mooki

It’s mooooondaaaaaaaay. I’m still trying to work out this sleeve life. I’ve realised I have a habit of snacking while making a meal. This is problematic as I end up completely full from a quarter of the snack. Also I eat the snack super fast. This is problematic as it makes me feel like food is queuing in my throat. Subconscious habits are really quite something! @biginjapan I can’t wait til 3 months is past and we can hear stories of people marvelling at your hard work!! I had a coffee the other day and was buzzzzing all day. Hahaha was quite fun. I’m not much of a drinker but I imagine after we hit goal (because we WILL) and have a champagne or so that it will be equally as impactful. Hahahah @cammy are u feeling better after the weekend? Purée foods hopefully will help. @krimson are you doing better with water? It’ll help the poop situation a whole heap. Did you try purées? I live on purées salmon and cottage cheese and protein shakes at the moment. Haha. @maine i find it interesting about the appetite thing. Yesterday I thought that I was hungry and then I looked at my watch and it was lunch time. I can’t work out if it was my brain or if I’m just very subtly empty of food. No other news from me really. I have got to stop weighing myself as yesterday u hadn’t lost anything and was feeling stupidly down about it and made a bad food choice which I had to have words to myself about. I did this surgery to succeed and so am going to limit my weigh ins. The other thing that worries me a little is that my big scar (of the 5) is a little bit raised and ugly looking. Am hoping that it’s not a keloid scar and have ordered some silicon bandaid thingys to help. The other thing I’ve started doing is smothering myself in body oil to try and eventually help the loose skin inevitability. I figured it can’t help. I also read that dry brushing helps stimulate collagen so I bought some dry brushes but haven’t used them. Haha. One thing at a time I guess. Sending the best success vibes to you all Xx

Mooooorning team! How many days post are we now? Lemme go count.....10! Woopwoop. Wow it’s been a lot within 10 days! @krimson - hydration helps with the fatigue Ina. Big way. I can’t hit 64oz either. However I can now hit 32 if I’m determined. Hang in there. It will also help immensely with the pooping. Well done on resisting the need to chew!! You can do this because you are doing it! Every day! And we wanna live with no regrets 🥰 Getting up and dressed will help. And walk walk walk. It’s the walking that’s helping me I reckon. Not that I’m any expert. @biginJapan ohhhh will be so much easier if you’re home and can start a routine. I don’t know much about stool colour but I do know pooping is key. Haha. If what is going in is ok then I wouldn’t worry about the colour. My inexpert opinion again. Haha. @cammyC - ooooh noooo dumping syndrome sounds awful!!! Be strong and no lactose!! Thinking of you. Your comment on chocolate pooping made me laugh. Ooooh the chats we have. Hahahaha. I am so sure the purées food will help. I was put on the milk diet preop and was lethargic and miserable. Have been on purée post op and have been soo much better. I think it will help! So my big lesson for today is to not weigh myself every day. I got a bit of a shock that we are only 10 days post op. I went down 2.2llbs (1kg) the last two days but then this morning the scale didn’t budge. I was sad until I realised that 10 days is nothing and I need to reign in my crazy and trust the process. The other thing I keep doubting is that the sleeve is working. I think I need to stick to set periods for eating. I was trying to get all my protein shake down which would take me the entire morning, but then I felt like I was over eating. My plan says breakfast. Morning snack. Lunch. Etc. So I’m going to try that approach. An hour to get as much protein shake in then quits til snack time. Also my sleeve is working. I’m sitting here with half my coffee drunk and I feel stuffed. I really wish I could turn off my brain. It just complicates things. Haha. Anyway. I LOVE hearing from you all. I haven’t told a soul I had the surgery because I lacked the courage to, but so it’s such a relief to be able to share the journey with you all. Xx

Sending u love. Make sure you’re getting your protein. I like a product calle jeunora. https://www.jeuneora.co.nz/ My friend who is 12 months post swore by it and it’s helped my hair up until now too (tho I’m recently post).

Hi everyone! I had surgery March 3 and everything is going well. Pain: I found the gas pains in my back pretty awful immediately after surgery but now I feel no pain at all. I have to inject myself with blood thinners for a few more weeks that gives me bruises. Incisions are mostly fine too. Only feels like I’ve been stabbed quickly if I bend in the wrong place. Food: I was put on mushy purée the day after surgery. I am finding sweet foods a bit too sweet. My Nutritionist didn’t want me taking protein shakes but honestly it’s the only thing I can get down in a good amount and since it’s common practice everywhere else I’m ok with it. My calories have ranged between 400-800 a day. I use MFP. I’m not really counting calories though. Mostly eating salmon and cottage cheese mushed up and yoghurt. Drink: I can easily down a water bottle in an hour, especially if walking. This made me panic that I’d ruined my sleeve but turns out water just goes straight through so I calmed down. Stopping: I am a bit worried that I don’t get nausea or sneezing or anything. I know when I’ve eaten a spoonful too much because I feel like the food is queuing down my throat but there’s not really any pain or sickness. I’m going to start weighing my food as I really want this tool to work! Exercise: I walked a half marathon five days after the operation. Was totally fine. Am doing 10000 steps a day first thing in the morning from 530-7. Ughhhh. But gotta start living like I believe in me! Weightloss: down 6kg since surgery. I think that’s about 13 pounds or so. Hope this is helpful andinteresting xx

