Arabesque

Last Christmas I had a similar experience when looking at my family’s plates. Though I wasn’t jealous, I was shocked with the realisation that my plate would have been that full the year before & for years before. No wonder I was obese. You have to remind yourself that they are likely overeating. Portion sizes are a lot smaller than what the average person eats. Sometimes they’re eating 2 & 3 times what they should be. You’ll soon be eating closer to recommended portion sizes in your smaller & healthier body & your plate won’t look quite so empty. 😁

I don’t count calories but I count protein every day & am conscious of portion size. I do check the caloric count of any new food I consider adding to my diet. I eat pretty much the same things every day. To give you an idea of what I eat: I serve (35g dry) rolled oats made with 1 cup milk & 12-15 blueberries. (I used to have scrambled eggs but 1 egg wasn’t enough & 2 were too much.) 6 or 8 multi grain crackers with liverwurst 120g prawns with about 2 cups of lettuce & seafood sauce or 80g chicken with about 2 cups of lettuce, 2 inches cucumber, 1 pickled onion & balsamic dressing. (The only reason I can eat this much is because I eat it over at least an hour.) If I’m out I eat less. E.g. 1/3 of a wrap without the wrap. 1 tub high protein yoghurt About 80g (raw) of protein: beef, pork, lamb, fish, etc. with half to 3/4 cup steamed vegetables fruit - either grapes, paw paw, rockmelon, mango, mandarin, etc. protein bar Some nights I’ll skip the protein bar or the fruit. Very occasionally I may add a string cheese or some whole grain rice crackers with hummus during the day depending how I’m feeling. I have 350ml green tea mid morning too. Lately I’ve been drinking 400mls of sparkling water- I pour it out in the morning so it gets flat & randomly sip on it all day. It’s just something different to the plain water I also drink. I take my time eating - 20 minutes is a quick meal like the yoghurt. 40 mins is pretty common for breakfast & dinner. Each meal/snack has a minimum of about 10g of protein, except the string cheese (5g) & the fruit of course. On days I’m not hungry I may only eat the protein at lunch & dinner.

When I start to get shaky I know I’m in trouble Mr Alley Gator cause it’s the beginning of a hyperglycaemic attack for me. Had a couple where I was able to grab some grapes or blueberries to ward it off but I had a bad one last week. Almost collapsed in the street (promise I wasn’t drunk) outside a store I frequent. It happened very quickly. They brought me inside, sat me down, gave me water & a ‘medicinal’ rum ball. I nibbled & sipped for 30 mins until the weakness had passed. Memo to self: keep protein bar in bag for emergencies. Sometimes you just need that hit of sugar &/or carbs. Even a molasses cookie or cranberry walnut bread (sound delicious) @WishMeSmaller. I think you’re right Ms.Sss. You feel that real hunger when it’s almost too late & you’re starving. I honestly didn’t feel hungry or want to eat before I went to bed. It’s all so strange how hunger signals itself to us now.

I’m 2 inches taller than you: 5’3”. I think your right in saying you’ll keep losing until your body stops. I think we do reach a point where our body says this is what I need to maintain. Factors like age, medical history, gender, genetics, weight loss history, etc. all influence where that sweet spot is. Sure we could all probably lose more if we reduce our intake further & increase our activity but does it work long term? As I said, can you maintain it within the life you want to live? Will it affect your health? Remember they say the average weight people lose & maintain is 60-65% of their original goal (it generally seems the goal is to reach a bmi of 22/23.) I think this is because of where they settle & find the balance that works within their life & the influence of the above factors. This is just my thinking. It could be totally wrong. My continued loss is unusual as is the amount of weight I’ve lost. My bmi currently is about 18.7 & I’ve lost 137% of my goal weight. I don’t want to lose more. Do I fear I may put on weight? Sure. I think we all do at some time on this journey. I would hope I’d still be happy if I put on weight & settled at my goal weight of 60kg. Though I’ll probably still be a bit upset with myself but ... . When my metabolism slows I just hope I can find a new balance of eating, activity & living that works for me long term. Will you lose more weight? You may? Will you put on weight? You may. There’s no 100% guarantee of what will happen. Your dedication & commitment to a life long change also plays a part. Sorry this so long. I hope I don’t sound preachy.

Hosted Christmas drinks last night. As has become my habit, I cooked something more substantial for later in the evening when the ubiquitous charcuterie board starts to lose its appeal. This time I marinated a boned leg of lamb in shawarma spices for 24hours, slow roasted & served with help yourself wraps, sliced cucumber, tomato, lettuce & red onion, & minted yoghurt dressing. Before & after of the lamb. Cranky I didn’t take a pxts of all the sides as I served them in black bowls - very dramatic colours. The flavour was amazing. I had 1/2 slice, a couple of cucumber slices & drizzled some yoghurt dressing. No wrap for me. Was too busy hosting to eat more. But there are some leftovers - yippee!

