Arabesque

Don’t worry, a lot of us felt that way some time even with support people about. You’re really learning how to eat all over again in many ways. The other challenge is discovering what works for you. You could do exactly the same as someone else but you struggle simply because you are not exactly the same psychologically or physiologically. Take our ideas & experiences as somewhere to start. Maybe try to find a nutritionalist close by who has experience with bariatric weight loss. Someone on here may even be able to refer someone. Also some bariatric clinics put their plans etc. on line so you could refer to them for additional ideas. Glad you’re giving soup another try. You may find that with other foods too. You easily ate it yesterday but today it’s no way. Then three days later it’s fine again.

An article I read explained that because the body tastes the sweet from the artificial sweeteners it expects there will be glucose which it can use for energy. But because there is none the body thinks something is wrong & then holds onto calories consumed as fat. They also believe sweeteners can increase your appetite. I got the impression it is related to a sort of starvation mode response. 🤷🏻‍♀️ All artificial sweeteners do is continue to feed our desire for sweet.

I get how some water tastes awful. I grew up drinking rain water & a lot of water tastes awful to me. Plus after surgery water seemed to taste too ‘heavy’ to drink. Try boiling your water then put it in your water pitcher as sometimes that can help. Watch carbonated water & drinks as for many it’s not permitted for a while. It can stir up stomach acid & the build up of gas can make you feel uncomfortable & ‘full’. Of course some are allowed it & can drink it without issues. I have to let my sparkling water go almost or totally flat before drinking cause too much gas causes me problems (hiccups, discomfort, etc.)

I won’t add to what the others have said. As you know you didn’t make the best decision & you know it was because your head cravings were too strong. And you are likely emotional & stressed post surgery & you were seeking something that always comforted you. You aren’t the only one to experience this. The head battles are the hardest part of this process. It’s why many seek the support of a therapist & swear by them to help them navigate these battles. Reach out to your medical team for a reference. Better to start working on the head stuff sooner than later. What you are experiencing may be your first dumping too which is more common with bypass. Never pleasant & experiencing it is often enough for you to avoid high sugar/high fat foods in the future. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dumping-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20371915 Be careful & take care of yourself.

I packed a box of all my post surgical needs so when I got home from hospital I had all I needed & wouldn’t have to leave the house to go shopping. Just off the top of my head: Over the counter meds: non NSAID pain meds like tylenol, gas x, stool softener, Imodium. A variety of shakes, broths, soups, yoghurt drinks, etc. protein water & any other allowed ‘foods’. Post surgery, your taste buds can go a bit haywire temporarily & flavours you liked before may taste awful. So that shake you enjoyed may be disgusting: too sweet, too salty or just blah! Electrolyte drinks like Hydralyte. Some are given their post surgical med scripts before surgery. If so get those scripts filled before your surgery too. All the best.

Everything that @catwoman7 said. I’d just add: 1: Haven’t heard of any breathing issues post surgery, but if you are a smoker this may be something to watch. See #3. 2: Vomiting is a possibility post surgery but haven’t heard of any one vomiting blood. When I had the awful diarrhoea attack day 3 it was very dark & I presumed it was old blood. 3. Some require you to stop nicotine before surgery. Nicotine will slow your recovery & increases risks for surgical complications. 4: I had trouble swallowing for about three days because of swelling. I was spitting up a lot of saliva. Though not easy, I was still able to sip & swallow meds. I found warm/hot drinks are more soothing that cool/cold. 5: Missing the odd vitamin is ok. We all forget at some time but don’t make it a habit. You don’t want be become lacking in an essential vitamin, mineral or nutrient. I am someone who was allowed off my multivitamins - at 8 months which was 2 months after I reached goal. I was having blood tests every three months (sometimes more) & my surgeon told me if there were any drops I’d be back on the multi vitamin. Three years out & my bloods are still good. Lethargy & energy drops in the weeks post surgery aren’t uncommon. You’re healing, recovering, & on a reduced diet. Adding an electrolyte drink can help, as does getting in your fluids, protein & vitamins & resting when you need to. 6: Pre existing reflux usually rules you out for a sleeve as sleeves are predisposed to develop reflux/gerd post surgery. Being prescribed a PPI (acid reducer) post surgery for a couple of months is pretty common as your tummy tends to produce excess stomach acid while healing & in response to changes to your digestive system & eating. Personally, I’d had reflux for years before my surgery. It was pretty mild. I controlled it with dietary choices & rarely took medication - a couple of times a year maybe. I still have reflux. It’s still not very bad but it manifests differently. I still watch my food choices & take a PPI every day.

