Spinoza

I'm almost six months post sleeve and I have cooked everyone else's main meal since pretty much day 1. I also sat at the table at dinner time so we ate as a family. These days I just have what I've cooked for everyone else but concentrating on the protein and some veg - still don't have room at all for carbs although I've had the occasional teaspoon of mashed potato because I love it. I don't follow recipes so I have to taste all the time - sometimes by the time I come to serve everyone else I'm already full - especially things like a ragu - I'm super fussy about getting that right so have to taste it a *lot*

End of a stall here too - thank goodness, it's boring as heck. I can't say anything made the difference in the end - just kept keeping on. I do wonder whether the people who say that increasing protein or increasing exercise or increasing water 'broke' their stall were just distracting themselves with those things and the stall was going to break anyway, but then swear they were THE reason??

So glad you're through everything and back here already SD! Are you home again? I also lost 5lbs on the day of surgery but it was a full 2 weeks before I lost anything more. So weird how different it is for everyone.

I remember that day so well. The taste and texture of real food for the first time in what seemed like forever. And the reassurance that my restriction really was there. Enjoy - sounds like you're doing really well.

You are doing amazingly. I lost 7lbs last month - my stats are almost the same as yours OP although I'm a bit taller so my BMI is lower. I agree with the others, do check you're not slipping diet-wise, make sure you're doing some exercise and you should be fine. Some people here have really seen a whoosh after upping their protein intake significantly, others after changing their exercise routine, and others after increasing fluids. All worth a try I guess!

I pureed entire family dinners and definitely had some cauliflower in those with no problem at all. Hope it agrees with you - I looove cauliflower - just had some with my lunch!

https://mexicobariatriccenter.com/will-my-stomach-stretch-after-gastric-sleeve-surgery/ Good luck for tomorrow! I found the above page useful. I've read a study recently that showed that on average gastric sleeve pouches increase gradually in size after surgery to an average of 240ml (about 8 oz) at 2 years. That is necessary to allow you to get enough nutrition for the long term. I can try to find it again if you want to read it? I totally agree with the above posters that you can eat around your sleeve - people who eat slider foods and who graze all day, and who drink when they're eating (look for the youtube video with applesauce - it's hilarious but such a good demonstration of why you shouldn't do that) can get a LOT of calories in. If you stick to nutrient dense foods and stick to your dietetic program you should be fine!

I'm still pretty much doing that six weeks on. I don't have to think nearly as much about what I eat now. Big challenge in a few weeks' time when I go out for a meal with family (I haven't told them about my surgery). The restaurant only does a tasting menu so there are about 8 courses to get through. I hope they come slowly, I can drink a bit to help them slip down, and that I can 'share' (i.e. pass on) plenty of what's on my plate! I'll be telling them I'm cutting down, because that's the truth.

Ow wow - look at those losses and BMIs!!! I'm so glad to see you all doing so well. And I didn't know there was a 5-6 month stall, thanks for that. I'm right slap bang in the middle of it I think and I want it to GO AWAY NOW! What are you all doing exercise-wise? I think this is my next big hurdle. I walk the dog most days and do a really fast long walk (well, 3 miles) with a friend once a week. I think I need to do more but I work really long hours and it's easier just to veg out on the couch after work. I think the lighter evenings will help though. Gonna ask my friend whether we could walk on another night too - it's good motivation. And whether she might do the couch to 5k programme with me, I think it's time!

Can you arrange some help around the home for the first week or so (especially since you have small children)? That would be a godsend. Otherwise, I second having some different kinds of clear fluids available - I drank vegetable bouillon a *LOT* in the clear liquids phase. And herbal teas - plain water was so samey and I liked warm fluids much better than cold for those first couple of weeks, and seemed to be able to drink them more steadily. Best of luck - I think you're doing this at a fantastic time - my only regret re WLS is not having done it 15 years earlier so I could do more things with my children when they were small.

