Arabesque

it’s surgery & all surgeries have some risk for possible complications but generally they are pretty low for sleeve surgery. The best person to ask about these is your surgeon. You’re having surgery & are changing how you partially digest food so there are going to be some changes for you & your body to get used to. Generally, my surgery went well. No real issues or problems at all. Little or no pain & I happily looked after myself after surgery. And there ‘s been no significant issues since. My energy levels were low for some time after surgery. It was complicated by low blood pressure & some hypoglycaemia. I always had a tendency towards these so nothing new. They just happen more frequently now. Also it was discovered after my surgery that I have Gilbert’s which explained why I always picked up bugs more easily than others & why I take longer to recover. Low blood pressure (postural hypotension) can be an issue for some but it generally passes. I vomited a few times in the months after surgery. But it wasn’t a retching vomit. More gentle. All but once was from my multi vitamins. They made me very nauseous but vitamins usually did in the past. Was just worse but I don’t take vitamins anymore. I think I had diarrhoea once. Constipation was the bigger problem but I managed that with powdered fibre, added fruit & vegetables as soon as I could & took a stool softener if I reached about 3 days without a bowel movement. It improved a lot in maintenance. I had stress related gerd which was also aggravated by certain foods before I had surgery but I had already cut those foods out of my diet anyway (no fatty or overly rich creamy foods, rarely had carbonated drinks, no spicy food). I took Nexium only as needed. Now the gerd is still there but different. As long as I don’t have a solid protein before I go to bed (liquid is fine ) & take a Nexium every morning I’m fine. A liver function scan at about 6 months did reveal a very small gallstone but they think it may have been there for ages. Didn’t & still doesn’t cause any issues. Food intolerances are pretty individual. I’m not good with potato or pasta - sit like a lump in my tummy. But no loss. I choose to remove these from my diet anyway & only tried them out of curiosity a few months back. Some struggle with sweet things others with fatty. As for pasta & your family. There’s a lot of high protein vegetable pastas out there which many don’t have an issue with in maintenance. It was what I unsuccessful tried. If I want ‘pasta’ I use fresh zucchini noodles. While losing, just avoid the pasta & eat the sauces or just the inside of filled pastas. Portion size may be more challenging. Only 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup for a while slowly increasing. I have about a cup now but it ‘s really about what is a recommended serving size. My friends & I always enjoy having a ‘few’ drinks. Now I have a glass of something & that’s it. I sip on the one drink for an hour or so. Hasn’t changed our relationship or how we socialise at all. They say more for them to drink. ? We’re all individuals & how we respond to the surgery & how how body reacts to the change to our digestive system is very personal. Much is tied to your pre existing conditions or tendencies like mine. Sure some will be similar but really it is your journey & experience. My surgeon & his team & my GP are wonderful. I can’t complain about their follow-up & ongoing care & support in the almost 2 years post surgery. Between my surgeon’s blood tests, my GP would ask for one. If I had unusual for me symptoms they’d order scans & additional tests. It’s how they picked up my Gilbert’s. Nothing was ever found to be wrong it was just how I was reacting to the changes & the additional hormones & such being excreted as a lost fat. For example my previously fine cholesterol level sky rocketed while I was losing then went back to normal. Plus they shared all information about my health with me & each other. Having a supportive medical team behind you can not be undervalued. I haven’t regretted my surgery a single day. Sorry for the long post. Good luck.

We’re all different. Some get their energy back quickly. Some don’t . I didn’t. No energy for ages. Low blood pressure & sugar drops. Even going to do my grocery shopping was exhausting. I’d start off fine & then 5 /10 minutes later I’d hit a wall: jelly legs, cold sweats, light headedness, narrowed vision. Would have to sit down, sip an electrolyte drink or a cup of tea before I could think about moving again. It got better. How long it takes you will depend on your body. Good luck.

