livingstone

I just moved on to soft foods yesterday (after two weeks full liquids and two weeks purees) and had some Shepherd's Pie. It was so nice to be eating real food again. But I've never really liked food in sauce or with softer consistency. I prefer crispier or drier food, so I'm not hugely excited about the soft food stage. I am very excited about being able to griddle some chicken and maybe have a small roast potato with it. Only two weeks...

Hi - this is the awkward bit where I don't know if I'm 'young' but I'm 28 and three weeks out. I will say that I think I would have found this much harder in college - back then, so many people around me were eating unhealthy but delicious food that I think it would have been difficult to avoid it. Also, you probably drink more than older people who have a sleeve - now, you will be able to drink afterwards, but you'll need to leave yourself enough time to heal, and you might find that you get drunk faster (or you might not - people seem to differ on that one). So you will have challenges that older people won't. In terms of telling friends - I didn't, but I did tell my best friend just a day ago because I didn't like lying to him. But aside from him, my partner and my family, no one knows. I don't know what your living arrangements are - but if you're in a shared house or a dorm, you will probably be very emotional. I couldn't have done this when I shared with flatmates - it was only having the emotional support from my partner that helped me get through the emotional ups and downs. So make sure that you have that support around you. If you do live in a dorm, perhaps consider scheduling your surgery during the summer if it means you can be at home with supportive family.

This seems to be a big difference between the UK and the US. I am on a single vitimin tablet once a day. Not a specific bariatric one, just a standard, over the counter A to Z vitimin. Once a day. I use Centrum A to Z which the dietitian recommended. My surgeon recommended Sanatogen A to Z but I went with Centrum because it's the one I can get in my local supermarket. I do take Omeprazole (spelling?) to reduce stomache acid once a day as well, but that's only for the first three months. I don't know why there is such a difference between what so many posters here are taking and what I've been advised to take - but three weeks out, I feel fine in terms of energy etc, so I think I must be doing something right.

I also had pain in my large incision, and four days out it was quite bad. As you say, worse when you get up or sit down - or bending down was the worst for me. I'm three weeks out and it's not entirely gone. It can still get me if I move too suddenly, but 90% of the time it's not there.

I'm three weeks out from surgery and I can't sleep on my side (I haven't tried sleeping on my stomach since I never used to before surgery but I imagine that would also be tough). That said, I haven't tried sleeping on my side with a pillow supporting my stomach - might give that a go, because I'm desperate to start sleeping the way I like to. Not had any problems sleeping on my back I can't cuddle my OH and not being able to toss and turn is annoying.

Thanks all. I've told one of my travelling companions who is my best friend, so he'll be able to steer the conversation away from food if anyone wants to discuss how little I'm eating. As I said, I'm not too worried about how to eat healthily - I've accepted that those four days may not be the healthiest, so if I end up eating some fried food, I'm not too worried. I don't plan on living my life with no breaks from healthy eating. I also don't have any external targets to meet - I don't need to show anyone that I am eating healthily. It's really all about my own goals and targets. I'm also in Europe, so specific suggestions about Wendy's etc won't work for me (but they might be helpful for others looking in with similar questions).

So I'm going on holidays for four days with friends who don't know about my sleeve in May - I will be one week shy of three months after my operation, and it will be six weeks after I'm cleared for solid food. What I want to ask is how much should I expect to be able to eat at a meal? I've already planned to just tell them I'm trying to get fit and so cutting down on my portions - but obviously if I can only eat a couple of bites of food when we go for a meal, they will know that's not normal eating even for someone who's cutting down. So my first question is whether what I can eat will be enough to not make them suspicious? And whether anyone has any ideas how to handle that situation? Secondly, I've accepted that that will be a weekend when I probably won't eat at my healthiest and I'm not stressing about that - I'm sure at some point in the four days, when we go out to eat, we'll end up at a burger place or a fast food place. My plan is to try and steer us towards healthier options where I can, but if I can't (after all it's their holiday too) then I'm not going to stress about a few days off plan. But my second question is what happens if we do end up in a fast food place? At three months out, how do you think I might be able to handle, say, half a burger and a couple of fries or something like that? (BTW - I know that this is not ideal and is off plan and that I should be avoiding unhealthy food - I get that, so no need to remind me - but as I say, I've decided that I'm willing to go off plan a little for a few days in order to have a stress free few days away - I just want to know what my body is likely to be able to handle)

