October 2023 surgery buddies

[Daytrppr 10]

VGS Surgery on 10/16- finally starting soft food stage today!!! For anyone who has never had cinnamon in their cottage cheese- it’s a game changer! Soo yummy I added some peaches and it was like eating dessert for Breakfast.

[Daytrppr 10]

@Walter- it can be difficult not to panic since it’s an intense surgery. Every time I found myself worried I took a moment to check in with myself- evaluated the situation- wrote it down- set a timer for 20 to 60m- did anything to distract myself (forced myself to think of something else)- when the timer ran out, I reevaluated. If I was still stressed, then I reached out to my surgical center for advice.

[Wildflower Bohême 31]

6 hours ago, Daytrppr said:

VGS Surgery on 10/16- finally starting soft food stage today!!! For anyone who has never had cinnamon in their cottage cheese- it’s a game changer! Soo yummy I added some peaches and it was like eating dessert for Breakfast.

Just ate some cottage cheese before I saw this. Will try that next time, thanks!

[Rach813 1]

4 minutes ago, Caseyjones said:

Anyone suffering from the 3 week stall?

Mine happened 10 days after surgery and has lasted 11 days so far. 😒

Yes! I have been the same. I stalled just before two weeks post op and I've been stuck at the same weight, give or take 0.2lbs since! I did speak with my dietician yesterday and she said take the batteries out the scale and stop weighing at the moment, but I don't think I can do that 😆 She did say do not worry, it's totally normal, so I try and remember that but it is frustrating. I like to think of it as our bodies are trying to recover and figure out what's going on and that's all it is.

[ukkodiak 11]

3 hours ago, Caseyjones said:

Anyone suffering from the 3 week stall?

Mine happened 10 days after surgery and has lasted 11 days so far. 😒

I’m with you. I lost 23 pounds by the time of my 2 week post-op follow up. The following week I lost an additional 7 pounds. Now I’ve been stuck at the same exact weight for the past ten days. Very frustrating indeed. I’ve also begun to question if I’m doing something wrong.

[kendajones 20]

6 hours ago, Rach813 said:

Yes! I have been the same. I stalled just before two weeks post op and I've been stuck at the same weight, give or take 0.2lbs since! I did speak with my dietician yesterday and she said take the batteries out the scale and stop weighing at the moment, but I don't think I can do that 😆 She did say do not worry, it's totally normal, so I try and remember that but it is frustrating. I like to think of it as our bodies are trying to recover and figure out what's going on and that's all it is.

Oh thank goodness it's not just me! I lost 19 pounds the first 2 weeks, and I've been stuck ever since -- stalled for 2-1/2 weeks so far. I was convinced that I had done something wrong and have been very frustrated. I talked with my doctor about it and he was completely unconcerned and said "the scale will catch up, don't worry about the scale."

Here's the explanation, which makes sense and gives me great comfort: Those first 2 weeks post-op when you are just consuming liquids and lose a lot of weight really fast, that's all pretty much Water weight that you lose. Then as you start to add back real food, you gain back the water weight. So even though you are gaining back the water weight, the scale is not moving because you are losing fat (which is the real reason we are all here, to lose fat). So until the fat you lose eclipses the amount of water weight you originally lost, the scale won't move. But that is not a bad thing, because it means that you are still losing fat. So in my case, until I lose MORE than 19 pounds of fat, the scale will stay at about the same spot. But once I pass that 19 pound mark, it will start going down again.

At the same time, I have not had to take any diabetes medicine or blood pressure medicine since the surgery. I sleep great, I have more energy, I can briskly walk 2 miles at a time without back pain (which was a major problem for me before!), I don't really mind when I have to park farther from the door of the store than I'd like, and my clothes all fit significantly looser. I can see in the mirror that my body has changed dramatically. So even though the scale is not moving, it's very clear to me that this IS working! I'm just impatient to see a lower number on the scale, which is actually pretty silly considering all of the other benefits that I can clearly see and measure and feel.

So we just need to stick together strong, keep the faith, and trust the process! We will get over this hump together!

[Charlie21467 11]

Hi everyone, I had my sleeve surgery on 10/03/23. I am glad I had the surgery but I'm tired of eating soft foods. Lol. I've had more Soup in the last month than I have had my whole life. Do any of you get heartburn and feel like you swallowed a rock?

[walterblock1 28]

On 11/09/2023 at 09:23, kendajones said:

Oh thank goodness it's not just me! I lost 19 pounds the first 2 weeks, and I've been stuck ever since -- stalled for 2-1/2 weeks so far. I was convinced that I had done something wrong and have been very frustrated. I talked with my doctor about it and he was completely unconcerned and said "the scale will catch up, don't worry about the scale."

