JennyBeez

5 mo post-op (bypass) here, and I still don't get any full -- nor hungry -- feelings. I can feel certain foods leave me with a sensation of heaviness about an hour after eating -- or if I'm eating something that's too dry or not the right texture for my stomach, I can usually feel that after a few bites around mid-chest level. My team has assured me numerous times that eventually my body will relearn itself, and start sending hunger and full signals again. (I think they're mainly trying to warn me not to rely on the lack of hunger, lol). Anyway, because of all that I find I have to be a little extra careful about portion sizes because my body is not going to tell me anything unless it's too late and I'm throwing up. At this stage, I'd suggest going with the minimal servings your plan suggests. You can always supplement by 'eating more' an hour or two later -- but you can't 'eat less' once it's past your lips.

Walking around the lake with my dog yesterday, I noticed that my feet kept sliding around in my sneakers. I had to stop and tighten them as far as they go -- and now they're serviceable, but I can still feel areas where they certainly don't fit right anymore.

I get so angry when I hear people say that WLS is 'the easy way out'. It's not. If it were the easy way out, none of us would need to come on these forums for support. Some people make it sound like WLS is cheating, a dark and dirty thing. The implication is that we should all be able to do it with diet and exercise, and if we're not doing it that way it's because we're lazy and lack willpower. These people are, frankly, bullies -- even if they don't mean it that way. I think some people feel threatened by the idea of us having WLS. I have three of them whom are still in my life. One has become more supportive since the surgery but still makes it known from time to time (especially whenever I've facing a struggle) that he didn't think I should have the surgery. The other two were supportive pre-op but as soon as the weight started coming off, jealousy kicked in and they started talking about how 'easy' it was and how they want the surgery but can't afford it / don't qualify, etc -- all while talking about how they would 'cheat' by doing this, this or this. The people that want to support you, no matter your decision, will support you. They'll read any literature you give them -- or do their own research. They'll ask you questions about the process & the post-op lifestyle and will listen to your response. There are bound to be people in your life that will need a bit of a learning curve, or who can't get out of their own heads enough to really consider the different between helpful comments/criticism and cattiness/bullying/cruelty. Some might just need a little conversation or confrontation about their phrasing and word choices; others might need to be cut off until/unless they learn to not be sh!tty humans. At the end of the day -- at the end of every day, actually -- only you can decide what's right for you. You are the only one with full knowledge of your body, your physical/mental/emotional struggles, your trials up until now, etc. Even your doctor can only go so far in helping to decide if this is right for you. Try to push out the words of people who Don't Know your details, or even basic knowledge about the surgeries. Do your own research, talk to people who've done it, consult with your physicians, etc. ❤️ Good luck. Whatever you decide to do, make that choice with the faith and confidence that you're choosing for your best life, whatever that looks like.

Well done, you! Seriously, you're doing so marvelously. And you sound so upbeat, content and energized. Ugh, I was so happy to be off the lansoprazole too. It can cause / add to constipation, so maybe now that you're off it you'll have that ease off a bit too.

Ugh, I feel you. One of the things that irks me the most about troublesome foods is having to cut my protein short -- or getting ill and losing what little I got down. I seem to have trouble with chicken even before it's been reheated -- again, other than ground. Lately beef has been giving me problems too, other than barbacoa brisket from my local burrito place. Oh, other than jerky? I found a no sugar /sweetener added beef jerky that has given me absolutely no issues and is nicely high in protein. It takes me close to an hour to eat a 30g serving but it's helpful to stash at the office for an afternoon snack. Today, I realized I grieve dim sum. I don't know if it's the socialness, the overall experience or the food itself -- or some combination of the three. I've had some steamed Korean dumplings a few weeks ago and just didn't eat much of the dumpling wrapper itself, and have been able to eat shrimp siu mai at a Japanese restaurant. But being able to go to a dim sum restaurant and eat whatever they pass by with -- without having to interrogate them about ingredients or cooking methods -- I will miss that.

Or florals, and 'ditzy florals'. I don't mind me some dark botanical prints with kinda moody vibes or mushrooms, but stop putting flowers on half of plus-sized clothing. Ughhh. Looks fine on other people, but on me it's like my clothes can't decide if I'm trying too hard to look younger, or have given up and aim trying to look like my grandma. I love (sarcasm) how the fashion industry just decided they could get away with charging a premium -- both on women's clothing in general, and on plus sizes especially. If it was premium fabric or custom-made / bespoke items, sure, but when it's just a few more inches of cheap poly-blend? Pfft.

