Arabesque

Simple reason is you’re losing your fat insulation & your body is not running as hot because you have less body to move about. The more you lose the worse it will get. Wait till you go grocery shopping in the middle of summer & you need an arctic parka in the cold aisles. Bbrrrr!! 🥶. It does improve a little - or maybe we get more used to it. I keep a jacket in my car year round.

Then have a chat with your dietician about how many more calories you’ll actually need to consume if you are pregnant. You may be surprised how little extra you’ll need & that will all be consumed by your growing baby. Just don’t fall into the ‘eating for two’ trap. The second is not a fully grown adult. You’re already eating healthier so another bonus to you and your baby. All the best.

Try some chia pudding too - bonus protein. I flavoured mine with vanilla which I love but there are lots of flavour options about - just watch the calories of some of them.

My hope is that you’re being knocked about at the moment with the cold, thrush & now tonsillitis not because of the surgery as such but because you’re run down & your immune system is struggling. You’ve had pretty major surgery & aren’t eating much so your body is stressed trying to recover & heal from the surgery & from the reduced caloric intake. It’s natural post surgery to feel run down, tired & have reduced energy. It’s just left you open to catching every bug going & taking longer to recover from them. Well, as I said, that’s what I hope. Watch the yoghurt with the oral thrush & cold. Dairy tends to produce more phlegm & yoghurt that contains sugar feeds the thrush (look for plain Greek yoghurt). The phlegm is probably adding to your nausea too as it settles on your tummy. Try some Biotene dry mouth products - mouth wash, mouth spray, etc . to help with the dry mouth. Can’t you tolerate chicken soup or broth? There’s a reason it was always offered to those who are sick. It’s full of essential nutrients, vitamins & minerals, hydrates, is warming (& low calorie). Feel better soon.

Me too. 😂😂😂 Started strong but then let some of my food choices slip (dessert), a glass of champagne most nights & a bit more snacking & there was almost a kg more than I like on my scales. Well I deserved that I thought. Time to get back on track. But a night of excessive peeing & like you a good poop & it was almost totally gone as well. Obviously, besides the calorie increase, the Christmas cheer stuffed up my natural voiding habits a bit. Glad the (socially distanced Covid safe) celebrating & socialising has finally stopped & I’m home & back to my routines.

See if you can get back in to your dietician & with their guidance develop an eating plan that is sustainable in the long term. It’s best to design a way of eating that works for you & not for someone else. You’re physiologically & psychologically different to everyone else. You may find you don’t follow a specific ‘diet’ but pick & choose across a few eating styles. Like low carb but not low fat or incorporate some vegan or vegetarian meals each week. In the meantime, & as a starting point, keep in mind the recommended daily amounts for the ‘average’ person who’s maintaining like 6 teaspoons or 25g added sugar per day for women. You will need to consume less if you still want to lose. Take into account your plan, lifestyle & personal needs. How many calories are you eating a day? It seems like it could be low if you’re still on shakes. It’s not sustainable to be still having shakes for breakfast & most lunches. You need to be eating real food, especially as you seem to be almost at your goal weight, to get the nutrients your body needs. I stopped taking multivitamins from maintenance because I got all I needed from the food I ate. I was so happy not to have to take them or buy them! I don’t buy a lot of prepared foods, sauces, condiments, etc. simply so I can control the ingredients & how they’re prepared/cooked. If I do, I study the nutrition panel & look for low processed foods, low sugar content, low fat content, multi & whole grains, no or low artificial sweeteners, Watch the ‘front of the jar’ labelling though. No added sugar usually means they’ve used artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives or they’ve upped the fat. I bought a 25% less fat ‘lite’ peanut paste. It actually had 50% more carbs, 20% more sugar & only 16 calories less per serve.

Go to your emergency centre. You shouldn’t be experiencing pain like that. Could be a gall stone? Could be something related to your surgery but go to a hospital.

I’m going to jump right in & focus on your inner child sugar & snack craving & ask if you saw or still see a therapist? If not it may be worth asking your medical team for a recommendation to a one who specialises in supporting bariatric patients, disordered eating, etc. The battle to overpower those cravings will only be won when you deal with that inner child. At the moment that child is winning. Are you eating because you are truely hungry (because your body needs the calories to function) or is it just your inner child wanting to be satisfied & comforted? Honestly, I didn’t specifically crave sugar or salt - I was an equal opportunity treat eater: sweet & savoury. 😉 I got them out of my house. If I don’t buy those foods & don’t have them in my house, I can’t eat them. I know it can be hard when it’s in the work place but try to avoid the break area. Go outside to eat if possible. I also try to prep most of what I eat myself so I can control the ingredients & how it’s cooked. While I was losing I ate pretty simply & a lot on repeat. It wasn’t boring. I actually found it less pressure because I didn’t have to think about what I was going to cook or eat. I had one snack a day: cheese, yoghurt (tub or drink), chunk of cucumber or fruit. Once you have those meals & food snacks in your app you can just select them each day. You don’t have to recreate them every time. So a little hard work to begin. Go back to only eating three times a day & no snacks or only one a day. It won’t be easy. Snacks add the calories which will slow your weight loss a lot. If the child screams at you, sip water, have a cup of herbal or green tea, eat a little chicken, ham, or other deli meat, have some yoghurt, or a little piece of cheese as your snack - note they are all protein dominant. Watch the fruit because of the high sugar content (though natural) so be selective - berries are best. Try to avoid traditional style snacks even if they’re high protein, low fat or low sugar versions - they keep the snack habit & craving alive. Try to avoid artificial sweeteners for the same reason - they continue to feed your sugar craving. You can explore them when you’re maintaining. You don’t have to jump in with both feet & go cold turkey. Even making one change to what & how you eat at a time helps. Drop something this week. In a week or two swap something else out. Little changes are easy to accept & are little wins. Just some suggestions. Feel free to ignore them all. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

