Spinoza

OK so I could eat most of that in one sitting these days! There's no way I could stop when you did, but I'd have a break of a few hours (3 approx) before having to eat again. How long after those three bites of the sandwich and few forkfuls of the greens did you need to eat again OP??

I've stuck to buying underwired bras - two at a time and only when the current bras were clearly ridiculously large - as I lost weight. I tried to buy reasonably cheap versions - sometimes that worked out and sometimes it didn't! I'm at goal now (regaining a little if anything) and buying 'forever' underwear, LOL. I've never needed anything officially compression but I know others prefer that. I don't mind a bit of saggy skin underneath my underwear. Nobody sees it!

Oooooh they look so good and yes tiny enough for a handbag! They do seem to be relatively high in sugar so maybe one for maintenance as opposed to the weight loss phase?

I second the suggestion of a car cool box/fridge. Opens up so many possibilities! Don't go with processed food unless that's all you can tolerate (our stomachs tell us what to eat 3 months out)! If you can go for fruit, cheese, deli meat, raw veggies and hummus then that will get you far. Good luck!

Amazing. Well done you! Is there more mileage in your sleeve do you think? I really hope you smash that goal right out of the park!

I did stick to very soft protein and veggies at 5 weeks. I needed a lot of liquid (soup or gravy) to get it down. I loved fish, it felt a lot lighter than meat for a main meal to help with my protein goal. Tiny portions though. Also I was still relying on protein drinks to make my goal. Scrambled egg (less than one) were a godsend. I was probably consuming 400 calories per day between 4 and 6 weeks. I soon progressed to 600, maybe 2 months out? Hope this helps OP.

Love love love that blog post, it's joyous. ✨

THIS! One of life's constants.

And do I spy a little salty tang of parmesan on the salad? 😍

They all look absolutely delicious. Will deffo try the boursin recipe soon. Hope you had much fun. My go-to puff pastry topping is goat's cheese, caramelised onions and walnuts. Might substitute your boursin, think it would be perfect!

It's absolutely normal to be scared. I think lots of us will have delayed surgery for years precisely because of the fear of one thing or another. Eventually the fear of being fat and unhealthy for the rest of your life overtakes the (very healthy and normal) fear of the unknown and we take this big big step. It is a positive step for most people and I hope it is for you both too. Keep posting, we all want to help.

I would second the idea of trying warm liquids - I found it much easier to hit my fluid targets this way. Have you thought about VLCD-type soups? They are high protein (because they're intended to contain a whole day's requirement in 3 servings). Alternatively greek yoghurt/skyr or protein yoghurts? One tub of the latter has 20g protein and I could usually manage one in two or three sittings at your stage. I also quite enjoyed the pureed food phase, although there's no way I would have come anywhere close to my protein goals on the volume I could manage a month post op. There are so many things to juggle with your new stomach. The first few weeks can be difficult, and we worry about everything at the start. I think you'll relax into it and be absolutely fine. Keep trying your best and asking for advice - there are so many people here with loads of experience to share.

At 5 weeks post op I was just having 3 teeny tiny meals and lots of fluids. When you say you *want* a snack in between meals do you mean that you fancy something in particular (head hunger) or that you can't distract yourself from proper hunger with fluids or random activities, or that even if you do that you still feel proper hunger? 5 weeks would be super early for proper hunger to return! In any case, and to answer your original question - I stuck rigidly to the 30m before *and* after rule for about 18 months. I found after that that I could drink right up to the point of eating so I relaxed that part. However I still wait for more than an hour after eating before I drink fluids. It seems to prolong my satiety. Best of luck - I hope you can find your way through.

I had christmas 6 weeks after my surgery and I just didn't go to the big family celebration that year. Birthday a couple of months afterwards and again I spent that with immediate family and stuck to my plan (3 months after surgery by then). 2 years post op now, I could have anything I want but honestly I find I'm happy with a small tasty meal and a glass of wine. I did try some sweet stuff this christmas but if I'm honest none of it was as fantastic as I had built it up in my head to be. A few bites of something sweet when you want it is unlikely to throw you right off plan. Beware dumping though - I have no experience and it's not as common with the sleeve but I would start with very small amounts of sweet or fatty stuff (not a whole cupcake perhaps!) And happy birthday! You've just given yourself the best present anyone ever could have.

This is all really informative. Thank you for providing so much detail OP. I hope you recover really well.

Oh we so need to see the finished product!!!! Was it as lush as it sounds???

I haven't read the research but in general terms if a food has proven health benefits then it might be better to just eat the whole food rather than add a powdered derivative to water, or to take pills with bits of it contained, or to drink the juice. Totally understand we're volume restricted after surgery but I hope you can get back to whole beetroot really soon!

Oh I think you've answered your own question there! Heavily plugged =back away??? 😂

OP you really must stick to your plan one week post op. Yes it is really difficult for some people and I'm sorry you're one of them. Solid food a week after surgery can honestly be dangerous. You won't feel full because the nerves to your stomach have been cut and sutured and you need to let them grow back. This is why you can eat anything. You CAN, but you SHOULD NOT. Drink drink drink. If you meet your fluid goals I suspect your hunger will be easier to ignore.

Hi OP! Lots of us won't know what trimfit is. Or how it would help a post bariatric surgery lifestyle. I think most of us just stick to the plan our surgeons set out. We see greater or lesser losses depending on a number of variables. Please could you provide a link or a clearer description of what it is and what you're hoping to achieve by incorporating it into your plan?

I love that you are downsizing before you even have your surgery! Kudos to you for sticking to your pre-op diet so well and seeing such a big loss. I think size 10s are totally realistic for you. Be prepared to buy things for work before you can wear those clothes, but absolutely be prepared to buy smaller sizes too as you shrink further. Welcome to your new life OP.

I think this is what we all fear OP. This community is so positive. If you can give us some more information about your surgery, starting weight, total loss, etc. then people will better be able to help. Please can you tell us how and why you think you regained? That might help others from going down the same path. Without knowing more I would advise reverting to your post op diet plan - protein first, veg second, carbs third. Alcohol only when you know it's not adding to your issues. I wish you all the best. I think you have knowledge to share that will help those of us earlier in our journeys and I KNOW that people here will want to give more specific help once we know more.

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope it can happen soon and that you're back to hiking in no time - better than ever.

All look very familiar starwars! That's very much what my meals look like these days. How is your sister doing now, if you don't mind me asking? You kind of disappeared for a while - hope she's OK.

Also - I adore cheese 😍🤣