Arabesque

Roadkill pancakes. Hilarious! Mine are the same.

Roadkill pancakes. Hilarious!

Like @GreenTealael, I agree finding a way of eating that is sustainable is key. If you choose to follow an eating style that is too restrictive or makes you feel like you’re missing out or can’t participate, it is destined to fail like any diet we tried to follow in the past. And same with whatever exercise you choose to incorporate. If you don ‘t enjoy the exercise, find it restricts or limits your lifestyle, you aren’t’ going to continue with it. Of course, over time you will find you make adjustments or swap out certain foods or activities as your way of eating or exercise routines evolve. You may explore other options, discover you can have a little of this or that occasionally, try a different activity, or you have lifestyle changes. Do I eat exactly like I did when I first stabilised? No. I can actually eat more but the modifications I’ve made are pretty close to how it was and it still works for me & allows me to maintain at the same weight. You have to be vigilant and keep working at it though. Complacency is a slippery slope. Don’t be afraid to seek support & help with therapy if you find yourself sliding back to habits and behaviours. We can’t always do all of this on our own. All the best.

Still find it too heavy in my tummy and too filling.

Still find it too heavy in my tummy and too filling.

Absolutely fabulous. You look amazing. Congratulations @AmberFL. (Bit jealous you’ve still got a butt thiugh 😁😁😁.)

Feeling anxious is very understandable especially when this is something completely new to you. I mean have you ever had bariatric surgery before? You may never have had a surgery before so have nothing to base your expectations upon. Give your surgeon or team a call and let them know how you’re feeling so they can answer any questions or concerns you may have about the experience. There may be something you can take before to calm your nerves a little too. (No harm in asking.) I had very little time between when I saw my GP to discuss the potential of the surgery and getting the referral, seeing the surgeon, seeing the dietician & my surgery day. In some ways I appreciated it. I was ready and it probably didn’t give me a lot of time to develop any real nerves. Though I remember feeling a bit apart from everything going on around me from when I entered the pre surgical area until I walked into the waiting area outside the theatre (yeh, my surgeon makes you walk to the theatre). Everyone was very friendly from the pre surgery team, to the nurse who walked me to the theatre, the anaesthesiologist and my surgeon. There were jokes and lots of reassurance. The recovery room nurses were great too. I’ve had two surgeries since then (about to have another) and my experiences have been much the same. I’m a researcher. I like to read up on what to expect & I’ll talk to anyone I know who’ve been through the same surgery if I know anyone. If you do what to do a little reading before (may be helpful if you decide to contact your team or surgeon) go to reputable medical sites like the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, etc. no social media (except for this forum of course 😁). Check out the you tube sites of Dr Matthew Weiner and Dr John Pilcher - they have a huge library of videos & are extremely informative not just for pre surgery but post as well. Highly recommend them. All the best.

The period pants remind me a bit of adult nappy pull-ups @ShoppGirl but I’m hoping they’ll be more comfortable and less bulky than pads. They say you bleed for about a week like a normal period after the hysterectomy but I guess with all things it could be longer or shorter or heavier or lighter than they say because what the hell is a ‘normal’ period. The surgeon actually says to bring your own pads for after they remove the plug of wadding they insert after they remove everything (my friend described the plug as the biggest tampon and it hurt like hell to remove it - yikes). Yes, the wounds will be lower: one just above each hip bone, one above the pelvic bone & one in my poor belly button (that will make three there - but worried about scar tissue with that more). Thanks for the Amazon ice pack tip just in case.

Slightly off topic but I had to buy period underwear yesterday only because I’m about to have a hysterectomy. It was weird and I had to do a bit of reading (I’m a researcher) about the period pants because they didn’t have them back in my day (that makes me sound ancient lol but have been menopausal for 8 years or so). Also thought I should buy a pack of pads too just in case the surgeon prefers they’re used post surgery. OMG I didn’t know where to start. Couldn’t remember the brand I used to prefer and they’re are thousands of options now. Good Lord! The oestrogen flush is very common after surgery @Dchonlee and can persist until you’ve lost most of the weight you have to lose (which I know you’re nearing) but maybe get your hormone levels checked to see what they are.

