BabySpoons

So we are at the middle of the week - how are we all doing?
What is something that has gone well so far/or something that you are looking forward to?
Anything you'd like to learn from/improve on?
My week has been okay so far! I have a driving lesson and then I am getting my hair cut, which I am in desperate need of as my fringe is in my eyes 🤦‍♂️
I am trying to increase the amount I am eating, which is proving difficult, but I'll get there!
I also start with a personal trainer tomorrow which I am excited about!

I don't know how high your nicotine % use was but I started vaping at 12mg and over time reduced down to 3mg. I quit vaping nicotine, 2 months prior to surgery by mixing my juice at 0mg.
I never gained any weight in those 2 months, and I was tested a week before surgery for levels. Main reason being tobacco hinders healing and can cause ulcers. I was honest with the doctors from the start and none seemed to have a problem with my plan since I ended up cutting out all nicotine use in the end.
Good luck with the weight loss and quitting the nicotine!

Thankfully I had only a couple dumping episodes over the course of a year. Both involved sugar. A small piece of birthday cake. It tasted wonderful but I paid the price with stomach cramping and spent the entire night running to the bathroom. I never had heart palps or nausea with it.
I think we all have varying degrees of symptoms. It was miserable enough not to test it again. I can eat a piece of cake now on special occasions if I forego the frosting or make a sugar free cake/frosting.
Nausea was more of a problem for me post-op. It wasn't from eating stuff not allowed or eating or drinking too fast. For me it was a texture thing. When I got to the whole food phase my tummy wasn't having it. meat and raw veggies were the worst for me sadly enough. I was craving a cold crisp salad so badly by that point. But just because I could now have it, didn't mean that I was going to eat it. I backed off and waited by drinking and eating my softer foods for awhile longer, then reintroduced the denser foods later on. Ground beef, Beans and Protein Drinks became my go to for a long time. I guess my tummy just needed more healing time.
I still struggle with certain meats and veggies. But over time it's gotten easier to consume without the nausea and happens way less often. I still keep a supply of barf bags with me wherever I go though. Just in case. 🤢

Had this happen to me quite often. A year ago I picked up a brand new pair of Jennifer Lopez jeans size 16 at a rummage sale, thinking I'll put away for a future time. Got home and curiously tried them on and they fit!! Buttoned.. zipped up and comfortable to wear.
Fast forward to now, I bought a new pair of Old Navy shorts size 8 in Goodwill, In my mind I doubted they would fit but did. Amazing feeling and it's been many many years since I wore a size 8.
Oh and today I put on a XX boho style shirt and wore it as a dress. 😎
I remember thinking this same thing but it was usually weight loss after any food centered holiday. That's never happened to me ..eva.
Glamping at the lake every weekend doesn't seem to have much effect on my weight loss either. I'm very thankful.

It doesn't get any better than this. You are not alone. I was about to write a post about the exact same thing. I was on a 2-week holiday in Thailand and the same thing happened to me. I was 70 kg on the day we started our trip and now I'm 66.5 kg three weeks after. I lost like 3.5 kg or so which is amazing. Not sure if that is a Water loss or what but I'm happy haha. I can't say the same about my wife though. She is blaming me for gaining 3 kg on the same trip.
We ate like "tourists" and tried the many wonderful Thai dishes and made sure to keep hydrated. We did a lot of walking, a bit of swimming and ate a lot of fruits so that might have helped burn the calories from all the coconut milk rich dishes we tried there. I was burning more calories during the trip and more active according to my Apple Watch.
The same thing happened to me on a similar previous trip so I can totally relate.

this is not the first time, but it happened again...and i think it's happened often enough now for me to consider it a "normal" thing: I. Lost. Weight. On. Vacation.
it still fascinates me when this happens because the norm prior to wls was to GAIN weight during vacay. Every. Single Time. (even when i was not overweight)
Went on vacay 20 days ago, and came back this afternoon. I did not count calories, track food, weigh myself, nor perform a lick of exercise (besides walking) all that time. And lo and behold, i lost 3.1 lbs. which is very unexpected, because me and Mr. basically ate and drank ourselves across a good part of europe, and i fully expected the scale to show a good sized weight gain when i got home (he says HE gained almost 4 lbs). honestly i felt like i ate (and drank) more in the past 3-ish weeks than i ever have since WLS 5+ years ago...but maybe i am mistaken? maybe i should have tracked my food intake after all...
anyway, yay! i may just have to fully accept that i got this maintenance thing down pat. i didn't think about calories or portion sizes or whatever...just ate (and drank) what i felt like, in amounts i knew i could handle.
yay!