As we progress we are all able to eat more & many find their appetite & hunger starts to come back at around 6-9 months. It’s when the next lot of hard work happens - when it’s up to you to control & manage your eating as you can’t rely on the diminishing benefits of the tool (your sleeve) anymore. At 6 months I’d reached goal & had lost 26kg (57lbs) post surgery so about the same as you. My surgeon was very happy with my rate of loss. I was eating almost 900 calories & almost a cup of food depending on what it was. I was slowly eating more but it did take another 10/11 months for me to be able to physically eat enough to stop losing. I eat about 1300 calories to maintain now & that includes 3 or 4 snacks. My serving size is a good cup or about the recommended serving size of most foods. To give you an idea I can eat 1.5 eggs, 3ozs steak, 2 lamb cutlets, a serve of rolled oats, 1/2 - 3/4 cup steamed vegetables, a tub of yoghurt. I take 30-60 mins to eat a meal. I should stress I’m not tall, have a small frame, am almost 57 & am not very active so hence my lower caloric intake. Congrats on your weight loss. You’re almost there. Whoo hoo!

Loose bowel motions are ok - all that liquid you’re consuming. You’re lucky you haven’t experienced the sudden, very unexpected, no warning signal watery diarrhoea. I got up to pee took a couple of steps then gush. Very unpleasant & embarrassing. Expect some constipation (may persist for months) but don’t worry until it gets to three or more days then take something. You aren’t consuming much that needs to be evacuated every day especially to begin with.

It depends on what your plan allows. Check with your surgeon or dietician. There are many variations of pre surgical plans but it’s always best to follow the one you’ve been given. It would be great if you are allowed.

LOL! I hear you @GradyCat. It takes 24 hours for my scales to recognise weight loss after breaking a couple of days of constipation. 🤷🏻‍♀️ As @vikingbeast said, bathroom scales are not precision instruments. The Dept of Weights & Measures don’t regularly check them. Stand on them differently, weigh on different surfaces, humidity, changes in temperature, etc. plus our own digestive & voiding cycles & variances, etc. have to be expected. Unless you eat & drink the exact same things in the exact same quantities at the exact same times, pee & poop the same volume, burn the same number of calories, etc. you can’t expect your weight to be exactly the same every day or even at the same time. I weigh almost every day for my own accountability. I allow for what I’ve worked out is my fluctuation range. It’s only if I go above or below that range that I get cautious but even then I review what I’ve been eating, drinking, physically doing, peeing, pooping, etc. to see if it’s something I’ve caused (food, fluids, activity), if it’s just life (stress, health, physiological cycles, etc.) or my scales. Then I either ignore it or make the necessary adjustments.

Did you vomit or have diarrhoea? Either of these can occur especially this soon after surgery. You’re healing & your digestive system has been cut & redirected. It’s all pretty sensitive at the moment & sometimes it just wants to get rid of whatever you’ve consumed really quickly in either direction. As the others have said, dumping occurs as a result of consuming more sugar or fats than your body can manage. You’ll get cold sweats, heart palpitations, bloating, dizziness, etc. You usually feel unwell for a while (more than an hour). https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=134&ContentID=107

Just a little vent about clothing sizes. Spotted a pair of slouchy drop crotch pants on sale online. What size will I need I wondered? Got out out my handy dandy dress maker’s tape measure & checked the size guide. OMG it said I was a MED/large or a size 14 (US 10/12). WTF!?! 😱 Is this the children’s size guide I thought but even if it was I’m only a size 10/12 in children’s wear. Nope, definitely adult sizing. It’s an Aust company I’ve bought from before (XXS fitted knit dress & XS sweaters) just not pants. All my pants are Aust size 4 or 6. How could I be a size 14 in their eyes? I know I had some dessert at Christmas but not enough to cause a weight gain of 4 clothing sizes. 😉 GRRRR!

Not everyone dumps. Think it’s less than a third of bypass patients who do. So odds are you won’t dump or it may only happen with excessive sugars or fats when you can’t manage your intake. Many of us are advised to avoid breads, crackers, etc. & only reintroduce them from maintenance. Even if they are allowed on your plan doesn’t mean you can tolerate these types of cabs yet. They can be too heavy & are too filling which is likely why your restriction kicked in.