I agree with @NickelChip, you’re not a failure. Not just from a statistical perspective but also from the perspective that you lost weight & kept it off for a while. That in itself is a success because we know how hard it is to lose any weight at all let alone keep it off for anything more than a week. Yes, there has been some discussion around the long term effectiveness of the sleeve but I think it could be said of any of the surgeries - it may work for some but not all. And what sometimes defines as a success may differ too. Too many external and internal factors can affect how successful you are in the short & long term too. I had my surgery when I was almost 54 because peri menopause & then menopause did a number on me & my weight. Quickly pushed me to my usual high weight then I swear overnight, to my all time high of 91kg, (Hormones are the gift that just keep giving whether you’re producing what you need or your production is decreasing as you near &/or are in menopause.). So yes, being in peri menopause or menopause could mess with your weight. I’d get in touch with your surgeon and ask him about a revision, GLP-1 meds and any other options. The fact you are ready & want to do something is such a positive position to be in. All the best.

When I buy mine, which is rarely Lol!, I usually go to Foot Lockyer as they do the assessment on your feet and recommend the best to suit your needs. Like I tend to pronate & get shin splints pretty easily & I only use them for walking. I had Brooks a few years ago which I liked though the last pair I bought are a different brand (has an A logo but I can’t recall what brand). My foot was smaller & narrower because of the weight loss which also influenced what brand was best too.

No one is perfect all the time. Things happen. We slip. For any number of reasons. And sometimes we just have to make the best decision we can in a situation even if it really isn’t the best. The difference between a slip and a free fall is you know what the slips were and you’re ready to get, or are already, back on track which is where you are, Your Fatboy Slim outfit looks great on you. Glad you had a wonderful time even with feeling extremely cold. That will continue to happen - I still feel cold all the time. I found an electric blanket helpful when the cold gets right down intro your bones.

Don’t know what your starting weight is but 16lbs in 13 days isn’t slow. It’s more than a pound a day. Even those with staring weights of 600+lbs (like on My 600lb Life) only lose 25-30lbs in the first month post surgery and your well on track for that. I’d lost about 12lbs in my first fortnight and everyone was very happy. Please remember if you’re losing, there is no right or wrong rate of loss just what’s right for you and your body. All the best.

I’m wondering if you still aren’t eating enough for your current height, weight, and activity. I eat about 1600 calories to maintain and am shorter & weigh less than you & I’m not active at all. I mean my stretches and resistance band use burns nothing really. So I’d expect I would need fewer calories to maintain my current weight than you yet your non workout days you eat the same. Yea I am making a generalisation and we are different but ut is something to consider. I’ve linked a BMR calculator below which may give you an idea of the number of calories you may need to be consuming and it maybe something to discuss with your nutritionalist. I get the looking tired and unwell. My uncle told my mum I looked like death when I first stabilised. A few months later he was telling me & my mum how great I was looking. Give it time. PS - I too was wondering if you need to take a break from your workouts like @ms.sss suggested or reduce the frequency or intensity. https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html?cage=45&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=5&cpound=175&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cmop=0&coutunit=c&cformula=m&cfatpct=20&ctype=standard&x=Calculate

I’m 5 years out & maintained since my weight first stabilised. I’m also one who finds some carbs sit more heavily in my tummy & are too filling. Specifically simple carbs like the rice, pasta & bread were advised to avoid while we’re losing. It’s not a big loss even though I used to love eating them before surgery. But I don’t consider myself to be low carb. Lots of carbs in fruit & vegetables. I eat a good two serves of whole or multi grains a day sometimes a little more if I say throw barley or lentils in what I may be cooking too. I usually say I’m lowish carbs, lowish fats. I also think the quality of these food types are an important consideration too like the whole/multi grain, less processed complex carbs vs white, more processed, simple carbs. Same with fats like good fats vs bad fats. One of the big learnings I had was that you have to work out a way of eating that works for you. That is it allows you to maintain your weight, complements your lifestyle so you don’t feel like you’re missing out or making sacrifices and is sustainable. It may be high fat or low fat, high carb or low carb, paleo, keto, vegan, vegetarian, carnivore or a mix of eating styles. Just what works.

Remember it takes around 6 - 8 weeks to be fully healed so still experiencing some discomfort, spasms, cramping, etc. isn’t uncommon. However, if the pain requires medication, is increasing in frequency or intensity, contact your surgeon or go to your nearest medical centre to be sure everything is okay. Or just contact them to check.

I wonder if the joint pain could be from your muscles, tendons & skeleton readjusting to a your new posture & other odd twinges and spasms. They had changed to support your larger body before & then they have to adjust again. I remember upper back pain about 2/3 to my goal and it took a while to stop slouching (had to consciously sit or stand straighter if I noticed I was slouching) & my body learnt how to stand upright again. As for the ‘phantom’ gall like pain, I don’t know. Maybe request an ultra sound to check your kidneys, liver & bile ducts just to be sure. My energy isn’t great. Always better in the morning than the afternoon. I seem to go, go, go then stop now, can’t do anything g more. Though that is pretty much how Gilbert’s is so I put it down to that & my low blood pressure more than my sleeve and I was a lot like that before my sleeve. Would push through then - didn’t want anyone to think I was lazy because I was fat! No I listen to my body. Apparently Gilbert’s is more common than people realise. What’s your bilirubin levels like. High levels are a sign of it. It is genetic so does any one in your family have it? Congratulations on your weight loss. Yay! Don’t worry about what weight you end up at. (I know easier said than done.) Remember that weight will be the weight your body is happiest at & is easier to maintain.