Mine required only the sleep apnea test, but it was more so the hospital could prepare for any anesthesiology requirements or post-op recovery pertaining to CPAP patients. It wasn't really to rule anyone out in terms of candidacy. The nicotine test seems to be a surgeon-specific thing -- some do, some don't. I would definitely advise not lying to your care team about smoking though, and just be upfront about whether you're still smoking / struggling to quit / etc. The same about any criteria they may have set out in their pre-op approval criteria. Some things may sound like stupid criteria for them to have, but it's not worth having your recovery affected by things you didn't think would be a problem.

I grieve the convenience of high fat/sugar/calorie foods. The ability to go anywhere with friends or family for a meal and not have to worry about 'will I be able to find something I can eat?' and cruising the menu online first. I grieve being able to go to my comfort foods for emotional comfort rather than having to actually work through it. Even though I'm happier, overall / in the long run, when I first sink into a bad mood that first little while is rough. I don't really grieve the particular foods themselves (yet?) -- but I think that's a mental block on my part at the moment; so many foods have been giving me problems that the idea of many food types make me feel ill, and the idea of anything greasy or fatty makes me downright nauseated. (Seriously, I had a conversation with my mother last week about pepperoni and her stomach issues when she eats pizza, and just picturing pepperoni had me breathing through my nose trying not to gag lol) (I do grieve that on excruciatingly hot days at work, when the guys make a run for iced-capps , there's no soothing ice slushy to make my afternoon more bearable.)

Honey, those curves!! You've got so much extra room in those sleeves too! ❤️

I don't think most partners realize how hurtful and kind of insulting it can be when they make comments like that. I know it's coming from a place of fear -- of losing their partner by not following suit, of not being good enough for someone looking to improve their lives, etc. But it can be a tough comment to hear. It might be good to have a good couple of conversations with him about it. Reassure him that what you need and desire in a partner is mutual support, respect, etc (and that romancey-love-stuff, I guess, lol), and that as long as he is able to support you through this you'll be just has happy with him tomorrow as you are today. Remind him that even though this journey is going to be tough and will require a lot of focus on yourself at first, you're still there to support him as well.

Happy Anniversary!! Or Happy Re-Birthday, cause it's really like a whole new you. ❤️ I'm glad to hear that things have been going well for you for so long. It's really encouraging for those of us still at the beginning of our journey to see what successful WLS lives look like. You sound happy and proud -- as you should!

I'm so glad to hear your pain levels are going down! My mum was in physio for a long time for her knees (also need replacing but she's too stubborn to get them done), and she always said her favourite part of physio was being hooked up to the TENS machine afterwards lol. (This was of course back in the day before you could get decently priced home-versions.) It sounds like everything's moving the the right direction for you. It must be such a relief. ❤️

Ugh, I hear you -- I can't do tinned fished anymore, either. I used to love tinned salmon and tuna, but now if it's not sashimi or freshly cooked filets it's a big No Thank You. I have a can of salmon (and a couple of flaked chicken) that I need to drop at the food bank. Thanks for the reminder lol! I think I'll end up binning the rice protein. It wasn't that expensive and because it was in a bulk-baggy I don't think my local FB would take it. I'll call it the cost of learning. :D

Does anyone use brown rice protein powder, specifically the unflavoured & unsweetened variety? I bought a small sample from my local bulk health food store, along with a larger amount of pea protein powder. I knew what to expect from the pea protein powder as I've had it before in years past, but I was unprepared for the smell, taste, aftertaste and immense chalky-ness of the brown rice powder. I've tried it in a few different things now (oatmeal, shakes and smoothies), and most of them had to be pitched entirely; I was able to choke down the smoothie I made with it but it was still unpleasant. Online blogs suggested almond milk and unsweetened cocoa powder to combat the chalky texture -- both did nothing for me. I tried PB powder, regular fairlife milk, thickening the smoothies with bananas or avocado, greek yogurt, etc. I still have a little under 500ml left, and I'm tempted to just give up and throw it away. It's one of those vicious thought cycles: I hate to waste food by throwing it away, but I hate to waste other foods by trying to combine them and getting the same result lol. If anyone has a method to using this while masking basically everything about it, I'm all ears. Can you bake with it? I've had mixed results baking with other protein powders in the past and am honestly mildly exhausted just thinking about it. XD (I apologize with harassing you all with my constant protein supplement queries. Egg protein was a miss for me, but pea protein is a morning-time lifesaver for me.)

