Arabesque

Yes, chicken can be too dry & it seems like it gets stuck. You need sauce or gravy to keep it moist or try thigh meat. Much more tender & flavoursome. You should be able to eat a variety if not all solid foods with very few issues. Are you eating slowly? Do you wait between eating & drinking? Are you taking small bites? May be worth a chat with your surgeon & dietician. Try ordering a wrap without the actual wrap. You get all the filling (protein & salad, dressing or sauce) but not the carbs from the wrap. I’ve done it a couple of times because of limited food choices. Or just eat the inside of the wrap.

Though you feel embarrassed, try to be honest in your journal. The journaling can be very helpful when you reflect on the why you eat, when you eat & what you eat head work that will support you changing your relationship with food. Not sleeping at night is awful. For decades I’d lie awake for hours. Watching the clock & anxiously calculating how many hours I could get in if I went to sleep now before I’d have to get up. Stress at work then menopause meant I developed bad sleeping habits. But losing weight helped a lot. Have gone from getting maybe 5 hours a night (& sometimes a lot less) to averaging 7. Some nights I can even get 8 or 9. Sheer bliss. Have to admit I didn’t eat, but I’d often get up to work (how sad is that), watch tv, read, etc. My mother gets up & eats when she can’t sleep though & I’ve seen her frustration with that habit. She was on that terrible sleeping med for a little while too where you would wake & eat & have no memory of doing so. She’d find empty ice cream containers, or other food wrappers in the kitchen in the morning. Scary! Hope they can sort yours out soon. All the best.

As Catwoman7 said it depends upon how much weight you have to lose. Other factors can influence the loss as well. Some are your own choices & actions & others are physiological factors & how your body reacts to the surgery & the changes to diet & activity. I reached my goal at 6 months but continued to lose for another 11 months (at a much slower rate of course) because I was finding it challenging to eat enough to stop the loss. My metabolism was still running pretty fast then too (wish it still ran that fast) & your metabolic set point will influence when your weight loss stops. Because as time passes we are able to eat larger portions (equal to recommended serving sizes) so too your calories increase & the weight loss stops. Also just general lifestyle choices. Some people are happy for their loss to stop at a higher weight than they first thought they’d reach simply because they didn’t want to continue to make food choices that restricted or limited their lifestyle.

You can eat toast & crackers? I would have been jumping for joy. You can have textured food!! On weeks 3 & 4 I was on purées: baby food slop. A lot of what you’re feeling is psychological. As we say, you have to do the head work as you progress. Your head & emotions can really mess with you. We’ve all been there. As @Kris77 said, some of this could be head hunger. Your brain is looking for those other foods because they comfort you & you’re pretty stressed & sad at the moment. It’s an awful cycle. I’m sad I want a piece of cake. I can’t have cake which makes me sad. You’ve had pretty major surgery & your emotions & hormones are all upside down now too which also contributes. As Kris suggested, find something to distract yourself. Often a craving will pass in 30mins or so if you stop focussing on it. Often you think how can this little amount of food fill me up. It can’t satisfy my hunger. But this is your new tummy. It’s 80%+/- smaller now so it doesn’t take much to fill it. You’ll also find as you’re eating more solid food, you’ll start to feel more ‘full’ or you’ve had enough. Liquids go through your tummy quickly & you don’t get that full feeling so you think you haven’t eaten enough & must still be hungry or need more food. You will likely also discover your full & real hunger signals are different than before. Something you probably don’t want to hear is that you may need to reevaluate what you see as ‘good’ food. Is it nutrient dense food that nourishes your body or does it just feed your emotional needs? The nutrient dense ‘healthy’ food on your recommended eating plan is plenty tasty & satisfying. There are many ways to cook it & add herbs & spices for flavour. You’ll even work out out healthier ways to prep some of your favourites. I had spaghetti bolognese, a favourite, in my soft food stage. Cooked the meat sauce for ages & served it with zucchini noodles & Parmesan. Could only eat 1/3 cup but it was damn delicious. Remember to sip & eat slowly. If you feel some discomfort wait until it passes. The discomfort could be from eating too much or too quickly. Put your fork down between bites & your glass down between sips. And wait between eating & drinking. If you do experience, sharp cutting pains across your tummy it can be from too much acid in your tummy. And too much acid or a noisy tummy can make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Many surgeons prescribe a PPI after surgery to help combat the extra acid. If you weren’t, ask your doctor for a script. Hope I haven’t scared you. You will get through this. And if you need support or advice, plenty here willing to do so. All the best & sorry for the long post.

