FifiLux

Yeah I haven't looked in to the plastics side of things as to what is covered for me. I do recall it being mentioned at one point by the psychiatrist I had to go see and I think he said it had to be a few years and then a decision process but at this stage it is too soon to be thinking about that. My big (literally and figuratively) problem area is my legs, thighs in particular. Even after loosing so much weight, with a bit more to go, there is no way I would wear anything that would show anything above my ankles. As it is I have to go back into hospital next week for a few days to have the tube in my stomach removed and them to monitor me to see if my leak has fully closed.

Strange the different advices we are all given... the day after my op I was given coffee by the hospital. Admittedly I found it disgusting, not sure if it was my taste buds as well as I had cut down on coffee prior to the op based on my own decision but I am back on it full time now I always drank my coffee black with sweetener so stick with that minus the sweetener and just add in a scoop of vital proteins collagen and it means I get some of my protein requirement in also. I also do a couple of cold shots of coffee with Alpro dark chocolate almond milk, a scoop of vital proteins collagen and scoop of protein powder over ice for a lunch sometimes. Works out at 21g protein.

Yes, I have run out of containers to store it all in and no point buying more as also running out of room in my freezer 😁 I take such small portions it takes ages to go through what I cook or buy, I got a small (150g) bag of salad the other day and that so far as done two meals and I will get at least a third if not fourth meal out of it. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach when it comes to judging portion sizes. Currently on rotation I have; spicy bean stew, carrot & lentil soup, bolognese, lasagna soup, lentil soup, peanut butter chicken and a couple of other 'surprises' as I don't remember what they are until I defrost them 😂. The great thing is that as I made them all at least I know the ingredients and that they are suitable for my after the surgery. Tomorrow or Tuesday, when I have a few more containers ready, I am going to make a chicken soup. I get a monthly food allowance as part of my salary and I am finding it hard to spend the money as need to buy so little now.

Woohoo..... after a crappy 8 months post surgery I have finally gone from being in the obese class 3 category to the overweight category according to the BMI charts. I am delighted as I wasn't sure I would get here given all my post op complications. I still have a way to go to get into what they call the healthy range but I am already much healthier and fitter than I was before the surgery so it is already a win.

I have bile reflux and damage to my esophagus. At the moment it is bearable and I take a prescribed tablet each morning but my surgeon has advised that I have to keep in mind there may be the need to get bypass surgery at a later date.

I knew what was coming as years ago when I had my gall bladder removed I suffered so much pain with the gas and no-one had warned me in advance. I seriously thought something was wrong at the time. This time around I was prepared and, with my surgeon's permmission, took wind-eze afterwards so between it and walking it really helped.

If you love soups here is a recipe I found that I have made twice now recently and really like; https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-carrot-lentil-soup I made it in the slow cooker and added 2/3 of the carrots for the whole process so they were soft and then added the other 1/3 in for the last hour or so to have a bit of bite to the soup even after blending down. I did peel and chop the carrots, did not leave the peel on. Also I did not use the oil or yogurt and went with more than a pinch of chili as it gives it a really nice kick. I got 9 to 10 servings out of the recipe instead of the indicated 4 so the nutritional values according to MyFitnessPal are; If I need to up my protein intake for the day I add some protein powder to the soup.

I am lucky that the government health care system here covered my operation and all I had to pay was a small subsidy, think 15 Euro, for each night I was in a shared room (even though most of the time no-one shared with me) I was in hospital which in turn then was covered by the health insurance of my employer. Then for the weeks I was in a private room I had to pay that but it was 100% recoverable under the health insurance. Of course, the subsidy should only have been about 30 Euro but as I was in hospital for much longer than the planned two nights it cost the bit more but not much in comparison to what others have to pay and as I say it all was recoverable. It feels like it is all free but in reality my taxes go towards it all

