9 week post surgery update

[Sturk]

So 9 weeks have went by and all and all I have been very blessed and I am doing well. I haven’t had any major side effects that I had read on the forum so I consider myself lucky.
I am down 70 lbs about 4 pounds away from my goal weight.
Somethings I have found:
1. There are definitely foods I cannot eat or I can eat very little of. This especially true of meats that are tough whether they are chicken or beef. The more consistent the food is the more I struggle to eat it. Meaning chicken salad is ok but it’s still a little tough on my stomach. And I have found if I try and cheat (I.e chips or fries or anything fried) I feel like crap for hours. And I can eat small portions of vegetables and small amounts of salad but too much and especially lettuce is tough.
2. Getting to your goal weight is still work. I have been working out 3-4 days a week and have generally kept my diet clean but I have found the need to adjust my diet when I hit plateaus. Example as I am getting closer to my goal weight I have replaced one meal with a broth meal to keep my food and calorie intake lower. So anyone wondering the surgery does a lot of the work but it isn’t all the surgery.
3. My body does not like certain things after the surgery. One thing for example is dairy products. I have never had a problem with them before but after the surgery it makes me feel cruddy.
4. I find my teeth hurt. I am having my last post surgery meeting with the doctor this week and we will see if all my vitamins, etc are reading ok. I am taking the vitamins but I wonder if this is a side effect of losing this much weight so quickly. We will see and I will update you all.
5. You take time to get used to your new body. You lose weight faster than you can mentally adjust to it. I have found times when I feel I have body dismorphic tendencies. I get the compliments and know I look different but I sometimes I still don’t see myself that way yet. Even new clothes were a struggle to start. Be gentle to yourself and give yourself time.

All and all I give all the praise to God and I am so thankful I was able to have the surgery and I would do it all over again. It’s not always easy and it has its moments but I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity.

[Mmeghan]

Thats a huge accomplishment in such a short amount of time.

[kenson]

Wow! 70 pounds in 9 weeks is amazing!
Five years later and my body still does not like chicken. I can tolerate maybe 2 ounces, or a very small chicken wing, but anything more I am sick. For salads, I have found that I cannot tolerate my beloved spring mix--I have to have a little tougher lettuce so I get the Italian blend in the bag. Maybe you can try that as well. Sounds like you're doing well. It does take some time for the mind to catch up to the body.

[coopersmom]

Wow, congratulations on your success. So happy that you're this far along in such a short amount of time and haven't suffered any adverse medical issues. Yay for you and your loved ones.

Your points are all valid and good ones. Eating relationships has definitely changed for me as far as taste, quantity, etc. I can't eat much at one time and I can't eat sweets, anything too sweet makes me severely nauseous, which is crazy considering that was my weak spot prior to surgery.

Keep up the good work and continued success to you/

[Sturk]

Thank you for the note. I will try the Italian blend and see if it’s any better. I love to make turkey taco meat and put it on a little salad with a little cheese. I will let you know if it’s any better.

[KiwiGal]

Wow! 70lbs in 9 weeks is fabulous. Well done.
Your stomach is still getting used to things so if you are having difficulty with a certain food try again a little later on. You may find that you are able to tolerate it a bit further out.

[Sandra3]

Congrats on your success!! you are not even three months out and almost at goal!! wow!! (so very jealous! )

More seriously : because I did study nutrition, and I'm +3 years out, allow me to share some tips:

- first, do no worry about plateau or goal at that stage, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Usually patients are supposed to reach their target weight at one year, so relax about the scale, but worry only about nutrition and vitamins. Because with exercise you might actually gain muscle and lose fat, but that won't show on the scale. If you can get a body composition done (DEXA scan), that will give you a better idea of what to expect. For example, my idea of the weight I wanted to reach was not realistic since my muscle mass is so heavy. Knowing my body composition did help a lot. I also knew, when during the first three months (because of nausea I was not getting enough protein) that I lost some muscle mass, but it came back with a bonus months later. All good!

