Arabesque

While loss of hunger is a benefit of the surgery, there are some who continue to feel hunger. Distinguishing whether you are experiencing real hunger or head hunger is most important to distinguish which you are experiencing. Craving a specific food, flavour or texture (like your desire to chew) is head hunger. If you used food to comfort or sooth yourself in the past during times of stress, anxiety, emotional upsets, hormonal variations, etc. you are likely experiencing head hunger simply because of the (conscious or sub conscious) physical & mental stress of the surgery. Having hunger pangs/pains is head hunger most of the time. You’re still producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery in your much smaller tummy which will cause the hunger pangs/pains. It’s why we’re usually prescribed a PPI to reduce the amount of acid for a period of time after surgery until it settles. A rumbling tummy also is not a sign of hunger in most cases - just your digestive system working. Many nerves are cut during surgery so signals and messages from your tummy to signal things like real hunger either aren’t getting through or are being distorted. Most of us discover our signals for real hunger are very different from the signals we used to recognise as hunger. I feel restless, like something is wrong & logically there is a real & legitimate reason for being hungry. All this takes time to recognise & understand & is part of the head work we all talk about you needing to do a long the way. Doesn’t help with your hunger though of course while you’re sorting through all this. In the meantime, look for a distraction. Try reading, contacting friends or family, crafting, go for a short walk, play a game, check social media, meditate, etc. Sipping a warm drink can be helpful too. All the best & congrats on your surgery.

Losing weight. Feeling healthier & better in general. I didn’t have any comorbidities but being almost 54 at the time I knew it was only a matter of time. The surgery was fine. Didn’t experience anything other than what was possible (like the terrible diarrhoea I had one day). My back went into spasm but that was more me & my back than a side effect of the surgery. No complications. Pretty easy actually. I think because I really wanted the surgery & had no doubts I was ready for the changes. And really once through the weight loss phase the changes are minimal & what you choose to do like eating choices, activity choices, etc. I didn’t experience many issues with being unable to tolerate certain foods except for the temporary changes to my taste buds. After two months I was eating pretty much what I wanted (nutritionally appropriate of course). Five years post sleeve & I eat pretty much what I want. There are things I chose not to eat any more simply because I don’t want to go back to how I was before surgery. My food choices are more nutritionally dense & eat more low or no processed foods. Last year my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs any more. Been meaning to test to see if it still doesn’t like them. I’ve always had a quirky tummy that was sensitive to some foods so that’s not a change for me really. I do experience the foamies more often than most but I think that it’s related more to my quirky tummy. I vomited (though more like regurgitating than full out muscle spasming vomiting) a couple of times in the first month or so. Due to the multi vitamins causing nausea more than any thing else. Probably took me a little longer because my energy was low for a while & my blood pressure was pretty low all the time (still is most of the time). Again, I always had a tendency towards low blood pressure so not a big change or adjustment. After the first couple of months, yes, I had more energy. No. I didn’t have any mental health issues prior to surgery & none after. Would say I feel more confident & comfortable about myself in general though. Don’t regret it at all. Yes I would recommend it. However, as I mentioned above you have to be ready for the surgery & the changes you have to make around your eating. There is a lot of head work you have to do around your relationship with food, what may drive you to turn to food & your eating habits. It is a lifetime thing & you will always have to work at it. As we say, the surgery changes your body but it doesn’t change your head & thinking. All the best.

Your body is healing & the tiredness & lethargy as a result is very common. If your body wants you to rest or nap, do rest or nap. It takes about 8 weeks to fully heal from the surgery but you will notice slow improvements in regards to how tired you are as the weeks pass. You may find there are times in the future while you are losing you experience drops in energy. This too is pretty common & again be a bit easy on yourself & your energy levels will rise again when your body is ready. I often wish I could still justify an afternoon nana nap. LOL!

