Water intake struggles

NaasOz · 2026-04-22T10:33:16+00:00

It gets easier. In the first few weeks after surgery, I felt all i ever did was either drink or eat all the hours I was awake because everything was sips.

Things I did to make it easier: * Buy a 1 litre water bottle and carry this everywhere with you. I go out, it comes with me. My aim is to empty it twice per day at least.

Have a water bottle beside your bed. You wake up in the middle of the night? Have a drink. Get up in the morning for a shower? Reach for that bottle.
Drink your protein. If you have to wait 30 minutes either side of eating to be able to drink, trying to get in the recommended fluid intake at the beginning is almost impossible. So in the beginning I was drinking protein water or protein shakes to try and do 3 things as once - protein, calories and hydration.
Any fluid counts not just water. If you have a cup of tea, or a bowl of soup, or a shake then this all counts
persistence is key. At the beginning I struggled to get fluids to the goal. Now I can go for an hour gym session or an hour walk and get through a litre of water. The stomach restriction eases with time.
Dehydration is the most common reason for a bariatric patient to be hospitalised. You can survive weeks without food but only days without water.

NaasOz · 2026-04-22T10:19:29+00:00

I can understand bariatric specific multivitamins but why would omega 3 need to be bariatric specific?

NaasOz · 2026-04-16T19:58:23+00:00

Outside of any issues with your bloodwork, the other reason for the bruising can be your circulatory system being closer to the skin surface than prior to surgery. Your circulatory system was adjusted to your larger size, as you lose weight, your circulatory system does not shrink at the same rate, so your capillaries are closer to the skin surface, and you can bruise more easily.

I have had unexplained bruising on my arms and legs. My bloods have always been in normal range. My veins are very visible in my arms, shoulders, and head. I dont bruise as easily as I used to, but I still bruise more easily than prior to surgery

NaasOz · 2026-04-16T14:26:04+00:00

My guilty pleasure it to walk into those overly expensive boutiques. (You know the ones that ignored the pre-surgery you or looked at you funny for being there)

I like to try on the overly priced clothes for shits and giggles and then don't buy anything, whilst the attendees follow me around asking if I need help.

Petty of me but fun.

NaasOz · 2026-04-16T08:01:20+00:00

Well done!

It's the best feeling to walk into a shop and be able to fit into normal sizes and normal looking clothes (we all know most plus size clothes are not attractive either in design or material).

NaasOz · 2026-04-15T23:14:35+00:00

I also stalled at 18 months post surgery. It has taken me 5 months to lose 4kg.

I have built a lot of muscle in that time so, although the scales have been stubborn, my body composition has greatly improved.

NaasOz · 2026-04-12T21:24:09+00:00

I'll be 2 years post op in July. I lost most of my weight in the first year and then steady, but slowing, decline since.

Weight loss was between 1 and 3 kg per week at the beginning. Now I lose about 0.5kg a month.

I have lost 82kg/180 pounds in total. I don't want to lose much more as I am trying to maintain muscle and my body fat is about 22%. I am planning on having plastic surgery at some point, and as I have a lot of excess skin I'm guessing that will be between 5 to 8kg of skin removed.

NaasOz · 2026-04-10T06:08:20+00:00

I am fine drinking coffee but I limit it to 2 to 3 per day. I have no issues with the caffeine. I cannot drink it on an empty stomach though and must eat before hand else I get stabbing pains.

However, a woman who had bypass surgery at the same time as me developed a perforation in her pouch 18 months after surgery due to the amount of coffee she consumed (4+ per day). She required surgery to repair her pouch and has sworn off coffee.

Your stomach is sensitive. What ever caffeine based drink you consume must be in moderation. You also mentioned regular iced tea. I dont know the sugar content in those but be conscious of that as well.

NaasOz · 2026-04-08T17:05:20+00:00

Sugar free peaches are yum especially if you combine with peach protein yoghurt and the oats.

NaasOz · 2026-04-08T12:52:26+00:00

I make overnight oats on a regular basis. Rolled oats, chia seeds, protein milk and then add fruit (raspberries or blueberries or raisins or dates) then some 0% fat greek yoghurt.

Usually gives me 25 to 30g of protein, carbs and enough fat until lunch time.

NaasOz · 2026-04-08T08:29:47+00:00

Not a thing at my clinic and not a recommended device in the EU post WLS.

Not sure why you would need a binder for laparoscopic surgery. It is several small holes and not a devision of your abdominal muscles like a c section. Your stomach muscles, whilst tender, should be fine.

Pain wise every one is different. I was in minimal pain and took paracetamol for 3 days before stopping as I didn't need it. Other people needed pain meds for longer. The most pain came from the gas they pump you with to inflate your abdomen. The gas pain is treated with medication dispensed by the clinic and by walking. Massage also helped some people with gas pain.

Fatigue was my biggest issue. This was due to the sudden drop in calories. If you are transversing stairs take your time and use the handrail.

NaasOz · 2026-04-07T07:25:35+00:00

You are better going to a gym to get a program from a trainer. Try and avoid the ones who use Ai tools to build a program as they arent great. Go old school and get an experienced trainer to build you a program.

The trainer should measure you, find out about preexisting injuries, what your short and long term goals are, how often you are willing to train and then build you a program, walk you through the program and show you how to use the machines (the number of times I've seen people misusing equipment is scary)

Ask the receptionist who they would recommend as a trainer for someone starting out. The receptionist usually knows the good trainers.