Is it something you’ve always had so your natural physiology, or something that developed with your weight gain? If it developed with your weight gain it’s likely it will improve. My ankles ached when I had my final big weight gain which was sudden & the balls of my feet burnt. Both these things improved heaps or disappeared completely. I’ve always had a degree of pronation (my ballet teacher lamented all the time) & it hasn’t changed because it’s how my body is built. Unfortunately the knee pain I get from sitting too long hasn’t improved but that’s from being short & sitting in chairs that are too high 😆. You may notice additional pain & discomfort as you lose weight as your muscles & tendons get used to not having to carry & balance your excess weight & get used to your improved posture. I had upper back pain in around month 3 or 4 because my bust had got a lot smaller & I was carrying myself differently. (Buying underwear that fit stopped the pain.)

When you post again the information will be visible on the side. That information is very helpful to others when you post so thank you for wanting to do it.

It’s ok to have doubts & fears. We’ve all had them in some way during this process. And don’t be afraid to ask questions here. We’ve either experienced the same thing or can offer support or encouragement. My question is would you really want to go back to eating the same way? It lead you, like it did all of us, to being overweight. Will you never eat some of your old food favourites again? Not necessarily. They may become occasional treats just not every day or every week choices. Or you discover alternatives like vegetable pastas, bun free burgers or grilled, steamed, air fried or poached foods versus deep fried. Your portion sizes will be smaller & not those portions that are 2,3 & 4 times a recommended serving size. Of course, there will be restrictions on your food choices to begin. Initially to support your healing, then to support your weight loss & also to support your reeducation about food, nutrients, portion size, your relationship with food, etc. There may be certain foods you struggle with in the long term. Some develop intolerances like to lactose. It’s not that common & there are so many not dairy options about these days you don’t really miss out on anything. There may be foods that don’t sit as well in your tummy but it’s very individual. I still find bread, pasta & rice too heavy & filling & char grilled meats are too dry & coarse. There may be foods you choose to avoid or reduce to maintain your weight in the future. I still enjoy food, the flavour, the texture, etc. I go out to restaurants. I socialise with friends & family. I just make better food choices. I don’t see food & eating as a source of comfort or an emotional support to make me feel better or less bored. Food is the nutrition my body needs to function & to give me the energy to do the things I enjoy doing. All the best.

Oh, yeah @Tony B - NJ, eating out or eating with others can be challenging. I too find myself eating at their pace sometimes & then suffered the side effects of doing so. It really has to be a conscious thing to pause between bites & take small bites. I’ve learnt to do things like put the cutlery down & sit back in my chair. Wait for whoever is speaking to finish & then take my next bite. I do tend to stop eating or only take another bite or two when the others finish. Can’t overeat that way. I quite happily take 30-60mins to eat a meal when at home. My meals are larger now of course but I employ the same tactics. I don’t chew to excess. I just take smaller bites. I cut my meat before staring to eat into bite size pieces (small cubes). I’ll also wait for an ad break or a scene change, read a couple of pages, play a game on a device between bites. I should explain I live alone so I’m not being rude. I also keep an eye on the time & slow down if I’m going to fast. Oh, & as I’ve said many times before on other posts, I ask myself if I need the next bite or just want it. I don’t mind too much if my food gets cold except it can make the meat dry. If it bothers me, I’ll just zap it in the microwave for a few seconds. Easy. It does get easier & more just how you eat in time

Oh, yeah. I have things I haven’t worn yet either. A few things in my wardrobe still with the tags on. Partially COVID. Partially being out of the habit of going out. Most recently because the floods here postponed openings. Was supposed to be going to the opening night of a dance film my two nieces were in last week but it’s been delayed until June. It will be too cool to wear the outfit I was intending to wear so the tags will be staying on for a while longer. A contemporary dance performance I was thinking of seeing this week was also postponed. Sigh! I admire you giving a capsule wardrobe a go. My casual wardrobe could be considered a capsule. A few key pieces I rotate. But my better wardrobe is an extravaganza of excess. 😆

