Arabesque

@MandoGetsSleeved you’ve done so well. Congratulations. I understand the power of the number on the scale. It can make your day or tear you down. I’m battling it now - only over a good kilo or so that won’t budge but I don’t want that number on the scale to be what it is. It’s incredible how demoralising even a single kg can be. I’m very fearful it may be the herald of more gain. (Damn 3rd year regain.) I wonder if where you are now is the weight your body is happy at even though your mind is not. Remember unfortunately not everyone gets to their goal though you’re so close which can make it more challenging to accept. Are you satisfied with your food intake & activity levels at the moment? Does it limit or restrict you doing things you enjoy like socialising, etc? To lose more & then maintain at a lower weight will mean you will need to eat less & exercise more than you do now at your current weight. But saying all that if you want to lose more go for it. Have a chat with your dietician to see if there’s anything else you can do - sometimes a small tweak can make a huge difference. Do check your body measurements too to allow for muscle gain or fat redistribution (it happens). All the best.

Too kind @Sophie7713 but I am surviving. As I said it seems to be the specific extras I use to boost my protein intake I’m struggling to find. Hunted & gathered at a different store this morning & found the water I prefer (am not crazy some water tastes hideous & our local water supply is very ‘dirty’ tasting at the moment because of heavy rains) & a couple of tubs of the 20g protein yoghurt I like. Forgot to look for my protein bars but I’m rationing the ones I have. Ok with toilet paper as being a single person it takes a while to go through a pack. 😉 Not like my brother’s family - with 5 females in the house they go through a roll a day 😱. At least, I’m pretty good with throwing a few things in a pot and coming up with a yummy soup or stew or stir fry dish like your chilli. Having a few good stores in your pantry & freezer are the way to go to boost flavour & ingredients. I hear you about the couple of pounds gain. I’m still haven’t really knocked off my Christmas kilo either. I thought I had but no. Sigh!

You’re not the only one. Not saying it’s right or wrong but whether you do it again is up to you. This is just the beginning of big changes to how & what you eat. Take it one day at a time. The first week is usually the hardest because your breaking habits & addictions. All the best.

Watch your diet. Certain foods will encourage flare ups. There is a prescription medication to manage gout. Can’t recall it’s name. When you first take it the side effects aren’t pleasant as it flushes the excess uric acid out of your body but once that occurs & you keep taking the meds you don’t experience that again. It could be occurring because the uric acid stored in your fat is being released into your body as you’re losing weight.

Congratulations! Definitely see your doctor & then your surgeon. Start adding folic acid to your vitamin regime now - get supplements from your pharmacy. Also, talk to your dietician about what you can add to your post surgical diet to ensure you’re getting in a variety of nutrients. You may be surprised how few extra calories you’ll need - you’re not eating for two adults but for yourself & a tiny growing baby.

I’m with @Sleeve me alone!. Stick to fresh ingredients & prep your own meals. Add your favourite herbs & spices as you’re able. You’ll find to begin you’ll tolerate a more simple diet more easily & meals may just be protein. Can you order protein shakes online because they will be the focus of your post surgical diet for the first couple of weeks. Do products you can buy list the ingredients? They tend to list ingredients in order of amount used so if sugar is high on the list avoid it. Many manufactures list nutritional content of their products online too so you could try that. I’m a big make it myself person but I rarely follow recipes. Once you have a few basic recipes you can vary ingredients & boost them up however you want. You can make soup & stew like dishes without a recipe from almost whatever meat, vegetables, legumes you have in your fridge, freezer or pantry. I keep tins of beans, lentils & tomatoes, stock & gravy powders in my pantry - you don’t have to worry too much about their sugar, salt, fat & carb content - & they can be easily used in a variety of dishes. I’m making a no recipe soup this weekend: chicken thighs in the freezer, lentils in the pantry & will add, celery, onion, carrot, chicken stock, some herbs, garlic, ginger. Done & yum! All the best.

I picked a weight that had always been my lowest weight the many, many times I’d lost weight in the past. It put me at a BMI of 23. My surgeon thought it was an achievable goal & it was. I reached it by 6 months & then continued to lose as I tried to sort out my maintenance. Whatever weight you reach has to be one you can maintain without having to establish unsustainable limitations to your diet & how you want to live your life: happy & healthy. All the best.

Could be just your crazy hormones at the moment but am glad you are seeing your gyno tomorrow just to be sure. Hope you’ve fully recovered from Covid too.

That’s such a thoughtful offer but I, like everyone else here will survive. 🙂 I did consider dried beans too but decided it wasn’t worth the effort of rehydrating & cooking them for what is essentially the 1/3 cup I throw in my salad every couple of days. And I actually found oats yesterday on a foraging expedition to another supermarket - whoo hoo.

