Arabesque

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.

Yes the vitamins can cause nausea. The worst are vitamin C, E & iron are the wurst but others do too. You may find it helpful to see if you’re doubling up on any - like getting iron in your multi vitamin & also taking an iron tablet. Have you tried patches? But you may not have to take them forever. Sleevers don’t have the absorption issues that others do. I took my last one at 8 months, 2 months into maintenance. With my surgeon’s approval because my blood work & all subsequent tests show I don’t need too. I absorb all I need from what I eat. (Except for protein courtesy of my gall removal not my sleeve.) Was very happy to say goodbye nausea. Of course you may need to continue to take supplements if you are lacking in specific vitamins or minerals.

You’ll have to play it by ear because we all recover differently. I went to a joint 60th birthday party just short of three weeks post surgery. I took a protein shake - people thought it was water. Only problem was the party was in their small backyard,100+ guests & no room for seating except their garden bench seat. It was used continuously by their daughter’s boyfriend’s sister who’d had a baby 2 months earlier & a revolving group of her family members. (A friend asked if I could sit down & they refused because she’d had a Caesarian. She may have but the others hadn’t. Yes I was peeved … & still am three years later.) I had to leave after 2 or so hours. I couldn’t stand up any longer.

Welcome. i’m very glad I had the surgery. I generally eat what I want & it doesn’t restrict me dining out or socialising with friends. There are foods I choose not to eat (sweet things, highly processed foods, etc.) because I want to maintain my weight loss. I know I will always monitor & watch what I eat & how much. Bad eating habits, poor food choices, cravings, etc. will always be there. The surgery doesn’t remove or stop them. It just gives you time to recognise what they are & why you’re experiencing them & find ways to manage them. There are some foods that sit heavily in my tummy & make me feel full sooner like bread, pasta, rice & potato though some eat them without issue. It’s just who we are as individuals. There can be other odd things you may not tolerate temporarily after surgery or less common long term but there are plenty of alternatives for food allergies & intolerances about these days. Personally, I’ve not vomited as such but have regurgitated a couple of times when I ate something too dry or coarse. It passes quickly & I don’t feel sick or have discomfort like after vomiting. I did have nausea from my vitamins & on odd days for no obvious reason except having a sensitive & fussy tummy after surgery & when losing. Don’t have it all now now. The reality is you will be eating a much more nutritious & balanced diet so your health will improve greatly. A gastric sleeve will (Mayo Clinic) reduce your risk of potentially life-threatening weight-related health problems, including: Heart disease High blood pressure High cholesterol Obstructive sleep apnea Type 2 diabetes Stroke Cancer Infertility Sure I have reflux, but I had it before surgery (managed it well with dietary choices). It’s not worse just different now. Had no comorbidities before surgery but they likely were just waiting to start. A lot of my big weight gain in the last few years was tied to being peri menopausal & then menopausal. I’d struggle lose 2 pounds & gain it straight back hard to fight your hormones & your body. You’ll probably find a lot of negative stories here but that’s because they’re likely looking for advice, support, etc. If things are going well, you tend not to post just reply. Having a support system is important whether family &/or friends. As is having a supportive surgeon, GP, dietician & therapist, if you have one. My surgeon, his associates & my GP are great. Still see my surgeon’s associate every three months for follow ups & blood tests. And my GP reviews everything with me whenever I see her. If anything looks unusual, they monitor & investigate further. That would be my only point to consider with seeking out of state or country surgery - the follow ups.

I wasn’t given a calorie goal either just portion sizes. Many aren’t given calorie goals & those who do get a variety of calorie goals. I know I wasn’t consuming many (around 400+/-) cause I did random checks out of curiosity. Got my protein in & a little vegetable at night & I was done. No room for anything else so I would never have met those high calorie goals some are given. Sometimes we need little more structure & guidance so I would check with your dietician to see what they recommend. Then treat it as a guide not a hard & fast rule. The protein & fluid goals are the most important.

