriction when you eat denser proteins. But again, your stomach is still healing, so it may take time to feel your restriction, and some people never feel strong restriction, or don't feel it until they are overly full. This is where it is important to measure out your portions and eat tiny bites, slowly, watching for any signs of fullness. For us post op that may feel very different than it did pre-op. For me, for the first few months, all I would get is violent sneezing, intense hiccups, runny nose, etc... It took a while before I started feeling internal pressure with fullness. Fourth--Hunger is a b***h! Some people lose it, not everyone does. I woke up in recovery STARVING!! I was so mad. 😂I felt like I'd been given a faulty surgery. LOL But it really made me learn to work with my hunger cues and to sit with the discomfort of being hungry for a while. I was very, very hungry the first few weeks because nothing feels like it has enough substance to calm that ravenous hunger. This will ease in time as you progress your diet. For now all you can do is learn to distinguish head hunger from body hunger and learn to deal with the fact that sometimes we feel hungry and that's okay. Lastly, many people can drink water freely post op. You don't list your surgery, but this is very common with gastric bypass patients, though I have seen it with sleeve patients too. Once the internal swelling goes down, many can drink water easily. This is a blessing, since dehydration is the #1 reason bariatric patients end up in the ER post op! -
Did anyone else stall when...
ChunkCat replied to NickelChip's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I've had this happen! My body seems to have some set points it is familiar with and I have noticed myself stalling at them or at least holding there for a week or two. My first stall post-op lasted 6 weeks and was at around the same weight I got to when I took Saxenda. I hope your stall is gone and over WAY before then!! It is interesting that your body picked that spot to stall at. I really wonder if the body has a variety of set points within it as opposed to just one. The way I understand it is that stalls mean our body has reached the point that we've lost enough it needs to reassure itself we aren't starving to death. So it stops weight loss, recalibrates, and assesses things before moving forward. It makes sense to me that for some of us this may happen at previous points of stalling or previous weights we stayed at for a while... -
November 2023 buddies
ChunkCat replied to brandycsiz's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Alright guys, 6 months is upon us!! This pic is from the morning of my 6 month post op visit. I weighed in at 232 in office. That is 88 lbs since my highest weight, 75 lbs since surgery! Weirdly, I am smaller now that I was last time I was at this weight. The surgeon found this funny and said the way our bodies lose weight can be really entertaining. LOL I startled myself the other day because I pulled out my smallest clothes (the smallest I have ever been as an adult was 195) and my size 16 jeans fit, zip easily, and are huge in the waist!! That means my smallest size, a 14, will probably fit now snugly, or comfortably in another month. How insane is that?? How can I fit into clothes I had to be 30 lbs lighter to wear last time?? Magic, that's how. 😂 The surgeon estimates I'll be at around 200 lbs by my year mark, though he said if I don't get quite to 200 to not stress it. We each lose weight at our own pace and with my common channel length I can expect to lose weight (albeit much slower) through the second year and possibly into the 3rd year, though at that point it'll be 1 lb here and there. This is the upside of the duodenal switch, it is a long, slow burn. Most stabilize around 18 months to 2 years, but there are always outliers. I feel pretty great! I had a hiatal hernia repair in mid April after I starting having issues choking on my food and pills not going down (I even ended up in the ER with it, which was awful, they don't get bariatric patients at all!!). I gained 15 lbs overnight and it took 2 weeks to get it off, so that on top of my stall for most of March really slowed my weight loss down. But that's okay, I'm reminding myself I have faith that it will come off in its own time. But man, it is hard to remember that when the scale goes up!! In other news, my GP and bariatric surgeon both think I have POTS. I've had issues with it on and off since having a bad case of Epstein Barr Virus (mono) that put me in the hospital a few years ago. It seems every time my body gets stressed it reverts back to having symptoms and it seems it counts any surgery as a major stressor (understandably). She referred me to a specialist and my appointment is October 24th, 2025. Uhuh, 2025, not a typo. He's booking 1 1/2 years out. There are only 2 doctors in the state that specialize in it. So I'm not a happy camper... Meanwhile we are trying a low dose of a beta blocker to see if it helps with the dizziness when I change positions, the racing heart rate when standing/exerting myself, and the exercise intolerance... And doing the lifestyle things like compression leggings, increasing salt and fluid intake, etc... It seems that a lot of Long Covid patients end up having POTS too. Have you looked into this @SomeBigGuy ?? How are you doing? How is everyone else doing?? - Today
-
I have no clue where to upload this, so I'll put it here. This is pre-op vs the morning of my 6 month appointment! In office I weight 232, that's 88 lbs down since my highest weight, 75 lbs since my surgery weight! I can't believe this jacket fit... I am smaller now than the last time I was this size which the surgeon found really amusing. He's happy with where I am in my weight loss and estimates I'll be around 200 lbs by my 1 year anniversary! My lowest weight as an adult is 195, so that's pretty damn exciting to think I'll be near that at a year. Everything from there will be unknown territory!!
