maggiemayuk

Thanks for posting your sample meal plans Jen - that's useful. When my surgical team did their follow-up they said to increase my intake of milk both to make sure I get enough Protein and also to avoid constipation. I'm really trying to have more milky drinks but even with skimmed milk I'm finding them quite sickly and am definitely not enjoying them. I've gone from Americanos to small skinny Lattes but have trouble finishing them.

Your post about business travel made me smile. I used to travel a lot for business when I was younger and at one time was doing a Protein shake diet. I used to pack my shakes (already included milk, so only needed to add water) and a large mug to mix the shake in as the cups in hotels are much too small (although now I'd probably just make it up in smaller batches) and Earl Grey teabags, . If I was staying in one place more than one night I also took a bowl and SF Jello and made that up in the room as soon as I arrived so I had something to snack on later. I also used to keep at least one set of plastic knife. fork, spoon in the car glove compartment and also a very handy little salt and pepper dispenser that was intended for picnics but was ideal for keeping in the car.

@@OhSoNique Yes, the injections are Lovenox - called Clexane in the UK, but basically enoxaparin sodium. Whether you are given these or asked to wear compression socks for longer will probably depend on your age, other medical conditions and general fitness pre-op. My surgeon doesn't use drains. In fact, looking at the size and neatness of the incision sites I can't imagine why a drain would be necessary for laparoscopic surgery.

Yes I was sent home with compression socks as I am at a high risk of DVT. I was also given a ten day supply of anti-blood clotting injections to self-administer. When I asked how long I should keep the socks on I got various vague answers but the last one was 'until you are back to being as mobile as you were before the op'. As I have no-one at home to help and couldn't reach the socks to take them off/put them back on due to post-op pain I ended up leaving them on in the shower and then drying them off with a hairdryer afterwards! After that got friends to help me with them.

It's interesting that in the US the bariatric teams seem very keen on the use of Protein shakes. I'm in the UK and there has never once been a mention of them from my team. Advice I was given: Pre-op diet consisted of yogurt, clear broth and SF Jello. Post-op, first 3 days Water then clear broth but only 50 mls per 15mins. Days 4-14, diluted fruit juice, smooth Soups, diluted yogurt, milky drinks and SF jello. Days 15-28 add in mashed-up/puréed food. After that, introduce more solid food but chew to a purée consistency before swallowing. Make sure eat each meal in PVC order ie protein then veg then carbs. So far there has been no mention of target grams of protein, but expect to see the dietician again at the 4 week stage. In fact I had a stock of protein shakes at home as I had used them before to lose weight and chose to use them pre and post op to make sure I had some protein intake. I'm on day 11 now. Generally I have a vanilla shake with coffee in it as a hot drink in the morning and may have a savoury shake later in the day although it depends what kind of Soup I've made and whether it's veggie only or contains protein such as lentils, chick peas or something. The problem I'm having at the moment is drinking slowly enough. I am taking small mouthfuls and not gulping anything down, but am definitely drinking more than 50 mls per 15 mins. It's going down very easily with no discomfort so it's hard to stop myself if I'm thirsty as I'm absent-mindedly drinking whilst doing other things.

LadyHershey - so glad to hear that things are getting better. Same for me too - 8 days from op. Pain definitely lessening but if I do something stupid like turn quickly or bend down too far, I soon know it. Funny you mentioned the chills. I'm normally a very hot person but yesterday afternoon/evening felt freezing and even put the heating on! Had a follow up call from one of the surgical team today and that was reassuring to chat through how I was coping. I do need to get myself more mobile now so that I don't have to keep wearing the surgical socks! Good luck with your weigh-in tomorrow. I was weighed once in hospital and appeared to have lost a lot but that was only wearing a gown and whilst only having had sips of Water. I have weighed twice since being home fully clothed and shod because that's how I normally weigh myself and I put on a pound between my weighings. However, I'm not disappointed because I know the recent weight loss since on the pre and post op diet will be mainly water and so not 'real' and there will be a period of adjustment while my glycogen levels (and associated water) levels rise again - but there's fat burning going on in the background. At some point I'll get to the 'real' weight loss stage and will monitor from there, but not too often.

Well done - you've made a great start!

