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Be careful with the gum post surgery. I had a piece when I was almost three years out from sleeve and I swallowed it accidentally. Hadn’t swallowed gum since I was a kid but sure enough I did it. Thankfully it did not cause a blockage but this is a real concern after surgery.

I'm on a three week stall in weight. I'll weigh twice a week. I'll be down a pound or two. The next time I weigh. I'll be up a pound or two. Just hovers. I think im stalling because of my daily workout, the victory on the scale isn't happening to my liking. But overall I do feel better. Next week is my 3 month post-op appointment. Hopefully the blood tests reveal why I've been so exhausted. Just keep plugging away, it's a marathon. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Thanks, I'm weighing every three days ... trying to wait a week each time but not reached that stage yet. I haven't really noticed any difference for a week... I know it will pass but it's hard. I still feel so enormous.

Would it make more sense if the fat was supposed to be 15g per meal? It seemed like she was calculating it from three meals when she was talking to me because she was adding the carbs out loud. That seems like a mistake that could be easily made and that would be closer to what the DS vets have said. Still not quite as high but it is a little different surgery than DS. Plus adding 30 more grams of fat brings the calories to 1,125 if I’m understanding and calculating that correctly which falls within that range that she gave me.

1). I lost 16 lbs the entire first MONTH, and I went on to lose over 200 lbs. Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month (yes - MONTH). So unless you're an outlier or the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life", you are doing very well! 2). sounds like you are experiencing the infamous "Three-week stall" right now - right on time, too! The vast majority of us hit our first major stall within the first month or so after surgery - and it's usually the third week;, hence, the name. If you google the site for the three-week stall, you will find something like 17,000 posts on it (and no, I am NOT kidding). A slight bump-up in weight is not unusual, either. It's almost certainly just water weight. The best thing to do is to continue to stick to your program and stay off the scale for a few days. As long as you remain compliant with your program, the stall will break and you'll be on your way again. It usually takes 1-3 weeks. 3). you won't feel much (if any) restriction or "full" until you move to solid foods. Liquids go right through you, and purees pass through pretty quickly, too. Plus you had nerves cut during surgery, and it takes awhile for them to start to regenerate. You'll feel it fairly soon. However, "full" doesn't always feel the same way for many of us that it did before surgery. I don't feel "full" the same way at all - it's more a discomfort - sort of like pressure - in my chest. Once I start feeling that, I know I'd better stop eating or I'm going to be sorry. Others have even weirder full signals - like a runny nose or sneezing.

Please add the option to list a second surgery to our profile if possible. I’m thinking it’s kinda confusing to people that I am asking questions about pre op when I had surgery three years ago. Also please add the SADI surgery to the list of surgeries as well.

Okay so I am still so terrible with this stuff but my dietician makes it seem so much more confusing and I really need to understand this so I can get it right this time. I asked her what my requirements would be post SADI surgery and she said 1000-1200 calories 90g protein 90 carbs (45 fruit and veggies and 45 from starch), and 15g fat. I am trying to eat similar to that now to see what it’s like and I am logging my food. I figured my portions will be a little larger so I won’t be able to hit the exact goals but wanted to see where I am. This morning I did great with my protein iced coffee which is just a caramel shake with some coffee mixed in. Low calorie and carb and high protein. This afternoon however I thought I would have 2 scrambled eggs and one Turkey sausage Patty. The calories and carbs are fine but it seems like Either that fat goal is unrealistic or the protein goal is from normal food if there is really 15g of fat in two scrambled eggs and only like 13 grams of protein? Even if I forget the 7g of fat leaving out the Turkey sausage just two eggs is too much fat for one meal and reduces the protein. I hate egg whites but assumed two scrambled eggs would be okay. I know post surgery I will not eat two whole eggs which will reduce the fat some but also the protein. Could i add protein powder to the egg or something? Maybe an egg and a yogurt would be a better option? Or Do I have to just suck it up and eat the egg whites. She also said something about three teaspoons of “healthy fat” and I’m not sure if that’s in addition to the 15g of mono and polyunsaturated fat or if 15 is the total which may be where I’m getting confused. I just emailed her asking for clarification but last time it took her like two weeks to get back to me so I figured I’d see if anyone else can make sense of this.

