Arabesque

The cooler is my go to too. I take yoghurt, cheese, protein bars, etc. Even packed cooked chicken & deli meats (got to make sure the cooler is very cold of course). If no freezer in my room, I’d ask management to pop the ice bricks in their kitchen freezer over night. Restock from grocery, convenience stores as you go. Throw in some protein shakes too. Of course you’ll likely be only on soft foods in a month so you won’t be able to eat all that I pack but it might give you ideas. Try containers with meat balls & sauce (gravy) in your cooler instead of chicken & deli meats. Just mash them in the container with the gravy. Only last a couple of days but it will start you off. Look for eating places with soups, eggs (scrambled, poached, omelettes), mince meat dishes or slow cooked meats. Appetiser size meals are most realistic portions, or share meals with your family. Don’t be afraid to ask for half serves. I used to ask if they would mind scrambling a single egg for me when I was travelling. Most places were sure, no problem. Hope the move goes smoothly. Be careful lifting, carrying, pulling, pushing too much though.

Well said, @The Greater Fool. I was one of the fortunate ones & didn’t feel hungry & wasn’t interested in eating for ages. One thing I did discover was real hunger feels different from head hunger. For me, I feel restless, like something is wrong but I don’t know what. I can then logically understand why I should feel hungry - missed a meal, it’s been a long time since I last ate or haven’t eaten much today. With real hunger I usually don’t mind what I eat as long as it’s nutritionally sound but if it’s a craving (yes cravings still occur but I can recognise & manage them way better) I know exactly what I want to eat & aren’t satisfied unless I eat it. Like @vikingbeast, if I don’t succumb to the head hunger straight away, the desire passes. Real hunger remains. But that’s me. The psychology behind why we eat is fascinating & confusing & challenging to understand & recognise & manage & …. Even simply coming to terms with portion size is huge. How can what seems a tiny serving be enough for my body to function when I used eat to T-H-I-S much. Sometimes we just can’t work though this alone & therapy can be very helpful with the psychological aspects. Your surgeon or medical team should be able to recommend someone with experience supporting people having or who’ve had bariatric surgery. Good. Luck.

My first reaction to the fasting option was sustainability. Can you sustain such an eating plan for the rest of your life? Because losing weight & keeping it off is a lifetime behavioural change. Personally, I fasted for most of my high school years. No breakfast, no lunch, 4 multi grain crackers for afternoon tea & a healthy dinner nothing else all to try to maintain my weight. Did it work? No! I put on almost a stone every year & I was way more active then too. All it did was kill my metabolism. The sustainability aspect was the game changer for me. I can follow any restrictive diet for a few weeks or months & did many, many times. But as soon as I reached the weight loss goal I gave myself or when the diet became too hard to continue, I’d just go back to eating how I did before & start gaining again. As some posters above have said weight loss surgery is a tool. If you use it, take advantage of the benefits it affords & make changes to how you eat, what you eat & understand why you eat you can be successful in losing weight & maintaining. The time before surgery & after while you are losing are the time to work through the answers to the what, why & how you eat & to begin establishing new behaviours. Don’t be afraid to seek help from a therapist & a dietician. Just make sure the changes you make are sustainable & will complement your lifestyle & how you want to live your life. It’s something you will have to do forever. I am biased though, the surgery has been a successful experience for me. From deciding to have surgery to actually having the surgery was a very short period - less than two months from GP referral to theatre (much easier process here in Australia though). Don’t know if I would have gone through with it if I had to undergo 1-4 years of pre requisite steps & approval processes. I’d choose the shortest & quickest path forward. Though you know yourself best & know how much support you will need. But it is your decision. Good luck whatever you choose to do.

In simple speak, your body is being stressed so it shuts down & the stall occurs. Just like when you’re mentally or emotionally stressed & want to shut your door, go to bed & pull the covers over your head. Remember your body has been going through a lot - surgery, reduced calorie diet, changes to activity level, etc. The stall will break when your body is ready. You don’t have to change a thing. Just follow your plan. The small adjustments that you make to your diet & activity as you progress through your plan are enough for your body to cope with without making other larger changes.

