Smanky

I'm a bypasser in the early months post-op, and honestly, it's fine. Your stomach is so small, and it takes time to progress from the liquid, to puree, to soft food stages. I'm still in puree, and when it's a thicker-puree, I struggle to eat much at all. I'm a vegan, so veggies are LIFE, but honestly the thought of chewing perfectly cooked broccoli or blanched kale (a fave) right now is enough to make me flinch. Texture is everything and while I too munched happily on my vege pre-op, my healing stomach is making the wait to eat them again perfectly fine! I can wait. In the meantime, vegetables can be cooked into my high protein meals before being pureed, so I'm still getting the nutrients and flavour. Stick to your plan, and you'll do fine!

Hi EsojLabina. The liver shrinking diet is hard, no doubt about that! I don't think anyone breezes through it without at least a few days of wishing the weeks away. Try distracting yourself - do some DIY, engage in a hobby, go for walks - anything to take your mind off food. Do you mean you're thinking you won't be able to eat like before? Because that is actually true. The upside is your body won't want to eat like before post-bypass, and that's the biggest tool to help change your mindset around food. But honestly, changing your mindset about food needs to begin pre-surgery, and if you have a complex relationship with food like binge-eating disorder or emotional eating, then you really need to see a bariatric psychologist to get on top of that, or the issues will follow you post surgery, and can manifest as depression.

I religiously itch after a skin injury. My tattoos itched to hell when healing, and so do my incisions when I've had surgery. I was itchy a solid two weeks. It's totally a healing thing. I took antihistamines and carefully applied a scent free lotion around the incisions and tried to distract myself. It's normal, but so very irritating! I'm also mildly allergic to bandage adhesive, so I suspect that added to how long I was itchy for. Short answer - I feel you!

This is the infamous Week 3 Stall that happens to most of us, and will typically last 1-3 weeks. Mine hit one week after surgery and I'm only now just coming out of it. It's definitely frustrating, but completely normal. Your body has just gone through a major trauma and has had its wiring rearranged. It needs to take small "time-outs" to have a think about how the new system is going to work - which is what drives a stall. So stay off the scale, keep doing what you need to do, and your body will get back to losing once it's had a little time to adjust. When you think about what your body has to do, it's really amazing that it only wants a couple of weeks pause! My scale number fluctuated a whole kilogram during my stall, which isn't fat gain so don't worry about that. You'll get back to losing once the stall breaks - and it will. There's thousands of threads on the forum about stalls, so do a search of those if you want to see what good company you're in. Stalls will happen more than once, it's just part of the process.

Oh boy, I'm so sorry he's doing this to you. Self esteem issues are complex and his behaviour is a checklist of that. He's nagging about doing it through diet/exercise because he knows that way leads to failure, and your success also makes him feel bad about his own failure to lose. Plus the "our fatness keeps us together" thing. Such a mess to unpick, I really hope he comes around. My partner was also resistant initially. He never badgered me, or said nasty things, but he'd go quiet and I'd know something was up (and it's worth noting that he's thin and has never had food issues like me). When I got my initial consult appointment, it came to a head. I asked what was wrong, and he admitted that he wasn't happy about me doing this, that it was extreme etc. Well ... i lost it. I'd been planning and waiting for this for at least a year and a half, and I couldn't hold my emotions in and I just broke down and in an unstoppable monologue, told him how utterly miserable I was, how I wasn't living, how I wanted my life back, how I wanted to feel I could socialise again and not be mortified by my appearance, how I wanted to go with him to events and not be ashamed and worried that everyone was thinking "what's he doing with that fat pig" (my exact words to him). I let it all out. How my life for the last decade has been utterly, utterly miserable. He had no idea I'd been feeling like this. He was stunned. I'm not a "talk about our emotions" person and prefer to make jokes and keep life light, so this was stuff I should have told him a long time ago, but hey, better late than never I guess. It changed the ratio for him, and realising how I really felt, he was then 100% on board with me. We've a different situation of course, and I'm not suggesting "losing it and breaking down in a wailing mess" is the fix, but I definitely learned a "clear communication is probably a good idea" lesson. I really hope you can get through to him.