I agree with what @ShoppGirl said. Many use not just your weight before the pre surgical diet but your weight when you begin the whole approval process. Have you been approved? You said you’re committed to surgery in April. Have you begun your approval process? Your weight at surgery may not be a consideration at all but ask your surgeon or team to be sure. The surgery is a tool & like any tool if you don’t use it & take advantage of what it can offer, it won’t work. Many of the benefits post surgery (like loss of appetite & hunger) are only temporary. The surgery is not a guarantee of permanent weight loss. That is up to you. Your physiology & psychology will influence how successful you are. As @ShoppGirl said if you don’t make permanent changes to how, why & what you eat you will regain your weight. It’s a simple truth. But one you need to be fully aware of when making your decision to have surgery. It may be helpful if you see a therapist who specialises in bariatric patients & eating disorders. Your surgeon, doctor or medical team should be able to recommend someone. Many, many people here have sought support from a therapist before & after surgery. It’s not easy to reflect on your eating habits & drives (cravings, emotions, etc.) alone & a therapist will help you work through them & the questions & concerns you have. All the best.

Get in contact with your surgeon or doctor asap. You should not be experiencing pain at any time. (And yes, my thought was gall too.)

I didn’t really feel hungry or interested in food for ages, well into my second year. Then I had odd days or times I didn’t feel hungry. Now I feel hungry every day - how I wish for the old days. Life was much easier then. Even though I wasn’t hungry, I still made sure I ate & found eating to a routine extremely helpful. I also made sure I was eating a variety of foods to ensure I was getting in all my nutrients. Yes my tummy could be very fussy, but I worked out the meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, dairy & fruit it liked & slowly added more options. This also established how I tend to look at food now - as a source of the nutrients my body needs to function. Have a chat with your dietician & start trying to eat real food. Don’t try something once & give up on it because your tummy revolts. Try it again next week. Try simple, more bland food to begin then add the spices, etc. you enjoy as you’re able. Good luck.

That’s fantastic @Splenda. Excellent advice that will resonate with many of us. It’s like how we suggest to wait 30 mins when a craving hits - a short horizon. Thank you for sharing.

USSR love it. Her head would have exploded I’m sure. I am fortunate that I have a very good, but very expensive, butcher who still has meat so I have meat for dinner but I tend to get the chicken, salmon & prawns I eat at lunch from the supermarket as they’re a lot cheaper. But the meat sections in the supermarkets are very bare. Honestly I am a bit fussy. but there are certain things my tummy just doesn’t enjoy plus I can’t do the spice thing at all. The available stock is so erratic. Like this week they had prawns (yay) but were marinated in chilli (boo). I’ve spent time over the last 2+years finding the best food options - best protein, best general nutrition with least or no sugar/artificial sweeteners, low carbs & low calorie. Last week I went to three different stores to try to find what I needed. All I found was three tubs of yoghurt, a couple of protein bars & … processed frozen crumbed ‘chicken’ schnitzels - the horror! Because I don’t absorb protein well anymore, being unable to buy my trusted protein sources is a a worry. Oh God, I may have to go back to shakes - shudder.

Not a food before & after more of a no food issue. The shelves are bare at the supermarket again this week & I’m really struggling to find the products I buy regularly that form a big part of my eating regime. Been having to make some poor food choices: processed foods & not the raw ingredients I prefer to buy. Calories are increasing & I’m struggling to meet my protein goal. It’s not a hoarding issue as such here in Australia at the moment, it’s a supply chain problem. No workers, no transport drivers, no logistics handlers, etc. (Damn all those young people who had to go out en masse to celebrate Christmas & New Year, got sick then infected their families, friends & co workers.) So even if a company has some staff & can produce produce a reduced volume of goods, they’re struggling to get it transported to the grocery store distribution centres & then to the actually stores. Last week & again this week I couldn’t buy rolled oats, lactose free milk, high protein yoghurt, chicken tenders, prawns, protein bars, tinned mixed beans, water, etc. plus not as urgently washing powder & toilet paper. Of course there seemed to be pallets of coke & chips. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I even went to a couple of different stores to see what I could find. It had been occurring for a couple of months on random items but the last fortnight has been terrible. They’re saying this could continue for another month. I said to the checkout girl that this must be what it was like in Russia back in the 70s & 80s when they had to line up for bread & other essentials. She looked at me blankly but she was barely 18. 😉

Give your surgeon’s office a call. Could be a reaction to something you’re eating/drinking, a med, surgical adhesive, etc. Your body is under quite a bit of stress so the hives could be an overreaction to something you’ve never had an issue with before too. Better to check everything & be sure though.

It’s really up to you & what you’re able to cope with. Some say they can go back to drinking several mouthfuls at a time others not. I’m a not - two decent swallows & that’s still it for me but I can take another drink a couple of minutes later. Plus I don’t need to wait 30mins before & after eating - 10 is usually enough. I’d still go slowly to begin while your tummy is still healing - don’t want to strain all those staples & sutures holding it together. Once you’re on solid food, try slowly increasing your intake. Take your time & listen to your body. Actually that’s the best advcice for eating too. Congrats on your surgery.