Amazing - congratulations!!! I don't have any wisdom to offer (too old to have had to research any of this, LOL) but after six years you must be absolutely over the moon. I understand your trepidation but I hope if you talk it through with your surgical team they'll be able to reassure you. I hope everything goes really well for you

My plan permitted caffeine from day 1 and I would have really struggled without it, but they're all so different! It's not caused any issues for me. I had my first alcohol almost 6 weeks post op because it was xmas and I would have felt SO deprived without a glass of fizz - but I cleared that with my dietician first. I'm 5.5 months out now and have some alcohol every weekend but I know it's totally empty calories and must be slowing my weight loss to some extent - that's a hit I am willing to take. With regard to your favourites, they honestly mightn't be your favourites any more! I was a complete chocoholic before I had my sleeve, but honestly (really honestly) I would really rather have a chicken salad these days. How times change, and long may it last. But yes, as everyone else says, within a short time most people can eat most things again, just in smaller quantities. In the meantime, sit back, get your protein in, and enjoy watching that weight fall off. It's absolutely magical.

I had this pain too in my large incision. And just as it was improving I bent over (putting my dog in its crate) and pulled it and it hurt all over again for another few days. I agree it might be best to take another few days off work if you can at all. Poor you - huge sympathies, it's nasty.

I took 3 weeks off and I was glad I did - the pain really disturbed my sleep for a couple of weeks and even in the third week I was still really fatigued, and spending all day trying to reach my fluid intake goal! I could have gone back after 2 weeks but I think it would have been really pushing it for me to go back after one.

How lovely to hear you had such a positive experience. I hope that some of the people who were asking about WLS got the courage to move forward with it. Not the right thing for everyone, as you say, but when it is it really is.

Oh I went looking for our thread and I can't believe it was on PAGE 3!!! Outrageous! Updates please? I'm doing well - have hit a bit of a stall for the last two weeks but I had one coming. Hoping to see the scales move again soon - I have more to lose! Feeling great, walking really fast these days for exercise and actually broke into a trot a few times recently - do you think I could run again? I would SO love that - I told my surgeon that when he asked what my main goal for WLS was. Edited to add - and it sounded completely ridiculous then, but not so much now...

Fantastic to hear you are doing so well and feeling so good!

Aw that's such bad luck to hit a totally unrelated setback when you were doing so well! You're absolutely entitled to a bit of a wallow. You know this isn't the end though, just a blip. Upper body workouts for the next couple of weeks? I hope you recover really soon.

I asked my dietician about alcohol and she said a glass or two of champagne during the winter holidays was fine - I was 5.5 weeks post op by then. It did hit me harder and wear off quicker than before. I've had wine most weekends since then - one or two glasses. I'm certain it must have slowed my weight loss because there are calories in it, but I accept that because I really like wine. I hope you got some answers that were helpful OP!

I'm 5.5 months post op and still don't have room for carbs once I've had my protein. I do eat plenty of veggies - e.g. had a one egg omelette for dinner with onion, red pepper, mushroom - and I do have some berries with breakfast. I eat very little in the way of refined carbs now - the occasional potato chip is about it! I would be happy to eat like this forever. Processed food and refined carbs are what made me obese.

Brilliant start! It's so motivating when you see the weight come off, isn't it? Hope your surgery goes smoothly liveaboard.

I was never asked to quit caffeine either. I would have found that almost impossible.

Huge chocolate bars. I ate them every day in the before times. I am a bone fide, dyed-in-the-wool chocaholic, currently abstinent. I do have the occasional square of 100% cocoa bar (no sugar) but honestly I can't believe how little I am interested these days. Just not worth the space in my stomach at the minute. I hope it stays like that for a looooong time too.

Oh, interesting video, thank you! I drink carbonated drinks most weekends and they don't seem to bother my sleeve at all. I do stir or pour a good bit of the fizz out of them first, but they still sparkle enough to give me that refreshing fizzy mouth feel that I like.

Hi Capri. I took my partner and children along with me on this journey. They are my support. If I was single I think I would have just done it alone though. None of my extended family would understand why I needed to do it, and it's not up to me to get them there. Some of my siblings have struggled with weight, some haven't. None has been morbidly obese as I have, or spent their entire adult life either gaining or losing weight - basically starving or binging. So of course they won't understand. We do here, as lots of us have had the same experience as you. Hopefully as your sister sees you getting lighter and healthier then she will be happy for you. But you can't make that happen for her. Kudos to you for taking that first step to make YOUR life better.