Arabesque

Always contact your medical team if you’re experiencing pain or unusual symptoms. You’ve had a pretty major surgery. It could be something as simple as healing symptoms (I was getting uncomfortable spasms & twinges as I was healing from my gall surgery). It could be that your drinking a little too quickly. But definitely give your team a call to be sure.

Sausages & meat patties. Easy bbq meats that are soft & you don’t need to eat them with bread rolls. I still have trouble with char grilled meats & vegetables even at 25 months out because of the dryness of the char so tread carefully. Grilled prawns should be ok or fish in foil cooked over flames. Just keep to soft, moist foods & you’ll be fine. Enjoy your time with your family.

Even though we talk about the three week stall it can happen before or after that time. It could be what you’re experiencing. It’s just your body playing catch up with all the changes. You will start to lose again. Does the nausea happen more at certain times or with certain foods? Multivitamin made me sick & I’d often be nauseous, get the foamies or vomit a little most mornings. Your tummy can be pretty sensitive & fussy to begin. I avoided any foods that didn’t sit well with me. But I found that if I waited a couple of weeks, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Definitely speak with your team about a caloric range especially if it will make you feel more secure with what you’re doing. The whole process can be pretty stressful as it is. I was only given portion size, number of meals per day (1/4 cup three times a day to begin from the purée stage) & of course protein & fluid goals. Once you begin eating more solid foods & heal that little more your feel full sense will kick in as will your restriction if you eat too much. Plans are different as @Creekimp13 said and yours may have to be modified to suit your needs as you progress. I wouldn’t have succeeded on @Creekimp13’s plan - lol. I was eating less than 300 calories to begin & increased to about 700 for most of the weight loss period. I only eat about 1200 calories a day now in maintenance but I’m short & not out there running marathons or lifting weights at a gym 😁. Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

That’s getting a bit too close to nature @Sophie7713. Though I’d be in for the alligator skin accessories. Do the authorities remove the alligators from residential areas or are they allowed to roam freely? No bikini shots from me, ladies. Can’t compete with @WishMeSmaller’s legs or @ms.sss’s glamour shots. 😁 Congrats on your skydiving adventure @BayougirlMrsS. So brave. Another goal achieved!

There could be many reasons why your experiencing this & I hope they discover your cause soon & there’s a simple remedy. Out of curiosity did the nausea start when you moved to the purée stage? You may not be ready for denser food yet & may need to stay on liquids for a little longer. Did it start when you commenced your multi vitamins? They used to make me nauseous & I often threw up. Have you contacted your surgeon? I’d give them a call. As @catwoman7 said increased liver enzymes while losing weight is not unusual. My liver function was off & cholesterol levels rose & my doctors were concerned too. It all went back to my usual levels when I stopped losing. A lot of hormones, enzymes, etc are stored in your fat & as you lose weight they’re released into your blood stream causing the elevated levels. But it’s always better to have these things checked to ensure everything is really ok. Good luck.

You likely still have some swelling from the surgery which is contributing to the discomfort you’re feeling. You’re doing the right thing & you’ll find you’ll be able to drink more easily. Don’t forget your soups (& shakes) contribute to your daily fluid intake. I found warm water or tea (herbal or green) more soothing & easier to sip. Try an electrolyte drink to give you a boost of energy. I drank about 500mls of hydralyte most days. Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

Remember how we used to look longingly at knee high boots knowing if we tried them on it would be a struggle to do the zip up over our calves? Well, now I look longingly at knee high boots knowing if I try them on they will be so big around my calves I can put my hands down the sides. Until today! I found a pair of stretch faux suede knee high boots that actually fit. Whoo hoo! Doing happy dance.

I’m 25 months post my sleeve. I was almost 54 when I had my surgery and I’m so glad I did. I had a friend who’d had sleeve surgery & I did a lot of reading before seeing my surgeon so generally I felt pretty prepared. But because we’re different, there will be differences in our experience too. You just never know how your body will respond after surgery to the change. For example my occasional blood pressure drops have become something that occurs every day - annoying but manageable. The parasite that hid out in my tummy (multiple antibiotics over years couldn’t kill it) was cut out with the bulk of my tummy & now I’m not sensitive to lactose anymore - unexpected win! As @Creekimp13 said the surgery will give you a tool to aid weight loss by reducing your tummy but it doesn’t do anything for what drives us to eat. That’s the work you have to do. Many do the head work with the help of a therapist, short or long term, others do it alone. It’s an essential component to the success of your surgery because the things that drove you to eat will always be there. You just have to learn & develop strategies to manage those drives. The surgery doesn’t educate us on how to eat better & in a healthier way either. Keep in touch with your dietician while you lose & maintain. I also did a lot of reading, ignored all the fad diet stuff & worked out how I wanted to eat long term to maintain my weight loss & still enjoy my life without feeling I’m missing out. What drove us to eat & bad eating habits & food choices are the reason why we always regained after we lost in the past. I don’t know what the further will bring. None of us do. Life can throw a heap of sh*t at us sometimes. But I do know I’m going to try to keep working at this every day.

