Tomo

4 months post-op I was really into cheese crisps. I would use all kinds of different cheese. One just has to put little piles (~2T) of shredded cheese on parchment paper, season them and air fry them 350°F until crispy. Then you could dip them in hummus or guacamole... Etc.

They’re pretty strong. If they failed easily after surgery from simply straining while pooping or coughing they wouldn’t use them for any surgery. If they fail you’d have to have done something much more strenuous to your abdominal/upper digestive area or put a lot of strain on your tummy. If you follow the staged return to eating, not lift anything heavy before you’re allowed & don’t do any strenuous or jerking activities, you should be fine.
Staple failures are very rare.

I’d probably give your surgeon a call. Is the area warm or red or more tender than your other wounds? What colour is the discharge? Could be an infection?

Hey @ShoppGirl, not sure if this has been discussed or not, but what are your thoughts about the GLP 1 drugs? I remember someone on Dr Weiner’s podcast saying how it stopped the food noise in her head & reduced her hunger. Dr Weiner has been doing a few podcasts about the medication which may be worth listening to. May be an avenue to consider especially has you have concerns & questions about proceeding with the Sadi & hunger is an issue for you.

food from the last week- lemon vegetable orzo and garlic cheese breadsticks (ate it all)
Sheppard’s pie, roasted red pepper ranch cucumber salad, and fresh pineapple (ate it all)
Not quite a frittata but spinach, bell pepper, chili powder caramelized onions, mushrooms, garlic, sharp white cheddar, with rosemary sea salt and saffron infused eggs alongside a slice of brioche toast (ate it all… I think?) The blue cup has light mocha iced coffee in it- drank all that.
steakhouse seasoned burgers- mine was on a Hawaiian roll with roasted red pepper mayo, pepper jack cheese, Vidalia onions, banana peppers, and pickles (lettuce and Tomato on the side) alongside Parmesan ranch smashed red potatoes. (Obviously didn’t eat it all)
Im still not counting calories right now but down another lb so I’m not worried about it.

some stuff i ate yesterday (ate everything shown)...
  

Post cardiac rehab brunch- avocado brioche toast and poached egg with Sriracha and cucumber
also daughter’s bf’s birthday pie- white cranberry juice Gelatin with blue spirulina powder added then topped with whipped topping and strawberries in a store bought shortbread crust. Thankfully the gelatin wasn’t overly sweet and the tart was a nice balance. He loved it btw.

eggs have never been an issue until last year. Love omelettes and scrambled eggs were what i ordered if we went out for Breakfast. Oh devilled eggs. Used to make them a lot in the 70s can’t believe they’re still so popular. Somethings just always taste good. I do like a fresh prawn salad with a Marie Rose sauce … a prawn cocktail in other words. 😁
$65 for a salad. Yikes! This is what I don’t like. How we get caught with paying a lot for food or alcohol we just can’t eat or drink anymore or subsidising others’ meals (bill splitting). Think I recently shared about wanting to get a single glass of champagne for myself but was forced to join the group purchase of a bottle. I didn’t even have one full glass while they had almost 2 glasses each. My share cost me 1.5 x the price of a single glass I wanted to order. While lovely it was as an expensive bottle. And the bun less halloumi burger I once ordered. Charged the same $18 price & got a slice of Tomato, a small lettuce leaf & a slice of halloumi. Sigh!!

It sounds normal to me. Although I haven't had a gastric emptying test, I do get a little hungry after 2 hours. I usually eat every 2 to 3 hours as some of those above have mentioned.

It sounds normal to me. Although I haven't had a gastric emptying test, I do get a little hungry after 2 hours. I usually eat every 2 to 3 hours as some of those above have mentioned.

It’s all about finding what works for you. For years I didn’t have Breakfast & used to also say that eating breakfast made me hungry for the rest of the day & I would feel sort of blah after. Then I started having breakfast because I thought I should have something. Would deliberately work through that blah feeling & fight any urges to eat until dinner. Now I happily eat breakfast. I discovered that if I eat it after 8:30/9am I feel okay, not ready to eat again until about 1pm. However, if I eat at say 7:30am, I’m hungry much earlier, feel blah as before. Think that was always my problem because I used to eat breakfast at 5/5:30am. It was simply too early for me.
My window between eating gets shorter after the intital 4hr to 1pm lunch (3pm, 4:30ish, 6pm (dinner), 7pm) & is when I add my Snacks.
It may be when you eat, what you eat, how regularly you eat, whether you eat several small meals or three main meals, etc.

i've never had a gastric emptying test, but 2 hrs sounds about right for me to be ok/comfortable to eat something again after last eating.
BUT: this is the way *i* normally eat, so i dunno. IF i don't get distracted, i've normally been generally eating SOMETHING or other every 1-2 hours during my regular eating window since surgery (for the most part).
regular eating window == sometime after NOON to maybe 8-9 pm