May be we should all get that app the records how often you fart at night. We might be able to start our own bariatric tooting band. 😁

As @ms.sss said it’s a matter of time. In the meantime the body dysmorphia is real. Being unable to recognize yourself. Being unable to visualize your actual physical size. Seeing yourself as you were & not as you are. Being unable to equate your weight loss with the reduction of your physical size. And simply not believing you are smaller. Told these stories before but I remember seeing a reflection in a shop window of a woman wearing the same outfit as me. Wish I looked as good as her I thought then realised it was me. Was trying on some shoes & looking in those small, low mirrors they have in shoe shops. Oh, that lady has great legs & turned round to compliment her but there wasn’t another woman. It was me. And yes there are still the odd times I catch a side view in a mirror & there’s that little jolt when I realise it’s me. Oh that’s right, this is how I look now.

Soup making weather here in Australia. Bbrrr! My old faithful chicken & vegetable. Added a soup mix of barley, green & red lentils & green & yellow dried peas to bulk up the soup & the protein. Had a bowl last night, froze 5 serves & this pasta bowl is dinner for probably another 3 or 4 nights.

Think it’s more common with bypass than sleeve though I recall a post a few years back & there was a mix of responses. Some frequent & loud. Some rare & quiet. Didn’t seem to matter which surgery in the first months post surgery. Could be something you’re eating especially if it isn’t every day. Could be your body adapting to your altered digestive system & also your general change of diet. I always remember an episode of Oprah when Dr Oz said every one farts even Oprah & the Queen. Lol! I believe the average is 13- 21 times a day. If you’re exceeding this maybe GasX may be worth exploring. Personally, I can be both loud & frequent or rare & quiet. I take creons, a pancreatic enzyme, which are known to increase farting frequency so I blame that on the windy days.

Actually quite a common sign of being full. On occasions I’ll get them - maybe once every month or two. I used to get the most awful hiccups before surgery related to my reflux & inability to burp. Pulled muscles even vomiting, lasted for ages & often would stop & start again. Hideous!! My post surgery hiccups are a joy in comparison.

I’m meat all the way. Big carnivore. Big dairy eater. (Not eggs over the last year as my tummy decided it now doesn’t like eggs for some reason). Though at times I supplement meat with plant based proteins like lentils or beans. Like I’m making chicken soup tomorrow & I’ll add lentils to boost the protein content. One issue I have with plant protein (specifically the faux meat) is it’s a processed food. So I’d rather eat real beef, chicken, lamb, etc. than a plant based version. I have tried a couple of vegan dairy options but there’s something about the taste & texture though it could just be me 🙂. We all find what works best for us in regards to food choices & nutrient sources & that’s the most important thing. It may be all plant or all animal or a mix of both. Any way is good.

Hey @ShoppGirl, not sure if this has been discussed or not, but what are your thoughts about the GLP 1 drugs? I remember someone on Dr Weiner’s podcast saying how it stopped the food noise in her head & reduced her hunger. Dr Weiner has been doing a few podcasts about the medication which may be worth listening to. May be an avenue to consider especially has you have concerns & questions about proceeding with the Sadi & hunger is an issue for you.

Congratulations. You’re doing so well. Your weight loss is certainly noticeable. Sometimes the scales don’t move but the numbers on the tape measure gets smaller or our clothes get bigger. I think our body makes small adjustments to the location of our fat as we lose. It certainly goes through a noticeable resettling after maintenance begins & our weight loss stops - we look less gaunt, our body shape changes, etc. It’s why those of us who’ve been here a little while often suggest taking body measurements instead of weighing yourself during a stall. Looking forward to seeing what their next months bring you.

It’s how we measure total cholesterol & is measured in millimoles per litre. Healthy is considered 3.9 - 5.5. 5.5 - 6.5 is considered borderline. So I’m in the lower end of the borderline range now @GreenTealael. When it first went back to 5 I thought the same thing @catwoman7, my body just settling back into its norm. But now… Thinking it maybe the dairy I eat now which is way more than I had before surgery (before 3 or 4 serves a week now 2 or 3 a day a day). Meat is a little less. Butter is less. Cook more in air fryer or bake in the oven. May be I’m missing something, Or it could be the creons I take to aid my absorption of protein. They maybe changing my fat absorption??? Or it could be not having a gall bladder??? I seem to have more questions now.