I added collagen powder (& silica) to my diet every second day from about month 4/5 but only for its supposed benefits to my skin. I never counted it towards my protein goals. I guess if it did contribute, it was a bonus above my protein goal like @lizonaplane suggested. Best thing to do is to speak to your dietician & medical team to be sure. By the way, don’t think it actually helped my skin (nails or hair either). I was eating more & a greater variety of food & therefore increasing the nutrients I was consuming which I think probably did more. I stopped taking it after about 10 months or so.

It takes a lot to stretch your tummy - eating large portions, many times a day, over a considerable period of time. If you’re sticking to your diet & your recommended portion size you can’t stretch your tummy. But I understand your concerns & your desire to be hyper vigilant. This is all very different to what you’ve ever experienced before & consequently you question many of your decisions & don’t want to mess up. We’ve all been there. I remember taking it very slowly when I introduced new foods & cooked them very simply. My tummy had always been a bit fussy so I expected it to be more so after surgery. You’re fortunate you haven’t had any issues with nausea or being unwell. I had nausea from my multi vitamins & consequently had the foamies & vomited a few times but I found I could generally eat most foods. If something didn’t sit well one day, it usually was ok in a week or so. In the beginning it was often that the food tasted disgusting because my taste buds had changed not because the food itself upset me. It can be a lot of trial & error to begin so take the time you need. I followed my plan pretty closely. I also asked my dietician about alternatives for foods I didn’t like or wanted to try. Honestly, I wasn’t hungry or all that interested in food but I kept to a routine of eating to ensure I got calories & nutrients in. If you continue to stick to your plan, recommended portion sizes & meals per day, calorie goals (not every one has them) & meet your protein & fluid goals, you’ll be fine. When you get to more solid foods, your restriction will likely kick in if you eat too much or too quickly. It certainly helps keep you on track. Good luck.

Puréed foods should be puréed & sloppy so they are easy to swallow & digest (less strain on your healing tummy). Think baby food (I actually bought a couple of soft packs of baby food). I used stock & diluted gravy to purée minced meats. I ate lots of soup & milky scrambled eggs too. Puréed salmon & tuna, cottage & ricotta cheese was disgusting. It was only two weeks so it didn’t matter I had a few option I could eat. Pulled meats should be ok in the soft stage but make sure they’re still pretty moist. (Some people struggle with chicken breast cause it’s natural dry - try thigh meat instead.)

The initial restricted diet is to aid your healing. Your external incisions may look fine but internally you’re still healing - there’s a decent size wound inside you. Plus how you digest food has changed somewhat. Yes, there are different plans out there but they have a lot of basic similarities: puréed foods are puréed & sloppy, soft foods are soft & moist, allowed foods are nutritionally dense & high in protein. Processed flour carbs are not allowed because they spike your blood sugars & insulin, often swell in your tummy & are considered empty calories. (In time, you’ll be encouraged to add multi or whole grains into your diet.) Because you’re eating so little, you need to ensure everything you eat is nutrient dense. Generally it’s safer to follow your surgeon’s plan. However, you may not be able to tolerate some of the foods on your plan. Ask your dietician, or even this forum, for alternatives. Good luck.

1000 calories from protein & vegetables is the same as 1000 calories from pizza, burgers, fries, cake,… it’s just the protein & vegetables have better nutrients that contribute to a healthier you. Maybe on the day you had pizza or donuts, you consciously or sub consciously ate fewer calories. Who knows but I wouldn’t rely on that being a dependable or healthy way to lose weight or break a stall. At 4 months out, you’re not very far along in understanding & managing your drive to eat. What is an occasional break could easily become a regular thing & you’ll be back to where you started: cravings, weight gain, etc. In time, when you have better strategies in place to manage your cravings (because they never go), you may be able to have the odd pizza or donut. Stalls happen. They end too. Your body just needs to take a breath every now & again. You’re putting it through a lot of changes. When I stalled, I just kept to my program & I’d start to lose again. No cheating, no change to my activity or caloric intake & in a 1, 2 or 3 weeks, I’d be losing again. Good luck.

Some people lose quickly. Some lose slowly. Neither rates of lose are wrong. It’s just how we individually react. As @catwoman7 said there are lots of factors that influence your rate of loss. What you can depend upon is the higher weight loss you experience the first few months doesn’t last & the closer you’re to your goal the more slowly you’ll lose. Never heard that you stop losing at 6 months. I certainly didn’t. I hit my goal at 6 months but continued to lose for another year. Much more slowly in that year cause I was increasing my caloric intake to try to stop losing. If your weight loss has slowed or stopped you may have hit your point of balance i.e. you’re consuming the number calories your body needs to function. If you’re gaining, it’s because the calories you’re consuming exceeds what your body needs. The only way to keep losing is to decrease your caloric intake &/or increase your activity level. Everyone experiences small fluctuations in their weight. I’m pretty careful about my diet & my weight fluctuates about +/- 500g (about a pound up & down). It can be because I’m retaining fluid, constipation, an extra snack, a dropped snack, missed meal, adding a new food, etc. Don’t give up yet.

