livingstone

I was on full liquids pretty much immediately. I was nil by mouth for the day of surgery, but from Day 2 I was able to drink milk and eat Soup. I was on full liquids for week 1 and 2, purees for week 3 and 4, soft foods for week 5 and 6 and from next week will be able to move on to a normal range of foods.

Hi folks - just a quick question on calories. I'm nearly five weeks out and mostly eating sliced deli meat (ham, chicken or beef), so my Protein is up. But because the meat is quite low calorie, I'm getting in about 300 calories a day or less. Once I'm on to full solids in about 10 days, I think I may be able to get in more calories and protein by eating Protein Bars when I need to, but right now I can't see that my calorie take could increase much. My question is whether this is OK for five weaks out. I am worried that my calorie intake may be too low - I know I'm not going to starve to death, and I am getting Vitamins etc through my supplement. And yes, I know I should ask my doctor and I will when I have my six week check up, but I just wanted to see what people were getting in at five weeks out. I've also started exercising yesterday - nothing heavy - just some light cardio until I'm cleared to do weights. But I do burn about 200 calories with a 30 minute workout.

Thanks. I'm getting about 30 grams of protein at the moment. I know that's not enough, but again, I also know that when I fully move on to regular food that I can increase that with protein bars if I need to. I'm able to have one slice (about an ounce) of cold sliced beef/ham/chicken about every two hours. Any more makes me feel too full. I also had about three very small slices of sourdough bread yesterday. I've not done any Protein shakes etc - my surgeon advised me to stay away from them and work up towards getting my protein in normally (which is good because I really didn't want them).

I will just add one piece of advice, and some on here may disagree with it, but it is to take the pressure off yourself a little. If you're having trouble getting in your Protein, then don't put pressure on yourself - get in as much as you can and leave it at that. Maybe even take a week off from measuring it. I found after my surgery the worst thing was feeling like my life was being consumed by measuring, counting and forcing myself to consume things I didn't want to. Now, don't get me wrong - keep yourself hydrated, keep your energy levels up - but the constant measuring and counting and the pressure really got me down. I hope you feel better soon - I hated my sleeve for the first week or two, I can't imagine how awful it would be to feel like that for months.

Thanks. My Multivitamin doesn't have any calories though. I feel fine, but just want to make sure that the 300 or less calories I'm getting is OK for now. I have a feeling it will increase a lot when I'm on full solids.

Oh, and for anyone trying to avoid popcorn who find the smell difficult to resist at the cinema, try and find a smaller, independent or arthouse cinema. They probably won't be showing the blockbusters, but they also tend to have cafes and bars rather than popcorn stands, so no popcorn smell. The one I go to does sell popcorn, but I can never smell it. I'm convinced the bigger chains deliberately pump out teh smell to increase sales.

I would also be careful with dry cereal this early. Again, not for nutritional reasons (that's your own decision) but because one of the reasons we're not allowed dry crunchy or hard food early on is that it can aggravate the stomach and slow down healing or even cause damage. I would check with your surgeon - if he gives you the all clear for crunchies then go ahead. But otherwise, I would wait. Think how much nicer it will taste when you have it for the first time as a reward for getting through the horrible first six weeks

It' good to see some other UK folk on here. Don't worry about your Malteesers slip up. Everyone falls off the wagon, just get back on and learn from it. Luckily for me, I've not found avoiding sweets too difficult - for me it is the savoury stuff. I can hear my name being called every time I pass a KFC or a Greggs. I can't start normal foods until week six, I'm currently in soft solid stage, so eating a lot of cold sliced meat from the deli counter. I had some sourdough bread yesterday and it was the most amazing thing ever, though it felt wrong to throw away the lovely yummy crusts. Luckily I've not had any problems keeping anything down yet.

I was surprised by how emotional I was afterwards. It only lasted about a week - but in that week I genuinely worried that I was developing depression. I felt sort of out of my own mind - it's difficult to describe, but I definitely didn't feel myself, and sometimes I just burst into tears. I also regretted the surgery for the first two or even three weeks. I still have moments of regret when I think of all the yummy food I used to eat. Some posters talk about how their tastes changes when they had surgery, and they couldn't even look at the foods they used to love. Not me - from the day after surgery, I desperately craved all of the unhealthy foods I used to love. I still do to an extent, although being on soft solid food had helped with those cravings. Hopefully moving on to full solids will help even more.

