OzRoo

@@LipstickLady I just came across your fabulous post and results. You look stunning! Awesome and hot! Such inspiration and great role model for the WLS. And now, few years later you are maintaining your weight loss and live a happy, productive full life. Mega Congratulations to you !!! The weight loss takes years off the face and body, it made you look so much younger I am only 5 months post op, but I already look younger myself, and my face is getting back its shape, and my eyes are big again. I still have 22Ibs left to goal, and 33Ibs left to lose to my stretch goal. I believe I will get there. So, thank you so much for posting your journey. Awesome stuff! xxxxx

@@1Cor2:9 Well done and Congratulations! Awesome result! I am 1Ib away from being a sleeve success. I lost 60Ibs 5 months post op. Well, my revised goal is another 22Ibs down, and my stretch goal is 33Ibs away. I most certainly don't want to stop at my current weight. I want to keep losing until I reach my goal, then maintain it. My motivation is like yours, so I wish you all the best! We can do it

PPI stands for Proton Pump Inhibitors that reduce gastric acid secretions. I was on Rabeprazole initially, and this did not work for me. Nexium works, and I haven't had problems with reflux since I swapped meds. Acid reflux won't show up on lab results, you can only experience it, the nasty stuff, and if it is troublesome, then a PPI will be needed to prevent it, as untreated it can cause problems later on. Reflux can be tested via endoscope or Barium swallow (not that accurate), also the ph can be tested, but it is easy to diagnose by actually experiencing it. I am glad @@Lema that so far it hasn't come back. Good luck and I hope that you will stay free of acid reflux.

I think the sugar cravings/addiction will always lurk in the background, so I have to be mindful of it, one day at a time. Emotional/stressful times can make it worse for me, however I now experienced that the reset back to basics works. And melons with berries are now my best friends

@@SD123 Acid reflux and dehydration happens to few people, but not to everyone. I was one of those people who got bad acid reflux after my op. I never had GERD and I only had intermittent reflux once I got fat, but it didn't happen everyday. Post surgery, initially I had lot of reflux, then at each food phase change, reflux appeared again, even though I was on Rabeprazole PPI. I found out through forums that Nexium helped many people, so I asked my surgeon for a script, and Nexium did wonders for me. Dehydration can easily happen, as very early post op it is difficult to get enough Fluid in. You still sip it, and I didn't feel that thirsty, plus I was conscious of fluid going down. It wasn't painful, but I felt it, and it gurgled all the way down. I started adding bit of apple juice or tiny amount of lemonade to my Water, as post op it was difficult for me to drink water, something to do with the pressure. I also bought Hydralyte for emergencies. Yes, the first 2 weeks post op, on liquids only were tough for me. I was hungry a lot, and felt unsatisfied. Hot broths helped and some watery Soups too. I was getting sick of Protein shakes, and was craving hot, savoury stuff. Luckily, that phase went quickly for me. Purees were much better, and I got quite creative with my NutriBullet Soft/Mushy stage was great, finally was able to eat "real" food

Yes, I weaned myself off Equal that was playing havoc with my blood sugar levels, and got used to Stevia. I remember not liking Stevia years ago, but now I love it. I use it in my coffee and yoghurt. Tonight I had few blackberries, and they were so satisfying, delicious really. From now on I'll keep buying the frozen berries, as they taste great and don't create cravings for me

SD123, Yes, I am really seeing results now. Early post op I didn't have too many issues. I woke up with a large drain on my left side, IV and had some pain, mainly at the drain site. Not everyone gets a drain, I had fair bit of oozing so had this drain. I had no nausea, was so glad to have something to drink finally. I was in the hospital for 3 days, and once at home I had all the stuff for the liquid phase. Sipping was bit uncomfortable initially, and I could feel liquid going down my oesophagus. I had bit of nausea at times, took Zofran wafers, and had oxycodone for pain. I found the liquid phase the toughest one, as I felt really hungry. I was surprised re this hunger, but I was still quite raw post op, and had fair bit of reflux, even with the prescribed PPI. I had a couple of nasty experiences, one was waking up at 3 am, choking on and coughing up acid, burning, foul acid. I elevated my pillow, and this happened again few days later. I was told to stop drinking tomato juice, especially in the evenings. I also told my surgeon, and asked to be put on Nexium 40mg. Nexium really helped with reflux. The second scary experience was I started feeling faint, cold and clammy with racing pulse while I was driving. Lucky it was a short drive. Once I got to my appointment, the nurse on duty recognised that I was dehydrated. She gave me Hydralyte to drink, and I was fine 15 minutes later. I threw up few times, too dry scrambled egg and after a fatty beef mince. I had a terrible reaction to chocolate, reflux from hell! Maybe just as well. Other than the liquid phase, other stages of purees, soft and mushies, then more solid food were much better to cope with. I had few stalls, and I learnt through this forum that stalls are normal, and that my body will keep adjusting itself at its own pace. I still have burps and wind post op. Did not have it before op. It will subside or be gone one day, especially once I get off the PPI. I am just plodding along, my appetite is gone, don't feel hungry till late afternoons and at times I have to force myself to eat. If there is anything else you would like to know, I'll be happy to share it. My health problems are good now, my sugar levels are normal, and my liver is perfect now. My hair is thicker, and my face looks 10 years younger! So, I am just very happy that I had this surgery