I think a maintenance level of 2100 kcal/day for someone 5'7" who's had WLS would only work for someone who was super active - or was blessed with great metabolism. A dietitian I worked with years ago told me people who've lost a lot of weight almost always need about 300 +/- fewer calories to maintain their weight than a person of the same weight and stature who's never been obese. I heard that again from a nutrition professor last summer when I was auditing a university-level course on weight loss and obesity. There's some scientific explanation behind that that I can't remember at the moment, but it's disappointing - but that's the way it is, evidently.
that said, a couple of thoughts. First of all, you may or may not be done yet. After the first year, there were several times my weight loss seemed to stop and I'd think "well, I guess this is it..", and then I'd suddenly drop a couple of lbs. Also, you are very close to a normal BMI. Weight loss at that point is EXCRUCIATINGLY slow. I remember the last 20 lbs being a BEAR for me to lose. But I kept at it and finally got there.

I did very little exercise and lost on 1200 calories a day. I am maintaining on an average of 1500 a day. I still have a relaxed regime, I walk a few miles a week and work in a very busy charity shop once a week. I am retired so you can see work and exercise didn't help me. I still have a fierce restriction so the calories are ok for me.
I once had a stall of 3 months and then dropped 7 pounds overnight. I began to think that I had finished my journey. Everyone is so different and its heart breaking if you compare yourself to others.

I don’t engage in formal exercise, but I fully embrace the concept that an active lifestyle is key to good health. I swear by the ‘one in, one out’ rule. It ensures I’m frequently on my feet. Instead of keeping everything within arm’s reach, I store items away, which prompts me to stand and retrieve them as needed. And it helps with clutter. [emoji3]

Additionally, I use an the under-desk cycle, It allows me to stay active even while seated at my desk or watching TV. It keeps my legs moving and promotes circulation, I don't put it on high resistance, as I don't want to injure my knees, I don't break out in a sweat, It's easygoing but effective.

I don’t engage in formal exercise, but I fully embrace the concept that an active lifestyle is key to good health. I swear by the ‘one in, one out’ rule. It ensures I’m frequently on my feet. Instead of keeping everything within arm’s reach, I store items away, which prompts me to stand and retrieve them as needed. And it helps with clutter. [emoji3]

Additionally, I use an the under-desk cycle, It allows me to stay active even while seated at my desk or watching TV. It keeps my legs moving and promotes circulation, I don't put it on high resistance, as I don't want to injure my knees, I don't break out in a sweat, It's easygoing but effective.

First, during the surgery lots of nerves were cut so messages about feeling full, hungry, etc, either don’t get through or are distorted. It takes about 8 weeks to heal so most of days find we don’t start to feel our restriction until we’re into solid foods. Also, fluids & purées to a lesser extent go through your digestive system a lot more quickly so you don’t really fill up in rather same way. Tread carefully with the volume of food & liquids you can consume quickly for the same reason. Allow yourself to heal so you don’t strain or stress your digestive system which is being held together with sutures & staples. All because you can doesn’t mean you should in the first two months. We all can & should be able to eat & drink larger & larger portions as we progress until we get to a recommended & appropriate portion size.
Try not to eat until you feel full. Try to identify when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it. It takes at least 20 minutes for the signal that you’ve had enough to get through so by the time it does you’ve likely eaten more than you need.
While some people do continue to feel hungry the majority lose their hunger for a number of months. Start by discerning if you are feeling real hunger or head hunger. Craving a specific food, texture or flavour is head hunger. Are you feeling tired, stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, sad, etc.? Many of us ate to sooth or comfort ourselves when our emotions were in turmoil. This too is a head hunger. It takes a while for your digestive system to adjust so you keep producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery. Excess acid can make you think you’re hungry (are you on a PPI to reduce stomach acid?) Hunger pangs/pains or a rumbling tummy also in most cases don’t indicate real hunger but excess stomach acid & your digestive system working. Many of us discover new signals for being or almost full (sneezing, runny nose, hiccups, etc.). We often find that feeling hungry (real hunger) is different too. For me I get restless, like something is wrong, I don’t crave anything & there is a reason why I would be hungry (like missed a meal, or ate very little at a previous meal, etc.)
As an example. Yesterday went to a family event at a restaurant. Ate very little (they cleared our plates way too quickly for how slowly I eat). Got home late afternoon. Gnawed a trimmed chicken leg for dinner which I bought up (darn foamies). Ate a Protein Bar & went to bed. Tossed & turned & while tired couldn’t sleep. Argued with myself about whether I was really hungry or not. Realised besides the small lunch, bringing up my dinner, I’d also mixed two Snacks. Debated what I wanted to eat (nothing specific). Real hunger. Got up & finished my leftover rolled oats Breakfast (usually an afternoon snack). Then happily went back to bed & slept.
There is a lot you have to learn & work out about your body, how it works now & your thinking. It takes time but you’ll get there.
PS Congrats on your surgery & weight loss so far.

