Arabesque

You’re allowed coffee but not tea? That sounds strange as it’s the caffeine that aggregates stomach ulcers - increases stomach acid production. I believe decaffeinated does the same thing. I found this link which advises what foods & drinks to avoid with an ulcer. It includes many of the things I reduced or avoided in my diet after it was discovered many years ago I over produced acid & had a couple of (thankfully very small) ulcers. May be worth a chat with your & dietician for alternatives (temporarily going plant based may be a solution??). You don’t want to consume anything which may exacerbate your ulcer & prolong its healing. https://www.drugs.com/cg/diet-for-stomach-ulcers-and-gastritis.html All the best.

Aah the head hunger. A craving is often to satisfy an emotional need: for comfort, because you’re angry, confused, stressed, bored, etc. or from a habit (like always had a sweet treat at night). Unfortunately, the surgery doesn’t stop the cravings. If only it did. We just have to work out strategies to manage them. This is part of doing the head work so many of us talk about. Look for a distraction (read, go for a walk, do a craft, play a game, check your social media, etc.) or just wait 30 minutes. Often cravings have a short life span & by doing something else or simply waiting the craving passes. Have a drink of water or tea, etc. I sometimes would clean my teeth. The minty taste can be satisfying or I wouldn’t eat because I’d ‘just cleaned my teeth’. Salt cravings can be real especially if you live in a hot climate or are very active & are losing of salts through perspiration. If I had a true salt craving eating a little salt satisfied it. Just dipped my finger in sea salt, added more salt to my general diet or sometimes ate a small piece of cucumber rolled in salt. Good luck.

Is it a new pain? Are you able to manage it with over the counter pain meds? It could just be your body healing: stretched muscles realigning themselves, organs shifting back into place, etc. It could be your gall or liver playing up because of your weight loss so far. Have you been doing too much or lifting heavy things? If it persists or gets worse contact your surgeon or go to your nearest medical centre. All the best.

Like most things, we’re different. Some can eat more. Some are encouraged to eat more. Some can only eat small amounts. Some lose their hunger. Others don’t. It’s all ok. As @ms.sss said how much you can eat can depend on what you’re eating & this seems to remain true regardless of how far along you are. It can also depend upon the time of day, what else you’ve eaten that day, how fast you eat, etc. You’re likely in a stall at the moment. The first usually occurs around week 3 & can last 1 to 3 weeks. If it persists, get in touch with your dietician. A tweak to your plan may be needed. You may also discover differences between your hungry & full signals. There are differences between the signals for head vs real hunger & differences between being full & having enough (do you need that next bite or just want it - a big realisation for me). Just have to discover yours. As long as you’re following your surgeon & dietician’s plan, & it seems you are, it will all work out. Have a chat with your dietician anyway if only to reassure yourself you’re doing ok.

Yes, it’s just over 24lbs which is a decent amount of weight loss for most people. It’s not a race. There ‘s no gold medal or media covered celebration for how fast you lose. You will lose weight at your own rate. Some are slow losers. Some lose more quickly. There are too many factors beyond your control which influence the rate of your loss: age, gender, weight loss/gain history, existing health conditions, medications, etc.

The hair loss generally lasts about three months. This is the same for the people who didn’t take supplements like biotin & those who did. The hair you’ll lose is already dead & would have been shed anyway. The stress of the surgery & weight loss accelerate your natural hair loss cycle but your natural hair regrowth remains unchanged. So while you’re losing hair, you’re still growing new hair. It is only the new hair that may benefit from any supplements. During the first month you often feel weak, have low energy, experience some brain fog & shorter concentration spans. But we are all different in our recovery. A friend was back at work after a week no issue. Another took three weeks. Me, I still struggled after 4 weeks but my BP was very low (but that is my normal).

My cholesterol went up too & I was also told it was because of the weight loss. They still kept their eye in it. It was back within my usual range of about 5 (had been that for decades regardless of diet or weight) once my weight stabilised. Now it’s low 4s. The back pain & other body aches are also related to your weight loss. Your body is getting used to holding itself differently. Before it was compensating for the weight you were carrying. Now it’s relearning how to stand up straight again. A friend go also had surgery & I often joke about how we still slouch a bit. We don’t have a large tummy to prop us up anymore. 😆 I also had back pain until I bought myself some new bras that fit my smaller breasts - made a big difference.