I think posters that have attacked you and claimed you are doomed to failure fo wanting popcorn are wrong, and frankly, need to calm down. When you return to normal, a little popcorn is fine. I had this surgery to moderate my portions and live a normal life. Those posters who have decided that surgery means living an abnormal life where they can not eat the things normal people eat in normal proportions have every right to make that decision for themselves but it is massively arrogant to assume that making that decision makes the surgery a failure for anyone who decides to have a bit more leeway in their diet. Yes, movie popcorn is full of salt and fat. Yes, I had surgery so that, amongst other things, going to the movies didn't involve eating a large bucket of popcorn. But I did not have surgery to stop eating things that I like alltogether, and that does not mean my surgery is or will be a failure. And I absolutely understand where you are coming from with wanting something salty. That is natural - we think of salt as bad, but our bodies need salt just as they need other minerals, so wh you don't get much, you will crave it. I've been there. There are ways to get salt/spice through Soups and other soft foods. But I'm not going to pretend it's pleasant - I hated the liquid and puree stage. I'm at soft foods now, so I had some slices of peppered beef, and it was the best thing ever to have something savoury. So I absolutely get where you're coming from. The risk with popcorn at your stage (and mine, I'm five weeks out) is that your stomach is still healing, and the popcorn kernels can get stuck in your suture and cause damage or aggravation. I could lecture you about the fat and salt, and I could lecture you about popcorn being a slider food. But you're an adult and you know that and you can make your own dietary decisions. Movie popcorn is not good for you. I've decided that that will not prevent me eating it in moderation. Life is too short to be obese but it's also too short to not be able to enjoy some treats as well. But I definitely think you should force yourself to stay away from it until your tummy is fully healed.

I get where you're coming from. It's really easy to say 'it doesn't matter what they think' but in truth, we ll have our support networks and we all want them to be understanding. There will be some who just don't get it. They think it is the easy way out and they are wrong, but they will never understand that. Then there are those who might just not be terribly informed. It sounds like your Dad may fall into this category. I don't actually agree with those who say 'eff em'. Remember that everyone on here has (a) lived with obesity and ( researched weight loss surgery extensively. We know the issues, we know why we need it, we know why we can't lose without it. But it's not reasonable to expect that everyone in our circle with have the same insight. So what I think you should do is figure out who falls into this category, and explain it to them. Be patient if they don't get it at first. Ask them to think about why people go to boot camps or get personal trainers - it's because as humans we are weak sometimes, and we don't do what's good for us unless we are forced to. And getting the sleeve is your way of forcing yourself to eat more healthily. It might be worth bringing your Dad to meet your surgeon and having him explain the low risk of complication - especially as you are young, healthy and not super-obese. Explain to your Dad that you are doing this now because you want to do it when the risks are lower, rather than waiting until you are older, heavier and possibly suffering co-morbidities which will increase your risks. I don't know how close you are to your Dad, or your friend. But what I do know is that you will need lots of support when you have the surgery. It is an emotional rollercoaster for a while, and shutting them out because they don't understand isn't the right road to go down in my view. But as I say, there are some people who will just never understand, and probably don't want to understand. These people will not be part of your support network, so don't waste your time trying to explain to them - or don't even tell them. The important thing is that there are one or two people who you feel comfortable telling who WILL be supporting you - you need these people, and if your Dad and friend fall into the category of people you need supporting you, it is worth taking the time to explain to them. Not defensively, not angrily, not annoyed - understand where they are coming from and calmly and rationally explain why you want this and why it is a good idea for you.

I won't tell you it will get better because you've been told that and you're probably thinking that you need a solution now, not in three months, right? One thing I would suggest is asking your college if you can take a break. Find out if they have a health service or a counselling service, or get a doctors note to confirm that you are dealing with health issues which mean you can't give your studies your all. I know it won't solve your problems, but it would give you one less thing to worry about. The other thing I would say to you is to give yourself a break. You need to stop thinking of this in terms of 'ruining' your family's life. I bet you your family would much rather go through a few months of adjusting to your new life than to lose you at an early age to a heart attack! You are giving your family a gift, which is a longer and happier life with you. And beating yourself up about your difficulties isn't helping you.

