Arabesque

Lots of plant based alternatives to dairy foods available now: milks, cheeses, yoghurts, etc., etc. Are you lactose intolerant or just don’t like it? (My mum doesn’t like yoghurt & cheese so I get that.) Give them a try instead of forcing yourself to eat traditional dairy. There’ll be ups & downs along the way. Lot’s of new things to learn & discover about yourself & your tummy. I’m still learning at almost 4 years. Recently I discovered my tummy doesn’t like grated tasty cheese. Don’t know why. It may be okay with it next month.

No judgements at all. You’re going through a lot. It’s pretty major surgery & you’ve made dramatic changes to your digestive system. If you are like many us, you look to food to comfort you & you can’t now. It’s to be expected that you are mentally, emotionally & physically stressed. So you had a quesadilla chip. Once, one day is okay. It only becomes something to really worry about if you have one again tomorrow & again the next day & the next & you have 2 or 3 or more. Give yourself time for your body to heal & your head to catch - up. The fight is worth it.

Went to a Peruvian/Japanese fusion rooftop restaurant yesterday for lunch. (Not the best day but interesting views over the city.) I wondered how the fusion would work but it did. Still very obvious Japanese or Peruvian foods but a sharing of some styles. Like a bao bun with a Peruvian filling. I can’t eat spicy foods so shared some edamame to begin & had parmesan & garlic scallops (sorry no pxts) & sesame crusted tuna. I about half the tuna, the two scallops & probably too many edamame 😁. All very yummy.

Aah the joy of constipation. Add a soluble, non swelling, fibre to your shakes to help & try to keep on top of it. You’re not eating much so not going everyday is to be expected. I used to take a stool softener if I got to the third (sometimes 4th) day with out any movement. Any longer & it became more difficult to break, more uncomfortable & then painful when you do go. I diluted my hideous shakes as well to dilute the flavour & graininess & got bonus fluids. Didn’t care if it took me two hours to drink it. Just sipped until I was done. It can be hard at first to meet your protein & fluid goals. As long as you’re making an effort & slowly getting closer. It does get easier. Avoid social media. I think it’s the worst when it comes to promoting unhealthy eating behaviours, food choices & excessive portion sizes. I developed an aversion to those types of images. I would start to feel ill looking at them. I also avoided live tv & would record any programs so I could fast forward the food ads. Thank goodness for ad free steaming services. What was odd was that I could watch baking & cooking shows. British Bake-off, British MasterChef (all three), Great British Menu & Top Chef were my favourites & they didn’t make me hungry. Don’t have any suggestions for coping with your house mates’ eating habits. I live alone. You can’t force them to eat as you do but maybe you could let them know it does make it difficult for you & you may have to leave the room they’re eating in. It is something you will always have to face. I rarely eat sweet foods but in time I reached a point where it didn’t bother me if people around me eat cake, deserts, etc. My niece had a box of cakes, brownies, cake pops, whoopi pies, cheese cakes, cup cakes, etc. samples for her 13th birthday last week. Everyone was filling their plates with a variety of things & I was fine - I ate a strawberry. As I said before - it does get easier over time. Just got to work out how you can manage it now - what works for you.

Portion size is & always will be a consideration but more so in the beginning because of the many nerves cut during your surgery I mentioned in my previous post. It can be easier to eat more than we actually should. I was advised 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food from puree slowly increasing until I was eating about a cup around 6 months. Check with your dietician about portion size (& calorie goals) as plans do differ. I certainly couldn’t eat more than what I was advised & took ages to eat it. I sipped on my diluted soups & shakes for a couple of hours. During the liquid stage I are two ‘meals’ a day. Not hungry or interested in any more. From purée I ate three meals & no snacks. One or two snacks (fruit or soft cheese or yoghurt) were added later around third month a think. Ten popsicles seem a lot. Are you eating them for their fluid content or because you’re looking them as food & maintaining old snacking/eating habits?? While they contain no added sugar they do contain sweeteners - artificial or sugar alternatives like monk fruit. Therefore they are still feeding your desire for sweet foods. Some develop a sensitivity to sugar alcohols (the artificial sweeteners ending in ‘ol’) & experience bloating, diarrhoea, etc. I couldn’t have potatoes either but could have rolled oats from purée (instant to begin so easier on the tummy & very thin & milky). Took me three days to eat a serve & it was the only carb I ate (except the bite or two of vegetables I had). We all need a small amount of carbs & oats are considered a better carb. I’ll say it again plans are different.

I agree with the others about it likely being the shakes. Check the artificial sweetener they use in the shakes & the yoghurt. The sugar alcohols are renown for causing bloating, discomfort, diarrhoea, etc. Wouldn't hurt to try the plant protein shakes & dairy equivalents to ensure it’s not a lactose issue but if you didn’t have issues with dairy before you shouldn’t now. (After surgery some people do develop a lactose intolerance but it usually is temporary.)