Sorry I can’t offer any help in regards to a revision to bypass & rheumatoid arthritis. I did find the article below about managing methotrexate side effects. (I was interested because I have a non bariatric friend who takes it for RA too.) May be worth another conversation with the bariatric surgeon in regards to the suggestion that taking folic acid can reduce side effects. Repairing your hernia may alleviate some of your reflux issues too. It’s unfortunate that while it’s helpful managing arthritic pain, methotrexate can also cause weight gain. ☹️ https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/treatment-plan/disease-management/methotrexate-managing-side-effects

Some meds are absorbed in different areas of your digestive system & as @lizonaplane suggested, a conversation with your prescribing doctor is needed to discuss where your meds are being absorbed & then may be seeking alternatives. Energy dips aren’t uncommon while losing. I found electrolyte drinks helpful. I drank hydralyte - found it a bit sweet though so I’d add twice the water to dilute it.

My reflux used to be aggravated by stress so your anxiety could be contributing. It’s understandable that you’re worried but do try to remember the positives of why you’re doing this. As @Creekimp13 suggested, do try to find something to distract you from any negative thoughts you are having about your surgery. It will be so worth it.

Avocado. The taste & texture of it seems gross now. I don’t really enjoy alcohol like I did. I have a glass about once a month but often don’t finish the glass.

Yes, sodium can cause water retention. Are you peeing a lot? You shouldn’t still be retaining fluid from the surgery at this point but you may not have got rid of it all yet. Constipation can make you feel bloated or heavy. Are you sipping slowly? Between getting in my fluids, shakes & soup I never seemed to stop sipping. Some people need longer to recover after surgery. I did but I always seem to take longer to heal/recover. I went back to work after 4 weeks & found it difficult: low energy & low blood pressure. I was so glad I was only part time but I had to leave early a couple of times because I couldn’t focus. If you’re finding it too much, have a chat with your manager about reducing your hours, a paced return to work or even working from home until you feel stronger. Try some electrolyte drinks to boost your energy too. Good luck with your recovery.

Protein shakes are disgusting. I preferred soups - cream, consommés, bone broths. Strain them very well to make sure there’s no herbs or small pieces of meat or vegetable in them. Warm drinks seemed to be more soothing & easier to drink. (I used to heat my chocolate shake.). It’s not uncommon for your taste buds to temporarily change or for you to become more sensitive to smells - it does pass but can make some foods taste or smell disgusting. I only bought vanilla & chocolate shakes as I thought they’d be more pleasant to drink if my taste changed. I also bought my soups, bone broths, etc. too. Buy some disposal underwear for that first week post surgery. Some us experience ‘dramatic’ diarrhoea after surgery which can be embarrassing (can literally just run out of you). Make sure you have all your over the counter meds ready at home too (pain relief, gasX, non swelling fibre supplement, Imodium, stool softener or similar, electrolyte drinks or powders, etc.). Don't be surprised if you spend a lot of time on your couch after surgery. Your energy levels will be very low. Invest in small containers for meal storage, good measuring cups, a fine strainer, kitchen scales. I used teaspoons & sporks to eat & served my food on side plates & in small bowls (tapas size). I also found it easier to sip through straws to begin. Don’t be surprised if your fridge & freezer are filled with your left overs. Good luck with your surgery.

I hardly ever eat cakes, desserts, etc. anymore (only a couple of times a year like at Christmas). I get my sweet from fruit, vanilla extract & the dash of honey I add to my rolled oats. If a friend made a bowl of fruit salad & say added a sparkler for my birthday I’d be happy & very touched that they considered my preferences. Remember too she’s only going to be able to eat a couple of bites. Your friend’s diet does seem very restrictive for carbs. I was allowed rolled oats from week three. Small amounts of other whole & multi grains are usually ok too as you progress. They’re very helpful with energy levels & easing the constipation. Definitely no processed carbs like bread, rice, pasta (which I still don’t eat). But there are many different plans out there & I admire your friend for sticking to hers.

It is challenging to meet your protein & fluid goals to begin. My surgeon said it was ok along as I was working towards meeting them. All your skates, broths your eating at the moment are liquids & count towards your fluid goals. Some people experience a lot of surgical pain &/or gas pain but some don’t. Some experience it for less than a week, others longer. I had no gas pain with my sleeve (had 4 days worth with my gall removal though) and my surgical pain was ok & I didn’t need any pain relief by day 4. Walk to ease gas pain & try some gas X. If your pain is severe & your prescribed pain meds aren’t helping, contact your medical team. It seems like people either are constipated or have diarrhoea post surgery. Try some stool softeners or other gentle stimulants (some swear by smooth move tea) in a day or so if you are still constipated. Constipation will be a regular experience while you’re losing. Honestly I have never talked about bowel movements as much as I have since surgery - LOL!! You’ve just had major surgery & altered how your body digests food. It’s completely different than what you’ve ever experienced before. You’re allowed to be be scared, confused, emotional, … We all heal & recover from surgery in our own time. Allow yourself the time you need. It definitely does get better.

Chia pudding is a good go to. As is fruit salad & yoghurt, cool whip or low fat mascarpone.

I used bio oil. Worked well for me. Some people love the silicon scar tapes too.