I had my surgery almost three years ago & have three friend who’ve also had sleeve surgery in the last 2-4 yrs. They haven’t developed Gerd or the lesser reflux. I had mild reflux before my surgery but managed it successfully through my food & drink choices. I only had issues if I made bad choices like too much champagne or too many gin & tonics - the bubbles groan. Yes, I still have reflux though I experience different symptoms but again not that severe. I take a PPI every day now & for about 3 days out of 4 that’s enough. I get some burning in my throat late at night a couple of times a week but it’s not that bad. I would be included in that 30% stat even though I had it before, as many obese people do, & it’s still pretty mild. This is my experience. We’re all different & you can never predict how you will react to the surgery & the changes to your digestive system. I’m one of the 35% who developed gall stones but I could have developed them because of the weight loss, menopause or because I have Gilbert’s. If your existing reflux is severe enough to make you sick when you have an attack, my thought would be that you’re not a candidate for a sleeve. But that’s my opinion & I’m not a medical person. Do your research, ask questions. All surgeries have side effects & there’ll be pros & cons for all of the weight loss surgery options too. Remember, you have the right to ask for which ever surgery you think may be best for you. All the best.

OMG! How did you manage to give up clothes shopping? What’s your secret? Did you go cold turkey or just slowly weaned yourself off? Or just couldn’t be bothered? Longest I’ve gone is three weeks which as last month. I did buy a new handbag but a bag shouldn’t count should it?? 😉

We always sprinkled our cauliflower au gratin with crushed cornflakes or weatabixs & grated cheese. Or you can use breadcrumbs & cheese or if you’re feeling a bit fancy gremolata (lemon zest, garlic & parsley). Mmmmm.

Had lunch with two girl friends yesterday - the three of us have had sleeve surgery over the last 2-4 years. We found a lovely yum char restaurant & shared these 3 delicious steamed scallop, spinach & roe dumplings, 6 duck pancakes (the pancake was too heavy for me so I only had 1) & 3 unpictured steamed prawn dumplings. The waiter actually asked if that would be enough food for us to share. Made us chuckle.

Generally most of us are advised to consume 60 - 80g a day but as the others have suggested, it is best to ask your dietician &/or surgeon for a goal appropriate for you & your needs. Excess protein is stored as fat, not helpful while you’re trying to lose weight, can cause kidney issues like kidney stones & can raise your cholesterol (which already often temporarily increases as you lose weight anyway). There is also information about that says your body can’t absorb more than around 25g of protein at a time. So you could infer if you consume more than 25g at a meal the excess would be stored as fat.

As @sleeve-me-alone, most surgeons prescribe a PPI post surgery. The surgery stirs up your acid production & your tummy seems to continue to produce enough acid to digest the volume of food you used to eat not what you eat now. Over the counter meds usually aren’t strong enough. Give your surgeon’s office a call & ask for a script.

As you can see, this is very common. Best to keep on top of the constipation to avoid the faeces compacting & thus avoiding the pain. If I had no movement after three days I’d take a stool softener & I took Benefibre every day. Keep your fluids up too. When able add some vegetables to your diet. The constipation does continue for a while. It was around my 18month mark when things started to be pretty regular again.

You could have just pulled some muscles. Don’t forget you have internal sutures & staples too that are still healing, and we’re advised to take things slowly for a while. You may have just moved too far too quickly. If there’s no improvement after a couple of days or it gets worse or you get additional symptoms, pop into your emergency centre.

Very happy they found out what was wrong & it didn’t require additional surgery or treatment… except for the IV for the dehydration. I found water not as enjoyable as I did before surgery for a while too. Our temporarily changed tastebuds are the cause I think. It was almost heavy to drink too. I was allowed green tea (which I drank anyway) & I would have a large mug every day - still do. I also let sparkling water go flat as I found the minerally taste more palatable than water. Together they made up about half of my fluid intake so I wasn’t totally dependent upon plain water. I also diluted my shakes, broths & soups to get more fluids in - at least 1/2 as much water again. It made them a little more palatable too. I also made up an electolyte drink every day. I used Hydralyte. It gives you a little boost of energy & some mineral salts. Mine had a nice citrus taste. I also diluted it too as I found it a little sweet (doubled the water). All the best.

