Arabesque

They’re pretty strong. If they failed easily after surgery from simply straining while pooping or coughing they wouldn’t use them for any surgery. If they fail you’d have to have done something much more strenuous to your abdominal/upper digestive area or put a lot of strain on your tummy. If you follow the staged return to eating, not lift anything heavy before you’re allowed & don’t do any strenuous or jerking activities, you should be fine. Staple failures are very rare.

This all looks delicious. @GreenTealael your niece is very talented. And isn’t that always the way @Kris77. You put in all the effort to cater & present a most beautiful spread & then you spend all the time rushing about ‘hosting’ that you don’t get to really enjoy any of it. Congratulations to all the graduates. This was the dessert at my nieces recent elopment celebration. Was supposed to be a brownie - more a mud cake - with berries and a berry sorbet. You can see my little taste of the cake on the side. Did have a second taste & I had a little of the surgery. Rich but delicious.

Love that red dress on you @GreenTealael. Congratulations to your sister & daughter. What field did your sister study? Is your daughter looking at heading off to uni too next? I’m always the shortest in my family. Well actually not any more - my mum has shrunk almost 5 inches so is 2 inches shorter than me now. Yay!

Today marks five years since my sleeve surgery. Yay! I look in the mirror & think yep, best decision. I easily snuggle with my 6yr old nephew in a lounge chair & I think yep, best decision. I can jump, dance, walk, skip, scoot up stairs, … and I think, yep, best decision. The potential for health problems are further away & less likely to occur & I think yep, best decision….You get the idea. I’m thankful it’s all gone pretty smoothly. Sure I have some fun & games with the foamies but I had a sensitive, quirky tummy before surgery & I still do so nothing all that different just how it manifests 😉. Sure I have some loose skin. It doesn’t affect what I want to do or wear so unimportant. I’m thankful I have a supportive GP who when I asked about surgery said yes without judgement & wrote the referral right away & continues to be interested in my progress. I’m thankful the doctor who does my follow ups is equally supportive. I have my 6 month check up with her next Monday which hopefully will go well again. It’s become more of a chat & catch up the last couple of years. Apart from the medication issue which caused a small weight gain (a good 2+kg/5lb) a couple of years ago which when sorted saw that gain disappear. I sit at the same fluctuation I did when my weight first stabilised: 48.5 - 49..5kg (though usually a high of 49.3 these days). I often think of the AA mantra of it works if you work it & you’re worth it. It really resonates. It works because I work it every day & I’m worth it.

Shakes, bone broths, broths, consommés, cream soups, protein water are really your only options. It’s essential to focus on your protein and to consume things that are thin enough not to irritate your poor swollen & healing tummy & digestive system. Have you tried straining (really well so no little bits of herbs, vegetables, etc. in it) won ton soup or ramen noodles so you only have the broth? It might help by changing up the flavours you’re sipping. Try blending milk & a little yoghurt though it can be a little thick/dense & therefore difficult to tolerate at this stage & better in purée.

Yes, because of the nerves that are cut during the surgery, messages about being full or having had enough, either don’t get through in the same way or are distorted. It takes about 8 weeks for hi to fully heal & therefore the messages to start getting through accurately. Also, liquids & purées go through your tummy more quickly & before you might feel full. Add in the small potions & sipping & eating slowly & you won’t feel full. It’s why it’s so important to stick to the portion size recommendations we are given. Once you start to eat a little more in regards to portion size and solid foods & you are more healed, you’ll start to feel when you’ve had enough and start to feel your restriction. PS - It takes at least 20 minutes for the full signal to get from your tummy to your head so by the time you register you are full, it’s easy to have eaten more than you actually need. Some of us take even longer to register we are full. Aim, not to feel full but to recognise when you’ve had enough. I still often ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. Congrats on your surgery.

As the weeks & months pass we slowly but surely increase our intake so I wouldn’t think the low calories we consume is truely sustained as it’s continuously increasing. And it affects our metabolism in the way you’re thinking either. The recognised benefits of weight loss surgery include resetting your body’s set point, digestive hormones & metabolism. Of course the resetting is different for everyone but there is improvement fir everyone & I so love & appreciate how it did that for me. I spent years & years eating one meal a day or skipping lunch & only eating two meals a day. That is sustained low calorie in my thinking ( years not months) & yes it did wreck my metabolism. I could barely lose anything even following those 500 calorie a day diets (talking a couple of kilograms over 6 or more weeks). Similarity to @ms.sss, in the first weeks after surgery I was eating around 200 then 300 calories. By 6 months, at my goal I was barely consuming 900. My weight finally stabilised at 18 months when I was consuming around 1300. Now at 5 years post surgery, I eat about 1600 calories yet am still the same weight I was when I stabilised. And unlike @ms.sss, I’m not what anyone would describe as active. Just do a series of exercises using residence bands & stretches at varying times through out the day. I wouldn’t burn 30 calories. BMR calculators do give you an idea of what your caloric needs might be but as @ms.sss said the results are based on averages much like BMI & the calculators that suggest how much weight you may lose after surgery are. The averages only take into account some basic factors & don’t consuder your individual needs, medical & weight loss history, genetics, activity levels, muscle density, etc., etc. Actually, have you considered doing a dexa scan just to see where you are in regards to muscle & fat density now & repeating it in the future to see your progress? Weight loss can continue for 18 months to 2 years after surgery so don’t give up yet and you won’t actually know what your caloric needs are until your weight has stabilises for some time - months or a year. PS - My surgeon & dietician also didn’t advise to count calories. I just did it randomly out of my own interest & curiosity. Quality of the food I was consuming was more important.