I took ozempic for about 2 years prior to my surgery, specifically for diabetes II. For me, it worked great and lowering my blood sugars, but while I did notice a small change in appetite it didn't really do much for me on that end. I did notice that it made me react with nausea to any food that was higher in sugar or carbs, which did help as I started to learn the 'punishment' outweighed my desire to eat those foods. Perhaps also speak to your team or GP and work with you or your P'Doc to find a depression medication that works better for you? I know that for me at least, I had absolutely horrible absorption of my SSRIs and anxiety meds since I had my gastric bypass. Part of my particular problem was the timing of supplements, low iron and the effects of dairy / whey were interfering with the absorption of my meds, so I worked with my pharmacist to design a better timing schedule. Within days I saw a difference. Is this your first time on meds for depression / etc? Because not every med is right for everyone, so it may be a matter of finding the right kind of med for you particularly. I've suffered anxiety & depression since I was a teen, and have been on and off meds over the years -- but every single time I would go back on to medication, I usually would have to cycle through 1-3 different meds before we'd find one that worked. Some were too strong, some made me jittery, some did absolutely nothing lol. And as I mentioned, iron. Anemia and iron deficiencies can add or exacerbate depression and anxiety. If it's been a while since your last blood panel, maybe see if they can run another lab to check your iron levels. You don't need anything dragging you down needlessly. ❤️ I can't help with the appetite, but if you ever need someone extra to talk to about depression & all that, please send me a DM.

It might just be poor timing (I've had rare occasions like that myself, long before surgery was even an idea in my mind). Like other have said, anemia and diabetes (and a slew of other things) could be lowering you r immune system. Alternatively, have you noticed any other skin changes lately? As I lose, certain areas of skin are getting drier -- and definitely I'm shedding the older layers of skin faster than before. I'm also losing hair in places other than just my head (I have a small balding patch on one eyebrow wtf), but if that's happening in your nether region it could create more moisture & friction. (I know this paragraph is a mess, I'm sorry -- just trying to say maybe it has nothing to do with immune system and you just need to keep an eye on your skin condition there (and elsewhere) for a little while to see if you need to be doing anything differently.)

I agree for the most part. There are definitely some items that are bad or good for me, personally / individually -- ie. food items that trigger physical reactions (foamies, dumping, lactose intolerance, etc) or things that give me bad medical reactions (alcohol and caffeine interfering with my meds, etc). I have to label those items as 'bad' in my head to avoid slipping, and I'll tell other people they're bad for me just because it's a simple way to avoid whatever's being offered without having to get into any long conversation about my particular needs or issues, lol. (It irritates me so much when people don't respect the simplest of boundaries. Like, if you offer me alcohol and I say 'No thanks,' shouldn't that be enough? Do I really have to explain to someone the 'why' in order to get them to stop pressuring? Ugh. I need to get better at responding with 'Why can't you take my no at face value?' etc)

My win is being halfway done my fluids six hours into the day. I usually struggle to remind myself to Keep On Sippin', but clearly repetition can teach an old dog new tricks.

Low fat Cottage cheese -- you can jazz it up with different savoury or sweet seasonings -- a bit of cinnamon and splenda was a favourite of mine, but so was garlic, dill and a touch of salt. (And honestly, just black pepper was great. I missed pepper.) Refried beans or pureed kidney beans / chick peas. (Or hummus on a lazy day). I mixed my refried beans with a bit of enchilada sauce (choose one with no added sugar). It gave deconstructed bean burrito vibes. Pureed sweet potato instead of regular white potatoes. Again, you can make it a sweet dish with cinnamon, or turn it savoury with a bit of salt, garlic and black pepper. You can do the same with butternut squash. Add a little water / broth to make it a smoother consistency, and throw in a scoop or two of bone broth powder or unflavoured protein powder so you're still getting that protein in. Have you tried any strained or pureed soups? Particularly the cream-of-whatever soups, pureed chowders, etc. I also liked some of the protein soups at the bariatric pal store enough that I still used some of them as sauces 4mo out. The BP Bacon Cheese soup is good (but salty) and the Proti-Diet Chicken soup is not quite a cream soup but not a broth either. (It's salty too. Honestly, I feel like most powdered soups are/were too salty for my tastes but watering them down a little further usually works)

Hon, I think you're the only one who sees wings and wrinkles there. You're frickin' stacked. ❤️