The thing is that they assume that you can only eat so much so if you prioritize protein then veggies then you should only be able to eat a tiny bit of healthy starches, if any, and based on that theory everyone will be okay. When I had Sleeve three years ago I swear mine was left larger than most though because I could drink and eat more from day one than they said I should. I always said that I know I had surgery because I could no longer get my moneys worth at an All you can eat buffet but I could still eat quite a bit. When I was back to “regular” portions I hit all my protein goals then ate my veggies like suggested but still had room for more carbs than I should be eating. I did great in the beginning when I was told how many ounces I should be eating and I wasn’t hungry so I just stopped myself there but later on I think I needed more guidance than just calories and what to prioritize. I know I was an exception to the rule though. When I went back to discuss revision with another dr he said not that I’m suggesting it but if you were eating a sub how many inches could you eat and when I said 5 or 6 easily he said that I should not be able to eat that much. I believe that is why things went wrong for me. I reached my first easy goal I set to encourage myself but never made it to my ideal body weight. Then a few month later when actual hunger came back and I ate until I was full I started to gain even with the healthy options because of my portion sizes. Admittedly if I had not been frustrated and basically gave up at some point I probably would not have gained ALL my weight back and I would still be healthier now than when I started, but I know where things began to go wrong so this time I asked repeatedly until I got even more guidance from the dietician.

Sorry to hear what you have gone through and are still going through. I know exactly how you feel about wondering if the surgery has been worth it, I wondered the same for many months after mine but I can now say 10 months later that I see the light and know I could not have lost the weight I have done so far without the surgery and I can now finally feel the benefits. I have posted about it before on the forum but a recap to show you how s**t things can go..... I had my surgery 4th July 2023 and suffered severe pancreatitis brought on by the surgery (iatrogenic according to the medical reports) which resulted in me having a drainage tube fitted to my belly area and being hospitalised for one month. Three days after being released I collapsed at home and had to return to hospital via ambulance. There it was discovered that I had a leak in the stomach where the sutures hadn't sealed. I spent a further two weeks in hospital where I had to get clips put in to close the hole/leak. I then lasted 13 days at home before becoming ill again. I went in for a gastroscopy to check on the clips and turned out the clips did not do their job and I had leak back plus two abscesses (1 on stomach, 1 on pancreas). Spent a further three weeks in hospital on a feeding tube before getting all clear to go home after another round of clips were put in and passed their tests. Next time I lasted 15 days at home before having to be readmitted for another month! I never felt fully better but wasn't sure if that was just me recovering from all the trauma or still symptoms. I had a blood test one morning and that afternoon got a call to say I was to come back to the hospital immediately as my CRP was 180. Turned out the hole had opened again and I had an infection. Was put on a feeding tube again for the month and had a drainage tube fitted to my back, had so many different medications, a transfusion, tests etc it was exhausting. I was then sent to a hospital in Belgium to have a tube/coil like thing inserted in my stomach help the hole heal. I was finally released from hospital November 1st 2023. Like you I couldn't do things, I couldn't even stand at the kitchen counter to chop veg without feeling like I was going to collapse. The effort of having a shower and getting dressed some days was too much for me and it took me many months to get to my energy up to more than being able to something small each day. It is really only since mid-February that I can say my energy improved. My weight loss was also slow when in hospital as they were pumping me full of nutrition (via the feeding tubes) but it sped up once I was at home. I had the tube in my stomach removed three weeks ago and had another round of tests to make sure that the hole had healed and I have passed with flying colours. So far so good, no pain or discomfort which is such an improvement. The only thing I suffer with now is a bit of reflux and occasional terrible exhaustion. I was out for dinner on Sunday night and almost collapsed at the table the exhaustion came on so suddenly but I was ok a while later. I don't let it stop me, I have so much more energy than pre-op but I just know I have to pace myself and rest when I can. Basically, I just want to let you know that after all of the above that I have been through I now feel the relief of the surgery and the weight loss. I am now at the weight target the surgeon set for me, 75kg, though I will aim for a bit more and I no longer cry myself to sleep with pain or stress or the fear to make plans for the future. It has taken 10 months for me to get here, I am at the stage now that probably those who have a successful surgery would have been at months ago with their recovery from the op and getting back to a 'normal' life. I am going to see a psychologist through my hospital service for the medical trauma which has helped me as well. Do make sure that you go to the hospital if your symptoms worsen, or don't improve, and ask the doctors to check your levels just to be sure that there is no infection still there etc. Rest when you can, I don't know your situation but if you don't have to get up and go out during the day for work/kids/shopping etc. then don't, just take the time to heal and recover. Also ask for help if and when you need it and also say no to things that you may not want to do if you don't feel up for it - being a control freak these are things I am trying to learn to do.

