Arabesque

Prep the soups as per the instructions on the can/packet then add additional stock, water or milk to thin the soups you feel are still a little thick after blending. Cream may be too rich & fatty post surgery. Strain them well too after blending. I found those little plastic teas strainers the best cause they’re finer. You can pour liquids but if it dollops it’s probably too thick. Your tummy is pretty fussy after surgery so it may not enjoy some of the soups. It’ll likely be a bit of trial & error. I ate soup every day in my liquid stage. I found protein shakes very unpalatable - grainy & far too sweet - one shake a day was all I could barely tolerate. I was told no yoghurt until purée stage as it’s too thick. I loved drinking yoghurt which I had regularly from purée stage on. It was a little thick so I used to dilute it with a splash of juice. You can also use milk to dilute it as well.

The main reason is you’ve just had surgery to alter your tummy. The staged diet & reduced portions are to reintroduce foods back to your digestive system slowly so as not to aggravate or derail your healing. All because you can’t see it, you have wounds inside which need to be treated gently. Think how you would treat a long incision down your thigh or arm. You don’t want to eat too much or eat coarse foods that are harder to digest & put pressure on those stitches & staples. I was lucky if I was eating 300 calories in the weeks after surgery. I wasn’t interested in food or hungry at all. Good luck with your surgery.

Once you get close to or into maintenance you’ll start working out what of your old favourites you can eat or want to eat again. There may be foods or drinks you say never again too, others that you may have occasionally. You might find more nutritious alternatives for some (like vegetable pastas or rice) or you’ll restrict your portion size of a particular food. I say I follow a reduce, restrict or avoid plan. I haven’t really missed anything I avoid or anything I restrict. It hasn’t stopped me going out to dine or socialising with friends & family. The foods I avoid, restrict or have reduced are ones that lead me down the path to my weight struggles so I’ve been happy to bid them farewell or to visit with only occasionally. I cut as much sugar (real, artificial & alternatives) out of my diet as I can but I still had some cake at a friend’s wedding on the weekend - just had two teaspoon. I probably won’t have any other cake, biscuits, desserts, etc. until Christmas. Processed carbs & starchy foods tend to sit heavily in my tummy too (even the vegetable pasta) so I avoid them. I drink full fat milk, cheese & yogurt. I do buy low fat milk at times but it’s usually because it has a longer use by date - LOL! I’ve never been great with carbonation so no real change there for me. If I want something bubbly like sparkling, soda or tonic water I stir it, sip it slowly & let it sit for a while so a lot of the gas escapes. I have alcohol about once a month but usually one glass over a long time. I don’t enjoy it as much. I had champagne at the wedding it just took me almost two hours to drink it. I eat about 60g of protein, 4 serves of fruit & vegetables, 2or 3 serves of dairy, 2 serves of multi/whole grain carbs every day. I haven’t taken any vitamins since 8 months post surgery (early maintenance). I have bloods taken every 3 months & all my levels come back great. But that’s my story & it’s been working for me so far. What you discover works for you will be very personal to you & how you want to live & enjoy your life. Many people continue to meet with their therapist post surgery be it to continue to work through issues or for maintenance. If you think it will help you, do it. Good luck with your surgery.

Love the name change, Matty. Very appropriate. 🙂

Aah, the three week stall. Though it can happen earlier or later than that. Yes, it is common - extremely common. I liked to think of it it as my body taking a breath to catch up with all the changes. You will start to lose again, maybe in a week, maybe two or three & you’ll experience it again. Some people will say to increase your calories or activity levels. Others will say just keep on your path. I kept on my path & the loss started again (the first time after a week, the second after almost three weeks). Congrats on your surgery & weight loss so far.

Thank you @Sophie7713 & @WishMeSmaller. Chronologically, I know I could be a grandmother but what happened to stepping up to that? Do you have children as the first question is easier to take. (Though surely we should be passed asking if a woman is married or has children as if that is the standard to which her worth is measured. I’ve had too many years being looked down on or people feeling sorry for me because I’ve never married or had children.) It was a coconut cake, Sophie. Served with cream & berry coulis. It was very sweet even without the cream & sauce. Isn’t it so much fun to wear a fuller skirt, @Sophie7713? So feminine. I like swishing the fabric. Did you twirl? Congratulations on your graduation @Jnfinney. What a lovely photo of you with your boyfriend.

Excellent before & after pxt @Jaelzion. Congratulations. You look gorgeous.

I think that’s how it works for some of us. It took me a year to find the right balance to maintain. The loss was much slower (about 1kg a month) & slowed even more just before I finally stabilised. Even though I added snacks it took until I could get my meal portion sizes to close to the recommended portion size that it stabilised. I remember telling my medical team when they’d tell me I had to stop losing that I simply could not eat any more. Some days I felt all I did was eat. I certainly wasn’t trying to lose more. It was hard cause I still didn’t really feel hungry. I ate just to try not to lose more. Such a weird thing for someone who spent much of her life not eating so as not to gain weight (not that that worked!!). I used non lite salad dressings, added milk powder to milk when making chia pudding, upped my vegetables & fruit, added multi/whole grain crackers with hummus or liverwurst as a snack, added a protein bar, etc. to boost my calories. I choose things I could easily drop or modify to a low cal version as needed & I have dropped some snacks since my weight has settled. This worked for me. I wasn’t too worried at the time because of the bounce back weight @catwoman7 mentioned. Thought if I did gain those 5kgs or so, it would put me up closer to my goal without exceeding it. Congrats on your weight loss & good luck with finding that right balance for you. Just give it time.

