Arabesque

You will have a lot of swelling which would be making drinking painful. Plus, you’d have discomfort & bloating from the procedure. You will feel better & it will get easier. Try warm drinks as they are more soothing. All you can do is sip, sip, sip. Some set an alarm so they sip every couple of minutes, you can count all liquids you are consuming including any shakes, broths, etc. as your plan prescribes. Don’t worry if you aren’t exactly hitting your fluid goal to begin but as long as you are pretty close & making an effort to get to it. Watch for symptoms of dehydration though just in case. PS Ensure you’re taking short walks to help with the bloating too.

As @Sleeve me alone! said elevated cholesterol levels is common post surgery. Mine went up too. It’s all the cholesterol being released into your body as you lose fat & the high protein diet (especially animal proteins) & lower vegetable diet add to it. My surgeon & doctor monitored it but it started to go down when my weight loss finally slowed & I was eating a more balanced diet in maintenance. It was always about 5/5.1 before surgery (not bad but not good), went up to 5.8 (danger, danger) & is 4.1 now (gold star 😉). Try swapping in some plant proteins & rolled oats into your diet & see if that helps while you are still losing.

You’d really know it if it was your gall. That pain is excruciating. I would have thought I was dying if I didn’t know what it was. Literally rolling on the bed in agony. Covered in sweat. Could barely get up & drag myself to get some pain meds. Not that they helped. The surgery was actually pretty easy. My surgeon used the same incisions he did for my sleeve so no new scars. No special diet after. Knew what to expect post an abdominal surgery but the gas pain was pretty bad but I had none with my sleeve. I wasn’t put on ursidol or similar. Which I’m actually glad about as the side effects aren’t the best: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, hair loss & we already had enough of those without making them worse. And you wouldn’t know if it was the meds or your recovery & weight loss causing or exacerbating them.

I didn’t feel hunger for more than a year so I ate to a routine because I wanted to ensure I got in all the nutrients I needed. I didn’t want to rely in shakes, vitamins or supplements. Doing this didn’t affect my weight loss at all and it helped me refocus how I looked at food. Three years out & I still have times I’m not hungry. Actually been going through a hungry but not hungry stage for a good month now. I’m not eating all my usual portions &/or dropping snacks (I snack to add to my protein &/or calories). I always try to be close to my protein goal though during these times so eat protein first & will reduce vegetables, etc. If I’m not hungry at lunch I’ll have a high protein yoghurt which isn’t as heavy to digest as meat. I should explain I’m a do I need this next bite or want it eater. So I don’t eat until I feel full but until I’ve had enough & don’t need anymore. I don’t feel too full to eat but more I don’t want to eat but I know I have to have something. I also still eat slowly - like a tub of yoghurt takes about 45-60mins. As @The Greater Fool said it comes down to habits & these were the ones I established which carry me through.

Try some mineral salts - magnesium especially. You may be flushing (peeing) or sweating some of those out of your body. But see what your doctor says first.

You can develop gallstones for many reasons including high cholesterol, menopause, high bilirubin levels, diabetes, losing weight quickly. For many of us, losing weight also releases extra cholesterol into our bloodstream causing our levels to temporarily rise. Some also have gallstones before surgery which were never picked up. I had to have my gallbladder removed 25 months after my surgery. I had high bilirubin levels, am menopausal, & saw my cholesterol go up while I was losing & of course had lost weight. I had one stone which was discovered about 6 months after surgery during a liver scan. We don’t know how long it had been there. The stone never caused me a problem until one night & oh boy! I was maintaining when my gall was removed. After it was removed I stopped absorbing protein as well as I had been - it can happen. My nails became weak, started losing hair again, things were taking longer to heal, etc. & my three monthly blood test showed why. I had to up my protein intake (from 50-60g to 60-70g) which did result in a small gain of 2kgs in a month but I’ve maintained that for a good 7 months. (Also upped my HRT meds at the exact same time so both contributed to the gain.) I was also prescribed Creons, pancreatic enzymes, to help with protein absorption.