I suffered from occasional dumping syndrome before I had the op - presumably due to a combination of other health issues. Anyway, I found the ferocity of it quite frightening. First there was the totally unexpected need to rush to the bathroom with stomach pains and totally uncontrollable diarrhoea combined with sickness. Then my body overheated big time and all my clothes were drenched in perspiration as if a bucket of Water had been thrown over me. Then as it continued I got dizzy and started to black out. After an episode it was as much as I could manage to get myself into the shower and then lie down to sleep it off and recover. I had about 5 episodes over 18 months - always out of the blue and there was no common factor about what I'd eaten beforehand except that I was drinking (non-alcoholic) during my meal. I did once have a much milder bout after a bowl of cereal so perhaps it's the high carb food taken with liquid that causes it.

LadyHershey how are you now? I'm a week post op and still get sharp stabbing pains in my lower left side and some 'pulling' feelings across my lower abdomen when twisting, turning, sitting down, getting up, bending down. If I keep still I'm mostly OK but if I stand or sit upright for too long the pains start up again anyway. However, slowly, day by day, they are getting more bearable. I guess we just need patience. Our bodies all have their own idiosyncrasies and some people seem lucky enough not to experience pain, but some of us do - just the way it is.

When you think about it you are on a liquids only diet at the moment so liquids go in and urine comes out - so far so good. You are not putting anything into your body that needs to come out via the bowel yet - so no BM. When you move on to Soups, yogurts etc there's more substance, but only in very small quantities so it will take a while for enough 'waste' to build up to require a BM. Also don't forget that most of the healthy food you are ingesting is absorbed and used by the body so there's little waste anyway. Don't worry - it will happen. Keep well hydrated though. I had my first BM 4 days post op but still not going every day. It doesn't worry me because there's not much in there!

I'm tall with a large frame and don't want to get too skinny as I'm in my 60s. Last time I lost a lot of weight I didn't feel comfortable with it even though my BMI was a healthy 24. I looked gaunt, I had a flat bum (butt) and my bones were sticking out. I know some people like that look, but personally I don't. I was a UK size 14 then (US 12) so think I'd probably be happier at a UK size 16 (US 14). I recently sorted through my clothes and found 8 different sizes so I've sorted them out into size order so I can get them out again as and when I lose weight. Mostly they are classic jeans, pants, T-shirts, sweaters etc so they'll be fine for everyday wear and I can treat myself to something new for special occasions if I need to.

My op was last Thursday. As others have said there's no pain where the stomach is stapled. Most of my incisions are pain free but the site where they removed my stomach (90% !) is extremely sore inside. Apparently I have unusual ribs that made the op more difficult and there was a lot of friction against them so I guess I'm experiencing pain similar to cracked ribs. I find that if I keep my body perfectly straight and don't twist, I'm OK most of the time. I do find it difficult sleeping on my back though and am currently taking soluble painkillers. Standing or sitting upright for any length of time gets painful so I just go and recline somewhere until everything eases again! It's natural to be apprehensive but it sounds like for most people if there is pain it doesn't last that long - and the results are going to be worth it!

Remember that a lot of the weight you lost on your pre-op diet, or early post-op diet wasn't fat, it was losing the Water that stores the glycogen that you burned up. Your glycogen levels will start to get back to normal meaning that you will store more water again but meanwhile you will still be losing fat - so it may appear that you are stalling, but you're not really. If you are keeping to the post-op diet you just have to be losing fat and it will eventually show up on the scales. Don't get disheartened - as long as you're not eating more than advised you're not doing anything wrong!

I don't like the sweet Protein shakes either and only have the Soups - it will be different brands though as I'm in the UK. My hospital asks us to have broths, sugar-free Jello and low-fat/low-sugar yogurts pre-op but I've been using the soups because the yogurts are too sweet for me. I know that as long as I'm on a ketogenic diet my glycogen will be used up. The only sweet shake I use is vanilla but I drink that hot mixed with coffee for breakfast as I can't face Soup then. My surgeon emphasised to me how important the liver-shrinking diet is - it's a tricky operation anyway and the last thing you want is to risk complications by having a liver that gets in the way - you'll be under longer too if they're finding it a bit of a struggle to access your stomach.

There is the issue that chemical laxatives are not supposed to be taken every day because then your body 'forgets' how to move waste through the system on its own - then it becomes a vicious circle. Also before you get too worried about not going every day remember that on pre and early post op diets there's very little of substance going into your body and by the time your body has extracted all the Protein, nutrients etc from it that it needs there's not a lot left to pass through. It only becomes an issue if you start to feel uncomfortable.

