BrighterSide

First time in a while I took my camera, but so glad I did. Featured bee actually flew into frame just as I took the picture :-)

No regrets. The first 2 days the wind pain in my shoulder was really bad, panting through contractions kinda bad in between morphine, but stopped dead teatime day 2. My only stomach pain was forgetting to be careful and pulling or straining wounds, or taking more than tiniest sips. The rest of the first 4 weeks was a real challenge to get protein and liquid in and if I never have to eat anything purées again I will be happy, but I’m a pickyish eater, so struggled maybe more than some. Pain of that wore off fast when onto soft then full diet. Did have total mood rollercoaster too. Shock to my system of the surgery, massive nutrition change and hormonal chaos often caused by both those things, but also fat dumping stored hormones back into bloodstream as it breaks down. If I regretted then I don’t count it as it was typical no light at the end of the tunnel, woe is me, PMSish episodes that passed fast (you’ll see I posted about it). Now, exactly 23 weeks out, 60% of my weight lost, walked 5k today and only broke a little sweat and have never had a single regret. Hope it’s the same for you!

Also remembered I kept a copy of this. Source was a VSG forum elsewhere. Has helped me with perspective!

Just popped back to say I had a gain and just came back from it. Wasn’t doing anything different I could see. Log everything daily. Maybe less walking. May 13th - 92.1 20th - 91.1 27th - 90.1 Getting a bit too comfy with this nice pattern at this point! June 3rd - 89.1kg Still grand 10th - 89.8kg Ooops. Grown up head saying it’s no biggie, childish head saying...WTH! 17th - 89.3kg Better but not back to where I was. 24th - 87.2 :-O Okaaaay. Yey! Whatever. But if you check out my chart it’s not the first time. If I had logged more than once a week it would look like a set of little ski jumps. Just learning to ride the waves :-)

I didn’t realise quite HOW much stress this would take out of getting ready to go out. That’s still changing as I have a painfully small amount of wearable clothes, so mix ‘n’ match is limited and have lots of washing to do. However, I rarely consider how much attention I can emotionally stand as a key part of choosing and the decision to go out at all (the equation that saw me stay home the vast majority of the time pre-surgery). I now, both cos of weight loss and justifiable warrior vibes produced by proudness at achievement and on-going effort, think about nothing but being covered in an appropriate and nice way for the occasion, or if heading into typically judgier waters (PTA anyone?!) I think ‘FU all, this is me, and I’m a legend’

I finally got my formal PCOS diagnosis a month ago (4 months post surgery) because I went a little ‘Falling Down’ on my local docs. Had 30 yrs of being told ‘lose weight’ ‘move more’ ‘get less stressed’ then hit early menopause and they did it again. Knew this was my last chance. I was spiralling cos symptoms of both things and resulting mental health probs and weight had turned me into an overeating hermit (oh look, finally proved them right!). Had the exact same fears as you all. Sleeved 21st Jan at 258. Highest weight 263. Down 61 pounds now. Just hit another stall. Average 650 - 800 calories a day and hit protein and fluid goals most days. Don’t move as much as many due to on-going arthritis, but do far more than before. Hope is a hard thing to embrace, but it’s here and my new gynae I found and forced them to refer me to is a superstar. Feeling very fortunate for a change :-)

Excess weight is just the difference between your docs idea of ideal weight for you and where you started, so 100 for you.

For anyone feeling worried about their rate of loss it’s great to know start weight and % of excess weight lost. I’m 45, 5’4”, 4 1/2 months post sleeve Down 67 from 258 which is 58% EWL

My surgeon said to wait to start until 3 month check up.

Initially I worked out 60% excess weight loss and rounded to nearest easy number - 30kg. That is a middle range loss based on research across all sleeve patients in a couple of studies and didn’t want to hope too hard that bigger loss would happen even with hard work. Look set to hit that by end of June (sleeved 21st Jan HW 263 SW 258 CW 199) Pic demonstrates how obsessive I can be when motivated :-). When I got close to that target (2nd target cos I’d set an initial one for first post surgery check up) picked highest end of my BMI range as new ultimate goal, but ramped down expected rate of loss for each 3 months knowing that reduced deficit cos my smaller body will burn less, will have to be offset by extra exercise I may not manage. Will monitor as I go. If more is a miserable slog after goal 4 (12 months) I’ll reassess.