I’m a believer in slowly incorporating better eating habits & food choices back into your day. Aim to work towards how & what you were eating in those first few years after your surgery. To begin may be start tracking your food to see what may need to be adjusted. Then work on hitting those protein & fluid goals & portion sizes. After a couple of weeks change something else like reducing your snacks or change up a cooking style. Work through what ‘rules’ you have become complacent about making a change or two every couple of weeks. Making changes this way is much easier to adopt and adapt to.Also don’t think of them as ‘rules’. That sounds restrictive, inflexible and limiting. How you eat should complement your lifestyle, be sustainable & flexible. Maybe get in touch with a therapist to talk through what may be happening that may be influencing some of your food choices & habits. Maybe get in touch with a dietician too just to check your on the right track again. All the best.

Not everyone is given calorie goals. I wasn’t. There are some discussions about calories & a push to concentrate more on the quality of food you are eating. 500 calories is 500 calories regardless of wherever it’s a meal of steamed fish & vegetables or a burger & fries. However the nutrient difference is significant. However, if you would feel more comfortable with some caloric guidelines for as you progress, you have every right to ask for them. Beware though you may not be able to meet the caloric goals for a while & that’s okay. As long as you’re hitting those protein & fluid goals & slowly incorporating some vegetables you’ll be fine. I was given portion size guidelines: 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at 6 months slowly increasing again to be about accepted recommended portion sizes. So for example 3-4ozs of protein & a cup of vegetables which is where you likely will be around maintenance. Your advice may be different but our needs are likely different too. But it may be a starting point until you get a more definitive response from your dietician. PS Congratulations on your surgery.

I have a sleeve and as the others have said, yes, you will be able to eat a larger portion than what you do after surgery but that’s what’s supposed to happen. It’s how we are able to consume the calories & nutrients we need to maintain our lower weight. However, the larger portion is more like what a recommended portion size is nothing like you may have eaten before surgery. You’ll be looking at about 3-4ozs of a protein & around a cup of vegetables. You’ll be able to eat a lot of the same foods & old favourites as you used to. The difference is how frequently you have them & how much you eat when you do. You may even make healthier choices around the ingredients or cooking methods. Like instead of battered or crumbed fish & chips you have grilled fish & salad or air fried or baked vegetable chips, Instead of a burger on a bun have a bun less burger or a lettuce wrapped one or just eat half of the bun. There aren’t foods I can’t eat just foods I choose not to, choose to eat small portions of or eat infrequently & I feel better for it. Your stomach is a muscle and there is the potential to stretch it again but you’d have make a concentrated effort & eat large portions, many times a day over a long period of time like you did in the first place. It’s not easy & can cause a lot of discomfort (even vomit) to force yourself to eat that volume of food. Why would you want to though? Second the advice to watch the videos of Matt Weiner & John Pilcher.

Have you spoken to your surgeon? I’d probably get in touch with them. Could it be a sensitivity to a particular food? Are there any commonalities in what you’re eating like dairy or gluten?

When people choose a goal weight, many of us choose a weight we’d attained in the past & were ‘happy’ at. Others choose a weight they think might be okay for them. Others use BMI or readjust their goal as they progress. Most surgeons tend to recommend a weight that sits within the statistical weight loss range. You can choose any number as your goal weight but it doesn’t truely mean anything. You really don’t get to choose your final weight. It depends upon factors like your new set point (which is the main one), your lifestyle & lifestyle choices, when your calorie intake & activity levels align, age, health & medications. You end up where you end up. You can start maintenance early but you can’t easily force your body not to be in maintenance to lose more weight if it doesn’t want to (your set point). As you can see in my profile, my final weight is 11kgs less than my goal (which was the low weight I usually attained over the years of losing & regaining, it met the stats & my surgeon endorsed it). Before surgery, I would never expected to be this weight. I mean I was 12 when I last weighed that & was almost 54 when I had surgery. I would have thought too thin, skeletal, etc. I’m not. I certainly didn’t intentionally work at getting here, it was where my body wanted me to be & where my calories, my body’s needs & activity level aligned. This means it’s easier to maintain. I still work at it but never feel like I’m ‘dieting ‘ or missing out on anything. Let your body tell you when. You’ll likely find you naturally slip into maintenance. PS - Congratulations on your weight loss. Fabulous!

