Arabesque

I’m in. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all meet up. Though I do live the furtherest away ☹️ so it will be a bit more if a challenge. Even if we don’t know everyone’s faces at least we’ll recognise everyone by their neck down bodies from all these post 😆😆😆. You both look gorgeous @Sophie7713 & @GreenTealael. And you got a Bobby kiss @GreenTealael (plus more bright colours - go the pink). Looking great @sillykitty. Where are you? The scenery is gorgeous. What a lovely photo of you & your daughter @VIKING 0424. She is a beautiful bride.

My metabolism was crap before surgery as well from too many years of skipping meals. I couldn’t lose much on 900 & 1200 calorie diets in the past (like only 5kgs after 2 months - grrr) so I understand your struggles. A big benefit of the surgery is the boost to your metabolism. The surgery actually resets a lot of things. Your actual rate of loss depends on many factors out of your control: age, gender, weight loss & gain history, genetics, existing health status. Then certain medications can slow the process too. The only thing you can control is whether you stick to your plan. It’s why we say you’ll lose at your own rate. Also the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose in the beginning. After my surgery, I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating for ages (into my second year). I had to eat to a routine to ensure I ate the nutrients my body needed. Still do. A huge benefit of this was it changed how I looked at food. That maxim of eating to live not living to eat became true for me. Eating regularly also helps keep your metabolism burning. I’m presuming your pre surgical diet is a mix of shakes & real food??? Speak to your dietician about portion sizes to ensure you don’t eat too much or too little. Did they give you a list of foods you should eat or avoid as well? It’s just as important to ensure you are getting in all the nutrients your body needs before surgery as after - another reason not to skip meals. Think of this time as beginning new healthier eating habits & routines. This surgery has been the only thing that really worked for me & it’s still working which never happened when I dieted before - lose, gain, lose, gain, over & over was my norm. I was almost 54 when I had my surgery but had no health issues … they were likely about to begin though.

I’ll add deep, slow breathing & leg raising exercises to push the gas up & out. You’ll probably find in the next day or so most of it will be gone. At this stage as long as you’re close to reaching your fluid & protein goals each day you’ll be okay. It gets easier. And it doesn’t matter if you’re low today as long as you about there tomorrow. Sip slowly & often. I still drink throughout the night to ensure I meet my fluid goal. You’ll get there.

You could still be or are back in ketosis if you’re still losing? Does anything else smell, body odour, breath, etc., like with ketosis? Maybe change shake brands to see if something in Fairlife isn't sitting as well with you. As for your nails, are you meeting your protein goal? Are you taking your multi vitamins? Are you eating a variety of foods to get in a broad range of nutrients? Were you low in anything in your last blood test? My nails are weak & ridged because of my protein absorption issue so I understand how you feel. Glad your hair loss has improved though. PS - Congrats on your weight loss so far. 🏆

Both outfits look amazing @GreenTealael. Particularly like the lavender cardigan - very cute - especially with the yellow top as a contrast. Being mostly colour adverse too, I admire those who wear colour often & you are embracing it beautifully. Go the cane storage basket! I love a good basket. I use them for belts & bags in my bedroom & towels & such in my main bathroom.

I experienced the same thing. Was eating less than 900 calories when I reached my goal & struggled for a while to physically eat more at any one time too. I had to snack & increased them until I was snacking 5 times a day. And yes I felt like I was eating all day long. My weight loss continued albeit very slowly & finally about 11 months after goal. I was still seeing my dietician through the first 6 months of this 11 months (Covid hit). For my snacks I added a second sometimes third serve of carbs (multigrain crackers), hummus, nuts, 1or 2 serves of fruit, protein bar, cheese, liverwurst, peanut paste, chia pudding, & used salad dressings. My dietician also suggested adding milk powder to my milk but I found it too sweet except in chia pudding. I eventually reached about 1300 calories. It can take a little time to sort this out in a way the best suits you. While you may lose more initially, you may also have a bounce back in your 2nd/3rd year as @catwoman7 said as you settle into a way of eating that complements how you want to live & enjoy your life. I eventually was able to eat about a recommended portion size of most foods (& I do eat slowly) & reduced my snacks to three a day. I am careful about what I eat 90% of the time. At my lowest I was 48.2kg but settled at 49kg for a good year. I put on 2 kgs a few months ago after I went on a higher dose HRT med & I had to add more protein to my diet due to an absorption issue (from my gall removal last year not my sleeve). I made some small changes to my diet but I still eat more calories as a result of the extra protein so the weight gain is understandable. All the best.

Like @Recidivist, I didn’t ever return to exercising. I walked erratically before surgery & started back again slowly after surgery. But stoped after a couple of months due to low energy & low BP. Didn’t stop me from losing all my weight & more. I still don’t exercise as such but understand some people enjoy it &/or want to establish healthy behaviours. Best to chat with your surgeon. They will likely have their recommendations around how much you should exert yourself, how much you can lift & when you can progress & do more. Most tend to advise walking only for the first couple of weeks but there are always variations on this.

