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BrighterSide

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Posts posted by BrighterSide


  1. Hi there. Surgery twins :-) except I’m down a bit under half the amount you are, but on track for 60% excess weight gone by half year, so perhaps we started in different places.

    5’4”, Highest 263 (BMI 44), sleeved 258, now 218.

    Huge congrats for that loss. It’s a massive mental shift to make to take best advantage of it all.


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  2. I cheated with purées as I am driven by texture as someone with food phobias caused by being physically forced to eat as a child. Wasn’t REALLY bad [emoji57]. Had very soft fish and very very lean meat with gravy and chopped up very small then chewed the heck out of it. All went down fine so nut was fine.

    Proper cheat was week 4 on solids. Family got pizza take out. I paused eating my salad and had a teeny slice of pizza very slowly and all the while feeling like some alarm should be going off and worried I was going to turn into some pizza crazed monster from that point on. Kinda like Dominoes night of the living dead thing. Actually had the best run after without feeling bad and next take out night I didn’t succumb, probably because I knew I could.


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  3. I smoked 20-30 per day from age 17. Quit for pregnancy, quit for 48 hours once later. Quit in forever attempt for 2 years after doing the Alan Carr course before my Mum got pancreatic cancer and life personally and professionally exploded. Then finally quit cold turkey in Jan last year. Built up to it for 6 months after first bariatric consultation. Slipped once after. Got drunk with a good friend and had two ciggies.

    I liked smoking, but at this stage, having gone the whole 12+ month cycle of ‘first withouts’ (birthday, holiday, Christmas, pub, meal, flaming row, house move) I can look back and see how my brain chemistry controlled me and the habits I formed. Huge force of will for the time it takes for initially chemical detox, then repeated small efforts of resistance while your head tries to tell you you are hungry for nicotine. Patch/pill/other help probably makes sense. I deserve no creds for cold turkey, it was probably irresponsible.

    However you manage to catch your wave I wish you huge luck. Xx

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  4. I had my sleeve in January after initially choosing the band, thinking less invasive. Then I decided I wanted better average chance of loss and less intervention later (ports, refills, possible slippage, possible revision) and I also wanted the impact on hunger hormones from sleeve over and above the band restriction.

    Honestly never considered the RNY. Seems crazy with my tendency to research to nth degree, but really felt bypass was a step too far. Double nuts when you consider it’s reversible in a pinch vs binning 90% of your stomach.

    Aaaanyways, happy with sleeve right now. Was ready to change my relationship with food and the hunger pause and hard stop on quantity gives my higher thought processes long enough to win.

    Ref age 21 and 32 BMI: would prob see me leaning away from band in terms of lasting a lifetime and away from bypass as I would have so many super active and reproductive years ahead where malabsorption might not help. Wish I’d done it years ago so my skin was still springy enough to bounce back and I could have turned the weight and health clock back to enjoy all the extra decades of fun while lighter. Don’t get me wrong, loved my life and love my kids, but so much would have been easier.


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  5. I wish I wouldn't of clicked on this, now I am a bit discouraged. Had sleeve done on 1/16 and only lost 23 pounds since surgery date.. everyone else on here has lost 30+, the only thing I can think I did wrong is missing my Water goal some days.. would it really effect it that much?... [emoji20]


    Awww Mrs. Don’t fret! 23 pounds is still 2 pounds per week. I only lost a half pound this week if that helps. Probably had the lowest cal week ever (that might even be the problem. Calling my nutritionist to sanity check some stuff this week). Best recommendation I can make is to log stuff religiously and have a chat with your nutritionist to get some context. If you started low that’s not necessarily slow and if not and you have stuck to all the advice, they can recommend other things to try if they think weight should be moving faster. We are all different people, but I know comparisons are so hard to resist.

    Now is the time to switch things up if needs be :-)


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  6. Hi all, I only just found you guys despite being on here lots. I’m a 21st Jan sleeve. I’m 218. Down 38 from 256 sleeve weight and 45 from 263 highest. Also mid 40s and hormonally challenged with PCOS, and walking 3 times a week, so not fretting too much about rate of loss.

