Taoz

Hi All. I'm now 2.5 months post op (sleeved 2nd May) and doing well other than having caught a few nasty cold/viruses along the way (mid-winter here). I dropped below 100kg a few weeks ago, and am now sitting at 95kg (209lb). I try to get close to 1000 calories a day, and get at least 75g protein. I still struggle to get in all the liquids I should be but am most of the way there. I expect it will still be slow progressive loss from now on, but I'm happy to be almost half way down to my goal. It would be great to shed another 20+kg by Christmas.

The "starting weight" figure includes losses pre-surgery. ScoutCR may have had a longer pre-op weight loss period. ScoutCR also had bypass surgery, which tends to have a more dramatic early weight loss (and faster overall loss) versus sleeve surgery.

*big hug* A lot of us regret our decision in the first week or two when we are in pain, and it's hard to drink, and our emotions are all messed up. I was lucky to have a fairly easy recovery. I'm sorry you are still in a lot of pain. Try to keep on top of it with your prescribed pain medications, and let your doctor know if what you have is not helping enough. Your stomach may feel like it's starving, but that is most likely just pain/growling from healing and excess acid and wondering what the heck just happened to it. If you are not already taking a PPI to aid stomach healing and reduce stomach acid please ask your doctor for one. Excess stomach acid can feel like near constant "hunger". Some people do also experience real hunger almost immediately, and it isn't satisfied by the early small portions of liquids they consume, however once they move up to thick purees and soft solids they feel much more satiety. Are you still only limited to water and gatorade? Solid food at this point could hurt going down, but more importantly could harm your still healing stomach, which is still tiny and swollen. However I would expect your team would be allowing you to have more variety of thin liquids by 5 days post op, such as thin blended stocks/soups, and maybe a soothing cup of tea? I was being served thin soups while still in hospital (which I couldn't have because they were reconstituted powdered soups full of MSG/glutamtes). You are not alone, there is a wealth of knowledge and experience and encouragement here on the forums.

I only felt regrets a couple of times in the first week post surgery, when I had the odd "OMG what have I done to myself???" pity party. I am now 2.5 months post op and nearly half way to my weight goal and damned happy about my decision to get the sleeve. Now it's up to me to do right by myself and do the work to make my sleeve help me in the long term.

I was always a fan of choc chip cookie dough. I still get to enjoy this taste on occasion with quest "choc chip cookie dough" protein bars!

Ohhh, I need to try to adopt this one! My house is always in disarray.

As others have said, the restriction will come with more solid foods. Re: staying the same weight for 4 days: your body is still healing from major surgery so weight loss in the first month can be very random and many surgeons recommend people don't even weigh themselves until 4-6 weeks post op at their first surgeon follow up. Even after healing you will find your weight stalling at random times, sometimes for only a week, sometimes for much longer. Most of the stalls are just your body temporarily holding onto more water or waste for a bit, they aren't a sign that you are no longer losing fat or your sleeve/diet is failing. Provided you are following your plan, getting in your protein, water and vitamins and not having too many calories your body has no choice but to continue to break down fat to make up the caloric deficit between what you are consuming and what your body needs to function. If you aren't getting enough protein in you will be breaking down some lean tissue along with the fat which you don't want that happening.

As others have said, maybe too high in sugar and fat for now. Might be tolerated better in another month or two. Remember that peanut butter and nuts in general are really calorie dense. A tablespoon of the standard peanut butter my kids eat is 100 calories. Make sure to include any portion of peanut butter in your calorie total for the day (at 2 months post op my target is 1000 calories).

Use the broth to make yummy blended veggie soups. The extra veggies will make it taste much better?

