Arabesque

Had funny flashback this morning. Was wearing some slim leg, stretch pants with a wide elastic waist band. I vaguely remember they were called corset waist pants or something similar. OH MY GOD. Twenty minutes into wearing them & I thought I was going to explode. Remember that awful feeling of wearing pants that were too tight, cutting you in half, feeling like you were going to be sick?? I had that feeling this morning wearing these pants. Was out so couldn’t pull (peel) them off. Oh I so wanted too. Odd though, about another 20 minutes passed & they were fine. Maybe I stretched them while wearing them. Great knit sweater dress @GreenTealael. They are such a versatile piece. Perfect for yiur capsule wardrobe. And I love a ribbed anything: dress, top, sweater, barbecue. 😆😆

I’m the same with strawberries. Fresh strawberries are delicious but strawberry yoghurt, ice cream, cheesecake, milk shake, … disgusting.

Oh, ok. That makes sense. I think my GP will take over ordering tests for me too when my regular surgeon visits end or become less frequent. While I was losing she was ordering them as well as my surgeon so I was having blood taken about every 6weeks. Felt like a pin cushion but was pleased they both were being thorough.

Generally yes, a reduced carb diet is recommended while losing though they are many different plans with different guidelines around carbs. But @ShoppGirl is at her goal (congrats) so her diet is less restricted now & she’ll be reintroducing certain food groups or looking for alternatives. I tried some naan bread with hummus last year. I only managed one bite cause it was just sitting there. Was yummy though. I added multigrain/whole grain crackers to my diet from maintenance which was very handy if eating cheese & dips when socialising. I always keep hummus in my fridge for when friends drop around. For those not in maintenance try raw vegetable crudités, if or when you’re able, to scoop up your hummus.

Why don’t you need lab work done anymore? I’m three years (well will be on Friday) & I still have them done about every three months. I see my surgeon’s colleague In two weeks & I have a blood test scheduled for next week. Don’t know how long this will continue though or if it will become less frequent. Maybe it’s just different surgeons & programs around the world. Have to admit I am pleased I do have them frequently. It’s how we picked up my protein malabsorption issue after my gall removal last year & picked up a seasonal drop in my vitamin D levels in winter (level still ok just something to be aware of). PS - Many blood tests are covered by our public health system (Medicare) in Australia so I haven’t had to pay for any of mine.

Coffe beans have calories so hazelnut coffee will too regardless of how the beans were flavoured. Of course coffee, like tea, has a very small calorie content. It’s the milk, syrups, creamers, sugar etc. we add that amp up the calories. I hate when food/drink products don’t list all ingredients & all nutritional information. Food intolerances, allergies are so wide spread theses days & can be life threatening. Did find this article. Not about your specific hazelnut coffee but about flavoured coffee beans in general which may be of interest. https://www.eraofwe.com/coffee-lab/en/articles/does-flavored-coffee-have-carbs

Yep still gurgle when I drink. At almost three years out I can drink more than a sip but if I have more than two large mouthfuls in a row I whine & whirr. Wouldn’t say a pain but there can be slight discomfort. A third mouthful can make my restriction kick in. Try sipping warm drinks. A lot of us find them more soothing. Plus at the moment you have swelling from the actual surgery which causes discomfort/pain on sipping. It will pass - mine took about three days to noticeably improve. If the pain doesn’t reduce, give your surgeon a call. By the way, I actually gurgle & rumble on & off all day. Lots of us do. I say I have a poltergeist in my digestive system. It’s just your digestive system working.

Yes, it is. It’s one of the benefits of the surgery though not every experiences a lack or hunger &/or disinterest in eating/food. I didn’t feel hungry or interested in eating for months. My real hunger didn’t truely start to come back until into my second year. I found I had to eat to a schedule to ensure I ate & got in good nutrition & met my goals. Some days I couldn’t eat everything I was supposed to but other days it was a struggle but it seems to balance out. It did help change how I looked at food & eating though - eat to live not live to eat - which was a big win. PS - Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Great finds for your island holiday @ms.sss. ‘Sexy whistle!’ Can see you wearing them with a cocktail in your hand enjoying the sun & sea. Can’t believe you haven’t had a red dress before. You’d look so good in red. Must admit I sometimes struggle to find a true blue red. Was very excited to I find some red wide leg linen pants & matching fitted top in summer. PS - Your hair has got so long.

You’ll probably pee out your PMT water retention in a couple of days so it won’t have any real impact on your weight when you have your surgery. Plus, your medical team understand how our bodies work. All the best with your surgery.

