I'm new

Haven't been on here for a few weeks now. How is everybody? victoria how did your op go and how was your recovery?

hey everyone, I'm back. 1 week out and I'm feeling fine, sort of. No real pain to speak of and I am walking (a couple of kms)around well. Slowly getting back to housework and cooking for the family (yay). I struggle with the puree thing. I prefer to chew,chew,chew softer foods like shaved ham etc. I made really tiny fish cakes out of tuna, carrot broccoli and onion. Just delicious. It would be much easier just to eat vegies (Eggplant Caponata stewed in tomatoes until its almost liquid) but I know I have to do the protein thing or I'll loose my hair.

My worst problem is constipation. it is probably caused by lack of food in my system. I hadn't managed anumber 2 in a week so I resorted to laxatives and prunes. What a disaster...ended up with a torrent of liquid. What does everyone else do to keep regular? Looking forward to hearing from you kiwis

Alex

op date is 15 November. I've told my kids and my hubbie of course, but I think I won't bother telling anyone else. I can just say I've been on a mega diet (which will be true). Did you tell many people? Do you think they react differently to you saying you are dieting?

Drinking is hard to do to start with. I started off with 2 sips at a time but have now progressed to about 5 sips at a time. Best advise is drink from a glass rather than a bottle. Its easier to drink which is weird. I wonder if its the air in the bottle when you sip. Don't worry about anything else other than drink, drink, drink!
I can now manage about a litre a day comfortably and am working on 1.5ltre which only happens every few days but am hoping as summer is in the air I will drink more.
Just remember aswell you can't really eat straight away after drinking so give yourself space and drink around half an hour after eating. You'll be fine. And remember its always the face that loses it straight away first.
Funnily what you said about listening people tell you enough that you are losing your brain should catch up. I was at our local Calf club day today and haven't been around school much but I had so many comments that it was strange. I felt justified in explaining what I had had done as I know some people see it as a form of cheating. I see it as a life saver so don't ever feel you have to justify the sleeve. What date is your op again?

that is really sad. I used to get such a buzz when I'd been on a big diet (Atkins etc) and I finally looked good (very temporarily!!). I'm Praying I'm going to feel good about myself. Funnily, I always think of myself as slimmer and then I catch a glimpse of myself in a shop window reflection or a mirror.....I just want to cry when I see how huge I have become. I weighed myself this morning and have now lost 6kgs on Optifast but I don't see any difference in the mirror yet. My features on my face look like little dots on a big pasty moon, can't wait until they look in normal proportion again and I only have one chin. It has been a very long time.

I think you will start to feel brain slim when enough people gasp and say how great you look. One day you are just going to believe it yourself!! You're going to look at those ever decreasing jeans when they are hanging on the clothes line and say "yup, that's my tiny waist size and mini butt". Anyway, at least it is only in your head and not on your body too.

I'm looking forward to eating again. I don't eat much carbs, just too much of everything else, especially fat. I hope I don't get dumping with other foods. I checked out some of the other forums after I read your message and read quite a few stories of other foods causing dumping. It must be a bit scarey to go out until you know what foods will affect you.

Hey can you drink much (of anything) or is your stomach making you stick to small sips? Does liquid pass through quicker than solid food? I'm a bit worried about exercise and getting enough fluid into me.

It is so lovely chatting to you, you make me laugh and I am learning heaps

No thank goodness. Only sugars! Just trying to get creative with protein...We dont really need carbs anymore which is hard, we have to fill up on protein first, then fruit or veggies. So yeah, creativity will become your best friend.

I am having a sculpt shake this morning for breakfast which is taking me forever to drink. It has 24gm protein made with trim milk, so atleast I know I have had some protein today.

My hair is starting to fall out as a side effect but hey, if it means I lose weight then am happy. My only gripe though is my brain has not caught up with my body 5 months on. I bought a pair of size 14 jeans (I think the last time I was in a 14 was when I was a young adult) but my brain still tells me I'm fat. I hate it! I just wish It was reality to my brain the fact I don't eat as much and excercise like mad!

hi there

my op is 15 November. What was the protein thing?? Did the ham and cheese make you dump too?

Sounds like you have a handle on the optifast. yep, dumping is both, its really horrible aswell as you break out in a cold sweat, stabbing pains in your stomach but don't let me put you off lol

We had a quiz night at work tonight and 5 months post sleeve now, I did the protein thing with crackers, except I didn't have crackers just wrapped the cheese in ham. being creative lol.

It is a huge learning curve. The hardest part is the brain understanding that you need to do this and ofcourse it doesn't comprehend your body is losing and you can't eat as much as before.

What date is your op again?

OMG I have a lot to learn! I thought dumping was just vomiting from eating sugar. Is there anything other than sugar that does this? Good to know though. That'll keep my fingers out of the lolly cupboard for sure. Actually, what I am craving for right now is protein. The Optifast is getting better every day though. I'm about to put some berries in my smoothy as you suggested.

Me again lol! I can't stand water. It tastes funny now, I have to add sugar free drink powder to it..just to make sure I drink. As for sweet tooth. Avoid like the plaque. Too easy to eat and doesn't agree with you.
I was constipated last night and decided I needed to go so ate a bar of chocolate. Big mistake. Thought I would be on the toilet for five mins. Try all night up and down. diarhea and vomitting. Not good!

Our bodies can no longer process sweet things since the sleeve. Its common to 'dump'. If you have ever tried xenical and eaten something you shouldn't have? Then thats the experience. Tummy still popping away but went to the toilet haha.

thanks for the advice Munderwood. I love swimming so I'll have to wait 6 weeks to get back in the pool. I guess I'll need to find something else to keep me going in the meantime. I might fess up to one of the gym instructors and get them to sort me out a gentle programme. I am so thrilled to finally have a date and I am more determined than ever to make this work FOREVER. Did anyone find their sense of taste and food preferences changed after surgery? I know we have to eat more carefully and we should all make better food choices, but did anyone develop a sweet tooth or anything?

