kiel_d-01

I'm 4 weeks and 2 days post op. I'm down 18 pounds since surgery. My clothes are also looser and I really love it, too. My weight loss was happening really fast, in the first couple of weeks and it was kind of scaring me. Thankfully, it has slowed down.
I start soft foods, today. So far, I haven't had any problems with getting in enough Protein and Water.
My hunger is really starting to return. So I've had to start eating food more often. I was eating 3 times a day, now I'm up to 5. I've cut down my use of Protein Shakes to 1 or 2 per day. I was drinking 3, before. I'm typically getting anywhere from 600-900 calories per day.
I was cleared for exercise, so I've been doing slow walks on my elliptical - 15 minutes a day and keeping it under 7 miles per hour. I'm trying real hard not to overdo it.
My incisions are healing. I have one that was bigger than the others and it's being a little slow to close up. I still have some bruising. I'm still fairly sore. But, if I sneeze now, I don't feel like I'm going to die. So that's progress.

I'm 3 weeks and a couple days out now and I think I'm hitting the dreaded "3 week stall" or at least for me, the 3 week slow down. I was losing 1 pound a day before and the past few days it's been closer to .1-.2. I'm okay with this still even if it does come to a halt for a while.
My stomach healing seems to be going backwards though. It has started cramping a lot while eating and drinking, and even occasionally when I'm just sitting here doing nothing. My team told me to go back to liquids for a couple days, so I've been doing that. ☹️ I was supposed to start soft foods next Tuesday but now it looks like I won't be able to.

Just checking in with everyone. I had my two week post op checkup today and I'm down 10 lbs since surgery date and 30 lbs since starting the journey last summer. My pants are getting baggy and I love it! I'm on the pureed diet which has been going pretty well. It's hard to fit enough Protein and liquid in each day but I'm trying! How is everyone else from October doing?

I had the gastric sleeve on October 6th and I would say I'm doing fantastic! The hardest part was the first week. It was weird to have zero appetite at all, but the hardest part was the gas pains. In the last month I've lost 34 lb since surgery and I couldn't be happier. Don't be surprised if you hit a plateau for a couple weeks that happened to me and evidently it's extremely common and the more weight you lose the more likely you are to hit a plateau for a while. Just hold on and keep doing the diets. The only thing I'm struggling with is getting exercise into my day as I'm exhausted by the end of the day since I have no carbs, no sugar, no caffeine to help by. Just hold on and know that the pain of the first couple days is only temporary. In the more you walk, the better you'll be.
When I was on the liquid diet I loved low sodium broth as well as lots and lots of sugar-free popsicles. They really hit the spot and soothing your throat if it's a little sore from the innovation and also they just feel good when they hit your stomach. Good luck on your surgery! I just had mine on the 6th and I feel fully recovered to the point where sometimes I forget I even had surgery. It's pretty awesome!

So excited to be reading how everyone is doing! So far I have lost a total of about 32 lbs since my pre-op diet and I am 5 weeks out! The weight loss is MUCH slower than I anticipated and mentally that has been easier on me. I thought I would drop 20lbs a week or something but I have been losing about 5-6 lbs a week. My doctor wants me to lose a pound a day and I get pretty close but not quite there, which seems to be ok as well.
I started working out again but the last week and a half my energy has been LOW. I went on a work trip and when I came back it seems like I could not recover. I think I am just going through some serious fatigue right now. I think it could be that I may not be getting enough Water. I try SO HARD. I have lost track of the amount daily but have started counting again. This work is so hard and I just want to get to a place that it doesn't take that much space in my mind!

I eat eggs every morning with a tsp of cottage cheese mixed befire cooking and melted cheddar on top (real cheddar not plastic) and a bit of mild salsa.
I just do a soft scramble, I cook low and slow and turn off the heat when it's still got a little liquid. The residual cooks it completely and it's super soft. Then I just chew chew chew. No issues. 3.5 weeks post op.
For Thanksgiving, try pureed turkey with gravy. I love doing chicken in this way. So much flavor though I can only do about 2 oz over an hour. (My surgeon allows pureed meats in pureed stage :/)
there's a lovely SF pumpkin mouse recipe on pinterest that would be perfect for a treat.

