Bariatric surgery thread 4

[HangerLaneGyratorySystem]

I'm not the OP but I just accidentally took the last post on thread 3 and some people including me were in the middle of conversations! Hope you can find your way over here!

@Anguauberwaldironfoundersson thanks for the update, I think we must be at a similar stage - 5 st loss is amazing! I'm having some similar issues with hydration and taking in enough fibre!

Hi I am 4 years post bypass - lost 7 st but have regained 2 1/2. I am struggling now with very disordered eating - wondered if there are any long timers here with advice or experience? X

Sorry, didn’t mean to be a thread killer. The surgery was brilliant for me, it has helped loads and still helps with portion control. But after the first year the weight stopped falling off. And now has reversed.

I had a massive and awful life event a year after the op that coincided with me stopping focusing on what I was eating, and now I have fallen back into proper crap food. I barely eat at meals but eat mini eggs and Doritos in bed. I know, I am ridiculous.

I’m craving all the wrong things, I can’t decide at all what to eat, I’ve forgotten all the rules and I am feeling crappy! Kick up the arse and back to basics is what I need i think!

but I can’t remember what the basics are! I didn’t have to try at all in the first year. Now I feel I am back to square 1.

I dont know what advice to give as this is my fear, that this might happen to me

I keep thinking that I must remember 'just follow the rules'

I think the bypass is different to the sleeve which is what Ive had but could you do an intervention on yourself, pretend you are prepping for the op again, go on the LRD, then do the 3 phases (liquid, puree, mash) to move onto solids again

It may reset your mind and thinking? It would take you 8 weeks though and be a lot of hard work and prep.

Hands up all those with fibre issues

@bellac11 thank you! I am horrified really to find myself in this position- I wish I had done things differently. A complete reset is a good idea.

I’ve had a gastric sleeve around five years ago and recently had a gastric bypass
Both done abroad with the same surgeon

sleeve was originally to loose weight
which I did kept off I didn’t need to loose much weight 3 stone but I did and I’ve kept it off successfully

bypass was for really bad acid reflux / heartburn and if I lose weight great

what I will say is that with the bypass you don’t get the same restriction as the GS
when I was 7 days out of the BP I had lost 8lbs

with the GS I lost 12 lbs in the same period
( I write my weight down every day 😂😂)

with the Sleave I literally couldn’t eat much for two years 😂

With the bypass I have no problem in drinking a full 330ml protein drink which I struggled to do with the sleave

so although the bypass is probably great for those who won’t know any difference with regards to restriction
the sleeve has a much tighter restriction which means you eat less initially probably for the first 18 months / 2 years
after that it’s down to you as in my experience that’s the golden period over

@GreenLeavesRustling.
you can do a pouch reset
and I have my food list for the pre op / post op bypass surgery
I’m happy to screen shot those if you need it

to be fair most people to put on weight after having a GS
they reckon 50 percent will put back on around 20lbs within the first 5 years

@Im99912 can I ask who your surgeon was/where you went and did you get it revised to a full bypass?

Thanks @Im99912
I’d really appreciate it if you could screenshot the sheets, thanks.

it’s sugar and slider foods for me. I was told not to eat bread at all, but I have been eating it. Back on track the last couple of days, but it is keeping it up!

thanks also for the reassurance re regain. I was SO sure that wouldn’t be me! Still 5 st down from start weight, but had hoped to lose eight stone.
I’ll be happy to lose 2 st which would get be back near my lowest weight. Not going to happen when I am eating Doritos though! I have bought a book about reversing regain after surgery too and so far it seems helpful :)

By strange coincidence Im going through one of the recipe books I bought in prep for all this, a gastric sleeve recipe book

Its awful, dont waste money anyone on them, I havent got one single book so far that is any good, the recipes are mainly american, way too big, too much sugar and questionable ingredients and incorrect nutrients

But, tucked away at the back of the book is this 'pouch reset' plan. The author reckons you do it over 10 days but for me that would be way too short. I think its reprogramming the brain to really bring it to life again, but obviously I hope I never have to and it will work differently for different people.

So the concept is certainly a real thing (I just made it up in my head when I suggested it).

I’m happy to put the work in. I can see how I would still be at my lowest weight if I had stuck to the
no sliders
no bread
protein first
enough water

exercising is really hard for me as I am disabled. I might try some weights.

But a reset is a great plan. The restriction is still very much there when I eat proper meals. It’s just I’ve been skipping proper meals and having slider foods instead.

I also have a bunch of those recipe books and agree with you, not helpful!

I didnt generally eat bread or pasta prior to the sleeve so hopefully will continue with that. I dont like rice so potatoes were my main starch although I tried to do without, but of course there were times when cheese and crackers would turn up on my plate or a bag of crisps.

So Im hopeful I wont have too much of the carb stuff as I tended not to eat them, but the water issue is going to be difficult. Im struggling even now and Im on the liquid phase at the moment!!!

How long ago did you have the bypass and how are you feeling? I still struggle getting enough water in and am reminded of the early days where it was really hard to get all the liquids / protein shakes in! Felt like I was constantly eating and drinking.

I hope you are resting! The surgery can really take it out of you. Where did you go to have it done?