It’s really difficult to avoid all the artificial sweeteners. They seem to be in everything these days. I wanted to reduce or kill any craving for sweet/sugar after surgery. My way of overcoming them was to prepare & cook most of my food myself. It was the only way I could control the ingredients. I don’t use sugar alternatives either. I know there’s sweeteners in the yoghurt & protein bars I buy but that’s really it. I generally avoid sweet things except for naturally occurring sugars like in fruit & I do put a little bit of honey in my rolled oats to help offset the odd hypoglycaemic episodes I can have in the morning (I used to have them occasionally when I was slim in the past too). As soon as I passed the fluid only stage post surgery I never had another protein shake. I made a lot of soup as I went through the post surgery stages. Now if I want something dessert-like I make chia pudding (lactose free milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract). Cooking your own food my be a way for you to not consume the sweeteners you want to avoid. I like to cook so it wasn’t an issue for me. These 6 months will allow you to do lots of research into suitable alternatives. In Australia we don’t have the 6 month pre requisite. I had three weeks between the first appointment with my surgeon & my surgery. This is bit of a thing for me so I apologise if I sound preachy. There’s a lot of interesting research about now about the side effects of sweeteners & the disadvantages. Sure there’s lots of research showing replacing sweeteners with sugar will cause weight loss but of course it will. Going from consuming 100s/1000s of calories in non diet soft drink to 0 calories by drinking diet sodas will result in some weight loss. Dig deep & you will find some research that’s now showing sweeteners can cause weight gain. Good luck.

I did & still do the same thing as @ms.sss. Though now I have a bite of protein, wait 4-5 minutes before my next protein bite but will have a bite or two of vegetables in between. The asking do I really need the next bite as against just wanting it can be very helpful in reflecting on why you eat. Never be afraid to put your cutlery down & sit back or even to push your food away. I also ate using teaspoons or buffet forks so only small mouthfuls. In those first couple of months I’d take 20-30minutes to eat 1/4 or 1/3 of a cup of food. Now it takes me about 30 - 40 minutes to eat a cup. But I take 60+ minutes to eat one of my giant salad bowls which are predominately lettuce. If I eat to quickly, my restriction kicks almost straight away & there’s no way I can eat another bite for quite a while. It does take a while to learn how your digestive system now works: all its signals, triggers, likes & dislikes. Then after you think you’ve worked it out it will change again especially in those first few months. Give your medical team a call. Better to be safe than sorry. Good luck.

This has been becoming more frequent since the surgery so nothing new & not an uti. Never had or have an issue with coughing or sneezing incontinence - not having given birth definitely helps with delaying that. OMG it may be an age thing. ? I always was a frequent night pee-er. Partially because I drank more water at night after I got home from work as I was often so busy I didn’t have the opportunity to drink or pee much during the day. Not uncommon for me to go 4-6 times a night & more frequently during the day as well now. It’s just weird. But I do like @JDLane’s suggestion about not having weight pressuring my bladder anymore. Maybe I just have to relearn my signals. Maybe, my bladder doesn’t empty as well because of a slight prolapse??? Looks like a chat with my GP is needed. Thanks everyone. ?

I’m not talking frequency. I mean has the signal you need to pee changed & has how you pee changed. I need some insight ladies. Since my surgery, I’ve noticed the signal to pee has jumped that gentle nudge stage to the I better go pee & sometime straight to the I need to per NOW stage. I’ve also noticed that my bladder doesn’t fully empty & that there’s sometimes more after a couple of seconds & I think I’m finished - & I’m not talking drips. Is this a post surgery thing, like would they have inserted a catheter during surgery & it’s messed things up? Is it, god forbid, an age thing. Or is it just me? I’ve never had children so that’s not the reason.

It’s the best isn’t it. Did you keep looking at the size tag cause you just couldn’t believe it? I put on my ballet costume from when I was 12 & it ft. So freaky. Blew my mind cause I wasn’t an overweight child. Congratulations. You’re looking fabulous. And I think it’s time we reclaimed our bat wings. ?