Hey @Smanky. Try Bassike, Muse Linen, Jac & Jack, & Kowtow (a NZ label) all are strongly focussed on ethical & sustainability clothing. Bassike just won an award for their practices. Bassike & Jac & Jack are more expensive but they have a sale on at the moment. Bassike goes up to XXL & Jac & Jack to XL. Kowtow isn’t as expensive as they are & Muse is cheaper again (in that $100-$200 range usually but if you’re looking for that odd better outfit …). Both go up to XL.

Aah, this sounds very familiar. We’ve all been where you are & gone through much the same experiences & feelings. Stalls are frustrating but they happen. Think of them as your body taking a break to catch up with all the changes. They come & they go too. Stick to your plan, avoid the scales for a few days & you’ll be fine. Are you taking small bites (a teaspoon)? Are you eating slowly? Is your food moist? Eating small bites slowly ensures you’re not putting too much pressure on your much smaller tummy & helps to ensure you don’t eat until you are full. Try to eat until you’ve had enough & what you need. Do you need that next bite or just want it? When you say nothing tastes good or satisfies do you you mean the food you’re eating does not offer the same comfort it did before? Coming to terms with how you see food & how you used food can be very challenging. Food should be enjoyable & tasty but shouldn’t offer an emotional support. Plus you’re making big changes to your diet. By following your eating plan you are eating very differently & likely avoiding a lot of the food you used to eat. This also can be upsetting & some experience food grief. In time you may be able to re introduce some of your old favourites occasionally or in much smaller portions. Also, your tummy can be more sensitive & fussy for a while & you’ll have times where you can’t tolerate something you ate easily yesterday. I used to say my tummy was like a tantrum throwing 2yr old. If your tummy doesn’t like something, give it a break for a week & then try again. Many of us experience a change to our taste buds &/or sense of smell post surgery too & food we used to enjoy becomes disgusting. It does pass. The first couple of months can be a struggle. So many changes. Everything is different. But it will all get better & much easier to manage. Don’t be afraid to seek the assistance of a therapist to help you. All the best.

I never had to chew a specific number of times. I’ve never understood that requirement even during the first couple of months when eating purées & soft foods unless you are a speed eater & gulper of food. Cut your food into small pieces, keep it tender & moist, eat slowly & take small bites you should be fine. But Lisa, aren’t you quite a time out now? This should be even less of a consideration for you.

I did slow cooked casseroles & mince dishes. Savoury mince, rissoles (meat balls) bolognese, etc. served with a decent amount of sauce/gravy so delicious. Scrambled eggs were great as was soft fleshed flaky fish (poached). And yes, I’m with you @Spinoza chicken thigh meat is way tastier, more moist & tender than breast meat which is often too dry.

I’m going to talk to my surgeon about it because I drink all night long (1 or 2 swallows about 5x a night). They did say not to eat ‘hard’ protein about two hours before going to bed but soft protein like yoghurt is fine & that was in response to questions I had about the little bit of throat burning I sometimes have for a short time at night.

I have breakfast much later now - around 9am. Not hungry before then. Before surgery, I could never eat a bowl of rolled oats for breakfast- too heavy & I often then felt hungry for the rest of the day. Now I love my porridge & it keeps me happy for 3 hours. I remember one of the anti breakfast stories said skipping breakfast would help with weight loss or maintaining your weight. I remember because I spent many years not eating breakfast & it never helped me maintain or lose weight at all. I gained every year doing that. Mmmm??? I wonder if the anti breakfast position is really just against those big heavy full breakfast fry ups, waffles or pancakes stacks drizzled with sugar laden maple syrup, cream, whipped butter, etc. style breakfasts??? But as I say all the time, you just have to discover what works for you whether that is eating breakfast or not. All because I do & it works for me doesn’t mean it will work for you.

There are a couple of things you can pretty much depend upon after weight loss surgery. One: the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning. Two: the heady exciting weight loss rate you have at the beginning doesn’t continue. Three: the closer you are to your goal weight the more slowly you’ll lose. Welcome to experiencing the frustration of number three. The scale that hardly moves. Your goal weight is just there in touching distance. The days & weeks slowly pass with little to show…. But don’t worry, you will get there. Your weight loss is slowing because you’re eating more & are getting to the point where you are consuming the number of calories your body needs to function. Congrats on your weight loss so far. Whoo hoo!

I’ve never heard that drinking water at night causes reflux & I’ve had it for decades. Never advised that at any time either. We’re you told this by your doctor? I managed my reflux successfully by making dietary changes. Avoiding alcohol & carbonated drinks before going to bed I can understand but not water which actually supports digestion & flushing food & acids through your tummy. I wonder if drinking large amounts of water before bed so you’re bloated may not be the best but then most of us can’t do that anyway.