So I’m now two and a half weeks out from my sleeve – three weeks on Sunday. First things first – I’m feeling much happier than I did in those early days and even compared to a week ago. I’ve been back to work this week, and keeping occupied has really helped. I still have moments of regret – I’m not yet convinced it’s the best decision of my life – maybe when I’ve lost some more and am back on real food. Speaking of which, I am down 26lbs since my surgery. I’ve really started to notice the loss in my face and my tummy. Last night I did some measurements and I’ve lost 4 inches on my tummy, and an inch around my neck, upper arm and thigh. That felt pretty good, because the scales have been a bit static the last day or two. My clothes are also feeling a bit looser – which isn’t a problem because most of them were too tight to begin with. I started at 292lbs. And I lost 18 lbs in the first week, then 5lbs in the second week. So far this week I’ve only lost 3lbs – but it’s my weekly Sunday morning weigh in that gets recorded, so I’m hoping the scale might budge a bit more in the next three days. The surgery pain has mostly gone, but my tummy is still a bit tender. The biggest incision can still give me a bit of trouble (usually in the evenings) and I still can’t sleep on my side. But I feel like I’m on the right direction in terms of pain. I’ve not used any pain meds since Sunday, and I’m only using paracetemol. Eating is a challenge. Not because I can’t get things in but because I’m tired of yoghurt. I progressed to purees on Sunday, so I’m now having mostly yoghurt for breakfast and lunch, and a Weetabix in milk (I have to confess – with half a teaspoon of sugar) for dinner. I crave EVERYTHING though. If I walk past someone eating grilled chicken, I want it. If I walk past someone eating fried chick, I want it. If I walk past someone eating a burger, I want it. On Sunday, the pub next to my flat was doing Sunday Roasts and the smell as I walked past was torture. I read so many stories about people who said the surgery changed how they saw food and that they just didn’t have the same desire for food. That certainly hasn’t happened to me. If I thought this was going to last forever, I’d be very depressed – knowing that I will be able to eat normal foods again in four weeks (even if I have to start slow and eat a lot less) is what has made me a bit more cheerful. Would I recommend this surgery now, at nearly three weeks out? Not sure. I would definitely tell anyone who has even the slightest chance of losing by themselves to do that. I know I couldn’t. And I know that the alternative to either losing by myself or losing with the sleeve was ever growing obesity and mounting health and mobility problems. That’s the rational bit of me. Then the other bit of me shouts ‘yeah but if you didn’t have the surgery you could have chicken!’ It’s tough to listen to the right voice

To the OP, I feel very much the same. And I'm going to be honest, and plenty here will disagree with me - I get through it by reminding myself that I don't have to be a saint. I'm only two weeks out, and can only dream of being on solid foods, but when I can manage them, I know that I am not going to say I will never eat food for enjoyment rather than nutrition. Sometimes, I will make poor choices in what I eat - if that means I lose slower, or don't quite reach goal - I'm OK with that. I had this surgery to become healthier, but not to become perfect. And I realised that what was really depressing me was the feeling that I had given up any choice. Once I accepted within myself that I would continue to have choice, I felt much better. I am still frustrated by not being able to eat, but I know that this is temporary. For me, yesterday was hard because I wanted a nice traditional roast dinner with roast lamb and potatoes. So I had to tell myself that I will be able to have a roast dinner again. Sure, I might only manage a slice of lamb and a small potato or two - but I can have a roast dinner. In the same way, I was really sad about the thought of never having an English Breakfast again - but once I realise that I can have that if I choose, and that it might just be one piece of bacon and a sausage - again, just knowing that I will be able to make those decisions really helped me realise I would be able to lead a normal life - it will just take time. Now, of course, my plan is to focus on healthy choices, like grilled meat for Protein. I like meat and so I have no problems with a diet built largely around protein. Sure, sometimes my meat might come from a nice steak instead of chicken and turkey - but everything in moderation. And that includes bad choices, like an english breakfast, or roast potatoes.

I'm only two weeks out so no. I was a big fan of diet coke before my surgery and I have been relieved that of all the things I crave (and there are many) since surgery, Diet Coke isn't one of them. However, I think there's no need to be too dogmatic about it. The fact that surgeons are divided show that there are no clear answers. Also, not all carbonated drinks are the same - Diet Coke contains all sorts of things that are bad for us, while fizzy Water or tonic water are just not as bad. Similarly, there's real divided opinion about whether the fizz can stretch your tummy - my dietitian was honest and said that there just isn't a definite answer as to whether it does or not. I'm going to stay away from Diet Coke for as long as I can, but I will allow myself to have gin and tonic, champagne or maybe even fizzy lemondade from time to time. My philosophy over the past two weeks - and my way of dealing with the feeling that I'll never be normal again - is that I didn't have this op to become some odd class of eater for whom some things are off limits. I did this so that I can be a normal person who can eat and drink in moderation, and for me that includes the occasional fizzy drink.