Estrogen is stored in your fat. As you lose weight (fat) it is released into your blood stream. This hormonal flush causes crazy cycles. They may be more or less frequent, heavier or lighter. You may experience more PMT symptoms or fewer. It will continue for a little while often until you lose the bulk of the weight you were looking at losing. Of course if it becomes difficult to manage, have a chat with your gyno. I was menopausal when I had surgery & all my symptoms disappeared. Unfortunately they all came back when I reached goal.

So sorry about all you’ve been through. I haven’t had a revision so I can’t offer a suggestion about that or share my experiences, but I wonder if your cough could be a symptom of reflux (GERD) especially as the asthma meds don’t work. Has anyone suggested it? If not it may be worth further investigation by your doctors. If it is GERD, a bypass (mini or full) would be the way to go.

You’ll get a range of answers about this simply because our needs are so different. Have a chat with your dietician & /or team to see what they recommend is best for you at your current stage, current weight, activity levels, height, age, etc. As a start see what a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator suggests you should be eating to maintain your current weight & activity & aim for fewer calories. Try this one https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/health/bmr-calculator.php Or this one https://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ They’re not 100% accurate of course (it’s just statistical data) & you’ll notice differences in what they recommend based on what formula they use but it is an idea of what you may need.

Being able to sleep is one of the benefits of the surgery I really appreciated. I used to get about 5 hrs & if I got 6 it was a good night. Even had nights when I didn’t sleep at all. Began in my thirties when my job became more stressful & then I think it became a habit (like waking at the same time). I’d be up at 2am working. Was tried all the time. Now I average 8hrs. It’s fabulous. Initially I did sleep longer & yes I put it down to recovery, changes to my body (like the hormonal changes) & the weight loss too. I always think, if your body wants to sleep it must need it.

I had mine removed 2 years & 1 month after my sleeve. Could have been because of the weight loss, menopause, my high bilirubin levels or simply my past eating. Had a stone about 1cm diameter but it certainly made itself known. That pain is the worst! Never changed what I was eating after surgery. Was eating the same the day after it was removed. Some people struggle with fatty foods in the long term after (my aunt describes it as feeling liverish 🤷🏻‍♀️.) but of course I don’t eat a lot of fat so wouldn’t know if it sets it off. My sister-in-law doesn’t have any difficulties with foods post her gall removal. Probably a case of just how your body reacts. Only thing to watch for the first month or so (again depends upon you) is you may have more stomach acid & have issues with that. Your gall regulated the acid entering your tummy & without it you may have a more constant stream until things settle again. Eat small meals more regularly & try a PPI for a little while to reduce the acid. The excess acid can cause diarrhoea & some discomfort in an empty tummy. I had regular bouts of diarrhoea & I remember my surgeon saying to comeback if it persisted for more than a month. It didn’t but every few weeks I’ll get bout of it. Don’t really get cramps or any of the other usual diarrhoea warning signals just a bit of a grumbling & need to go.My sister-in-law is the same.

Stumbled on an Australian bariatric surgeon who recommended multiplying your starting weight by 0.7 to find the weight you may end up at. Again based on averages & they said their patients’ stats & not depended upon your surgery. Easy way to check versus searching for the online calculators if you’re interested.

Yes to breakfast. Have it around 9am. Any earlier it doesn’t sit as well & I don’t eat as much which means I get hungry again sooner. Pretty narrow on breakfast foods. Oats with seeds, dried cranberries, blueberries, yoghurt & milk every day. Eat the leftovers as an afternoon snack. Used to eat scrambled eggs as well until last year when my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs in any form any more. Probably time to try them again. If out will have a granola or muesli when I used to have eggs. Not into the pancakes, waffles, etc. American style breakfast foods though your waffles look great @GreenTealael. And dare I say it … never really liked bacon.

Congratulations!