Almost everyone slips up at some stage so don’t beat yourself up. Slipping again and again is when it becomes concerning. Remind yourself why you had the surgery & what you’re wanting to achieve. Remember the purpose of the staged return to eating (protect your healing tummy & not strain or stress it). It’s the beginning of your reflecting upon your relationship with food (the why, when, what & how you eat) too. Sometimes we just have to make the best choices we can in the situation we’re in. Maybe reflect on why you chose to slip this time. You can then use this for next time you’re in a similar situation. It will help you prepare ahead like maybe take your own food with you, review menus before going, eat before you go, etc. We do say there’s lots of head work to do along the way. Everyone’s experiences can be different. Like I didn’t have any real problem eating solid food after surgery (except for the temporary changes to my tastebuds making some foods taste awful). As to whether you have caused any problems this time, it sounds like you’re okay. Though remember all because you can (or did) doesn’t mean you should or should again. I’d tell my surgeon & dietician but also tell them why & what you’d do next time. Always best t be honest in all this. It will show you’re learning & growing. Ask them for tips too. All the best & congrats on your surgery.

Bruises will get bigger at first as the blood comes to the surface, then get smaller as the blood is transformed. Do you usually bruise easily? It may explain why they are larger. That or your surgeon was a bit rough or needed to be a little more forceful manipulating the devices. I agree with @ShoppGirl suggestion to email the images to your surgeon if you’re concerned. In the mean time try gentle rubbing some arnica or hirudoid cream on the bruises (avoid the wounds).

Your weight loss is not over until it’s over. Losing for 18 months to 2 years isn’t that uncommon. Your weight loss will naturally slow as you’re able to eat more (this is supposed to happen) & you get closer to your final weight (your new set point) & closer to consuming the number of calories your body needs to function effectively. When it happens to you depends upon those things & some other factors. I reached my goal at 6 months. Like @ms.sss, I too took a while to work out what my maintenance calories were & to be able to eat that much so also did not intentionally mean to lose more. I continued to lose for another 11 or so months. Definitely noticed slowing down at about 5 months (maybe a little before & it got slower & slower. I lost another 11kgs over those last 11 months & in the last of those months I was losing grams in a week and maybe half a kilo a month. So I lost for about 18 months in total but it was obviously where my body wanted me to be (my new set point). I ate a bare 900 calories at 6 months. Got to around 1300 at 18 months. I eat about 1600 calories a day now yet I still weigh the same as I did when my weight stabilised at 18 months.

Yes, agree too. As I said, it’s all about what works for you. No wrong way just the right way for you.

Actually after surgery & when the constipation begins you may appreciate some of the digestive issues - LOL!! After surgery I really struggled with the shakes - the taste & texture were awful. I powered through with one, diluted an extra 50%, in the morning & then had soups. Broths, consommés, cream soups, are all good. Bone broth is best though I found it too salty. Have you explored the possibility of making your own smoothie using a vegan milk & a vegan yoghurt (blend to very thin consistency with extra milk or water)? Not sure the protein content though. Do you know what it is in the whey free protein powders that cause the digestive issues like the guar gum or xanthan (insoluble fibre)? Can’t help with the amino acid supplements sorry.

Sounds like you may have got a little over confident. It’s easy to do when you finally start to feel better. Would you say the pain is muscular or something deeper (abdominal)? Think if you didn’t experience the pain while you were weeding or straight afterwards & you only really felt it today, it’s likely muscular. If the pain isn’t easing by tomorrow or you start to experience other symptoms I’d probably check with your local medical centre (hospital since it’s the weekend). All the best,

Asparagus, broccolini, green beans & sugar snap peas are my go tos then cauliflower, zucchini & cabbage. I usually microwave them. Also eat cucumber, tomato, carrot, mushrooms, celery, capsicum, onions, corn, peas, lettuce & legumes like lentils or beans depending upon what I’m eating/cooking like soup, casserole, mince dishes, etc. I just throw in as many vegetables as I can. Every now & then I’ll try a little potato, pumpkin or sweet potato but they still tend to sit heavily in my tummy. I tend to keep my fruit lower 1-2 serves a day. Though they have naturally occurring sugar which we don’t ’count’ it’s still a sugar which will be converted & stored as energy (fat) if we don’t use it.

