Neensyb

Food can still entertain, just not in the quantities you consumed beforehand. I've been reading so many posts with the theme of missing food....I have to admit it goes through my mind sometimes too. A change that I've recently made is to not be distracted by TV, phone, computer etc, and with every single mouthful think about the nutrition, texture, taste. I feel like I'm eating a lot more mindfully, and starting to really enjoy a (small) meal. I've started growing herbs from seeds. Strange I know, but I work from home in a very isolated place that we have just moved to. No close friends nearby, and sadly had to have our dogs put to sleep last weekend. I have no company at all during the day, and just the family at night. The delivery man must think I'm nuts, I chatter away non stop to him! My point is, I am inside all day at my desk, so taking an interest in growing herbs and shortly a full vege garden gets me outside and doing something that keeps me active and my mind busy. This site is a great place to get advice and just chat to people. Good luck on your journey, it will get easier every day.

I am really sorry to read this. I'd definitely go to a close friend and ask for support; not only for the transportation, but when you need someone to talk to afterwards. This isn't just a physical journey, but very much a psychological one too. Good luck, I am sure your husband will come around once he sees a healthier you x

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! You are 100% correct in everything you say....I am also a work from home person in IT....I get the need to remove myself from my desk to have meals. Very wise words!

I most definitely have got used to it. My tummy grumbles mainly after I've had liquid and it stops pretty quickly. I haven't had any heartburn at all, one of the very lucky ones in that instance. I've actually learned to really enjoy my food, which is quite a change from my gobbling down a full plate prior to surgery. I used to tell one of our twins "hurry up, stop damned well mucking around and eat your dinner!". Now I am the one still at the table with him, enjoying every bite. We try to get our kids to eat what's on their plate without thinking about the habits we are getting them to form. Our other twin inhales his dinner just like his dad! It's actually quite awful watching it, but I need to take some of the responsibility for it. I promise you things get easier. You have to remember, with a gastric sleeve they remove up to 90% of a pretty important organ - that's MAJOR surgery. Focus on how much better your life will be once you get through the next few months. Fill up your belly with really good nutrition, one mouthful at a time. Stay on liquids until you feel 100% ok with moving to the next stage - trust me you will know when that is. One thing that I found probably the most difficult is not feeling hungry. That was really odd to me, instead I feel "empty". Does that make sense? Feel free to send me a direct message, I'm more than happy to keep in touch. xxx

Oh gosh, your post brings back memories. I had my WLS done in January this year. Straight afterwards I had buyers regret....what the hell was I thinking....every mouthful I felt ill, I worried I would dehydrate as I wasn't getting enough liquids. So I sat myself down and gave myself a stern talking to 🙂 Take one day at a time. If one mouthful fills you up, great. Just move on and take another mouthful in an hour or so. I still feel full after just one mouthful now, so I break it up into tiny little bits, and graze for an hour over my food. I can get about a half to full cup of food in over that period of time. Psychologically the struggle was real. I fought with myself that I needed to eat more, and when I was full and still had a delicious mound of baked potato with lite sour cream and bacon bits sitting on my plate, I got so sad. That's when I really had to work hard to only put on my plate what I knew I could finish, and start mindful eating and enjoying the company I was with. This is a huge lifestyle change for anyone who has the surgery, and I don't think any of us really understood the impact outside of the physical. If you can only cope with liquids, stay on liquids and make sure it's full of nutrition. Very slowly increase the thickness, puree leek and potato soup, pumpkin soup with tasteless protein (you'll laugh, one pot of soup lasted me 3 months...I froze it in half cup lots). Pulverize chicken noodle soup. Good luck, we'll be waiting for an update 🙂

I am 10 weeks post op and so far have had a pretty good experience, taken all the advice and been very much a rule follower. On Friday last week we went to an annual Prawn Day fundraiser and I had one weetbix and zymil milk for breakfast with no issue. At midday I had one prawn, half a moreton bay bug (very small lobster like crustacean) and one oyster. Probably a total of 1/3 to 1/2 cup of food. I had this over a period of half an hour or more, and well after half a very small glass of rose wine. 10-15 minutes after the oyster, I felt this god-awful rush to my face, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, dizziness, shaking and wanted to roll over and pass out. I had to go outside to the medical tent and sit on the bed (after assuring them I wasn't one of the drunken arses at other tables 🙂 ) and felt just horrible with the cold sweats. One of our lovely local police officers took me home and I recovered after about two or three hours. I've read up and it sounded more like late dumping syndrome, where the body feels a rush of sugar to the system and releases a lot of insulin, resulting in a sudden dip in blood sugars. This is supposed to happen two-three hours after a meal so can only assume it was the weekbix. Has anyone else felt like this after having such a good run of no real bumps in the road? I sincerely hope it wasn't the seafood, but it's the first time I've tried each of these items since surgery. I have had weetbix before and wine - not together of course - with no issues. I guess I am answering my own question, seafood/shellfish very likely to be the cause. Sigh.....

