Smanky

Hiya. Long time vegan, and now years out from my surgery. Firstly, it's no harder getting protein in for a vegan than it is for an omnivore, so don't stress. Pre-op, I ate everything you ate, and post-op I eat the same. That first year after the surgery is the hardest, but I found it easy hitting my protein goals by eating good old high protein vegan staples of seitan and tofu as my small meals, vegan protein water, and protein fortified soy milk. I couldn't stomach the cloying sweetness of vegan protein shakes post-op, and still can't years later. But protein water was a fantastic substitute, and encouraged water consumption as well. These days, I mostly stick to tofu as my main protein source, as it's cheap and low calorie. Marinated tofu baked or air-fried tossed into meals, and silken tofu replaces cream and mayonnaise in any sauces or dressing for a much lower calorie result and bonus protein increase. Still love legumes, and vegetables and fruit are life. It's not unusual to come out the other end of surgery suddenly finding certain foods no longer agree with you. Coconut was mine, and it still makes me nauseous today. I don't miss it. Ultimately, don't stress. Your list is all wholefoods, and if that's your diet base then that's as balanced as it can get. Keep the balance going once you're over that first post-op year when things are readjusting - everything in that first year is temporary so be patient. Supplementing with protein shakes and water in that first year is normal, and I still have protein water post-gym. You absolutely don't have to stop being vegan.

Everyone else gave sterling advice, so I'm just gonna add from my own experience: if you feel you can't do it yourself, consider getting pharmaceutical help. I have ADHD and struggle with addictions and fixations, and I felt like I was losing control when I regained 6kg from my "happy weight" of 67kg. Talked to my GP and went on Contrave because it hits the addiction part of the brain. It worked, and I'm back in control and monitoring all my calories with a Fitbit (and avoiding sugar which I must do). I can finally admit that I will always need help if I slip - too overwhelming on my own, especially with my ADHD making it harder. So just a thought. A potential option if you feel it could be for you. Hoping all goes well!

I'm not talking natural sugars that occur in fruit etc. I'm talking processed. Totally understand what you're saying about sugar's role in a balanced diet, but for me, with my ADHD and tendency to get fixated and addicted fast - avoiding processed sugar is my fix for my situation. As always with all things, YMMV.

Definitely don't proceed if you're having doubts. My surgeon advised against the sleeve because of my pre-existing GERD, and I got the Omega Loop/Mini bypass instead. While my GERD thankfully didn't get worse, it still happens every so often so I'm still on Pantoprazole daily (which also stops stomach ulcers which I'm prone to). For what it's worth, I also have ADHD and take an antidepressant for chronic vestibular migraines. I make sure I take them after food and ease off water for a bit so they don't go down too fast, and don't really have any issues. I can't take any slow-release meds though, so Vyvanse and extended release Ritalin are out. I take Ritalin 10, which works fine.

I went away for a long time, got diagnosed with ADHD (suddenly my life makes so much sense...), and over the last five months I began to lose my grip on my diet and regain. My lowest was 65kg, my "happy place" was 67kg, and I regained back into the 70s at 73kg. The culprit? I allowed sugar back into my life. Never let sugar back in! It has no manners, touches your stuff and doesn't want to leave. Problem is, thanks in great part to my ADHD, I get addicted easily and tend to eat the same thing every day. When that thing is chocolate, I have a problem. I also have impulse control problems and when the food noise is raging, that's bad news. Solution: GLP1s or Contrave. I have a great GP who understands me and didn't reject my request for help to get back to my "happy place" 67kg. We decided against GLP1s and went with Contave instead, which works on countering addiction. The food noise that was driving me crazy has stopped, I quit sugar week 1 and am back in control. I'm nearing the end of month 2 (of 4) and am just over 1kg away from being back to where I need to be. I've stopped being hard on myself for needing help, because even if I could control my impulses there's nothing wrong with medication that's designed to help. Oh and the other thing that's been a game-changer for me: my partner got me a Fitbit. I realise I'm so behind on this it's like screaming "cars have computers?!?!" at a dealership, but being able to track my calories and see the deficit has made a huge difference. So if you're neurodivergent and regaining, hopefully my experience with Contrave can help a little.

