Arabesque

Loose bowel motions are ok - all that liquid you’re consuming. You’re lucky you haven’t experienced the sudden, very unexpected, no warning signal watery diarrhoea. I got up to pee took a couple of steps then gush. Very unpleasant & embarrassing. Expect some constipation (may persist for months) but don’t worry until it gets to three or more days then take something. You aren’t consuming much that needs to be evacuated every day especially to begin with.

It depends on what your plan allows. Check with your surgeon or dietician. There are many variations of pre surgical plans but it’s always best to follow the one you’ve been given. It would be great if you are allowed.

LOL! I hear you @GradyCat. It takes 24 hours for my scales to recognise weight loss after breaking a couple of days of constipation. 🤷🏻‍♀️ As @vikingbeast said, bathroom scales are not precision instruments. The Dept of Weights & Measures don’t regularly check them. Stand on them differently, weigh on different surfaces, humidity, changes in temperature, etc. plus our own digestive & voiding cycles & variances, etc. have to be expected. Unless you eat & drink the exact same things in the exact same quantities at the exact same times, pee & poop the same volume, burn the same number of calories, etc. you can’t expect your weight to be exactly the same every day or even at the same time. I weigh almost every day for my own accountability. I allow for what I’ve worked out is my fluctuation range. It’s only if I go above or below that range that I get cautious but even then I review what I’ve been eating, drinking, physically doing, peeing, pooping, etc. to see if it’s something I’ve caused (food, fluids, activity), if it’s just life (stress, health, physiological cycles, etc.) or my scales. Then I either ignore it or make the necessary adjustments.

Did you vomit or have diarrhoea? Either of these can occur especially this soon after surgery. You’re healing & your digestive system has been cut & redirected. It’s all pretty sensitive at the moment & sometimes it just wants to get rid of whatever you’ve consumed really quickly in either direction. As the others have said, dumping occurs as a result of consuming more sugar or fats than your body can manage. You’ll get cold sweats, heart palpitations, bloating, dizziness, etc. You usually feel unwell for a while (more than an hour). https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=134&ContentID=107

Just a little vent about clothing sizes. Spotted a pair of slouchy drop crotch pants on sale online. What size will I need I wondered? Got out out my handy dandy dress maker’s tape measure & checked the size guide. OMG it said I was a MED/large or a size 14 (US 10/12). WTF!?! 😱 Is this the children’s size guide I thought but even if it was I’m only a size 10/12 in children’s wear. Nope, definitely adult sizing. It’s an Aust company I’ve bought from before (XXS fitted knit dress & XS sweaters) just not pants. All my pants are Aust size 4 or 6. How could I be a size 14 in their eyes? I know I had some dessert at Christmas but not enough to cause a weight gain of 4 clothing sizes. 😉 GRRRR!

Not everyone dumps. Think it’s less than a third of bypass patients who do. So odds are you won’t dump or it may only happen with excessive sugars or fats when you can’t manage your intake. Many of us are advised to avoid breads, crackers, etc. & only reintroduce them from maintenance. Even if they are allowed on your plan doesn’t mean you can tolerate these types of cabs yet. They can be too heavy & are too filling which is likely why your restriction kicked in.

We all heal at our own pace. The nerves that were cut during your surgery may not have fully healed so the sensations may not all be back yet. It’s why many of us are advised to eat/drink certain portion sizes at the beginning. But you will discover you likely have different signals & cues to indicate you’ve eaten enough when they kick in again. As @Kris77 said, really listen to your body (not your head). It takes time for the message to get through that you’ve had enough. You’re going to be eating in a totally different way to how you likely used to eat: small bites, small portions eaten over a much longer period of time. Plus, & this was a big one for me, eating only until I had enough not until I was full. By the time you feel full, you’ve likely eaten more than your body actually needs. Check with your dietician about portion sizes & calories if you’re concerned. There are many different plans out there & 1/2 cup for a meal may be perfectly fine at this stage on your plan. I think relying on real food for your protein & other nutrients & not just shakes is great. I didn’t do shakes after the liquid stage & felt it helped me learn to make better food choices & put good eating habits in place from almost the beginning.) It’s a lot of changes & it takes time for you to work out what it all means for you & what works for you. You’ll get there.