There isn’t really a hard & fast rule about how much weight you will lose at certain points along the way. The calculators, advice from your surgeon, dietician, etc. are all based on averages so not what you WILL lose but what you MIGHT lose. At about 5 months you’ve lost 63lbs (plus the 40lbs before your surgery). It took me about 6 months to lose 60lbs & I lost at a pretty good rate. Yes, I started at a lower weight than you & we say, the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose in the beginning, yet again this is a generalisation based on averages. I’d say you’re doing well - congratulations! My test always was what did my surgeon say. If he was happy I was happy. (My dietician to a lesser extent.) What does your surgeon say about your weight loss to date? Focus on getting in your protein. It’s essential as is getting in your fluids. It will help you get the most from your surgery. Eat your protein first, then your vegetables & if you are able any multi/whole grains you are allowed. This helps ensure you hit your protein goal. In the first months it wasn’t unusual for me to just to eat my protein & nothing else for a meal. Drink all day - in the car, out doing chores at the shops, etc. I found drinking through the night helpful too - still do. Enjoy every one of those pounds you’ve lost. Remember there’s no time line for when you have to have lost all your weight. You’ll get there in your time & there’s only right in that.

It’s all about finding what works for you. For years I didn’t have breakfast & used to also say that eating breakfast made me hungry for the rest of the day & I would feel sort of blah after. Then I started having breakfast because I thought I should have something. Would deliberately work through that blah feeling & fight any urges to eat until dinner. Now I happily eat breakfast. I discovered that if I eat it after 8:30/9am I feel okay, not ready to eat again until about 1pm. However, if I eat at say 7:30am, I’m hungry much earlier, feel blah as before. Think that was always my problem because I used to eat breakfast at 5/5:30am. It was simply too early for me. My window between eating gets shorter after the intital 4hr to 1pm lunch (3pm, 4:30ish, 6pm (dinner), 7pm) & is when I add my snacks. It may be when you eat, what you eat, how regularly you eat, whether you eat several small meals or three main meals, etc.

Yum! love pate. I often have liverwurst vs a true pate for lunch on multigrain crackers with slices of pickled onions on top when I’ve been too lazy to make labneh or couldn’t buy it. Probably adding to my cholesterol at the moment though ☹️.

Great advice from everyone and I would second finding yourself a nutritionalist/dietician sooner rather than later. And maybe a therapist who has experience with bariatric surgery & disordered eating. Do you track your food? I’m not a tracker (didn’t have to) but I do random checks on portions sizes, nutrient content & protein to ensure I’m on the right path or haven’t got complacent. It might be idea to start tracking if you don’t even for a few weeks just to see where you may be missing some key nutrients, to ensure a balanced intake, etc. can’t hurt anyway. Check out some the you tube videos by Drs Matthew Weiner and/or John Pilcher. Dr Weiner has some great books too which may be helpful. These may offer some support while you’re trying to find a new surgeon & doctor.

I recently read about not taking your PPI within an hour or two of taking iron (or calcium) because of the impact on absorption too @JennyBeez. Very interesting! Also don’t take your iron with or around the same time you have any caffeine. Caffeine can reduce the absorption of iron by 60% or more. There is scientific evidence about this just not well publicised. Also the iron added to iron enhanced foods like breads, cereals, etc. isn’t absorbed well. Lot more research & education needed around all this.

Give your surgeon a call. You really shouldn’t be experiencing a lot or any pain (besides a little discomfort or lingering surgical gas pain) at this point especially after it was initially managed. Some people find sleeping in a recliner helpful or prop themselves up on extra pillows or a wedge. I presume you are still using your CPAP machine. It can be hard to meet those protein & fluid goals in the beginning. And yes you’ll have days when it is easier than others. As long as you are making an effort & can see an improvement over a couple of weeks you’ll be okay. Oh & yes those shakes can be hideous after surgery, The temporary change to your taste buds doesn’t help. I found them very grainy so texturally blah! I diluted them (added another 50% water) & fir ed myself to have one for breakfast. Tried the bone broths but they seemed so salty (glad you enjoy them). Thank gracious for cream soups & consommés. All the best.

I was able to easily swallow tables about 4 or so days after surgery. The initial post surgery swelling made it painful the first three days but once the swelling went down it was okay. Spread taking them out. Like I had two multi to take so took one in the morning & one at night. Make sure you eat first before taking your vitamins because they a make you nauseous As you’re still on fluids, take your tablets (singularly) with the last sips of your shake. Remember too not to take your calcium, iron or PPI tablets together (wait an hour or so) between.

