Arabesque

There are many factors that affect your rate of loss: age, gender, starting weight, genetics, etc. Some are slow losers others are fast losers to begin. The rate you lose doesn’t affect the amount of weight you will lose. There are slow losers who reach their goal & fast losers who don’t. Don’t worry too much about your weight loss immediately post surgery. You have swelling, possibly still retaining fluids, your body is under stress, etc. Some surgeons even advise not to weigh yourself for a couple of weeks after surgery because of this. There are a couple of things you can rely upon. We all lose at our own rate & your rate of loss will slow as you get closer to goal. Every pound you lose is a win. Congrats on your surgery.

Great jacket @kristieshannon. What shade of green was the other one? Could be an interesting add to the wardrobe too. No one says you can only have one. 😉 A forget arms @Butterflyeffect. I think yours look pretty good to me. And your red dress is lovely. You look like you own that red carpet. Looking gorgeous as usual @Sophie7713 Love the pink quilted jacket & the head to toe winter white ensemble … heavenly. Bobby is looking as adorable as ever. Bit warm for boots here (31 degrees C today - summer is a comin’). But because we get northern hemisphere winter fashions here in summer, I did buy these black suede ankle boots. They’re very neat around the ankle & have elastic sides. The designer adds the little stud to rather heel of all her shoes as she has a beauty mark. I love that. I really want some knee length boots but they’re all too loose around the calves & slouchy. Where were they when my legs were bigger.

First, you are still healing & the messages are likely not getting through. Take it slowly. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. You are not alone in getting overexcited about being able to eat ‘real’ food again & consuming more than is recommended. Though all because you can doesn’t mean you should. Spread the cup of food out across the day. Sip on the protein shakes interspersed with your water because they count as protein & fluid. My plan was 1/4 cup of food per meal from purée stage but that was my plan. It is always best to follow your plan as closely as possible. It’s there for a reason - to aid your healing & recovery & to start you really reflecting on what & why you eat. And yes, some people do feel hungry from after surgery but whether is it head hunger or real hunger is harder to discern. Certainly, the emotional aspects of the surgery can really exacerbate cravings - seeking food to soothe & comfort. Only you can really tell which hunger you’re feeling. For me if I’m ‘hungry’ for something like a specific food or a more general l want salty or sweet or carbs then that’s a craving or head hunger. Real hunger feels different for me. I get restless & I don’t know what I want to eat (except I now want it to be healthy). Head hunger also passes quickly - distract myself for 30 minutes & it’s abated. Working all this out takes time. And we’re all allowed to make mistakes & slip. And when you do, you have to pick yourself & get back on your plan. You’ll get there & work out what it all means for you.

Exactly as @The Greater Fool said. Give yourself time to heal. Once you are eating more solid food you’ll have a better sense of how things feel for you. Then you will work out how full feels for you & eventually what real hunger feels like for you too. Make sure you eat slowly as the message you are full takes time to get through & by then you likely have eaten too much. But the goal really isn’t to eat until you are full or your restriction kicks in but to eat until you’ve had enough or all you need. I still ask myself if I need the next bite or do I just want it. There is a big difference & it is likely very different to how you used to eat. Don’t be afraid to put your cutlery down & push your plate away. My plan was portion size, not calorie, focussed once in purées. Quarter of a cup to begin increasing to a third, then half, etc. This took months. About a cup at 6 months. I’m still very conscious of portion size too. PS - I didn’t have gas pain either & apparently my surgeon is know for his bariatric patients having little or no gas pain. But when he does gall removal, oh boy lots of discomfort then.

They’re a pancreatic enzyme supplement & assist in the digestion of food & consequently improve the absorption of nutrients. I take them now as since my gall removal I don’t absorb protein as well. I’ve been on them for almost three months. Blood test tomorrow so fingers crossed they’re helping.

I’m sorry you’ve developed Barrett’s because of your reflux. I used to manage a lot of my pre surgery bypass through diet modification. No spicy food, reduced caffeine, reduced carbonated drinks, reduced fats, avoided rich or creamy food. They were things that would aggravate my reflux. It helped a lot & I only took Nexium when I had an attack & I’d go months between attacks. I still ate meat & dairy (not a lot of dairy because I had some lactose issues) as no one ever suggested reducing or avoiding them. But your doctor may have reasons for advising you not to. For years I also slept with the head of my bed on bricks (can’t do it with an ensemble) so my whole body would be on a slope. Just sleeping on extra pillows will bend your neck more & the rising stomach acid then pools in your oesophagus. Because I have reflux everyday now my surgeon also suggested not eating dense protein or dense foods a couple of hours before bed as your stomach will produce more acid to breakdown that dense food. (I take Nexium everyday now & am still careful with my dietary choices.) I found this basic info on Barrett’s & diet options as a starting point but I would ask your doctor for more dietary advice &/or a recommendation to a good dietician. https://www.healthline.com/health/barretts-esophagus-diet#foods-to-eat