Wedding was beautiful. Weather was glorious but was chilly & windy at night (hence the rabbit fur coat). Yes I did have two teaspoons of wedding cake. 😉 A woman asked if I had grand children 😱. Looks like I need the number of a good surgeon. 😆 Lots & lots of dancing - was a bit stiff & sore the next day. Obviously haven’t exercised my dancing muscles enough lately. 😁

It may be time for some straight talking with them. Thank them for their support but explain you are trying to be realistic about what you’re doing & your progress. Tell them commenting on your progress & the changes in a supportive, encouraging & honest way are appreciated but you don’t need to be told what you should be doing or have them exaggerate your progress. Tell them while you have lost some weight, you still have a lot to go. You’re not slim yet but you’re working at it. A simple comment like I’m happy you’re doing so well or your weight loss is becoming more noticeable is much more encouraging & powerful than saying you’re so small or so skinny. Tell them you’re learning a lot about weight loss, diets, eating styles, exercising, etc. There’s not a one size fits all solution or plan to follow. What works for one may not work for you & it’s going to take you time & effort to fully work out what will work for you long term. Of course this will depend on your relationship with your family members. 🙂 Sometimes I find it easier to just give a bland not committed response to over exaggerated comments or nosy questions & then quickly change the subject. Congrats on your progress so far & good luck with your family.

It takes a lot of real persistent effort over time to stretch your tummy. Fluids pass through your tummy pretty quickly & won’t cause damage only discomfort if you drink too much too quickly for your body to digest it. Stay away from the ibuprofen. Bariatric patients aren’t able to take Nsaids after surgery because they damage the lining of your tiny tummy. Your medical team should have told you this. You shouldn’t really be experiencing pain this far out if surgery. Most of us are basically or mostly pain free by about day 4 or 5. While it could be the bruise causing the pain I would encourage you to contact your medical team. If you experience pain or symptoms that are unusual for you always call your team.

So many of us ate out of habit. Whether it was while we were doing certain activities (going to the movies, reading, watching tv, watching live sport, etc.), boredom or other emotions, even the time on the clock (lunch time so got to eat even if I’m really not hungry), or because others were eating. Or we mindlessly ate. How many times would we be eating chips or biscuits or chocolates & be surprised when we reached in the bag only to discover we’d eaten it all without realising it. Lots of learnings ahead about why we ate as we did & how we should eat now. I wasn’t hungry either. Took more than 18 months for it to come back & then it was slowly & I still have days I’m not really hungry at all. In those first couple of months I wasn’t even interested in eating - lucky one I guess. I had to eat to the clock to make sure I met my goals (ha - habit eating !) I cooked but was quite happy to just eat what I needed. Once you’re on solid food it is easier. Good luck.

Depends upon how long you’re staying. I wore home what I wore to hospital & packed basic toiletries - deodorant, body wash/soap, moisturiser, facial cleanser, toothbrush, toothpaste. I was made to shower alone the morning after (sort of a test to see if I’d be ok at home I think plus you feel so much better after that first shower). I took my iPad but I didn’t use it - slept a lot & couldn’t really concentrate enough to watch anything I’d downloaded or read. All of the meds you’re currently on in their original packets/bottles from your pharmacy with the printed script label attached. I refilled my meds before & took them in unopened. I do suggest packing extra knickers & sleep wear than you think you’ll need. Believe me embarrassing accidents can happen post surgery! Good luck.

I wore soft elastic & drawstring waist pjs in hospital then wore fitted but not tight pants with stretch to go home. I found the gentle pressure of the pants against my wounds supportive while travelling. Once I was home I just turned down the waist of the track pants I was wearing each day so they sat below the wounds. My wounds never really hurt but waist bands sort of were annoying against them. Good luck.

It will get better. Multi vitamins can make some people nauseous - they did me. Plus your tastebuds are pretty screwy over the first couple of months so lots of things will taste off & or disgusting. It can take a bit of trial & error to find things that you can tolerate. Again it does get better. My surgeon said it could be challenging to reach fluid & protein goals to begin but as long as I was making an effort & was close to goal he was happy. Don’t forget all your shakes add to your fluid goal too. Congrats on your surgery.

Your Tim is a shopping king @BayougirlMrsS. Oh @WishMeSmaller, I hope your surgery pain doesn't last long & your recovery is smooth & quick. My suitcase for my friend’s wedding. I promise it really is just for three days, two nights. Are 6 pairs of shoes too many??? 😉 I’ll post pxts of Fraser Island when I get home. There’s no wifi on the island & download speeds are crazy slow like dial up slow. Literally took minutes to download these two images.