    Nice non-sleeve victories with clothes. Bingo wings and apron are keeping me in bigger sizes than I would be otherwise (can take jeans off without undoing them!), but so much more comfy in everything I do wear, especially shoes!

    Lately tried hard to do more research on nutrition levels as I struggle to eat enough of the right kinds of things without ramping up carbs and fat. Posted this in food and Nutrition forum: Calories TOO low?

    https://www.bariatricpal.com/index.php?/topic/424299-Calories-TOO-low%3F Explains more on why.

    Average 650-750, 60 Protein, 60oz Water, 45-65 carbs, 17- 20 fat. Stunning quite how much lean meat and veg you need to hit 1000! All your experiences are great to hear, especially if you have upped calories with same exercise regime and lost more. Find that concept fascinating :-).

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  7. I’m lucky, I mostly work from home so haven’t had to deal so much. Or, with the few I had told and have spoken to since, they gathered it was a done deal, good choice and (ultimately) none of their motherforking business...in a nice way [emoji846]

    Most have just been fascinated by what it was all about in practice and throw in the metabolic, hunger hormone, and microbiome headlines that highlight there’s more to this than calories in and out and this particular path out of the weight gain/regain jungle was mine.


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  8. I only have anecdotal evidence, but our stats are similar, minus the PCOS.
    I was quite low cal for most of my weight loss phase. I was actually under 500 cals for many, many days early on. I too was worried about wrecking my metabolism.
    I'm very grateful, that my metabolism doesn't appear to be damaged at all. I actually got below goal, and am currently working on how to maintain, and not continue to lose. I am currently averaging probably around 1500/day, and still losing, albeit slowly. (Eating healthily, and getting to 1500 cals is harder than I ever imagined it could be)


    Thank you for this! That helps so much. Of course anecdotal evidence is no replacement for research, but with most of the ‘normal’ weight and calorie intake recommendations based on 20 year old made up people it’s great to hear about your experience.

    500 would have felt insanely low as a level to get out of bed and function on let alone exercise on, but if I swapped my fortified milk for more lean meat Protein I’d be there right now. Seen some of your story elsewhere so I know you had lots of back and forth with nut, but essentially no obvious Ill effects. Crazy isn’t it.

    Also blows my mind a bit the concept of eating up to maintenance. One of the blessings of this process is the very small meal size. I have food phobias that prevent me from swallowing food if I ever feel under pressure to do so. Resulted from dinner ladies at school repeatedly forcing forkfuls of food down my throat until I thew up when I was 5. Specific foods that was done with are out, plus that anxiety response that closes my throat and makes me nauseous. That bedded in over the years as my resulting picky eating lead to being made to sit through ll dinner services until I’d eaten cold food on my plate, or the smallest kids were done. Missed break times, so double whammy with lost exercise and more negative food association. Getting packed lunch as a result of my Mum forcing a school policy change was the best day of my life, but by then the damage was done and I carried on seeking out ‘easy’ and ‘comforting’ food and avoiding social situations that might involve pressure to eat and trigger that anxiety.

    The hugely limited meal sizes have really started to dent that for the first time in my life. My diet had already become vastly broader or I wouldn’t have been able to attempt this, but knowing I only have to get 8-10 mouthfuls of something new down means I’m going food places I haven’t before. There have been some fails with a rush to the bathroom, but not many. That, in a hugely roundabout way, is why I fear upping calories for maintenance. It may be really tough to get quantities of naturally very low calorie healthy but ‘difficult’ food in.

    Whoah - war and peace again, sorry!


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  9. Yikes sorry bout the girls. But honestly, those b*****s cause a lot of trouble don't they? [emoji20]
    Ditch the carbs. Replace them with 12g of psyllium husks dissolved in 2 glasses of liquid (I use Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice tea made into "cool tea without ice" and drink it down. Love it and look forward to it and I am able to better make my fiber goals and poopy goals. [emoji4] )
    I bet with some tweaking your wl speed will pick up. But definitely just follow your doc and rd's plan for diet progression and don't fear the future. Think only about taking the next best bite for today and staying true to your plan!