I believe the average weight loss for bypass is 65% & sleeve is 60% of the weight you were to lose at the 3year mark. Which is a pretty negligible difference. Bypassers tend to lose more quickly at the beginning but that is no guarantee of how fast you will lose at first as we all lose at our own rate & everyone’s rate of loss slows as you get closer to your goal. You can have a bypass & still be a slow loser & vice versa. My surgeon went through each surgery, pros & cons, but recommended the sleeve based upon my weight loss & gain history, my basic diet & eating habits, & general health which is where I was leaning anyway. You’ll lose weight regardless of the surgery you chose if you work the program. I exceeded my goal with a sleeve but there are factors beyond your control, like genetics, which play a big part in where you’ll end up. Like you will lose more & faster simply because of your gender.

I wouldn’t worry yet. I didn’t meet my goals for a little while but my surgeon was happy I was making an effort & close to where I needed to be. It got easier on purées because I was eating g three times a day During the liquid stage I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating & was only managing two meals a day: a shake & some soup/broth. Was probably only meeting about 2/3 to 3/4 of my goals at first.

‘Blessed’ wth big feet 🤣🤣. Just the angle I think & the laser cutout work cause they fit well. Though I still have the odd pair I need to move on to a new life because they’re too big for me now. I’m a 37.5/38 which for a shortee like me is probably a little big. Average size feet less than average height. That is a cute set @fourmonthspreop & it looks even cuter on you. The only sad thing is that it will be too big on you soon.

We all lose at our own rate & unfortunately our rate of loss slows as we get closer to goal. I wouldn’t worry about the 3lb weight gain. Yes, it could be a fluctuation & it could be as you said, you’re not monitoring your food intake as often & have gone off plan. Getting back on your plan is your best way forward. I wouldn’t worry too much about your level of activity. I really didn’t & still don’t exercise. I lost all my weight & more. The truth is exercise accounts only for a 10-20% loss of the weight you have to lose. Got 50lbs to lose, exercising will account for only 5-10lbs. Of course there are physical, emotional & psychological benefits to exercise which will influence your decision but how much & how often you exercise is ultimately yours.

I diluted my shakes (made my own) because they were too thick & sipped them too. Didn’t care if it took me a couple of hours. I was getting in protein & fluids. Win! Did the same with the soups & broths I ate too - dilute & sip.

So sorry you experienced those complications with your surgery which hindered your recovery. You’re experiencing body dysmorphia. Your brain hasn’t caught up to the physical realities of your weight loss. It’s still picturing you as you were & can’t see you as you are now. A lot, if not all, of us experience this is some form. As an example, I remember seeing a slim woman’s reflection in a mirror in a store & turning around to look at her because she was wearing the same clothes as me. Time literally ticked by before I realised it was my reflection & I was the slim woman. Comparing old & new photos helps as does putting on something you used to wear & seeing how much too big they are. Take some body measurements as well & record them so you can track those changes too. There are some foods that just don’t sit well with us. Chicken is often a challenging one because it can be too dry. Steak can be too heavy. Pork can be too fatty. And often our taste buds &/or sense of smell changes. It’s usually temporary as is the fussy tummy/food intolerances but your recovery was protracted which may be why you’re still experiencing some of these issues. Give yourself time. Don’t give up on those foods or drinks yet. Just have a break & try them again in a couple of weeks & repeat as needed.

In the beginning you are eating very small portion sizes & can only sip so you have to drink every couple of minutes. I certain,y didn’t & wasn’t encouraged to eat every 30minutes but only three times a day . (You are advised not to drink 30mins before or after you eat. Maybe you confused the eat every 30mins???) And yes it sometimes can be a struggle to meet your fluid & protein goals every single day but you’ll work out ways around this. It all improves & gets easier. By around month 3 I ate three meals a day & one or two snacks one of which was a high protein yoghurt (15-22g protein) to ensure I got all my protein in. Some continue to have a protein shake which counts as fluid as well as protein. By the time you are in or close to maintenance your portion sizes will have increased to being about the recommended portion size for all food for an adult e.g. 3-4ozs of meat & you’ll be able to do more than just sip. Some say they can get back to drinking whole glasses in one go. Everyone should be drinking 2L/64ozs of fluids a day & everyone should be consuming about 1g of protein per kg of body weight (multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36). Doesn’t matter if they’ve had weight loss surgery or not so it’s not something special to us. By maintenance, If you eat three meals a day, with about 15-25g protein each, you’ll be getting about all the protein you’ll need +/-. Age, activity level, gender does affect the amount you will need of course. Of course while losing we’re given a specific protein goal to compensate the restricted diet. Check out this protein calculator for when your weight has stabilised: https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator Oh & I’m almost 57 & days out from my 3 year anniversary.

Will getting in & out if the bath be an issue? Remember any lifting restrictions you have. Mine was not to lift/carry anything heavier than 5kgs the first 2 weeks, then 10kg. I don’t know how you get out of the bath but I always pushed & heaved myself up & I weigh way more than 5kgs. 😂😂. Also soaking in warm water my cause the glue to break down more quickly. But I’d check with your team first too.