No stupid questions here. It’s the same way for all of us - just slowly up your calories until your weight loss stops with some fluctuation. It can take time to stop losing. I added snacks (combinations of yoghurt, protein bar, cheese sticks, hummus, chia pudding, multi or whole grain crackers, nuts, fruit,) still tried to keep low fat (except for salad dressing - damn you Mr Newman), low sugar, only a few good complex carbs & everything, bar fruit, with protein. I don’t eat as many snacks now as I can physically eat more in a meal. And yes, I did feel like I was eating all day. I was also s still seeing my dietician for the first 5 months of maintenance (stopped with COVID) so she was checking what I was adding & made a couple of suggestions. The calories I need to maintain will be different to what you need. I consume about 1200 - 1300 calories (I’m shorter than you, have a small frame, am in my mid 50s, not very active & maintain at a lower weight). Others can consume a lot more. My surgeon & GP initially told me to put on a couple of kgs but I weigh less now & they’re both happy with my weight.

You’re likely having a bad bout because of the uric acid stored in your fat being released as you lose weight. Worse is that you can’t take nsaids post surgery to reduce the inflammation. Do you take the gout medication, which reduces the amount of uric acid your body produces, everyday (can’t remember its name) ? it takes a couple of months to really work but by then you may have lost enough weight that you may not experience gout again. There’s still plenty of protein sources you can eat. You likely will be starting or about to start soft foods so look to beans, eggs, slow cook lean meats, continue with your protein shakes, yoghurt, make rolled oats on milk, etc. but check your plan to be sure. You will already doing a lot to help reduce uric acid production because of your low fat, low sugar, no alcohol diet. Contact your medical team for help to manage the pain. Hope you feel better soon.

Like @catwoman7, I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating either. (Hunger didn’t really come back until into my 2nd year.) I realised I had to eat to meet my protein goals so I started to eat to routine. Over time it changed my relationship with food. I began looking at food as something my body needed to function not that I just wanted to eat for an emotional effect. I still have days or times I don’t feel hungry but I still eat 3 ‘meals’ a day (drop snacks) & focus on the protein component. Instead of a full meal I might graze on a high protein yoghurt or I’ll just have meat but no vegetables or salad. Would you say you are still averaging 60g of protein a day across a week? If I have a lower protein day I try to exceed my goal the next day. Do you still drink protein shakes? Maybe on non hungry days, sip on a protein shake instead of a meal. Not as filling, you can sip on it for ages & good protein. Or make your own smoothie with high protein yoghurt & protein powder. It may take a little trial & error to find what you can eat that’s not as repulsive on those days.

Went to a fashion event last night. Yummy canapés (including ravioli bites where the ‘pasta’ was sliced beetroot - mmmm gooood), champagne & a refreshing gin cocktail. Just had to fight through the 80% humidity before reaching the air conditioning inside. I wore navy for a change. Skirt is ribbed.

If you can tolerate it it’s fine. As long as you sip & have a break before the next one so you don’t strain your healing tummy.

We all feel pain differently & respond differently to the surgery. I was given opioids in hospital & a week’s supply to take home but discovered when I did get home I didn’t really need them. By day 4 I think I had one over the counter pain med & that was all. I didn’t have any gas pain nor really any pulled abdominal muscles. Don’t worry when my surgeon removed my gall two years later I had it all but again only took the opioids for the first 36/48hrs. Check with your prescribing doctors about your other meds to find out where they are absorbed. Some are absorbed in your tummy & some in your intestines. Depending upon your surgery if your’s do you may have to seek alternatives. (Some are absorbed in your kidneys or your liver too but those won’t be a worry for you after surgery.) Better to be sure. Hope all goes well with your surgery.

Sorry no. They’re a chip & crunchy so too hard & coarse. Soft food still has to be very moist. Think like a stew or bolognese meat sauce, flaky fish, etc. so you’re still not having to really chew a lot.

Foamies are lots of saliva & mucus you have to spit up. Usually occurs if the food you eat is too dry & your body has to produce extra mucus & saliva for lubrication. Or if you eat too much or too fast. It just rises & fills your mouth. For me it doesn’t have any food in it. Some people say it includes food as well but I call that vomiting or regurgitation. Sometimes the mucus is so thick it gets stuck in my throat - like phlegm. Sorry if too gross. I can’t bring it up so my body tries to clear it by gagging & making this barking type noise. Not pretty at all.