What you need to do eating wise before surgery & after surgery is different. Before surgery is to show you can commit to a changed way of eating, introduce you to healthier food options, make you more aware of the nutritional value of what you eat & to lose weight & fat around your liver to make your surgery safer & easier. So a non bariatric dietician should be fine. After surgery, other considerations come into play such as during the staged return to eating solid foods, importance of macros & knowledge of the usually temporary effects of the surgery around food intolerances, nutritional needs, etc. May be consider seeing the bariatric dietician after your surgery. I know the distance can be prohibitive but you can always have zoom or phone appointments & only travel to see the dietician every month or two. Something to consider. No scale is the same plus you’re not the same. I tend to weigh myself first thing in the morning before food or drink & usually after pooping. But when I go to my doctor, it’s later in the day, I’m dressed, I’ve eaten & been drinking, etc. Scales on carpet will weigh differently than those on wood or tiles (uneven surfaces). The age of the scales, age if batteries, moisture in a bathroom, dust, etc can affect the accuracy. I didn’t care so much what my doctors scales read as I knew what mine did. They had their records of my weight loss & now maintenance & I have mine. Your weight loss should be the basically the same - if you lose 5 lbs it will show on everyone’s scales regardless what the numbers actually say. I’m going to presume you don’t have access to a stove & oven which limits your ability to cook your meals. What about a microwave or toaster oven? They don’t take up a lot of room & just need a power point & will give you more meal options.

Not everyone experiences dumping & fewer do with sleeve than bypass. You may never experience it. Dumping occurs from eating high fat or sugar. Can occur with high processed simple carbs & dairy but less common again. If your shakes are too thick add more water or milk. I used to double the water to my shakes. I cannot stress enough to follow your plan & your staged returned to eating diet. It is in place to protect & support your healing tummy & digestive system. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. All because you drank or ate something without an issue doesn’t mean you should. You could have just been lucky. There are several vegans on this forum who successfully lost weight & maintain their lower weight. You just have to be careful to meet your protein & other nutrient goals. There are so many plant based protein alternatives you can choose from. Your dietician should be able to guide you about your options if you have concerns. If eating meat & dairy upset you before surgery they still will after surgery. Are you experiencing real hunger or head hunger? Wanting to eat a specific food or texture or flavour is head hunger. A lot of the area in your tummy that produces the hunger hormone Ghrelin was removed plus because of the nerves that were cut during surgery, the message to say you’re hungry doesn’t get through to your brain or if they do they are often different. And they won’t until you are fully healed. Head hunger is very powerful & is usually what drove us to eating in the past so we think that feeling is real hunger.

I believe it can slow your rate of loss. There are a few here that have PCOS & were slow losers too so don’t give up. Some people are slow losers & didn’t have PCOS - it’s just how our individual bodies work. 19lbs in about 6 weeks is still a decent achievement. I always say celebrate every pound. Keep following your plan & tracking your food. You will eventually get to a weight you’re happier at. P.S. Chicken often causes people problems at first. (So can eggs + beef). It’s usually temporary & because it can be very dry & coarse. Try thigh instead & use lots of gravies & sauces etc. to keep it & all meats moist.

Our tummy can be very sensitive & fussy for while after surgery. A lot of it is simple healing & you will be able to eat what you can’t tolerate now again in the future. For a few, some things may be more permanent & just be a fussy digestive system. (I always had one & some food sensitivities so no real change.) Recently my tummy decided tasty cheese is too rich & strong in flavour & up it came. I’m almost 4 years out & eaten it before without issue. I probably will again too. I find breads, pasta & rice sit too heavily in my tummy so I still don’t eat them. As @catwoman7 says chicken, especially breast, often causes problems at first. Others struggle with eggs or beef.

I rarely have carbonation. I have sparkling water every day but I drink it pretty flat (keep the lid on the bottle loose). I drink it because I like the taste as a change from plain water. I do have soda or tonic water in the odd gin & the odd glass of champagne. But I only drink about once a month & then one glass is usually enough. Yes alcohol is empty calories, can slow your metabolism, etc. but I just don’t enjoy it as I used to. But when I do have it I have the real stuff: quality over quantity.😁 Also carbonation stirs up my reflux. Actually I watched an interesting medical program yesterday & they said there is research that carbonation (any drink) stimulates the production of our hunger hormone & results in people consuming 100+ calories per day. Unsure if the more carbinated drinks you consume the more you eat though. If you enjoy reading academic papers: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28228348/ It’s about a study using rats but the program did a short trial with people with the same type of results.