You just got to wait it out. After my sleeve I had no gas pain but after my surgeon removed my gall a year later OMG I had a lot. It took a good week to pass. Walk. Warm beverages like herbal tea (peppermint) can help. Try leg lifts & deep slow breathing to pump the gas upwards because surgical gas rises in your body (hence the upper body & shoulder pain). Heat packs can help too. Burping & farting don’t really help because the gas was in your abdominal cavity not inside your tummy or intestines where the farting/burping gas forms. Hope it eases soon.

Mine still does almost three years out. Like on & off all day long. When I eat. After I eat. When I drink. It will rumble & moan at night when I rest my iPad on my abdomen. Sometimes it rumbles more after dairy (with or without lactose). I have even had to apologise for the noise. My young nieces & nephews think it’s hilarious too. After surgery it’s likely from the acid in your empty stomach. After it’s just your digestive system working properly. Rarely is related to hunger as most people presume.

Congrats on your surgery. Whoo hoo!! The upper body pain is likely gas pain. It rises in your body as it escapes. Tends to make one shoulder hurt more than the other. Walk, when not napping 😉, to help it escape. Love those nana naps. Which I had an excuse to still have one every day. 😁

I agree. Contact your surgeon. This isn’t right. Have you spoken to them about this before? The only slight nausea I had was from my multivitamins most mornings. Is yours after every meal or does it just persist all day? Gluten & lactose intolerances can cause nausea too. And it is not uncommon for these intolerances to develop after surgery. Sometimes temporarily sometimes long term. Might be worth swapping out your dairy for lactose free versions & for some gluten free options for any wheat products you may be consuming. Hooe they can sort this out fur you soon

You can depend upon your rate of weight loss slowing as you get further out & closer to goal. Those heady days of huge losses don’t last. I was one single kilogram (2.2lbs) from my goal at month 5 & it took me an entire month to reach it. It was like a stall. So close so far. You are eating more, closer to what your body needs to maintain your weight so you are not eating in deficit which forces your body to burn fat for energy. If you decrease your caloric intake, you may lose more but at 6 months out focusing on a healthy diet & getting closer to your required nutrients & intake is more important. The other truth is not everyone reaches their goal which is just a number. And those who do, don’t do so to an arbitrary timeline. Many factors totally out of your control affect your rate of loss & the weight you end up at like age, gender, weight loss & gain history & the biggest one: genetics. Can’t change those. Losing 1-2lbs a week is a healthy rate of loss. Celebrate every pound you lose.

I love my vegetables but mushy over cooked vegetables are the worst. Don’t understand people who boil them for ages until they’re all grey & brown. They’re fine soft if slow cooked in soups, stews & casseroles & I ate them a lot this way in the first months from soft food. I generally microwave my vegetables (in a little water & butter, toss, strain & add salt & pepper) but you can steam or stir fry too to keep some crunch. Keep the pieces small. No sauces or gravies except maybe a little soy sauce as a seasoning. You may have to do some taste test trials to see which ones you enjoy best & workout optimum cooking times. I started with shredded cabbage & cauliflower - others did not taste good at first. Then green beans. But I could eat a variety in slow cooked dishes. I often threw vegetables in omelettes too (onion, capsicum, mushrooms, etc.). It took a little time to eat more than a single cauliflower floret or two green beans. You’ll get there.

I live alone & happily eat the same meal for 3 or 4 days. I don’t have to think about what I’m going to eat on those days. All I have to do is prep a few vegetables or a salad so I’m really only cooking twice a week. The freezer is my friend. I freeze all my leftovers in single serve portions. And I deliberately prep extra so I can freeze meals. If I don’t feel like cooking or eating what’s in the fridge, I have a huge choice of meals I just need to microwave ready in my freezer & add a side. Four minutes & dinner is ready. Quicker than a takeaway. Made chicken & barley soup Monday night. I’ll eat it for a few days & I froze three serves for future meals. No waste & more economical too. I do enjoy cooking though. And I prefer it because I have control over the ingredients & how they’re cooked?

