Arabesque

😆😆😆 Only problem is they’d likely be too big on you too. 🙂 Hit goal at 6 months then lost another 11.5kgs (25lbs) over the next 10/11months. Have been sitting around that weight +/- a kilogram (2lbs) since then - about a year.

Would think still losing more hair that exceeds your natural hair loss cycle into your second year or later is the exception. Sorry this is happening to you @brenda.vandruff@yahoo.com but yes, not meeting your recommended protein each day may be contributing. (My goal is still 60g a day.) There could also be hormonal issues at play or you’re not consuming a balanced diet. When did you last have a blood test to check your levels? Ask for your hormones (all not just female hormones) levels to be checked too.

There are lots of exercise videos online for those who are restricted to bed. You’ll just need to find the ones that will best support you & your specific needs & restrictions. You may find getting some resistance bands helpful too. Good luck.

Oh yes, way to large a portion to begin. It used to take me three days to eat two scrambled eggs. All plans are different but mine was 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food to begin. It can be shock at first to realise & accept that a couple of spoonfuls is more than enough. Plus how long it can take to eat such small quantities. Go slowly & don’t push yourself to eat more than your still healing digestive system can manage. You’ll work it all out.

There are many, many plans about with different recommendations & expectations. The best advice is stick to your plan unless it’s not working then develop a new plan with your medical team. We have different needs. Our bodies absorb, processes & burns nutrients/calories differently so one plan does not fit all. Discovering what works for you is important not just while losing but also into the future when maintaining. I wasn’t given a calorie goal just protein (60g) & portion size recommendations (1/4 - 1/3 cup slowly increasing as I was able). I was advised low carb but not given any amount to meet or stay below. I did occasional calories checks out of my own curiosity. By goal I was eating just under a cup & less than 900 calories a day but now (28 months) I eat just under recommended serving size of most foods. I maintain my weight eating about 1200/1300 calories. I don’t exercise. I was encouraged to add snacks a couple of months out & still snack (nutrient dense foods) about 4 times a day to get my protein & essential nutrients in. I remember at my first appointment with my surgeon, he drew a picture of a plate & marked a section as protein & another as vegetables & said that’s how much you’ll be eating in maintenance. It stuck with me & he was right. Scales & measuring cups are vital tools during the weight loss stage. It’s so easy to under or over estimate portions when just eyeballing as you seemed to have discovered. Don’t worry we’ve all been caught by this at some time. I don’t weigh or measure frequently anymore - just random checks & when I introduce something new to my diet. And I study the nutrition panels very carefully of any food stuff I buy pre prepared though I generally make a lot of what I eat from scratch. Hopefully your nutritionalist will be of help. Ask that she sit down with you & go through a week or two of what you’re eating. Ask what is missing from your diet, what you could reduce or drop from your diet, what you need to add & alternative foods you could include. Make sure she understands your lifestyle as well not like the one who gave my pescatarians a diet full of meat as the protein source! Good luck.

Had to clear out my closet a bit again - 17 summer dresses, skirts, trousers, etc. and yes predominately black I know. 😉 Most I bought 12-18 months ago when I’d thought my weight had settled - ha! They’re all 1-2 sizes too large - waaaah! I’m keeping all but 3 trousers because they’re excellent quality or pretty timeless (3 dresses are from my archive collection bought around 2006/7 & I’d wear them today if they fit).

You’ll find people have lots of different experiences about this. I wasn’t interested in eating for months & wasn’t hungry. I ate to a routine because I knew I had to eat but it was why my calorie intake was lower than many. I experienced my first hunger at 8 months (& it was real hunger) but didn’t really get my appetite back or feel hungry more regularly until about 18months. 28 months post surgery, I still have days I’m either not really hungry or not really interested in eating. Yesterday, I didn’t finish my breakfast & had my lunch for dinner. It doesn’t bother me because it helps me maintain & balance out those days I may eat a little more than I should.

Oestrogen is stored in your fat so as you lose weight or that oestrogen is released into your bloodstream. This hormonal flush can cause more or less frequent, heavier or lighter, longer or shorter periods. It will settle when you get closer to goal &/or your weight loss slows. For me, my menopausal symptoms disappeared - whoo hoo - but once I got to goal (I lost the subsequent weight slowly) they all came back again. Sigh. Congrats on your surgery.