Bone broths, consommés & strained cream soups are good alternatives to just protein shakes. You can also try only the broth part of pho or wonton soups. I found warm liquids more soothing & easy to consume too. I’d heat my chocolate shake & imagined (unsuccessfully 😉) it was hot chocolate. Congrats on your surgery.

Fluids go through your body more quickly than solid foods. It’s why many don’t feel any sort of restriction until they are through the liquid, puree & often sift food stages. Plus nerve endings have been cut during surgery so your usual sensations of being full or having enough are different. It’s not a matter of what you can do but what you should/need to do. Remember the staged diet is recommended for a purpose: to aid your healing & recovery. Remember all those internal sutures & staples holding your tummy together. Consider how you would protect a large external wound with multiple stitches like on your arm or leg. You need to do the same with your internal wound. Go slowly. You have to change how you eat to take full advantage of this surgery. It takes time for a message to get thorough that you’ve had enough to eat (or drink). The goal is not to be full but to eat enough to satisfy your body’s needs. Like most of us this is very different to how we used to eat. This is when it starts. All the best.

The possible dehydration is a concern. Go to your nearest hospital or medical centre as you may need some IV fluids. As @ShoppGirl said getting IV fluids isn’t a big deal but being dehydrated is. It takes a good week for the gas they used to inflate your abdomen during surgery to escape. You’ll probably notice discomfort in your shoulder - a sign the gas is slowly dissipating. Walking, even around your home, is the best treatment besides GasX. Difficulty with swallowing is from post surgical swelling. It improves a lot after a few days. I found warm liquids more soothing too like @Lindsayleigh86. Make sure you’re sipping slowly as well to avoid taking in more gas and no carbonated liquids. If you’re lactose intolerant, watch the protein shakes when you start them as many are based on lactose. Are lots of lactose free ones available but you may have to look about to find the right ones for you. Plenty of lactose free yoghurts, milk, cheese etc available too for when you’re ready. It’s a pretty major surgery & it takes a while for you to fully heal & recover. Plus it’s a huge change to your life & everything is new & different. So it’s ok to have doubts. It does get better.

Oh, that’s a relief… well except for the possibility of COVID ☹️. Look for acetaminophens: Tylenol, Panadol & paracetamol. Fingers crossed for a negative test result.

Welcome back @MarvelGirl25. Hope you have been keeping well. And happy birthday @Starwarsandcupcakes. Have to take a plate to a small New Year’s gathering at a friend’s tonight. Decided to make sausage rolls. Cheated & used bought puff pastry. Wouldn’t get a handshake from Paul Hollywood but they look pretty good for my first attempt. Hope they taste as good too 😉🤞🏻.

It’s a personal choice. How does it fit in with your daily nutrient allowances, caloric goals & macros? You could always make your own to cut back on the sugars & fats & have better control over the dried fruit & other ingredients. I’m a traditional rolled oats person. Add my own seeds & fresh blueberries. Make it with milk & get 15g of protein per serve & 0.4g naturally occurring sugar from the oats (& about 15g naturally occurring sugar from the milk not sure what from the blueberries). It is high carb but oats are a whole grain & a high quality carb - helps keep you regular too.

I was swallowing tablets day 2. I had trouble because of swelling but by about day 4 all was fine. I just spread out what I was taking throughout the day as possible. At 7 weeks you should be able to swallow tablets without issue. You can’t take ibuprofen or any NSAIDS post sleeve - too harsh on your tiny tummy. But some surgeons do permit sleevers to have one on rare occasions. After 12 months, my surgeon allowed me to take a single ibuprofen once every month or two if needed. Had one in August for my covid vaccine headache but none since then. This should be a discussion with your surgeon. I’m more concerned that you are still in pain after 7 weeks. This is unusual. Most are basically pain free by the end of week one. You need to speak to your surgeon about the pain you’re experiencing as soon as possible.