Addiction transfer is not uncommon after weight loss surgery. When your addiction to food can’t be satisfied, you seek an alternative. Alcohol is a big concern as it’s often the easiest to slip into. Then smoking and sexual addictions. So I think @shoppgirl could be right in her suggestion as to what you may be experiencing. It’s also a control issue. Aspects of your life seem out of control because of all the changes you are making so you try to control at least one thing. In your case ignoring your hunger which then spirals into you overeating. Yes, many swear by the help of a therapist to navigate these challenges. I’m glad you recognise some of what you’re battling & you are open to seeking a therapist to support you. That alone puts you ahead. PS - try adding a more substantial protein for lunch than just hummus. Try chicken or turkey tenders, fish or other seafood, etc. To me hummus & capsicum is more like a snack. Is the protein snack a snack or part of your breakfast? If it’s part of your breakfast, you may need something more textually substantial (which can be more satisfying than just a shake) at breakfast as it could be why you have the snack as well. (Remember a shake is equivalent to a meal.) Try scrambled eggs or an omelette with cheese, bacon/turkey/chicken, & some vegetables like spinach, celery, mushrooms, etc. (cook the vegetables first) or rolled oats made on milk with seeds.

Don’t know if it is the same in the US but in Australia you can only get 10mg over the counter and need a script for a higher dose. You may need 20g as 10g usually is enough to manage symptoms like general heartburn not reflux/gerd symptoms. But it will depend on the severity of your symptoms. Esomeprazole is considered better than omeprazole. More advanced formulation that has fewer side effects apparently. Short term usage (months) shouldn’t cause any issues regardless.

I joyfully kissed all my shakes away on day one week three. It was always my goal to rely on real food to get all my nutrients in & not depend upon supplements or meal replacements. My surgeon was also okay if I was not hitting my protein goal while going through the first stages as long as I was making an effort so that took off some pressure. But as @ShoppGirl said it does depend upon how much you can eat. (I wasn’t able to eat much but usually hit 40-50g of my 60g protein goal.) I found a good high protein yoghurt (15-20g) & a yoghurt smoothie (22-30g) to keep my protein closer to goal. I also did things like make my scrambled eggs & rolled oats extra milky to get in a little more protein. But being lactose intolerant I realise this isn’t quite as easy for you. Were you given a caloric goal or a recommended carb intake or limit? How many extra carbs or calories are you getting in by consuming lactose free/dairy alternative products? Because we eat so little it would take a lot to really have a negative impact on your weight loss. I drink a lactose free milk because I can’t drink a lot of ordinary milk. (No issue with other dairy though.) And even though it has about double the calories, it didn’t have an impact on my weight loss. Milk alternatives can actually have fewer calories than cows milk (per 100mls): Full cream cow’s milk – 281 kilojoules (67 calories) Rice milk – 255 kilojoules (61 calories) Regular soy milk – 241 kilojoules (58 calories) Oat milk – 213 kilojoules (51 calories) Reduced-fat cow’s milk – 191 kilojoules (46 calories) Reduced-fat soy milk – 153 kilojoules (37 calories) Skim cow’s milk – 142 kilojoules (34 calories) Sweetened almond milk – 123 kilojoules (29 calories) Sweetened cashew milk – 123 kilojoules (29 calories) Coconut milk – 95 kilojoules (23 calories) Unsweetened cashew milk – 73 kilojoules (18 calories) Unsweetened almond milk – 69 kilojoules (16 calories) Same with carb content. Macadamia milk: 1 gram of carbs/cup Hemp milk: 1.3 grams of carbs/cup Soy milk: 1.6 grams of carbs/cup Almond milk: 1.99 grams of carbs/cup Flax milk: 2 grams of carbs/cup Coconut milk: 3.38 grams of carbs/cup Oat milk: 9 grams of carbs/cup cows milk: 12grams of carbs/cup Have a chat with your dietician. They should be able to recommend lower calorie or lower carb alternatives if your intake is excessive for you to try. PS - Stalls rarely have anything to do with the calories or carbs you are consuming but are a natural part of your weight loss journey. Your rate of loss is never constant but zigs & zags, ups & downs & plateaus. Your body stalls or takes a pause (as I heard a surgeon say recently) to catch up with the changes - surgery, weight loss, change in diet or activity, etc. Think of it as your body is stressed & it needs time to recover & accept the changes. Just like you do if emotionally or mentally stressed.