I have no regrets, and I needed this surgery, because my weight started to spiral our of control in the past 2 years. I was always slim before, and all of a sudden I gained over 90Ibs in 2 years! As I said in my earlier post, I could see my weight doubling ...... I started having health problems and my self esteem was at an all time low. I had to wait 9 months for this surgery due to my thyroid disease, and my thyroid had to be stabilised prior surgery. For me, this surgery has been a life saver. I have lost close to 60Ibs so far, all my labs are great now, and I can look in the mirror again. I am not lugging 2 heavy suitcases with me every day, my health is getting better and better.

Great! Thank you both. I am only 5 months post op, so I am hoping that this will get better. @@Bufflehead I was wondering if the gas would go away after getting off PPIs. It did in your case, so there is hope for me yet. I am truly happy to hear that these conditions pass with time, and only crop up when the wrong food is eaten. Many thanks, our fabulous Vets!

Yes, it is like a drug! Can't have it in small amounts as once I start, it sets up a craving .... So, going abstinent on sugar. Only sugar from now on is from fruit. And I don't binge on fruit

I buy commercial sauces, like chicken tonight, or Pasta sauces that has cheese in it. There is the 3 cheeses sauce, also cheese and bechamel sauce. Nothing too heavy, but sauces that have some Proteins in them. With the salmon, I would also sprinkle bit of soy sauce as well. I don't use soy sauce anymore, as it gives me gas now. Just have a look in your supermarket what sauces are available, I am in Australia, and I am sure you will have a larger selection of sauces. 5 months post op, and I still put sauce into my savoury meals to make them juicy and easier to eat.

@@russtee My first scrambled egg was quite moist, and it went down OK. Weeks later I had another one, but it was lot drier, and it got stuck half way down my oesophagus, and stayed there. Next I felt my chest was on fire, burning travelling up, and I had to run to the bathroom. So, I am too scared to try it again, It actually put me off eggs for now. My poached salmon, I just covered it in sauce, and microwaved it for a couple of minutes. It came out soft and juicy, and was very yummy!

QUESTION TO THE VETS. Since my gastric sleeve op I noticed that I now burp and pass big amounts of wind. Every day! Probiotic is helping a bit, and I am avoiding foods that produce gas, such as Beans, cauliflower, and soy sauce. I take De-Gas at times, as well. I am also on Nexium PPI. I wonder if this condition will last forever, due to high Protein diet. My stomach rumbles also, after each meal. I eat slowly and chew well. Did any of you notice that it gets better with time? Also, I read that taking PPI can also promote burps and wind, as the production of hydrochloric acid is disturbed and digestion is altered. Did any of you vets, got off the PPI, and noticed improvement with your digestion and less burps and wind? I also read elsewhere that many people post WLS have burping and gas issues, even years down the track. I would love to hear from you and your experiences. I never had this problem before …… Thank you

Yes, sounds like acid reflux. Happened to me twice in the past, woke up at 3 am coughing up and choking on burning, horrible foaming acid. I elevated my pillows and got a script for stronger PPI, Nexium 40mg. This helped me, and thank goodness I haven't had this happen to me again! I also had to stop drinking tomato juice, as it was too acidy. Good luck!

Hear hear @ Well said! She has to learn not to judge or form opinions about people and their situations she knows nothing about.

OK, I guess the signature does not appear on the app, perhaps only on computer. I was normally at 60kg, and in the past 2 years I piled on 41kg! Some of it was due to my thyroid disease. So, I was 101kg at surgery, and 5 months later I lost 26kg, so currently I am on 75kg. I am 165cm tall. I really don't miss food at all. I missed it early on, especially during the liquids only phase. I was constantly hungry, plus I had a bad acid reflux which aggravated the hunger as well. Once I got to Soft/Mushy phase, I was fine. My taste has changed, I don't tolerate fatty, sugary foods anymore, as well as chocolate, thank goodness! My appetite changed also, and is very small these days. I just don't get hungry much anymore. I am so happy with the weight-loss that I really don't miss any foods. I love my wholesome Proteins and veggies, and fruit. The new stomach wants good food in it, and I tried to eat junk food, and I either got bad reflux or threw it up! I still like ice-cream and frozen yoghurt, but whenever I ate either, my weight-loss stalled, and since I can over-indulge in these slider foods, I decided to give them up, and have melons and berries instead. If I go out or socialise, I just eat healthy stuff in small quantity, or have a snack before I leave. For me socialising is not an issue. Hope all goes well for you @@Nikkinee

