Arabesque

I agree it’s not always the size of the plate or the total weight of your meal. Calories & nutritional value are more important. Measure/weigh your food separately so you can accurately track what you’re consuming. Soft liquidy foods like yoghurt will go through your tummy more quickly then a solid protein like meat. I can easily eat a full serve of rolled oats made with a cup of milk & about 15-20 blueberries for breakfast & I often eat about 1/2 cup of diced red paw paw (papaya) mixed in a tub of yoghurt (160g). If you’re consuming only 900-1200 calories, you can’t be eating to excess with portions that are too large. You need to work out the calories you need to maintain your weight & not lose or gain. Take the caloric ranges as a guide only. We’re all different & factors like age, activities levels, genetics, etc, all affect the actual calories your body needs to function versus what someone else needs. Have a chat with your dietician.

My surgeon actually gave me a hard cover copy of Sally Johnston’s Your Complete Guide to Nutrition for Weight Loss Surgery at my first appointment. I found it very helpful. Information about sleeve, bypass & band, before & after surgery, post surgical stages, general healthy eating & nutritional needs as well as sample menus & recipes for each stage.

Yep, could be keto flu. Google it & see if it’s what you’re experiencing. Plus you’re likely experiencing withdrawals from caffeine, sugar, etc. It does get better. Good luck with your surgery.

At lot of people experience a drop in their BP after surgery. For some it persists for a few months. For others it passes & their BP increases again. As you lose weight your BP should decrease but how much is an individual thing. I always had a tendency for low blood pressure but the episodes of weakness & loss of vision would only happen occasionally - couple of times a month. After my surgery it started happening every day then multiple times a day. My GP put me on a med (a fludrocortisone) to increase my BP but it didn’t work at all. Now it doesn’t happen quite as often only a few times a day so it’s improved lol! When I had my gall out in May, they pumped me full of fluids & even gave me a shot of ephedrine because my pressure was so low after surgery but nothing really worked. The ephedrine got it up to 105 over 70 something but ten minutes later it was back to the low 80s over 60s. It’s just me. My GP checks it when I see her but it seems to sit around that 90/100 over 70ish. Do you have your own BP monitor so you can track your levels during the day? Talk to your medical team about your BP meds & how to manage the drops in pressure. If you start to feel weak, dizzy or your vision narrows, stop moving, sit if you can or hold onto something. The episodes tend to pass in 5-10seconds. Some people do blackout so be very careful. Get up slowly & wait on standing before moving. Keep hydrated. Add extra salt to your diet.

What’s happened that this is your first true meal @GreenTealael? I’ve obviously missed something? Are you ok?

Your husband has just had a pretty big surgery. He is swollen, his digestive system has been altered, has been pumped full of gas to inflate his abdomen for the surgery, may have also been pumped full of fluids & has a lot of internal stitches &/or staples. Feeling pain, weakness, tiredness is too be expected. I know it’s scary but it’s very normal after surgery. The pain will pass (less than a week), the swelling will reduce (a few days), his energy levels will build, & he’ll generally feel better. Of course we all recover differently & the tiredness & lack of energy may persist for a while because he’s also consuming fewer calories. Walk to get rid of the gas. Take the pain meds he’s been prescribed. Take it slowly. Rest or sleep as needed. All will be good. He’ll just need time to heal internally.

Are you still just sipping & waiting between each sip? I know it’s a annoying but you will get to your goal or at least close to it. Don’t forget everything you drink counts. Sometimes plain water can be hard or heavy to drink. I diluted my shakes & soups to get in more fluid, added electrolytes to flavour my water (& get an energy boost). I still drink a large mug of green tea every day & pour a large glass of sparkling water in the morning & drink it the afternoon when it’s flat. Some people seem to be able to get back to drinking quickly or a couple of swallows at a time in a short period of time. Some of us can’t. Just one of the ways we’re different. Even at almost 27 months post surgery, I can only have two swallows at a time. If I have a third swallow, my restriction kicks in - pain/tightness or general discomfort across my chest. I find drinking from a glass easier than a sippy type bottle - I suck up air with them which causes discomfort. I also drink at night - whenever I wake & when I go to the bathroom - 1 or 2 swallows before & after. It all adds up.