I'm always cold too. I was cold before surgery and now it feels worse. Also i have a slow healing ulcer in my leg, which is going on three years everytime i get close to it healing somehow i manage to rip the dressing off it. Don't know if it's the extra walking I've been doing that has made it flare up again. On friday i had a fever and literally could not warm up (until i was too hot) that's gone now. Just called in sick for work to get some antibiotics for this leg. (Its Winter over here in Australia)

I had this same question. I talked to the dietician and forgot to ask her about that too. I am contemplating the Sadi which is low carb. She told me to get 45 from starch and 45 from fruits and veggies then says 1/4 to 1/2 cup of each per meal but didn’t specify net or total carbs. I’m thinking my requirement is total carbs though because if 1/2 cup of pineapple has 15g which is a higher carb fruit so even that three times a day is only 45 total grams of carbs. If it was net carbs it would mean I should be able to have more than 1/2 cup I would think. I think where it really matters is on processed stuff. Hopefully I remember to ask the surgeon on Monday.

Yea they just had to do the wrist on me this morning. Wasn’t pleasant to say the least. I am sorta dreading surgery day when, like you said, I will actually be a little dehydrated because they had a hard time even after me forcing down three extra bottles of water this time. I don’t recall it being an issue for my sleeve. I guess I had someone good. I am starting to think that’s what it all boils down to. Most anyone can get it with good veins but anything a little harder takes someone with more experience. I am starting to develop an anxiety to needles that I never had since this vein issue. I used to be fine as long as I didn’t look at it but now they always ask me if I’m okay. Idk if it’s just because I look in distress or if they just know they are torturing me. 😂

We’ve all been where you are now. Loss of hunger & appetite is a benefit of the surgery (though there are some who don’t lose their’s) but it can be confusing & difficult to work with it. Aim for three ‘meals’ a day and eat what you can. Don’t force yourself to eat more even if that means you don’t eat all your portion. You’ll get used to leftovers in your fridge you’ll finish at your next meal or the next day. I only drank two ‘meals’ a day during liquids. I diluted everything and just sipped, sipped, sipped until it was finished - usually a couple of hours hence the two meals. Probably the most challenging part is understanding the difference between real hunger & head hunger especially as many of us were driven by our heads when it came to eating not real hunger. Head hunger isn’t affected by the surgery so it can be a real struggle to manage as it seems almost stronger. Generally, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s head hunger (a craving). If you’re hungry out of boredom, emotions (like stress & worries after the surgery), habit (always snacked by watching tv or after dinner, etc.) that’s also head hunger. If head hunger is making itself known try distracting yourself: read, craft, do a puzzle, ring a friend, go for a walk, sip water, a cup of tea, or similar. It takes about 8 weeks for you to be healed after the surgery and this includes your nerves which carry the messages to tell you you’re hungry, had enough or are full. So for a while those messages may not get through or may get through differently and the signals may be different. Like some sneeze, or their nose runs when they’ve eaten enough. Believe me, when your hunger does come back you’ll wish for the days you didn’t have it. All the best. PS - Yes they pump you full of lots of fluids so the scales can show an increase after surgery. You’ll pee it out over a few days.