-
I needed to talk…
ChunkCat replied to Vanessa Correal's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Hi Vanessa! Is there something particular that has made you sad, or is this the weight loss blues (which are totally valid BTW)? I find empty theaters so soothing. I just wish they'd turn the movie down a little. I keep meaning to try going to see one with earplugs in, I hear that helps sensitive ears. 60 lbs that quick is amazing! My weight loss has been slower, but we all have our different paces... Have you struggled with depression before surgery? Sometimes surgery and the weight loss journey can trigger it. You are not alone. Thank you for posting and letting us know what you need. I will just say that if you were on medication for depression before surgery, you might want to touch base with your provider. Our surgeries can sometimes change the way we absorb our medications. I had to change mine around because I wasn't absorbing them properly and was slowly going through withdrawals, which was NOT fun! Thankfully all is well now, I knew to watch for that issue and we caught it quickly! -
I've never done any type of detox. I'm not sure if it really does what people say it does.
-
it's really, really rare to have a stricture that late - they almost always appear - if they're going to appear - within the first three months after surgery. I had two - at four weeks out and again at eight weeks out. The first time I knew something was wrong and I called my clinic. They suspected it was a stricture and sent me over to the hospital for an upper endoscopy to confirm (and "fix") it. The second time I knew exactly what it was since I'd seen this movie before and I went right in to have it stretched. So no, I never got to the point you were at. For those newbies who are reading this, strictures only happen to about 5% of bypass patients (they can happen to sleeve patients as well, but they're very rare with sleeve), and they almost always happen within the first three months after surgery. Just be aware of the symptoms she listed and contact your clinic if you first start noticing stuff like this. They're not going to heal on their own, and they're an easy fix. Just make sure to let your clinic know if you start having these kinds of symptoms (can't keep anything down, nausea all the time) since these are not normal and are usually indicative of a stricture.
-
Did anyone else stall when...
catwoman7 replied to NickelChip's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I had several stalls - but they all eventually broke and I kept going until I hit goal (actually, about 10 lbs under) 20 months later. When I tried to lose weight on my own, I'd lose at most about 50 lbs before I'd hit a brick wall and my weight would eventually start heading back up. WLS was the only thing that allowed me to break through those brick walls and lose all of my excess weight (100% of it - although I've gained about 20 lbs of it back over the years). I think it's just a coincidence that you're having a stall at your former "brick wall". Just keep plugging away at it. It does get harder the closer you get to goal, though. Those last 20 or 30 lbs were a bear to get off (and It could be that my new, post op "set point" IS where I am now - but this is way, way lower than any pre-WLS set points). -
-
-
Ehwre betty joined the community
-
I'm going on 12 weeks post-op and for the past 2 weeks, I have been stalled. I know this is common, if frustrating. But what interests me is where I stalled. About 7 years ago, I had my most successful attempt at weight loss through nutrition counseling. I started at 251 lbs and I lost fairly rapidly and steadily for 6 months through calorie restriction and daily walking, reaching a low-point of 203.8 lbs. And then I stalled. I never got below 203.8. In fact, I steadily gained about 10 lbs over the next several months and then maintained that higher weight for maybe a year, and then gained more. When I started the surgical program last summer, I was right back at 251 lbs. Perhaps coincidentally, 203 lbs is a number I remember being fairly consistent for me in my mid to late 20s. When I weighed myself, not having dieted at all and just living my life, I was usually between 202 and 205 for several years. My question is, did anyone else stall when you reached a certain weight where you had either struggled to get lower in the past or where your body had been very comfortable for a long time at one point? I'm curious if this could be some sort of built-in set-point where my body is trying to settle itself just because it remembers being comfortable here for some reason. Like after the shock of the last several weeks it's saying "Oh, thank God, I recognize this street. I think I'll live here." I know the surgery is still doing its job and I will hopefully see this stall break soon. It's early days. But I'm just fascinated by how this particular number seems important to my body in some way. Did anyone else have a similar experience?