Congrats on your loss so far. Don't worry it seems to be very common to stall a few weeks to a month after the op. I had a sleeve so not sure if there are different 'rules' but I was told it is just 30 minutes each side of eating that you are not to drink fluids but either way I agree with you, I feel that there is not enough time in the day that I am awake to drink the amount of water they say. It took me a long time to get to the protein goals, somedays I only got 20 to 30g so for me a 'trick' I have done for upping my protein is to include a scoop of collagen into my coffee twice a day as each scoop is 10g protein, the collagen is supposed to help my hair, nails, skin etc plus I am getting in some fluids. A bonus for me is that I don't mind cold coffee so if it takes me a while to drink my cup it is ok and it immediately means I have got 20g of protein in before even including food. I also have a lot of soups that I incorporate protein into be it with protein powder, lentils, chickpeas etc. as I find they don't leave me feeling so full as I blend them down a lot. I love soup and would have had it often before my op as well so the only difference now is trying to put the protein into it and not having bread with it

I made my own granola in the slow cooker, just cooking on low for a few hours using egg whites, oats, half fat butter, fruit mix, nut mix, cinnamon powder and a small bit of honey plus vanilla essence. I am now using a shop bought one. All granola is going to have carbs but that doesn't mean you avoid it, just need a good balance. The PB chicken I found here https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/peanut-butter-chicken but I substituted a bit so no oil, skinless breasts instead of thighs and I used a chunky protein peanut butter (My Protein) instead of regular shop one plus I doubled up on the chili. I just put everything in to a slow cooker and left it for 6hrs. I got 10 or 11 servings out of the recipe instead of the 4 indicated in the recipe. Actually I just rechecked MyFitnessPal where I logged it all and it works out at 211 (instead of 241) calories, 7g not 8g fat, 9g not 14g carbs and 24g not 26g protein as I had double logged the tomatoes.

For me now I am still trying to get into a routine of what I can and cannot tolerate but it is usually; Breakfast - pot of greek yogurt, tsbp of cinnamon (good for inflammation) and a 1/2 cup of granola or oats. (approx 20g protein). At weekends I do a protein pancake with fresh fruit. (15g protein) During the morning/afternoon - coffee with a scoop of collagen powder (10g of protein in the scoop) * 2 (20g protein) Lunch - usually a soup I have made in my slow cooker, at moment red lentil, chili & carrot which is delicious. (5g to 10g protein depending on the soup) Dinner - again something homemade in my slow cooker like a beef goulash, bolognese or chicken dish. I don't usually have a side with them, as not eating enough to sacrifice stomach space for a non protein element, but I do include some veg within the cooking process so I am happy with that. A few times I have had rice with the dishes but at the most 1/2 cup each time. Sometimes I will have the same thing for lunch and dinner as I batch cook so much my freezer is overflowing. The protein amounts very from about 8g to 25g depending on the food, for example a peanut butter (protein) chicken dish I made only has 241 calories, 8g fat, 14g carbs and a whooping 26g protein. On a Friday I treat myself to a 1/4 of a frozen protein vegan pizza (11g protein). It is the one thing really that I don't prepare myself. During the day if I remember to eat I might also have a protein bar, some nuts or 2 squares of dark chocolate. I am trying to get some fruit in also but it is hard to find the stomach space and the time (considering not being able to eat 30 mins either side of a drink). On activity, I have started the One & Done 7 minute exercise program, it is just three times a week as I am a beginner. I do 45 minutes of aqua aerobics once a week so that is four active days more than I did pre-op I try to get a walk in a couple of times a week also but find it hard to be motivated to do that unless it is around the shops which is then dangerous for my wallet!

Firstly, well done on losing the pounds pre and post op. I had similar happen, put on some lbs in the initial weeks after the surgery and it worried me at the time and made me question if everything I was going through was worth it. So while it was slow going at the start I have made up for it since. Our bodies are all different so don't upset yourself by comparing your timeframes and losses to others but just let your body go at its own pace while it adjusts. Even when you think you are not loosing lbs you are making healthier choices and loosing fat. As an example, I bought a pair of trousers a few weeks ago for work and they fit beautifully, last night I tried them on for going to the office today and they were massive through the hips and thighs even though in that time I had only lost 2kg/4.5lbs in that time. Of course I had taken the label off so can't return, another item for donating!

Thanks Yes, eating has improved though I do get the occasional vomiting and don't know what causes it as it is usually from something I have eaten before with no issue. I do know that I still eat too quickly for what the dietician told me but it is slower than pre-op and I don't think that was causing the vomiting. I had xrays of my stomach today so will find out next week if the tubing has helped close up the leak. If not I think it will be another procedure but no point worrying about that yet. I think once we are happy with ourselves and can see and feel the improvements we are living a better life even if the scales still don't go down as much. I am never going to be a tiny size, and honestly I don't want to be as I feel it looks aging on me.