I know the feeling! I stalled the second week post-op despite barely making 500 calories a day and exercising regularly, but I did a google search on why it happens, and reading that put me at ease. Made a lot of sense, and knowing that it's super common also helps. You'll break yours soon. Have you tried a little diet cordial in water to see if that helps? I've never been a soda or sweet drink person, so water and I have always gotten along well, but I know for folks who have an aversion to it, diet cordials help. Also protein waters - double your fun!

Hi Maroux, and congrats on starting your journey! Do you have a dietician on your surgery team? You should have one, and they'll be able to help you with meal plans and advice on what to eat. While you will have to make sure you're getting protein, you'll have some guidance from your dietician/nutritionist on how to achieve that. It's also slow going! So you won't be immediately dropped into a new diet, it will be a slow shift from a liquid diet, to puree, to soft foods before you're eating regular food again. I'm someone who loves to cook, and honestly I barely get to flex at this early stage of my post-surgery journey! I make a pot of something nutritious like a stew, puree it, and freeze the excess, so I don't have to think at all about meal prep. Once I move onto regular food, it will be different, but again - my dietician supplies food ideas and because there will always be leftovers, frozen portions will make things a lot easier day-to-day. You'll do fine! I'm assuming you eat meat? If so, it'll be a doddle. 😉

For me, I think it's just the sweet flavourings. I have one powder that's unflavoured and only just a touch sweetened, that I can make a tolerable "iced coffee" with. The ones that are chocolate, or caramel, or blueberry or whatever flavours are just ... evil.

Try eating with a teaspoon or small spoon, and after each bite, put your spoon down and concentrate on chewing. Holding the spoon or fork allows for that subconscious shoveling impulse to still be switched on. I used to eat SUPER quickly and big mouthfuls and barely chew, so I've been doing this to create a "new normal".

Sweet things for me also. It was mild at first, but three weeks out and getting the protein shakes and protein water down isn't fun. I have a less sweet protein shake that's not as bad, but I really don't like sweet things at all. I have a physical reaction to them a bit like a blood-sugar dip, which is irritating because in order to meet my protein intake, I unfortunately need these drinks.

First of all, you look fabulous! And I've just finished my second week of stall (surgery was the 22nd), so I feel you on the week-of-static-scales. I *think* mine has broken finally. Regarding fluids: I'm great with water, it's the easiest for me and always has been. It's the shakes and protein water I struggle with, because I am SO sensitive to sweet things now and find even stevia-sweetened drinks sickly and they seem to affect me physically as well. The things I enjoy and drink no problem are plain water, tea and coffee (I never sweeten either). I haven't tried cold water yet, however, it's all been room-temp so far. So maybe I'll experience the cramping folk mention yet.

I was a mini gastric bypass and was in hospital for two nights. I was drinking water well, so my surgeon said I could have gone home the next day, but my pain levels were still pretty high so I opted to stay in the second night. The clinic info I got stated a typical bypass stay is 2-3 nights.

This this this! Engaging the mind is the best way to kick-start your desire, even on a day by day basis. If you have a kink or two, explore some porn, or discover a new one. There are some fantastic sexual health toys on the market now for all genders, so doing a spot of shopping together is a fun way to build some excitement. If you're concerned about loose skin, buy a tight outfit that holds everything in but promises sexy times! And if you don't have a plug-in electric vibrator, get one.

Those are some easy instructions! *frowns at my own* Everyone seems to be different with what their stomach can tolerate, regardless of which procedure they have. Normal seems to be a wide spectrum.