The few I like / can handle are all milk-protein or whey protein, lol. It's this ridiculous little circle of "Ooh, this one isn't dairy/whey! But wait, look, stevia which always tries to murder me. Okay, this other one has sucralose and I'm okay with that -- but it's milk-protein so fml." I do have one shake or (decaf) profee a day, but usually either split in two as a snack or to replace my lunch (cause lately lunch doesn't want to sit right 80% of the time, unless it's yogurt or shake). Either way, it usually doesn't happen until after 10am because again, dairy/milk and my meds absorbtion issues. I was really frustrated for a while when I first was having meds / supplement absorbtion issues due to how ridiculously I had to time everything. I've ironed (hehe) out most of the drag so it's easier to handle, but it's still frustrating when I seriously just want my cup of comfort coffee earlier, or am really feeling yogurt for brekkie. My care team says it might be something I have to do for the rest of my life, but my PCP and endocrinologist both say that when my labs come back improved enough that I can cut out out more meds / supplements, I should be able to have a less annoying schedule. We'll see.

Without the face showing, you legitimately look like a different person. Even the confidence change in the way you stand is so different. Congrats, you really look great! (And those pants are chic!)

Make sure you don't beat yourself up about it though. ❤️ Slips happen, and you know what to do going forward. You're heading in the right direction. Unless you literally hurt yourself eating it, it's not that big a deal. That said, maybe take some time to check out other healthier delivery options for the future, for anytime you feel stuck. It's easy to make choices that we otherwise wouldn't when we're hungry, tired and sick and feel that pressure of "I need to get this ordered now", but if you had a few other options saved and ready to go, you might make choices that you'd regret less / be less disappointed in afterwards. For me, I have a couple of local mexican restaurants that have some 'build your own salad / rice bowl' options with steamed brown rice, beans, charred corn, and several different 'clean' proteins that aren't covered in sugary sauces. There's a number of greek restaurants that have done me dirty with the amount of oil they use in everything, but there's one that has options with little to no oil. When you're feeling better, maybe see if you can find a comfort food that would freeze and heat up well -- or even a couple of store-bough frozen dinners if you can find some that suit you nutritionally. I don't know what the selection is like in the UK, but in Canada I've seen some decent low carb/sugar options from Healthy Choice, Green Giant and even Lean Cuisine.

I am in a stall but have gotten back to a comfortable, positive vibe where I just don't care. And hopefully it'll break my addiction to the scale. My work week has been fraught with stress and cleaning up other peoples' messes -- but I'm trying to remind myself that their bad choices are not my responsibility, and if they want to continue to make poor choices despite my efforts that they can deal with the repercussions themselves. I have entered my malicious compliance phase. Having a lot of trouble with foods lately, particularly lunch times for some reason. I reached out to my team and they told me that while it's not ideal, if I need to do protein shakes or protein-added soups at lunch for a while, it's not going to do any harm. They'd 'like' me to be eating more real foods and not relying on a shake for lunch everyday, but that's something I can 'work towards'. I really don't see the big deal, tbh. I get plenty of dinner variety, and while breakfasts have been pretty much cereal or oatmeal for a while I see variety on the horizon there too. Ok, all that sounded mildly unhappy - but honestly, I'm in a great mood -- especially compared to last week LOL. I feel energized again -- emotionally, mentally & physically.

I too think your therapist could have chosen her words more carefully. (I also want to point out that if she's a therapist rather than a nutritionist, nurse practitioner, etc, while I would hope she would have training specifically to support body image, eating disorders and other related topics, it may just not be her specialty. She might not have the right vocabulary to be as helpful as another might.) I feel like it makes sense that post-op, the focus is definitely on Eating For Nutrition rather than enjoyment. Obviously we want things to taste good, but that especially in the beginning when taste buds and hormones are readjusting, sometimes we need to focus on eating to recover and survive and heal, or what we can manage to get down if we're having a phase of lack of appetite, etc. As we heal and as we move through different stages of our diet, we'll naturally move towards making our meals more delicious while maintaining the healthy benefits we need. Is it possible that your therapist misinterpreted your comments about missing food? Maybe you said you miss food, but were particularly missing solid and textured foods and things with a variety of flavour and they heard it as "I miss being able to eat half a pie or an entire pizza for dinner because it comforted me emotionally". Either way, I would've liked for them to say "Hey, it's temporary, food gets better" and "have you tried putting a bit of splenda and unsweetened cocoa powder on your yogurt, or put some fresh herbs in your broth and strain them out after simmering for 30 min".