Don't let this make you feel bad as it will only stress you out. We all have days where we have a little slip and that was all this is a little slip, you just start anew today Next time you have an event just be prepared and bring something with you that you can eat, that way you won't be hungry and hopefully not tempted by the goodies. That is what I have to do as tomorrow my company has its Christmas lunch (yes I know it is March) and there is nothing on the menu of the restaurant that I can eat as either fish which I am allergic to or not such great choices. I have already told my boss that the menu isn't suitable for me (she knows about my op) and that I will not eat with them but have a drink instead during the meal.

A yay for me is that when walking down the street if the path was busy or narrow it would happen sometimes that someone coming in the opposite direction would move so wide as to let a truck through probably for fear of catching obesity if they got too close to me! Now they just go past as normal. Also I love that on the bus now my backside only takes up one seat so someone else, if needed, can sit beside me. On the planes I fit comfortably in the seat and seatbelt, I can walk further distances (if I have to ). I no longer feel I'm the fattest person in the room, that always made me feel like people were looking at me and judging me. I still am overweight but comfortable with how I look and feel. I love being able to try on such a wide, as in choice not size, range of clothes and go into 'normal' sized clothing shops.

I didn't have any expectations or set goals regards to inches or weight as I have found before that it is a negative thing for me if I don't achieve, even if I get close and adds more pressure. I am now 8 months post op and have gone in in my jeans from a 3XL to a EU38 so US6. I am finally finding my energy is coming back to me now so I have signed up for an exercise program to do at home. It recommends taking measurements weekly to see where inches are coming off even if weight isn't so I have started as of yesterday and hope to see the measurements improve over the next month or two.

Thanks. Just have no-one to compare my experience with so no idea what is usual. I'll see about going to the hospital next time it gets as bad as last night.

Hi everyone, Just checking in to see how you are all doing now that we are 8 months on from the start of July surgeries? As I posted before I had a terrible time with complications; leak, pancreatitis, allergic reactions, abscesses and infections, I even had to be transferred to a hospital in another country for a procedure to stop the leak! But most importantly I made it through and got home from hospital the start of November. I am only starting to get my energy back now and find an interest in doing more than just coping /trying to get through the day, can see small improvements each week. My weight loss has slowed down over the last few weeks but my body, and mind, have been through a crap fest the last few months so not surprised, it will happen when it happens. I still can't always hold food down and get bad pains in my stomach at times, have refulx but it is all an improvement from a few months ago. So far I am down 38kg / 83lbs which is good going considering when in hospital I was on a feeding tube for quite a while and my weight went up due to the nutrition I was being pumped with. I may have to get a revision to bypass if the leak doesn't heal (won't know for another month or so if the treatment worked) but I'll cross that bridge if and when it comes. I hope everyone is doing well.

I went through similar, op in July and only finally home from hospital start of November. While in hospital I found it difficult to hold anything down and was put on a feeding tube for a couple of months and then the second time I was put on a tube it was because I had a leak and they wanted to bypass the area so it could try to heal. I am also on daily medication for my stomach, have to take before I eat anything, and I have strong meds for nausea if needed. Over the last few weeks I have slowly started to increase the calories I take and exercise I do, gone from about 500 cal a day to approx 900 cal but for me the more important aspect is ensuring I get enough protein. I am able to now hold food down but it is hit and miss, like Sunday my dinner did not stay down but it was something I had eaten before without issue, it just depends. I have to push myself to eat three meals a day as I just don't feel the hunger (or interest at times). I don't sleep well and am exhausted all of the time which is why I have tried to push myself the bit more on food intake and exercise. I do see small improvements but I am not where I thought I would be this far out from the op and it can upset me at times but I try to focus on the good things. My weight loss as slowed down over the last 6 weeks or so but I am hoping it is just my body is still in recovery mode after going through so much stress since July. I would think your body is probably going through the same, a lot of trauma has occurred and it is trying to cope. Don't compare yourself to others, everyone has a different experience with the op and we all recover in different ways, just try to focus on the progress you can see in yourself. If your doctor is ok with how you are doing that is important and it will get better for you, just need time to recover and destress. Hopefully you will be slowly able to up the food intake or find a source of high protein that you can keep down. I don't know how you are on fluids but for me I can now take coffee again (even the smell of it turned my stomach for the first six months or so) so I take it with protein powder which means I am getting protein through fluids as well as the food I can eat. Same for collagen, I put it in my coffee also and it is another dose of protein so in two coffees a day I get 20g of my protein requirements. Happy to chat if you want. We can do this. 💪