Hell yeah! I say I’ve earned my loose skin. It’s a daily reminder of where I’ve been & where I am now.

Defrosted one of my frozen meals last night. Truely a mystery meal. Couldn’t remember what it was & hadn’t written on the bag. Turned out to be ginger pork tenderloin stir fry. Looks a bit sad but was zingy with ginger. Looks more but it was about 1.5 cups which I ate over an hour.

Can’t do anything with excess loose skin except to surgically remove it. Sorry. The skin has been stretched out for too long like a well used hair band. You may get some bounce back depending upon your age, genetics, how long you were obese. Also in the months after you stabilise your remaining fat does tend to resettle a bit so some areas may refill a little. Weight or resistance training may help the underlying muscles support it better. My friend has become an avid cyclist post surgery & her thighs are rock hard with great muscle definition but she still has loose skin on her upper thighs - she showed me last week 😁. All those therapies like IPL, RF, thermage, ultrasound, cryotherapy, etc. seem to cost a lot & offer short term if any effects on small amounts of loose skin. There are quite a few threads about people’s plastic surgery here if you’re interested in reading about other’s experiences.

The thing is you’re actually eating what is a recommended portion size now. Those massive meals that are served at some eating places are two, three or more times what you should eat in a serving. A steak should only be a maximum of 4ozs not those half a cow size steaks that hang off your plate. Look to the appetisers, soups or salads & as @ChubRub said most likely won’t notice. Someone my want to share a meal or ask if venue will do a half serve. (I’ve had cafes scramble a single egg without an issue.) If someone does comment (pretty rude if they do) simply say I’ve had plenty thank you. Or I’m not a big eater (remember hearing people say that in the past & not understanding how could they eat so ‘little’ - we’re through the looking glass Alice). It used to be the polite thing to do to leave a little of your meal on your plate. It let the chef know the food was tasty & the serve was enough to eat.

Some people can get back to chugging liquids some can’t. It’s all very individual. I’m a two good swallows & that’s all at a time person. Take a third & my restriction kicks in. So I don’t have to sip but I still drink regularly. It’s good though cause I never feel that ‘oh my God I’m so thirsty’. I drink while I’m driving. I drink if on the phone. I drink during the night to get my daily fluids in. I keep a glass beside me all day long. I find it easier to drink from a proper glass or cup than bottles or sippy cups (though I have a bottle in the car & beside my bed) . All fluids count so you don’t just have to drink plain water. I used to drink lots of water but since surgery it can taste almost heavy. I let sparkling water go flat & add a large glass to my fluid rotation every day. The minerally taste is a nice change to plain water. I also have a large mug of green tea & add extra milk to my porridge. I used to include a high protein yoghurt drink in my rotation (fluid & protein - double win) but they don’t make it anymore - devastated!

Sounds like the foamies. Combination of pain across your chest (restriction), hacking cough, feeling like something is stuck, spitting up a lot of foamy saliva &/ or regurgitating a little food (bubbles up not a heaving vomit). Usually you feel a lot better after it occurs. A lot of us experience these symptoms at various times. I get them if I eat too fast, eat too much or eat food that is too dry & coarse. Try eating a little more slowly, hold off on having ‘just one more bite’, eat until you’ve had enough not full, keep your food moist (add gravy, sauce, etc. if needed) & avoid coarse & fibrous foods for a while & see if that helps. Multi vitamins used to make me nauseous every day too. Make sure you take them after you eat. If you take several, split up when you take them across the day. Try a different brand or different combinations . Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, Iron, calcium, some Bs can cause nausea especially if you’re doubling up (e.g. taking iron & having iron in your multi vitamin). But do speak with your surgeon &/or medical team to make sure there is nothing untoward happening. Hope you feel better soon.

