Queen ApisM

I'll speak for myself, but I think it applies to many of us. First off, many of us can do this - until we can't. I flat out rejected the idea of surgery for years, thinking exactly what you did in your post. And sure, I would have successes - the best time, I lost 75 lbs. Another time, probably about 50 lb. But then, it got harder and harder to do it, no matter how much I knew what I needed to do. And keeping it off? Forget it. Gained all those back and with friends. The reality is what you said, only a tiny percentage of people can keep it off successfully. It's not a moral failing. Our bodies make it hard, and it gets harder every time we lose weight. Compared to people who have never dieted, our metabolisms are affected in the long term by the yo-yo. The surgery doesn't guarantee success, but it gives you another tool to use toward getting there. This experience is just so different than every other time I've tried to lose weight. It's not easy, but it feels attainable. It doesn't feel like a a long, losing battle where my body is conspiring against me. And, the surgeries can have major, positive impacts on metabolism that dieting alone will not accomplish.

I had something like this for about 5 days post sleeve surgery. Agree with taking tiny tiny sips, but that didn't make it stop completely. I found warm/hot liquids went down easier with less pain. Thankfully it didn't stay like that for long at all.

I know people have different opinions about calorie counting, but when I hit a stall (and I also had one at 5 months... and have another little one right now) I think it is really important to measure and track your actual calorie intake to ensure you know what you are doing, not just guessing what you are doing or how much you are eating. So, that would be my recommendation - track and see what you are averaging for calories. Sometimes you may need to increase food intake to push past a stall, though if you are going off program, you probably should see where you are now before going for that approach.

The fact that you are getting foamies from drinking water is worrying. You should reach out to your surgical team.

I second the Greek yogurt option for protein. Depending on your program and what you can eat at this stage, cheese (fat free or low fat) was my friend. It kind of still is. Seriously, ricotta bake (I hunted down fat free ricotta), cottage cheese (refuse to touch it now, but it was amazing post op). Refried beans were a huge hit for me - I couldn't do pureed meat and even soft white fish did not agree with my tummy. Pureed legume soups (lentil, split pea with ham - it looks like baby poop when pureed but tasted amazing when nothing else did) were a huge hit during that stage. It might be too early for some of these things depending on your program, but soon enough you'll be able to have them and I definitely recommend looking into them when you can. Also, a comment on protein shakes. Not sure what you have tried, but post op, I preferred Unjury powder mixed with unsweetened soy milk. So much more palatable than the pre-mixed shakes. Even now, I have premixed on hand for when I am on the go and need extra calories for the day, but mixing my own is a huge improvement.

I'm 6 months out and still don't chug, though I can take a couple of good mouthfuls in a short period of time. I really don't want to push it and see what I can do because the price for being overzealous is high. If I had really dry mouth, I found ice chips more soothing than just drinking water.

I was sleeping on my side right away, with a hugging pillow, but I also didn't have staples.

My practice is very clear that pregnancy should be avoided for 18 months. Did you ask the surgeon what timing they prefer? My recommendation would be to ask them what they recommend in terms of a waiting period.

Hi there. I started our roughly about where you are starting, and went with the sleeve. I am still very early on (6.5 months out) compared to others, but can comment on my experience. I'd always preferred the sleeve, but talked myself into the bypass based on online reading because I was so heavy to begin with. I was never excited about the option, until one of the surgeons I consulted with pushed me (in a good way) to reconsider why I was doing it. Obviously it was going to be my decision, but he emphasized that the statistics are just statistics, and at the end of the day it is a tool that is only going to work - no matter the surgery - if you use it properly. Neither surgery is a magic bullet. That really resonated with me, so I reverted back to my original preference of the sleeve. I would up switching practices, and when I went to the new one, they were perfectly happy with the sleeve as long as I didn't have GERD. I had to get an endoscopy to confirm that was the case. Again, I am still in the honeymoon period, but I am not regretting this choice one bit. I'm really happy with my weight loss to date (80 lbs since the 2 week pre op diet) and I feel amazing. Honestly, I feel lighter than what I actually weigh and better than I have in ages and ages. Even if I never get to a normal BMI, given how heavy I started, even getting to "just" overweight would be game changing. And, I am comfortable with the changes I made to my body, because it was what I preferred among the options I had available to me. I hope some longer-term sleevers who started at similar weights will comment. Some have had incredible success!

This is so true! The first time I tried to eat solid chicken, I was flabbergasted at how little I could eat. And I have had a lot of "holy cow, how did I used to eat so much before!" moments since that point.

Bone broth was great for hitting protein and liquid goals simultaneously. I found warm liquids and especially broth very comforting and easy on my tummy. You can drink regular broth too, but bone broth has more protein per cup.