Emotional eating us always been a coping mechanism for me. Two years after the surgery I had to quit drinking completely as I had started drinking a bit too much as my new ‘coping’ strategy. Now I find myself with some sort of binge eating thing 🙄where I have found the foods I can eat in excess without discomfort!

I need to find a more productive way to cope rather than self destruction!

@GreenLeavesRustling. I will screen shot the sheets and send you a DM

@Questionsbarisurg. I will DM you all the details

Hi everyone, just checking in and bumping for anyone starting their journey! 🙂

Im on my puree phase now. Quite difficult to get the protein in and enough liquids.

@HangerLaneGyratorySystem did you agree to the surgery in April? How are you feeling about it? Have they said how much weight they think you will lose with the revision?

@Questionsbarisurg - evening. I am on the list for May, I will stay on it till the last minute but I am overwhelmed at the moment - divorce, selling house, I am a carer for my DD19 and she is having a bad time. Not sure if I said all this, I do tend to repeat myself on here!! Anyway, I am thinking the last thing I need is surgery. But its not as if they'd say to me hey wait another year - the surgeon said the longer the wait (and he was talking weeks/months) the less likely success is. I am feeling that I don't want it done, but I am 60 and have been morbidly obese most of my life so really, why do I think now I would sudden have some sort of epiphany and lose 10 stone?! I've got an arthritic knee, circulation problems, god knows what else. I'm an accident waiting to happen 😱

I didn't ask how much weight I might lose; based on people I've been on Facebook groups with etc., I'd say if I have the revision to MGB, maybe another 6 stone, maybe more? I need to lose at least 10 to have a normal BMI but at my age, with my health, not sure that's possible.

How are things with you?

Oh hello all I've found you! I had started a different thread as I couldn't find this.

I had a mini gastric bypass 2 weeks ago today. I have kidney disease and suffered an acute kidney injury after the operation so was on an intensive hydration schedule which required me to drink a LOT after the operation on top of iv fluids, and now I'm worried I've stretched my pouch as I'm able to drink pretty much without restriction. I moved on to purée and didn't feel full so I'm just monitoring my portions now and stopping when I think I should have had enough, and monitoring calories. I've lost 11.8kg since I started my pre-op LRD three weeks ago, so it's going in the right direction, and today I noted that my bath towel wrapped right around me without gaping - granted it was a bath sheet but I'm taking that as a win!

@Anguauberwaldironfoundersson linking this, I had quite severe back acne and tried everything including GP prescribed stuff
This got rid of it - I would shower then lather it up on a back brush, and let it sit on my back for a couple of mins before rinsing
I figured it's cheap and I could use it as soap if it didn't work but it did!

Salicylic Acid Scrub Soap, Pore Exfoliating, Softening Skin, Anti-Blemish amzn.eu/d/fs3m3pn

@Arsewangry if it is any help to you I know when I had my sleeve that others who had the mgb where able to stomach a little more etc it could be that you are still swollen and bruised and that restrictive feeling doesn’t usually kick in to soft/solid foods so don’t panic about stretched etc

@HangerLaneGyratorySystem you have got a lot going on and I know what you mean about the thought of surgery on top of it all. I think your wise taking them up on the date and in your head prepare that you are going ahead, do you know does your surgeon do nhs and private?

Well I’m thinking yes I need to go for the mgb too I’m 20 stone and cannot get the scales to move I’ve been looking at duodenum switch too as it can be a second part op to a sleeve but I think it is more risky than bypass so not sure but it has the biggest success rate for weighloss and keeping it off but don’t think I’m brave enough for that. Will start my saving pit this payday with a view of having a second op later this year which scares me already

Hi everyone, just checking in after a couple of weeks of silence, which coincided with me going back to work, ugh.

I'm just over five weeks post op and I’m doing well. I’m on my second week of soft foods and I’ve not had any adverse reactions to anything I’ve introduced. I generally have porridge plus small amount of chopped fruit for breakfast, something like a cracker with pate or bits of cold chicken for lunch (must start adding veg!), and a small balanced meal for dinner, such as chicken tagine or steamed fish plus veg and mash. Snacks are protein bits (shakes, yoghurts etc) as I’m definitely still in need of protein extras given the small portions. I still have one clear whey isolate drink every morning which boosts my fluid and protein - win!

My provider’s recovery plan is very structured, so yesterday, I had a quarter of a slice of toast (recommended as a test) with cream cheese - went down slowly but I suffered no after effects.

My only issue is the hunger - I’m so bloody annoyed to feel hungry frequently, as it seems to be quite uncommon post-operatively, given the sleeve is supposed to dramatically reduce hunger, plus most others seem to have to force themselves to eat - definitely not a problem I have! I eat every 2-3 hours and though I feel restriction and can’t eat much due to feeling full, I’m ready each time. I have my first follow up with the surgeon soon, so I’m going to ask him about this.

I’ve been so happy with my progress in terms of weight loss. I’ve lost just over 13kg in six weeks (one week of LRD), and I’m steadily losing at least 1kg a week, which seems right on track. I’ve also lost cm around my waist and my tracking photos also tell a great story! I’m officially no longer obese, yay!

My provider’s private Facebook group is brilliant at support and community feeling, plus I follow a few people on Instagram who provide useful content. I’m luckily quite good at not getting sucked in to comparisons (apart from my aforementioned hunger gripe!), so I find these platforms helpful, but I can see how they could be less helpful for some. YMMV!