Arabesque

I was eating a meal anyone could eat from soft food. Sure they were way smaller portions & sometimes without certain sides. I made things like chicken stew spaghetti bolognese (without pasta) in my first week of soft foods. Some recipes I tweaked to make them healthier & to meet my plan but there wasn’t anything anyone couldn’t eat. I regularly had breakfast with girlfriends from solid foods. I’d order a single egg scrambled no toast. I was allowed green tea from the beginning which I drank anyway so no change in my routines. Dining out was pretty easy too. Just careful & considered food choices & small portions. I usually order entrees (US appetiser) & I don’t worry if I can’t eat everything if I have to get a main meal portion. If I’m able I’ll take home the leftovers. Of course a lot of this depends upon the type of food your family eats & what they still want to eat. I live alone so it is easier for me, but I often spend weekends with my mother, eat with my siblings & their families, dine out for lunch & dinner, have friends & family over for meals. No problems. My sleeve really doesn’t stop me eating anything (except bread, pasta, rice, potatoes that sit heavily in my tummy) & I have to avoid dry, coarse foods (but a good sauce & eating carefully helps). What stops me eating certain foods is me & the eating plan I’ve devised to help me maintain my weight & be healthy. At 6 months I could eat almost 3ozs protein & maybe 1/2 cup vegetables but sometimes less. It took me into my second year before I could eat about a regular portion size - e.g. 3 - 4 ozs protein & a cup of vegetables. But that was me & we all take our own time.

Embracing the tastebud changes & losing the craving for sugar was a big win for me too. I gave up soft drinks (sodas) years ago so I didn’t have to break my addiction to them but I enjoyed dessert & always at a sweet treat after dinner. I haven’t done that since surgery. Don’t miss it either. I will have a couple of spoons of dessert at Christmas (I make the Christmas desserts so …) & then maybe a bite of one or two sweet things a year. Had a bite of a friend’s wedding cake last year - it was awful. But nothing yet this year. I remember accidentally picking up a box of honey oats during Covid lockdown in 2020. It was so crazy sweet I couldn’t eat it. Yes, fruit is my sweet treat now too (but I always enjoyed fruit). I have blueberries every day with breakfast. Occasionally I might snack on some other fruit. I avoid artificial sweeteners where possible (they just feed your sweet cravings) & as I cook most of my own food from scratch it’s easier.

I found keeping an eating schedule much easier too. I still follow one though with a little flexibility based upon how I’m feeling (hungry/not hungry) & what I’m doing. Generally, at three years, I do breakfast at 8:30, snack at 12, lunch at 3:30, dinner at 6 & snack at 7:30. Sometimes there’s an extra snack before lunch but then lunch & dinner are later. Initially I started because I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating after surgery. Then when I was trying to stabilise my weight, it helped to ensure I got in the calories I needed to stop losing & now it’s to meet my higher protein goals. (It’s why I snack so often too.) Give it a go. You may find it helpful too

Mine were whey based & I didn’t have any issue with clumping. Guess it just depends on the product. I used to microwave my chocolate one too & tried to convince myself it was real hot chocolate. Tried but … 😁

Your tummy is very sensitive after the surgery. Think about how your body spasms if doused in cold water - same with your poor tummy at the moment. Try warm drinks. A lot of us found them more soothing than cool/cold which can be too harsh on our healing tummy. I made my shakes up using warm water or you can microwave them briefly if pre-made.

We call it the 3 week stall but it can occur earlier or later. Think of it as your body needing to take a breath. It’s been going through a lot. It’s like your body shutting the door & pulling the covers over its head just like you might like to do when stressed or anxious. And yes, just stick to your plan, let your body do what it needs to do & you’ll start to lose again. Just remember it may take 1-3 weeks.

Unfortunately, you can’t prevent loose skin & you can’t control how much you end up with. You can’t even predict how much you end up with. If you’re young & still have lots of elastin in your skin it will bounce back some. If you only carried the bulk of your excess weight for a short period of time you may not have as much. If you’re blessed with good genes you may not have as much either. Where you carry your weight can affect what you end up with too - more in your abdominal region then you will have more loose skin there. The only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I don’t have much (more than a pinch but less than a handful) & decided it wasn’t worth surgery. I can hide it very successfully under clothes even in fitted body con dresses without need of any support garments. I feel I’ve earned the loose skin after working so hard to lose my weight. Rather have some loose skin that may flap a bit than my fat body.