I'm a bit worried now, - I've just moved onto puree stage and have no problem having a full 100g (about 3.5 ounces) pot of yoghurt for lunch. By the end of the pot I start to feel full but not uncomfortable or bloated, and now, three hours after it, although I'm not hungry, if I had to I could probably have another one. My dietitian didn't give me any limits on food intake for this stage, she just said to eat meals until I was comfortably satisfied and before becoming uncomfortably full. For me, the full pot of yoghurt gets me to that stage.

I was sleeved on 1st March. I was in hospital for 4 days because of a bleed at my staple line that they wanted to keep an eye on. The first (nearly)two weeks have been emotionally very very hard - but I'm feeling good now. I wasn't prepared for some of the lows though - at one point I genuinely worried that I was swapping obesity for depression - I just felt a sort of numb sadness. But that's largely gone away as I found things to get excited about and get involved in. I still have pain in one of my incisions (the largest one) which makes it painful to bend or move quickly. It also means I can't sleep on my side - or cuddle or be intimate with my other half yet. I've not needed pain meds much and am just dealing with the incision discomfort without (most of the time its fine). I'm getting most - not all - of my water in OK. I'm not getting much protein in yet, because there aren't many protein-rich sources that I like in liquid or puree stage.

I'm not nearly getting in enough Protein at the moment. I'm twelve days out, and still two more days on full liquids. I just can't do Protein shakes or the like. I have been having fortified milk and drinking yoghurt, and getting in maybe 20gm a day protein with those. But I feel fine. A little tired and lethargic. But I don't want to have to force feed myself. I am concentrating on getting enough liquids. To be absolutely honest, although I will try to get protein where I can, I have pretty much felt like it's going to be a few weeks until I can even hope to get protein in. When I'm on solids, assuming I can tolerate meat, then I will have no problem with protein since I love meats in almost any form. But while I'm on liquids and purees, there is almost nothing I can tolerate (and I mean that in terms of taste rather than keeping things down) that is high in protein. But as I say, I'm not worried because this is short term until I can get protein through meat.

Thanks. I am getting between 1.5 to 2 litres of Water in. When I don't get enough in it tends to be because I forget or because I don't like the taste of water, rather than due to discomfort - so I've really had no problems with liquids. I hope the rest of the stages are as easy (physically, I mean - not emotionally).

Thanks Madferitchick. So to be absolutely honest, after I made that last post (or in fact, as I posted it) - I broke down in tears. Actually acknolwedging how tough it is and typing that fact just brought it all out and I wept like a baby. But after I posted it, I felt so much better. I went and had a shower. I got dressed. For the first time since surgery I styled my hair. My other half was out and I decided that he would not come home to a deshevelled slob in a tracksuit bottoms. I popped on a shirt and jeans. And I immediately felt better. Then I went and did some study (I have a big exam on Saturday). And again, I felt better. So my first message to anyone feeling down after surgery is to make an effort to make yourself feel normal - dress normally (even if normal clothes are less comfortable than your trackies), find something to remind yourself of a life that doesn't revolve around food, Protein, Fluid intake etc. I won't say I haven't felt down since then. I have. I woke up yesterday morning thinking 'Oh great, another day of post-surgery life'. However, I also realised that I have developed a bit of a love hate relationship with these forums over the last week or so. I don't intend this on an attack on any posters, all of whom provide really good advice and inspiration. But I think looking at some posts gave me an impression of life after surgery which suggested I would never be able to choose the foods I liked in the future - and that depressed me. I did not have this surgery to enable me to eat perfectly. I didn't have this to mean I could never eat carbs again, or even occassionally make bad decisions. I had this surgery to allow me to restrict my portions, lose weight and change my mindset on foods so that I can do what most people do - eat healthily 90% of the time, and then 10% of the time, make decisions which might not be the best but which are pleasurable. And I think some (not all) posts on here led me to believe that this surgery would mean never eating normally again. So I simply ignored that, and reminded myself that this sleeve will physically restrict me, and will help me make the right decisions, but, over time, I will regain my own freedom over food. I have to use the time and weight loss while my choice is restricted to change my mindset about food, but ultimately, I will end up where everyone else is - having to make decisions about food, which occassionally includes the freedom to make bad choices. For anyone wondering, I do think perhaps there is a different mindset in the UK compared to the US on post-surgery diet. The NHS Dietary Guidance includes foods like potato and bread (ideally wholegrain) as part of their healthy diet plan. If anyone wants a UK dietary guidance, the NHS guidance is available online: https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Dietary-Information-for-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-Gastric-Bypass.pdf Reading that reassured me that even though I feel really deprived now, this is temporary, and the time will come when I can eat normal foods (just less of them) and will continue to have choices. That has massively picked me up. Finally, the big thing that has perked me up is a political fundraising project that I have become involved in. Again, doing something to take my mind off food, and remind me that there are lots of things I do in life that don't revolve around food has been wonderful. I have something to be enthusiastic about. And that has made me feel so much better.

