Arabesque

You will have noticed people have a lot of different experiences. Some stay in hospital a day some two or 3 days. Some need opioid pain meds for 3 or 4 days but others don’t after 2 days. Some only experience more general discomfort. Some have a lot of gas pain but others very little. Some are constipated for days. Others have diarrhoea. Some move about pretty easily while others struggle getting up & down with their pulled muscles & internal sutures. Some have an energy drop & are fatigued for a couple of weeks. Others are fine & are back at work after a week. A lot of it depends on you & how you recover & respond to the surgery, anaesthetic, etc., whether your surgery was straight forward or if they have to do other things like a hernia repair. Also surgeons do things differently. Have a chat with your surgeon & ask them about what their patients generally experience & what you can expect. If you follow your plan, eat the foods you’re allowed & meet your goals (protein, fluids, carbs, etc.) you’ll be fine. You won’t throw yourself out of ketosis eating lettuce but I get the uncertainty & wanting to ensure you don’t make a mistake. Don’t be afraid to ask your dietician for a more defined diet if you will feel more comfortable about your food choices, portion sizes etc. And if you struggle to eat or can’t tolerate certain foods to begin ask them for alternatives. All the best.

Walk. Even laps around or inside your home. Gotta get that gas moving. Gas X can help too. I had no gas after my sleeve surgery but after my gall removal, oh, boy! Took a good 5 days for the discomfort, distended tummy & shoulder pain to reduce. You’re on purées already? Most are on liquids for two weeks after surgery & don’t get to purées until week 3. But every plan is different. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@catwoman7 is on the mark. Where you end up is up to you but your body & life can throw curve balls at you. Often surgeons advise what seems a conservative achievable weight which is based on stats of where people are at 5 years out (a lose of about 65% of the weight you had to lose). Started at 91kg. Lowest 48.2kg Currently 50.2kg & nearing 3 years out. And post as often as you want & need. 🙂. We’re all happy to share our experience.

Check the recommended portion size of granola - usually 1/2 cup or 3 tablespoons. That’s what would be surprising to many who used to fill their bowls or add a couple of spoons to their yoghurt. It’s where we often got caught with food - eating 2 & 3 times the single portion.

Oh God, hollandaise sauce. There was a place not far from me that made the best hollandaise you could happily eat jugs of it. Now pour it over some of @Kris77’s asparagus & I’ll be yours life. Yes I’m that easy. Will have the lamb waiting @GreenTealael if you have some of that orange chicken with you. Yum. 😉

Treat BMR & BMI as guides only. We, the human race, have too many differences for there to be a single one size fits all approach (bad pun I know). Age, height, gender, weight loss history, genetics, frame, muscle mass, health issues, etc. could mean that one of those numbers may be right or wrong for us. But it’s good to have a starting point. Just be flexible & realise that you may be more or less than those numbers & be perfectly fit & healthy. Whether you weigh yourself or not is up to @Pollito. You know you best. But don’t be surprised if your surgeon or dietician does want to weigh you. You don’t have to look & could ask they not tell you what the scale says. My surgeon & GP weighs me every time but my dietician never weighed me. She said it was obvious enough to her I was losing weight. Doctors like facts & figures so they can monitor change. Hence why we have blood tests & our BP, heart rate, etc. are recorded.

Give your medical team a call. New, different or unexpected pain should be looked into. It could be something simple, like healing muscle spasms, but always better to be sure. All the best.

First congrats on your surgery. You seem to be doing well so far. I was never given a calorie goal just fluid & protein but I checked out of my own curiosity. Those first couple of weeks I was eating a bare 200 calories which increased to about 300 on soft foods. But that was me. Many eat more. You’ll find there are a lot of different requirements around calories & we have different experiences about them too. If you feel you need more accountability or guidance ask your dietician &/or surgeon. You may not be able to meet any of their goals in those first weeks but as long as you’re making an effort & are close, especially to the protein & fluid goals, you’ll be ok. But as you’re only ‘eating’ 3 meals a day you should be close to your protein goal & doing fine. Just one thing to watch though, during the surgery a lot of nerves are cut which means messages aren’t getting through to your brain: hunger, full, etc. And fluids go through you quite quickly. It’s important to tread carefully & sip slowly. All because it seems like you can doesn’t mean you really can or should. All the best.