Your hair has got so much longer. Like the layers. What are you getting done - foils, highlights, all over colour,…? Don’t you love being able to cross your legs like that so they rest against each other. Still get a thrill when I do it.

It’s all so new & you have no similar experiences you can fall back on so you are very much allowed to feel a little lost & feel it’s all you think about all day. Plus the stress of surgery & anaesthetic can mess with your head & emotions. That’s why I found this forum so helpful - voices of experience. Not always exactly the same but a lot of similarities or places to start. It takes time to heal. Think about how long it would take for a long cut on your arm with multiple sutures holding it together to heal. Same with your tummy - lots of sutures & staples holding your tummy, etc, together. And we all recover differently. Some people stay a lot longer on some stages because they’re just not healed enough to progress yet but that’s ok. Spread your tablets out across the day as you can. I used to take one vitamin in the morning the other at night to try reduce the nausea & how many I was taking at a time (so 2 tablets in the am & 2 at night). The dizziness, light headedness, is likely low blood pressure. It’s from the surgery & the low calorie diet. Make sure you’re getting your fluids in, add a little more salt to what you’re eating & wait before moving on standing to give your heart a chance to get your blood back up to your head. It will get better (unless you’re like me & naturally tend to low blood pressure & then you just live with it 🙂). It will get easier & you’ll start to feel more confident & comfortable about everything. Give yourself time.

Glad you are doing so well & are happy with your progress. Whoo hoo! By 4-5 months I was eating a variety of meats, vegetables & some fruit & lots of dairy. Had a small amount of carbs in the form of rolled oats 3 or 4 times a week. Still small portions - almost 3/4 cup on a good day & depending on what I was eating. I ate three meals a day & usually two snacks (yoghurt & cheese or fruit). No real difficulties eating most foods that I can recall by that time except for things I always had issues with like chilli & spicy foods. Though there are still odd occasions when my tummy says nope this is not for you but I’ve worked out what most of those things are now or why my tummy said no. I hit goal at 6 months so my weight loss was noticeably slowing especially by month 5. I did keep losing for another 11 months or so but it just took me time to be able to physically eat enough to stop losing & to work out how & what that meant & looked like for me. While losing my cholesterol levels increased & my liver function was off. Not because of what I was eating but because of what was being released into my blood stream from my melting fat. Once I reached my goal they settled & my cholesterol dropped back to the level it has been for years (regardless of my weight). Always had a tendency to low blood pressure & the occasional hypoglycaemic episodes & as I got closer to my goal, they increased in frequency (esp the low blood pressure: all day, ever day). So that did, & still does, affect my energy levels & my ability to be very active - start strong but fade fast. Lol! Now I eat almost a recommended serving size again depending on what I’m eating. Eat 3 meals & 3 or 4 snacks a day - about 1200/1300 calories. Cut out a lot of sugar, (real, substitutes & artificial). Only eat whole or multi grains - rolled oats & some crackers (2 serves a day). Can’t eat breads, rice & pasta - sit heavily in my tummy & restrict what else I can eat. My surgery hasn’t limited me socially in any way. That’s my story anyway.

Oh that sounds more like dumping than just the foamies. The racing heart, getting flushed or increased temp, cold sweats & feeling awful for hours after is dumping. With dumping you usually vomit (& that can be just a lot of saliva) but not always. The foamies are lots of saliva bubbling up. Wanting to vomit but you may only be able to spit up more saliva but without the other symptoms. When I have the foamies, my restriction gets really bad really quickly & doesn't ease until the excess saliva comes up. I also do this barking hack thing - bit gross. Usually I’m a little tender in my upper chest area after. At this early stage, I’d think it’s because you’re not quite ready for soft food yet & your tummy is saying nope not yet. Go back to liquids for a couple of days or maybe try the purée stage for a few days. Your tummy is healing & can be sensitive & fussy for a little while. You may be able to eat. Something today but tomorrow your tummy says No! Though trying to swallow a large tablet can set it off too. Have a chat with your medical team.