It’s quite common to have some worries & questions. As you says you’ve never done this before & don’t know what to expect. Everyone here is happy to share their experiences & offer suggestions & tips though we can & do have different experiences pre & post surgery. So if you have a question or a want clarification, don’t hesitate to ask. For most the change in your tastebuds ( &/or smell) after surgery is temporary. Personally I chose to embrace the too sweet & didn’t introduce it back into my eating & that included all sugars: real, artificial & alternatives. What can happen is you start to embrace new flavours you hadn’t tried before & discover a new appreciation for ones you didn’t previously like. I only had about 6 weeks between the day I woke up & decided enough of being fat I want to have surgery. I did a lot of my own research & spoke with a friend who’d had the surgery. I think that looking at what you’re eating & your portion size is a good place to begin. Start making small changes to get into new habits. @Tomo is right there are some negative things online - like many Facebook groups & some personal videos. Go to the experts. I recommend videos by Dr John Pilcher & Dr Matthew Weiner - very informative if you’re interested. And of course here. PS. I loved your comment about wanting to jump on a trampoline. I did that at Christmas with my 5 - 9 year old nieces & nephew. We had a ball especially as they bounced me so hard I fell over … twice (& I’m almost 58). Would not have done that before surgery. Not sure I’ll be climbing trees though 😁 .

Oh, so my lack of a butt is why I’m single. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Though I was single when I did & had a hourglass figure too. LOL!!

Oh of course, dumping. That only occurs if you eat certain fats, fried foods or sugar. It can occur with high processed simple carbs & some dairy products but is less common. Theses are foods you would generally be avoiding now anyway. Try eliminating any you may be eating to work out which one/s upsets you if you think it is dumping.

Juice is very high in natural sugars. Think of how many pieces of fruit are used to make a single glass but you wouldn’t eat the same number in one sitting. And you miss out on lots of the nutrients fruit can provide by drinking juice not eating the whole fruit. You’ll be able to introduce fruit soon. You may have got a slight abrasion from the catheter they inserted during surgery or maybe a UTI from the same. The burning could be from either. Was it an antibiotic they gave you? Can’t help you with hunger. I didn’t really experience any until early into my second year. Had one experience of real hunger at about 8 months after a busy day I hadn’t eaten much & missed dinner but that was it for a few more months. I ate very much to routine. I knew I had to get protein & nutrients in so I ate regularly. Also knew I had to keep my boosted metabolism burning. Are you sure you’re experiencing real hunger or is it just head hunger? If your craving/wanting to eat a specific food, texture or flavour it’s most likely head hunger. Remember all those nerves they cut during surgery. Your signals of real hunger likely won’t be getting through or will be different if you are one of the small number who continue to experience real hunger after surgery.

In time, for most yes. I can’t but that’s me. Two good mouthfuls are my limit. I continue to drink all day & I never feel thirsty so don’t have the need to chug large volumes of water or similar any more. Remember if you feel thirsty your body actually needed water some time before you got the message.

Sorry you’ve been battling. I was told all liquids count towards your fluid intake: shakes, broth, cream soup, tea, etc. (not chunky soups when you’re able that’s just bonus liquid). I diluted all my shakes & soups to make them more palatable & extra fluid. I’d sip the shake or broth, etc. ‘meal’ until it was finished & waited 30 minutes before & after before sipping the non food/meal water or tea. Actually, I think I only waited about 20 minutes then while on liquids. I found the shakes hideous too so maybe give the bone broths or other consommés (strained won ton soup or pho) a try. I’d hold off on the cream soups & drinking yoghurts until you’ve recovered from the flu. Try some protein water too. Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you @GreenTealael. A very interesting read. It raised many of the questions & concerns I had about it. It’s funny. I grew up in the ‘does my bum look big in this’ era. Twisting & straining to see in a mirror if my ass was too big & dying a little death if I thought it was. (It usually was.) I struggled to understand the whole fascination with making your bum as big as you could via any means when that began. I wonder if one day my saggy non existing ass & saggy breasts will become what everyone desires 😁. Aah, the vagaries of body image.

Welcome. It’s not always easy to make the decision whether to have surgery or not. Many here have been in the same place. Imagine your life without the need of medication to manage your high blood pressure, a CPAP machine to ensure help you’re breathing & take pressure off your heart at night. You can have your knee replacement surgery & never experience pain or an inability to be as active & mobile as you want. You’ll have so many more options available to you at a lower weight & with better health - no more restrictions or potential limitations on how you want to live your life. I didn’t have any comorbidities at all before my surgery but I knew they very likely were ahead of me. My risk was very high & now it’s extremely low. If you’re worried about the possibility of gerd go the bypass route. Constipation is easily managed & while it can be a regular event while you are losing it improves a lot once you are eating more & a wider variety of foods. Add soluble fibre to your diet & keep in top of any episodes by using a treatment if it persists for more than 3or 4 days. We can give you so many reasons to have the surgery but if you’re not all in or believe you’re being pushed or don’t have any other option, you won’t reap the full benefits of the surgery. The importance of your head in this can not be underestimated - we don’t talk about doing the head work for nothing. But it is your choice. All the best whatever you choose to do.