So, just an update. It was four weeks on Sunday since my surgery and I've moved on to the soft foods stage of eating. I'm not 100% sure on what constitutes soft food. But I'm running with the NHS guidelines, which basically suggest that if you could cut it with a fork or spoon, and it's not crunchy or fibrous, it's ok. So on Sunday I had some shepherd's pie. Last night I had about an ounce and a half of sliced chicken. It was so wonderful to be able to eat real food again. On my diet plan, one suggestion is some chicken with half a slice of soft white bread without crusts. I can't wait to try that, as I've been missing bread. I still have loads of head hunger, but I'm hoping that as I move on to more solid food, that will pass. I was back home with my family for a celebration at the weekend, so lots of eating out. I was still on purees, so I stuck to Soup, and watching everyone with steak and chips and chicken was tough. I also found that last night even though I got full really fast, I was also hungry again really quickly. It was OK though because with sliced deli meat it's easy to just dip into the fridge for another slice. I'm not sure how I will cope when I'm having proper cooked food that takes effort to make and I can't just quickly dip back in for extras two hours later. I guess that's where healthy Snacks come in. Weight loss has slowed a lot - I lost 14lbs in week 1, 9lbs in week 2, 6 lbs in week 3 and 4lbs in week four. Since Sunday, I've only lost 1lb, so I'm worried that I'm hitting a stall. Which is fine - I told myself to expect a stall around week 3 or 4 - it seems my stall is coming in week 5. However, I am going away with friends at the end of May, so I am hoping it speeds up again so I can drop another stone or two before then. All my pain is gone, though if I poked my tummy I can still feel a bit of discomfort. But it's all good. I can sleep on my side, which is great (I missed spooning while I sleep). The two big downsides are the head hunger and the really awful breath which just won't go away. I'm hoping both will subside once I can start eating more carbs. Overall though, I'm feeling much more positive about this than I was in those first couples of weeks. So for anyone reading this who is just out of surgery and feeling depressed or regretful, I promise that it does get better.

The way I see it, there are cheats that are bad for you in the sense that they can make you feel uncomfortable or nauseous. Then there are cheats that are bad for you because they will slow your weight loss. Then there are cheats that are bad for you because they could actually damage your new tummy while it is recovering. To my mind, the one you need to worry most about is the third one. The first one you will learn yourself by trial and error - you will learn how to eat in a way that doesn't make you feel ill or uncomfortable. And it is different for everyone as to what makes them ill or uncomfortable. The second one is a personal choice. Some people get WLS to change their lives 100%, and I fully respect that. These are people who make the decision that they don't want burgers or fried chicken or sweets in their life and they commit to that, and they usually do very well. But not everyone has WLS for that 100% change. As an example, while I would love to get down to 150 lbs - if I end up at 200 lbs, I'm ok with that. I had WLS not because I want to be a perfect weight, but because I need, for my health, to be significantly lighter than I am. I want to eat less, and I want to eat better - I need to have a better relationship with unhealthy food. For me, that's not a total denial, but adopting the same moderate approach that everyone else can manage without surgery. So if you want to cheat and the consequence is that it will slow your weight loss, that is a personal decision. You are an adult, and like most people who are overweight, you are probably acutely aware of what is healthy and unhealthy - you are able to make that decision for yourself. It is the third cheat you need to be careful with - because becoming seriously ill due to a leak is not a choice you want to be making. One of the issues I sometimes have on this site is that the three cheats get conflated - you ask a question about something wondering if it is dangerous to eat X or Y, and you'll get lots of advice about why eating X or Y will slow your weight loss. But you probably already know that. I think we should all be clearer whether we think something should be avoided because it's dangerous, or because it's just a bad food decision.

I'm four weeks out of surgery and my breath is really awful. I know this is down to ketosis and a lack of carbs. But it really is posing a problem in work and in my personal life. Can someone please tell me that this will go away? And when? I am now having to sneak into the bathroom at work to brush my teeth about five times a day and trying to make sure I'm far away from people in meetings, but that doesn't always work. Is this something that is a permanent feature of a low carb diet? Or is it something that the body adjusts to?