After three years, still no regrets. Sure it can be a bit of a struggle at first. Recovery, the staged return to eating, a fussy tummy, reassessing & changing how & what you eat, etc. aren’t easy. That lasts a couple of months or so which is nothing when you consider all the benefits & the rest of your life. To me, it was all very worth it.

Our bodies react differently to the surgery & we recover in our own time. Take it easy. If your body is telling you no, not yet, listen. Try some electrolyte drinks for a boost of energy. I’d mix up 500mls of diluted hydralyte every day for the first couple of months to help with the low energy. You really need to be trying to get to your fluid goal each day. It would be adding to your weakness & you don’t want to risk dehydration. Remember all fluids count to your goal including your protein shakes, broths, etc. I understand yiu wanting to bathe. Could you get hold of a shower chair to use until you feel stronger?

Try iceberg lettuce first as it has a softer leaf (avoid the darker outer leaves at first). I found others were too coarse for a while. Lettuce has a very high water content which makes it easier to eat too. Chop it into small bite sizes pieces. Just a thought, I wonder if some of the initial nausea after the first bite of a new food is more to you worrying & being tense about whether your tummy will like it?? We all have things we worry about in the first months of this process & the stress may be causing your tummy to react. Then, when you realise it’s ok the nausea goes. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Oh my gracious no beef or pork for a year??? I would have been struggling. I eat them a lot. I wonder what the reason is?? What about trying some plant based protein options. Besides beans what about vegetarian meat substitutes? This may be a good opportunity to broaden your food preferences as your taste buds can be a bit off. Things you didn’t like before may be more palatable & you may find you enjoy them more now. Worth a shot.

What a great video. Thank you for sharing it @acopas. Watching it reminded me to ask if you take body measurements @SleeveDiva2022? Some people notice their physical measurements decrease while in a stall even though the scale doesn’t change.

Look at your tomato babies @Starwarsandcupcakes. Can’t wait to see them all rosy red. Lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the Brisbane River today with some girlfriends. Edamame with nori & under the crispy crust were 8 pork gyoza. I ate 5 but the last one was groan. (Too many edamame I fear.) The crust is formed by pan frying the gyoza in the teriyaki style sauce. Very yummy. The left over edamame I took home. Afternoon snack??

Jealous of the holiday snaps @kristieshannon & @ms.sss. Had lunch with my girlfriends today. Sunny but cold day. I was sitting under the outdoor heater & it was so hit like constant hot flushes. ☹️ Wore the colourful skirt & cardigan I bought a few weeks back & dug out some boots from 15 odd years ago. Pretty good colour match but I don’t know how I wore heels this high all the time then.

I’m sorry you read my post in a way that offended you @Sunshine Princess . That wasn’t my intention at all. It was simply sharing an interesting fact I’d recently stumbled across & that it’s an interesting example of the power of advertising. And, regardless of the fact 10 000 steps started as a marketing plan, I think it’s a good motivator. Again, as I said in my post, congratulations on your achievement.

Aah, carbs. You’ll get a lot of contradictory info on them. Some plans are pro carbs, others anti carbs & some advise a balance. Mine was low carbs & lower starch. I was allowed rolled oats (a low processed whole grain) & incidental carbs from foods like vegetables & fruit while losing. In maintenance I could add additional whole or multi grains (I added multi grain crackers). I still don’t eat rice, pasta or bread (or potatoes) mainly because they sit heavily in my tummy. All good because I’ve discovered I’m better on lower carbs & low starch. Good advice is always eat your protein first, then vegetables then carbs & fruit. Though a fruit, plantains are higher in carbs than other fruits & are starchy. Having some as an occasional treat is likely ok but regularly not so much while still losing. Worth considering your carb/starch intake but as I suggested in your other post, have a chat with your dietician. They should know best for you & your needs.

Yep, the closer you are to your goal the slower your rate of loss & yes, it can get so slow you think you’re not losing at all. You’re eating more, which you should be, and eating nearer the calories your body needs to function. Generally the first year is the honeymoon time when most weight if not all your weight is lost. Unfortunately, not everyone reaches their goal. It depends upon many factors including where your set point has reset to after your surgery. This is the weight your body is happiest at. If it is a long stall, sometimes a small tweak to your diet or activity can help. Do you still have appointments with your dietician? They may be able to make suggestions on what you could adjust & they’ll be best able to advise on an appropriate caloric goal for you. But consuming 950-1250 should still result in weight loss. I’m one of those unusual people who kept losing weight well into their 2nd year. I reached goal at 6 months & continued to lose, albeit extremely slowly, for another 11 months. I struggled to get to the 1300 or so calories I found I needed to stop me losing. BUT I’m not very active, am short & more finely built & in the downward slide end of 50. I eat a few more calories now. Many eat a lot more than I do to maintain at their weight. PS - Are you able to update your profile information on the left side? It can be very helpful if others can see that information about you.