First, during the surgery lots of nerves were cut so messages about feeling full, hungry, etc, either don’t get through or are distorted. It takes about 8 weeks to heal so most of days find we don’t start to feel our restriction until we’re into solid foods. Also, fluids & purées to a lesser extent go through your digestive system a lot more quickly so you don’t really fill up in rather same way. Tread carefully with the volume of food & liquids you can consume quickly for the same reason. Allow yourself to heal so you don’t strain or stress your digestive system which is being held together with sutures & staples. All because you can doesn’t mean you should in the first two months. We all can & should be able to eat & drink larger & larger portions as we progress until we get to a recommended & appropriate portion size. Try not to eat until you feel full. Try to identify when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it. It takes at least 20 minutes for the signal that you’ve had enough to get through so by the time it does you’ve likely eaten more than you need. While some people do continue to feel hungry the majority lose their hunger for a number of months. Start by discerning if you are feeling real hunger or head hunger. Craving a specific food, texture or flavour is head hunger. Are you feeling tired, stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, sad, etc.? Many of us ate to sooth or comfort ourselves when our emotions were in turmoil. This too is a head hunger. It takes a while for your digestive system to adjust so you keep producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery. Excess acid can make you think you’re hungry (are you on a PPI to reduce stomach acid?) Hunger pangs/pains or a rumbling tummy also in most cases don’t indicate real hunger but excess stomach acid & your digestive system working. Many of us discover new signals for being or almost full (sneezing, runny nose, hiccups, etc.). We often find that feeling hungry (real hunger) is different too. For me I get restless, like something is wrong, I don’t crave anything & there is a reason why I would be hungry (like missed a meal, or ate very little at a previous meal, etc.) As an example. Yesterday went to a family event at a restaurant. Ate very little (they cleared our plates way too quickly for how slowly I eat). Got home late afternoon. Gnawed a trimmed chicken leg for dinner which I bought up (darn foamies). Ate a protein bar & went to bed. Tossed & turned & while tired couldn’t sleep. Argued with myself about whether I was really hungry or not. Realised besides the small lunch, bringing up my dinner, I’d also mixed two snacks. Debated what I wanted to eat (nothing specific). Real hunger. Got up & finished my leftover rolled oats breakfast (usually an afternoon snack). Then happily went back to bed & slept. There is a lot you have to learn & work out about your body, how it works now & your thinking. It takes time but you’ll get there. PS Congrats on your surgery & weight loss so far.

I’ve tried so many types of exercise over the years & never found one I really enjoyed & stuck with. I dislike getting hit & sweaty. I did enjoy yoga - calming & love the stretching aspect. I didn’t exercise while I was losing but around 18months ago I heard about exercise snacking which is focussed on short bursts of activity several times a day. Bought myself some resistance bands & a thick mat (for my honey back - got them from Kmart so super cheap) and began doing 5 odd minute bursts of stretches, bands, & such about 4 times a day. Added some things & dropped others in my routine. I find it very easy to incorporate into my day. Do it all at home. Usually every day. Do tend to stick to specific times (2:30pm, 4pm, 5pm, 9:15pm). Will also do a few other little things throughout the day. Like have added some feet & Achilles tendon stretches on my stairs, stretch out my hamstrings using the kitchen bench while cooking. Big thing is I’ve been sticking with it. Even if away I do a variation of the activities (I don’t take my bands with me.) Initially started to help support my back (oozing discs) & regain some flexibility & be more limber. Bonus has been toning the muscles in my arms & legs. (had to buy some new trousers as my thighs had got a little bigger (not huge just firmer I guess) & I get compliments on my toned arms - who’d have thought it. Worth giving it a go.

I found mangoes too rich for a couple of years. I can still only eat a small amount. Found some freeze dried ones but they are super sweet (concentrated flavour) which you might like to try in a while. I found water melon easy to tolerate once I got to solid food. I’ll add steamed cauliflower to @ripburn’s vegetable suggestions. A lot of people struggle with eggs so beware just in case. I liked mine scrambled with more milk to make them very runny & soft. Omelets are good in the soft food stage too (try with cheese & pre cooked vegetables like mushrooms, onion, etc.). And rolled oats - I was allowed instant oats made on lots of milk from purée transitioning to traditional oats after a couple of months (was my only allowed carb besides fruit & vegetables).

Or google the dosage (you’ll get side effects, contraindications, etc. too) at least until you get definitive advice from your surgeon. Doubt they would be advising you to take a higher dose more often than directed. This may be helpful: https://www.empr.com/drug/zoloft-oral-solution/#:~:text=Zoloft Oral Solution Generic Name %26 Formulations&text=Sertraline (as HCl) 20mg%2F,%2C lemonade%2C or orange juice.