Hi guys! How are you all feeling? I’m doing really well. I wish I could keep everything as it is forever now. Haha. Although I doubt that my body would survive, I just am so relieved to have gotten back a sense of control on food. That said, at the moment the control is still coming from the size of my stomach and not my habits. Hehe. I’m on puréed consistency food and so far most things have been ok. Although I tried quiche yesterday and it had tiny bacon bits that I knew immediately were a mistake. No throwing up but I tried to elongate my body and marched around for a good few minutes to get through it. I’ve seen my friend get really really unwell at over eating. I’m not sure if I’m not pushing limits as much or if I’m just fortunately wired not to get them. I think it’s the latter to be honest. Also after being anxious that I wasn’t going to lose weight quickly (and thus never hit my goal weight) in the last two days I’ve lost 1kg which is mental. I hope it’s not just my muscles eroding away. Haha. That would be sad times. I definitely am burping a whole tonne. I hope it’s a phase. Even when I don’t eat. I think maybe I swallow air. Not sure. How have you all been feeling about moving around? My surgery was on the third and I was back at work this week. However yesterday I went home for lunch and basically slept for three hours, did a little more from bed and then was asleep by 9pm. I’ve been managing to get in my 10000 steps a day. So am hopeful that I will hit my goal. I’m living in Europe but from down under and hoping to go back home for a visit at my goal weight as it would make my mum and dad so happy to see me really healthy. Here goes....

Awwww such a lovely reply Slowly. Do you know I had a funny thought yesterday at lunch. I just felt so much more in control of what I wanted and it was so much more reasonable.... and I thought... god this must be how normal people feel. So for what it’s worth I think you’re doing the right thing. I do find my obsession with consuming is lowered and my impulse to stuff myself is lowered too. Also today is day 7 and I feel Pretty good! I took the covers off my incisions and two of them look like they’ll just disappear all together. Pretty amazing.

My journey from vsg on 3 March

Hi Cammy and Hop Scotch. I’m having two chewable vitamins a day and 1 litre of water is the Max I’ve got down. They have me on soft foods already not just liquids. So for example last night I had 100g of salmon and cottage cheese over about 3 hours. Haha. Basically anything puréed is fine.,... I’m feeling pretty good today. I’ve been sleeping way less and so have gotten up and done an hour walk both mornings this week. Maybe this is the new me. Oooh I haven’t heard of a Bariatric vitamin. They told me that I was to start vitamins in two weeks time. I’ll have a look at them! Please let me know how you all are doing! I can’t figure out how to follow threads on this thing which is frustrating but I can see where I’ve replied. Haha so pls let me know!

Sfreasier - I think I still get hungry? Is weird but last night at 6pm I was “hungry” and I definitely felt better after. My hunger kinda felt like my tummy cramping. I am hardly sleeping toooooo! So glad someone else is the same! But it’s not a negative yet. I’m going back to work today because I’m bored but taking it very easy.

Hi Slowly! I’m so glad it is useful! I can’t quite work out how this app works so I’m sticking to this thread and u lovely humans. I weighed myself today and I’m down 4kg (9llb) I was kind of disappointed not to get a massive drop like I read everywhere else. Also it sort of worries me because I have always been a slow loser and I’m just desperate for this not to be another tale of slow difficult loss. However I did my walk this morning and came back and made a protein shake and could only get a third in. So I need to chill out. But. So much hope is pinned on this! Must just stick to the plan. Haha. I have a great app called happy scale that predicts my future weight at different times which I recommend. Is fun for daydreams. Basically slowly I am sure it will only be positive. Every now and then I think it’s odd that I have cut out a large part of an organ. Hahaha. But it’s different from how I thought. I just am way more in control than ever before. It’s such a gift. I just feel like me but with out an enteral pit of hunger and obsession. Haha. Just don’t be surprised if immediately after surgery I second guess yourself and despair. We will be here for you! But. As u can see my mind goes in circles. It’s amazing! I’m gonna fail! It’s amazing! I’m gonna fail! But I’m pretty committed to making sure it’s amazing. 🥰