I’ve never talked about, read about or worried about my bowel motions as much as I have since surgery. Lol!! Yes, yoghurt can help. I also added benefibre to my diet every day. I took a coloxyl tablet if I got to two or three days of no BMs. I didn’t want it to get past that third day: so much harder to get things moving again & not pleasant. I was very happy when I became more regular again once in maintenance. I was eating more in general & eating more carbs (whole & multigrain only). Do I still get constipated? Yep. Today is two days without action. I’ll take a coloxyl tablet tonight. Sometimes I know why I’m constipated: didn’t have enough water, didn’t have all my fruit & vegetables. Sometimes I have no idea. ( I have no idea why this time.)

Initially I was every day - same time, just underwear. Like @Jaelzion, i recorded my weight everyday but I didn’t let the little fluctuations bother me either. They’re normal regardless of your weight. I just watched the trend - loved the graph in the app I used. I continued daily weighing the first year of maintenance because I kept losing & I was monitoring that closely. Now at almost 2 yrs out, I’m not as regulated. I weigh myself 4 or 5 times a week. I have a 1 kg window I fluctuate within & I’m okay if that’s where my weight is sitting. I didn’t get on the scale this morning as I’m a bit constipated so I knew the number on the scale wouldn’t be truly accurate. I agree with @The Greater Fool. We have to find what works for us & then stick with it. I didn’t want to be on a ‘diet’ for the rest of my life. I’ve made changes & this is just how & what I eat now. But I also know myself & I weigh to keep myself accountable. In the past, I wouldn’t go anywhere near a scale if I thought I’d put on weight. Ostrich - sand! And then the reality would be a slap in the face when I eventually did. Plus, seeing what I weigh now is really motivational.

Hey Silly Kitty. Lovely to hear from you again. Love those pink leggings - very Spring. We’re in lockdown again in Brisbane. Just three days but everyone’s gone crazy at the supermarkets again. I don’t understand it. Didn’t a lot of people just do their weekly shop on the weekend?? How can they be out of food already? Anyway, my friend’s daughter just got her hen’s do in. She had an 80s theme - that family lives a good dress up opportunity. The bride’s friends bought her a just lovely 80s wedding dress plus the ubiquitous floral headdress, synthetic fabric, leg of mutton sleeves & lace inserts. ? The Princess of Wales has a lot to answer for. No 80s for me. Been there. Wore the clothes. But my dress did have shoulder pads - coincidence though.

Weren’t you told you would need to take multi vitamins from after your surgery? Depending upon how well your body absorbs vitamins & minerals from your food once you’re in maintenance, you may need to take them for ever. I stopped taking them about 9 months after surgery & 3 months into maintenance with my doctors approval. My 3 monthly blood tests continuously show I have very good levels so I have no need to reintroduce any supplements. If your levels are good, it’s a waste of time (& money) taking them. Plus a lot of vitamins have negative side effects if you have excess levels in your body.

There’s some research coming out now saying artificial sweeteners actually encourage weight gain. The body tastes sweet but there’s no calories & no ‘sugar’ (glucose/fructose/etc.) which it does need in small amounts. Your body reacts by storing additional calories you consume as fat. That’s the basic explanation. So all those so called diet sofas & other no added sugar foods are actually making you gain weight. If I don’t let the bubbles go out or at least reduce a lot from the tonic in my occasional G&T, my restriction kicks in. Plus I get the hiccups. I drink a large glass of sparkling water everyday but I pour the glass in the morning & let it sit for ages till it’s practically flat. I usually don’t finish it until mid to late afternoon. It’s just a change from plain water which I also drink through out the day.

I used to take BioCeuticals vitamins (specifically women’s essential but they have ones for men, Tim). They’re in capsule form so pretty easy to swallow - only two a day. They’re considered a practioner-only product so high quality. I believe you can get them in America now. They contain no sugar, sugar alternatives or sweeteners unlike chewy multivitamins so no calories. Another win.