Yep, first "nay" sayer has appeared ..... LOL

@@SD123 My initial BMI was 32.3 last year. Surgeon was happy to operate on me to prevent future complications. I had a massive, rapid weight gain between 2014-2016. So, I would have been operated on last July 2015, but the team's endocrinologist diagnosed me with Thyroid disease. It took 9 months for my thyroid to stabilise, and in that time i piled on another 29Ibs, making it a total of 90Ibs weight gain, and BMI of 37.1 My pre-op weight was 222Ibs. I am now 5 months post op and lost close to 60Ibs, and still losing. My excess weight put me in a pre-diabetic stage, and I had beginnings of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol levels were very high, and emotionally I felt completely beaten down. If I did not have this surgery, my weight would have doubled, and more. Even though I was only obese for 2 years, it played havoc with my body and emotions. Now, I am feeling so much better! And yes, had a few people tell me that they wished they did WLS surgery when they were at my BMI level, and not waited when their BMI got much higher. Good luck to you, and no-one has a right to tell you what to do or not to do. Any negativity is only someone else's opinion. It has nothing to do with you!

I lived on minces, chicken and turkey. Was too afraid of red meat at that stage. My minces were cooked with cheese sauces, so they would be moist. I had tiny amounts of well cooked zucchini and cauliflower. I also ate poached salmon,with sauce. For Snacks I ate crisp-breads (Cruskits) with cream and cottage cheese plus tinned salmon. Later on I had veal mince, and much later on beef mince. The beef mince actually did not agree with me, but lamb mince did. For Breakfast I ate and still do Chobani yoghurt with grated apple and a scoop of Protein powder plus bit of vanilla essence and cinnamon. Had scrambled egg couple of times, the last time I threw it up, so back to yoghurt I went.

For me the teas worked: ginger tea, peppermint tea and just plain brewed black tea. Good luck, hope you feel better soon!

Today my weight dropped to 75kg (165 Ibs). I was told that at 74kg (162.8 Ibs) I'd be a success. I am now 10kg (22 Ibs) away from my goal weight, and 15kg (33 Ibs) away from my stretch goal of 60kg (132 Ibs). It is amazing to see how sugar caused few stalls, and even a little gain in the past. Since I stopped eating ice-cream and frozen yoghurt, and sticking to the food plan, suddenly my weight is peeling off again. It is like my body can't process sugar and stores it as fat instead. So, I have to be mindful constantly of what I put in my mouth. The sugar and its bad effects will never change. If I eat sugary food, I put on weight, if I don't eat it, I lose weight. So this will be lifelong process for me .... Happy to say though that melons and frozen berries satisfy my sugar cravings after dinner, and are a much healthier substitute. Funny, I never used to eat much of rock melon or honey dew, now I love them It is good to see the scales moving down again! I swapped ice-cream for frozen yoghurt because I thought it was healthier and lower in calories ..... alas what started with a small serving of frozen yoghurt became larger and larger servings. It was emotional eating for me, as I had lot of stress recently, so I felt I needed a reward..... Thankfully I realised what I was doing, and went back on track, back to basics. Basics work for me, and I have to be mindful of the Sugar Demon!

Today my weight dropped to 75kg (165 Ibs). I was told that at 74kg (162.8 Ibs) I'd be a success. I am now 10kg (22 Ibs) away from my goal weight, and 15kg (33 Ibs) away from my stretch goal of 60kg (132 Ibs). It is amazing to see how sugar caused few stalls, and even a little gain in the past. Since I stopped eating ice-cream and frozen yoghurt, and sticking to the food plan, suddenly my weight is peeling off again. It is like my body can't process sugar and stores it as fat instead. So, I have to be mindful constantly of what I put in my mouth. The sugar and its bad effects will never change. If I eat sugary food, I put on weight, if I don't eat it, I lose weight. So this will be lifelong process for me .... Happy to say though that melons and frozen berries satisfy my sugar cravings after dinner, and are a much healthier substitute. Funny, I never used to eat much of rock melon or honey dew, now I love them It is good to see the scales moving down again! I swapped ice-cream for frozen yoghurt because I thought it was healthier and lower in calories ..... alas what started with a small serving of frozen yoghurt became larger and larger servings. It was emotional eating for me, as I had lot of stress recently, so I felt I needed a reward..... Thankfully I realised what I was doing, and went back on track, back to basics. Basics work for me, and I have to be mindful of the Sugar Demon!

Great! 2 brains are better than one! I didn't know that it doesn't appear on the phone app. Great observation @@KristenLe And @@LowBMISleever I am looking forward to your new ticker/s

@@KristenLe Hope you get your surgery date soon, September is not that far off. I had to wait 9 months, was going to be sleeved last July 2015, but my sick thyroid was discovered and had to be stabilised prior the op. So, I finally had my op early March 2016. I had the leak test Barium swallow (post op), and the only leak I had afterwards was from my behind! I could not get off the toilet. Worst runs I had for a long time, and on the day I was being discharged from the hospital! Cleaned me out really well

Congratulations ! You look fantastic! Well done