Here's the explanation, which makes sense and gives me great comfort: Those first 2 weeks post-op when you are just consuming liquids and lose a lot of weight really fast, that's all pretty much Water weight that you lose. Then as you start to add back real food, you gain back the Water weight. So even though you are gaining back the water weight, the scale is not moving because you are losing fat (which is the real reason we are all here, to lose fat). So until the fat you lose eclipses the amount of water weight you originally lost, the scale won't move. But that is not a bad thing, because it means that you are still losing fat. So in my case, until I lose MORE than 19 pounds of fat, the scale will stay at about the same spot. But once I pass that 19 pound mark, it will start going down again.

At the same time, I have not had to take any diabetes medicine or blood pressure medicine since the surgery. I sleep great, I have more energy, I can briskly walk 2 miles at a time without back pain (which was a major problem for me before!), I don't really mind when I have to park farther from the door of the store than I'd like, and my clothes all fit significantly looser. I can see in the mirror that my body has changed dramatically. So even though the scale is not moving, it's very clear to me that this IS working! I'm just impatient to see a lower number on the scale, which is actually pretty silly considering all of the other benefits that I can clearly see and measure and feel.

So we just need to stick together strong, keep the faith, and trust the process! We will get over this hump together!

Well put I’m at a stand still to but this morning I put some a track suit I couldn’t fit in years this is a size 40 the jacket is a 3xl and I can swim in it so I’m at peace now

[New To This23 102]

How is everyone who had surgery this October doing? I had my Roux en y the 27th and I feel great! I am on pureed foods now !! and have found that adding sauces really helps with flavor.

The day I got approved for pureed, I asked if I could have a macaroni or ziti noodle since my mom wanted to go to Olive Garden while we were visiting the Dr (there isn't one where I live) I was told it would be okay if I chewed to a paste and did not push it. So ordered the 5 cheese ziti, ate about 5 or 6 noodles, and took the rest home, however, I did not like it, I found the taste of noodles to be stale and just not good. My mom said hers was great and we had the same thing. I did push it (oops) and tried a very small piece of the center of the breadstick (the softest part) and I hated that too.

This is going to be a huge change for me if I no longer like the taste of bread and Pasta. 😅😶

[ukkodiak 11]

6 hours ago, New To This23 said:

How is everyone who had surgery this October doing? I had my Roux en y the 27th and I feel great! I am on pureed foods now !! and have found that adding sauces really helps with flavor.

The day I got approved for pureed, I asked if I could have a macaroni or ziti noodle since my mom wanted to go to Olive Garden while we were visiting the Dr (there isn't one where I live) I was told it would be okay if I chewed to a paste and did not push it. So ordered the 5 cheese ziti, ate about 5 or 6 noodles, and took the rest home, however, I did not like it, I found the taste of noodles to be stale and just not good. My mom said hers was great and we had the same thing. I did push it (oops) and tried a very small piece of the center of the breadstick (the softest part) and I hated that too.

This is going to be a huge change for me if I no longer like the taste of bread and Pasta. 😅😶

Hello. I had my RNY on Oct 9th. I have recently graduated to soft foods, yay!! So far, I haven’t really noticed many changes to my taste perceptions. Some things taste mildly different but I still hate and enjoy the same foods as I did pre-op. My cravings for sugar have vanished however.

Unfortunately , I’m still stuck in the 3 week weight stall for 12 days now. But overall, I do feel great and sleeping soundly through the night most nights. Waking up feeling rested and refreshed most every morning. That’s the biggest changes I’ve noticed.

[New To This23 102]

1 hour ago, ukkodiak said:

Hello. I had my RNY on Oct 9th. I have recently graduated to soft foods, yay!! So far, I haven’t really noticed many changes to my taste perceptions. Some things taste mildly different but I still hate and enjoy the same foods as I did pre-op. My cravings for sugar have vanished however.

Unfortunately , I’m still stuck in the 3 week weight stall for 12 days now. But overall, I do feel great and sleeping soundly through the night most nights. Waking up feeling rested and refreshed most every morning. That’s the biggest changes I’ve noticed.

I have been sleeping better too. I seem to fall asleep easily and wake up no problem. It's like I am 21 again lol.

[walterblock1 28]

I have a question how can you meal prep if u can’t reheat food in microwave

[New To This23 102]

@walterblock1 Personally I have not had any problem reheating food.

[Arendiva 22]

Reheat it on the stove or in the oven?

Edited November 12, 2023 by Arendiva

[ChunkCat 689]

4 hours ago, walterblock1 said:

I have a question how can you meal prep if u can’t reheat food in microwave

The warning some programs have about microwaving your food really just has to do with how microwaves can dry out Proteins, making them dry and tough, not good for a new tummy. The solution is to make sure if you are microwaving a Protein like chicken or beef, that you have it in some sort of sauce or gravy to keep it tender. Sometimes damp paper towels will work too. Anything that helps the meat not dry out! Or even heating at 50% power and stirring frequently. But yes, you can use a microwave, just be careful how you heat things.