I haven't started working out post-surgery yet, but I'm planning to start some light cardio this week (I'm four weeks post surgery). My tips to make it more enjoyable: -Don't put pressure on yourself. Keep things short if you need to - if 45 minutes cardio terrifies you, do 30 or 20 - chances are when you're there you'll keep on going - but the key is to remember you're in charge. Seeing exercise as an obligation is the first step to making sure it's not enjoyable. -If you join a gym, take the time to get a tour and learn how to use all of the machines. There's nothing worse than wanting to use a machine but being too afraid of being embarrassed when you try and get it wrong. Getting a tour lets you know what your options are, then you can decide which machines you like using and which you don't. -Pick a gym with a nice changing room. I know this sounds silly - but if your changing room is nice and warm, with comfortable showers, then you will have one less thing to cause you to avoid it. -Think of the gym (or any exercise) as you time. If you have kids, where else can you shower for as long as you like and spend 30 minutes thinking about nothing other than yourself. Think of exercise as a luxury that you allow yourself - an indulgence rather than a chore. -Pick a gym that will give you a permanent locker that you lock with your own padlock, and which will give you towels and shower gel etc. If going to the gym means carting around a full kit bag with shoes and a towel and toiletries, it becomes just another chore to get ready. If all you need to go to the gym is a t-shirt and shorts, and the rest is there waiting for you, it's much easier to just grab and go. Again, it's all about removing as many barriers as possible. -Pick a gym that has some luxuries as well - a sauna or steam room or jacuzzi is a great reward for a workout and something to really look forward to. -Most gyms have TVs on the equipment or big screens on the walls. Try to schedule your trips during the TV shows you like to watch. 30 minutes on the eliptical trainer might sound horrible, but being on the eliptical trainer for a single episode of your favourite sitcom is less daunting and something to distract you from the exercise if you're not someone who likes to get pumped and use energetic music. -As others have said, explore the classes and find something you enjoy. Lots of gyms will allow you to do taster classes before you commit, so shop around. -If body image is an issue for you, there are gyms that specialise in having an inclusive ethos where you'll feel less pressure to be the perfect gym bunny. It would be worth checking out which ones are closest to you. -Speaking of close, pick a gym that is close to either your home or work. Don't pick a gym that requires you to break your commute to or from work, because it's too easy to say 'I'm too tired to stop here only to have to go home later - I'll just skip this one day'. If your gym is at the beginning or the end of your journey, it's easier to stick to your plans. I know some of those tips mean picking a more expensive gym, but I promise you, if your gym isn't somewhere you want to go to, then picking a gym that doesn't have those little touches to appeal to you will make it much harder to keep going.

Thanks - did it go away right away when you started real food or did it take some time?

A few days after surgery I had a bizarre dream that my partner decided to make cocktail sausages for Breakfast, and decided to bring them to bed - I was annoyed at this in my dream as my dream self had had the surgery and couldn't eat. So while he nipped out of the room, I decided that if only I could chew a sausage and taste it, without swallowing, that would be nice. So I did. Then the dream setting flipped around and I was going into our living room (with the chewed cocktail sausage still in my mouth) so I had to discreetly throw the chewed sausage into an open fire (our living room doesn't actually have an open fire). As I say, bizarre.

Your boss really shouldn't be asking. I understand that he may be concerned, but the professional way of expressing that concern is to do things like ask if you feel OK now, if you need any adjustments at work in the run up to surgery, checking that two weeks off will be enough for your recovery or whether you might like to phase your return to work. He really doesn't need to know the type of surgery to ease his concerns about your wellbeing - he's not a doctor, so even if you tell him what your surgery is, it doesn't tell him anything about your recovery time or needs. If that is what concerns him, he should ask about that, not the surgery type itself. I just told my boss and colleagues that I was having some 'minor surgery' and no one asked any questions. I did, however, tell my friends that I had an ulcer removed.

The answer is yes. My face, belly and pelvic area have been the areas I've noticed weight loss (I'm four weeks post surgery and have lost about 34 lbs). It does have the effect of making certain parts feel...larger.