It kind of feels nice to be transitioning into other phases with other people who understand. I started pureed foods on the 3rd. It's been a bit harder both because I want real food (namely chicken lol) and because I feel a lot more of that really overly full feeling on this phase. When I was on liquids, I didn't really have the pressure on my breastbone that they talk about. But on pureed, it has been pressing and not long after I start eating stuff. It sucks. I've even had to stay up later at night to wait for my food to empty a bit because I couldn't take my nighttime meds (that I take in Protein shake) because I felt so full. I've decided to swap out one of my meals to just Soup daily - and it'll likely be my evening one so I can take my medications.
I can't wait until the next phase... counting down. It's gonna suck watching my family members eat turkey and gravy in front of me this weekend though lol (we're having an early Thanksgiving since a family friend is flying in to celebrate).
Question for those in here though - were you allowed to have scrambled eggs during pureed? Everywhere I read online (doctor's offices, universities, etc) say you can, but my PA was staunch on no eggs unless they're pureed -- which is disgusting lol. I wanted to know if anyone else is eating them or has eaten them during pureed.

I can start more solid foods tomorrow. So excited! I’m so sick of Soup and liquidy foods! First thing I’m getting is a bowl of Wendy’s chili.

Started purees yesterday, which feels like a big change. My digestive system has definitely woken up! Possibly TMI, but after two weeks of very infrequent visits to the toilet I suddenly understand why they say to try new foods at home :/ Honestly, I wish I could just stay on the clear whey powders! But I am committed to doing what the clinical team tells me, because I know my relationship with food is f*cked and they are actual experts. And I’m happy to say I’ve lost over 20lbs in the first two weeks - that plus my weight loss from the pre op diet means like I’m already almost a third of the way through my weight loss! That’s pretty crazy, but also ridiculously motivating.

One month post-op. Saw my surgeon and dietician today. Everything was good and had been able to move on to phase 3, soft foods. Total loss 74lbs since may, 21lbs post-op. I'm very happy but I have recently hit that stall that alot of you talk about. I just keep doing what I know to be right and I know it'll be ok and soon the weight will start coming off again. Overall, the 1st month wasn't too bad.

I was mostly curious if my pouch was working. I've had very little issues since the beginning and I was starting to wonder if they made my pouch too big or something. That's the only reason I went for the whole .5 cup. Which was stupid in hindsight. 😅
I do struggle with eating too fast though. I ordered some little sand timers so I can slow down between bites. I was always a fast eater before surgery so that transition has been a bit difficult.

You should be doing about 1/4 cup at this stage, over a hour. Eat slow so you don't miss your full signal and over eat.

I ate a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese today and ooooof did I feel that. I was full the rest of the day and almost had a hard time getting my Water and Protein in. I'm glad my pouch is working as intended. I won't do that again. 😂

blood tests, pregnancy test, got naked and ready to go lol

I was the same way with both the vsg and after my revision to rny. Usually people post if they have problems. When things go so smooth, we just talk calories... Etc. You're doing great.

Good to know I’m not the only one!

Have you tried drinking the Protein Shake. Yeah I’m slowing transitioning into purée food. Just found it weird I was able to eat a several spoons of mash potatoes without a problem. Of course I didn’t go over bored but yeah hopefully it’s not the same with solids.

I'm the same way. One week out and I'm easily getting my Water in (70-90+ oz a day). I don't need to sip and feel like I can drink a lot at a time. I can't necessarily chug anything (tbh I haven't tried cause I'm scared) but I have caught myself gulping a few times and it was fine. I contacted my team and they say to be grateful to be staying hydrated and that some people handle it better than others. And liquids run through you quicker. It should be way different when we get to solid foods. Mashed potatoes are pretty thin compared to something like a chicken breast which should fill us up more.
I have my moments where I worry about it too though. I'm really trying to trust the process and follow my programs recommendations. Mine recommends no more than 1/4 a cup per meal so I'm sticking to that. I'm not full but satisfied enough that I'm not starving. Puree stage sucks lol.

So update on puree... it was... not as good as I expected. The texture of everything (besides the ricotta bake) squicks me out. I can't get over the "baby food" thing especially with the puree chicken I put in my chicken enchilada puree. The crab rangoon was a no go. I threw them away. Tried making deviled egg puree cuz it sounded good. Ended up being gross. I took some buffalo chicken dip and thinned it out with cottage cheese and that was ok I guess. The best was the ricotta bake. The texture isn't so bad but it's just kinda meh on flavor. Next time I'm gonna try adding more italian seasoning. I was able to handle 2 tablespoons eaten over a 20 minute period which left me satisfied. So that was a win.
I'm kinda bummed overall but at least it's not forever.