    [emoji1303][emoji846]


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  10. Fear of weight gain should not get in the way of your surgeons’ instructions. Follow them to stay healthy during this process.
    All dieticians’ plans are different. Do I understand this correctly? Your plan says to eat 600-800 for your entire weight loss phase? Most plans are 1000 to 1200 in weight loss mode. Try upping your calories if that is what your dietician suggests.
    I would not stress about maintenance phase until you reach your goal.

    Good advice thank you. I’ve had no steer on calories, just on the usual 60-70g Protein, 2+ litres Fluid, not excessive fat, sensible carb limit. That was my Nut. Surgeon just said day before discharge “Eat what you used to just less” Nut was there and eyes nearly rolled out of her head.

    In absence of guide gravitated to pre-surgery levels which gelled with most of what I researched and read for initial post surgery period. Then as I limited carbs more diligently it crept down a little further. Will take this up with her again next month when I see her though.




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  11. I still at 14 months keep it between 650-850 for loss. My sweet spot is somewhere in the 650-750 calorie range keeping carbs low and mostly from low glycemic veg and leafy greens, a tiny bit of berries now and then, a tiny bit of nuts/seeds/nutbutters now and then. And average Protein of 60-80g.
    I don't know what maintenance will look like. But. We are in ketosis. We have weeks of energy stores hanging on our tookuses (unless we're at our ideal weight, then we have to make other plans). And because we are in ketosis (if we're following our surgeon's and RD's plans, we can tap into those eternal fat stores to make up any caloric deficit we experience on a daily basis. Our body (AS LONG AS INSULIN IS LOW) has access to a 24/7 buffet of fat cells.
    So we need protein to help with cell repair. We need the fat that's hanging on our bellies and butts to use as fuel. And we have no need of 1 single carbohydrate cuz our body has the ability to create whatever glucose is needed to run those few cells that only run on sugar (the brain, a few kidney cells, and some red blood cells).
    Will we need fewer cals after we get to goal? Compared to what? Compared to what we were eating pre-surgery? Most assuredly. Will our metabolism have possibly slowed? Probably a little. But will we still need to eat 650-850/day. Most of us won't. But I do know some older women who maintain around 900-1100/day. They don't exercise though and are post meno. Some have other health issues.
    But I see more here and on another board (filled with very successful long term vets), who lost on 650-850 in a low carb Keto environment, who still eat a similar diet composition, and who now exercise and live happy, active lives and they maintain anywhere from 1200-1800 cals/day--or more! Your thermostat for weight equilibrium is what you make it. And it is wholly dependent on the quality of the food you eat. All calories are not equal. And CICO is a myth, but having a dietary caloric deficit is imperative for weight loss to occur. Otherwise you are just in maintenance or you are eating with a regain.

    Thanks Fluffy. Honestly hadn’t forgotten I the whole aim of this game is to melt the fat belt :-). The info on the ‘older post meno’ ladies is good to have seeing as I now apparently am one. Recently got told ovaries gave up ghost age about 40...ahh well (not as sanguine about that as I sound, but getting there).

    Do struggle somewhat with veggies and grains. Can’t eat Beans, nuts and pulses and not getting past protein to much more than a couple of bites of broccoli, but earlyish days. Get fibre with heavily seeded crackers, but costs carbs. Also have that reliance on fortified milk for a shot of protein which again costs carbs hence the 45-65 level. But less if nett of fibre. Never worked out what nett meant.

    Having said all that I really value all these fab insights. Flying very solo here as 60 miles from nearest support group and have a house full of temptation thx to fella and two growing girls :-)




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  12. I stayed at around 800 calories most of the first year. I don't think I went up over 1000 until I was about a year out. Once I hit maintenance, I gradually increased my calories until I got to the point where my weight remained stable, which for me is 1500-1700 calories a day. Some people require fewer to maintain, some more - you have to experiment with it. But at any rate, I don't think my metabolism was wrecked by my eating 800-ish kcal a day for a few months. Although I can't speak for everyone.

    That’s really good to hear. Am very concerned about jumping out of metabolic frying pan and into a fire.