I am so thankful for this tip. Not just because of how it will fit in fridge but how it will fit in my cooler. My friends and I like to do lunch while we are out shopping and them big styrofoam containers don’t fit in my everyday cooler. I have the containers by “easy lunch boxes” I ordered On Amazon. I have the square ones with four compartments and the rectangle ones with three. I just tried the rectangle and it fits perfectly in my cooler. I just put one in a bag in my trunk and when I looked it up to post the name here I just found that now they have rectangle ones with five compartments which I think will be even better since I am one of those weird people that don’t like their food to touch. lol. Anyways, Awesome tip!! Thanks again.

I'm always cold too. I was cold before surgery and now it feels worse. Also i have a slow healing ulcer in my leg, which is going on three years everytime i get close to it healing somehow i manage to rip the dressing off it. Don't know if it's the extra walking I've been doing that has made it flare up again. On friday i had a fever and literally could not warm up (until i was too hot) that's gone now. Just called in sick for work to get some antibiotics for this leg. (Its Winter over here in Australia)

Had a rough day yesterday with food. I had a little bite of mango at lunch that set my tummy off and caused quite a bit of pain before finally having to vomit. And my right hip is suddenly in pain for no reason. It's excruciating when I climb stairs, or when I have to shift my leg from the accelerator to the brake, as I discovered while driving. Today I'm sticking with a smoothie for lunch and some soup for dinner. I'm so frustrated that everything seems to make me sick. And I've been stalled at 204.4lbs for three days now, which just adds insult to injury. But, I've done very well with increasing my activity level. I've only missed one day of hitting my 10k step goal, and that was a day when I was doing a long drive with little chance to stop and walk. As for being cold, I was freezing yesterday! Spring is taking its time and my hands are always so cold.

Chips are slider foods. Most people can technically eat more of them than other foods and anyone can eat a pretty good bit when they are “grazing” Which is eating little bits multiple times throughout the day. Try really hard to avoid grazing because that will can definitely get you into trouble. Not sure if you’ve seen me on here but I had sleeve three years ago and I lost a quite a big chunk of weight but I did regain my weight just as fast. I was able to eat more than I expected at every stage but even still if I had been eating healthy options three times a day that would not have allowed me to gain the amount of weight I gained. I gained my weight by sneaking in the not so healthy foods from near the beginning since I was eating so little i thought it was okay because I was still losing. When my hunger came back my portions got a little bigger and eventually I was eating bigger portions of less that ideal food more often than prescribed. Since I never really took advantage of that honeymoon phase to actually change my eating habits to healthy foods this is when things went off the rails. The surgery will not do all the work. My recommendation is to take this time where your tool is really working for you to try out some new healthy options and recipes and find a variety of things that you like so when the actual hunger comes back you will have changed your habits.

At the beginning of my fitness journey, I joined a national chain gymnasium for a little over $10 per month. It rhymes with Janet Witness, and had a variety of low impact and muscle building machines to try out. Pushing towards 300 pounds, I had to work up the courage to be there but soon found that everyone was in their own little zone, paying me no mind. I took advantage of their membership benefit that allows one to meet with a trainer to plan a custom routine. Three years later, I am still a member of this gym and am grateful for the healthier lifestyle seeds that they helped me plant.