When I decided to get the sleeve in 2014, all studies did show that deficiencies were less important compare to people who get a bypass. Now there is an other perspective, especially for iron deficiencies. Indeed iron deficiencies are worth for women. But many others can show up (watch out the D vitamin)

- milk could be an issue for at least six months, but now worries, you don't need milk, eat cheese instead, or Greek yogurt: you won't get sick with a small portion of cheese, plus you probably take a calcium supplement. Try milk again later.

- if you can't tolerate well raw veggies, try again in one month....raw veggies can be too hard on your stomach lining at that stage, also cruciferous veggies can also be hard on the stomach. I still can't stand to eat more than one spoon of my fav cauliflower.....so sad...

Same for fried food, forget about it for now. Fried food is useless, you can have it as a treat later...when you are in maintenance....next month...
But anyway, since you exercise, focus first on protein. Do not worry about calories. If you eat protein first, then little cooked veggies or cheese, it's fine.
What does disturb the weight loss for good it's bad carbs or even too much good carbs.

But I'm not worried for your weight loss, at that rate you might actually lose more than expected because the restriction is at it's highest the first year. Even people who don't eat the right things can still lose the first year, but the game change the second year. Without the proper diet and exercise, that's when people start to gain back the weight.

- teeth hurt : I found out with time that many pains have a reason post-sleeve. When my reflux became really bad a few month ago, I also had pains. But at the same time I had to go back on PPI, and that does not help with vitamin absorption.
So I would say to make sure you don't have reflux (it can damage the teeth enamel) but also vitamin D deficiency, or calcium can trigger those pains.
When I had to take the highest dosage of PPI, my arthritis took a turn for the worth. It's better now after being able to lower the PPI dosage and very strong dosage of vit D and other supplements (I like marine collagen to help with bones/joints/ligaments).

-bodydismorphia is a real thing. It takes a while for your internal compass to get in sync with reality.
took me months to pick the right size of clothing for example. I wouldn't recognize myself in photos...but I was obese for almost 20 years...I think the longer you carry the obesity around, the longer your brain will take to register you are different...what I found really helpful was massages. It kind of help to reappropriate my new body. It did make a huge difference. Plus I did lymphatic drainage massages so it also help to remove the toxins that flow around during weight loss, it's important to drink as much water as possible before and after the massage.

Anyway, you are on the right track!! you will lose the weight for sure, do not worry about it, just focus on your health first.
You don't want to survive on too little calories...when your stomach will stretch (normal and part of the process) at two years you will be able to eat half a plate of food. If you tricked your body on eating nothing for months you will regain with nothing...

Take care

[WANAGL]

At 3.5 years out, I still have issues with certain foods. They go back on my “black list”, to be tried again in 6 months.

MFP logging helps me to stay within healthy nutrition needs.

Congrats on your journey to a healthier lifestyle ;-)

[Pudsley]

Oh wow!

That's a huge amount of weight and so quickly!

Amazing achievement Well Done You! I am so pleased for you.

As far as the food it changes all the time and you know, variety is the thing that will keep your weight loss going or maintained what you may or may not eat can change I keep experimenting with a taste of this or that on a regular basis.
We are all unique and we all can keep changing.

This sleeve is just the best.
But I know you know that.
Be well and be happy long may it continue for us all.

Bravo to you as you made this happen in your own way it just shows you how things can be so different from one person to another.
Thank You so much for posting.
This was a great read and so helpful for so many!

[jerzeygirl]

Men lose so much more quickly, it's just the way it is! I find what I once loved, after surgery I didn't like so well, however; go back and try new foods as our taste changes all the time. I used to hate raw peppers, now they're one of my favs; go figure!!

[sraebaer]

I don't think my tastes actually changed, but my mind changed. The first time I tried my formerly favorite food, chicken tenders, after surgery, they were pretty gross. Probably because I knew I was eating crap. Same thing for another favorite food, the Big Mac. I had my first one after over 5 years and don't feel the need for one again. Not sure what I was thinking when that used to be my diet.