Thank you everyone. I’ve known the possibility of regain was there. It was one of the reasons I was ok with exceeding my weight loss goal - room to move. The challenging aspects for me is in understanding why. I can accept the return of hunger but the fact I haven’t changed my diet or calorie intake (except for those two Christmas weeks) & if anything I’m a little more active (not building muscle so I can’t blame that 😉) messes with my head. And I know it’s only a very small amount so far but … more reflection & introspection needed I think. Anyway, I love a lamb cutlet as you know so last night I baked some with a pistachio dukkha crust. Those brown crunchy bits were super yummy. Ate two last night, two tonight & will freeze the last two. I love this baking tray. It was originally my mum’s biscuit tray. She gave it to me 35 odd years ago. I use it for everything including roasts, baked vegetables, as a drip tray, etc. If it goes into the oven I use the tray - hence the darker, burnt baked in flavour you can see in the corners 😁. Do you have a favourite cooking pot or pan? PS - looking gorgeous as usual @Sophie7713.

It’s the beginning of examining what we eat & looking for healthier, more nutrient dense food. But yes, it can be an emotional roller coaster as you realise certain foods you enjoyed (offered comfort?) may be off the menu for a while, and your stress levels are already up as you near your surgery date. But there are a lot of things you can eat at 1300 calories. It’s about what I eat to maintain (3 meals & 3 snacks). Look for foods with similar flavours, textures & ingredients. Love your granola, try rolled oats (not instant) with some seeds, nuts & blueberries. (Granola is often high in sugar & fat too so another reason it would be off your plan.) I’ve snacked on things like cheese, high protein yoghurt (look for low added sugar or naturally sweetened with fruit), multi grain crackers, hummus, vegetable crudités, fruit, etc. It’s often easier if you make your own favourite treats as you choose the ingredients & how it’s prepped/cooked. Like you can make a low fat healthier guacamole with avocado, herbs & spices to taste, diced tomato, celery, a little grated red onion & lemon/lime juice. Lots of recipes about for healthier options. Look for alternatives like cauliflower rice & zucchini noodles instead of highly processed rice & pasta. One of the challenging things is reducing your sugar, salt & caffeine intake. Their addictive nature makes withdrawal hard. It will be all worth it. All the best.

Quite common for people to develop a sensitivity/intolerance to lactose after surgery. For many it’s temporary. Thankfully there’s a lot of non lactose products about these days you can swap in for your protein shakes & then yoghurt, milk, cheese, as you introduce them into your eating plan. I stopped the shakes after 2 weeks & focussed on getting my protein & nutrients via real foods: yoghurt, milk, broths, scrambled eggs, etc. to begin. Sure I didn’t hit my protein goals at first but I got there.

Could be too much stomach acid especially if eating eases it - the food absorbs the acid. Do you take esomeprazole? Check with your medical team just to be sure.

That’s a new one. Do your blood tests show you’re low in B12? I know B12 injections are quite commonly prescribed to older people because our ability to absorb it decreases as we age. My mother has to have a blood test first & her doctor only gives her a shot if her levels are low. Vegans often need B12 because the main source of B12 is via animal proteins. Supposedly it can protect against macular degeneration.

I agree that sounds weird but are you doing a full on vomit with the heaving & contracting stomach muscles or just a regurgitation (like bubbling up)? If it’s a full on vomit may be your surgeon’s advice has some merit - smaller tummy, harder on your tummy muscles??? I was so glad to say goodbye to multivitamins once I was in maintenance - blood work showed I didn’t need to take them anymore. They made me nauseous every single day so I did the one in the morning & one at night which helped a bit. What about trying a different brand or vitamin patches if splitting the dose hasn’t helped? If you take a multivitamin & other vitamins you may be doubling up on certain ones & taking more than you actually need. Iron, vitamin C, vitamin E, D & K are all known to cause nausea.