Fantastic! Well done! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just an awareness thing and no judgement, but ‘nerves’ and clinical anxiety are totally different things, same way ‘feeling low’ isn’t in the same ball park as depresssion. Likely preaching to the converted, if so I’m sorry, but trivialising can have a really isolating effect on people who are already vulnerable having dared to share.

I had horrendous pain in front of my shoulder and radiating down. The kind of pain you pant through and nothing short of morphine was touching the sides. Wasn’t constant though. Flared when I moved. Especially when pushing up the bed or sitting down after a walk. Disappeared near end of day after surgery. Pain around your stomach might not be gas pain. As them to check with your surgeon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I refused to go for bad tasting diet alternatives to good food just cos of this. I hated cottage cheese, think low fat hard cheese is awful and I couldn’t eat a plate full of plain grilled chicken and lentils if you paid me.I’ve got very good at sauces and seasonings with minimal fat and maximum flavour to just coat things without making them ‘slider’ foods (foods that slip through your sleeve too fast to leave you feeling full). Works great. Curries work especially well, but mainly as lunches to avoid reflux.Also love the deli counter. Do myself mini deli plates with pickles just small sized (max portion now is about 120g - about 4oz, less if meat without sauce or drier meat). Quick hack is to log the stuff you love then get rid of the bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes Often an immediate win. It depends what ‘great tasting’ means to you. I used to think white toast loaded with as much melted butter as it would hold was great tasting, but I rarely miss it now cos the doughy bread just isn’t pleasant and I don’t want a mouthful of fat. I have a quinoa and chia seeded Ryvita with light Philadelphia, cucumber, smoked salmon, lemon juice and ground pepper instead. About 4 x more Protein and 4 x less calories/fat. Must caveat by saying I may not be losing as fast as others, but starting from 263 on 21st Jan I hit 199 this week -about 45% excess weight loss - in 4 months. Lost very slow for about 4 weeks in the middle then faster last 3-5 weeks. Planning and tracking intake is so vital as is weighing regularly but not every day. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I too am a foodie. Still. 4 months out. I don’t have any negative effects and probably eat a better range of nicer food now than I ever have. I bought tonnes of cook books before my op and built myself a new list of breakfasts, lunches and dinners, plus special occasion alternatives because despite being a foodie eating out I realised my repetitive meals at home were all really expensive in terms of wasteful calories and low on anything nutritious. Logging every bite I eat in a tracking app that breaks down everything is the thing that makes all the difference. I looked for whole grains, lower carb, lower fat, and higher protein or options where I could substitute. Best thing I did to give me leeway to have more tasty things was to find a protein water I liked. I really like Vieve. But more generally I still enjoy eating out as I share with fella and take home at least another meal worth. But in the end it depends how important food is versus the things you want to gain. I had decided that I was ready to totally change my relationship with food and relegate it to fuel rather than pleasure and reward.

Thanks KC. That’s the risk alright. Hate the old me that did that kind of ‘one more won’t hurt’ self delusion, but she was coping with a lot more than I am hunger-wise. I deserve huge credit for doing what I’m doing, but needed the sleeve to make it stick.

Thank you :-) So empathise! Had another one I didn’t give in to the previous week. Drove myself to central Newcastle for a specialist appointment. Wasn’t without tension finding it, parking and getting done what I had to get done and really felt I deserved a ‘reward’. In my consultancy road warrior days used to regularly treat stuff picked up from service stations as somehow lesser calories cos I didn’t have much choice of places to grab food. So nearly swung into the McDonald’s that day, but pictured the nutrition charts and swigged down the drink instead. Starting to trust myself more :-)