We’re all different in how much & what we can eat. Were you given any portion size recommendations? I scrambled my eggs from purée stage & two eggs were breakfast for three days. It took me months to eat one egg. (I remember ordering one egg scrambled at 8 months while on holidays.) Still can’t eat two eggs three years out. Tread carefully because all your cut nerves are still healing and your full signals & messages you’ve had enough aren’t getting through or aren’t getting through in the same way. It’s why portion size recommendations are helpful at the beginning. (I was told 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée.) Burping signals you are swallowing air while eating not that you are full. Also aim to eat until you’ve had enough (do you need the next bite or just want it) not until you are full. It takes time for the full message to get through so when you feel full you’ve really eaten too much. Sorry soup made you sick. I loved soup. Could it have been too thick or something in the soup - a flavour or ingredient??

Just curious. Does it work like using a coffee pod machine?? Pop in a pod & the dispenser mixes the powdered vitamins with water? My winter vitamin D boost comes in a spray (a squirt under the tongue) & I’m curious if that’s working too. Swallowing meds is a an annoyance.

As an addendum to my above post. Went to dinner with a friend & fellow sleever that night & guess what our bathroom conversation was about?? Yep, pooping! We were laughing about her constipation solution: she gets dressed in all her cycling gear & a couple of minutes later she has to peel all her Lycra off to poop. We also were joking about how you can weigh more after breaking a constipation streak. The loss doesn’t show until the next day. Neither of us could understand why that happens.

Thanks @kristieshannon. I spied it last summer but decided it against it. It was on sale (40% off 🎉🎉) last week & the only skirt & top left were in my size. Obviously always meant to be mine so it now lives in my wardrobe. Love you in that blue. And congrats on commencing ‘official boyfriend’ status. So happy for you.

I agree with @Starwarsandcupcakes. I think it may be a stricture too. They are pretty easily repaired. You need to go back to your surgeon as soon as possible. Even if it isn’t a stricture, something isn’t right. You should be able to eat a wide range of solid foods by now. A little information about strictures: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=134&contentid=155

It does take time for your brain to catch up. I had a couple of funny/freaky experience because I simply didn’t recognise myself. I was admiring someone’s legs in a busy shoe shop & then realised they were mine in a mirror. Also noticed a woman wearing jeans & the same top as me & thinking I wish I looked as good as she did. Then looked up at her face & again it was my reflection. I was regularly kicking my toes against my kitchen cupboard base boards because I didn’t have a tummy that reached the cupboard first to warn me. Used to have bruises on my thighs from squeezing past & banging into furniture. Then I went through a stage of still having bruises because I was misjudging how much space I actually needed now & was still trying to ‘squeeze’ past.

So went out to dinner again & decided to wear something bright. Yes, me. Must be your influence @GreenTealael. Mind you I had my black rabbit fur coat on & over that my black overcoat cause it was a cold & wet night ☹️

Sorry @Starwarsandcupcakes another dining out pxt but I’ll only post one cause it had truffles. Yes, truffles. Not on the menu, just a special treat addition from the chef. Funny thing was I got truffles, my friend got truffles but her husband who also ordered the same dish didn’t. Never hurts to flirt a little with the wait staff 😁😁😁. I ate half so I have more lamb & truffles for dinner tonight.

Congrats on your weight loss. That’s fantastic. I’m a real food person too. I didn’t touch another shake or protein supplement powder from the start of purées in week three. I got all my protein & nutrients from the real food I made which was always my intention - to start establishing my new eating habits, food preferences, etc. & develop a sustainable way of eating from as early on as I could. We can not live on supplements & shakes alone. It worked as by month 8 I was totally off my multivitamins & I continued to lose. Just watched my portions, met my protein goal & ensured I included a variety of vegetables, whole/multi grains, dairy & fruit in my diet. Still do. I snack on yoghurt, nuts, multi grain crackers, hummus, protein bar (my exception as I developed a protein malabsorption issue post gall removal & the bar helps me ensure I meet my now higher protein goal), fruit, peanut paste. I have a couple of purchased snacks in my cupboard which I eat occasionally (baked chick peas/fava beans, freeze dried mango, nut clusters) like once a month when I stay with my mum or if travelling. You’ll find what works best for you & if that’s including shakes or protein powders in your diet that’s fine.

My surgeon gave me permission to take nsaids after two years but only on rare occasions & never consecutively. I’d certainly contact your surgeon & question the ibuprofen advice just to be sure. Most find they don’t need pain meds at all by day 4+/- so maybe your surgeon said yes to ibuprofen because it’s only for a couple of days???🤷🏻‍♀️ But the concern for your healing & sensitive tummy to bleed & develop ulcers would worry me. As for how long the gas pains last, just take as long as they need to escape your body. Pain meds won’t alleviate that pain at all. Walk, try gas X, heating pads, marching on the spot, raising your arms up & down can help. I had no gas pain after my sleeve, but after he took my gall oh boy. It took a good week to completely disappear.