Good luck Floaty. You won't regret doing this. There will be a few hiccups along the way but be prepared for them. There will be days where you think what have I done? But when the weight drops off you will be so happy.
My best advise would be to excercise as soon as you can, as you lose weight you can''t help but lose body mass. Its part of the parcel and you end up with saggy skin. So far my weight loss has been on average 800gms per week which I am so happy about. My bariatric nurse said some people lose anywhere from 1-4kg per week which sounds drastic to me!

Also best thing is you finally have energy. I have no more naps during the day. I love it!

All the best with your op. Holler if you need any advice (oh and try optifast with a few frozen berries chucked in and whizzed through the blender. Very nice..or chocolate optifast with a shot of fresh coffee. Instant Mocha. Yum.

Hi everyone.

I had my appointment with Richard Babor and he thought I was a good candidate for sleeving. I'm so glad my previous cancer encounters didn't put him off. I've been optifasting for 8 days and have already lost 5kg. The kick start to weight loss is going to be really encouraging. And thank God that at the end of the optifast diet I won't regain the weight 'cos I'll have a sleeve. Yay. So on my Birthday (15 November), I'll be getting the best present ever....a sleeve operation.

About the optifast, I like the vanilla and coffee shakes mixed together, hate those soups though. Best of all are the coffee bars...quite a treat really. Before starting this diet I didn't like sweet food at all but I am quite enjoying those bars. I hope this doesn't start a new food craving.

How did you op go Victoria??

Floaty

Hi. How is everyone getting on. Seems like a few weeks since there have been any updates.
Stomach still bubbles away but I tend to ignore it. Hair still slowly falling out. Have been looking online and have learnt silica is a good option to take. Yet to take it though.
Am also getting fitter, thanks to a friend at work, also a post sleever. We walk in our lunch half hour and also after work. We're both in training for the sculpt6km walk December 4th starting Britomart. I wonder if anyone else wants to do it aswell?

thanks for your support too Victoria. I have wanted to do this for 10 years. I have taken all this time to fess up to my husband who is of course super trim and fit. It doesn't help when you are the only one in the household with a weight problem. Funnily enough, he had guessed and is sooo supportive in the right way. He was waiting all these years for me to say something and never brought it up. Did your husband get sleeved too? that is going to be excellent comradery for you both. I hope he is feeling better now. I am impressed with your committment...even when your husband's progress wasn't straight forward, you still found the strength to start this new life for yourself. Well done both of you. I've had so much surgery in my life already. It's pretty easy really, just go to sleep and wake up living the dream! Looking forward to hearing from you and how it all went.

Floaty- thanks so much!

Surgeon is Michael Booth. We chose him as we knew a few people who used him, and after meeting him I was convinced he was the right fit for us.

He initially wanted to do my surgery 6 weeks after our first appointment. We ended up having to schedule it for 3 months after the first meeting though because of complications with my husband. That time has flown by and I can't believe it's only a few days away now

I hope your appointment goes well, it can be overwhelming (I sobbed through my first appointment! I wasn't expecting to hear my body was in as bad shape as it was) but once you've made the decision and believe it's the right thing for you, things will fall into place! Best of luck :)

best of luck Victoria, I'm looking forward to watching your progress. You'll be a star just like all the other sleevers on this forum.



I'll do anything to get this operation and to make it a success. I'm hanging out until next Tuesday when I get to speak to the surgeon for the first time. I hope he says yes.



You had fantastic results on the opti so it looks like a good idea.



How long did you have to wait for surgery after your first appointment with the surgeon? Who is sleeving you?

Hello, I'm also new and in Auckland! My surgery is Monday- eeek!

Floaty- I think opti is pretty mandatory across the board. It's NOT as bad as it sounds. It's not fun, it is work, but it's not torture! I actually chose to do it for much longer than the two weeks because my husband had to do it for several months. I tasted a shake and thought it wasn't too bad and jumped right in! The price is probably the most painful part!

hi everyone

I'm a newbie too. I have my appointment with the surgeon next week. Does everyone need to do the optifast diet first? I read the booklet for Auckland Weightloss Surgery and it doesn't seen to mention this part (or maybe i missed that part)

I'm taking losec aswell at the moment, and feel as though my stomach is constantly bubbling away! My hair is coming out aswell, but its more down to the fact that I seem to malt this time of the year anyway.

I don't regret for one minute having this done but I wish my stomach would settle down. I can't seem to keep anything down.I had eye fillet last night, took me ages to eat it but sat in my chest for ages. Felt awful.

I'm taking Losec so any reflux issues should be covered by that

I am thinking about going back onto Opti-puke or something similar and see how that goes

My hair is already falling out and apparently my iron is very low so I am hoping Opti will help hair loss, hunger pains, iron count and get my weight going down FAST

YAY the life of a sleever (and no I am not having a 'what have I done moment') its just life

are you sure its hunger and not reflux? reflux disguises itself in many ways!

That is strange. Just try to stick to your 3 meals a day, which is easier said than done. Water is your friend.

I have been feeling hungry from about 2 weeks after surgery, but I just have a drink of water and it goes away, straight away.

Hi just read your post on your sleeve. Sorry to hear you had a reaction to your aneasthetic that would have been a pain. Sorry to hear that you are having hunger pains aswell. Are you sure they are hunger pains? Do you feel hungry or was it just rumbling? Only ask as I understand the hormones are removed with the proceedure and for the first 6 or so months it should be hard to feel hungry! Maybe everyone is different though.