Had a hiccup last night which underlined an old problem I’m yet to properly solve. Fell out with my teen over exam revision. Her cycle of panicked ‘I can’t do this! But I have to do this! No you can’t help!’ pushed me over the edge to some totally inappropriate teen-like door slamming. I came back and apologised (I had made her cry, partly because the shock broke the tension, though it was totally the wrong thing to do), but not before I found and ate a packet of crisps (chips to the US crew). Stewed about my abject lack of will power, felt the ‘I may as well give up’ vibe creeping in, but told hubby and logged it and was still under 800 for the day. Made a point of looking at the nutrition break down and yep, 7.5g fat and 13.4g carbs in that 25g bag. But, in the grand scheme, I can balance that out in a day and I’ve also proven that I can come back from a couple of diversions on holiday to being totally in track, so this doesn’t have to be a slippery slope. My imagination is both my biggest asset and my biggest enemy because I can imagine small problems into insurmountable long-term barriers. Instead, thanks to the mindfulness about hunger and nutrition this injected, I am breaking down problems into manageable steps for today and tomorrow. Less failures and punishments. More blips and corrections. The emotional triggers need a whole heck of a lot more work though!

If it was about fascination and willingness to research I’d have it started by now, but I too remember the state I was in on that deadline last time so I’ll watch this space with deep interest.

Oh. My. Goodness. Or should I say Graham’s goodness. I really wanted something sweet and although I can withstand lots of repetitive meals I was starting to struggle with lack of variety this distance out (4 months). All options I fancied were just to pricey in terms of carbs. Then I found this at Lidl. 50g (half serving) was more than enough and felt sooo indulgent. Uses polydextrose sweetener which counts as fibre, hence low cal. Won’t be a regular thing as too sweet really and can see it as a gateway food to other less restrained indulgence, but YUM! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had my sleeve when I got too old, tired and heavy to put the game face on to get past the preconceptions. For many years my ambition got me to work and events and my brains and way with words carried me through. I avoided social situations with all but closest friends as time went on. When I ceased feeling that hunger for a success that frankly cost too much in terms of sanity and family time, that final shred keeping me motivated and active got lost. Being at home with my family I forgot my size until rare occasions I had to venture out. At those points, confronted by an inability to hide the rolls, my self-image broke and hate in. Until then I had managed to disassociate naked huge me from the rest of me. Posted elsewhere that about 3 weeks after surgery I called a truce with my naked self. I began caring for my skin, even the parts with heinously crepey skin tears and overhangs. Ruined parts I had treated like a hoarders in denial. Now trying to shape a self-image that projects that I don’t want to ever try and compete on a ‘socially acceptable’ playing field looks and weight-wise even if my BMI says I may qualify for the first time in my life. Sure as hell not gonna start paying for pro blow drys, fake tans, Brazilians, manicures and spider lashes for nights out. Reckon it might have to be purple hair, purple clothes or both, cos for all the discomfort, aches, sweating, and periodic self doubt I did like the ‘f@!# you’ attitude I owned professionally and personally when I didn’t fit into a convenient pigeonhole. TL:DR I was intentionally dismorphic, and not sure how to navigate the new ‘normal’ :-)

In the UK and so glad I have all this nutrition info to rely on as well as the tight food standards underlying it. Reason number 99999999 why I think we would be mad to follow through with Brexit! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Marks and Sparks (Marks and Spencer to the US crew) Chicken Balti. 100g out of the full thing (3.5ish oz) with chicken shredded and 7g Light Philadelphia to take some heat out. No leftovers. Microwaves in 3.5 mins. Perfect addition to my can’t be a%*ed meal portfolio :-)

I’m a sleever and I couldn’t handle Protein Shakes. The whey taste was too much. I have a nespresso machine and got my Protein in from day 1 with 1% milk lattes fortified with 10% or more skim milk powder or milkshakes with sugar free mix made the same. Do Decaf if it’s before bed, and down to one smaller latte now as get to target with food most days. Never had a prob with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you Mrs! Long time coming. Ref your Hair loss it is an expected thing sadly, but seems to vary between people. From being here I have realised I had the same thing happen about 4 months after my mum died. Regrew after about 4-5 months. Technically called Telegen Effluvium - our bodies putting all hair into the final stage of it’s life so hair loss ramps up from the usual when that final life stage finishes for the hair that was around when your body got the ‘shock’ that caused it. More here https://bariatricwriter.wordpress.com/tag/telogen-effluvium/ Arguably little that makes a big difference when that switch is flipped. Many recommend being super diligent with Protein. EDIT: And just realised you probably knew all that and were just asking if it’s started for anyone yet. Sorry!