It’s just one of those frustrating things that are part of the weight loss journey. Mine started at around 4 months. Most people notice the hair loss persists for about three months +/- regardless of taking supplements like biotin. The hair on your head is already dead & you can’t save dead hair. The thing to remember is the hair you are losing is hair you would have lost anyway as part of your natural shedding cycle - it was destined to fall out. It’s just that this cycle has been temporarily accelerated. You still have new hair growing but it’s at it’s usual rate. Supplements may benefit this new growth. Best thing to do is not stress, take your recommended vitamins & meet your protein goals. I remember my surgeon told me my body had better things to do with the nutrients I was eating then save my hair. A bit harsh but true. When I hit my goal & was eating more & a wider variety of food the rate of the hair loss slowed until it was like it was pre surgery so at about month 7. I took no additional supplements. A lot of us cut our hair so the loss isn’t as noticeable & it takes less time for the new growth to catch up & be the same length. I cut mine from almost my waist to just above my shoulders. The shorter length of hair doesn’t look as bad in the bottom of the shower either 😁😁.

@Sleeve me alone! is correct. Stalls are just part of the journey. Your body becomes stressed from all the changes, weight loss, diet, activity, etc. It’s the equivalent of how you may shut the door & pull the covers over your head when you’re stressed or anxious. Let your body take the time it needs to come to terms with the changes & face the world again. It may need a week or even 3 or 4 weeks. There are no rules just averages or ‘generally’ with stalls just as with your rate of loss. There’s no right or wrong just how your body works & reacts. Stick to your plan & you’ll notice the scales moving again.

I have never read, written or talked about my bowel movements as much as I have since my surgery 😆😆. Don’t know what is worse the constipation post surgery or the hideous, absolutely no warning diarrhoea, which I had. Took a couple of steps & … well you get the picture. I added a soluble non swelling fibre to my diet. If I hadn’t gone for three days, I’d take a stool softener so there would be action the next day & so I’d keep on top of it. But certainly, you’re not consuming much & your body will be absorbing every bit of nutrition from it it can at the moment. Don’t be surprised that when you do start to go more regularly that it’s small & regular might be every two days. It does get better as you are able to eat more & are eating a wider variety of foods & food types.

No I wasn’t able to. Took me a few weeks to get to or about goal. But my surgeon was okay because I was making an effort. Plus I had a lot of swelling for the first few days so swallowing was very painful. Once that improved, I did things like diluted my shakes, soups & yoghurt smoothie, made my rolled oats extra milky & my scrambled eggs extra sloppy. I also sipped during the night (& still do.) I found drinking from a glass or mug easier than a bottle & I kept one beside me at all times. I also got into routines while doing chores. Like get in the car, drink. Park the car, drink. Red light, drink. Sipped every two pages when reading. Try warm or room temperature drinks as they are often more soothing & easier to swallow. Some people find setting an alarm on their phone helpful. As with all things, it gets easier.

Stalls happen. They’re part of the weight loss journey. I wish surgeons & medical teams would explain this to people so they don’t think they’re failing like you are. You’re not! The first stall (yes first - you can experience a couple) often occurs around the third week but you can have them at any time. They usually last 1-3 weeks. I always thought of them as my body needing to take a breath to get used to all the changes, weight loss, diet, activity, etc., that have been stressing your body. Just like when you’re stressed & you may just want to shut the door & hide under the covers. Generally you don’t have to do anything. Why stress your body more?? If the stall persists 4 weeks or more, you may benefit from talking with your dietician. A small tweak to your diet or activity may be needed. But you won’t be in maintenance consuming 800-1000 calories. Some are encouraged to eat a lot more that that while losing. Your weight loss is never a straight line. It goes up & down, zig zagging about & plateauing. As long as the general trend is downwards, you’re golden. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

A lot of sleevers have episodes of the foamies. It usually occurs if you eat too fast or too much or something that is too dry/coarse. Dumping is less common with sleeves than bypass. (Dumping occurs if you eat too much sugar or fat.) Both side effects can be managed simply by being careful about how & what you eat. I’m three years out & I had a bout two days ago. I ate too quickly because I wasn’t eating mindfully (I was having a ‘discussion’ with my mother 😉) & cough, spit & up came that last bite. I know you said your reflux developed as a complication with your band & once it was removed the gerd stopped, but I’m wondering if this may make you more likely to develop gerd post sleeve. I don’t know but it may be worth asking your surgeon if bypass might be a better option. 🤷🏻‍♀️