Arabesque

Collagen peptide is considered an incomplete protein & won’t count towards your protein goals. It lacks many of the essential amino acids. Whether it helps with hair, skin, etc. is another question. I added collagen (& silica) to my yoghurt for about 5 months I think. Don’t think it really did anything though. Certainly didn’t change the texture of my new hair growth. (It won’t stop the post surgery hair loss as that hair is already dead & meant to fall out it just falls out faster for a couple of months.). My nails weren’t stronger. I upped my facials & did some other treatments to stimulate collagen production as well but I can’t say any of it really did anything except a temporary short term glow & plumpness. You might have a totally different reaction. It’s not uncommon for you to look drawn & notice additional wrinkles & facial creases while you are losing. But once your weight has stabilised, you’re eating more & a broader diet & your body seems to redistribute your weight you will look a lot better. I went from being told I looked like death while I was losing in my first year when taking the collagen to looking beautiful in my second year when I wasn’t taking it (according to my outspoken uncle 🙄).

Oh, how awful for you. I hope you feel better soon Go back to your doctor & ask when you should be starting back on protein shakes & then other foods. You need protein & other nutrients for healing. The other concerns is the longer you go without popping the harder it becomes to go. You have to retrain the muscles. Even a clear liquid diet has some calories & if dehydrated has solids so there will be some waste building in your bowels. Are you drinking enough & meeting your 64oz fluid goal?

Does all these dates @kristieshannon mean you’ve been expanding your wardrobe & buying cute dresses like this one? Will we see more lovely pxts?

That’s an amazing discovery @ms.sss. I never thought about why I don’t sleep on my tummy any more. Now it makes sense why I’d feel discomfort in my back midsection if I did. I wonder if not having a butt anymore contributes to some of my lower back pain??

The awful smell from the capsules could be because your sense of smell can become more sensitive after surgery. It is only temporary. If they still smell awful to you this far out it could just be something in the Bariatric Advantage thats more specific to you. Like the smell of ramen noodle places & Red Door perfume makes me cringe.

Dumping is pretty rare in sleeve patients. It’s more likely you’ve been advised to avoid sugar to break any addiction to sugar you may have - break your cravings for sweet. I didn’t have an addiction but I enjoyed dessert or something sweet at night. While losing I cut out as much sugar, sugar alternatives & artificial sweeteners as I could. Now I rarely eat traditionally sweet things. I will have some cake or dessert on special occasions like Christmas, a wedding, etc. I just control how much & how often. I get most of the glucose my body needs from other food sources like fruit, vegetables, carbs, dairy, seeds, etc. Can’t see anything wrong with you having some birthday cake especially in 5/6 months time - just not the whole cake. 😁 PS - I didn’t & still don’t have any regrets. Though in the beginning isn’t uncommon to question your decision. You’re going through a lot - a big surgery, restricted diet, pain, discomfort, low energy. Lots of changes, new things to learn, you have to avoid foods that used to comfort you, etc. Hormones are going haywire & you can be very emotional. But once you’ve healed & recovered, are feeling more confident & comfortable about what you’re doing & you see how much weight you are losing, the regrets or concerns disappear.

I had sleeve & only had to take a multi vitamin. I’m menopausal so don’t need the extra iron as younger women would (not that you need to worry about that either @Muffinman1119) & my blood test showed I had ample iron & iron stores. According to my pre surgery bone scan my bones are rock hard so no additional calcium either. Plus post surgery I was eating more dairy then I did before. Best advice is to follow what your medical team has advised to begin. Subsequent blood tests will show if you are getting too much of anything. I haven’t taken vitamins since about month 7 or 8 post surgery. I get all the nutrients, vitamins & minerals I need from what I eat. The exception is vitamin D which I take in winter only. My levels drop a bit because I hibernate. I’ve discovered the brand I buy (BioCeuticals) offers it in a spray now. Single squirt under the tongue. No swallowing tablets. For those who struggle with swallowing meds & nausea, a spray, if you can find it, may be an alternative.

It will come down to what you choose to eat or not eat or whether you can tolerate it or not. You may choose never again, or occasional small portions or look for alternatives like pizza with low carb or cauliflower pizza crusts. Your new digestive system may say no not for you to high fat or high sugar foods & you experience dumping if you eat these foods so you don’t eat them to avoid dumping. Or you may not tolerate certain foods like some develop a lactose sensitivity. It is really up to what works for you.

What you are experiencing is very common. You’ve been going through a lot. The surgery, the change in your diet, pain & discomfort. So much new information & things to learn. Perfectly understandable that you’re questioning if it will be worth it. Plus your hormones are all over the place making you more emotional. It just takes time. Time to heal & recover. Time for your hormones to settle. Time to become familiar & more confident about the changes to your eating, etc. Take as much time as you need. One day you’ll realise you are feeling a lot better, stronger & confident about everything. Your weight will be decreasing. And you’ll realise yes, it was worth it. All the best.