At the end of last year, my life was over eating and especially lots of sugar. I binged on little debbie cakes, guzzled icees, had many high calorie starbucks drinks and a lot of fast food.

I ate and drank so unhealthy that it really was a slow suicide. It was killing me and frankly I did not care, but rather welcomed it.

After several things snowballing, the first of 2022 I started to take control. I made a choice to live. I struggled to work out the pain of the past and even current circumstances which lead me to cover the pain in food, especially sugar and non nutrient dense carbs. The pain that brought me well over 400 lbs and climbing. I journaled and cried and started to stand up for myself. I also did take Ryselbus which helped give me a leg up to do the work. My husband took it but the effects wore off some because he didn’t change. I knew i needed to change if I wanted to live.

Over a few months, I did the very hard mental work. I broke addictions to fast food and the sugar. Going through the process sucked. Slowly, I repeated over and over again I was worth forgiving to getting into this unhealthy state. I could heal and forge a new way. I didn’t need sugar or binging on pizza to make me feel better, I could finally start to find empathy and forgiveness for myself.

Now I am two days from life changing bariatric surgery in a good place. I am ready for the huge changes this surgery brings. No longer do I binge on sugar, bread, processed food. I don’t even want to binge 90% of the time and I have self soothed myself with forgiveness and understanding the other 10%. I have changed my eating patterns, my portions, my outlook. Sugar isn’t forbidden forever, but it will now be a treat, a sometimes indulgence.

It feels amazing to be able to make that choice instead of being ruled by cravings. I feel lighter from not having to carry as much of the huge burden of self loathing and self hate I used to carry.

I am worth forgiving myself.

I guess really why I am writing this is I know the struggle is so real. each one of you has your own issues and challenges. Each one of you is worthy of self forgiveness and embracing good things in your life. shed the tears, embrace your flaws and find a way to accept yourself and move forward in a way you want. Even if you struggle, It is worth it.

Congratulations! I can't wait. Thursday is my day!
I plan on making the ricotta bake, but I have to pre-taste the spaghetti sauce. I seem to be having an issue with either onion powder or garlic powder. One of them tastes very spicy to me, right now.

Try clear whey Protein Drinks. They are more like flavored water.
Protein is important or youll lose too much muscle mass.
Going to a general diet so early isn't good as you're still healing. I'm October 17th and just moved to purees. Your doctors orders aren't recommendations they're post operative care instructions to ensure you heal properly.
Try pureeing chicken or fish into Soups.
Beef is one of the last things they recommend you eating as it's fatty and harder to chew down to a good puree.

I just made chicken fajitas and bean puree!
Grilled a seasoned chicken breast,then pureed with Greek yogurt.
Made peppers and onion sauté then pureed, set aside.
Layered chicken and pepper/onion puree in baby food tupperware and topped with cheese when reheating.
Made seasoned black Beans with added collagen. Pureed with Greek yogurt. Into baby food containers and also topped with cheese at reheat.
All the flavors!! So nice to not have to drink my food anymore. The Greek yogurt helps with added Protein ad smoothness.

I thought it would be nice to bring the subject up of giving yourself time to heal after surgery. I've lost 10 kg since surgery on October 17th, just over 20lbs. But I noticed my clothes arent really fitting much different around my middle. So I measured.
I'm losing everywhere but my tummy is actually up a few cm. (about an inch) I figure this is because im still swollen and my muscles are inflamed from the laparoscopy. I have to remind myself , I am only two weeks out. Slow and steady wins the race.
I just want to share in case someone is feeling discouraged by similar experiences. it's totally normal! We just had a big surgery, even if we are feeling good. We arent healed yet.

I am soooo ready to start pureed tomorrow! I prepared some in advance. Crab rangoon (just the inside part), chicken enchilada (canned chicken, enchilada sauce, cheese, and refried beans), and the ricotta bake everyone talks about! 🤤 I let my husband try them and he said they were good! So hoping I feel the same way cause I made a lot. I have about 30 little 1/4 cups in my freezer right now. 😬 Also hoping I still like spicy food cause I miss it.