You look absolutely gorgeous @kristieshannon. Hubba hubba Mumma. Bet you were by far the best looking one there - except for the bride of course. 🙂

For me, one moment I’m joking/chatting with the anaesthesiologist & the next I’m waking in recovery. I usually feel a little heavy in the head or disorientated for a minute or so but then I’m fine. Sometimes I doze off again. You may find your body feels a little odd for a short time too like is it really your body especially if you have drains, drips, etc. Little gentle stretches & flexing your muscles help to reacquaint yourself with your body. You may find you don’t remember exactly what happens after you wake clearly - I can never remember how I get my glasses back. Did they give them to me? Did they put them on me? Was I wearing them when I woke? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hope you get your date soon.

Stalls are very common & very frustrating. They tend to last 1-3 weeks though can last longer but they do break. They’re part of the journey. They don’t happen because you’re doing something wrong. Your body goes into a stall because it’s under stress (surgery, change of diet, reduced calories, etc.) & it needs time to come to terms with the changes. (Like when we’re stressed & just want to shut the door & pull the covers over our head for a while.) I had two & never changed a thing just stuck to my plan. I decided my body needed this time out & I didn’t want to stress my body more with further changes. My first stall broke after a week, the second took 2.5weeks just before I reached goal. You just got to relax & breathe through the frustration. Just keep doing what you’re doing. It will break.

What a handsome boy but he is a big strong boy which will be a consideration post surgery. What time frames were you given regarding lifting (includes pulling) heavy items? Usually after abdominal surgery, we’re restricted to only 5-10lbs for the first two weeks, then increasing to 15lbs, then 20lb so you don’t damage your internal stitches & staples but there are variations. Even well trained dogs on leads can suddenly dash or dart or you have to give a tug on the leash to redirect them causing your stitches/staples to be strained or pulled. Having the energy to go for a 2 mile walk is very individual too lost surgery as we all recover & heal differently. Best advice is go slowly. Maybe have a friend or family member walk Sven to begin & then you join them but not take him yourself until you’re allowed to lift any weight. Congrats on your surgery. Whoo hoo!

We all are very different. We lose at different rates & our experiences of stalls can be different - longer or shorter duration, more of less frequently. I’m sorry you are experiencing this frustrating plateau. As @ms.sss asked, what are your stats? What is your caloric intake? Do you track your food & does your nutritionalist review it with you. There is a lot of variation in food portion size & calorie recommendations. Personally, I only got to around a cup of food at 6 months when I reached goal. Those first 3 months I was only eating 1/4 to 1/3 solid food so my calorie intake was lower than others. Are you on any prescribed medications? Some can slow or affect your weight loss rate too. I can track my biggest weight gains to changes in my hormones - puberty & menopause were the biggest - so there could be something in what you said about the article. (Could you include a link to the article please as I couldn’t find it in their site - looking in the wrong place most likely 😉.) I noticed that Sage offer a resting metabolic rate assessment. Did you do one before surgery? If so it may be interesting to see if there has or hasn’t been a change.

Love the mud camouflage outfit for the mud run @ms.sss. Your hobbit legs look super fine. 😉 Looking goooood @BayougirlMrsS. Very confident & sexy in that fitted dress. Glad you had a fab time in Chicago too. Perfect for a casual dinner @kristieshannon & 100% not frumpy. Can’t wait to see you in your M-of-the-bride dress.

They can really add up each month but there really isn’t a definitive answer because vitamins & protein supplements are available in a range of price points. Plus you may need more or fewer vitamins than someone else. And you may not need to take as many once you get to maintenance. Shop about is the best advice. The big chain & online stores can offer better deals. The good news is that you will be consuming less so your general grocery bill will go down to help balance out the costs.

Losing little in the first week isn’t uncommon. In fact some see an increase in the scales. It’s from all the fluid they pump into you during & after surgery. It can take several days for you to pee it all out. After the initial post surgical pain reduces you still will experience twinges & sharp sudden spasms - sometimes random sometimes after certain movements. It’s all part of healing & your body getting used to the changes that have been made internally. Be careful lifting & reaching for a few weeks to ensure you don’t pull any internal stitches too. If your pain persists &/or increases contact your medical team. If you also experience dizziness, fever, distended tummy &/or bloody stools go to the hospital ASAP.