My other half is using my surgery as a chance to lose weight himself. So much of his bad habits came from things we did together (take aways, big bags of sweets or crisps etc in front of TV etc) so he's been eating healthy things that tend not to appeal to me (I've never liked salads etc). But he did get some beautiful looking sourdough bread, and I wanted nothing more than to lather it with butter and devour it. So I certainly understand the difficulty of being around food you want. But ultimately my goal has to be to eat normally with him. I don't plan on shutting any food out - anything I am able to eat, I will eat, but in smaller portions and more sensibly than before. So as long as I can tolerate bread or potatoes, for example, I plan to have some along with my partner. The thought of eating normally with my partner is what's keeping me sane right now.

I was really dreading not having Diet Coke after surgery. And 9 days out, while there are lots of things I miss and crave, bizarrely Diet Coke isn't one of them. I'm drinking Water and diet squash, and while water doesn't taste good to me at the moment, the squash does and I have no real desire for Diet Coke. However, I do know that I want to be able to live a normal life, and sometimes that might mean having a Diet Coke on an evening out. In particular, I don't want to give up alcohol completely (I'm not a heavy or even a regular drinker, but I do want to be able to have a drink with friends every so often, even if they are empty calories), so that might mean I occassionally want a wine spritzer or carbonated cider or gin and (carbonated) tonic. I hope that I will be able to tolerate these since I know they will not be regular features of my diet, and I had this sleeve so I could live normally and still enjoy things in moderation.

So, I'm a week out and the physical discomfort from the surgery is still there. Not pain, and I've not taken (or needed) pain meds for a few days. But I am still very slow and stiff, I can't sleep on my sides, I can only stand for a limited amount of time, going out feels like a chore, bending down (even when I'm sat on the side of the bed) to pull up pants or put on socks. What it really feels like is a bad side stitch all the time. If I'm sat down, it doesn't cause any discomfort, but when I move, it is uncomfortable or, briefly, a bit painful. I have to go out tomorrow for a follow up appointment with my surgeon, and I am dreading the journey on public transport. This is all getting me down quite a lot, since I feel like as well as not being able to eat normally I also can't live normally. I also desperately want to be able to cuddle up with my partner when we sleep but I can't. So I'm wondering - is this normal a week out? The first few days saw daily improvements in the discomfort but in the past day or two, it feels like it hasn't improved. And secondly, how long before the discomfort will be gone and I can live a normal life without feeling like every action takes five times more effort than before surgery?

Thanks both. Bit disappointed to hear it might take another three weeks to sleep in different positions - I'm really missing my cuddles while I sleep! I'm probably lucky in that I haven't had any trouble sleeping - but I do have to be propped up and sleep on my back, and I do wake up with a bit of a stiff back because I've been in one position all night, but no problem actually sleeping through the night. I just didn't realise I might have a month to wait before being able to toss and turn as normal etc.

I was a little confused by this stage - my dietitian recommended 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks puree and 2 weeks soft food. But she suggested that tender grilled chicken, cut up small, could count as a soft food. Is this true? That would be wonderful as it means I have only three weeks before I can start eating real food again.

So it's one week out from my surgery and boy has this been tough. I have a lot of head hunger - I struggle to get Water in not because its painful but because I have no desire for it, even though I know I'm not fully hydrated. I'm also not getting enough Protein yet - I'm taking fortified milk and a few table spoons of soup each day. This is a bizarre feeling of constantly feeling hungry (I've been told this is acid, but my acid meds don't seem to be reducing it), having no physical desire to eat but also wanting to eat all of the bad things I used to eat. The good news is that I'm down 14lbs in the first week. I haven't done any measurements but I also feel like I've lost some inches - my belly and face feel smaller. I still have some discomfort - I stopped my pain meds on Thursday because I don't have any pain as such. But the discomfort is really depressing me. I can't sleep on my side, I can't cuddle (much less anything else) my other half, going out is a chore. This is really getting me down. I want to be back to my normal life, and the thought of not having going to back to my normal life is depressing. I'm also worried about the affect this will have on my relationship. My OH has been amazingly supportive, and this has really made me realise how much I love him. But I am worried that he's having to live with this depressed, incapacitated zombie who is sad and miserable and obsessed with fluids, Proteins etc. He's been really reassuring by promising me that this this all temporary and will be worth it in the end. I genuinely couldn't wish for someone more supportive - but I feel so guilty about what he's having to live with. Sorry for moaning - I planned to make this my outlet and that's what I'm using it for. This is so tough. And even though I can envisage a time in a few months when this will all be OK, that feels very far away (and time is moving very slowly) so right now it is one of the hardest and most depressing things I've ever done. I really really hope things get better soon.