Sorry you’re not feeling well. Just wondering though if the dairy in the shakes may be upsetting your tummy while you are sick?? Often dairy products cause extra mucus production & are best avoided when you have a runny nose. Blander food may be easier to tolerate. Soups may be your best bet at the moment. Just a suggestion. Hope you both recover quickly.

You can include all the fluids you drink so that includes the milk in your shakes & the Gatorade zero not just water. So you are a lot closer to your goal than you think. Most of us consume a variety of fluids to reach our goal. It can be difficult to reach that 64oz goal in the beginning but as long as you are making an effort & are getting closer & closer to it you’ll be ok. Try keeping a glass of water beside your bed & sip every time you wake to add in a couple more ounces. (I drink about 8ozs overnight.) Congrats on your progress so far & for being creative in your meal options. Yay!

Some surgeons/insurance require an endoscopy as part of your pre surgery health checks. But because you’re having your surgery overseas best would be to contact your surgeon in Turkey.

One thing I did to keep my mind off eating was clearing out my wardrobe & drawers of clothing & underwear that were too big. So feel hungry? Clean out a drawer or a wardrobe. I reviewed my clothing several times as my weight dropped. Besides distracting me it also reinforced how I was progressing. Packed up clothing into things to toss, keep, donate or give away to friends. Also pulled out clothing I’d kept in case I lost weight in the past & sorted out what I could wear again.

Why not try a sports store where they do those tests to see how you walk & the pressure points on your feet. I did & ended up with a brand I’d never heard of but boy they were great shoes. They were cheaper than those big name brands too not that price was a consideration. Comfort & support was all I wanted. I did it again after I lost weight. I had different needs & a different brand was recommended. They’ve been great too. You don’t have to buy from the store. You could go elsewhere to buy their recommendations.

First treat BMI as a suggestion. Same with any goal you may choose. Body type, your build, age, lifestyle, health, genetics, etc. all influence what is the best weight for you & you can’t put a number on a scale against them. The other factor which you can’t do much about is your body’s natural set point. This is the weight at which your body seems to naturally settle. My surgeon did ask if I had a goal. I chose a weight which was the lowest I reached during my weight loss & gain cycles. It put me at about a 23 BMI. He thought it was sensible & achievable. I reached that in 6 months but continued to lose as I tried to find my maintenance balance. Initially my surgeon & doctor were concerned about my lower weight but it turns out I don’t have a larger frame as everyone thought! As one doctor said you’re actually quite a tiny person aren’t you & they all stopped worrying. Plus I don’t have bones protruding - I have plenty of flesh (fat ha!) on my bones. I’m about 2kgs heavier now than where I had initially stabilised for a year. (I believe an necessary increase in my HRT dosage & protein intake contributed to the sudden weight gain - all happened in the same month.) and I’ve been stable here for a good 7 months. My body seems happy at around this weight & so am I (except for those 2 kgs 😉). You’ll settle at a weight that is healthy & works for you and it’s okay if it ends up being more or less than you initially thought. My food choices & the way I eat to maintain my weight doesn’t restrict me living my life as I want. It’s been a sustainable way of eating for 2.5yrs now. I might make slight changes in the future but for now it’s working. I guess that ‘s the real goal. Being at a weight you can maintain in a healthy, sustainable way that allows you to enjoy your life as you want. PS - the slowing down of your weight loss is perfectly normal. It slows as you get closer to your body’s set point & your calorie intake is nearer to what your body needs to function effectively & healthily. Can you lose more if you want? Sure if you reduce your calories & intake your activity but can you maintain that without impacting your health or your life?

I agree with going slow with raw vegetable. I didn’t do salads for a few months though I could eat cucumber (peeled) pretty early out. Lettuce leaves, spinach, rocket, etc, can be too coarse. When I started salads I used iceberg lettuce only. I ate a lot of different cooked vegetables from soft foods. Watch how you cook your meats to avoid drying them out. Poaching, steaming, roasting, braising, slow cooking, is a good place to begin. And buy tender cuts. Like use chicken thighs not breast. Cook steak to medium rare. Have gravies, sauces, etc. to keep your meals moist. Continue to keep your bites small. I still cut my food into bite sizes pieces before I start to eat when I’m at home. Don’t load your cutlery with both protein & vegetables - one or the other. I could eat any red meats, poultry or seafood but some struggle with certain meats at first. Best advice is go slowly and never give up on anything. Try it again in a week or so or try a different cut or cooking it a different way.