At 6 months, when I reached goal, I was eating less than 900 calories but I wasn’t very active. I eat about 1200 to maintain my weight. I’m shorter than you, have a smallish frame, mid 50s & still not overly active which all influences how many calories I need. You’re burning more calories by lifting weights & building muscle. Beside the dizziness, you shouldn’t be feeling hunger except if you’re skipping meals or not consuming enough. Do you still see your dietician? If not I’d get in contact with them again to review your diet & suggest ways to increase your calories to counteract your weakness & hunger. As @catwoman7 said, you could probably eat up to 1000 calories & still not gain. Add some snacks (fruit, yoghurt, cheese, a protein shake, etc.) to slowly up your caloric intake. Increase your meal portion size if you’re able - a little extra protein, a few more vegetables. I still eat slowly so I can eat a little more at each meal. Good luck.

I couldn’t lose a single kg of my menopausal weight gain which had put me 16kg over the highest I’d ever been in my life. (15kg in less than 6 months to my highest weight & then another 16kg the following year & I hadn’t changed a single thing in my diet or activity.) My feet ached at times, my fitness wasn’t great & I knew there were a lot of health complications in front of me if I didn’t do something. Woke up one morning, said enough & made an appointment with my GP. About a month later I had my surgery. So glad I did it. Good luck with your surgery.

Everything tasted too sweet to me after surgery so it was easy not to want to have biscuits, cakes or desserts. I had some fruit cake & a little dessert at my first Christmas (7 months & maintaining). Now, over Christmas is really the only time I have cake or dessert but again only slithers - a couple of bites. I did have a bite of a friend’s wedding cake at 2 years (it was dry so disappointing). I got rid of a lot of sugar, artificial sweeteners & sugar alternatives out of my diet. I add a little honey to my rolled oats. I know there’s some artificial sweetener in my yoghurt & protein bar & some sugar (<2g) in my multigrain crackers but that’s it. I try to rely on fruit (1-2 serves a day) if I want sweet. But that’s me & what I’ve chosen to do. You’ll discover what works for you & what’s sustainable. Good luck.

Oh, how insensitive is your doctor. After weight loss surgery, you are unable to take nsaids. (Sleevers are eventually able to take the odd nsaid but not regularly.) But there are alternative pain relief & RA management drugs for rheumatoid arthritis than nsaids such as steroids and dmards (like methotrexate which 2 friends take). Chat with your surgeon as to whether you’re able to take these drugs as it will depend upon where in your body they are absorbed. Hopefully you may be able to take one of those. Plus as you lose weight some of the pressure will be taken off your joints which should offer some reduction in pain too.

Oh, yeah season to your heart & your tummy’s content. Just watch herbs to begin - they can be too coarse & dry & also watch spices as your tummy can be a bit sensitive for a while.

Yes, you’re likely experiencing your first stall. Yes, you will have more. Perfectly normal. Just your body taking a break to get used to the changes. You can easily weigh a couple of pounds more at the end of the day after eating & drinking versus first thing in the morning after not consuming anything over night. It takes time for all you’ve consumed to pass through your body. Weigh at the same or similar time wearing the same or no clothing to get the most accurate reading. I’m an after breakfast, after I’ve been to the bathroom & in my underwear weigher. Find the frequency of weighing yourself that works for you - though just not multiple times a day. I weighed every day while losing but now weigh about 5 times a week. That’s because I need to know I’m keeping to my plan & maintaining. In the past I wouldn’t weigh myself if I was suspicious I’d put on weight - if I couldn’t see that the scale had gone up I could convince myself I hadn’t put on weight even if my clothes were tight. I’m also more conscious of my own body’s fluctuations now too so I allow for slight daily & weekly variations (up to about 2lbs).