For months after my surgery I hardly ever farted. Maybe a little ‘breath’ of one at night. I think the changes to my diet was the reason especially the low carbs & low sugar. I started passing wind a little more often when I was eating more carbs (whole & multi grain). Still don’t fart much, usually just a couple at night but I do pass more wind if I’m constipated. Out of curiosity why are you concerned? If it’s because you’re trying to expel surgery gas your burping works too. As does walking & gasX. Remember wind builds as part of the digestive process. If you’re not eating much you’re not digesting much so reduced wind. Oh, and I’d be careful trying to make yourself fart after surgery. Diarrhoea is common post surgery & liquid farts are real & not pleasant! All the best.

Are you still in contact with your dietician? They’re always the best place to start. Go back to tracking & measuring your food if you don’t do this anymore. It’s easy to get complacent & less vigilant & eyeballing isn’t always accurate. I do random checks now to make sure I’m not over estimating portion sizes 😉. Ensure you’re still hitting your protein & fluid goals too. I do that every day. How many calories you should be aiming for will depend on many things like age, gender, level of activity, etc. i eat about 1300 calories. As for portion size I always consider the recommended portion size as a starting point. Sometimes I eat less, some times I can eat the recommended serving size. It depends on what I’m eating, how hungry I am & sometimes what my tummy is up for. For e.g. I can always eat more vegetables & today I could only eat about 3/4 of my usual serve of porridge. As for your food choices, again that is very individual. You need to work out a way of eating that best suits your lifestyle & is sustainable. For me that means prepping most of what I eat myself. I keep my meals fairly ‘clean’. Lowish fat, lowish carbs, no bread, pasta or rice & low sugar (usually 10g added sugar or less). No highly processed foods. No fast food & very rarely takeaway (maybe 5 times in almost three years - braised chicken, cashews & vegetables or steamed gyoza). I aim for 2 serves of meat, 3 or 4 serves of vegetables, 1 or 2 serves of fruit, 2 or 3 serves of dairy, 2 serves of multi or whole grain carbs. It’s been working for me but your needs & prefernces may be totally different.

This concerns me too. I hope you find some answers & (more sensible to me anyway) advice. Even though your dietician appointment isn’t until April, reach out & see if you can get an earlier appointment or if they’re willing to speak to you on the phone or via email. I got off protein shakes & onto real food from week 3 & the purée stage - my choice. Sure I wasn’t eating much & didn’t meet my protein goals to begin but I was eating three times a day. All the best.

OMG yes!!! What’s up with that??? I’m the same at the moment. I’ve been swearing & wondering if this is this why people experience the third year bounce back gain??? Scary times. I’m at home almost all the time too which is why I try to really try to stick to my eating times & don’t keep crap in my house but it’s just me so no partner or children to keep happy. It’s getting harder & I’ve noticed my ‘don’t feel hungry’ times are getting fewer fewer. Also noticed changing tastes too - eat yoghurt & then crave salt almost immediately after. What’s with that?? I don’t eat when I’m out & about either but mainly because either nothing appeals or fits my food choices. And if I’m meeting friends for a meal, I study the menu before I go so I know exactly what I can eat & what variations I could ask for. I keep bottles of water in my car all the time too @GreenTealael. Oh & I love teriyaki flavoured anything. My German ancestry would happily enjoy every mouthful of your NY’s dinner @Sophie7713. Pork, sauerkraut, yum.

Try an electrolyte drink too. It will give you a boost of energy. I carried some with me for months & I often take some with me if I’m going to be active. Low BP can be can be difficult to deal with - the vision fade outs, doughy or thick head, energy drops, … I have it all day every day. My BP sits around 70+/- over 50+/- but it’s not uncommon for it to be lower. Personally I’d avoid the coffee & try tea instead - less caffeine. You don’t need the shakes from too much caffeine on top of everything else. Keep your fluids up. Hope you feel better soon.