Hi team! I haven’t been online the last day because I decided to be brave and see if I could go to my friends engagement party. It was such a weird experience. Firstly it was a walk, which I was going to bail from, but then I thought I’d just see how I go and after pushing through initial scaredness I walked the whole 10km fine. Then we waited for dinner forever and I managed to get down the sauce of a mushroom stew and I chewed a halloumi fry to death and then realised I didn’t want to swallow. @krimson I am on puréed food already. But I think I’m gonna go to liquid only for a bit longer. I ate some mince today and it was fine. I ate it pretty slowly. I do feel a LOT better having done three big walks over the last three days. I really recommend it. The weird thing that I don’t understand is, if I ate this little in the past I would get dizzy and feel exhausted. But the last two days I’ve woken up at 6am and I feel fine. Not tired at all. How on earth did this surgery achieve that? @cheifp I would suggest to try walking more to get it all out. It felt a bit weird for me to start but honestly feel better for it now. My incisions and bloatedness tho remain. Keep me posted on all your details. I really love hearing how you’re doing and keeping in touch. Oh one last thing. Do u guys know if water can stretch ur tummy? I am having to really get through the water at the end of the day to meet minimums and I don’t really struggle. I don’t gulp as I guys have said too but I was surprised how easy it went through. Sending love and healing and healthfulness!

Hi guys just wondering how u all are doing? I’m tracking my food in my fitness pal so I know I’m not over eating but I swear I can already eat more than I thought. I haven’t hit the nausea issue at all and my friend who had the surgery used to get foamies if she ate too much. I am anxious that maybe I somehow already stretched my tummy. I now understand too why people say it’s a tool not a solution. The upside is that I no longer feel i can eat two main courses. I used to be so hungry all the time. I just am gonna have to put in the work I guess. Keen to know how u all are feeling!!

Twins because of same date 🎈

Hi Cammy. We are surgery twins! I also too can’t figure out how this site works. Haha. I am not any skinnier and liquids for down pretty easy. Well kind of. It feels like I drink them and they like go down and it the top of my tummy and then slowly slip into the tummy. And often with weird noises. I managed to get a protein shake down slowly over an hour but couldn’t get a ramekin of chicken broth down. I wonder if we just have to pick our foods carefully from all the available types we have at the moment.

Thanks everyone for your replies! So today I managed 1 litre of water and walked 3000 steps. I ate not much but I really tried. I’m so grateful for you who responded. It’s funny reading what I wrote today as I realised I must still have been fairly drugged with missing words etc. AJ it was kind of you to write so much for me to learn from. You’re right it’s life post surgery that matters. I am hoping once I feel a little less raw that mentality will kick in but I’m hoping my mini routine I’m creating will help me on my way. November I’ve added water tracking to my app so hopefully I’ll do you proud! Haha Krimson it’s fun to have a surgery twin. Will watch your success and cheer for u all the way!

Hi everyone. I thought I’d cover off my experience while it’s still fresh. I had my VSG four days ago now. I’m at home writing this sitting up in my bed. I have ibuprofen and paracetamol next to me but I haven’t managed to get it down and am not missing it really so have quit it. One thing I wish I had known preop is about referral pain. I woke up with the worst backpain of my life. It was awful and I thought I’d injured myself during surgery but in fact it was just wind. I never thought I would write this but at the moment every fart feels triumphant. If I had known back pain was common I think I would’ve been less anxious. Also the best tip my doc gave was that it would feel a step change better every 12 hours. He was right on the money. No four days post op I would say I’m sore. I mentally still haven’t quite come to terms with the permanence and gravity of what I’ve just done to myself. It suddenly feels even bigger than it did pre op. I literally just removed 80 percent of an organ voluntarily which seems completely nuts. However my problem has always been portion size not good quality and the surgeon commented that my stomach was large when removed. When I got back to where I’m staying I went shopping with my friend. We are all foodies and we went down and went a little crazy buying. My psychology was that I deserved to treat myself. At the time I was concurrently thinking how stupid I was to have major surgery and already be thinking about treats. Anyway. SUCH A RELIEF. The surgery works! Came home and my mental hunger was off the charts but I gave myself a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt and a spoonful of frozen yoghurt (the treat) as a starter. Well. Couldn’t stand the frozen yoghurt and was completely full off the two tablespoons of yoghurt. Even mentally. I’m not sure what I was expecting but this has been described as a tool and yesterday it very much acted like one. I’m looking forward to feeling normal in my body and for some reason I feel like I might be the one that eats nothing and doesn’t lose weight. BUT as far as today goes it’s all going well. I’ll definitely need friends going through this at the same time so feel free to join me! I am wary of the emotional journey that is about to begin. But u do hope that this post was interesting and maybe helpful to some of the readers. We must persist! Best wishes Mooki

Ekkkk my surgery is on Tuesday. I’m completely knew you this community and I’m soooo nervous about the op!! Would love to know if anyone else is around the same time. We can swap notes.