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I am 1 week post op from getting the gastric sleeve and I do not feel full. I was put straight on a soft food diet and only eat 2-3oz of food at a time because that's what i was told however I do not feel full after. I am a stickler for rules so I try and follow to the tee but my stomach is always gurgling as if it is hungry. I try hard to meet my protein and water goals although I am not always successful. Does the gurgling mean I am still hungry or is that just part of the healing process? I am scared that I will suffer from malnutrition (ironic because this was NEVER a concern of mine before lol).

This is awesome, thanks!!! Yeah, I've been low carb for so long that my body just doesn't tolerate them anymore. But I'll look into keeping my protein up and adding in more fats. I've been keeping my fats at 40-50 per day, but I'm going to look into doubling that and see how it goes. I actually really like pork rinds, so I'm going to grab some for snacks. I didn't even think of those!!! I will slowly try to bring my carbs up to around 50 per day if I can, but it was easier when I was working out 5 days per week. Now that I'm not, it's a lot harder to do. But I'm going to work on that, as well. Thanks!!

I’ve definitely had more sinus issues since surgery, and 1 ear seems to get water in it, don’t know if surgery related almost 6 weeks post sleeve

I don't have anything to add except that you look great. I'm 7 weeks post-op and looking forward to see where it takes me. Thanks for sharing!

well, i *thought* i was in menopause before I had my surgery (i hadn't had period in about 1-2 years). a few weeks after surgery i got my period and it came like clockwork every month for the next 2-3 years (i guess it wasn't menopause and i was just fat? or maybe the estrogen release from my diminishing fat stores that re-activated my period? i dunno.) Anyway, a couple years ago when i was at maybe 3 years post op, my period disappeared again, and i haven't had it since (except for a singe errant period when i was on vacaiton of all places last year). im 5+ years post op now and i guess to answer your question i was both perimenopausal and menopausal AND post-menopausal before, during and after the entire experience. i don't know if being in that state affected my weight loss in any way as i have nothing to compare to, but i can tell you i reached goal by 7 months post op (lost 108 lbs by goal date) and was down a total of 126 lbs by 1 year post op (i was 235 lbs 2 wks before surgery). like i said above, i'm 5+ years post op now and am still down 120-ish lbs today.

What surgery did you have? Moving through the stages SLOWLY is so important, especially the first 4 weeks. Eating slow, not drinking while you eat, chewing food until it's mush, and being very mindful to stick to the diet is so, so important.

I'm almost four weeks post gastric sleeve. I've lost 28 pounds, which I'm thrilled with. I've felt so good that I pulled some weeds in the front of my house yesterday. Today I have some abdominal pain. It's not horrible, but I'm worried I may have hurt my healing stomach. Should I be worried? No vomiting and I'm eating 1/2 cup of soft food as normal with no issues. Thanks for your help! 💕💕💕

I can only imagine the relief. I had no staples with the sleeve.CONGRATs on the weight lost. I get the loose skin, I am noticing it on my arms and my fuba. I just had glue over my incisions that I broke out week 1 and by week two I had to take it off due to how red and itchy they were getting. When I went for my 2 week she said that was fine , too just make sure I didn't soak them or put the cream on them directly. They have now healed and just like a scab, I am month PO OPP.

After only 4 days? I've seen dozens of people on this board say it took them a week. It might be time to take a dose of Miralax.

It’s almost like they’ve conveniently forgotten you’ve lost your pre surgical weight & are just telling you to lose more as per their set playbook. I also love how they’re telling you to lose weight but aren’t supporting & guiding you in how to do it. Where’s their pre surgical diet? Where’s the referral to a dietician?? Like @NickelChip, I would suggest the three shake a day pre surgical diet many are given. Or do two shakes & one meal of 3 or 4 ozs Protein & 1/2 cup steamed vegetables or undressed salad. All the best. So I begin my pre-op diet in just over a weeks time, but to be honest I'm just really worried it won't get rid of the weight I need. My calorie count and nutrition is already so similar to what they want me to do, and I'm still struggling. I have an appointment next week to get some pre-op tests done, presumably weight and bloods etc, and even then I'm petrified if the number is even slightly above what they need, that'll be it. Other than a straight up water and broth fast, I really am stuck on what to do! I will be on all-liquids for the pre-op diet which is fine, but it's difficult to not get hung up on the fact they've drilled into my head that I MUST hit a certain number, regardless of my loss already.