It is a very individual thing & depends on how far a long the journey you are. My surgeon was a no to rice, bread & pasta. He was a eat your protein first, then if you can some vegetables (not starchy ones), then fruit. Carbs of any sort were way down on his list. In maintenance I added more carbs but only whole or multigrain ones. I eat quite a lot of dairy every day. I still avoid rice, pasta & bread at almost 2 years out. Mainly because if I can only eat a bare cup of food it’s going to be all nutritionally dense food. I was not going to fill or partially fill myself with empty calories. I did try soya bean pasta because it’s more nutritionally rich but it sat quite heavily in my tummy. Ugh! But this is me. You may be different & can tolerate it. There are lots of people who successful eat high protein low carb bread, pasta & rice in maintenance. I avoid fatty foods. I avoid as much sugar, artificial sweeteners & sugar alternatives as I can (it’s challenging). I generally don’t do so called low calorie, low fat, low carb, no added sugar, diet products. Don’t really do take away - three times I think in two years (chicken & cashews & steamed gyoza - ate the filling only) while with friends & no fast food at all. I cook my own food from scratch most of the time. That way I control the ingredients & how they’re prepared & cooked. I do eat out at restaurants but am very selective of what I eat. Though, I avoid sweet foods i.e. desserts, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, ... I did eat some fruit cake at Christmas & had a little bit of dessert but only then. I can eat them without issue but they’re danger foods for me (as are bread, pasta & rice). If I start eating them I know I’ll start gaining again. I don’t really miss them. There may be food you can’t tolerate well. There may be foods you decide not to eat anymore. There may be foods you allow yourself as an occasional treat or are a regular inclusion in your diet. It’s about working out what’s right for you to maintain a healthy weight & a happy life.

Congrats on your surgery. Speak with your medical team regarding your activity levels at this stage. Most encourage you to start back slowly after what is quite a major surgery. Gentle walks around your house, your street, your block depending on your energy levels. Remember, you’re not even supposed to be lifting or carrying anything of weight for the first couple of weeks. I didn’t start back on my treadmill for a month. But I also found my energy would drop very suddenly so I might have felt good for 5 minutes but then I could barely take a step. Listen to your body. It will tell you what your capable of doing within your team’s recommendations. As to did I break from my program? Nope. Never did. I made the decision I wasn’t going to ruin the opportunity the surgery afforded me. I was going to reassess what I ate, why I ate, when I ate. I did a lot of reading & made a lot of changes. I worked out a plan that worked for me while losing & adjusted it for maintaining. Eating a piece of pizza, cake, chocolate, ... just was not worth jeopardising what I wanted to achieve. One piece soon leads to two, three, four... But that was me. You have to make your own decisions. Good luck.

I was 200lbs. I reached my goal of 132lbs at 6 months & that was losing at a pretty average rate. Your loss seems pretty close to mine at this point too. I was about 13lbs off goal at 4 months. So you seem to be on track. Your weight loss does slow as you get closer to your goal so what your experiencing is to be expected. The loss slows because your caloric intake has been slowly increasing (as it should be) & is becoming closer to what your body requires to function at your weight & activity level. That’s what maintenance is about: finding the balance between how much you eat and what your body needs while you’re still enjoying your life. You don’t want to be so restrictive in how much & what you eat that you don’t enjoy your life just to be a certain number on your scale. Your new habits & routines must be sustainable. Are you only concerned you won’t reach goal because you’re losing more slowly? Remember there is no set time frame in which you have to lose. You’ll lose at your pace & in your time frame. It’s not a race. You’ll get there. Good luck & congratulations on your weight loss so far.

So wonderful. Well done.

You could be a late stall starter. Usually we talk about the three week stall but you can have your first one before three weeks or much later than that mark. We’re all different in how our bodies react to the changes we’re putting it through. But you have to remember stalls are a very normal part of this process. They’re just frustrating. Are you keeping to your plan? Are you tracking your food, protein & fluid intake? Are your portion sizes small (about 1/3 cup)? Give your medical team a call if the stall persists or if you have concerns about your plan. Good luck.