In one sitting? It does seem like a lot - what are your diet instructions? (eg: I'm meant to be aiming for 1/4 cup six times a day - working up to 1/2 cup six times a day)

While I wouldn't call it "weird", as this topic asks (and I can't find a regular-NSV thread): My rosacea has gone! It literally vanished about six days out of hospital, and hasn't come back. My skin hasn't been this clear in a LONG time, and I can't recall the last time my face was the same colour as my neck. Was not expecting this bonus, as I have reactive skin, but I am thrilled.

Yep - MGB surgery on the 22nd, and stalled second week post surgery. It's frustrating, but normal. Do a google search on the medical reasons it happens and it'll make you feel ok about it. It did with me. Just got to ride it out.

It's definitely normal! I'm almost two weeks out and while everything smells great, when I eat it I'm making myself finish it (and sometimes not even managing that). I would be content to just live on protein shakes, protein water and supplements, but I know I have to follow the program. I've no doubt it will pass at some point.

I'm having my first stall, and I'm in my second week post-op. It's super frustrating, so I feel you. I'm also struggling to eat the quantities of pureed food my dietician wants me to eat, so it's ... a tough time. But having read up on what stalls are and why they happen, I'm feeling a lot less stressed about it. I've scrambled my insides in a traumatic way, so it's fair enough that my body is suddenly calling TIME OUT to have a regroup and a think about how to deal with the re-wiring. Staying off the scale, and just taking it slower. I'm managing the constipation with Benefibre in my protein water and shakes when I have them, veg in my purees and I'm on prescription laxatives every night. So far I'm managing to be regular every three days.

I should have been expecting it, but I was way more focused on the post-surgery pain, but my wounds are now in full healing-itch phase and it's ... special. Given that I can't scratch OR gently slap the sites, I've taken an antihistamine and am trying to grin and bear it. And distract myself. Any tips? Or is this what I suspect it is - a "ride it out" part of the process. It'll be gone in a few days, I know, but if there's a trick to curbing it a little, I'm all ears!

I know, it does feel like we're a smaller group! I had originally imagined I'd be getting the sleeve, but because I was already a GORD sufferer, my surgeon pretty much talked me out of the sleeve. Initially I was extremely down and anxious about it, but going with the MGB was 100% the right call. Quality of life with a sleeve and worse GORD would have been horrible. Congrats on your first 2 weeks and amazing loss!

I think the above is key. I worked 10 years in hospitality, most of it in the kitchen as a cook, and have done film catering where it was a bingo card of dietary requirements and it's not difficult to feed people. Yes, it's can be a pain in the arse and some kitchens are vocal about that, but that's the job. With bariatric requirements in a hospital, it's definitely not asking too much. It's just down to planning and having some meals that are easy to alter. I sometimes wish I could march into the local public hospital kitchen and sort out their "difficult" or "annoying" dietary offerings. But then I remember how I never want to work in hospitality again...

Thank god for your Super Awesome Nurse! While my WLS hospital experience was fine (I suspect because they were a private hospital), my two previous surgeries were a different story. For some reason, even in 2015, "vegan" seems utterly beyond public hospital kitchens. The worst was my knee surgery stay (5 days), where they just... didn't feed me. And I was only vegetarian at the time, the easy option. If it wasn't for my partner and friends bringing me in food to eat, they'd have just let me starve. With my 2015 gallbladder op, they managed to find a small soy milk for me, then just shrugged. Luckily, that stay was only overnight. So brava getting the right stuff thanks to the nurse AND getting a takeaway stash! But ugh... sorry you're having such a rough time with the cellulitis. That was a rude-ass spider.

Sleeve_me_alone covered it all brilliantly, and I agree that these are questions you need to write down and take to your next appointment. Only thing I want to add is I'm an ex-smoker (2 and a half years quit), and my surgeon warned me that smoking again, or even passive smoking, runs a massive risk of developing ulcers in my new pouch and joins. Not that I had ever intended to smoke again given how LONG it took me to be free of the damn stuff, but the fear of that complication will ensure I run a mile.

Oh god, that sucks. Hope it clears up quick!