    Knowing that nutrition is still so very far from an exact science and same for the collective mechanisms that influence appetite and weight gain, this kind of feedback is fab to have :-)




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  13. I just had this conversation with my nutritionist and my surgeon on my 3-month post-op appointment four days ago. The nutritionist said to stay around 800 calories but as long as the extra calories were coming from Protein and not from carbs or fat or something she wasn't worried about it. The surgeon said she doesn't talk calories at all or recommend a range but to just stick to a plate consisting of 1/2 Protein, 1/4 veggies/fruit, 1/4 grains and eat the Protein first, if full stop, if not, then proceed next to veggies and lastly and only if still hungry to grains. She said I could eat as much protein as I wanted. She said all calories aren't equal and protein calories were okay. I asked how on earth my body wasn't shutting down and putting a stall on everything at so few calories and she said just keep feeding it protein and you'll lose weight.

    Thanks for this Mrs. Glad it’s not just me and willing to bide time, but that “How on earth am I not losing more?” was the other part of this.

    My poor tracking app is very concerned about me halving the calorie estimate it gave me for 1kg per week loss, and still not quite making 1kg per week.

    I’m honestly not fretting about that rate from a reaching goal point of view as 2lbs per week will get me there. I’m also not suffering badly to keep it that way, I’m more baffled by the apparent absence of working laws of physics when I look back at food intake and activity at my worst. Also a little in awe of this body of mine.

    When that zombie apocalypse hits, with my new found agility, it’ll be the “Never been able to put on weight no matter what I eat” and perpetual gym bunnies with their calorie hungry metabolisms that will go first [emoji16]

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  14. Hi all,

    Been good and checked for answers for a while, but not found anything very decisive.

    I’m worried about training my body to subsist on 600-750 calories per day. Worried it will never maintain without gain on anything resembling what the nutritionist suggested would be likely - 1600 odd (though maintenance on some calculators says 2,400 - ho ho)

    I’m 218, down from 256 Jan 21st sleeve and 263 highest in December. Slowed to lose about 2lbs per week now, which is fine, but could be better.

    Also 5’4”, mid 40s and post menopause with PCOS.

    For my build (7” wrists that make my baby sized hands look freakish) aiming point is 152 for just out of top end normal. Reckoning I’ll be 60% there in July.

    I don’t go usually go hungry and usually hit my Protein and liquid targets while keeping my carbs between 45 and 65 (fortified milk to bump Protein up keeps that over 50 as can’t do whey based protein), but rarely hit 700 calories.

    Do I need to be concerned getting that little in? Will I reset metabolism to make me gain if I eat 1,000 calories?

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  15. I’m barely 2 weeks and 5 days out and I’ve lost 32 pounds these past 2 weeks is it normal to go that fast?

    A lot depends on where you started from Miguel, higher the weight the more folk are expected to lose. It’s about % loss rather than pure pounds.

    E.g. at 6 weeks I had lost 25% of my excess weight (weight over ‘normal’ BMI for my build).

    Here’s a link to a look at https://www.obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeves-how-much-weight-will-i-lose with a calculator that gives you a view of how people do on average versus the highest losing portion of people and the lower losing portions.

    Also the gentlemen tend to lose more rapidly because of more muscle mass and other gender related metabolism effects.

    Also depends on age, especially, for women. Post menopause weight is LOTS tougher to shift.

    That’s ignoring how well folk are sticking to nutrition guidance, what the guidance is (varies so much more than I thought it would - I was only fluids for a week before surgery and skipped clear fluids to go to full fluids 2 days after). Then there’s exercise. Some folk are at gym 5 days per week, some, like me, walk 30-45mins 3 times a week, some can’t do or choose not to do any).

    Plus loads of other factors...so, in loads too many words, not simple to answer and always best to not compare if you can resist it, but talk to nutritionist or doc if really concerned. [emoji3526]

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  16. Just a little thing to try and bolster folk fretting about all the less than ideal things (and the hard to compete with success stories) they read here, especially those who haven’t spent time on lots of similar forums.

    Research online has been a chunky part of my day job, so although I’m not immune to the negative bias and hype I can pause and process that out.

    If you only have time to dip your toes in, use your own past experience as benchmark. How often do you post when all is just jogging along nicely and you don’t need advice or support?