It just depends on how you recover & how your body reacts to the changes. My friends & I had desk jobs too - quite mentally demanding & reactionary. One was back after a week, another took three weeks & I needed four (I always take longer to recover from everything). Best advice is to have a contingency plan in place with your employer - ability to take more time if needed, to return part time or with reduced hours. Just don’t push yourself to do more than you physically (& mentally) are able.

Your rate of loss always slows as you get closer to your goal weight. You can always depend on that. The heady high rates of loss you experience at the beginning don’t last. You can also stall any number of times along the way. The small weight gain you are seeing at the moment could be related to your health issues or it could be your natural weight fluctuation becoming more noticeable as you get closer to your goal. It could also be your body resettling after your holiday loss & getting you back to where you would have been without the holiday. I’d go for option D - stop panicking & let your body catch up & I’d also add wait for your health to improve. Doesn’t hurt to do a check of your food choices, portion sizes, calories, protein & fluid intake, etc. Though you may be currently struggling with food, there may be something you are missing or could tweak to keep you closer to your plan. All the best

Look at the variety of women’s body shapes. Long or short waisted, large or small breasts, higher or lower waist to hip ratio, broader or narrower shoulders, length of legs, … How can we expect a set of standardised measurements & sizes to fit every body shape perfectly? But we do. Clothing sizes are erratic even within the same brand. Some of it relates to the cut & style of the clothing. I’m an Australian size 6 in skinny jeans but a 4 in wide legged jeans. There’s even discrepancies in the same item of clothing in the same size which I think has to do with mass production. It’s one of the reasons I dislike buying clothing online - it’s a crap shoot around sizing even with ‘size guides’. Also sizes have changed over the years - they’ve subtly got larger. Some of it’s for vanity including the I weigh 20lbs more but am still a size 10 so I must be ok type of vanity. Vanity is why US sizes now have size 0 & 2. I also remember reading an article a few years ago about bra sizes being adjusted to allow for more women going to the gym & their backs getting broader from doing weights. I always find it amusing that I’m generally an Australian size 6 in pants, dresses, shirts, etc. but wear size 10 knickers. There’s no consistency. You may find this article an interesting read. https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/heres-why-your-size-is-different-at-every-store-you-go-to

You can develop a stricture with a sleeve too. I’d really start demanding they investigate why you are struggling so much. You’ll never get in the protein you need if you are vomiting.

Nerves are pretty common prior to surgery, so you aren’t alone in that & it is understandable. It’s a pretty major surgery & you are making changes to your body & your lifestyle. Yes malabsorption is something to continuously monitor after bypass. Regular blood tests will keep you informed of any thing you may lack & they will pick up any specific absorption issues you may have. It will be important to monitor your diet to ensure you’re consuming a range of nutrients & take the vitamin supplements you need. Yes, malabsorption isn’t really an issue with sleeve & you may not need to take vitamins in the long term (I don’t). But eating a balanced diet is always the healthier choice. Some people have posted about dental issues post surgery but not many that I can recall. Could be something that began pre surgery because of dietary choices, be a genetic weakness, or they had pre existing gerd/reflux. Excess acid is a common temporary side effect of surgery but keeping on top of it will help reduce your risk of dental damage - take your PPIs. In three years, I haven’t had an issue at all. We’re all different & we can’t predict how our bodies will react to the changes. All because something may happen, doesn’t mean it will. Not worth focussing on some very low risk maybe. Focus on what will happen: a healthier you. But, as you already have reflux, bypass is really your best option. Why did you choose or were you advised bypass over sleeve in the first place? Those reasons will still be true. All the best.

There are a number of different pre surgical diets but you must follow the one you are given. I’ve noticed a few UK members have been on a milk diet. Three pints of milk provides 48g of protein plus a high protein yoghurt can provide 15-20g so about the usually recommended 60g of protein. The broader range of nutrients is a worry but your doctor would be aware of that. The headaches & weakness comes from cutting out carbs, sugar, caffeine - breaking the addictions & removing the stimulants (caffeine & sugar) from your diet. The first 5-7 days are usually the hardest but it gets easier.

