Hello Everyone ,

So i wanted to share this with my new pals here . I am almost four weeks out and i have been stressing tremondously because i hit a serious stall in my second week . I havent lost any weight for almost two weeks now . I have posted about this several times now . Anyways work has been stressful to so last night my husband took me out on a date night. We went to my favorite resturant and i allowed myself to have my first glass of wine (doctor told me it was ok ). I ordered a small appetizer ( i am on soft foods) and just enjoyed a beautiful pre fall night with my hubby. For the first time i was happy and not stressing about lost pounds since my surgery. I felt like me again !!!

Anyways i was only able to eat a few bites from my appetizer and was full. It was amazing to compare what i used to eat to what i was able to eat last night. So when the waitress came and asked us if we needed anything else i told her that no i was actually done. She looked at my half eaten appetizer and gave me a weird look and asked me if i was not happy with the food . I told her the food was delicious but i was full ( which was true). She just gave me a blank stare and walked away . Remember i am only 3 1/2 weeks out so i am still heavy .. I couldnt help but wonder what she was thinking . Today my husband and i ran errands all day so we stopped to grab something to eat. I ordered a small cup of Soup and a small grilled chicken ... shredded. Once again after a few bites a was satisfied and happy . Waitress comes by, my husband asked for the check and the waitress looked down at my food and frowned and asked me if i was not happy with the food or service .

Am i going to have to deal with the strange judgemental looks everytime i go out to eat ????? Has anyone gone thru this. Or are any newbies going thru this now that they are slowly joining civilazation again after this major surgery ...

Since you mentioned you've posted several times about already having a "stall", I will respond with a excerpt from an article written on Bariatriceating.com because it may be of interest to you:

Your internal surgical wounds must heal – this is no time to go to the mall, out to dinner, visiting friends and on vacation.

Sew what?
In terms of food, you must stick to your surgeons program for post op food stages. You need time to allow the tiny pouch cut and sewn from the fabric of your giant floppy stomach to heal itself closed. We have all glued something only to have the seams pop open. The liquid & soft food stages are to avoid stressing pouch seams and give your stomach a break from the process of digestion.

Is ice cream a puree?
Sirloin steak is not a soft food. Ice cream is NOT a puree. You can’t eat popcorn, raw carrots or celery ten days after surgery. People ask if we think they could have a pork chop, we say ‘no’, they eat it anyhow, then tell us ‘they didn’t have a problem’. NO alcohol for a year… NON-negotiable… but people push back saying their surgeon said five weeks was okay. Folks… we know better and we are trying to help you.

General Tso? NOT your friend
The post op dietary stages are not a suggestion, they are a requirement for you own safety. You cannot eat Chinese food the week after surgery because you ‘chew it well’. A ‘craving’ for Orange chicken landed one support group member in the hospital! It’s a very bad idea to push. Being ‘released’ to ‘regular food’ does not mean what you think it does, but you already know that. How long until you can have pizza again? “Pizza is not a food for someone having obesity surgery.” (that’s a quote from Dr. N on My 600 lb Life) Every single week in our support group, these actions land new post ops in the hospital.

Sip sip sip sip sip…
If you had a back injury, you would not tile your kitchen floor the same week. Yet, people think nothing of making a trip to a theme park when they should be at home resting and taking in fluids. People ask us ‘Do you think I would be able to go on a cruise two weeks after my sleeve?’ (Nooooo!) As high as 30% of post ops are dehydrated enough to land back in the hospital with a Fluid IV. Not drinking enough Water after surgery can cause heart damage. Dehydration is the most common bariatric complication, yet it’s largely avoidable. Stay home and heal… drink hot water, cold water, broth, Diet Snapple, herbal tea, eat sf ice pops and Jello. (We have a free bariatric water app called HY, click for GetHyApp.com)

Vitamins are critical

It is impossible for you to have your stomach surgically removed or reconfigured and take in the nutrients needed to run your body. While your surgeons group has mentioned Flintstones, that is so you will possibly take something instead of being one of the 67% of post ops who take nothing. They are not optimal and won’t prevent long term problems like broken bones from simple falls and losing teeth, but may keep you from dying in the short term. The idea behind supplements is to prevent issues from grabbing you in twenty years when it’s too late to change the path. Take them!

Protein from food? What a novel idea!
Yes, yes, yes, we’d all like to get our protein from food and that’s what you want to hear. However, if you are unable to take in 70 grams of protein per day, you can either weaken and lose your hair or you can figure out another way until you are able to learn and eat the right foods. Protein drinks make up the difference between what you can eat and what you need. They are not simply a tasty beverage for your enjoyment for you to be all picky and ridiculous over. They are the antidote for your disease of morbid obesity. Morbid means death and obesity surgery only slows and reverses the disease IF you follow your plan.

I personally like their no-nonsence approach to this life altering surgery we've all had. Also, yes to wait staff looking strangely at us but it won't last long. I found it harder for them when I wouldn't want to order anything to drink since we can't drink while eating. Now I tell them, "No thank you, I don't drink when eating". I've been asked "why?" many times. I then tell them how no one should because it doesn't allow your food to be properly digested when liquid is present. 95% of them tell me they're going to try it. I wish you nothing but success

I am a month out and went out to dinner with my family last weekend for an end of summer celebration .

They ordered surf and turf (lobsters and steaks), and I ordered an omelet.

The waitress definitely looked at me funny! Especially when I said "no toast"

:

Your internal surgical wounds must heal – this is no time to go to the mall, out to dinner, visiting friends and on vacation.

Oh, I think this is silly.

People should do whatever they feel up to.

Including going out to dinner and visiting with friends.

To answer your question about funny stares, the answer is yes. Get used to it. Keep in mind food servers mostly want to make sure you are satisfied with your meal.

The best thing you can do is tell them to bring a to go box when they bring your food because you will be taking most of it home.

In terms of eating out at this point, if you feel up to it and it makes you feel better go for it. You are a grown up and know what the rules are in terms of what you can or should not do.

You decide whether or not you will be successful and you decide whether or not you will have complications from doing what you are not supposed to.

At 3.5 weeks I was barely able to get down 2 tablespoons of puréed food. I certainly was not in a position to to drink wine nor eat and drink at the same which is one of the rules.

I wish you the best of luck and hope all goes well in the future.

I just straight up tell them ive had weight loss surgery and that solves the issues. I'm weird and very proud i had surgery and i dont care who knows lol..shrugs. i think everyone here is an adult and can make their own decisions if they want to follow their doctors rules or not. I just wish all the docs had the same rules! Good luck wuth your journey

Yes it happens all the time. I just tell them I lost 115 pounds recently and my stomach is now the size of an egg. I am full and can you please bring a carry-out box so that I can take the rest of the meal home with me for later.