I'm not sure how your program works, but the people I deal with regularly are the nutritionist and the PAs, more than the surgeon (I am now 6 months out). Unless something goes wrong, I'm not really going to see her anymore or often. If I need advice on stalls, plateaus, whatever, the nutrition team deals with it. Surgeons are surgeons - they are really great at doing surgery. And while they are a doctor, just because they have a medical degree doesn't mean they are an expert in everything, including the nitty gritty details of nutrition. As long as you are dealing with a credentialed nutritionist (more on this in a min) who is experienced in working with bariatric patients, I would probably listen to them. Now, I did learn from my own nutrition team that not everyone who claims to be a nutritionist is really qualified or licensed (it depends on your state) so just something to be mindful of. Also, I think we all need to bring some common sense to the table even after surgery. Meaning, we shouldn't leave our common sense at the door just because we are talking to a surgeon/doctor/nutritionist/whatever. If something sounds off, we should ask questions. And, if needed, I wouldn't hesitate to (nicely) say to the nutrition team, "hey, your advice isn't aligning with what Dr. X said. Can we talk through it because now I am concerned." It alerts them to a problem, and they may be able to help "translate" what the doctor may have been trying to say. My guess is that it wouldn't be the first time they hear it.

I stopped cold turkey during my pre-op diet, which was something because I drank a ton of caffeine: coffee, diet sodas, etc. I somehow did not get withdrawals when I stopped, and I can say now it was much easier than I thought! I'm now six months out, and haven't tried it again yet, and am not sure I will. I was tempted to try some caffeine a few weeks ago when I had to attend video meetings based on the South Africa time zone, so online from 2 AM - 10 AM, but I decided not to and was fine. Honestly, I don't miss it. I do miss my coffee ritual in the morning and while I could use decaf coffee, I also realize I'll then be tempted to use creamers and such that will add unwanted calories. I've created a new decaf tea habit and it is quite nice. At some point I'll try caffeine again, but I'm not really driven to do it now.

I'm six months out. I have spit up food once in all that time. Something just did NOT agree with me, but I figured it out fast and stopped eating so while I was miserable for a bit, it passed and then I felt fine. After that, I avoided the culprit and haven't fun into another situation like that. No other vomiting or spitting up. Of course it varies from person to person and you can't predict how your body will react, but it isn't guaranteed that you'll have a lot of problems.

Agree with everything @lizonaplane said. I have a regimen for Miralax - every other day. If things are really regular I will extend to 1x every three days but find every other works well without getting too far the other direction! I also agree on the hot drinks. I mix it in tea and it dissolves immediately, no flavor, it's great. I would try it out and if you like it, you can get large containers of generic Miralax at Costco or any of those club-type stores.

Miralax regimen. It's gentle enough to be taken very regularly. It has saved me.

I feel your pain! I also had to pay out of pocket because my employer insurance excluded bariatric surgery. But it has thus far been worth every darn penny.

A therapist is not a nutritionist. I would go with what my PA and nutritionist think over what a therapist tells me to do with regard to protein and food intake. Personally, if they are also in the same practice I would let the nutritionist and PA know that the therapist is dispensing other advice, it is confusing to patients, and they need to sort it out within the practice.

I like: Americano - Lady Gaga. Woo, that makes the legs go when on the elliptical Rihanna. Hard to pick one song, they are all good. There are more but if I have Gaga and Rihanna I am pretty much set.

I think it depends on your work environment and the requirements of your position. If your office or work environment is strict about when you can eat or drink, that would be something to consider. For me, I have to eat 3 meals plus 2-3 snacks to get all my calories in (I'm 6 months out) and I need to drink throughout the day. This wouldn't be an issue at my office, but for some people it could be a problem. Otherwise, it wouldn't have affected anything.

I didn't feel any hunger for a long time. I had meals and snacks because my plan told me too, not so much because I wanted to eat. About 4ish months out, I started to get a "feeling" when it was time to eat (i.e., meal or snack time) but it was and remains very different than the gnawing hunger I used to get. Unlike pre-surgery me, it is easily satiated and I can typically ignore it if I really want to or if I am busy. Honestly, my biggest drive for eating when I get "post surgery hungry" is to get in my calories for the day. I really can't afford to miss a meal or snack, or I won't make my calorie goals for the day. So that feeling is good for reminding me to get some calories in. I hope this sticks around... I can work with this new version of hunger.

The chewable multivitamins are terrible. Having said that, the Bariatric Advantage ones were way better than the Celebrate ones. I tried to switch to save money but it was bad and I just ate (no pun intended) the cost of getting more of the BA ones because the daily torture was not worth it. I switched to a one a day capsule for the multivitamin once I could do so (around month 4) and I have never looked back. I take the Bariatric Advantage Solo with Iron, as well as the BA Calcium (the same kind as you - I agree they taste like Starbursts but find them quite tolerable, esp the strawberry ones).

This seems nuts to me. Is there a nutritionist? I would talk to them.

I have a lot to lose, and if I am successful, there definitely will be lots of extra skin. I'm already planning for plastic surgery as long as I am deemed healthy enough for it. Since it will be expensive, I've already started saving money. If I wind up being miraculously lucky on the skin front, then I'll repurpose the money elsewhere. 🙂 For birth control, I can't help there as I take the mini-pill (no estrogen). I wonder, can they narrow down what your allergic reaction was caused by? There are many different types of oral contraception so not all formulations should have the same effect. I'd also note that many non-pill formulations also have hormones in them (most IUDs, implants) so knowing what specifically caused the allergic reaction would be good to know as you look at those options as well.

Everyone is different, but for me, I felt differences at 1 week, 2 weeks, and then pretty normal at 4 weeks. The fatigue was intense the first month (I took daily afternoon naps) but after that I really felt great.