Some foods can make your restriction kick in more quickly. Chicken can be a culprit as it can be dry. Does it happen with all meat proteins? If it’s just chicken or other specific proteins drop them for a couple of weeks & then see how you go. Sometimes my restriction kicks in quickly. It can occur because I’m distracted & eating a little too quickly or eating something that is too dry or heavy in my tummy. In my first year it sometimes happened if I was worried about eating when I was out or eating with people who didn’t know about the surgery. So I think being a bit stressed & holding tension set off the restriction. You may be consciously or subconsciously worried about whether you will be able to eat a meal & that sets off your restriction. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Certainly worth a chat with your medical team. I don’t think you have a stricture because you are getting some solid food down & you have no nausea & aren’t vomiting. But again talk to your team.

A lot of us experience a drop in our blood pressure (postural hypotension) after surgery. It’s usually temporary for most & it usually eases when you’re eating more, a broader range of nutrients & more active. Get up slowly & wait (you’ll work out how long you need to wait) before moving to allow your blood to get back up to your head. Some recommend marching your feet on the spot before rising & then on standing. Ensure you’re meeting your fluid goals & add a little extra salt to your diet. My BP is low all the time (genetic) but I’ve never fainted just vision goes black & my head gets doughy. I grab a hold of furniture, walls or even another person to ground me when it happens. If you’re on blood pressure meds you may have to drop them BUT check with your doctor first.

Another consideration may be your potential for loose skin & where you may want to put the tattoo. You can end up with loose skin everywhere & we all end up with some. I even have some on my hands & fingers. Never expected that. Maybe better to wait until you’re close to your goal.

I love left overs. I eat them for a couple of days in a row. All I have to do is reheat & maybe add vegetables. I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner & sometimes lunch. I’m also a regular freezer of left overs: soups, meats, cooked vegetables, … defrost, reheat, dinner done. Mmmm lamb. One of my favourites @Sophie7713. Is that chicken you’re eating @GreenTealael with that yummy asparagus?

I drink San Pellegrino every day. I just let it go flattish (unscrew the lid a little to break the seal when I put it in the fridge) & sip it slowly over a few hours interspersing with plain water. The mineral taste is a nice change from plain water. I think I started drinking it occasionally at 3 months & more regularly by about 6. But it will depend on if you can tolerate it.

Hope you two aren’t getting up to mischief now you live close to each other. 😉 Always love you in red @Sophie7713. And more lovely bright colours for you @GreenTealael & I really like your wrap too. Yes, a little bit of warmth would be very welcome. Though I’ve actually turned off my heating today as it’s a little warmer. It will be back on in a couple of hours. Woo hoo on being able to wear your anorak @SleeverSk. It looks great on you. You’ll be wearing it a lot the way this winter is going.

Even though I don’t eat pasta, rice or bread, I don’t think as it as being on a ‘diet’. It’s just how I eat now. Just like people who become vegetarian or vegan, etc. Yes, those foods don’t sit well with me but I think I would still have chosen not to eat them again from a nutritional perspective & I feel better (not as gluggy, bloated, etc.) than when I did eat them & I used to eat them every day. I’m certainly not following a keto diet. I eat plenty of carbs from vegetables & I eat rolled oats & multi grain crackers every day. It’s just they aren’t highly processed & are whole & multi grains. And yes I can still eat at Italian & Japanese restaurants. How you chose to eat in the future is your choice. It has to complement your lifestyle & never make you feel like you are missing out.

I’d compare the nutritional information & also check with your medical team just to be sure. Usually those soups are designed to be high protein low calorie like the shakes.

I think it would be a safety precaution too - putting you in a better & healthier place for your surgery. My surgeon puts his patients on different diets based upon their weight, eating habits, weight loss & medical history. Some are on all shakes or 2 shakes & a meal (under the hospital’s weight loss clinic) or keto with a dietician which I was on. I did the 2 shakes & a meal for a good 3 months some years ago. My meal was at night. It is hard to begin because you’re breaking a lot of habits & addictions (salt, sugar, caffeine, etc.). The first week is usually the hardest but you will lose weight. You got this. Watch the pickles especially the number you eat. Those extra calories quickly add up. If you feel hungry, try a green or herbal tea. Also see if they have soups as well as shakes. (The hospital weight loss clinic program offered soup & shakes mixes as did the pharmacy brand program I followed.) Drinking soups can seem more meal like & can be more satisfying.