When I first read this at the end of April, I laughed thinking there's NO WAY I'll ever fit into a 36" waist, never mind a 34". I recently bought a pair of shorts at a thrift store (I don't want to spend a fortune on new clothes while I'm still losing and it's tough to beat $6 for a pair of shorts that only need to get me through this summer) that are indeed a 36" waist.
Stepping on the scale for a second, I broke the century mark a couple of days ago; I'm down 102 lbs since my September RNY, so maybe you're right, though while my head says not a chance, my clothes are telling me otherwise.

hi all, I posted this in the pre op forum for June buddies, but thought I'd also post it here in case it helps anyone.
Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024...
Immediately after surgery
It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of Tomato Soup (sipping of course) and sipping Water every 5-10 mins.
Week 1-2
I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through Protein Shakes and watery Soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much.
Week 3-4
Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy.
Week 5-6
Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little Pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters.
Struggles so far:
Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far
Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this.
Would be great to hear of your experiences so far, especially if you had your procedure in April/May/June/July!

I’m counting it since my body has been fluctuating weight for the last month! 😂 but this is insane, never have I ever been this weight in my adult life! Never have I ever been this fit, never have I ever stayed on this path and stuck it through. What an amazing tool! Next goal? BOOBIES 😅

Thanks lovely! I will do my best! The nurse did mention that I have lost 23.3% of my excess body weight so far, so I am definitely happy about that - I just need to do my measurements again as I haven't done that since pre-LRD!

Getting a tattoo!
I have tons already and I am usually fine - but I had to tap out yesterday after 2 hours (which I have never done before) - the pain was unbearable! Probably down to lack of sugar.
I have another one tomorrow so I shall get some watermelon! Thank you!

I was given cream of chicken Soup with bits in it at the hospital day 1 after surgery. I was still hopped up on anesthesia at the time and called a nurse in to question why. She took my spoon and looked at it, then said the bits weren't big enough to cause a problem???? I thought well...it is a bariatric hospital so I ate it. It did taste wonderful and thankfully nothing got stuck in my incisions but I still question it.
In fact a relative of mine recently had WLS and on a phone consult within week 1 with same hospital nurses, was told to try a bit of bread for nausea??? I immediately remembered the soup they gave me and am now really questioning the nurses at that hospital and their knowledge of care for bariatric patients. I tried calling them to inquire about their iffy advice but never heard back. I need to call my bariatric team nutritionist to give them a heads up.
As for OP question about salty cravings. Soup. Bouillons, strained cream Soups and my fav... egg drop soup strained from a local Chinese restaurant. I even used a Vitamix to pulverize any bits that could cause problems later on.
Good luck on your journey @Sami2209.

Are you a tattoo artist or getting a tat?? I really enjoy ice cold watermelon for a sugary snack and helps with hydration

Wowo!! What a transformation. Congrats on your success!!
I struggled with depression too. At my heaviest, 320 pounds, I felt hopeless after years of struggling to get the weight off. My body finally just stopped cooperating and I couldn't lose more than 30 pounds no matter what I did.
With my decision to have WLS I suddenly found hope. I didn't need a procedure that helped me eat less. I needed something that changed the way my body processed food. When I heard it referred to as Metabolic Surgery, it caught my attention. This actually resets my bodyfat setpoint to what I was born to be????? Sign me upppppp! No regrets!!
I pray continued success for you @Real Komboand hope you find the help and mental clarity to overcome the dark thoughts we all have to battle with at some point. {{hugs}}

THIS^^^ It's a mind over matter thing. Just remind yourself of your end goal during any weak moments. You can do this. Good luck!!!

I was given cream of chicken Soup with bits in it at the hospital day 1 after surgery. I was still hopped up on anesthesia at the time and called a nurse in to question why. She took my spoon and looked at it, then said the bits weren't big enough to cause a problem???? I thought well...it is a bariatric hospital so I ate it. It did taste wonderful and thankfully nothing got stuck in my incisions but I still question it.
In fact a relative of mine recently had WLS and on a phone consult within week 1 with same hospital nurses, was told to try a bit of bread for nausea??? I immediately remembered the soup they gave me and am now really questioning the nurses at that hospital and their knowledge of care for bariatric patients. I tried calling them to inquire about their iffy advice but never heard back. I need to call my bariatric team nutritionist to give them a heads up.
As for OP question about salty cravings. Soup. Bouillons, strained cream Soups and my fav... egg drop soup strained from a local Chinese restaurant. I even used a Vitamix to pulverize any bits that could cause problems later on.
Good luck on your journey @Sami2209.