Aah. The awful truth about exercising. The more you do the hungrier you feel as your body tries to replace the energy you burnt while exercising. Athletes eat carbs to boost their energy because it burns quickly but we’re advised to avoid carbs while losing. Have a chat with your dietician & see if there is a way to tweak your current eating plan to compensate without adding too many calories. I was allowed rolled oats from purée as a low processed, more nutritious, more filling, whole grain. Maybe that’s a option for you. At least the exercise helps keep your metabolism running efficiently. PS. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

A loss of 30 pounds is great. You’re not going to lose those large amounts of weight like they do on shows like My 600lb Life unless you’re 600+lbs. Even their rate of lose slows as their weight gets lower. There’s a few things to can rely on during this process. The more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose in the beginning. The closer to goal the slower your rate of loss. And most importantly, we lose at our own rate. Has your surgeon, dietician GP said you’re losing too slowly? If not you’re golden. Celebrate every pound you lose. It’s an amazing achievement

Whoo hoo! Think of all the chicken meals you can have now. Yum. Chicken thighs are way better than breast. More tender, more flavoursome, doesn’t dry out when cooked. Don’t understand the popularity of chicken breast at all.

You shouldn’t be experiencing pain this far out from surgery. Most find by day 4 the pain is minimal, more like discomfort & any lingering gas pain, but it is manageable by over the counter pain meds for another day or so. You really need to contact your surgeon or go back to the ER. A scan or similar may be needed to see what’s going on inside. The ER were correct. We’re not supposed to take NSAIDS anymore. So no anti inflammatories, aspirin, etc. Which is frustrating as I find paracetamol useless & I might as well chew a mint. I hear you about the back spasms. I had that too but fortunately only for one day. I’m ok with pain generally but it bought me to tears. Hope they can sort this out for you soon.

There are several factors that influence how much excess skin you will have: age, gender, weight loss history, how long you’ve been overweight, genetics, etc. I was almost 54 when I had my surgery. I had been at my high weight for about 4 yrs. Before that I bounced between 60 & 75 kgs. When I reached my goal of 60kg I had hardly any loose skin. A little on my inner upper thighs, a little on my upper arms & my tummy. Just little pinches really. I was pretty pleased with myself. Then I dropped the extra weight & there was noticeably more loose skin. I’ve chosen not to have surgery because I can cover the loose skin with my clothes including body conscious dresses & I don’t wear ‘suck it in & hold it tight’ underwear. I do pick clothes that don’t reveal or highlight the loose skin - no shoe string straps, no shorty shorts but they don’t appeal to me anyway. Do people notice or comment? Not that I’m aware of & believe my mum would say something. 😉 I’ve even been told I have lovely arms but then I don’t wave them about in the air. 😁 I look at my loose skin as something I’ve worked hard to earn by losing the weight. I’d rather have some loose skin than carry all that weight. But that’s me.

The surgeon may be basing their recommendation for sleeve over bypass because of the severity of your gerd & what damage it has caused. I had occasional reflux, which isn’t as severe as gerd, for decades before my surgery. I managed it with diet (no spicy food, no high fat, rich or creamy foods, only occasional carbonated drinks - champagne & tonic in a G&T - little or no caffeine). I only needed to take a ppi a bare handful of times a year. My surgeon recommended a sleeve too because I was managing my reflux well & it was consequently a pretty minor case. Do I still have reflux? Yes, but it manifests itself differently. Hiccups not as severe, no bad taste in my mouth, though I have burning in the back of my throat 3 or 4 times a week at night. I do take Nexium every morning now which my surgeon warned me I’d have to. But if you’d feel more comfortable with bypass, you have the right to request that surgery.

I wasn’t given a caloric goal either just portion size - 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup. Calories would have varied based upon what I used to purée the protein with say stock vs Mayo. But you are eating so little that it would be pretty impossible to eat to excess. But the questions, doubts, concerns, etc. can seem to run rampant in our head for the first couple of weeks. Give your dietician a call. They’ll either confirm you are on the right path or maybe tweak what you’re doing a little with suggestions for alternatives. You’ll feel more comfortable about what you’re doing whatever they say. Also, purées still tend to go through your digestive system more quickly so you won’t really start to feel full until you’re on solid foods. Then try not to eat until you feel full but until you’ve had enough. By the time the message gets through that you’re full you’ve usually eaten more. It’s why we’re encouraged to eat slowly. I still ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. It’s become a great habit. All the best.

My dad used to swear by a shot of port followed by one of brandy. Also used to soak prunes in 100 proof rum. Said he always felt better. 😂😂😂

Your tummy is still healing & the sensitivity, intolerance to certain foods on certain days will continue for a while. Treat it gently. Eating a little less one day won’t harm. I still have days I can’t eat everything on my plate at a meal or something I eat regularly doesn’t seem to sit as well & I’m almost three years out. This morning I ate left over rolled oats from my breakfast yesterday (added some fresh to get to about my usual portion). It all balances out across the week. If I’m a bit low on my protein today, I’ll have a little more tomorrow. Same with fluids. Listen to your body. It’s a good habit to start now about your eating. You’ll discover your real hunger signals, your I’ve had enough signals, what you need versus what you want, etc. All the best.