I guess it depends on what the family likes to eat & what your old favourites were that may tempt you. I only have to cook for myself but every couple of weeks or so I spend the weekend with my mother & do the cooking.(She’s 82 & doesn’t always cook or eat well for herself anymore.) In the first year, I remember her emotionally saying she didn’t know what I ate anymore & what she had to buy. The irony was I did the shopping & we ate the same things with maybe the odd slight difference. Like she’d have potatoes but I wouldn’t. She’d have dessert but I wouldn’t. Never had to cook separate meals right from soft foods. I’ve also had impromptu meals with friends & their family & my siblings & their children without issue except I have to say no if they’re making pasta (unless I can have the sauce separately). When you’re on soft or solid foods can you modify some family favourites - swap out cooking methods, swap some ingredients, reduce the fat content, etc. - to make healthier, more nutritious meals to benefit everyone & that complement your eating plan?

Okay a clothing pxt. Bought the outfit about 2 months ago & first wearing. The shirt which is a cotton organza has these drawstrings you pull up to create the flouncy frill effect. Will have to put the hem up on the pants too. We had a coldish snap overnight (winter is coming) hence the leather jacket (the one I bought last year after much searching) but I only bought my summer brogues to my mum’s which look a bit off but … So funny to be wearing coats & there’s @kristieshannon rocking a bikini & @GreenTealael brightening our day in colourful sunshiny dresses. Got out of the habit of doing special things except for casual catch-ups. We keep saying we have to plan a dinner out, etc. but never get round to it. Don’t think Mother’s Day/7yr old niece birthday morning tea tomorrow counts.

Everything does get easier. Just persist & give it time. Great bruises you’ve got there. 😉

Stalls are frustrating. Unfortunately you may experience a few as you’re losing & they may last 1-3 weeks (some do last longer - if yours does check with your dietician to see if you need to tweak your eating plan) but they are just part of the journey. There are lots of variation in the plans people follow. Some are given caloric goals while some aren’t (I wasn’t). Some are given portion size recommendations. Some aren’t. Some who are given caloric goals are encouraged to eat 1200 calories from solid foods. If you are worried, check with your dietician. Even on 1200 calories you will lose weight. As @lizonaplane said the goal is not to feel discomfort or your restriction. The goal is to recognise your real hunger & eat enough to satisfy that. At three years out, I still ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. Remember it takes time for your full signal to kick in. So when you do feel full you’ve likely eaten more than you need. Exercise accounts for 10-20% of your weight loss. Have 50lbs to lose, exercise will account for 5-10lbs. There are lots of physical, psychological & emotional benefits to undertaking regular exercise. But it’s your choice as to what & how much or often you do. I’m not an exerciser. Did very little while I was losing but I still lost all my weight plus more. I do some gentle stretches now & a few wall push-ups but I argue with myself every night about doing it. 😁

Yeah your brain can make things harder. And your changing taste buds &/or sense of smell can make it harder as anything can taste disgusting. I actually appreciated the liquid stage. I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating so the restricted diet meant I didn’t have to think about what to eat - shake or broth. Purées we’re a bit blah because I didn’t enjoy some of the things I pureed. Thank gracious for high protein yoghurt. But don’t be afraid to spice the purées up if your tummy tolerates it. Soft food stage I was eating meat balls, bolognese, chicken casserole, omelettes, fish, Spanish croquettes, etc. Lots of choice really. Then it was just what my tummy tolerated & my taste buds found yummy. I was eating steak, lamb, pork, chicken, seafood, pretty early out with solid food. The first stages are restricted for a reason - to support the healing of your tummy. Nothing wrong with having jello or popsicles as long as you are still getting in your protein which is essential for your recovery & progress. Couple more days you’ll be through the liquid stage.

I was given a pxt too. I laughed when he gave it to me. He also gave me a pxt of my gall mid surgery when he removed that too. Your weight loss the first week or two can be erratic. You can come out of hospital weighing more from the fluid they pump into you. You can one out weighing less because you’re eating so little & may have experienced diarrhoea. Some surgeons say don’t weigh yourself for a couple of weeks because some people can fluctuate a lot - fluid retention, fluid loss, constipation, diarrhoea, struggling to eat, etc. I came out almost 4lbs heavier after my gall surgery. A couple days later spent 24hrs peeing continuously & lost about 3lbs overnight.

The pain on swallowing is from swelling. It will improve. Took me a couple of days. I carried a sick bag when I was in hospital because I was producing so much saliva - my body trying to soothe my sore throat. Walking & a heating pad will help with the gas pain. Also try leg exercises (even matching sitting down) & deep slow breathing to push the gas up & out your body - surgical gas rises & escapes through your upper body hence the shoulder pain.