What does your surgeon say? You may have a stricture which can be quite easily repaired. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, inability to eat solid foods, difficulty swallowing, food intolerances. Contact your medical team as soon as you can. Even if it isn’t a stricture, they need to work out why you are experiencing these issues so something can be done to help you.

I had to do keto as my pre surgical diet - 2.5 weeks. That was enough. I can’t stand the high fat aspect. Never been good with fatty/oily foods regardless if being good or bad fats. So it would never be an option for me long term. Bedsides I really don’t like bacon. 😉 The reading I did about it & conversations with my dietician all pointed to it being fine for the short term (like a kick start to a diet) but not the long term. Plus it can mess with your sugar levels, cholesterol, etc. There will always be fervent advocates of any diet. But no one diet works for everyone. If there was no one would ever have a weight issue. Use the time during which you are losing to start to work out a plan that works for you. It needs to be sustainable (you can do it long term). It needs to complement your lifestyle. It needs to support you to maintain your weight without you feeling like you are being punished, missing out or making too many sacrifices. Plan a way of eating not a diet. But talk to your dietician & do your own reading (avoid the pro keto ones though). May be have a look at Aitken’s as a lower fat alternative to keto if you are drawn to it. But look into lots of eating plans including what nutrition your body actually needs to function effectively.

Aah head hunger versus real hunger. Working out the difference can be challenging especially early out when you haven’t had enough time yet to learn how to identify the difference. A lot of head hunger is driven by emotions & you seek comfort in food. Surgery is stressful & emotional & everyday after there are lots of new & very strange experiences so you look for the comfort eating used to provide in these situations. Head hunger is also eating out of habit whether the time on the clock, or what you’re doing like watching tv so eat. It’s eating out of boredom, eating because others are, etc. At the moment you are also missing textures, certain flavours & smells of food (cravings) but again that’s head hunger. Head hunger is wanting to eat not needing to eat. Head hunger often passes quickly. Try distracting yourself for 30mins (walk, read, craft, check social media, do a puzzle, ring a friend, etc.). Try drinking something warm like a herbal or green tea. If it alleviates your hunger it was head hunger. Real hunger is different. I get restless. I don’t crave or want a specific food, texture or flavour. There’s a rational reason for it - I missed a meal. It doesn’t pass. Unfortunately, knowing this doesn’t stop it but it can help you manage it.

Was it dumping, the foamies or just your restriction? Dumping makes you feel physically sick & you may vomit or have diarrhoea, cold sweats, heart palpitations, etc. takes time (often hours) to recover. The foamies feels like something is stuck, you produce excess salvia & you may regurgitate a thick foamy saliva & often whatever you ate that was ‘stuck’. I also sometime have a barking cough as if trying to shift the obstruction. It passes quickly. Your restriction is a heaviness or tightness across your upper chest. I find myself thumping my chest as if to relieve & open it up again. It can take longer to pass than the foamies but not hours like dumping. The first time I had the foamies was with a mushy carrot but potato sits heavily in my tummy - like groan heavy, eaten way too much heavy & after only a bite or two. Still does & I’m three years out. (Bread & pasta is the same for me.) It’s all part of how we are different. At the beginning your tummy can be sensitive & fussy. Eat something today no issue. Eat it tomorrow & your tummy is no way. But two days later all is fine again. I called mine a petulant, tantrum throwing 2 yr old.

Three years out & I take 30-60minutes to eat - probably average 40minutes for a meal. If I eat too quickly my restriction kicks in & then I’m done. I also do it because I don’t focus as much on the act of eating as I did before surgery. Still ask myself do I need the next bite or do I just want it & I often put food on my fork but then put it down again too. I still take small bites too. A lot of it is just habit now. Remember it takes time for the full message to get through & when it does you likely have eaten more than you need & are more than full. My full message can be very slow, (30mins or so after I’ve finished) which also directs my slow eating but that is me. I’m not someone who has been able to go back to skulling a lot of liquid. Two large mouthfuls at a time. A couple of minutes later I can have another mouthful. I can have a couple of sips up to 5 minutes before I eat & about the same after. But not mouthfuls as they can be too filling & wash the food out of my tummy more quickly. So I guess it really comes down to what you’re able to do & what works for you. But certainly while you are losing keep waiting to drink before & after you eat & keep eating slowly.