Yep, real hunger does feel different. Feeling restless is my real hunger signal too. You’re fortunate to have worked this out so quickly. I also don’t crave or want a specific food with real hunger except I usually look for protein. I was a lucky one & did not feel real hunger for ages. The first time was at about 8 months & I didn’t know what was wrong with me until I realised how little I’d eaten that day. Then it was well into my 2nd year till I started to feel real hunger more often.

Welcome & congrats on your surgeries. First, as long as you keep your purées thin (use stock, gravy, milk, Mayo, etc. to thin out what you’re blending) you should be ok. The purée should still not be lumpy or contain anything coarse. Think baby food. You can blend a lot of things including tinned fish, poached chicken breast or thigh, boiled eggs, etc. I love soup. You can throw anything in a pot to make a good basic soup. I usually start with the holy trinity (diced onion, celery & carrot) & then add whatever meat &/or, vegetables, legumes, etc. I have. Whilst on purées you’ll have to let the soup simmer for ages to ensure everything is really well cooked & breaking down then blend the life out of it. On the soft food stage you don’t have to worry too much about about blending the soup if it’s been well cooked. Plus it always freezes. Second, don’t be surprised if food you expected you’d enjoy you don’t or your tummy doesn’t like it. Your taste buds & sometimes sense of smell can go haywire for a little while & your tummy can be very fussy. It’s always fine to go back a stage if you find your tummy is not ready for the denser food. We all heal at our own pace. I ate a lot of runny scrambled eggs though it would take 3 days to eat two scrambled eggs. Some people struggle with eggs so be warned just in case. Yoghurt & yoghurt drinks are always a good option during the purée stage. My surgeon recommended 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup though I could always sip on more soup over a longer period of time. But check with your medical team - I’m presuming you can still contact them for advice. You still won’t feel full or your restriction until you get onto solid food. All the best.

You won’t start to feel full until you’re eating solid food. First because liquids & purées go through your tummy more quickly. Secondly, a lot of nerve endings were cut during your surgery & they take time to heal & start sending messages to your brain again. One of the reasons it’s important to keep to your advised portion sizes. It takes time for the message you’re full to get through so by the time you think Oh I’m full, you’ve often had too much. Remember in the past thinking I’m full & then it almost seems like that full feeling gets worse & you think you’re stuffed or going to burst. One of the most important things I learnt was not to eat until I was full but until I had had enough. Do I need that next bite or do I just want it. Big difference & big change. All the best.

It’s not uncommon for people’s blood pressure to be higher at certain times of the day & lower at others & not just from what they may be doing. Doctors told my father (& now my mother too) to take their BP at about the same time three times a day. This was to establish their natural cycle & pick up any obvious variations. I’ve started taking mine mid morning & mid afternoon but to track my low BP (usually in the 70s over 50s) & heart rate which is also often low too (often in the 60s). Going to start noting what I’ve been doing, eating, drinking when I take my BP as well because of how that can influence your BP too.

Were you advised to take additional iron? It’s not uncommon for people to take a range of vitamins supplements when they don’t need them or only need a little extra, or take multiple supplements & end up double dosing say (take iron & a multi vitamin with iron) then end up with too much in their systems. Did you have a blood test before surgery & what was your level then? That is it a new thing or pre existing. Too much ferritin can be a sign of other conditions which should be explored. It can be a genetic thing too (my brother has it - hemochromatosis) & regularly giving blood can keep it under control. Most importantly ask your medical team for more information about what it means for you, what could be causing it & what you can do about it.

Go to your closest medical centre or get an appointment with your GP. You shouldn’t be feeling this unwell. Doesn’t sound like the traditional COVID symptoms but they do change with each new variant so 🤷🏻‍♀️. Could be some other virus like vertigo virus, low blood pressure, hypoglycaemic episodes, …. or something that’s happened in your digestive system. All the best.