I don't think that not enough protein would reduce weight loss, but it would mean that some of what you lose could be lean muscle tissue along with the fat, which would gradually reduce your basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn just by existing/functioning for the day). If you get enough protein in, all your loss should be fat loss (ignoring any temporary water gains/losses). If you eat too many calories, more than what your body burns in the day, then you won't be losing weight. Hormones and medical conditions can affect your rate of weight loss even when you are ensuring a caloric deficit. RE: More protein. I don't use shakes as I really hated them (used some in pre-op VLCD but not post op). I have a collagen hydrolysate protein supplement (derived from beef gelatin but tasteless/textureless) which I include in my morning decaf coffee for an extra 15g protein, and I have some protein water in the afternoon (I make mine with unflavored protein water powder and chilled fruit tea + stevia). Sometimes I include a quest protein bar in my day.

please talk to your surgery support team ASAP. Dumping does happen sometimes with sleeve but not usually from everything. You will be losing muscle mass as well as fat if you aren't getting enough protein in, and are at risk of serious illness from nutrient deficiencies if you aren't keeping any foods down. Please see your doctor ASAP for support, advice, and to check that you don't have a complication causing the dumping symptoms.

This is awesome. I too suffered frequent pain from inflammation in my back and neck and that had eased considerably post surgery (lucky too, since I can't take ibuprofen anymore). To those sad with slow loss, don't panic, it will vary for everyone. I know it's hard when we see some people (especially those with bypass) lose massive amounts in the first month, some of these people are starting from a much higher BMI, and some just seem to be lucky, but slow and steady losses still gets us there. My first stall was at 2.5 weeks, and again at about 5-6 weeks. The scales will stall sometimes and that's no reason to panic. Just remember, if you are eating less calories than your basal metabolic rate (the calories your body burns just existing/functioning all day, usually less than 1200 calories should be safe) and you are getting enough protein to prevent muscle/organ breakdown then your body has no choice but to burn FAT to make up the deficit. It won't always be reflected on the scales straight away because of the variance in retained water and waste as you process and use the stored fat, but long term your fat is reducing and your weight has no choice but to follow. Best of luck to everyone moving into their second and third months post sleeve.

Best of luck for a smooth surgery and recovery!

Hi everyone. I was sleeved 2nd May so I'm now 8 weeks out and have been on solids from week 5. Eating is going well. I had been getting about 700-800 calories a day but I"m trying to get that up to 1000 a day now. I always make my protein target of 75g+ but haven't been getting enough water in the last few weeks, getting a little over half of my target some days, 3/4 others, so that's something for me to work on this week. I am eating mostly fresh-cooked foods plus a couple of protein supplements (protein water made with brewed ice fruit tea, collagen hydrolysate in my morning coffee, and sometimes a protein bar as a meal or snack if I don't feel like eating much). I am not trying for very low carb, as I want my diet to be sustainable in the long term, and want to include sufficient veggies and complex carbs like wholemeal breads and slow cooked rolled oats porridge etc. I haven't had any real issues with foods, though some things I just haven't liked the taste of. I'm sampling a few diet read-made meals at the moment so I have some nice-tasting fall backs for times I'm not up to cooking, plus freezing a few home cooked meals in my portion size (like the delish beef and red wine casserole I made the other day). I started planning for sleeve early this year at 121kg (highest weight 124kg mid last year), was 111kg by surgery day and just cracked the under-100kg mark a few days ago woot! Like many others, my pattern seems to be staying around the same for a week or two, then dropping several kilos the next week once my body lets go of the excess water, so I refuse to stress about scales failing to drop for a while. I know I'm doing the right things and the weight loss will continue in it's own pattern, hopefully all the way down to 60kg. Aunt flo is due again soon so I expect to retain fluid for a bit again shortly. Amusingly, I can no longer wear my comfy soft-cup bra tops any more (which I sleep in as well as was wearing most days, a carry over from all the years stuck in maternity bras) as from last week "the girls" kept falling out the bottom of them at inappropriate times! LOL, my 9yo daughter found it hilarious when I showed her. Thank goodness it happened under a thick winter jacket when it happened at school drop off! I must have suddenly lost more size around my underbust area (and I can't wear the next size down ones, 12-14, as they won't contain my giant boobs). I now have to get used to wearing some of my remaining proper fitting underwire bras again (it's hard to get affordable and comfy bras when you are sized 16G - I doubt I'll lose much in cup size with the weight loss as was a 12E-F cup at 13 years old, but I look forward to a breast lift and reduction once I'm at goal!). Lovely to hear how everyone else is doing. Remember not to compare your losses with anyone else, as all of our bodies are so different! EDIT: WOOHOO! today's weigh in puts me under BMI 40 finally... *happy dance*

wow, it must be a lot to take in now post sleeve, without the research and prep most of us have done before surgery. I hope you have recovered well and are tolerating liquid/puree foods well so far. I'm almost 8 weeks out and pretty much eating regular foods now, just small portions and focusing on protein first. I made a lovely beef and red wine casserole in the slow cooker/crockpot today and thoroughly enjoyed my serving of it for dinner. I will be trying a few gourmet meals soon (I"m the only cook in the house so am enjoying sampling a few good protein-focused ready-made options now that I've been on full solids for nearly a month).