Congrats on the weight loss and lower cholesterol in your first month! I am three months out and I’ve always struggled with hitting the recommended calories… I’ve hit almost two weeks now where I haven’t lost anything, but the dietitian told me that’s completely normal. Trying not to let it get to me! Curious if anyone a little further out has experienced this yet? I am down 56lbs after three months and started around your SW weight as well. Are you currently doing a blended/pureed diet? When I hit that phase, I think I was still consuming two protein drinks a day (I like Fairlife Nutrition Plan or Premier Protein) which gave me 60g protein total (30 each) and 300 cals total (150 or 160 each). I would try to have three meals a day. For meals, I would make a yogurt smoothie with a little bit of fruit, milk or water. The pre-made Chobani Zero Smoothies are also good if you need something quick. I would have half of one for a meal. Fat free refried beans were good at that phase. I also made a lot of cooked, mashed carrots and sweet potatoes. Ricotta or cottage cheese blended with fruit or lemon juice, tomato sauce, etc.

Hi ESG Pals. I had my procedure on March 22nd...close to a month ago and I have already lost 18lbs in less than a month. How are you all doing with the protein and calorie requirements? Any advice on how to get it all in as I can't seem to go over 500 calls and about 50-60gs in protein? Any recommendations will be welcomed. SW 289 CW 271 My total cholesterol was 321 on the day of the procedure. I just got my results back today from my PCP, and my cholesterol is down to 266. It's still high, but I'm praying that in the next three months, I will no longer have high cholesterol. And for everyone who has posted picks of progress...I was smiling like I knew you all. Congratulations on your dedication to your body first and to those who love you.

I have bad knees, no cartilage in either, which I have been told will need to be replaced in the years to come. I see you don't have a pool close by that is not cheap but I do aqua aerobics once a week and feel the benefit of it so if you could even afford a class once a week it might do you the world of good. I am lucky that my hospital run the class so I just have to pay about €100 by way of membership for the year and the classes are 50 weeks of the year. I also have an exercise bike that I go would go slowly on for about 20 minutes three times a week. Now that I have lost more weight and the weather is improving I find I can do short walks of about 20 minutes/1.5km. My knees do ache afterwards at night but not as bad as before when I was heavier so I feel it is worth it, put a bit of gel on them and it helps me sleep easier. I now also do the Svelte 'One and Done' exercise program, just the beginner level, three days a week. There are some exercises I can't do as they require knee movements I can't do but from what I have seen so far there is always an alternative exercise shown if movement is not possible. You could always check out their YouTube site as they have plenty of exercises that you don't have to pay for. Even though my weight loss has slowed down I can see where I am still losing cm's.

How do you keep your carbs so low? I am kind of in awe of you right now 😄 The bean stew I made for meals is 30g carbs per serving alone (but only 180 calories and 12g protein). I am hitting between 900 and 1,100 calories, 30g fat and +/-70g protein a day. My guidance was to have +/- 60g protein a day and make good choices for food and eat small portions - no set calories etc. From reading others posts and feedback on the forum I have already decided to give my regular banana as it is too high in carbs (just two more left to eat!) and I have stopped taking a morning drink of honey, lemon, pepper and cinnamon as the honey made the carbs too high also. I am a bit freaked out now as my weight loss has slowed down the last three months and I have only lost a couple of pounds.

I thought the same and my doctor told me that for the first few months he would be happier for me to take the pills to be sure until I was through the food phases etc. that I was getting enough vitamins. At times he sounds like a sales rep for the bariatric branded vitamins, which I don't get through him so makes no difference to him, but of course they are about three times the price here of non-bariatric ones. My blood tests so far have all show high vitamin levels (other than K) so now I am just down to one multi vit a day plus calcium & D2, then I add in a cod liver one as I can't eat fish. It's exhausting remembering to take them all on top of a daily reflux pill plus HRT!

I think it was a while too. Was eating cooked vegetables from soft but my tummy was a bit fussy about some & others just tasted bad. I love vegetables so that was hard to accept until everything settled. I did eat cucumber at about two months. I’d put a little cream cheese on strips of smoked salmon & wrap it around small salted wedges of peeled seedless cucumber. I’d eat two or three as one of my lunch options. But that was the only raw vegetable for a while.