In the beginning your tummy can be extra sensitive & sometime just pernickety. It can like something one day but not the next & a few days later it’s fine again. Or your tummy or the temporary changes to your taste &/or smell may make some foods difficult to eat. It may as simple as the food tasting or smelling awful, or it may not sit well/heavily. It may cause nausea or you may regurgitate it back. Worse case, especially if it’s too coarse or dry, you can experience your restriction then the foamies. Just depends & is individual. Usually intolerances are temporary though there may be an odd thing you’ll avoid long term. I love vegetables but I couldn’t tolerate many of my favourites at all - tasted awful then about a month later they were delicious again. I still find oily fish like salmon & trout unpleasant - just don’t sit well. Actually could eat smoked salmon for about a month & then nope no more. I can occasionally eat a little salmon as sashimi. So it can be the specific food or how it’s been prepared that upsets you. I can eat pork without problem except if it’s too dry then I get the foamies. Foods like chicken breast, steak or eggs can cause problems at first for some. Some develop temporary food sensitivities too like to lactose. But don’t give up on any food. Give it a break before trying it again or prepare it in a different way. Your restriction feels like a tight band around your chest. Like something is stuck. Makes me want to thump my chest. The goal is not to feel this. (I only feel it if I eat too quickly/not mindfully, or eat something too dry or coarse.) Don’t eat until you are full but until you’ve had what you need not what you want (do you need the next bite or just want it). We’re advised to eat slowly to allow the message you’re full to get through. But if you eat until you feel full you’ve likely had too much. That’s why portion sizes are helpful though you may find one day you can eat all your portion but the next day you can’t. Many find their full signals are different too. Some sneeze or their nose runs. The gurgling is just your tummy doing what it’s supposed to - digesting food. Most times a gurgling, rumbling tummy is not a signal you are hungry.

For my birthday eve dinner I took two Tasmanian friends to a fabulous restaurant that cooks over open fire (yes, more dining out). Thought I’d share these two mouthwatering dishes. Buttermilk waffle with a cheese, raisin & thyme purée - two bites size & I had one. And the most delicious side dish ever - cabbage with lacto Koji (fermented crème fraiche), buttermilk, cashews & dill. The crunchy burnt bits just seem to make everything more yummy. (And the low lightening makes everyone, especially those about to turn a year older, look gorgeous -lol!)

Yes it does make sense. I’ve had times when I’ve shut down to protect myself but I’ve been able to work my out of it. You may find you’ll never manage your hunger & eating until you open up to your emotions again. You may find therapy very helpful to guide & support you work your way through your emotions & what lead you to burying them. A therapist will also help you develop strategies to manage your feelings too. Many have found therapy extremely helpful. Your surgeon or medical team should be able to recommend someone who has experience with bariatric patients & disordered eating. Plain water can almost seem too heavy to drink after surgery. I was a big water drinker pre surgery but for months after it was a struggle. I was able to drink green tea so I started drinking a large mug everyday after I got home from hospital. A few months later I also added a large glass of sparkling water. I’d sip it over a few hours alternating with plain water so it would be pretty flat. I also used to open the bottle when I put it in the fridge so it wouldn’t be as fizzy when I went to drink it. The minerally taste was a nice change to plain water.