That blue & orange is a striking print & colour combination. I admire your confidence to wear colour. I’m always drawn to black first. Buying colour is a big decision for me (navy, red & white are my exceptions) & pattern can be harder. How great is that @kristieshannon. Wear it proudly, even if it is a bit big (& how amazing is that!) … & being green it’s super fashionable at the moment. Don’t have anything specific in mind to with the boots yet. With the heel height it may depend on how much standing & walking I’ll be doing. 😆😆

I was the same with squid & octopus. Just thought they were just different names for the same thing in different countries. Like cilantro & coriander. Cos & romaine. 😂

You’re experiencing body dysmorphia. It’s weird because you can logically tell yourself your weight is okay & there is the evidence on the scale, the size of your clothes, etc. But then there is a emotional side which is very powerful that tells you that’s not you. You’re still fat, etc. That is the struggle. It takes time to see how you are now. I’d walk past widows & mirrors & wonder who the slim person was. I’d even look about because the woman was wearing the same clothes as me. I remember staring at a pair of skinny jeans I’d bought because I couldn’t believe I could fit into something so small. You may think I’m crazy but I started to check the weight of actors who were a similar height to me so I would get a better understanding of my physical size. I found it helped. A friend is having surgery soon to remove her excess skin (she has a lot) & has been causing a lot of body dysmorphia issues. She has been seeing a therapist to help how she sees herself but she feels while she can physically grab hold of her loose skin she won’t see the slim person underneath. I didn’t do plastics. Many do. I don’t have a lot of loose skin. It doesn’t restrict me in my movements, cause me discomfort or limit how I dress. It’s a reminder if where I was & where I am now. It’s a personal decision whether you do have surgery or don’t.

Lower blood pressure & pulse rate is a great side effect of your weight loss. Some do find the experience quite significant drops for a while & have issues on getting up with vision narrowing, doughy head & at worst fainting - postural hypotension. My BP was always 120/80 but I had a tendency for drops at times especially when I was at a lower weight. Now my blood pressure is low all the time (60/50 - 80/60). It will hit 100 if I’m rushing about. I experience narrow vision & a doughy head on & off all day long depending upon what I’m doing. My resting pulse sits in the 60s. Last hospital stay they asked if I was an athlete which was hilarious because I avoid exercise. But that’s me & a tendency to low blood pressure is common on my mother’s side so genetic. I think being overweight actually pushed my BP up to a healthy 120/80.

You won’t feel the restriction until you start solid foods. Liquids & purées to a point go through you too quickly. My restriction is still there & I’m almost 3 years. It kicks in if I eat too much, too fast, if what I eat is too dry or too coarse or if I drink too much at a time. But because I’m aware of those things it doesn’t happen very often now. Maybe people say they think it’s gone because they are consciously or subconsciously eating in a way that avoids it occurring. The goal really is not to feel the restriction especially if it’s tied to you eating too much or too quickly. Better to stop eating when you’ve had enough. Not until you are full and not until you feel the restriction. If it kicks in because what you’ve eaten is too dry or coarse or similar think of that as a warning & a protection. And you really don’t want to feel it. It’s very uncomfortable. The tightness can be quite painful because it feels like something is stuck. I often find myself thumping my chest trying to dislodge the blockage.

I was a not hungry or interested in eating person too. I’m glad it lasted for quite some time. But I knew I had to eat & did find eating to a routine helped me meet my goals. Don’t worry too much if you can’t meet your caloric goals yet. Focus on getting all your protein in first, then vegetables & then carbs & starch last if you can. Make sure you let your dietician know you’re struggling with the quantity of food at the moment. You can only eat what you can physically eat. The change to your taste buds & maybe sense of smell is temporary so things that taste disgusting now will be okay again in a few weeks. Also your tummy can be a bit sensitive & their may be foods that just don’t sit comfortably or heavily. Usually this passes too but there may be things that you will always have to avoid. I still can’t eat bread, rice, pasta (even vegetable low carb ones) & potatoes. Try some plant based proteins until you want to try meat again.

It does happen to some. Sometimes temporarily as their tummy is just still a bit sensitive. Some embrace the opportunity to explore & incorporate plant based proteins. You don’t have to give up on animal proteins just take a break & see how you go. You just might need a couple more weeks. Our tummies can be fussy at first. And there may be things long term that don’t sit as well as others. Chicken, especially breast, is one that often doesn’t. Bread, pasta, rice & potatoes still tend to sit like a lump. Tried a little mashed potato on a shepherd’s pie a couple of weeks back & groan.