I just used teaspoons & then buffet forks. Still use an entree fork (not dinner size) & I almost always still dice my meat before sitting down to eat. I’ve never liked sippy cups. It’s a personal thing (I’m not a toddler). I used a straw which is controversial with some surgeons. And I much prefer drinking from a glass than a bottle - easier to sip from.

I don’t match either but much of what you will experience is individual anyway. We’re all different in how we recover, our pre existing medical conditions, genetics, age, gender, starting weight, length of time being overweight, etc. There will be similarities but also differences. @lizonaplane is correct. The amount of hair you lose & how long it persists is individual. Your natural hair loss cycle is accelerated from the shock of the surgery & weight loss & your initial low calorie intake. You really just have to ride it out. Keep up your protein (breaks down into the amino acids which grow hair & nails & aids skin health). Biotin only may make your new growth hair stronger not help your body grow more hair. How much loose skin you have is influenced by factors like age (skin loses elastin as you age), how much weight you lose & how long you were overweight, & genetics (luck of the gene pool). It won’t all go away. Once your skin is stretched out, & after whatever bounce back you may get has passed, that’s it. Think of an old hair band stretched out from overuse. Your skin is the same. Some say weight training can help to fill in the loose skin with muscle but depends on how much muscle you want. I carried my obese weight for about 3 or 4 years so not really that long. When I got down to my usual overweight range I had very little loose skin (little pinches) but when I got to my lowest weight I had lots more (big pinches). Still not a lot really especially considering my age & it’s easily hidden under my clothes including body con dresses. No surgery for me. You tend to lose weight in the same way you put on & carried your weight. If you carried more of your weight in your tummy it will likely be the last place you’ll lose it in comparison. I carried my weight pretty evenly: thighs, butt, tummy, breasts. Benefit of an hour glass figure I guess & I lost it much the same even way. Take regular body measurements to track your weight loss too. Sometimes it shows on a tape measure before it does on the scales. I went from a 18E to a 10E (pretty empty upper breasts now though). Remember an E cup on a size 18 is much bigger than a size 10 one so while the cup size is the same my breasts are smaller.

I ran into someone I used to work with & I was 42kgs (92lbs) lighter & they never said a word. I was a bit amused but some people don’t want to mention things they consider so personal like your weight. Or they’re just super unobservant 😆😆. You could just say you’ve taken the time not being in the office to change how you eat & be healthier which is true & change the subject if you want.

I take ages to eat a meal - 30 to 60 minutes or more - so in a way I graze. It allows me to eat that little bit more so I can maintain. I also snack. Fewer times a day now then I initially did when trying to maintain because of the prolonged eating. If we’re honest we all experience times when we just want a little mindless munching. Guess the two things to consider are what are you grazing on & why are you grazing? I snack on foods that contain between 5g (a cheese stick) & 20g (yoghurt) protein not including fruit & are good sources of essential nutrients. On those days when I want something (usually salty) I ask myself why I want it. I also try to wait 30 minutes &/or look for something to do to take my mind off the craving. You may find this helpful if it is boredom that’s driving you to munch. (By the way, what is it about the afternoons & eating? My time between eating dramatically decreases as the day passes.) I also ensure there’s nothing in the cupboard that’s a temptation or empty calories. Easier of course if you don’t have family members to consider. If I do weaken I only have multi grain rice crackers or roasted fava beans in my pantry. It’s not always easy to find what best works for you. You may find grazing on many little meals, grazing on one meal for a long time or snacking a way of ensuring you consume the calories you need to maintain.

Sorry you’re experiencing these headaches. Out of curiosity did you have to do the 2 week shake pre surgery diet? If you didn’t or only did it for a couple of days, you could be experiencing headaches because of withdrawal from caffeine, sugar, etc. Also hormones are released from your fat as you lose weight so you may be experiencing hormonal headaches. Just suggestions of other possible causes. Check with your medical team re tea. I was allowed green or herbal tea only. I was a green tea drinker so I really enjoyed the cup I had every day after surgery. 🙂. Hope the headaches abate soon but if they persist call your medical team.

