Arabesque

Ahh. Five Mike Creek was totally fictional & I hate to say it but it was also ‘americanised’ A lot of Australian movies & tv programs were then so they would be relatable to the American audience. Language was changed, accents exaggerated, even cars on the wrong side of the road, etc. While it lead to an increase in American tourists, it also resulted in a lot of disappointment because the real Australia wasn’t like the version in movies & tv programs. There aren’t kangaroos hopping down the streets. We don’t greet each other by saying giddy mate. We don’t all wear Akubras. And it’s almost 2500km (1500 miles) from Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef. And we don’t all drink beer.

Could be from the internal scaffolding suture. You are still healing so go slowly & don’t do anything too strenuous or physical to strain or stretch the internal wounds.

Are you on esomeprazole? Stomach acid can cause discomfort which make you think you’re hungry. Most surgeons prescribe it for the first couple of months at least. Congrats on your surgery.

We all carry our weight in different places regardless of what we weigh. I’m still an hour glass & my friend is still pear shaped. Unfortunately we can’t do much to change that except through surgery. Liposuction maybe an option if it continues to bother you though you may end up with more loose skin. It sounds like you’ve been fortunate in regards to not having a lot of loose skin though. I was doing well until I lost the 10kg below my goal but I don’t have a lot - pinches not handfuls. 😁 I also found that in the months after I lost the weight, the remaining fat redistributed itself a bit. My face doesn’t look as gaunt & my butt, while still pretty flat & has a little more shape. So the body you have when you hit goal may be a little different a few months later. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Don’t regret it at all. I’ve made some decisions to cut certain foods out of my diet but they were danger foods for me & I don’t really miss them. For example I avoid sweets (no cakes, biscuits, desserts) but I had dessert & cake at Christmas. Was never a fast food person so cutting that out was no loss. Used to have takeaway about once a month. Now I’ve only had takeaway food a couple of times in almost two years while with friends (Chinese & gyoza) & again don’t really miss it. How much or how often you eat certain ‘bad’ foods is up to you. Your tummy may restrict you eating some foods depending on your surgery (sweet or fatty foods can cause issues for bypass people) but it is individual. Don’t understand the no red meat advice. I’m a big carnivore & only issue I have is if it is too fatty like pork ribs (pork tenderloin is fine). Can’t do oily fish either but I wasn’t great with fatty/oily foods before surgery either. My GP was very supportive. I’m sorry yours isn’t. What are their reasons for you not having the surgery? What are their reasons for not supporting you to make the changes for a healthier life?

I don’t have children either but I can share a couple of stories. My mother asked by 20 yr old nephew if he thought I was different since I lost weight. He gave my mother a strange look then looked at me & said nope. She’s still the bestest aunt. My 8 yr old niece asked me why I was skinny now. I told her it was so she could give me better hugs. She threw herself at me & wrapped her arms about me then ran off to play. The 10 yr old son of my friend was talking to her about a boy in his class who was very overweight & how sad it was he couldn’t play sport. My friend said yes, it is difficult when you are big to be active. Look how much I can do with you now I’ve lost weight. Her son looked at her quizzical & said what do you mean you lost weight. She said you know from when I was really overweight. He replied you were never fat. Sometimes, our children, nieces & nephews, only see the real us inside not the physical outer us. & they can be more accepting & non judgemental about changes to our external selves. I don’t know the ages of your children but be open. Talk to them about why you’re doing this & how it will be better for all of you. You healthier, more active, etc. & benefits to all of you because of better eating habits as well. Introduce the changes that directly affect them slowly so they are more accepting & not adverse to the changes. Good luck.

Oh, to be so graceful & serene.

No, I didn’t have weight gain on HRT but couldn’t shift the weight I had put during peri menopause & early menopause before starting HRT. I remember people used to complain about weight gain on the pill but I would actually lose a couple of kg. We had Cobb & Co in Australia which carried passengers & the mail. Can’t recall a tv program about it except for the odd documentary. There is a Cobb & Co museum in Toowoomba which is close to where I grew up but I’ve never been. Isn’t that the way though. You never go to the places near you but will travel interstate or overseas to see museums & places of historical significance.

I’ve always had that - getting stiff or cramped if I stay in the same position too long (could be five minutes could be 30). My hands became cramped from holding my iPad while reading last night. Your weight distribution is changing as you’re losing weight so that may be contributing too. Magnesium can help with cramping. But if anything seems or feels strange for you, always contact your medical team to be sure.

Thank you for your kind words. Only second best country? Tsk tsk. 😁😁 Maybe you’ll be able to visit with your lovely friend in Adelaide soon. Damn COVID & how it limits our lives. It’s definitely worth a conversation with your GP about HRT. Good luck.