Lots of evidence on this site that it’s true. You store fat everywhere on your body including your feet so why wouldn’t you lose it from there as well. I went from a 38.5/39 to a 37.5/38. My foot is narrower too. I’ve given away quite a few pairs of shoes to my cousins & a pair of flat sandals my feet were flapping around in to my 11yr old niece. I resized a Art Deco pinky ring (O - L) a year ago but it spins on my finger again. Amazing what dropping a couple kgs can do. Can’t size it down any more though because of its design & the shank. I wear a lot of my rings one finger up now - ring finger to muddle finger etc. I bought a half hoop in a size that fits to stop my triple cluster slipping down my finger ... well that was my excuse it buy it 😆😆😆.

Unfortunately when you juice fruit or vegetables you leave a lot of the goodness behind like the fibre they provide. Blending is fine cause you still consume the whole vegetable.

You’re most likely experiencing head hunger. The mind is a powerful organ & you have to retrain it so it knows what real hunger is (not habit eating or emotional eating or craving eating) & to understand what portion size is actually enough food. It takes time to break all your old eating habits & learn new ones or at least manage them better. Also stomach acid can make you feel hungry when you’re not. Esomeprazole will help with that. If you weren’t prescribed any ask your team for a script. Good luck.

If you are still on liquids only stage then don’t eat the wontons. The stages are designed to benefit the healing of your tummy & digestive system. Eat too much or eat the wrong food you risk doing harm or delaying your healing. I would maybe only eat the wonton filling in the soft food stage. Purées are that sloppy thick soup consistency i.e. still with a high liquid content. Chewing & chewing something won’t get it to the right purée consistency.

It’s likely swelling from the surgery. It happened to me too & that’s what my surgeon said it was. I had so much saliva as a result I carried a sick bag with me to spit it out. Had trouble swallowing my meds too. It noticeably improved by about day 3. I was not anywhere near meeting my fluid goals for those days. But it did improve. Good luck.

You look fabulous in that red dress @ANewJourneyAwaits. Hope you had an equally fabulous birthday. Gotta love wearing jeans that actually fit, @kristieshannon. Waist, hips, thighs & a belt too - lookin’ good.

I love my vegetables but I found I could only tolerate a tiny cauliflower floret, 2 green beans or a little shredded cabbage to begin. Everything was soft. I ate my protein first then tried the vegetables. Some days I could eat some, others I couldn’t. I found I could eat a few more vegetables if I put them in mince dishes, casserole type dishes & soups - tomatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, etc. I wrapped smoked salmon & cream cheese around thin batons of cucumber for a little while too (until my tummy decided salmon was bad 😁). Also added vegetables like spinach & mushrooms to cheese omelettes. You can always make steamed vegetables your snack too. It does get easier & you’ll be able to eat more vegetables in time. Just take it slowly.

The stats show the average weight lost at about the 3 year mark (maybe 5yr I can’t remember) is 60-65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in the healthy BMI range. This is likely the weight loss number your doctor advised you would likely lose but you can aim to lose more or less. Do people lose more than the 60-65%? Yep. Some of us do. Do some lose less? Yep, some do. Do some maintain the lower weight they reach? Yep, some do. Do some put weight back on in the years after surgery? Yep, some do. That’s the reality. For some, a weight in the healthy BMI range is not sustainable. It may be because of lifestyle i.e. an inability to sustain a lower calorie intake & increased activity level to maintain at the lower weight. There’s nothing wrong with that. You have to be able to live your life. Or it could just be them - a weight their body is happy at & is easy to maintain. I wonder if your doctor’s comment re people who lose a lot pre surgery, lose less after surgery is really about how fast you lose & how long it takes for you to reach your goal. Generally, the more you have to lose the faster you lose to begin. Therefore, if you lose a lot of weight pre surgery, you likely won’t lose as quickly at first as you would if you hadn’t lost much before your surgery. The rate of your loss slows as you get closer to your goal weight. This is because your calorie intake & energy output is closer to what is needed to maintain at that weight. We’re all different. No one can predict exactly what you will lose or maintain at, they can only suggest what might happen based upon statistics & experience. Good luck with your surgery. PS. I lost about 5kg in the two & a bit weeks pre surgery. I reached my goal in 6 months then lost 13kgs more at my lowest. I waiver at around 49kgs now.

Oh, I love those easy to wear, pop on, no fuss & look stylish jersey dresses too @GreenTealael. I want another one with sleeves so I can wear it under coats in winter. Whoo hoo @kristieshannon. Bet you wear it a lot over summer. Is your tattoo a little lizard? 2023 has been diarised @Sophie7713 😀. Lovely to look at all your green lushness Sophie. It’s chilly & raining again here today so pretty gray. At least things are green from all the rain we’ve been having but unfortunately it’s not falling over agricultural area which are suffering badly from drought or in many of our drinking water dam catchments. You’ll be rockin’ a new fitted wardrobe in no time @Roses436 & we will expect photos. Congrats on your weight loss @bethow. We need some photos from you too.