You won’t have to wait to drink before & after meals for ever. I wait 5 or 10 minutes now & less if I just have a sip before & after so I can order a glass of wine before a meal & finish it after without much issue. I can even have a sip while eating if I pace my bites & sips. If I drink too much to close to a bite I feel full very quickly & sometimes a little uncomfortable. Dint think there’s anything I really miss now. Sure, sometimes I see something & think that looks nice bet it’s delicious but I’m not really interested in wanting to actually eat it. Actually some high fat or high sugar foods or large portions turn my tummy. I feel repulsed by it. Maybe I’m strange, though.

You may find you can’t stand anything sweet after surgery as your taste buds temporarily change. This a good thing as it can help reduce your desire for sweet foods. I never really craved sugar but I enjoyed dessert & having something sweet after dinner every night & a sweet treat morning or afternoon snack on the weekend (I have 6 high end patisseries & bakeries in a 2km radius around my house 😱). Now, I rarely have desserts, cakes, biscuits, pastries, etc. (couple of times a year) & don’t eat chocolate or lollies at all. Don’t miss it either. Watch artificial sweeteners as they continue to feed your desire for sugar & they have lots of side effects including weight gain (makes your body hold on to calories), allergies, etc. About 1/2 my fluid intake comes from plain water. I was allowed green tea from surgery & I have a large mug (400ml) every day. I also let sparkling water go flat & I have 400-500mls a day. The mineral taste was a nice change to plain water. I was also allowed rolled oats from purée (instant to begin) & I used a lot of milk so I get extra fluid that way. I also found a good low calorie high protein yoghurt drink. (You can make your own by mixing yoghurt with milk.) Keep a glass of water beside you all the time even by your bed. It actually just becomes a habit.

Milk with earl grey tea. 😱 Sacrilege! Lemon & only lemon to enhance the bergamot. (And zero calories.) Captain Picard would be horrified.

Potatoes weren’t allowed on my plan as they’re a starchy high carb vegetable. Plus how they’re traditionally prepared is often high calorie (butter in a mash, oil if roasted or fried, cream if scalloped, etc.). And most of their good fibre is in the skin which people throw away. But if they’re on your plan give them a go. I still don’t eat them. They tend to sit a bit heavily in my tummy. I try a bite or two of mashed or baked every now & again but no. My father was a potato grower & we had to have potato every night. I’m sure he’s rolling in his grave.

Electrolyte drinks can give you a bit of a boost. I found them helpful when my energy was really low. Shop around to find one with lower carbs & sugar. Though be careful if you’re on high blood pressure meds etc. as they do contain salts. I used hydralyte which was recommended by my surgeon. I used to dilute it by doubling the water required to make it up as it tasted sweet - but then everything did.

Some do some don’t. It can depend on how much weight you had to lose, your rate of loss, etc. I lost for almost another 11 months after I reached goal at 6 months. It was extremely slow the last few months but it was the weight my body wanted to be at (my new set point). Generally it is more difficult to lose weight in your second year. Your hunger starts to return, you’re eating larger portions, etc. If you’re doing strength training & putting on muscle that will be distracting from any weight loss you may be still having. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. Also everyone’s rate of loss slows the closer to their goal weight. Not every one reaches their goal. Gastric sleeve patients tend to lose 50-70% of the weight they have to lose (difference between starting weight & ideal weight). This is where the average lie at about 3 yrs post surgery. You will reach a weight that genetics, your new set point & metabolism are happy at & also a weight that you can sustain while living your life how you want.

@lizonaplane & @ShoppGirl are correct. You’ve just had pretty major surgery, your hormones are out of whack, your digestive system has been altered, something you relied on to provide emotional support (food) has been taken away from you, … Give yourself time to heal & recover -physically, mentally & emotionally. And I’m going to say it: it does get better & easier. The staged return to eating is to support the healing of your tummy. In a few weeks on soft foods you’ll be able to have some of that tender beef stew (just no rice unless it’s cauliflower rice). Yes, it will be a much smaller portion but you’ll be eating more slowly so your family will finish their serve about the same time you likely be finished too. Think of all the new recipes you & your husband will be able to try or reinvent with alternative ingredients. I also agree with @lizonaplane suggestion to meet with a therapist. Many bariatric patients swear by the support they received through therapy & how it helped change their relationship with food, how they see themselves, etc. I still drink just not as often & not as much. I say I drink quality (like champagne not sparkling) not quantity now. I often go out to restaurants. French, Italian, Japanese, Greek, etc. fine dining, bistros, cafes. I’m just careful with my menu sections. And I’m not afraid to ask to take leftovers home even in fine dining restaurants (took home duck breast, duck rillette, parsnip purée & baby carrots the other night).