Hi Edward, The original thread starter left the forum ages ago, but I'll try to answer being veteran MGB patient now well into maintenance. Regarding "bad things". Honestly, EVERY bariatric surgery option comes with issues from mild to (thankfully rarer) serious. It's worth remembering that people on forums like this mostly ask questions when they think things are going wrong or are looking for reassurance. Stalls are common for ALL procedures. GERD is common in the sleeve but not everyone gets it. Pain? Well yeah, it's major surgery so expect it to hurt. Your body has to recover from about five deep stab wounds, being inflated, and then having the stomach cut apart and intestines rearranged. That will take time to recover from! What I think is surprising is how FAST the body recovers considering what it goes through. And if, like me, you have a hiatal hernia repair at the same time, it's another level of pain to wade through, but it does improve. And I take ibuprofen and aspirin. I was never told "never again". I don't take it frequently, but when I have to, I take it. Nothing horrible has happened, and I AM prone to ulcers. To combat my ulcers, I take Pantoprazole. No biggie. As for the hunger, it seems different for everyone across all procedures. My hunger came back about six months in. The restriction remains though, and some things have remained permanently off the menu, like coconut milk/cream and more than one bite of bread or potatoes. It's different for everyone, but I really am glad I got the MGB/Omega Loop. Worked a treat, I lost almost 120% of my excess body fat, and my lab results are all great so the vitamin intake hasn't been an issue.

I have a philtrum piercing, and did have a labret, but when I took it out for a medical procedure, it closed over so quick I decided that after ten years I was ok not getting it re-pierced. Love my philtrum piercing, though. Piercings are great, tattoos are great, I'm pro-body mods. Don't care what anyone else thinks, and don't care what someone else chooses to do so long as they're happy. Nose piercings are a great choice - they're pretty low on the pain, look fantastic, and don't close over as fast as mouth piercings do if you need to take it out for any reason! My recommendation is go to a dedicated body piercing place, do not let anyone near you with a piercing gun, those things are horrible and don't pierce clean. Surgical steel is the standard, and your piercer will be able to recommend the right jewelry. Once it's healed, you can swap the jewelry out whenever you feel like a change.

I often wonder how different I feel to my partner. He had decades of cuddling a chubby-to-obese partner in bed, to now cuddling what I can only imagine feels a bit like a human-shaped collection of broomsticks. I mean he was on the gradual journey with me, so it's not an overnight change, but still. Gotta be wild!

That is excellent, Summerseeker! I honestly think we're just so hard-wired from years of obesity to expect the worst when it comes to scales, even when there's no need. And I agree with Catwoman, I think on holiday the activity portion is way higher than our day-to-day activity, and because it's on holiday, you don't notice because you're so distracted by fun stuff. I know I came back from a week at an interstate festival that felt like I'd eaten loads and was prepared for the scales to show it... and yeah, rather than gaining I'd lost a little more. It's wild!

I lived on protein water in the first few months when I couldn't eat more than two mouthfuls of anything. Kept me hydrated and got protein into me. Nothing bad happened and I still get a lot of my protein from protein water.

I expect it's very common. Post-surgery, I can no longer eat coconut milk, coconut cream or anything coconut based. I used to love laksas and thai curries, but now they'll make me sick. Can't tolerate more than a small bite of bread or potato. None of these things has improved even a smidge and I'm almost two years out, so I've accepted that they're pretty much off the menu for good.

The burning you're describing sounds like an ulcer. I'm prone to them and will develop one quickly if I stop taking Pantoprazole. So it could be that, but with the vomiting complication and severity of the burning sensation you're having I'd be going to the ER. This needs checking out!

It'll be over before you know it. The early weeks can be a challenge, but it's a drop in the ocean time wise. Just distract yourself with everything you can to get your head off food.

My symptoms (both with my gallbladder and post-gallbladder removal) when I have an attack is a gradual (usually within two minutes) increase in pressure just under the ribcage on my right side, right where my gallbladder used to be. It's not sharp, or instant like yours is, but It IS unbearable once it's in full swing, and I'm usually rolling around on the bed or the floor groaning, swearing and breathing it out until it mercifully goes away. So what you're describing sounds different to a gall attack, or like in my case : a post-gallbladder removal duct blockage that lasts around a minute or two. Does your surgeon's office have someone they can pass you on to until your surgeon returns?

There were clothes that I liked that I never got to wear because as I dropped the weight, I missed the window of time to fit them properly. So in terms of clothes, yeah, I do get that. HOWEVER. I do not miss one gram of the fat I've lost and the joy of thrifting and looking good in standard size clothing far outstrips any disappointment I ever had at getting too small for old clothes I liked.