-
Thank you so much for the info @catwoman7! Knowing it’ll take me 14-90 days helps me make a better plan such as including sauna and drinking lemon water. Have you per chance done any parasite cleanse and heavy metals detox that has worked for you? As I mentioned, I want to heal my digestive system and regain better health 🙏🥹
-
Yes! My surgery is on Tuesday! 14/05/24
-
christyjohnson1025 joined the community
-
-
Head hunger/food noise
Jonathan Carlson replied to Erin18's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Does that mean eating when you're not really hungry? I do it all the time. I could use some advice too! Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk -
I take the chewable Celebrate One with 45mg iron and have had no issues even though I used to gag on vitamin capsules pre-surgery. I doubt I will go back to pills. I find the Tropical Twist flavor to be nice. Here is their EU site: https://celebratevitamins.eu/
-
-
I needed to talk…
BlueParis replied to Vanessa Correal's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
You're not alone Vanessa. I'm sorry you feel this way at the moment, but this feeling will pass. You've lost 60 pounds, that's an amazing feat you've achieved! I hope you enjoyed your film. Take care. -
Hi Everyone I am in desperate need of tips on how to take my vitamins. I have tried 4 different brands that my surgery office prescribes (i live in Europe so may not have the same brands as other areas). They are all bariatric patient specific vitamins. I have also tried different formats of the vitamins: powder/ gel capsule/ hard pill … neutral or flavoured. And i just can’t take them. Every time i swallow a pill it feels stuck inside my throat and makes me cough and splutter and i feel it stuck for ages. When i break open the capsules and pour the powder over something i gag so badly because of the taste that it makes me feel sick for hours. The powder that you mix in a a drink is so disgusting that i heave when i try to force it down I do take them with food during a meal but it puts me completely off my food once i struggle to get them down. I don’t know what to do anymore - does anyone have any ideas or tips on what i can do or on any vitamin brands available in Europe that have the correct composition for vsg patients ? I need a high iron supplement due to genetic form of anemia. 🙏🙏🙏
-
2 weeks post op with minimum restriction and present hunger
lily06 replied to KaterinaC's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Hi ! I felt the same around 3-4 weeks post op i panicked thinking i could eat way too much and that something was wrong. Then i started measuring and logging into MFP my food intake and realised i was only eating 800-1000 calories a day so all in all it’s nothing to worry about. Truth is everyone is different, the restriction is different. I can and have since around 2 weeks post op gulp water 🤷🏻♀️ some people can’t even months down the line. I think it’s easy to get scared in the first few weeks post op but no need to panic - we are no where near being able to eat the quantities we used to eat. Concentrate on what you’re feeling as you eat, learn your fullness cues and it’ll reassure you 💯 -
2 weeks post op with minimum restriction and present hunger
KaterinaC posted a topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I am really worried here and I am searching for your advice and experiences. I am 2 weeks post op gastric sleeve and 1 week on purée stage. I am very scared because I do feel hunger and I am able to eat 5 spoons we use for soup (europe) of minced meat cooked without any issue and not taking more than 5 minutes. I stop because I have to not because I feel some extreme discomfort and I am feeling still hungry. (i do not eat and drink at the same time). I can also drink liquids during the day with no issues. What is wrong with me? -
KaterinaC joined the community
-
Baribuffbabe joined the community
-
smashlee0826 joined the community
-
Ugh. I’m defeated. I’m 3 years post op and have been sick for the last 7 or 8 months. Vomiting constantly, nauseous all the time, dropped down to 92 pounds. I got up to 96 or 98 before I finally broke down and called my surgeon. My husband had been on me to call and I just didn’t want to be a bother to anyone and felt awful about myself. I looked terrible. Nothing but bones. Long story short , they got me in the next day and had bloodwork scheduled for the next day and an endoscopy scheduled for the day after that. I had a major stricture at the opening of the small intestine. They were surprised that fluids were even making it through, it was so bad. I’ve had it stretched 3 times and have been put on TPN. It was 18 hours a day and they’ve backed it down to 14 and upped my calories to 1294. I’m up to 111 pounds as of yesterday but am still getting sick on anything that isn’t mush. I feel like a complete failure and so stupid for not calling and getting help sooner. Like, this whole bout of tpn could have been avoided had I not been so stubborn. The surgeon wants me to gain at least 20 pounds. has anyone else been through anything similar and If so were you on tpn and for how long?