Congratulations @GreenTealael. You’ve been one of my inspirational forum members. I’ve very much admired your honesty & attitude when you share your experiences. Plus the non judgemental & positive advice you’ve given. I’ve certainly appreciated your support & feedback. Thank you. ❤️

Didn’t get them after my surgery but they could be growing because a lot of hormones & enzymes, etc. which were stored in your fat are released into your body as you lose weight. Will your GP remove them? My previous GP removed moles, sebaceous cysts, etc. in his surgery but my current GP doesn’t. She sent me to a parasitic surgeon to remove my papilloma, cysts & the skin tag on the side of my nose. (Should have hit him to do a little facial tightening at the same time 😆.) He literally just shaved that tag off. A little local anaesthetic, slice, a tiny dot of blood, no sutures, no bandage & it was bigger than a traditional skin tag. Dr Pimple Popper likely would have had half my head bandaged 😆😆😆.

• How did your tummy feel after the surgery? Were you able to *feel* your stomach, internally due to the surgery? - Nope couldn’t feel my tummy. The staged return to eating solid food is to support the internal healing. If you follow that carefully you shouldn’t feel any pain just maybe some discomfort (sort of too full feeling), tightness, gurgling or nausea. Pain on swallowing is likely from initial swelling & you will have pain from pulled abdominal muscles & sometimes at the incision sites. . • Did you have to have a drain? - No drain. Ask your surgeon if they will put one in or not. • How long did you have to be on clear fluids after the surgery? If so, what clear fluids did you have? - Two weeks any liquids. You have to start meeting your protein goals so protein shakes, bone broths, strained soups (no lumps or herby bits), Asian broths (pho, wonton soups, etc just the broth). Milk, green (or herbal) tea were also allowed. I wasn’t allowed juice. • Did you prefer cold, room temperature, or warm fluids? - Room temp or warm/hot were more soothing. I often used warm water for my shakes or microwaved them. • Sipping. - Not a mouthful but a single small swallow. Some surgeons say no to straws but they can be helpful to moderate the size of your sip. You sip as often as you’re able depending on swelling & your healing. Some sip every couple of minutes. Some every 5 or so. Some set alarms to remind them to sip. Just keep the water next to you at all times. And all the fluids you consume count towards your fluid goals. I struggled to swallow initially because of swelling. It was ok after about two days. • Something I read said you won't be able to drink anything for the first 24 hours and that fluids will be through the IV, is that true? - I had water by my bed straight away (& a dishwater broth for dinner that night) plus an IV. • How did you sleep in the first week? If you are a side sleeper, when were you able to finally sleep on your side? - I can’t sleep on my back at all only nap on the coach on my back. I slept on my side from the day of surgery. I also tend to sleep on my side but twisted to almost on my tummy. Could do this pretty much straight away too. A pillow to support you sleep on your side may be helpful. Whether you can or can’t sleep on your side would depend on how much pain you feel from the pulled abdominal muscles & how much internal swelling you have. All the best with your surgery & recovery.

We all heal & recover differently & they did a lot of pulling, pushing, cutting & suturing inside you so it’s ok to still be experiencing pain or discomfort. Most is likely muscular now but as @Jaelzion suggested, call your surgeon & ask for some stronger meds to tide you over. Hope you feel better soon.

Sounds more bowel related & a colonoscopy may be warranted. Bariatric surgeons tend to specialise in the gastrointestinal area. From what you describe a colorectal surgeon may be more appropriate. Have you spoken with your GP?

I’m with the give them a miss until you’re at or close to your goal team. Sticking to your plan will help you take the most advantage of your surgery. When you get closer to goal you may start to look for healthy substitutes for your traditional choices. Try air fried or oven baked not deep fried. Try vegetable based pastas (you can eat zucchini noodles & cauliflower rice from solid foods). There are keto friendly low carb high protein breads you could try later on. If your desire to eat these ‘non bariatric friendly foods’ is driven by emotions, finding a good therapist may be helpful. Recognising the causes of your emotional eating, finding ways to manage them better & identifying other means of coping with your emotional needs than eating, etc. will only help you be more successful with your weight loss & maintenance. A benefit of avoiding those foods while you’re losing is by goal you may actually reduce or lose some of your desire for pizza, pasta, & the other foods you currently want & depend on. Which will make it much easier if you chose to have the odd slice of bread or pizza, etc. now & again in the future. Personally, I don’t eat pasta (only fresh zucchini noodles), rice or bread & avoid sweet things & fried foods. They were all things I ate regularly & enjoyed but I don’t really miss them at all now. I was able to break my need for them & I was eating them for a lot longer than you’ve been alive 😉. It can be done. Exercise will only contribute to you losing a maximum of 20% of the weight you have to lose. Of course it has lots of other benefits so I’m certainly not saying exercise is a waste of time but don’t rely on it to loose your weight. But it’s really up to you & you discovering what works best for you. Good luck.