I had a similar experience earlier this year. Specified no pasta, rice or bread & high protein on my admissions form & wrote I had a sleeve gastrectomy beside it. First meal was sandwiches, second was a vegetable pasta bake. When I pointed out my diet requirements & restrictions of the sleeve for me they said they thought I was just being difficult. (Not in those exact ways but it was what they meant.) Yes, some people can eat bread, pasta & rice in time but I can’t. They sit very heavily in my tummy & reduce what I can eat. So, yes some of my request could be perceived as a personal choice but it is also a physical thing for me too. If I said I had a gluten or lactose intolerance they would have happily modified the meals without an issue. Once I explained everything they were fine & my subsequent meals were great. With the numbers of people undergoing bariatric surgeries now, you would think there would be a wider understanding of the requirements & limitations within the medical fraternity. Maybe I’m expecting too much. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hope you have no post spider bite issues.

It’s very individual. Some can. Some can’t. I’m a not so much. A good mouthful so about two swallows is about it for me. Sometimes I can do a third swallow but never more. Restriction, gurgling, discomfort. So still drink regularly throughout the day & happy to drink this way. Never really feel thirsty & never reach that OMG I’m dying for a drink stage & have to chug litres at a time. Always well hydrated. Oh & the colder the drink the harder it is for me to drink.

If the pain is on movement only, it’s likely because your moving too much or too fast, stretching too far or pulling or lifting too much. Remember you had pretty major surgery & you have a lot of internal stitches & staples holding your tummy together. Take it easy & give your body time to heal. Of course if the pain occurs without moving or gets worse contact your medical team.

As @catwoman7 said it’s likely a stall. They happen & you may experience a couple if them. They will pass. Your body just needs time to come to terms with the changes - pretty stressful to it as well as you. If you’re following your plan & your doctor is happy you’re golden. It’s not a race. The weight is not going to magically disappear quickly. Because you had a higher starting weight you likely lost more quickly to begin but as your weight decreases, your weight loss rate will slow. We all experience this slow down as we get closer to our goal simply because our caloric intake is getting close to the amount our body needs to function. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Looking gorgeous @sillykitty. That dress is fab. The scenery ain’t bad either. 😉

I do enjoy crumbed lamb cutlets with a little bit of mint jelly of course. And my fav green veges (broccolini, asparagus, sugar snap peas & green beans). I microwave the vege with a little water & about a teaspoon of butter. I drain them so they get a wash of butter so they still glisten with yummy goodness. Oh & some cracked pepper & Maldon sea salt. I ate all of it over 40/45mins & even gnawed on those bones. 😆

The only way to weigh. 😆

I was told 1/4 - 1/3 cup to begin slowly increasing over months. I was at about a cup by goal at 6 months. I’d take 20+minutes to eat that size serving. I still eat slowly & take ages to eat. All about mindful eating & being more conscious of how your body reacts & what it needs. Was never told that chew, chew, chew thing. Freaks me out actually. You’d be left with flavourless, unappealing mush. Just use a teaspoon & take small bites/nibbles especially in the beginning. I still cut up my meats in small pieces (at home only) so I’m not tempted to take a too big a piece. I was a lucky one & never felt hungry & wasn’t interested in eating for months. First felt hunger (it felt different & it was real hunger) at about 7 months but was 18months until I began feeling hungry more regularly.

Likely the only thing to consider will be the lifting limitations. After surgery you will be restricted to lifting/carrying/pulling about 5-10lbs. The amount increases over time & every surgeon has their own preferred restrictions & timeframes as to how much you can lift & when. Ask your surgeon for their requirements & also ask when you’re allowed to drive again. Good luck.