I was lucky in that I didn't have to do a pre-op diet. My surgeon was also a liver specialist so he felt comfortable operating regardless of liver size. So right up until I had to go nil by mouth for surgery, I was eating lots and lots. I had the same mentality, which is that I wanted to enjoy it now because I didn't know if I could in the future. And that is understandable to me - part of what we enjoyed wasn't just the taste of the food, but the comfort of having a big pile of filling yummy food. Even though you will be able to eat what you like in the future, you won't be able to sit down and pig out. And that's a good thing - but it's also legitimate to regret that occassionally as well. Remember that 'normal' people do have that luxury. It is natural to want to sometimes just eat lots and lots of yummy food and then fall into a nice food coma. My problem was that that wasn't a once a month or once every two months thing - that was a weekly or daily thing. And the price of fixing that was making it a thing I can never do. I can eat yummy food, but i have to accept that I won't necessarily be able to 'splurge' like others occassionally do. Ultimately whether you binge eat is a choice for you. Every pound you put on now will be another one to lose in the future. I decided that I was ok with that and that I wanted one last month with lots of yummy and unhealthy food. But it is a decision for each person. I have no regrets - I'm four weeks out and I am fine with my decision to allow myself to binge. However, there might be an argument that if I had tried to live life as a port-surgery life before I had the surgery, maybe I would have been more prepared for the head hunger after surgery? Maybe I wouldn't even have gone ahead with the surgery (because I do miss food lots, and that is hard). Again, you need to figure out in your head whether you are content to go into surgery with a sort of cold-turkey approach and just give up binge eating overnight, or whether you would prefer to ease yourself into it by pre-surgery dieting. Again, that is a personal decision for each person.

The most bizarre thing is that after surgery, I no longer have the symptoms of sleep apnea. It can't be just the weight loss - the loss of symptoms were noticable immediately after I came home. And before I had surgery, when I was a lot lighter (say 210 lbs) I still had symptoms of sleep apnea. But since surgery, I haven't used my CPAP (mostly because I didn't want additional discomfort while I was recovering) but without it, I've been sleeping right through the night (before surgery I woke at about 4-5am every night to use the bathroom), feel refreshed during the day and my other half says that even though I do still snore, he hasn't noticed any of the gasps for breath that I used to have before. I'm not saying my sleep apnea is gone, and I will get it tested - I've got an appointment in May. But so far, it feels like it has subsided massively and I can't understand why or how.

I had a slightly similar experience. I told only my Mom and my partner. The main reason was that I found needing surgery in the first place embarrassing. My partner told his Mom and Sister, which annoyed me at first. But then I thought about it, and I realised how much I was talking to him about the surgery and how supportive he was being. And I realised that he had no one to talk to about it aside from me. And there were things he didn't want to discuss with me in case it made me worried (like his concerns about the risks of surgery). I realised that actually I was being slightly selfish expecting him to deal with the burden all alone. Sure he had me, but of course my preoccupation was how the surgery would affect me. He needed someone he could discuss his fears and concerns with. Now, that sounds different to your case, with your Mom telling lots of people - that sounds totally unnecessary. But I agree with others - let it be a lesson and move on. The only person who loses by you holding on to a grudge is you.

Thanks everyone. I started this stage yesterday and kicked off slowly with some shepherd's pie, which went down fine. I stuck with yoghurt and mushy weetabix for Breakfast and dinner, but having some real food for Sunday lunch was very nice. Today I will have a yoghurt for lunch - I don't want to try anything new while I'm at work in case it doesn't sit well. But tonight I am going to the supermarket to do a shop. My dietary guide suggests that chicken casserole, deli meat or even soft white bread can count as a 'soft food'. The test seems to be (a) not hard or fibrous and ( can be eaten without needing a knife. So tonight for dinner I think I'm going to try a thin slice or two of turkey with half a slice of bread. I actually can't wait.

So Im four weeks out on Sunday and I'm moving on to soft foods after two weeks of liquid and two weeks of purees. But I'm not sure what constitutes soft food? On ourees I've mostly been having yoghurt, mushy Cereal and mashed potato. I know soft food includes ground beef in sauce, for example. The dietitian also said it could include soft chicken - I'm just not sure what 'soft chicken' means? For example, I presume it doesn't include a grilled chicken breast since that seems like it would be too much. But would it include chicken cooked in a casserole since that tends to be really tender and soft? What about cold thinly sliced meats like chicken or beef? Both would seem to be soft and easy to choose? Would they be ok at the soft food stage?