Exactly! I always say whatever style of eating you chose has to be sustainable. Doesn’t matter if it’s restricted calories, restrictive food choices (or even an excessive exercise routine). If you can’t do it for the long term & you can’t do it without limiting how you want to live & enjoy your life you’ll fail. Find your balance & what’s right for you & no body else.

I saw a study that said about 10% of gastric sleeve patients seek a revision, 5% of bypass patients have a revision & 26% of lap band. In 2019 around 256 000 people had bariatric surgery: 18% had bypass. 59% had sleeve & 1% had a lap band. (Included lap band just out of interest.) Some people develop GERD after sleeve surgery (I read it was about 10% so that seems to match the above revision stats) & consequently require a revision if medication or other management options don’t work. If you already have GERD sleeve is not for you. I had reflux before my sleeve which, like @Hop_Scotch, I mostly managed with dietary choices. Still have reflux but it manifests itself differently now. Some surgeons recommend bypass to patients who have more weight to lose or who they think need extra help to loose their weight as bypass is considered the ‘stronger’ surgery. Sleeve is a less invasive surgery (fewer changes to your digestive system). Generally though the average stats on how much weight is lost with either surgery is about the same at the 5 yr mark (about 65% of the weight to be lost). Malabsorption issues & dumping are a consideration with bypass. You’ll need to continue to take vitamins & may have to adjust medications you take. Malabsorption is rarely an issue with sleeve & dumping is not common. Sleevers often do not need to continue taking vitamins (individual health issues may mean they have to). Personally I haven’t taken vitamins since goal as I absorb all I need from what I eat. Some choose to have a revision because they have had regain or want to lose more weight. Regain can occur because of complacency, bounce back weight, medication, changes to your lifestyle, job, health, etc. or sometimes just life in general which can just throw crap at you. Have a long conversation with your surgeon as to which is the best surgical option for you from a medical perspective & which can best help you achieve your goals (health, weight, lifestyle). Then you know yourself best as to which surgery best suits how you want to live your life after surgery & whether you will need the stronger surgery to get you where you want to be in the long term. All the best.

I’m 2 years & almost 8 months post surgery & I haven’t had a protein shake (or used powders) since the first day of purées. I ate ‘regular’ food from that point on. It was always my intention to get all the nutrients I needed from ‘real’ food. It can be done. I make choices based upon nutritional content of any food I buy (which isn’t a lot as I try to prep most of what I eat from scratch). I look at the protein content, sugar, carbs, fats & artificial sweeteners & make choices based on that information. Find a good high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink (watch the added sugars or sweeteners though) to help with your protein intake especially while losing. I still count my protein every day & it is the focus of every meal I eat including all my snacks (except fruit). At the beginning when you ate eating so little it can be a challenge to get your protein in so bariatric protein enriched foods like the soup can be helpful. Have a chat with your dietician to identify high protein food options or what you can do to add extra protein. For example I made my scrambled eggs pretty milky & same with the rolled oats I ate. All the best.

I never carried anything either. Simply because you can’t tip the food off your plate into a measuring cup when you’re out. Well I guess you could but … I used body parts to give me an idea of portion sizes etc. Do some measuring at home so you know about how much fits in your palm or in your cupped hand, etc. Then you can eyeball it. It’s not precise but it gives you a pretty good idea. Same with utensils, cups, glassware, plates. How many spoons can you usually eat? How much is 2, 3 or 4oz in a glass or a cup? How many fingers is it (like measuring a spirit)? How much of your portion fits on a side plate? A dinner plate. Etc. I still use these cues when I’m not eating at home. Listen to your body. Eat slowly. Over time you’ll learn your signals that tell you when you’ve had enough.

Aah, yes. Commonly known as bony butt syndrome. I eventually had bony shoulders, elbows, wrists, hip, knees, ankles, … Any joint that you put pressure on. Used to wake every 90mins or so because of the shoulder, knee & ankle pain (I’m a side sleeper). Glad to say this does improve considerably - must develop some callouses on the non padded joints over time.