As the other posters said plus are you constipated? That adds weight too (& it will become quite a regular occurrence). Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

Great post @MandoGetsSleeved. I’m sure many of us go through the same thing or similar. It’s the old habit thing. In the past, we ‘d lose weight, feel good about ourselves & then let it all sludge away & go back to what we used to eat. So we do it again this time. It’s wonderful that you realised what you were doing & committed to going back to the new better habits you were learning. It is a constant battle though. Congrats on your weight loss so far. You’ll at your goal in no time.

Try some of those period pants. They may even let you wear them during the surgery just bring an opened pair. Otherwise use tampons for the surgery. I wish they had those period pants when I was menstruating - so much easier & comfortable I’d think. Good luck with your surgery.

Unfortunately, apart from what you are doing, you just have to wait it out. I had no gas pain with my sleeve (don’t hate me) but with my gall removal oh yeah. I walked, I stretched (though because my abdomen had been distended with the gas & gallons of fluids they pumped me full of to up my low BP I had a lot of strained tummy muscles it wasn’t easy) but I totally forgot the gasX. It does ease a little more every day. Took about a week. You can have shakes, broths, soups, clear liquids. As long as they are completely smooth & free from any residual bits of meat, vegetables, herbs, etc. I strained all my soups just to make sure.

I was drinking green tea a few days after surgery without issue (the heat was soothing) but we’re all different. Sometimes our healing tummies just don’t like something & will let you know pretty quickly. Take a break from the peppermint tea & see how you go. All because you can’t tolerate it now doesn’t mean you won’t be able to drink it in the future. You could also try an alternative herbal tea & see how you go. Are you eating/drinking anything else or taking meds before you vomit, have nausea, etc? It could be something else that is upsetting you. How far out from surgery are you? I had a lot of salvia the first few days because of swelling (carried a vomit bag with me everywhere). If it persists give your medical team a call. Good luck.

They happen. Just stick to your plan & they will break. Your body is taking a break to catch up with all the changes - diet, weight loss, surgery, etc. It’s been through a lot. I never changed a thing I was doing (why stress my body more) & I always started to lose again. You will too. Good luck.

Hospital now!!!

I was swallowing meds from day two. Wasn’t easy at first as I had a lot of swelling but I just spread them out. But as the days passed it hit easier. If the meds were prescribed by your surgeon they should be fine but if you’re unsure or they’re hard to swallow just contact their office & ask.

Some do have a tougher time post surgery & I’m sorry you are. But it does get better. The pain subsides, the swelling reduces, you’ll move more easily, …. Just give yourself time to heal. Honestly, there will be days in the future when eating or drinking may be tough or your tummy/body will throw you a curve ball. There’s a lot of learning & new things to discover about yourself & your body. It is soooo worth it.

Everyone’s plan has different requirements & expectations. Everyone heals differently & our tummies have different tolerances (sensitivities). Some people take longer to get through the stages, others move through quickly. We’re all different so there’s no real right or wrong way to recover. If things are going smoothly for you that’s wonderful. Some people do progress easily. People usually post because they wonder if what they’re experiencing is ok or should they seek help … which is really what you’ve sort of done too. 😉 This is all very new to everyone’s it makes sense they post to ask questions & reassurance. Congratulations on your surgery.

Actually I can’t remember exactly when I first ate lettuce but I do remember eating cucumber towards the end of month 2. Cooked with tomato, celery, mushrooms, etc from purée. I think it was around the 3 or 4 month mark. I’d probably tread carefully with coarser leaf salad greens - they can be too dry & cause discomfort. And of cause watch any salad dressings you use. As with anything check your plan & if it’s ok go slowly. You can only try. Personally I eat a heap of iceberg lettuce (cups of the stuff every day) - think it’s a bit of a slider for me. Plus it’s full of water so great for hydration.

@catwoman7 is correct. Plus the crampy pains are from your surgery. Pulled muscles, internal stitches, etc. Perfectly normal just some people experience more discomfort others less. BUT, if they get worse contact your medical team. Congrats on your surgery.