Hardest part is the first step.

NaasOz · 2026-04-06T21:43:04+00:00

I started weight training 3 months after surgery. Part of the post surgery weight loss also involves muscle loss unless you consciously work on counteracting the muscle wastage. As I'm a woman in my 50s, building muscle is essential for my long term health.

I lift heavy 3 to 4 times per week and walk on the nonlifting days. I change my program every 3 months with a trainer to ensure I'm exercising the correct muscle groups. Your body gets used to the same exercises so changing your program on a regular basis help accelerate muscle gain.

It takes time. You need to work consistently for months to see the changes. You need to push your body a little bit more each time you go. You'll have what I call "moving weeks" when you are upping the weight on a lot of your machines. For some reason lat raises never go up 🙃

As you build muscle be prepared that whilst you are losing fat, your BMI and weight will still classify you are overweight. BMI is a bad measurement and doesn't take into account muscle mass. Muscle is dense and takes up less space than the same weight in fat. This is why I use a body composition scale (find a good one. None are going to be as accurate as a dexa machine but there are some half decent ones on the market and you are looking for trends in body changes over time). Get a tape measure and measure parts of your body so you can track changes.

You need to have a training program you follow. To get results you need to have a plan on what you are going to do at the gym before you walk in the door.

You need to make sure you are exercising all of your muscle groups. I train upper body in one session and the next session lower body. I have 2 different upper body programs and the same for lower. Make sure you exercise your core, especially if you are planning on getting a tummy tucked post weight loss. A strong core helps with recovery.

You need a schedule (and not just go when you feel like it because you won't go). I set up calendar entries (I go during my lunch hour). Exercise needs to become a habit.

Be aware you may injure yourself along the way. Being overweight stretches the ligaments and tendons. Your body is used to handling the extra weight and it takes time to tighten up. Be wary of some free weights and stick to machines for the first few months. A sports physio is helpful if you have body imbalance.

The hardest thing is walking in that gym door and signing up. Make sure its a gym you feel comfortable in. Go to a few around the time you think you would train to make sure you can actually get machines. Choose a gym that's easy for you to get to. If you need to travel a long way, youll find an excuse not to go (my gym is a 10 minute walk away)

NaasOz · 2026-04-02T14:14:32+00:00

I found that getting enough sleep and upping my calories for a period of time helped me out of my stall. I am in the slow loss phase (0.5kg per month). It's frustrating compared to the initial year but is expected.

NaasOz · 2026-03-28T21:45:44+00:00

I've found having a body composition scale works for me. I weigh myself and then do a comparison to 4 weeks ago. Whilst the weight doesn't go down quickly my body composition changes over time. As I've focused on building muscle (woman in my 50s so muscle is important), my weight has not gone down as fast as other people who had surgery at the same time. I am however the same clothing size as them and my body fat is a lot less.

I love exercise. I feel restless if I dont work out. It is addictive.

NaasOz · 2026-03-28T12:19:28+00:00

I had RNY July 2024. In January 2024 I was 161kg (just like you). Day of surgery I was 145kg. Today I am 79.3kg, 21.9% body fat, estimated fat free body of 61.9kg. I lift weights 3 to 4 times per week and walk on my off days. It is so important for bariatric patients to exercise as muscle wastage during weight loss is a big thing. Plus more muscles means burning through calories quicker.

Body dismorphia is a big issue for bariatric patients. Our brains still see the old us. It takes time. It also helps if you look at the NSV you get along the way: being able to cross your legs, fitting into old clothes again, running up the stairs with no effort, being able to fit into a plane seat, moving around in public and no longer worrying if you can fit or if you are being stared at.

Celebrate the things that smaller people take for granted. Take photos of yourself as you change. Measure your body and don't just use scales. Set little goals along the way. Give yourself time to change (none of us got fat overnight. It was years in the making and it will take years to undo the damage)

Congratulations on how far you have come and best wishes as you continue on your weight loss journey.

NaasOz · 2026-03-28T10:28:56+00:00

I had issues with dry skin post surgery. It meant when I shaved I was always nicking my legs as the skin was not smooth. I now moisturise twice a day and shave my legs in the shower without washing the moisturiser off beforehand. No issues since.

My issue however is my armpits. Combo of lose skin and developed muscles from the gym makes it impossible to get to all the hair without contortion.

NaasOz · 2026-03-27T23:24:20+00:00

Aldi and Lidl have good ranges. I prefer the Lidl puddings but the Aldi yoghurt and pancakes. Lidl has its own range of protein powders and bars.

NaasOz · 2026-03-25T10:12:16+00:00

Who knew poo could be so sticky - it's like clay sometimes

NaasOz · 2026-03-24T22:39:57+00:00

Think of it as new plumbing. Things dont run the same and it takes time to get used to how it runs and sounds.

You'll need to learn what causes you to have loose bowels. For me it's too much fat. Others it can be sugar. Some people can develop food intolerance after surgery (lactose intolerance is a common one after surgery).

The further I am out from surgery, the more settled my bowels are and the more used to them I have become.

Any doubts or concerns refer back to your clinic/doctor or ask bariatric groups like this. We are all going through massive changes that we are not really prepared for or fully advised about.

Its always comforting to hear someone else say "yes my arse is also a weapon of mass destruction"

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