Yep about a month out of surgery I did have a glass of wine and it's starting to creep up a little. I've decided to give it a miss altogether, I need to let my body heal. I am four months post surgery.

My sugery was 4 January, and I comfortably started coffee 2 weeks later. Now I am back to a max of 4 cups a day.

Oh and I don't take any coloxyl any more.

Gosh I remember month one and two.... no consistency in bowel movements at all!! I had TERRIBLE constipation the first month, only going once a week at most, crying and sweating on the loo... christ it was awful. I was advised to take coloxyl every other day which cleared me out (Thank god I work from home!) and to eat weetbix in the morning, increase water and add some fruit. I did the first two and it made a difference, but I have to say that exercise was the major contributor to regulating toilet habits. Just walking or swimming.... and I had an immediate improvement.

You are so right...my dietician and surgeon have said over and over, eat until satisfied rather than feeling full

Ha, yep, I am LOVING being the winner of flatulence in our house for once (hubby and I have four boys...gross little monsters....two are adults and the twins are 11). Though it can get embarrassing. It will ease, you'll work out what foods it is causing it.

Agree, many people have difficulty building up their fluid intake. Just keep at it, things do improve I promise. I mix half and half apple juice and water (I actually couldn't stand apple juice before) as plain water just didn't sit well.

Oh I want to reach out and give you a big hug. I know EXACTLY what you are saying/feeling. I was sleeved on 4 January and have been out a couple of times. I have learned my lesson BIG time! I don't order anything. Hubby does, and I have a couple of bites of his dinner. He might order a side of mashed potato or steamed veges, and i'll have a couple of those too. I still can't get through more than 1/2 a cup at a time, so why waste money on a big plate of food for me, only to walk away from it. I always look at the menu online before going anywhere. It helps me make a decision without holding other people up and drawing attention to myself.

Do you mind me asking what the issues are with your sleeve? I hear quite a bit on this forum that people have a bypass after a sleeve.....I am just curious.

40lbs in 12 weeks is an awesome effort, how much would you have lost if you hadn't had surgery 🙂 You may have had a couple of mini stalls. Stay on point, keep at it, and maybe if you feel like you are too sedentary you could get out for a 15 minute walk each day in the morning ? It's a beautiful time of day, fresh air, new start, you don't know what's coming in the day. You know what, I'm going to do exactly that, starting tomorrow morning!! Thanks 🙂

Stay as long as they allow you to. Get up and walk walk walk as soon as you can. It will help with recovery and get the awful gas pains out of your system. NEVER trust a fart.....for a few weeks anyway 🙂 I mixed apple juice with water, and didn't have it icy cold. It was easier to consume. SMALL sips, all day. If you have any relatives that want to help, get them to make some home made clear chicken soup and strain it. For me it was heart warming, homely comfort that I needed. Whenever you cough or sneeze, try and get a pillow on your tummy and hold it hard in the first two weeks. If you are near one that is. If not, hold your arms across your belly, it just offers a little more support when you'll be a little tender. If nothing else, follow 100% the advice of your doctor and dietician. With all due respect to everyone who is active on the internet, your doctor knows YOU, your dietician knows YOU. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. You may have buyers regret for a day or two afterwards...I did, and so have many others. Just remember that feeling will pass and you'll be so much better for it. How exciting, I am so keen to hear how things go for you. Take care J

Trust me when I say, you'll all get through this time. I have found adding apple juice to water and not drink it icy cold was helpful in the first weeks. Consider looking at recipes like wonton soup, and just have the broth of that. It's got more flavour than normal broth, and you can add tasteless protein as well. Within a couple of weeks you'll be having puree or mash, and you'll find things far more palatable. Mashed pumpkin with butter and cracked pepper, leek and potato soup etc. Remember you've had major surgery, your body will tell you when it wants more or less. Keep smiling and know that in a short period of time you're going to start feeling so much better, not just physically by mentally too. 🙂

My scars haven't seen the sun yet, but one is quite dark now. I have some oil that I keep forgetting to put on them that helps lighten them...my own silly fault really.

You are so kind, I am pretty proud of how I am progressing. There is a really good site for swimsuits that are good for big busted women (no matter how much I lose my ta-ta's are going to be a size D or DD!) and it's called Baku. They are priced well for Australia and excellent quality.

I am really really fortunate that I haven't had anything out of the ordinary. I felt bloody horrible for about a week, like that awful drained, short of breath, bleugh feeling. I struggled to drink half a litre for the first couple of days but persevered. I've not had any vomiting and only one bout of dumping a couple of weeks ago. I'm trying new foods often, and in small amounts.

The annoying thing is, the more weight I lose the darker my scars are grrrrr.

But please do share some of your creative recipes 🙂 you sound like you're on a journey of success, good on you!