-
Momma_B joined the community
-
-
Can someone give some helpful tips or info about ths topic?
-
I think all traces of pot pretty much leaves your body within about two weeks - I don't think it's necessary to detox for that to happen. I'd eat the protein - your body needs it - esp after bariatric surgery. EDITED to add this. Just found it on WebMd: If you’re a chronic user, more THC will build up and remain in your body. That’s because your body can only break down THC at a specific rate. Your body stores the excess THC in your fat cells. More frequent marijuana use means a longer time for THC to leave your system. Here are the average detoxification times: One-time use: one to three days Moderate use (three times a week): five to seven days Daily use: seven to 14 days Heavy use: 14 to 90 days
-
shamia joined the community
-
Initial Visit-Mixed Emotions
catwoman7 replied to Jessie203's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
the first few months can be a challenge (although fortunately, most of us lose our sense of hunger for the first few months, which makes it easier), but after that, not really. At least not food-wise. By six months out I was cleared to eat anything my stomach could tolerate, which for me is pretty much everything. I eat a lot less than I used to (obviously), but no one would guess I had bariatric surgery at this point. They'd probably assume I'm just a light eater, like lots of my women friends who've never been obese. When I go out, I'll sometimes order just an appetizer or a salad, or if I get an entree, I'll eat half of it and take the rest home to have for lunch the following day. A lot of my friends do the same. I worried about this too since I'm a food lover as well, but other than cutting my portion size and just enjoying things like desserts occasionally, I really don't notice a huge difference. I do try to prioritize protein and vegetables since I need the nutrients (we all do) and my stomach is small, but I don't deny myself anything. Although there are some things like rice and pasta that tend to sit in my stomach like a brick. I still eat those occasionally, but not a lot of them at one sitting. P.S. your comment about being afraid you won't enjoy food. I enjoy it a lot - too much! (I've been in maintenance for years and it can be a struggle to keep from gaining weight). For the first few months after surgery, though, most of us lose our sense of hunger for up to a year (my hunger came back at five months out). Many of us also do lose some interest in food, too (and that comes back too!). But even though it's weird at first, enjoy it while it lasts and take full advantage of it. To be honest, I found it very liberating. It was so easy to lose weight when I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food for the first time in my life! once I got over the weirdness of it, I LOVED it and wished I was one of the very lucky few whose hunger never came back (but again, it does come back for the vast majority of us) -
Initial Visit-Mixed Emotions
Arabesque replied to Jessie203's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
If you’re on a GLP-1 drug wondering why you’re also considering surgery? Yes, some do combine the two but why not wait & see how effective the medication is & how you feel & then decide about the surgery. Don’t feel undeserving of the surgery if you decide to go down that path. For your health you are deserving & that is hugely more important than a number on the scales. Do you feel undeserving being on the medication? It’s helping you lose weight too. I’m 5 years out, tomorrow actually, with my sleeve. I enjoyed food before and I still do. I eat with family & friends at their homes, restaurants, events, etc. I just look at food differently & make more careful & better choices. You said since being on the GLP-1 med you don’t really want fast food any more. For a lot of us, the surgery does that too. And it gives us the time to examine our relationship with food - this is the most important benefit. There’s food I don’t even think about eating now. Just the thought of eating some foods makes me feel ill. Some foods simply don’t appeal. And yes, there are some foods I choose not to eat. Would never have believed it was possible before surgery but here I am. I don’t even crave any foods now. Mind blown! Keep us updated on your progress & what you decide to do in regards to surgery. Will say, if you are having doubts about the surgery, don’t do it. You have to be mentally & emotionally ready before embarking on it. It may be that you’re just not ready now & that’s okay. All the best. PS - I didn’t exercise at all when I was losing & do very little now (some at home stretching & resistance band things). Wouldn’t burn 30 calories LOL! Lost all my weight & more & have maintained that weight. -
Post op constipation…
Jalapeño replied to Zerofuckstogive70's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Have smoothies with avocado, bananas and pitted prunes etc. That will help regulate things. -
Vaping after Surgery
Jalapeño replied to Stars3825's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I'm 3 weeks post op. I'm vaping but nicotine free. Do not have any nicotine post surgery because it will slow down your healing.