Have to admit I can’t remember exactly when it began after my sleeve surgery but I think it was pretty soon afterwards. It was very noticeable from week 3 when I was on puréed food because I had more food options for my tastebuds not to like. Prior to that I only had a protein shake & soup each day. The shakes tasted awful but they always did to me. I had some hand surgery this week & noticed the next day that water tasted awful. So I think anaesthetic is a contributing factor.

Multivitamins always made me nauseous too. I had to take two a day so I took one in the am & one in the pm to offset some of the nausea. I was so glad when I could stop taking them when I got to maintenance. (My blood work showed I didn’t need them.) The causes could be simply not having enough on your tummy - protein rich would be better then fruit. Certain vitamins are known for causing nausea - iron, E, A, etc. Taking more than you need can result in nausea too. Try a different brand & maybe one with less iron & see if that helps. This article may be helpful: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19912535/reasons-vitamins-cause-nausea/

Injections for the first 48 hours after my sleeve but only the first 24 hours with my gall removal. Had to wear the TEDS stocking things for about 4/5days after the sleeve but only for 2 days after the gall. All surgeons have different requirements but they would take your health history into account as well as length of surgery & what was done.

Liquids pass through your tummy much more quickly than solid foods & because you’re sipping slowly as well you’re tummy won’t actually get full. It is important to sip & be conscious of your eating & drinking (good practice for the whole process) - remember all the stitches & staples holding your poor tummy & digestive system together. Once you get to soft & solid foods you’ll start to feel you’ve had enough.

My back went into spasm on day 3. I couldn’t sit or stand or lie down, tears running down my face. Just awful. Surgeon suggested it was from stress I was sub consciously holding in my body. I had a lot of swelling so swallowing was painful so I was very tense every time I sipped or swallowed which would have contributed too. A physio finally came to see me (hours & hours after) but a lot of the pain had reduced by then. Honestly, I sometimes think they can throw you about a bit during surgery so that could add to it as well. It could also be the surgical gas escaping your body too. That gives you terrible shoulder pain. Walking, heating pads, gas X, passing wind, all help but it does take days for it to fully escape your body.

The stress (emotional, reduced calories & weight loss) plus all the extra hormones flushing your body as they’re released from your fat does do strange things to your body too. Twice, a blister thing appeared on my collar bone. Thought it was a the beginning of psoriasis or eczema. Turned out to be a herald spot for pityriasis rosea a virus I’d had twice many, many years ago. Fortunately, just a single spot each time this time no others. Obviously the stress, etc. caused the latent virus just to flair a little. Just a thought.

A couple of weeks back we were discussing quiches. My s-in-l gave me a recipe for a quiche with sweet potato for the base & beetroot & feta. Yum. Decided to make it but ended up in emergency, then surgery to graft the chunk of my thumb I sliced off with the mandolin while slicing the sweet potato. (Blood everywhere. Sigh.) Anyway my niece cooked it for me when I get home (had all the ingredients so…) but decided to dice the sweet potato & make it more like a frittata. Upped the vegetables as I always do (mushrooms, asparagus, celery, capsicum) & threw in an extra egg but this is the original recipe: https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/recipes/beetroot-and-feta-quiche-with-sweet-potato-crust And my thumb post surgery. Such a silly thing to do but the effects are so restrictive cause can’t use my hand - & it’s my dominant hand too. Waaah!!

Congratulations! 🏆

Apparently there is no definitive research for or against carbonation. Except carbonation can irritate reflux (gerd), give you excess wind, many contain excessive amounts of sugar & caffeine & those with artificial sweeteners continue to feed your cravings for sweet. But it is best to follow your surgeon’s recommendation at least until you’re several months out & then see how you go. I’ve never been good with carbonation. I can’t burp so together with my reflux I’d get the worst hiccups (very painful & even vomit). So I always had to moderate how much I had when I had carbonated drinks (gave up soft drinks years ago so only gin & tonics & champagne). Like @catwoman7, I let them go flat or at least let them sit so the bubbles reduce now. I have a glass of sparkling water every day but it sits out for hours as I slowly sip it (alternate sips with still water). I still have no other carbonation but a gin & tonic or a glass of champagne but only once a month now.