The restriction kicks in as a signal you’ve eaten too much, too quickly or something that is too dry or too hard for your tummy to digest. As soon as you start to feel it stop. Sometimes it will seem to kick in early or for no reason you can understand. On those occasions, I think my body is just being a bit more sensitive & I need to give it a break. But it’s not something you should feel every day & after every meal. Eat until you’ve had enough. That is to the point you’ve had what you need not just because you want to eat - there’s a big difference. Do you need that next bite or just want it. I still pick up my fork to have my next bite & think nope don’t need it & put the fork down again. Sometimes I’ll have that bite a few minutes later & sometimes I don’t have anymore at all. Good luck.

A tightness in your chest (I always want to thump my chest when I feel it) is your restriction. It signals you’ve eaten too much, too quickly or something that is harder too swallow or digest. You won’t really feel that until you’re on more solid foods. Though I get it if I drink too quickly or too much at a time but if you’re sipping & waiting a couple of minutes between each sip you shouldn’t feel it at this stage. Upper chest pain near & around your shoulder is from the surgical gas they use to inflate your abdomin. It lasts about a week or so. If your pain is something different call your medical team just in case.

Congrats on doing so well so far. The brain fog & fatigue is common. Combination of low caloric intake & that you just had pretty major surgery & your body is still healing. If you feel tired, it’s your body telling you it needs to rest & recover. Coloxyl was my friend. If no movement by day 3 or 4 I’d take one. Don’t forget, you are eating all that much yet so not going every day isn’t really a concern. You’ll find it does improve as you’re eating more & a more balanced diet. Add some soluble fibre (look for non swelling ones) to your shakes, etc. everyday to help. Watch activity that pulls at your tummy. That could be aggravating that larger incision.

Happy birthday @Kris77. Hope you had a wonderful fay. Tell you what, I’d be very happy if someone made me steak, asparagus & sweet potato like that for my birthday dinner. Mmmmm yum.

If your plan allows you to eat certain fruits or vegetables go for it but blend the whole fruit or vegetable don’t juice. Most plans suggest a staged return to eating fruits & vegetables & identify specific ones ones to avoid especially as they can be hard on your healing digestive system or are considered too much starch, too many carbs, too much sugar (natural) depending on your eating plan. When you juice your miss out on a lot of the essential nutrients & fibre fruits & vegetables have. Plus you consume more serves of the fruit or vegetable than you would consuming it whole. You should still consider portion size & calorie contention relation to your plan. Honestly, I used to add 25-50ml of juice to my yoghurt drink (every 2nd or 3rd day) from purée stage because it was a little too thick to drink initially. My dietician okayed it because it was a small amount & not every day. I did it for a month or so. I started including vegetables in soups from purée stage, then just included some in what ever slow cooked meal or soup I was making in soft food. Steamed & microwaved them from solid food. Ate fresh fruit from about month 3.

Oh, that’s appalling. Can’t believe you haven’t had a post surgery appointment with your surgeon yet. Get on the phone & starts demanding some information, guidance & support & an appointment. I saw my surgeon two weeks after surgery (to the day), dietician early in week 4, GP in week 5 & the surgeon & dietician in week 6. I was given information pamphlets from my surgeon & dietician and the surgeon gave me a great hard cover reference book about all bariatric surgeries, the pre & post surgical stages & recipes.

I did it alone. No problems. Pain was managed easily with meds but by about day 5 I didn’t need anything. I did spend a lot of time on my couch with my shake (or soup) & water beside me. Though my bedroom & living areas on on the same floor, I have stairs & walked them a couple of times a day. Helps get the gas out plus getting up to get your shakes, broths, fluids, etc. & just generally pottering (carefully) around your house helps your recovery. Just make sure you have all the over the counter meds (pain meds, gas x, stool softener, etc.), shakes, broths, soups, etc. you’ll need for that first week or two. Hope all goes well for you.

They happen. It will break when your body is ready. You don’t have to change a thing you’re doing. Just stick to your plan.