The vomiting has probably caused some swelling. You'll probably need to baby your tummy with very easy to digest foods in very small quantities for a few days. And I wouldn't try any red meat for quite some time. Are you already allowed to have that? It's very hard to digest. My program says 3 months before beef, pork, and lamb.

After an unfortunate experience with banana yogurt (I put some skim milk in it and put it in the bullet blender), I have had some nice successes with my full liquid stage, which lasts 2 weeks. The berry Oikos Pro yogurt thinned with skim milk is great, Jello pudding is really good, Progresso Tomato soups are amazing, and Progresso chicken noodle soup blended smooth is probably the best thing I've had since surgery. I put protein powder in everything - still working to get the amount of protein powder right. Took a Tylenol, and that's the only pain med today. My guts feel kind of "loose", if you know what I mean - like they're jostling around in there, but it's not bad. Those who have yet to have your surgery, hope it goes as well for you, too!

Eight days after surgery, the only soreness I have now is directly on the incisions. The gas pains subsided by day 3 after surgery. I see my surgeon next week for the two week post op visit. Getting fluids in is no problem. I can get 70-80 oz down daily without issues. I can get 4 protein shakes in as well. Which is what my Dr. recommended for me. Though, I do feel full at times with broth and protein shakes. I still feel like I need more, even though I take a multivitamin and B-50 complex. I'm ready for the next phase which is the puree' / soft food phase. I can start that in 5 days. I feel like I can do it now, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself and follow instructions. I really don't want any setbacks. If anyone has questions feel free to ask. Just for advice, the body wrap they put you in after surgery, wear it as much as you can. It really helps with soreness. Also, it helps if you start coughing.

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The jumpstart to weight loss was obviously amazing, but I was surprised how quickly my usual body pain & aches stopped bothering me. My knee problems have basically vanished, and the lower back pain I had gotten so used to living with has gotten so much better. I can breath easier when doing things that used to have me out of breath -- going up 2 flights of stairs, for example. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? The pre-OP shakes -- I'm lactose intolerant and have trouble with stevia, and there were no shakes my care team could find for me that didn't have one-or-both things, so I spent a good 8-9 days barely keeping anything down. The surgery itself went off without a problem, and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought -- other than the car ride home! If you get WLS, bring a pillow to clutch to you afterwards!! 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) during or after your surgery? Nothing during, nor after -- but I'm only 10wks post-OP tomorrow. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? I too am on SSRIs for long-time depression & anxiety. Most days have been awesome and cheery. Even during the initial aches and pains of recovery, just knowing that things were going to start changing for the better improved my mental state. I still have bad moments / days but once I started seeing all the improvements to my life it makes it easier to push through. It certainly helps to have a good support system -- people in my life, but also honestly this forum. TBH I was in a #$%& mood all day and feeling lethargic, but logging in here I know that everyone here understands and it just makes me feel more settled. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? I am currently having a ton of problems with chicken breast. I hate 'dark meat' poultry, but tried chicken thighs recently and it's not too bad but still leaves me with a heavy feeling in my stomach -- still better than the stuck feeling in my chest that the white meat gave. I feel like no matter what I put on it or how I cook it, it's just clearly a No for now. That said, for the most part everything else has gone down well as long as I eat slowly, and make choices consistent with my care team's plan / schedule. Going from puree to soft foods was probably the hardest for me physically, because it felt so different in my stomach. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? It's early on for me, but the changes in my body's hormones seems to have stopped most of my cravings. When I'm having a rough time emotionally, I still have momentary yearnings for old 'comfort foods' but honestly just the thought of some of them will turn me off within a few minutes. (For some reason if I think about fatty oils too long, I just get nauseated). And many of my old comfort foods have just updated into healthier things I can eat. Instead of my mum's Dutch mashed potatoes, I have a smaller bowl of healthier mashed potatoes (or cauliflower, or heart of palm) with a scoop of bone broth powder to up the protein. Instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I have homemade meatballs and extra sauce -- or a ricotta bake instead of lasagna. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? I've had one instance of dumping syndrome so far, and it was 100% my own fault. I knew what the culprit was immediately (white-flour leftover tortilla and more difficult chicken breast). I won't lie, I seriously wanted to die for probably an hour, and then slept the rest of the day away. It's horrid. I'm hoping that I've learned enough to take better care / caution and avoid any more instances. Other than that, recovery has been pretty smooth. All my incisions healed up without issue, the gas pain only lasted a few weeks and then there was just a strange tightness / mild soreness on one side of my body for the first 5-6 weeks. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? I want to say 2-3 weeks. Around the time I started eating puree (week 3), my energy levels started bouncing back much more rapidly -- which let me walk more easily. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? 100% yes. NGL, sometimes I feel like skipping even though it's not suitable for someone my age, LOL. I feel like I've been more efficient at work post-OP just because of the energy improvement, and physically I notice the increased stamina every time I go on an errand or for a walk with my dog. (I tire her out now!) 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? For the better. Some of it is because the energy and the physical improvements make me feel better about myself in general, but part of it is kind of a trickle-down effect. I spend more time making good, healthy choices for myself, spend more time being mindful whether it's while I'm eating, or making a grocery list, cooking, etc. It's so much time spent on self-improvement and self-care. So I have less time to worry about what other people's secret thoughts or judgments might be and take people more at face value. I have less time to waste on people that bring toxicity to my life or can't respect my boundaries. It's like this microcosm of self-care made by investing my energy in my current journey has expanded it's hooks into the rest of my life. I feel like for the first time in my life, I am actually one of my top priorities. 11. Do you regret it? Would you recommend it? I had moments of regret during dumping syndrome, for sure. But as soon as I recovered from that one bout, I was still happy I'd done the surgery. I think it definitely forces us to take ownership of our own health and making the best decisions we can towards that. I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with weight loss and can honestly look at their life and see themselves living in this framework for the rest of their lives. By all accounts it seems to be incredibly important to keep it all up -- the vitamins and supplements, the healthy choices and portion sizes, etc. I would NOT recommend it for anyone looking for a magic pill. This takes work, will continue to take work.