I couldn’t tolerate protein shakes either & the so called flavourless protein powder still had a taste for me. I turned to drinking yoghurt. Yopro was my favourite & I could get 22 or 30g of protein in depending upon the amount I drank so 1/3 - 1/2 of my protein daily goal. You can make your own by blending up your favourite yoghurt with milk. Protein bars may be too heavy to eat this early on. I didn’t introduce them to my diet until I was in maintenance.

Ugh. I so hate when someone deciding to have bariatric surgery experiences a lack of support from family & friends. I’m sure you didn’t decide to do this on a whim. You’ve obviously done research into the process as any sensible & intelligent person would. Bariatric surgery is very common these days & is a comparatively safe surgery. Going to be a bit harsh so sorry if I offend. First, you’ll be a hell of a lot more ‘out of commission’ if you continue being obese & your health deteriorates (joint pain, immobility, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues, ...). Secondly, selfish for deciding to having a surgery which will help you live a better & healthier life which will benefit your family too? I don’t think so. Is it selfish to have knee replacement surgery, or heart surgery? Either of which could be ahead of you if you don’t lose weight. Thirdly, that oh, you don’t need surgery likely comes from someone not wanting to offend by agreeing that you’re obese & need help. And finally, there’s a lot of people still married on this forum. I have two married friends & one married acquaintance who’ve had surgery & their marriages are fine (I’m not married so I don’t count). If 80% fail, at least two would be in trouble. They’re even beating the 50% of marriages fail stats. A lot of the comments people are making come from fear of the unknown. Everyone seems to know the negative stories but they conveniently forget the positive ones. Taking your wife with you on your next visit is a very good idea. Getting her on side will help manage the thinking of other members of your family. Just think of the day, you can say to them I told you it was the right thing to do. (You can always do the told you so dance ?.) Sure, your life will be different. But it’s a way better different. Good luck. You’ll always have support here.

Difficulty meeting fluid goals in the first couple of weeks is not uncommon. My surgeon said as long as I was working towards goal & was pretty close most days it was ok. I was a big water drinker pre surgery but after it was a challenge. I think the changes to our taste buds post surgery contributes. I also found water was almost heavy & sometimes drying. Weird. I’d sip diluted hydralyte (too sweet at full strength), green tea (sometimes it’s easier to sip warm drinks than cold) & drinking yoghurt. Try freezing some fluids so they’re like a popsicle. Now I also let sparkling water go flat & sip on that for some variety during the day - the mineral taste is more palatable Don’t forget, all your soups, shakes, etc, contribute to your fluid intake too. Try protein water. Crystal light seems to be pretty popular too. Good luck.

I used the weight I was at my first appointment to begin the process. Coincidently, it also was the highest weight I’ve ever been. I started cutting back from that appointment myself & saw the dietician the following week to begin the pre surgery diet. To me the first appointment was the beginning of my weight loss journey & when I started to lose my excess weight.

Don’t forget you hadn’t eaten for a while before your surgery so that could have contributed. Congrats on your surgery.

It’s likely something in your diet. I hardly passed wind at all while I was losing (it was weird) but I cut almost all carbs, starchy vegetables & sugars out of my diet while I was losing. Beans & carbs are my kryptonite & create a lot of wind for me. A lot more than before my surgery. Congrats on your surgery.

I do that too. Order a glass of wine on arrival. Sip until about 10 minutes after my order is taken so I have a window before my meal arrives. I leave another window until after my plate is removed & finish the glass when the others are having their dessert or coffee. I can’t drink a lot before dinner unless I can guarantee at least 20 odd minutes before I eat. I never seem to finish the whole glass though but found it’s easier if a bottle is ordered for the table. I can just have a small amount before my meal & have another after & the wine is kept cold in the ice bucket.