All you can do is try them. I still find processed carbs like breads, rice & pasta too heavy & filling. Had a single duck pancake at yum char today & groan & I’m almost three years out. Others successfully eat low carb breads, etc. but many do only from maintenance. Check with your dietician to be sure too.

Sounds like dumping to me. The nausea, the fast heart beat, discomfort are the first stages. Add in vomiting &/or diarrhoea & you’ve had the full on complete dumping experience. Coarse, dry or fibrous foods tend to cause the foamies as they get ‘stuck’. Occurs quickly, almost immediately after or during eating. Lots of salvia, coughing to bring up what’s stuck & maybe regurgitate what you just ate - whatever was stuck. Foamies pass very quickly - regurgitate & a couple of minutes later you’re fine. Dumping occurs if certain foods like sugars are processed through your tummy too quickly & ‘dumped’ into the small intestines. Dumping occurs a little after eating - 30 minutes to a couple of hours later. It can take a a couple of hours to feel okay again after a dumping episode. Dairy products (as can certain fats or fried foods) can cause dumping too so it likely was the protein shake. As @catwoman7 said, it may be a temporary upset as our tummy can be sensitive & fussy at first & something we eat one day without issue suddenly is disgusting or makes us sick the next. Try some lactose free dairy & plant based protein shakes for a little while & see how you go.

For many, the purée stage occurs in weeks 3 & 4 then soft food begins in week 5. But every surgeon has their own plan & some vary them according to the needs of the individual patient, their recovery, health history, etc. You may be feeling weak from the low calories or not getting in enough nutrients & be lacking in something like iron as @fourmonthspreop suggested. For me it was because my blood pressure was very low & I was getting the odd hypoglycaemic episodes. Oh yeah cottage cheese is awful. Have you tried denser slow cooked soups made from meat & vegetables & blended very well then strained. You’ll get more nutrients in that way. I was able to have instant rolled oats made on milk - make them pretty milky & runny. (The instant are more processed & less dense. I went on real ‘steel cut’ oats from the soft food stage.) Try blending poached chicken thighs with gravy or stock. Also try blending tinned salmon or tuna with Mayo or other liquid sauce. I even had some baby food a couple of times.

The burning from GERD usually occurs in the throat as the acid from the stomach rises. An overproduction of acid can cause sharp cutting pains across the lower stomach. Or it could be an ulcer as you thought. If your PPI helps temporarily it could be an ulcer, too much acid &/or GERD. Don’t eat late at night, avoid spicy foods, carbonation, caffeine, dairy products, & see if that helps. Could be a hernia or kidney stones. Gall stones cause pain on the lower right so that’s ruled out. Try to get into your GP sooner if you can’t get an appointment with your surgeon. Or go to your nearest emergency centre especially if the pain can’t be managed or gets worse. All the best.

We all have our natural fluctuations. Fluid, hormones, constipation, etc. Mine is a kilogram (2.2lbs). Never really noticed it before because I rarely weighed myself. You may have been the same. Now because we weigh ourselves more regularly & record our weight, the fluctuations are more noticeable. As long as your weight loss trend across is going downwards, all is good. Doesn’t matter if there’s little hitches. Stalls happen. The first usually occurs around week 3 & can last 1-3 weeks. Frustrating & stressful when you see no weight loss, but a very common part of the weight loss journey. They do end & your weight will start to drop again.

Oh, yeah, constipation is very common. Took a good 18 months before I got back into a pretty regular routine which was 12 months into maintenance. Add a soluble fibre to your diet like Benefibre (avoid the ones that swell in your tummy). Keep your water up. Add a few more vegetables, a little fruit or some whole or multi grains to your diet as allowed. And establish your own routine of treatments to ease the constipation. Take Miralax every day as @catwoman7 suggested. I’d take a stool softener on day 3 if I had no movement. The longer you let it go the harder & more compact it becomes making it very painful to pass.

Yep, it’s easy to look at those tiny external incisions & forget about all the internal sutures & staples holding your digestive system together. Don’t forget all the muscles that were stretched & strained & organs that were pushed about during the surgery too. Yes time heals all things but if the pain persists or worsens, contact your surgeon or go to your closest medical centre.