So October people as we hit our 3 month post surgery dates let's check in with each other as say where we're at and how we are doing. My 3 month date is in 3 days so I'll check back then. I'd love to hear how everyone else is doing.

Tested positive for COVID on Saturday morning. I suppose it explains why I’ve been feeling like I was coming down with something all week plus why my joints felt so painful. I just put that down to being back at the gym 🤷‍♀️ It will also account for why my liver function test was off too. It always amazes me how the LFT can show something amiss before I’m even aware of it. So, the weekend was a complete bust - no anniversary dinner, feeling like I’ve been run over and just general yak. Dealing with an out of hours NHS service has tried my patience to the nth degree this weekend. Due to having a suppressed immune system, I’m supposed to be given antiviral medication if I contract COVID. Huh, it’s Monday and I still don’t have it. Many phone calls all asking the same set of questions (and giving the self same answers) being discharged from the OOH Dr via text, twice, for no apparent reason, waiting for calls that never happened, receiving other phone calls at almost midnight on Saturday, blah blah blah. Thankfully I was able to get through to my GP surgery at 8am this morning (a complete fluke) and explain the situation. They will find out what needs to be done and get back to me. Honestly, sometimes the NHS is brilliant and other times it’s just dire. Health eating? LOL…do you know when you read about the effects of an illness and it says ‘loss of appetite’? Ha, Ha, Ha, I’m the complete opposite, every single time 🙄 I’m not fretting about it right now as I’m more concerned over getting the COVID stuff sorted out. Hey, at least I didn’t have any alcohol on Sunday so that won’t interfere with my levels for when I do manage to get my bloods done again. Obviously I can’t have them done until I test negative. I’ll test again on Wednesday and see how things are. My anniversary dress did actually fit, so that’s a positive! I wouldn’t have been able to wear it on Sunday though as it’s so cold and rainy here now. Hubby has rebooked dinner for 2 weeks time. I don’t think it will be warm enough to wear the dress though but It’s not the end of the world On the plus side, I will have it altered professionally once the weight comes off post-WLS as I really do like the dress and would like to keep it. Missing my gym time, obviously , but it was nice to go back. Muscle memory definitely kicked in which helped enormously. It also gave my mental health a boost so it was win/win for me. I don’t know if my case was discussed in the MDT meeting last Friday or not. They will let me know at some point I’m sure. I will focus on getting any gains off once I start to feel a bit better. My hairdresser put some layers in my hair in order to give it a bit of body and movement. It’s just a shame that i haven’t actually bothered stying it as yet! I’ve just been washing it and leaving it to dry naturally. It looks OK anyway 🤷‍♀️ That’s me for now. Have a great week everyone 😍 Onwards and Downwards!