I’ve tried so many types of exercise over the years & never found one I really enjoyed & stuck with. I dislike getting hit & sweaty. I did enjoy yoga - calming & love the stretching aspect. I didn’t exercise while I was losing but around 18months ago I heard about exercise snacking which is focussed on short bursts of activity several times a day. Bought myself some resistance bands & a thick mat (for my honey back - got them from Kmart so super cheap) and began doing 5 odd minute bursts of stretches, bands, & such about 4 times a day. Added some things & dropped others in my routine. I find it very easy to incorporate into my day. Do it all at home. Usually every day. Do tend to stick to specific times (2:30pm, 4pm, 5pm, 9:15pm). Will also do a few other little things throughout the day. Like have added some feet & Achilles tendon stretches on my stairs, stretch out my hamstrings using the kitchen bench while cooking. Big thing is I’ve been sticking with it. Even if away I do a variation of the activities (I don’t take my bands with me.)
Initially started to help support my back (oozing discs) & regain some flexibility & be more limber. Bonus has been toning the muscles in my arms & legs. (had to buy some new trousers as my thighs had got a little bigger (not huge just firmer I guess) & I get compliments on my toned arms - who’d have thought it.
Worth giving it a go.

ok.
first let me say that regular exercise may not affect the number on the scale as much as diet does, but it does WONDERS for your appearance and well being.
starting something that is beyond your capabilities or desire is a sure fire way to alienate yourself from exercise even more.
how about starting small: walk around your neighbourhood; vacuum your entire house more often. do some gardening or yard work.
you can even start SUPER-small; take the stairs instead on the escalator; park further away from your destinations and walk the difference.
once you get ur body used to moving regularly and hopefully develop an actual liking of endorphins, it may be easier to make the transition to something more regular and challenging.
good luck! ❤️

I hit my original goal of 200 and moved it to 195. I just hit my next goal of 195 and moved it to 190. Let's see how long it takes me to hit 190 now!!!! The question is, will I actually hit my secret goal??!?!

I don't like Semaglutide....too many side effects. I looked into it for a bit before surgery, and it wasn't worth it IMHO. I have had a few friends on it that it caused too many issues, and they quit taking it. And both of them didn't lose much weight 5-10 pounds. One of my other friends take it and she does well with it, lost 40-50 pounds, however once she stops taking it, she gains everything back and then some. So now she has to lose the weight, go off of it, then do maintenance shots with it every other month or she will gain everything back. My cousin has been taking it for ~6 months now, and she is doing really well, she lost about 60 pounds, but hasn't gone off of it yet. They are both a tool to help you, they aren't a fix all. If you think about it, you could do the same diet as Bariatric surgery, if you have the will power, and you will lose the same weight. I needed the tool to assist me, I had dieted before and lost 100 pounds, but over the years I put it all back on and then some. It is all about your mindset. I have tried many things before, phentermine, qysimia, diet/exercise, among others. The best thing that has helped has been the sleeve. It may be your best option to try semaglutide and see if it works for you, it is the cheaper option at first, and if it doesn't work and you aren't happy with it, look at other options.

Does anyone else ever feel guilty if they take a rest day from working out? We HAVE to take rest days to let our bodies and heal and rest, so we don't do damage. I work out 5 days per week and rest for 2. I rest on Thursday and Sunday. And I have to be honest, as soon as I wake up on rest day, I start feeling like I'm doing something wrong by not working out. As the day goes on, it just gets worse, and I have to literally FORCE myself to keep my rest day. I do keep to my rest days, but I really struggle with them. Anyone else, or am I just weird?

Both Ozempic and weight loss surgery have their merits, and the right choice depends on individual circumstances, including how much weight you aim to lose. Ozempic typically leads to 10-15% total body weight loss, while weight loss surgery can result in losing up to 70% of excess weight. While some individuals on GLP-1 agonists may experience weight loss greater than 15%, this is not the standard expectation for these treatments.

I think we all go through that and even now sometimes I think that if I eat a little bit too much. I'll just reiterate that it takes quite a bit to stretch your stomach. Also, most people who have gained weight, it wasn't because of a physical change (i.e. stretching your stomach) but more because they stopped following the basic rules for restriction. For example, they may eat a lot of slider foods, consume milkshakes or other high calorie liquids that go right through your sleeve or rny with little or no restriction... Etc.

I also didn't get any calorie guidelines -- even fat/etc. I got Protein goals, and was just told to keep my sugars and carbs as low as I could for the first month. When I started on soft foods, they gave me a bit more advice for carb/sugar limits and fibre goals but it was a pretty broad range. My team basically said it was because every 'body' is different and will react/thrive/etc with different levels, but that while still technically in 'recovery' it's more important to focus on protein and nutrients that you need as opposed to the fats/carbs to limit.

I mostly did my own research, put a limit in my food tracking app, and am making my own notes on what amounts I can have over a day and still be on track. Like for me personally, my targets are 80g+ protein, and under 45g carbs & 25g fats per day. I can go over one or the other by 5-10 grams without it seeming to affect my weight loss, as long as it's not both on the same day. (Most days it's not even an issue but I'm still only 2 months in myself. Early days!)