I had one as a complication after sleeve surgery and it was found a month later when I collapsed at home and had to go by ambulance to hospital. The cause was suture failure. My symptoms then were weakness (could barely stand), fever, nausea with vomiting and abdominal pain. It is a rare occurrence so if you are not suffering with any of these I think you don't need to worry, you are just causing yourself unnecessary stress when you are already going through enough to deal with following surgery and coping with food planning etc. I also had other complications post surgery with pancreatitis and abdominal abscesses so basically anything that could go wrong did, I ended up spending three months in hospital over a period of four months. They closed the gastric leak by using clips and mesh via gastroscopy but that failed, twice. I now have a tube coil like thing that was inserted in order to drain fluid and hope that the hole will then have time to heal and close. The only information I was given in advance of the surgery about it was that it could happen but the surgeon did not go into detail and just said she had never had a patient have a leak, guess I am her exception if she will admit it to others in the future. No other details given to me such as cause/effect/symptoms.

I had one as a complication after sleeve surgery and it was found a month later when I collapsed at home and had to go by ambulance to hospital. The cause was suture failure. My symptoms then were weakness (could barely stand), fever, nausea with vomiting and abdominal pain. It is a rare occurrence so if you are not suffering with any of these I think you don't need to worry, you are just causing yourself unnecessary stress when you are already going through enough to deal with following surgery and coping with food planning etc. I also had other complications post surgery with pancreatitis and abdominal abscesses so basically anything that could go wrong did, I ended up spending three months in hospital over a period of four months. They closed the gastric leak by using clips and mesh via gastroscopy but that failed, twice. I now have a tube coil like thing that was inserted in order to drain fluid and hope that the hole will then have time to heal and close. The only information I was given in advance of the surgery about it was that it could happen but the surgeon did not go into detail and just said she had never had a patient have a leak, guess I am her exception if she will admit it to others in the future. No other details given to me such as cause/effect/symptoms.

I am the same with the jeans, feel like I am buying a new pair every fortnight. I also had to get a new swimsuit within a couple of weeks of starting aqua aerobics as the one I bought a short while ago was holding too much water. I also like that I can now sit comfortably on a bus seat and not worry that I am taking up a seat and a half. I am able to get the seat belt on a plane closed without any issues where as a year ago I had to get an extender piece (was mortified).

Hi Fifi0523 from FifiLux I am in a similar situation to you, 8 months post surgery and between January 11th and February 12th I only lost 4lb. On Jan 11th my surgeon said my goal was to lose 10kg (22lb) during the rest of the year so I guess he based that on his knowledge that my loss would slow down. My goal is to lose 17kg (37.5lb) and that seems way off, if not impossible, given the stall I have now. This is even after I have upped my exercise, not by much due to suffering from exhaustion, but certainly by more than I was doing pre-op. I have started to track my food and drink to see if there are places I am slipping up and it has already helped me highlight areas as I was eating more carbs that I realised and I hadn't been counting my protein correctly at times. I also have started to go into menopause in the last couple of months and I am not sure if that is impacting the weight loss as I know it is already impacting my energy and sleep. I hope and think it is just our bodies recovering from rapid loss and now that it will continue but at a slower pace - I just hadn't expected it to be this slow!

I had been keeping a daily notebook since the start of January as I wanted to be prepared in case I was asked about my meals at my last check-up (I wasn't asked) but it was just a note of what I ate or drank, no nutritional info. Last week I started using My Fitness Pal. The reason I started tracking on the app is that my weight loss has slowed right down plus I wanted to be sure I was I was getting enough protein in each day as I have started to increase my exercise. I don't live or die by the tracking but finding it helpful as I can see already that I have been having less sugar than I thought and also more protein than I realised so am happy with that. Blonde me never realised that the daily scoop of collagen I put in my coffee also counted towards my protein 😂

I made them using protein peanut butter and only half the amount of maple syrup so very little sugar per ball.