It takes a lot of excessive over eating over time to stretch your tummy again. It’s not an easy thing to do. Some can eat a little more depending upon the type of protein & how it’s prepared (I found I could eat a little more liquidy protein) but as long as you’re following your plan you should be ok. Check with your team if you’re concerned. Remember to eat slowly so the message you’ve had enough gets through before you’ve eaten more than you need. Try to eat until just before you feel full. There’s a difference between eating what you need & eating until you feel full. Good luck.

I’ve been taking it for about 5 years now & no side effects that I’m aware of. I still have odd break through hot flushes usually in summer when I’m hotter all over anyway. My emotions are more stable too. My mother at 81 still takes HRT. If she goes off it all the menopausal symptoms return. She’s been on it for 30+ years. The only side effects she has had was a small benign uterine polyp which may have been from one prescription she was on (they changed it just in case). I remember three women in my town had strokes in the same year as complications from severe menopausal symptoms - two died. I decided then & there I would take HRT if I had symptoms.

Don’t know if I got angry but I used to get frustrated if I was out & couldn’t find anything suitable to eat. I got caught up in making sure I ate regularly to meet my protein & fluid goals. If I missed a meal or my routine was out, I felt I wouldn’t meet the goals for the day & thought this was a bad thing. I eventually realised that this is just life & I couldn’t control everything. It really wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t meet my goals one day as long as I did the next. I always carry a protein bar in my bag now just in case. Congrats on your surgery & loss so far.

Gerd suffers are usually advised against sleeve surgery so first you have to find out if you do have gerd & its severity. That will then influence your decision as to which surgery. I had mild gerd before my sleeve surgery. My surgeon still recommended the sleeve for me because it was mild & was aggravated by stress, spicy, fatty or rich foods & carbonated drinks. I also generally managed it with diet & only took an esomeprazole occasionally (go for months without needing too). Post surgery, my gerd is different (no bad taste in my mouth but occasionally some burning in my throat, no prolonged & painful hiccups, etc.). I take esomeprazol every day now & still watch my food choices & when I eat them (like no hard protein before bed). This keeps it pretty well controlled.

No tummy pain here either. I had mild gerd before my surgery & still have it. It manifests differently but is easy to manage with meds & diet like it was before. I used to have issues with lactose thanks to a parasite in my lower tummy, upper intestine. Now I don’t have any problems - I think it was hiding in the part of my stomach that was removed. Whoo hoo!! I also used to over produce stomach acid & suffered cutting pain (they thought I had ulcers originally) but haven’t had the pain since surgery. So the sleeve surgery helped me in some unexpected ways. The only pain I exoerience is the tightness across my chest when my restriction kicks in. It occurs when I’ve eaten too quickly, eaten something that’s sitting heavily in my tummy, or had that extra bite I didn’t need. Yeah, I have odd issues with constipation like @Jaelzion. I just keep some stool softeners in the bathroom cabinet just in case.

@Jaelzion is correct. The ultimate decision to proceed or not is up to you. And feeling unsure or questioning your decision is not uncommon. Sure, people do struggle in those first couple of weeks. They just had surgery & are recovering & healing. Plus their digestive system has been altered which is a shock to the body. The initial diet, which is to support the healing & recovery, is pretty restrictive. The new digestive system can be pretty delicate to begin & it may be difficult to find foods it will tolerate. This can be very confusing & although people may be aware it occurs the reality can still be a shock. But it does all improve & it becomes easier. Yes, some people have complications. All surgeries have the risk of complications. Bariatric surgery risks are pretty low. Much lower than surgeries you may need if your excess weight impacts your health: cardiac, joint replacement, kidney or liver problems, etc. Same with issues that may arise in the years post surgery. You’ll likely read about them, on forums like this one, because people want to share their experiences &/or are seeking support & advice. In reality they are minority & it is very sad to read about their complications. As with all things, you should be aware of the possibilities. Personally, I haven’t had any problems. Sure, my orthostatic hypotension (drops in blood pressure) occurs more frequently but it was a pre existing condition. As was the mild gerd I had before surgery. I still have it. It manifests differently now but it’s easy to manage. Every day, I’m glad I decided to have the surgery. Good luck making your decision what ever you decide.

I was weighing & recording every day but since I stabilised I don’t mind if I skip the odd day & I only record highs or lows now. I do this to keep myself accountable. In the past pre surgery, if I thought I had put on weight I wouldn’t weigh myself. If I didn’t see the number on the scale I could convince myself I hadn’t put on weight. Once a day, once a week, once a month, you have to do what works for you.