At your age I think you have a very good chance of your skin shrinking back especially as you haven't been overweight for long. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Do the brands you are using produce savoury products like soups as well as shakes? I don't like sweet shakes so always have hot soups for lunch and dinner and add Tabasco or curry powder to pep them up a bit if I'm getting bored with them. For Breakfast I have a vanilla flavour but made up hot with coffee and quite enjoy that.

My surgery is on Thursday 18th. Getting nervous, but it's been really useful to read all your updates as they are mostly positive. Many thanks.

Beni is right, it can take a while for your skin to catch up with your weight loss when it's been rapid. The younger you are the more likely it is to tighten up but the older you are, and the longer that you have been overweight, it's less likely to. Having said that it's partly genetic I think. I have yo-yo dieted all my life, gaining and losing up to 140lb and yet I don't have a single stretch mark - other people get stretch marks with a much smaller weight gain. I do get flappy arms and a wobbly stomach nevertheless. I always found that exercise made the biggest difference because at least the excess flab is draped over a shapely frame! I'm not convinced that anything that you rub into your skin makes any difference - apart from making it well hydrated. After I lose the weight this time I'm pretty sure I will get a tummy tuck as I've always wanted a flat stomach and there's no other way I'll get one, even with exercise!

If this is the first time that you have lost a significant amount of weight and your diet is going well then maybe you could just give that a chance first and see how it goes. Like others here I am a typical 'yo-yo' dieter. I would diet, lose all the excess weight but then put it back on, with even more. In my 20s I would gain and lose around 10 - 30lb. In my 30s it was 40 - 50lb. In my 40s, 60 - 80 lb, in my 50s, 80 - 120lb. In fact I am an 'expert' dieter - able to get to a healthy BMI each time, but can never maintain it! So here I am in my 60s, with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure etc, and had got to 150lb over my healthy weight at one point. I can't face doing it all again - I have damaged my health too much already. So sleeve surgery is the last resort for me. I know it's still going to be hard work but hopefully it will make it harder for me to regain as much as before. I'm highly motivated because if I don't keep the weight off this time my life is going to be a lot shorter. Being older really concentrates the mind - I won't have too many years left otherwise and I'm enjoying life too much to let that happen! I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

Prunes have always worked for me in the past. I'm only pre-op at the moment but I've dieted on Protein shakes in the past and got very constipated then so they were a good solution. I'm not allowed prunes on my pre-op diet but have found that sugar-free Jello has the required effect. Really notice the difference if I don't have one each day. Does jello work for other people?

Congratulations, you look amazing! I am just about to have surgery next week and your photos are inspirational - I really hope that this time next year I will have been as successful as you.

Hi Gemma - sorry to hear you had the same delays - it makes it more nerve-wracking doesn't it? Yes I thought Sally said around 75%, so it was a shock to me when the new surgeon said he would be taking 90% and leaving me a stomach the size of his little finger. I do have a new date now - the 18th - and I'll be first on the list so fingers crossed I won't get cancelled/delayed again. At least I had a few days break from the yoghurt diet and will be going back on it on Friday. I've been keeping to a low carb diet this week anyway though. I'm glad you're doing well even if it's a little slower than you anticipated - maybe that's why the new surgeon takes more away - at the moment I can't imagine how I'll manage to get good nutrition with a stomach that small but I guess I have to trust he knows what he's doing! It's a shame there isn't a support group in Bristol - I would have thought there were enough people having the op in a city this size to make one viable. Don't want to travel to Bath to attend one. Anyway, thanks for your reply and good luck with the weight loss.

Sounds strange to me, if your BP is normal. Anesthesia can reduce your BP - for that reason I have been advised to stop my BP medication the previous day, and on the day of the op so that my BP doesn't go too low.

Hi Gemma I'm about to have sleeve surgery in Bristol. Can I ask if your surgeon was Sally Norton? If so, did she say what proportion of your stomach was removed? I saw Sally initially but now there's a new surgeon and he seems to take more drastic measures than I originally anticipated. I'm suffering from a lot of delays at the moment. Had my pre-op assessment back in April, eventually had a surgery date for last week but it was cancelled after I'd sat in the waiting room for 8 hours. No new date yet, all very frustrating. Hope you're getting on well with your sleeve - would be useful to know how other local people are doing.