Have to admit I’ve never had a stomach flu but I’ve had food poisoning, vertigo virus, & lactose sensitivity over the years & have Meniere’s now so I know nausea, vomiting & diarrhoea. Last thing I ever wanted to do was eat but ginger tea, electrolyte drinks, anti nausea meds & Imodium were my go to. Like @catwoman7 said vomiting is different post surgery. I describe it more like regurgitation because there’s no real muscle spasming & heaving & it almost just bubbles up. It also hits more quickly & passes almost immediately.

Jake! This is so wonderful. Congratulations to you both. 💕💕💕 Very happy for you.

How do the nutrients fit in with your dietary plan? Not just calories but sugar, fat, carb content too. What are the serving portions like? Many smoothies are high in sugar & carbs from the fruit content alone with many containing more fruit than you’d eat in a single serve but without the fibre & nutrients left in the pulp they toss out. There’s nothing wrong with splitting a meal over a lunch & dinner. I’ve done it. Did it two weeks ago with a middle eastern halloumi salad bowl I had at lunch. Took the left overs home & had them for dinner. Just added chicken as I’d eaten most of the protein component at lunch. Do your homework & then make an informed decision. Whether you indulge or not ultimately is your decision.

So important to be well informed about the surgery, life post surgery, nutrition etc. Best thing I ever did was research. I’m sure others will list other resources they found helpful & informative. My surgeon actually gives all his patients a book before surgery: Your Complete Guide to Nutrition for Weightless Surgery by Sally Johnston. It became my big hard covered bible for a while. I also found the videos on you tube by Dr Matthew Weiner great too. He has several books as well.

Yes, plans are different but there are similarities too. The plan for a staged return to eating solid food is given to you for a reason: to protect your poor healing tummy (remember all those internal sutures & staples holding your tummy together) & support your recovery. You don’t want to stress & strain your tummy & digestive system. It’s always best to follow your surgeon’s plan. They gave it to you for a reason: the surgery, any additional work that was done (hernia repair, etc.), your personal health history, their experiences, etc. I didn’t enjoy shakes either (grainy & gross) but I literally just sucked it up for the two weeks. I added more water to dilute them & warmed the chocolate flavoured one (tried to convince myself it was hot chocolate). I also found the bone broths unpleasant but cream soups were fine. Try the broths in pho or wonton soup - just strain them well to ensure you’re only getting the liquids. Or you can buy unflavoured protein powder & make your own like @MiniGastricBypassDude suggested. You can also add it to any soups you are able to tolerate. All the best.

Welcome back @rking. Go back to the basics. 60g protein, 64oz fluids. Watch portion size. Reduce your carbs, sugar & fat intake. Measure, weigh, track. You can start of slowly & make one change (swap a food to a more nutritious or lower calorie choice , drop a food choice, increase a food type like protein or vegetables, etc.) each week & see how you go. You can always get back in contact with your dietician & get them to review your current diet & make suggestions too. All the best.

It’s likely swelling from the surgery. They put tubes down your throat & the of course where they operated. I had it too. It does pass in a couple of days. Warm or hot drinks were more soothing for me too. Take small sip & then wait a few minutes before your next sip

Yes, the surgery does remove a lot of the area that produces the hunger hormone ghrelin. While the stomach is the primary producer it’s not the only place a hunger hormone is produced (small intestine, pancreas & brain too). For many, the surgery dues reduce appetite & hunger but it is temporary. It’s almost like the other areas compensate & start to produce more of the hormone to compensate because feeling hunger is important because our bodies do need food to function. The temporary loss of hunger does help our weight loss but equally as important is that it helps us to discern the difference between head hunger (cravings &/or emotionally driven hunger) and real hunger. Real hunger feels different. You’ll learn your cues for real hunger & how it feels for you. I feel restless & like something is wrong and when I realise I’m hungry I don’t crave a specific food or food type like sweet, carby or salty. Food is still a consideration every day & I do tend to eat to routine to ensure I get my protein in & the other nutrients in I need & that is the difference. I eat not as a comfort, to stop boredom, to satisfy a craving, etc. I eat to consume what my body needs to function. I still enjoy food & want to eat yummy tasty things but the yummy tasty foods are healthier & more nutritionally dense.

My pre op diet was real food too, no shakes, but keto. I had no pain or discomfort at all. I also had always been a big protein & vegetable eater so not a huge change to my diet except for the extra fat. Eating a more high fibre (from cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens, etc.) can give you wind & maybe colic. Would be worth a call to your medical team to rule out anything not related to the change of diet.