Hey Sophie. So lovely to see you again. Looking gorgeous. I’d be sneaking that mirror out the door to find it a new home at my house. How can you not love olives? Salty goodness. I never liked them until I had fresh ones versus those dried out nasty black ones in jars. Oh, blue cheese or feta stuffed olives are yummy too. I love a good pickled onion, have one chopped up in my chicken salad about 3 times a week & used to enjoy eating them straight out of the jar. I love the tingly sensation when eating them & the little sweat on the upper lip if they’re extra strong. Don’t really enjoy American style pickles though & don ‘t think I’ll fight Tim for the pickled okra either. Not a fan of okra at all. I’d give those vodka soaked cherries a go as long as they’re not like those cherry liqueur chocolates. Remember them? Blah!!

While there are average rates of loss, there really isn’t a right or wrong pace. You’ll lose at your rate. As @catwoman7 said there are a lot of factors that influence the rate of your loss. The only concerns would be if you were losing excessively quickly for your starting weight, age, gender, etc. or extremely slowly. I lost about 9kg in my first month & my medical team was very happy with that. What is your surgeon &/or dietician saying?

I live alone & I was fine. I had a couple of friends who rang or txt me each day to check I was ok. I was weary more than anything & spent a lot of time on my couch. I think @ShoppGirl’s advice is good about your husband just letting his work know he may have to pop home to help you if needed.

I stopped shakes as soon as I was on purées. They were disgusting & I wanted to work towards getting all my nutritional needs from food not supplements but that was my goal. Use smaller plates & bowls so you look like your eating a ‘fuller’ plate of food. Eating 1/2 cup of food on a full sized plate can be depressing & can trick you into putting more food than you need on your plate. Left overs are my friend. My freezer is full of individual portion meals & cooked meats. All I have to do is defrost, reheat & maybe cook some vegetables or prep some salad. Easy meal in a few minutes. @lizonaplane is correct about portion sizes. Many people eat portions that are 2, 3 or more times larger than what is recommended & what we actually need to eat. Eating smaller portions doesn’t stop you enjoying what you eat. It sounds like you’re grieving what & how you used to eat. Remember that lead you to being overweight. You’re learning about what is a correct food portion that satisfies your need for food. A big learning is discovering the difference between eating what you need versus eating what you want. This was key for me. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it. As you progress you will be able to eat more. I eat just under a recommended serving size now for most things. Good luck.

I have two oozing discs in my lower back. Weight loss has helped. I experience more discomfort than pain now if I stand for an hour or so. I find my back gets ‘tired’ if I’m doing too much bending, lifting, etc. versus discomfort or pain as I used to experience. I only took pain meds or anti inflammatories occasionally before surgery like if my back was stopping me doing things. Now I don’t need to take any meds. I found acupuncture more helpful than physiotherapy.

A stick blender which is easier for blending/pureeing small serves. I used a lot of small snack size zip lock bags to freeze individual portions & leftovers - work for liquids & solid foods. They take up less room in the freezer than plastic storage containers too. Child size forks or buffet forks, small plates & bowls (like little tapas ones). A tea leaf strainer. I know it sounds odd but I found it useful for straining soups into mugs to make sure there were no lumps, chunks or stray pieces of meat, vegetables or herbs. A small whisk. A jug with increments in ounces. Kitchen scales also with small increments. A set of measuring cups & spoons. A small thermos & a thermal cup. Good luck with your surgery.

I jinxed myself & everyone else in Brisbane - today is cold & overcast. Not your cold @ms.sss (brrrrr) but Brisbane cold. 😉 Woke up stiff & curled in a ball because of the overnight drop in temp. I love a gin martini @BayougirlMrsS with lots of olives. Would love to join you. 😁 Great T @GreenTealael. Nerds do rule the world. I recommend Nerds with Vaginas & captains coffee on Insta for a daily chuckle only nerds would get.

I too had a couple of stalls. My longest was when I was 1kg from goal! Stalls are common while we’re losing. We all talk about the three week stall but you’ll be bound to experience them again as you’re losing. I never did anything to break my stalls. I stuck to my plan & they just broke themselves. Not sure how close you are to your goal but remember the closer you are the more slowly you’ll lose. A lot of this is because your food intake, which has been slowly increasing, is nearing the point of equilibrium where the calories you consume more closely matches the calories you burn. The closer you are to this point the less you’ll lose or you’ll be maintaining. If you want to lose more weight you can either increase your activity &/or decrease your calories. But then if you want to maintain at a lower weight, you have to decide if your activity level & calorie intake to reach that weight & maintain is sustainable. Unfortunately, while exercising does burn calories it also increases your desire for calories. Plus muscle weighs more than fat. So if you’re building muscle you may be adding weight or negating the weight you’re losing to a degree especially if you’re close to goal. Plus exercise only contributes to about 20% of the weight you want to lose. So if you have 20 more lbs to lose, exercise may only contribute to the loss of about 4lbs. Your basal metabolic rate also impacts your weight loss. Sorry, I sound like I’m lecturing.