Not eating or drinking is the worst thing you can do if it is hypoglycaemia. Any electrolyte/energy drink will help (I usually use hydralyte but forgot it the day I had the awful attack). I also used to carry a protein bar. What do you mean by DS? I sometimes experience stress induced foamies. It’s become a bit of a learnt behaviour when I go out. And can occur an hour or so after eating. I had a couple of experiences when I was out which caused me to start worrying it might happen again & then it often does. It’s like getting anxious tightens everything up & … foamies. Only started last year- 3 years out. I know it’s me & am working my way through it. Have spoken to my surgeon’s colleague about it & she confirmed my thinking.

What you’re feeling is likely more like your restriction - a pain or tightness or heaviness across the chest not your tummy. It makes me want to thump my chest to relieve it & get the stuck food moving - it doesn’t help. I’d avoid any crackers for some time yet (but do check with your plan & your dietician) - even soft non crunchy ones can be too dry & coarse & harsh on your system unless you chew them to a mush before swallowing. Plus a carb. I wasn’t allowed any sort of cracker/biscuit until maintenance. Most of us just ate things like mashed eggs, tuna, hummus, etc. off a spoon. Later you can use a lettuce leaf as a carrier.

Usually they say to boost your metabolism you should exercise more, weight train, sleep more, eat more protein, drink more water, drink green tea, eat spicy food, eat regularly & don’t skip meals. You likely still are drinking lots of water & getting in lots of protein. I’ve been drinking green tea for 20 years - never helped me lose weight. 🤷🏻‍♀️ You can’t exercise but can you do some upper body weights or resistance band exercises? You could do these sitting down so no strain on your hip or knee. Spicy food would stir up your gerd so that’s a no - it certainly stirs up my reflux. I try to keep my metabolism burning by eating regularly( meals & snacks) which I never did before (was a big meal skipper). I don’t exercise as such just do stretches & use some resistance bands but it all helps. What is it about bypass that specifically concerns you? Maybe some with bypass will share their experiences & alleviate some of your worries about it. Your Gerd does seems quite severe & has already done damage I would think eradicating it would be a good reason to try a bypass. But that’s my thinking.

Hypoglycaemia? Just a suggestion. I get symptoms very similar to yours when I have an episode plus cold sweats. Does having something to eat or drink help? I find even some water or a cup of tea can make a difference. I can have them after I’ve been active or after I’ve been in a shoe store trying on shoes. The most awful episode I experienced was in a cafe during the covid years. Full blown symptoms & the other people in the queue all literally stepped back from me - way back - like backs against the wall. I’m sure they were thinking: Unclean! Unclean! I asked the girl at the counter for some juice. She pointed to a refrigerator over by a far wall which was where a lot of the people had congregated. She wasn’t going to help me either. Dragged myself to their bathroom to sip water from the basin & sit on the toilet to recover. I should have said it wasn’t Covid but hypoglycaemia, like diabetes, & I needed fluids like juice. Maybe someone would have helped me then. Should say I had this before surgery. Just random episodes so nothing new for me.

So sorry you are experiencing this. I think you need to find another bariatric surgeon & discuss your options. A revision to bypass will help you lose more weight (maybe not a lot but some) so yiu can look into knee replacement surgery in the future & it certainly will help with your gerd. You can not survive on shakes & protein bars. Besides not getting the nutrients your body needs to function effectively, the low calorie diet will be slowing your metabolism down more. You did lose 100lbs. That’s almost a third of yourself. That’s something to celebrate. Remember the average weight loss is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier weight range. So, not knowing your height or what would be your healthier weight, I’d expect you may have been pretty close to that statistic. So your stall, which are very common & can occur many times, may have been you reaching your new weight set point & stabilising. I find it ironic that your surgeon complained your sleeve was too big. I mean they did the surgery so if the sleeve is too big that’s on them not you.

Sometimes your tummy is just not ready (not healed enough) to progress through to the next stage of your restricted diet. You may need to go to a purée stage & not straight to soft. Sometimes soft is just not soft enough yet. It’s not uncommon for people to need a few more days on a stage or to go back a stage. Coarse or dry foods can cause that stuck feeling & can result in the foamies (sticky thick salvia you spit up & then you may regurgitate the food that is stuck). Keep your food moist/sloppy so it goes down more easily & smoothly. Use gravies, sauces, stock, milk, water, mayo, or whatever complements what you’re eating. Plus your tummy can be like a petulant temper throwing two year old tolerating a food one day but not the next. It may be the taste or the texture that sets it off. Avoid that food for a week & try again. Make sure you’re eating small bites (part or level teaspoons) slowly. Leave a couple of minutes between bites. If it persists & these hints don’t help contact your surgeon.