Changing your thinking isn’t easy unfortunately. Boy how I wished it was. Sometimes though I’d have a sudden realisation which changed how I looked at eating in certain situations. Like realising going out with friends wasn’t about eating but about being with my friends. I started listening more closely to what we were talking about, initiating conversations & more closely considering their reactions. In many ways not focussing on what I was eating has built better relationships with my friends. My eating & drinking less doesn’t stop them eating & drinking either. I developed an aversion to a lot of fatty, overly sweet foods, takeaway, fast foods & snacks. It doesn’t even have to be in front of me. I cringe watching fast food ads on tv, images on social media, etc. Though I throughly enjoy cooking & baking shows but I guess they’re not about excess but moderation. This was very helpful my first year. Others experience this as well. I’m also a do I need it or want it person. Coupled with that is why do I want it. Do I want it out of habit (like when you want chips & slushies when you get fuel)? Because I’m bored? Because I’m sad, angry, happy, frustrated, scared? Etc. And the big one: am I actually hungry? Once you know the why you can work out strategies to manage it. Want a slushie? Get water. Bored? Find an activity to do (read, go for a walk, play a game, craft, …) And so forth. It all takes time. And don’t beat yourself up if you give in. As long as it’s a rare slip it’s okay. Recognise it & move forward.

Something to watch is while you usually have perfect cholesterol, you may find that changes while you’re losing. Like oestrogen being released into your body from your fat as you lose weight the same is true of cholesterol. My cholesterol wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad just over the high side of normal but it seemed to always be about that regardless if what I weighed so my doctor was okay with it. When I was losing it went up & up & up & my liver function went weird too (also common). So while the keto high fat diet may be something you consider in maintenance, the high fat aspect may be too much while you are losing. My dietician advised keto was fine in the short term & good for kick starting weight loss but it wasn’t really sustainable. (My pre surgery diet was keto.) I did some of my own reading & decided I agreed. Do I eat fat? Yes. Do I eat high fat? No. I get a lot from animal products (meat, dairy) but I don’t add a lot more (been using the same 500g pack of butter for 8 months). Some salad dressing, a little oil if cooking. But then I’ve never enjoyed fattier foods anyway. I look at it as generally a little of everything in moderation & balance. But you have to discover what works best for you in the long term.

No you’re not alone. You’ve made big changes to what you eat & are grieving the loss of food you used to comfort & soothe & bring you happiness. Because you can’t have that food you want it even more. There’s likely a degree of fear too of the unknown because you don’t know what to expect pre & post surgery & what it will mean fir you. Plus your body is as stressed as your mind hence you being exhausted, depressed & anxious. Do you have a therapist or were you recommended a therapist as part of your pre surgical approval? Many find therapy very helpful as they work through all the head & emotional issues that rise up through the pre & post surgical process. If not, ask your surgeon or medical team for a recommendation as soon as possible especially with how you are currently feeling. All the best.

I was a low calorie intake - barely 900 at 6 months & at goal. I eat about 1400 now. But I was not actually ever told a calorie goal. Just portion size, protein & fluid goals & of course food choices recommendations. Plus I worked at establishing new eating behaviours & eating only what I needed not what I wanted. I just checked my calories now & again out of my own interest. Best is to ask your dietician for guidance because we all have our own needs. Like you’ll need more if you’re very active. I’m short, pretty finely built & not very active so my caloric needs will be very different to yours. I could never have been physically able to eat more than I was while losing either.

Also your body is releasing a lot of oestrogen in to your blood stream, which was stored in your fat, as you’re losing stirring up lots of emotions & other issues. Also food you may have depended upon for comfort has been taken away from you. This can cause a lot of anxiety &/or depression (grieving what you can’t have or have lost) for some. Some find they have to change medications they successfully took before their bypass because they are not being absorbed in the same way. Slow release are one type that are impacted. It may be worth having a conversation with your prescribing doctor. Drops in blood sugar after surgery isn’t uncommon & usually improves. Try taking an electrolyte drink with you when undertaking any activity can be helpful. All the best.

