Spinoza

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.

100% pre made puff pastry @GreenTealael. No time (or desire) to make my own. 😁
Oh, yes shredded parmesan @Spinoza. I love caramelised onions so I might give your version a go too.

I think the Boursin is why the zucchini tart went so quickly because generally zucchini isn’t that popular. But the pistachios & drizzled honey probably helped too. 😉 I’m thinking about trying a little dollop of the Boursin on steak the next time I have it. I tried a little Boursin on a cracker but I didn’t like it as much as when with other savoury ingredients. Glad your family enjoyed it too @ms.sss.

omg these "Boursin"-carmelized-onion-tarts were a hit! (thanks for the idea @Arabesque), they are totally going on the pot-luck contribution rotation for future gatherings...
I made them into individual tarts, because I love hors d'oeurves-type presentations...plus i don't have to cut into anything to serve!
is funny because they ate a few before i took a pic of the pan, and then a couple more before i got them on a plate. they were that delicious!
I candied some bacon as well to put on top of them, but there were only 2 left by the time the bacon was done. Imma gonna make some candied-bacon-chocolate chip Cookies later instead.
i also didn't get a chance to put some of the seasoned arugula on top for garnish...i'll just eat it as a salad later.
yum!

I follow all WLS guidelines so what does any of that really matter. I am allowed to eat some carbs as it’s limited and I don’t weigh my food. I use a small plate and I know what my measurements are. I do drink 30 minutes before and after. If I want sugar I’ll eat it within my own guidelines since I’m working out and that’s only once a month cravings. I’m only 5’3 and carry my fat in my belly. My surgeon has no problem with my stall since I workout 4-5x a week. I’m more worried about the daily medications I take for GERD for the past 13 yrs which isn’t good. They have me on 2 acid reflux pills and antibiotics so idk if that’s an issue too. I can lose weight I’ve always been thin all my life except after having my last baby which caused my hernia and issues; by then I couldn’t exercise no more gained weight plus perimenopause belly weight gain on top of that has been hard. The first pic on top was 1 yr before surgery the second pic is recent on new years.

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.

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.

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.

The finished products. The zucchini tart had my Boursin cheese & was sprinkled with pistachios & drizzled with honey. There wasn’t a piece left of that so a success. The Tomato had semi dried tomato tapenade & caramelised onion under the tomato - was left with half so lunch & dinner sorted for a couple of days 😉. I so love the ease of pre made puff pastry. The salad cos, pear, fennel, walnuts & cranberries with a red wine vinegar. My serve in the last pxt - each piece was an 8th of the tart. Finished with a fruit platter & a truffled brie cheese & omg was that truffled goodness.
  

Hi, I’m the problem 😂

You drink you pee. Flush those toxins out. Reduce risk of bladder/kidney infections.I can easily pee 6 times a night & I still average 8 hrs most nights. I still drink during the night every time I get up to pee & get in another 250 odd mls (8ozs).
Even your Snacks should be nutrient dense which is why the waiting before & after eating to drink still applies. Don’t want to waste any of those nutrients, esp. Protein, by washing them through your digestive system too quickly,
Yes, in the beginning it can be a challenge to meet your fluid goals. But as long as you’re making an effort & are close & getting closer all is good. And it does get easier. Take larger sips, & more frequently.

I have been following the rule the way @ms.sss has, I have always drank up till the meal but afterwards, I've been hardcore about not drinking till at the very least 30 minutes, but usually go much longer, until I feel my stomach has emptied. The times I have drank after 30 minutes, I feel hungry much sooner so I wait as long as possible. It applies to Snacks and meals, any time you have anything other than a liquid, including Soup.

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

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 was supposed to have gotten bypass but she wanted sleeve to see if it’ll work since bypass is more major. I already knew my reflux wasn’t going to stop but it’s a chance I take. I’ve already researched bypass is best for GERD patients. But I’m just happy my hiatal hernia is repaired and my stomach is no longer in my chest causing severe pain.

I can lose belly weight it’ll just be my loose skin from having my kids that’ll need to be removed. Actually that pouch isn’t really big nor hanging a lot.

I am short 5'2" so my starting weight of 235 put me at 43.0 BMI, which is classified as Morbidly Obese.
I did not have GERD/acid reflux prior to my sleeve surgery, but I developed it after. I take/took the lowest dose PPI to control it, as well as adhere to a couple self-imposed rules to manage symptoms (sleep on empty stomach, etc). Having it did not seem to affect my weight loss:
By 6 months later I was 130 lbs...(lost 105 lbs) Weight levelled out at at 10 months post up and I clocked in at 115 lbs (lost 120 lbs total). 5+ yrs later I am 116.7 lbs this morning...and i still have GERD/acid reflux.

The tough truth is that you can't "spot lose" weight. Losing belly weight will come with losing weight in other parts of your body as well. Only sure fire way to get rid of your belly fat without affecting other parts of you is via plastic surgery/liposuction.

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 if you could get back to tracking asap that might be helpful. Also - could you revert to your immediate post-op diet plan and always go for Protein first, veg second, carbs last (or not at all)? That seems to help some people reset. I am sorry that you have so much guilt about what you eat. Get all of the carbs out of your house (especially sugar)? It's really hard to stick to weight loss plans with or without surgery to give us a hand. Please be kind to yourself. You're doing the best you can xxx
Your side bar is saying lap band 2009 and I'm thinking you've clearly had something else in the last year so if you could update your stats that would be really helpful to target advice/support better 🤩

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.

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

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.

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

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!