As @catwoman7 said dumping is very uncommon in sleeve patients. If you avoid sugary, greasy/fatty, or rich foods you’ll reduce your chance even further. But on your diet you wouldn't be eating these types of foods anyway so you have even less chance of experiencing dumping. Yes, your tummy can be sensitive & fussy for a little while after surgery and certain foods can upset you but it’s pretty minor & passes quickly & nothing extreme like dumping (nausea, cold sweats, rapid heart rate, diarrhoea &/or vomiting, very tired, hours to recover). Often it’s just it tastes awful. Start with plainer, simpler foods & don’t be surprised if you can eat something today but tomorrow you can’t. It is temporary. You may experience the foamies at some point which usually occurs from eating too much or too quickly or eating foods that are too coarse/dry. You’ll feel like something is stuck. Produce a thicker saliva & may regurgitate what was too much for you. I also cough. No cold sweats, no heart palpitations, no nausea, no diarrhoea, no vomiting. Foamies pass very quickly too. The longer you take to start incorporating a variety of foods into your diet the harder it will become. Plus you may be missing out on essential nutrients.

Could be something you’re eating too like the lactose in your shakes/protein powder. (If you’re not digesting lactose well post surgery - not uncommon.) But definitely contact your medical team.

Haven’t heard of anyone developing a seafood or shell fish allergy post surgery but developing an allergy or intolerance is not uncommon. Lactose, certain artificial sweeteners, eggs, etc. tend to be the usual culprits. It may also be temporary too as many are. Wonder if it’s linked to a changed in your general gut health??

Yeah, shakes & protein powders are the worst. I’m presuming you’ve started soft foods given your diet. Minced meats are a good option cause they cook up soft & are easy to eat (well I found them very easy). 4ozs beef, pork, chicken, etc. mince will provide about 25-30g of protein. Throw in your favourite herbs & spices, sauces or gravies to keep it moist. You can also add some vegetables (cook it all up slowly so they’re very soft) but this will lower the protein content so be careful. Soft flaked fish will also provide about 25g. Find a good high protein yoghurt too.

It seems it may be related to an excess of all vitamins not just B12 . A lot of foods are fortified with vitamins to supposedly improve people’s health. Everyone eats more, but generally eats poorly then they take vitamins to make them ‘healthier’. I’d question whether the weight gain is from too many vitamins or too much poor food or both. Apparently though, having a B12 deficiency may lead to weight gain. As I said in my earlier post, if your bloods show you are lacking in a specific vitamin or mineral, a supplement is a solution (as is modifying your diet to include good natural sources of the lacking vitamin/s). But if you have ample, you don’t need it. Two articles I found you may want to read: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-deficiency-and-weight-gain#deficiency https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932423/

These are the worst garlic prawns ever. Bleack!!! (Not your prawns @kris77, they look delicious.) I usually buy cooked prawns & make a salad but due to poor supplies I have bought garlic raw prawns a couple of time. This week my only choice was this grocery store brand prawns. They were dry, tough & tasteless except for a synthetic chemical taste which I think was from the anti clumping agent they used. They also weigh 30g less than the name brand ones I had bought. You’re so lucky not to have these in your supermarkets. I’m going back to making my own garlic ones from raw prawns or just buying plain cooked ones. I’d bought two packs so these are going in the bin with the ones I prepped yesterday.

Did you know 10 000 was a marketing ploy? Yep the power of advertising. I was fascinated when I read a Japanese company developed a step counter around the time of the Tokyo Olympics in the 60s. The name of the step counter literally meant 10 000 steps & a marketing campaign was born. Scientific evidence has shown that 7000 steps provides as much benefit as 10 000. Regardless, I guess it’s still a good motivator. Congrats on hitting your target. https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/where-did-10000-steps-come-from

If your high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high sugar levels were caused by your weight gain & food choices (the higher your weight the higher the levels rose) then yes, if you lose weight after the surgery, change your eating habits & maintain the loss & changes, the symptoms should not return to their previous high levels or will at least maintain at a lower, healthier point. If these issues have a genetic predisposition (occur in your family & are not weight related), they will always be something you have to watch. E.g. type 1 diabetes is genetic which you can manage but can’t change but type 2 is caused by lifestyle choices like obesity which you can do something about. After my surgery my cholesterol went from borderline high to the low end of the healthy range. My blood pressure was normal before surgery & now it’s low all the time. (Didn’t have sugar issues before but I know I have further reduced my risk for diabetes greatly. But talk to your surgeon & doctor for the best information especially as your medication contributed to your weight gain.