Hi everyone 🩷 posting here as well as in the revision surgery forums in hopes to get a discussion going. I’m considering having revision surgery and have an appointment with my doctor next week. I’d love to hear some of your experiences with revision surgery, what surgery you ultimately went with for the revision, the process and road to your actual surgery date, post op experience - anything you’re willing to share ☺️… soo lay it on me ! The good, the great, the bad, and the ugly! I had gastric sleeve surgery and lost about a 100 lbs and kept it off for about 4 years but since having a baby about 2 years ago I’ve really been struggling with my weight again. Gastric sleeve to bypass seems to be the most popular route however I also see that some people have had other surgeries done such as a duodenal switch. Just curious as to how you and your doctor decide which surgery is best for you. TIA 🩷

My surgery is scheduled for the 27th. I am on day 3 of my liquid diet and boy am I struggling. It's very hard to break old habits of just snacking but even now on the liquid diet I want a healthy snack but unable to have it. I think it's the chewing sensation I miss. I am able to have one health meal a day and usually have protein shakes for the other meals. (breakfast and lunch) I try to save my healthy meal for dinner so I can eat with my family but with being on summer vacation it has been hard to not want to just snack all day. I have been going back and forth if this is something I should followed through with as I will not be able to enjoy the things I used to after surgery. Maybe I'm over thinking and it's just nerves for the post op life.

you can always increase calories to gain weight (or to stop a loss), but keep In mind that a vast majority of us experience a 10-20 lb bounce back regain around year 3. You might want to factor that in. I purposely went below my goal just in case I had a rebound (and I did...actually closer to 30 lbs for me...).

Like I said, 2 weeks is standard, but the door is open to longer if needed. Some people take longer if they personally feel they need it, but that's if the employer (and potential accumulated PTO time) allows. If you had any complications, you could have had longer from your surgeon. But since you had a fantastic recovery, there was no need for longer other than you wanted it. Which was then up to you to secure, which you did. That's typically how it goes.

I agree with the others - I found warm liquids miles easier to drink a few weeks post op. Glad you're finding your groove OP - so much adjusting to do along the way but it's so worth it!

When I first met with my dietitian she told me I would need to start my LSD 2 weeks prior to surgery but that it might be changing. When I had my last appointment and got my updated instructions, i don't have to start my diet until 8/13, 4 days before surgery. I have 2 days of protien shakes, broth based soup for dinner and two days of clears. I've started stockpiling things like bone broth and they had a sale on Snack Packs (sugar free pudding) at Kroger so I bought a BUNCH of those. I don't want to overbuy so I'm trying to be smart about what I get.

Isn't it the worst thing that we have to raise our own funds to get healthy but in the long run I have to say its worth the thousands of pounds. I wish the NHS was in better shape but I think that those days have long gone. So congratulations on getting your ducks in a row, even if you had to sell your home to do it. I had two very full weeks of food funerals, my dietician actually told me to go for it. So I did. I had my favourite takeaways, Chinese 3 times, fish and chips and a very hot and spicy curry or two. I ate at a few of my best loved restaurants, Italian and Thai. I made barbecued ribs and had baked spuds with lots of butter with them. Its a while since but there would have been ice cream, chocolate and cake involved and a full English with plenty of homemade bread with Lurpak butter. Hehe I really went for it didn't I

In awe of how you are looking and the work you are putting in. Please share away I am months ahead of you on the op date but months behind on exercising as I was so ill and had no energy really until a couple of months ago and still just building my energy up. I also don't think I could do all that you do on my own, as much as I try to motivate myself as it is just me I find it too easy to find something else to do instead of exercise. The gyms near me are expensive, I think, between €50 and €75 every two weeks but I think after my holidays next month I will sign up if they allow just a few months membership at a time to see what I can do. I really need to tone my legs and arms.

Meals from the last few days- those cheesy stuffing waffles with over easy eggs and griddled tomatoes (clearly didn’t eat it all) cottage cheese mixed with cooked onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms then microwaved with marinara and turkey pepperoni (this I will definitely eat again) lemon poppyseed bread with ricotta, sliced apple, and honey (ate about 3/4 the bread and ricotta) polenta with French onion roasted green beans (a kit from the produce section) and shrimp, onions and tomatoes in veggie broth (the kids had theirs mixed with rice) spicy Thai chili tuna mixed with nonfat yogurt, more reduced sugar Thai chili sauce, and shredded lettuce. Only ate 10 of the Thai chili rice crisps cottage cheese plate with an everything bagel, strawberries, mini bell peppers, tomato slices, and lettuce (ate half the bagel, most of the cottage cheese and peppers and about half everything else)