Thankfully I had only a couple dumping episodes over the course of a year. Both involved sugar. A small piece of birthday cake. It tasted wonderful but I paid the price with stomach cramping and spent the entire night running to the bathroom. I never had heart palps or nausea with it.
I think we all have varying degrees of symptoms. It was miserable enough not to test it again. I can eat a piece of cake now on special occasions if I forego the frosting or make a sugar free cake/frosting.
Nausea was more of a problem for me post-op. It wasn't from eating stuff not allowed or eating or drinking too fast. For me it was a texture thing. When I got to the whole food phase my tummy wasn't having it. meat and raw veggies were the worst for me sadly enough. I was craving a cold crisp salad so badly by that point. But just because I could now have it, didn't mean that I was going to eat it. I backed off and waited by drinking and eating my softer foods for awhile longer, then reintroduced the denser foods later on. Ground beef, Beans and Protein Drinks became my go to for a long time. I guess my tummy just needed more healing time.
I still struggle with certain meats and veggies. But over time it's gotten easier to consume without the nausea and happens way less often. I still keep a supply of barf bags with me wherever I go though. Just in case. 🤢

THIS^^^ It's a mind over matter thing. Just remind yourself of your end goal during any weak moments. You can do this. Good luck!!!

Wowo!! What a transformation. Congrats on your success!!
I struggled with depression too. At my heaviest, 320 pounds, I felt hopeless after years of struggling to get the weight off. My body finally just stopped cooperating and I couldn't lose more than 30 pounds no matter what I did.
With my decision to have WLS I suddenly found hope. I didn't need a procedure that helped me eat less. I needed something that changed the way my body processed food. When I heard it referred to as Metabolic Surgery, it caught my attention. This actually resets my bodyfat setpoint to what I was born to be????? Sign me upppppp! No regrets!!
I pray continued success for you @Real Komboand hope you find the help and mental clarity to overcome the dark thoughts we all have to battle with at some point. {{hugs}}

stalls will happen no matter what. You can't avoid or prevent them. Now if you start to gain weight back, then re-evaluate what you're eating, how much, and how often. personally, I stay away from potatoes (especially in the beginning), grits, Pasta, rice, breads, etc... The first 6 months is when you lose the most the fastest. Eating things that slow down that process during that time is counter-productive. At least to me. I would wait until you're MUCH further out before you start eating those kinds of foods.

Hey everyone!
I really wanted to reply to everyone individually but I ended up just running out of energy - but reading your replies it made me feel a lot more confident in what I am doing. I appreciate all of your advice.
I had my 8 week post-op appointment with my bariatric nurse, and she did say that I am probably eating too little, and this could be being driven by the fact I am not drinking enough. So, goals going forward is to drink more Water, and to have breakfast!
I feel good overall though, dizziness seems to have stopped 🤞
I just need to find some low sugar Snacks to bring with me for my tattoo appointments on Tues & Thurs...hmm...

What’s amazing to me is this two-piece used to be super tight on me and now it’s fitting a little better. I hope everybody’s enjoying their weekend.

I got my local Vietnamese restaurant to sell me a container of pho broth without any noodles, it was fantastic. Bouillon, or bone-broth (for the protein!) can satisfy that salt-craving. If you like creamy Soups, cream of mushroom (with all the bits strained out).
And honestly, all my life I avoided cream-of 'meat' soups but post-op, cream of chicken and cream of bacon were surprisingly good.

Sometimes too, the abundance of post-op Protein Shakes and their super-strong sweeteners is just overwhelming. If you haven't tried it yet, try some unflavored & unsweetened Protein Powder with milk, and just add a dash of cinnamon or a drop of almond extract to get some non-sweet flavors hitting your tastebuds.

This part doesn't last long but it does get samey. Have you tried bouillon cubes dissolved in Water. Milk whizzed with some zero sugar Peanut Butter. Any Soup sieved to take out the solids. I liked the flavour of chicken noodle soup, Gazpacho, and Pho.

I was allowed cream based Soups with the solids picked oit
panera broccoli cheddar Soup was my go to