As everyone has said it is to support the healing of your tummy & not to stress & strain it. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. Think how you would protect a large wound & sutures on your arm or leg & how long that would take to heal. Purées are thicker which is why they are the stage after liquids. They should still be runny but not watery like the liquid stage. With soft foods think slow cooked, fall of the bone tender, minced meats, braised, etc. Foods that needs some chewing but not a lot. Think how much work your tummy has to do to digest thicker & then more solid denser foods. Plans differ but they also have a lot of similarities too. Some surgeons, like mine, tailor the pre & post diets to their patient. Some have specific requirements based upon their experiences. The best advice is always to follow the one you were given. But of course you can ask your surgeon & dietician why your plan is as it is & you may be able to negotiate slight adjustments based upon your recovery & needs. Yes, some plans recommend avoiding certain foods & liquids to not aggravate your healing. After surgery, we tend to produce extra stomach acid, hence why many are prescribed PPIs for a period after surgery. Carbonated drinks, caffeine, etc. can stir up the acid in your tummy causing discomfort & reflux symptoms. We’re told to avoid foods like rice, pasta & bread because they tend to swell in your tummy, filling you quickly. Remember your focus is on getting in your protein & that can be challenging enough in the post surgical stages. These foods also have little nutritional value. Consuming nutritionally dense food is important while you can eat so little to ensure you’re getting in the vitamins, minerals, etc. your body needs. While losing many of us are advised to follow the rule to eat your protein first, then vegetables as you can, then high fibre carbs only if you are able. If you can only eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of purée & soft food to begin like I was, why eat food that fills you without giving you the nutrients your body needs. It also gets you starting to think about your food choices & the quality of the food you are eating. I still follow a lot of this: protein first, nutritionally dense foods, etc. Foods like peas & potatoes are considered higher in sugar & in starch (which converts more quickly to sugar). They’re not included in keto diets. Not saying you’re on a keto diet but you’ll notice influences from lots of different diets & eating styles on your food recommendations while losing. The reason why we’re advised to avoid dried fruit is you tend to eat more dried fruit than you would eat them as fresh. We can easily eat several pieces of dried fruits but remember 2 dried apricots is 1 apricot, a prune is a plum. Their sweetness is concentrated too in their dried form so you are continuing to feed your desire for sugar. Same with juice. Honey is just another firm of sugar. This is an opportunity to break some of your food dependencies & cravings. For many of us lots of foods become super sweet & quite awful to eat too during these first months when our tastebuds become extra sensitive. Many are able to go back to eating small amounts of restricted foods while losing or in maintenance. Personally I still don’t eat potatoes, rice, bread or pasta. I find them too heavy & I feel blah on the odd occasion I’ve tried them since I lost my weight. But that’s me. The first months are the most challenging because the food you likely depended upon to comfort, soothe & make you happy has been taken away from you. So you think about & crave them more. But food doesn’t actually comfort you or make you happy you just think they do. Realising & understanding this is part of the head work we all have to do. This whole process is about breaking poor eating habits, poor food choices & establishing new habits, introducing new foods, etc. & discovering what works best for you. The most restrictive aspects of the diet are only for a short period of time & are to benefit your immediate health & recovery. The long term changes you will choose to make are to enable you to maintain a lower weight & live a happier, more active & healthier life long term. Sorry for the 10 000 word response.

It really depends upon your recovery & your surgeon’s requirements. Mine keeps his patients in overnight but because I lived alone he wanted me to stay a second night. The morning I was to be discharged my back went into spasm & I was in a lot of pain (tears running down my face) so he had me stay a third night. Went home the next day & the rest of my recovery went smoothly.

You’re not alone in your thinking. I’d say everyone of us looked in the mirror one day & wondered how we got to the point of obesity & felt we had lost some of ourselves. Whether it was through choices we made or didn’t make, genetic predisposition, medications, health issues, psychological issues or just life we all ended up obese. Some things were totally out of our control & others were things we could have controlled or changed. Just like you all of us wanted to do something about it. To take some of that control back. To get our lives & ourselves back. Don't be hard on yourself. It’s not going to change the past & your obesity but the surgery can help you change your future. Celebrate you making the decision to have the surgery, the changes you’re already starting to make & the potential for your future. Remember the serenity prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Grab this opportunity with both hands and embrace every opportunity it offers. All the best.

This has become a problem for me too - every long boot is too large around the calf & short boots gape at the top. I can put both hands down the sides of some. I finally found some stretch suede long boots last year - not nice ones but the best I could find.