I had weight loss surgery 10 months ago

@vivalebeaver

What did you have done?
How much?
Did it hurt, what was recovery like?
Can you actually eat?
Are you worried about long term health implications?
How much weight have you lost?

I had the gastric sleeve - basically got my stomach stapled. They remove 80/90 percent of your stomach and turn it into a pouch around the size of a banana.

It cost around £10k.

It didn't hurt and recovery was fine. I didn't eat anything for days afterwards, before finally starting on broth and protein shakes. I could sip water and squash straight away.

I can eat! I eat everything I ate before but in much smaller portions. I still regularly go out for dinner. (Well I did before lockdown). You have to introduce foods gradually after the operation but I'm eating everything now.

I'm not worried about long term health implications. I am MUCH healthier now than I was before. I take supplements and my blood tests show I'm all good!

I've lost eight and a half stone so far. Or 54kg.

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:09

God, sorry. There were paragraphs in there I promise!

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:10

I had the gastric sleeve - basically got my stomach stapled. They remove 80/90 percent of your stomach and turn it into a pouch around the size of a banana.

It cost around £10k.

It didn't hurt and recovery was fine. I didn't eat anything for days afterwards, before finally starting on broth and protein shakes. I could sip water and squash straight away.

I can eat! I eat everything I ate before but in much smaller portions. I still regularly go out for dinner. (Well I did before lockdown). You have to introduce foods gradually after the operation but I'm eating everything now.

I'm not worried about long term health implications. I am MUCH healthier now than I was before. I take supplements and my blood tests show I'm all good.

I've lost eight and a half stone so far. Or 54kg.

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VivaLeBeaver · 09/04/2020 12:11

If something goes wrong and you needed further surgery would the nhs cover it?

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TrueFriendsStabYouInTheFront · 09/04/2020 12:11

Snap! I had gastric sleeve in November last year hello fellow sleever

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perniciousdot · 09/04/2020 12:13

Do people know?

The one thing I hate about weight loss of the fact that people think it gives them the right to comment on your body. I am a bit of a yo-yo-er myself and I hate the idea of having to explain myself iykwim

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:14

@inwood Before I started the pre op diet I weighed 21 stone 3lbs. I now weigh 12 stone 8 lbs.

I ate fairly healthily before. I didn't eat bacon sandwiches everyday, nor burgers and pizzas for lunch and dinner. But I did eat some crap and my portion sizes were huge. What I'm eating today: Greek yogurt with berries and a sprinkling of granola for breakfast. Leftover vegetarian lasagne and salad for lunch. DP is making some sort of squash/spinach/goats cheese tart for dinner.

I did a lot of research before doing the op and was convinced by science on metabolism and stomach hormones and how surgery helps both.

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:15

@vivalebeaver my surgeon was clear - if I'd gotten home from hospital and felt unwell or if something had gone wrong I should go straight to A&E. NHS far better equipped to put things right quickly.

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Grumpbum123 · 09/04/2020 12:16

well done that’s brilliant. Please don’t relax though I had a sleeve 6 years ago I lost 10 stone initially I have despite only eating small portions out 6 back on this is due to mainly drinking calories and my metabolism being screwed up with the quick weight loss and now with my weight loss dietician have devised a plan where I’m losing again but I can only consume 600 cals a day to do so which is very hard as mentally I thought my dieting days were over. Struggling particularly in lockdown

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:18

@perniciousdot I told everyone after I'd had it done. Well, friends and family. Not work. I told my parents I was thinking about it and they were against it and trotted out the same old 'eat less, move more' nonsense I'd been trying for the last 20 years. I knew friends would be similarly ignorant. So I did it without telling anyone except DP and one close friend. Everyone has been amazingly supportive.

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:19

Hi @Grumpbum123 Sorry you are struggling. I am aware this is a lifetime of work still. It's a tool not a solution. I know this will still be a lifelong battle. I actually would rather not lose anymore as I don't want to have to maintain a lower weight. Best of luck to you.

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:29

@truefriendsstabyouinthefront Excellent! How are you getting on?

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Hoggleludo · 09/04/2020 12:38

Wow! You've lost my weight!!!! That's incredible

Why do you feel that was your only option? Surely it shows that had you or cut down your portions you could lose weight?

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 12:52

@Hoggleludo I know, it so much weight to lose!! I have previously managed to cut down portion sizes. I've lost lots of weight in the past - meal replacements, weight watchers, Atkins... You name it I've done it. But the weight always went back on. This felt like a last chance, albeit very extreme option. I was fed up of the battle. I wanted an extreme tool to help. There is some evidence to suggest surgery may help better regulate ghrelin (the hunger hormone) meaning you can eat less in future. Although some disagree.

I did some reading around metabolism too. There is evidence to suggest that if you have been over weight in the past you will never be able to maintain a new healthier weight on a 'normal' amount of calories. So for example to maintain my new 12 stone weight I might only be able to eat on average 1000 calories a day. If I ate more than that I would put weight on. Whereas someone weighing 12 stone who hasn't been morbidly obese may be able to eat 1800 calories a day (or whatever). Hopefully this tool will help me stick to the lower end.

I plan on going privately to get my metabolism measured one year after surgery.

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catinb0oots · 09/04/2020 12:58

Do you have loose skin?

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Burpalot · 09/04/2020 13:04

@catinb0oots I do have a bit of lose skin. My upper arms don't look great but they were already ruined from years of yo-yo dieting. Stomach is wrinkly but no overhang like some people get. Everything is ok. Nothing a big pair of knockers can't pull in and a t-shirt can't cover up anyway!

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