don't panic hun. Weight can do crazy things in the first few weeks post op, as you are healing from major surgery, often retaining fluids and adjusting to medications. You might leave the hospital 3kg heavier than when you went in, or 4kg lighter, or exactly the same. Many doctors advise not even weighing yourself until a month post surgery. Be prepared for the scale to sometimes stay the same or fluctuate a bit, sometimes for weeks or more, during your weight loss journey. Take body measurements as the scale is not always an accurate reflection of your losses and you will likely continue to lose inches even in the weeks the scale doesn't shift. Follow your plan and keep your focus on the long term goal, regardless of week to week measurements. You can do this!!!

I don't think it's likely to cause you any major problems. MY pre-op was shakes for breakfast and lunch, and a suitable lean meat and veggies meal for dinner. I found I couldn't tolerate shakes in the morning (and couldn't have bars as an alternative because all the ones here have aspartame which I"m intolerant to) so I settled with a single scrambled egg and a decaf coffee for breakfast, shake for lunch, meat and veg/salad for dinner for the whole 3 weeks except liquids only just for the last full day before surgery. Stick with your program now until surgery but don't panic about your slip up, you will be fine and on the losers bench in no time Good luck for a swift recovery.

There are fewer protein water options here in Australia. One is rediculously overly sweet (I had to dilute a single 7g protein scoop with 500-600ml water just to be able to drink it... that 1/3-1/4 of my daily liquids target just for 7g protein!). The other option, bodie'z, isn't as bad (stevia sweetened) but still has a really fake taste. My solution was to buy the unflavoured clear protein water powder and I make it with lovely brewed (then chilled before mixing) fruit tea! Being a clear protein water powder it doesn't have any noticable texture once fully dissolved. I sweeten mine with a little stevia powder, and the ones I now send to work with hubby I sweeten with honey or sugar. Tastes SOOooo much better than all the other protein water options available here. My favourites are "peach and pineapple" and "strawberry, raspberry and loganberry", hubbies faves are "lemon and ginger", "orange and cinnamon" and "lemon and lime". Now we get a lovely 500ml drink with 30g protein in our choice of flavour and our preferred amount of sweetness and sweetener!

Hadn't weighed in a few days as was too busy, but this morning the scales had a wonderful greeting for me! First time under 100 kilos in at least 15 years. Loss has been achingly slow from 2 weeks post op, but as long as it continues to trend downwards I will get there eventually!

You will get there soon too! best of luck with your upcoming surgery.

If you have uncontrolled GERD (and medication has been tried but isn't managing it), it might be the GERD making you feel that you are hungry again so soon after eating? stomach acid can feel like hunger, and eating more can temporarily make it feel better again. The GERD would also be a reasonable reason to convert to bypass even with the lower BMI, but you would have to then be even more meticulous with your vitamins and foods because of the malabsorption post surgery. That you can eat a full regular-sized meal post sleeve is a concern. Have you had a scan done to check the size/shape of your sleeve? you are now 1 year post op, most people have reported only being able to eat about a cup of food at a time by this point.

Congratulations! You are looking awesome.

Good for you making this decision for yourself. I wish you the best of luck, and am glad your dad is already happy for you.

As said above, sleeve and bypass are just tools. If you were to consume too many calories through liquid calories like alcohol and soft drinks and lots of sweets both will fail to help you lose weight. You may or may not get dumping from bypass surgery. As sillykitty said above, you likely need to seek help for your sugar addiction with something like overeaters anonymous to help you succeed in beating your addiction.

I don't know how well whey protein powder would mix in, but certainly a collagen hydrolysate (protein derived from gelatin) would blend in well to this?