I don’t know how I got through puree stage without them honestly. They were one of the very few things I actually could tolerate to eat.

I have the saggy empty upper boobies but the bottom of them are still full. Was an 18E now a 10E but all the cups have gathers in the upper part of the cup. So in my late 50s I have to stuff my bras with tissues fir the first time. LOL!! Chicken fillets don’t help with that upper breast emptiness unfortunately - wrong shape. Comparatively though I think they’re still on the larger size on my body much like I was before surgery. Smaller body and smaller boobs but still bigger boobs than average for my body size.

Sounds like you had a very positive appointment all round @MrsFitz & you have a supportive team around you too. Yay! Don’t worry about the difference in your weight doctor to doctor or clinic to clinic. It happens all the time. Remember too you’re likely naked, haven’t eaten or drunk and peed & pooped when you weigh yourself at home. You go to the doctor’s & you’ve had breakfast maybe lunch too, drunk some fluids, are dressed so no wonder you weigh more. I looked at it as they have their records & I have mine. If I lose 5 kgs it shows on my scales as a 5kg loss & it will show on theirs as a 5kg loss too. Winning either way!

I was allowed instant oats from purée (traditional oats, so more coarse than the instant, were allowed a couple of months later). I made them with more milk than they advise (extra protein) & ate them hot. Of course it took two or three days to eat a recommended serve of the oats in the beginning and I’d just reheat them & add a little more milk the next days. After a month or so on traditional oats I’d add blueberries. Besides vegetables & fruit, the oats were the other carb I ate but only three or four times a week. Now I add two big spoons of yoghurt, a spoon of mixed seeds, a scoop of collagen (vital proteins dissolves really well), cranberries & blueberries. Still made with lots of milk and still eaten hot. Only use about 1/2 - 2/3 of the recommended serve of the raw oats. I always have leftovers but I eat them for an afternoon snack.

Absolutely wonderful @NickelChip. Lots of big wins for you. Congratulations.

Oh my gracious. I remember there were a lot of issues with the earlier meshes they used for various surgeries years ago which must be what you’re experiencing. Let’s hope it’s an easy remedy. PS - the second lap smear was still inconclusive. It didn’t pick up cervical cells at all so still no idea. So decided after a conversation with the surgeon on Tuesday to progress with a hysterectomy just in case and also if it is nothing untoward it likely will still continue to grow & then may cause issues in the future. Surgery is in three weeks Monday. Have a few events so I put it off until after them.

Yep, I agree with asking your surgeon & then discussing your options to manage your intake with your dietician based upon what the surgeon says as @NickelChip suggested. Not everyone who has their gall removed has issues with eating fat. As i’ve shared before, my aunt does (she describes it as feeling liverish if she eats something too fatty) but my sister-in-law & I don’t have an issue. I think I have an issue processing it in so far it doesn’t make me sick instead it maybe raising my cholesterol. Or the creons I take (which slow the passage of waste through my intestines so more nutrients are absorbed so it takes longer for the excess to be pooped out) is contributing. Maybe the type of fat (good fats vs bad fats) or added fats (like in fried foods) or naturally occurring fats (like in dairy) also play a role or has to be considered. Who knows. I’m just musing.

I agree with @catwoman7’s suggestion for some anti nausea meds. Hope a replacement surgeon is engaged soon. So frustrating. I went through a phase when I found water too heavy to drink.I relied more on green tea & flattened sparkling water & not solely plain water then. Is that how you would describe how you feel before the nausea starts? On the days you struggle with water are you able to drink other flavoured or unflavoured fluids? Were you are big drinker of sweet drinks before you had surgery like sodas? Could there be an underlying craving for sweet drinks again which is why flavoured unsweetened drinks seem tart to you now?? Our brains can work against us sometimes. There are odd days when I don’t get all my fluids in. Life gets busy sometimes or the opportunities to drink more than a few sips at times during the day ate rare. I don’t mind too much when it’s just odd days because I know I’ll reach my goal (or drink even more) the next day & will be back on track again. (Same with protein goals too.)