I'm so glad you posted this because I have the exact same feelings - I was sleeved on 1 March. In hospital with nothing but daytime TV to keep me occupied, every single food advert made me crave. And although it can't happen (and that's why I need the sleeve) even right now I would love nothing more than to be tucking into some delicious fried chicken or a nice burger. Like others, I'm trying to keep away from adverts. If you don't like to read, then DVD box sets (broken up with walking) or Nteflix might help reduce the torture of the food adverts. The bizarre thing is, though, as much as I am craving bad foods, I do also feel physical hunger pangs. As in I feel like my tummy is actually empty. But I just keep telling myself that this is temporary. That doesn't make it easy. But I am so looking forward to grilling a breast of chicken and actually eating. If it helps - I occassionally tell myself that I am just at a 6 week boot camp, and the hunger is normal but temporary.

Thanks Cowgirl. I was sleeved on 1 March and discharged from hospital yesterday. There was some bleeding which meant I was kept in an extra two nights. You're right - it is tough. I've even spent some time regretting getting the surgery. I have to keep telling myself that this wasn't a choice between surgery and continuing to eat all the things I like, it was a choice between surgery and a lifetime of increasing obesity. When I think of it objectively, I know I've done what I needed to do. But it is harder than I imagined. What surprised me was how emotional I was. One evening in hospital the thought of my partner just set me off crying. I pulled myself together before he arrived to visit but as soon as I saw him I just burst into tears again. Utterly bizarre. I'm feeling better now that I'm out of hospital - in hospital it felt like all I had to think about was food and what I couldn't eat. But there are more distractions in the real world. My discomfort is easing, but it's still taking me time to walk about and I can't stay on my feet for too long without getting pain in my incisions. I'm trying to stay off painkillers though, except at night. The other upside of coming out of hospital is more freedom over what I eat and drink. I got to the point that I was utterly sick of Water in hospital, so coming out and having sugar-free squash and drinking yoghurt has been nice. But I still haven't fully figured out my liquid diet so I actually find myself getting quite hungry - I've decided to fix that though by being strict about having a Breakfast, lunch and dinner - even if they are all liquids. With the exception of some Soup, I've not focused on Protein yet, which I assume is why I am feeling some hunger pangs. All in all, this has been tougher than I imagined. I am hoping that once my discomfort goes away and I am fully mobile, I'll be a bit happier. I'm also hoping that I can just get through the liquids and purees stage and keep reminding myself that this is just a few months before I can go back to eating normal foods (just less of them).

Thanks everyone. So, I need to be in the hospital in about eight hours. I decided to take my final measurements and weight tonight because I'll have enough to think about in the morning. So my official pre-surgery weight is 292lbs, my BMI is 44 and my body fat percentage is 48%. I am really excited to begin a new journey, and I think I am ready (but apprehensive) about the changes I'm about to make. I have a lot of nervousness around the procedure itself - I've not had surgery or general anaesthetic before, so I am looking forward to being done with all of that. In a strange way I'm looking forward to this surgery being in the past rather than the future. When it's in the past, all the doubt will be pointless - I'm pretty good at just making the best of a bad situation most of the time, so I know that once I have it, even if it's tough, I'll just get on with it and make it work. In an odd sort of way, this mix of feelings is a bit like a first date with someone you really really like - lots of excitement mixed with nervousness and fear in a weird mix. Hopefully I'll see you all on the other side to tell my surgery story

Today the fear is really setting in. Up to now I've been really excited, and have loved reading all the success stories on here. But now I'm worried that I'm not prepared and that I won't be able to handle all the changes coming down the track. Bizarrely, one of the things I'm going to miss is quenching my thirty by gulping ice cold Water. I drink lots of Diet Coke (and I know I will struggle with that) and I know I will struggle with all of the things I like to eat but won't be able to in the future. But I can rationalise all of that because I know it's unhealthy. But the water! It's healthy. It feels natural. And it feels so good to come in after a warm day and just chug a big pint of ice cold water. I'm not looking forward to not being able to do that. And i can't even rationalise it by telling myself that drinking water is unhealthy. It's only a little thing and certainly not something that I'd cancel my surgery for - but I think its just a symbol of the little things.