We all heal at our own pace. The nerves that were cut during your surgery may not have fully healed so the sensations may not all be back yet. It’s why many of us are advised to eat/drink certain portion sizes at the beginning. But you will discover you likely have different signals & cues to indicate you’ve eaten enough when they kick in again. As @Kris77 said, really listen to your body (not your head). It takes time for the message to get through that you’ve had enough. You’re going to be eating in a totally different way to how you likely used to eat: small bites, small portions eaten over a much longer period of time. Plus, & this was a big one for me, eating only until I had enough not until I was full. By the time you feel full, you’ve likely eaten more than your body actually needs. Check with your dietician about portion sizes & calories if you’re concerned. There are many different plans out there & 1/2 cup for a meal may be perfectly fine at this stage on your plan. I think relying on real food for your protein & other nutrients & not just shakes is great. I didn’t do shakes after the liquid stage & felt it helped me learn to make better food choices & put good eating habits in place from almost the beginning.) It’s a lot of changes & it takes time for you to work out what it all means for you & what works for you. You’ll get there.

Bone broths, consommés & strained cream soups are good alternatives to just protein shakes. You can also try only the broth part of pho or wonton soups. I found warm liquids more soothing & easy to consume too. I’d heat my chocolate shake & imagined (unsuccessfully 😉) it was hot chocolate. Congrats on your surgery.

Fluids go through your body more quickly than solid foods. It’s why many don’t feel any sort of restriction until they are through the liquid, puree & often sift food stages. Plus nerve endings have been cut during surgery so your usual sensations of being full or having enough are different. It’s not a matter of what you can do but what you should/need to do. Remember the staged diet is recommended for a purpose: to aid your healing & recovery. Remember all those internal sutures & staples holding your tummy together. Consider how you would protect a large external wound with multiple stitches like on your arm or leg. You need to do the same with your internal wound. Go slowly. You have to change how you eat to take full advantage of this surgery. It takes time for a message to get thorough that you’ve had enough to eat (or drink). The goal is not to be full but to eat enough to satisfy your body’s needs. Like most of us this is very different to how we used to eat. This is when it starts. All the best.

The possible dehydration is a concern. Go to your nearest hospital or medical centre as you may need some IV fluids. As @ShoppGirl said getting IV fluids isn’t a big deal but being dehydrated is. It takes a good week for the gas they used to inflate your abdomen during surgery to escape. You’ll probably notice discomfort in your shoulder - a sign the gas is slowly dissipating. Walking, even around your home, is the best treatment besides GasX. Difficulty with swallowing is from post surgical swelling. It improves a lot after a few days. I found warm liquids more soothing too like @Lindsayleigh86. Make sure you’re sipping slowly as well to avoid taking in more gas and no carbonated liquids. If you’re lactose intolerant, watch the protein shakes when you start them as many are based on lactose. Are lots of lactose free ones available but you may have to look about to find the right ones for you. Plenty of lactose free yoghurts, milk, cheese etc available too for when you’re ready. It’s a pretty major surgery & it takes a while for you to fully heal & recover. Plus it’s a huge change to your life & everything is new & different. So it’s ok to have doubts. It does get better.

Oh, that’s a relief… well except for the possibility of COVID ☹️. Look for acetaminophens: Tylenol, Panadol & paracetamol. Fingers crossed for a negative test result.

Welcome back @MarvelGirl25. Hope you have been keeping well. And happy birthday @Starwarsandcupcakes. Have to take a plate to a small New Year’s gathering at a friend’s tonight. Decided to make sausage rolls. Cheated & used bought puff pastry. Wouldn’t get a handshake from Paul Hollywood but they look pretty good for my first attempt. Hope they taste as good too 😉🤞🏻.

It’s a personal choice. How does it fit in with your daily nutrient allowances, caloric goals & macros? You could always make your own to cut back on the sugars & fats & have better control over the dried fruit & other ingredients. I’m a traditional rolled oats person. Add my own seeds & fresh blueberries. Make it with milk & get 15g of protein per serve & 0.4g naturally occurring sugar from the oats (& about 15g naturally occurring sugar from the milk not sure what from the blueberries). It is high carb but oats are a whole grain & a high quality carb - helps keep you regular too.

I was swallowing tablets day 2. I had trouble because of swelling but by about day 4 all was fine. I just spread out what I was taking throughout the day as possible. At 7 weeks you should be able to swallow tablets without issue. You can’t take ibuprofen or any NSAIDS post sleeve - too harsh on your tiny tummy. But some surgeons do permit sleevers to have one on rare occasions. After 12 months, my surgeon allowed me to take a single ibuprofen once every month or two if needed. Had one in August for my covid vaccine headache but none since then. This should be a discussion with your surgeon. I’m more concerned that you are still in pain after 7 weeks. This is unusual. Most are basically pain free by the end of week one. You need to speak to your surgeon about the pain you’re experiencing as soon as possible.

Hell yeah! I say I’ve earned my loose skin. It’s a daily reminder of where I’ve been & where I am now.

Defrosted one of my frozen meals last night. Truely a mystery meal. Couldn’t remember what it was & hadn’t written on the bag. Turned out to be ginger pork tenderloin stir fry. Looks a bit sad but was zingy with ginger. Looks more but it was about 1.5 cups which I ate over an hour.