Not sure how far along you so it’s helpful to complete your stats in your profile as @SleeveDiva2022 suggested. There are certain things you can depend upon though. The closer you are to goal the slower your rate of loss. The heady days of larger rates of loss don’t last. Your real hunger returns. Everybody’s weight fluctuates & it doesn’t mean you’ve gained. My last kilos were a b*tch to lose. Felt like forever. I just stayed my course & they went (plus more). My hunger started to return in my second year but hunger returning from around 6 months is not common. I have a natural weight fluctuation of about a kg - 2.2lbs. Could be water, constipation, life in general.

I agree see your medical team. General discomfort & muscular pain is too be expected but stabbing, acute pain is not.

Could be a myriad of reasons but definitely see your medical team. Generally if you feel pain, or if something is or feels different to you seek medical advice. Always better to be safe & sure after a surgery.

Yeah, some dieticians are pretty crappy. Your’s just doesn’t seem to get this is something totally new to you & you want to get the best out of this opportunity. They are supposed yo be supporting you through this. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a greater framework & more specific guidelines to feel comfortable & confident about what you’re doing. A blanket try whatever you want is not good advice. Eating whatever you wanted got you where you were before surgery. The only thing I agree with is that there is a bit of trial & error about what foods your tummy will tolerate in these first weeks when it can be more sensitive & fussy. I was given portion size no calories, and a list of suggested foods to eat & avoid from the surgeon & the dietician. As a help I was advised 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food from puree three times a day. I could have a snack if I was able (I ate yoghurt to boost my protein most afternoons). Low fat, very low carbs, no starchy vegetables, protein, protein, protein. I didn’t care how long I took to eat. I wasn’t hungry & wasn’t interested in eating but I knew I had to. But this was my plan. Remember you won’t get the same feelings of fullness, etc. (& they likely will be different to what you used to experience) until you’re fully healed & eating solid food. Hence the importance of portion control. Congrats on yiur weight loss so far.

Love the belt you added to your dress @GreenTealael - perfect finishing touch. Gorgeous. I vaguely remember local governments & shopping centres here in Australia adding purple lights to public toilets in certain places years ago because the purple made it difficult for users to inject intravenous drugs. I hope it was just for atmosphere where you went for your date night. Love that black top @Sophie7713. I just may have to swipe that one from your wardrobe. And you know I like a puffed sleeve too. Glad you’re busy with lots of people wanting your stylish interior designs. Have you found your new home yet or did I miss a post that up you did?

Liquids go through you more quickly so you tend not to experience your restriction. If you do feel the restriction or any pain you’ve either eaten too much, too quickly or eaten something that is too dry or too coarse. The goal is not to feel the restriction. At three weeks out you are still healing, hence the staged return to eating to not stress your tummy. A lot of nerve endings were cut & damaged & until they are healed you won’t get the same messages like for full. There is a big difference between eating until you’re full & eating until you’ve had enough that is what your body needs. Do you need that next bite or just want it. In time you’ll likely find your signals for full are different. Some sneeze or their nose runs - you just have to work out what they are for you. Hunger pangs & abdominal growling, rumbling, in most times are just your digestive system doing what it should - digesting food. Any abdominal pain you may feel is likely an excess of stomach acid which will settle in time (your body is still producing enough acid for the amount of food you used to eat plus a reaction to the surgery) . Were you prescribed a PPI to reduce the acid production? 13lbs in three weeks is a good rate of loss - averaging 4lbs a week. Can’t complain about that. As you started at a relatively lower weight (like me) you won’t lose huge amounts like on say My 600lb Life. They weigh 3 times what you do & so lose at about 3times the rate. I’d lost about the same amount as you at three weeks & my surgeon was very happy with my progress. Keep measuring, keep sipping. It gets better & easier.

Imodium helps to firm the stools & slow their evacuation. The body is then able to better absorb the fluids & nutrients again from the the stools as they form in the intestines. It’s not stopping you poop, just slowing the process down to what it should be.