    If you have more time, try ignoring the 4 worst experiences and the 2 best ones in every 10 posts and use a search engine to look for medical advice and evidence for things that mess with your head.

    Context is king. Everyone starts at a different weight and with a different set of head, body and life complications.

    So impressed by those who spare time to support all the concerned folk here and share the well deserved celebrations, but for those hovering and worried, this isn’t, in sum total, a real slice of life
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  17. This distance out with pus as opposed to lymph (the completely clear stuff) I would go to my doctor, especially if the area round the incision feels warmer than surrounding skin and/or you have a temperature of 38 degrees or more.

    Regardless make sure you’re drinking you recommended amount or as close as poss. Can’t but help no matter what and like the lovely lady said there’s still lots of healing going on.


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  18. For me it’s a feeling like a tightness in my chest just under my bra strap crossed with that feeling when you have a burp trapped. That burp feeling tips over into thinking I might follow with up by being sick if I don’t stop.

    Eating really slowly helps. Taking a pause to survey how you feel.

    Alternatively, when you are just getting liquids, then soft food and then similar stuff stuff later (sliders) instead of drier more solid food you maybe won’t feel as much restriction because it passes through and compacts more gently.

    Hope that helps!

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  19. Hi and welcome! 22 pounds is fantastic! I hit that later than you.

    I thought I was immunish to the stall ennui cos I’ve read so many studies, posts, and replies about it, but got stuck then gained in weeks 7 and 8. I religiously track intake so I knew I’d introduced carbier at about the same time work ramped up, so more desk time, less sleep, more tension, more carbs, on top of another step in healing. But (and this cheered me right up) I still lost inches. Probably a miracle my losing wasn’t more erratic.

    Not really a stall as it resolved in week 9 (a few say it doesn’t qualify unless the scale sticks for 3 weeks), but my six cents is radical honesty and tracking of stuff eaten/drunk especially fluids, taking supplements sleeping the 8 hours of at all possible, measuring inch loss, and not weighing more than once a week at the same time of day (I’m human, so I jump on all the time, but don’t write it down or take it to heart in between times.


  20. I only do Protein Water on the rarest occasion cos that smell of whey just finishes me.

    My alternative is 1% Milk with 10% skim milk powder added. That isn’t a fave due to carbs from the lactose in the milk, but right now you need protein to heal, Calcium, and Vitamin D all of which come with the milk (not enough, but more than nothing).

    FWIW I still have a latte daily with a Decaf expresso shot and and this fortified milk. Whaps a third of my protein in in an indulgent feeling and comforting way, then avoid carbs in meals to balance.


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  21. My regret is that I didn’t have gastric bypass sooner! I’ve lost 90lbs. My diabetes is gone. I feel so much healthier. I’m a normal BMI!! Yes it was a longer than anticipated recovery but so so worth it!!


    2nd / 3rded / 4thed (I lost count [emoji846]). Only regret is not doing this before menopause to be able to take that little bit easier advantage while hormones and collagen were in my corner :-)


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  22. Yes.

    I am a pessimistic optimist. I prepare for the worst, but am delighted when things go well. This is going well. I mulled over every possible downside and researched the prep, surgery and aftermath to the nth degree before I went for it. I wanted to make a good decision, and it was.

    I am not losing as fast as some and I’m losing faster than others. I’m not at the gym 5 times a week, but I no longer live on the couch. I don’t avoid many foods, but I no longer eat candy, crisps, fries, Pasta, bread, ice cream and rafts of other things that were so ‘expensive’ and addictive.

    I don’t have a personal target of ‘normal’ BMI as I fit every criteria for big boned and I was a US size 8 clothes at 28 pounds over that top ‘normal’ weight and with PCOS and post menopausal fun I’m not putting that pressure on myself, but I stay within 650-800 cals almost without exception and rarely breach 50g carbs.

    It’s good, it’s working, I’m making a change, arthritis pain is all but gone already, psoriasis is almost gone too, my shoes are more comfortable, I sweat and get less red and if absolutely nothing else this will be 2+ years of going in a direction other than up from where I was, but (pessimistically optimistically speaking) I’m trying to do one hell of a lot more [emoji846]


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