Spinoza

Food looks amazing - and what a view!

My absolute go-to book is A Pound of Cure by Matthew Weiner. For months after my sleeve I angsted over not getting my 5+ portions of (fruit and) veg every day but now I get that by lunchtime most days. My only other advice would be to stick to protein first, veg second, carbs third at every single meal. It works.

I have a sleeve but I have never measured anything. I suspect it might be different for people with a bypass? My stomach tells me when it's had enough - it has increased steadily from a couple of teaspoons 16 months ago to about half a plate of food at each meal these days. Strangely (with hindsight - having read lots here) I was never given any goals at all - just protein first, veg second, carbs if you need something more, and it's worked out really well for me. I hope you can relax into your surgery and best of luck with your new life 🤗

I feel your frustration OP. Hitting your stride can be really difficult. My advice 5 weeks out would be to try to hit your fluid goal and your protein goal as many days as you can, and to let everything else fall into place around those. Don't fret too much about calories at your stage - you are unlikely to be able to physically get enough in to gain weight, or even be close to maintaining your current weight - you are programmed to lose right now. Be mindful of everything you take in and aim to form habits for a new and healthy life. I wish you the very best of luck.

Hi Bridge! Can you fill us in on some of your stats? If you only had a little weight to lose in the first place it might be that your body has gained a little and settled into its new 'set weight' now. If you had loads to lose and you didn't quite get there then it might be helpful instead to unpick exactly what you did straight after your surgery. I think the sleeve 'reset' might in many cases just be going back to the rules your team gave you after your surgery. Lots of fluids, protein first at every meal, veg second, carbs last. You are still early in your journey so I suspect if you go right back to those basics you still have time to lose loads more weight (if you need to). I have only just stopped losing weight 16 months after my sleeve. You will get good advice here, so well done for seeking help and best of luck!

So inspirational so hear your story. It gives the rest of us hope to maintain our losses. You look amazing and happy. Huge congrats.

I had my first champagne about 6 weeks after my sleeve and I've drunk carbonated drinks ever since - doesn't bother me but I think there's a LOT of variation. It's one of those things I would take very easy first time round and give yourself plenty of time between sips (to buuuuuuurp - a lot LOL!) Also be really careful with alcohol - you may find your tolerance is virtually zero after surgery.

Fascinating article (the first link, LOL) thanks GT!

Yes indeed - I think what the OP was going for was a cheap but lovely pair of size 18s to look at longingly and then love being able to fit into! Totally agree - spending serious money on "in-between" sizes is not to be recommended. You will sail through and out the other end so quickly!

Could you share your stats please @gabbykittyvsg??? When did you have the sleeve?

So annoying. I love the idea of incentive shopping though. I hope you do find those size 18s somewhere else and you're into them in no time!

Sounds really rough. I hope you're coming out the far end now OP.

Fingers crossed that's the end of them. What a difficult time you've had

No to different vitamins to prevent hair loss. It's rubbish and can be really stressful but eventually it grows back. Most of it anyway. 👍

OMG FAB FAB FAB! Wishing you success in the next 2 months too. You've got this FMO xxx

I considered the band, but less than a day of research convinced me never to have it. Got sleeved instead and have never looked back. What puts you off more invasive surgery OP? It's definitely a bigger investment in the short term but I think well worth it in the longer term. Best of luck whatever you decide.

Honestly at the pureed phase I literally just pureed whatever my family was eating with some extra gravy or sauce! Honestly the most delicious meal I had - possibly ever - was the pureed roast lamb dinner with veg that I ate a few weeks after surgery. I still remember that flavour explosion after 2 weeks of liquids. Never had another protein shake EVER after that. Proper food FTW! Best of luck!

I was on full fluids from day 1 - the very first thing I was given post op was coffee and strained yoghurt (which I simply could not get down). 2 weeks of those, 2 of puree, then onto normal but softer foods progressing as I felt able. Surgeons really do differ a lot. I did like comparing my programme to others here though - still do! Best of luck, hope you do really well OP.

OMG that is beyond frustrating. The only certainty I've ever had re dieting is that if you get your calorific intake low enough it's impossible NOT to lose weight. Your experience goes against that completely. I would ask my doctor for a full physical and an explanation if I was in your situation. I'm so sorry, the surgery is such a big commitment it's totally unfair that it hasn't worked as you hoped it would (and we all did too). The only other suggestion I can offer is looking at your exercise regime and whether you could alter that in any way. But that's just to try to make a positive suggestion. Best of luck.

My plan didn't exclude them but I've only ever used them as something to buy and eat in an absolute emergency when I couldn't get absolutely anything better (so - once, LOL). I am a huge fan of deli meats and cheese - you can buy them virtually everywhere you go and they seem to suit me better.

I echo those above. I have eaten virtually no pasta or potatoes in the last 15 months. I can just about tolerate bread, so have been able to eat it in situations where there isn't anything more suitable, but it lies in my stomach like a lump of lead afterwards. Rice is the same - I can have two or three small pieces of sushi and then my stomach says 'no more'. It's really weird but helpful weird, IYKWIM!

Lots of personal experience gets quoted and shared on this forum because that's the nature of this type of forum I think. I can only speak for myself but I know I don't stay full for nearly as long if I drink soon after eating. I know this because I have used it to eat bigger volumes than I normally can, in situations where I want to (for my own reasons, usually obfuscation, LOL). I wouldn't generalise my experience, it's just my very own - but it is my experience. 😊

You're doing so well FMO. So glad you're back on track - you're an absolute inspiration xx

I had to do 2 weeks of 800 calories max - whatever way I wanted to do that was fine. There are so many different programmes it's almost unbelievable! Hope you get out the far end unscathed OP.

Yeah - drinking soon after eating pushes food through a sleeve quicker. We're a lot less prone to dump than people who have had a bypass, but some of us still do. I have been super lucky - have pushed the boundaries of my sleeve in a number of ways when it suited me but never paid a big price. I can drink right up until I eat but I don't like to drink for at least an hour after (preferably two) - I have framed that in my head as a total waste of my sleeve.