I was told 30 too but I can do less now. If I drink & eat too close together I quickly get a tightness in my chest which tells me to stop eating or drinking & wait longer. Handy warning system for me. 😋

I hit my 60kg goal weigh about 6 months after surgery. Since then I have continued to lose even though I’ve increased my caloric intake. I eat larger portion sizes (though still small) & have added snacks. I still avoid breads, pasta, rice & potato. No cakes biscuits, desserts, jams, etc. I just don’t have these foods in my house. I try to eat very much to routine because I still have days I don’t feel hungry and my diet is pretty routine too. I’m 19 months out and am sitting at about 48.5kg this week (about 107lbs) & 48.3 last week. My weight fluctuations are small less than 1kg but the general trend is still down. My surgeon’s team & GP want me to put in weight but I honestly can’t eat more than I do - it’s physically impossible & there’s no more hours in a day. I don’t want to add starchy carbs, sweets, etc. to my diet because I believe they contributed to my weight gain in the past. Mind you I tried some vegan soy pasta last week & it sat like a lump in my tummy which is what mashed potato did when I tried a spoon of that a couple of months ago as a test. So that helps me not to eat it. I believe my continued weight loss is because I’m still in the honeymoon period & my metabolism is going 100 miles an hour. I don’t know what the future will bring & how I will manage my metabolism slowing & appetite returning full time. I’m just going to take it day by day & try to continue to make healthy food choices. I tell myself I’m the one in control of my diet. No one is making me over eat or making me make unhealthy food choices. I do have the odd treat. Last night I had friends over for Christmas drinks. I had 2 half glasses of champagne & about 4 crackers with blue cheese & 2 slices of bresola over about 5 hours. (I also had 1/2 slice of the roast shawarma lamb I made.) The last time I did anything like this was about a month ago & 2 months before that. And I will have a sliver of Christmas cake on Xmas day. You may be able to get down to a lower weight but can you maintain it? You still have to be able to live & enjoy your life while maintaining a weight you are happy with. Finding that balance I think is the key. Good luck.

Don’t know how spicy your shrimps were but a friend had issues with spice to begin. Mashed avocado no problems but add chilli big problems. Something to consider especially as you’re still healing. It could be the carbs from the noodles too. Most plans advise to avoid all bread, pasta & rice & that includes noodles. (Little nutritional value & take up too much space in your tiny tummy.) I tried a small amount of a vegan soya pasta the other night & it sat like a lump in my tummy & I’m 19 months out, 1 yr maintenance. I’m going to stick with my zucchini noodles. Our tummIes are pretty sensitive to begin & often foods we used to be able to eat taste terrible, smell bad or upset us. Go slowly introducing foods again to begin. Stick to your plan guidelines. Your digestive system is not as it was before. Good luck.

A few months back I asked the same question about @AngieBear bayougirlMrsS. She was such a regular poster her absence has been very obvious.

To add to @Jaelzion excellent list: 9. You’ll lose some hair. The surgery & reduced caloric intake accelerates your natural hair loss cycle. It generally starts around month 3 or 4. You can’t stop it cause it’s a normal process. It does stop & your hair is regrowing as you’re shedding. How long it lasts is an individual thing. 10. Constipation is common. Add benefibre or similar to your diet & have some gentle stool softeners on hand. You’ll become regular again once you get close to or are in maintenance. 11. After surgery you may experience some nasty & very sudden attacks of diarrhoea. Pack some incontinence knickers so you’re not caught unaware & forced to toss your own knickers. 12. You will have lose skin. How much depends on how much weight you have to lose, your age, gender, weight gain/loss history, how long you’ve been overweight. 13. A lot of hormones, etc. are stored in your fat & as you lose your weight they’ll be released into your blood stream. You may experience changes to your menstruated cycle like heavier periods, increased cholesterol levels, incidences of low blood pressure, etc. Things will settle once you reach goal. 14. You will experience tiredness & loss of energy at times. Rest, nap as you need it. 15. Take each step slowly. Your tummy can become very contrary & throw tantrums like a 2yr old child. You may not enjoy foods you did before surgery. Food you ate successfully for weeks may suddenly upset you. Don’t give up on those things. Take a break & try them again later. 16. Yes, there will be foods you won’t eat again but they are the ones you won’t be able to tolerate after surgery &/or got you to the weight you are now. There will be foods you will only eat in moderation & foods that you discover healthier alternatives for or healthier ways of cooking them. 17. Listen to your body. It will tell you what you can or can’t tolerate. You may experience tightness or heaviness, vomiting or diarrhoea, even dumping. 18. You digestive system may gurgle, groan & whine like the ghost of the part of your tummy that was removed is haunting you. 19. Eat slowly. Put your cutlery down between bites, sit back & wait. Then ask yourself do you really need the next bite or do you just want it. 20. Don’t eat until you are full. Eat until you’ve had enough. There is a difference. 21. Sometimes, you may think you are having hunger pangs but it’s actually too much acid in your tummy. You likely will be prescribed esomeprazole to take at the beginning. If you weren’t, ask for some. My surgeon told me I’ll always be taking one every day. Of course you may not experience all of these things but it’s better to be aware of them in case you do. Good luck on your journey.

I had a bmi of 35 before my surgery & am 5’3” so similar to you. I wouldn’t consider it a low bmi though it is generally considered the minimum for surgery unless you have pre existing conditions like high blood pressure, which you have & diabetic, which you almost are. In two days I’ll be 19 months post surgery. I have no regrets at all. Best decision. I slowly put on weight from puberty. Then yo yoed between 60 & 75kgs thru my 20s, 30s & 40s. Then I became peri menopausal & put on 12 kgs in about 6 months. When I became menopausal I put on another 15kgs I swear overnight. And I couldn’t lose any of it. I woke up one day & decided enough. Made an appointment with my GP & 6 weeks later I was in surgery. I haven’t been the weight I am now since I was 12 & starting puberty. I’ve gone a full circle. Generally the whole process has been pretty smooth. My tendency to low blood pressure has become my every day life & I have the odd hyperglycaemic attack. But apart from that all good. It is your decision but if you follow the plan, make permanent changes to how you eat & what you eat, it will work for you too. It’s not a quick fix nor the easy way out. There’s a lot of self reflection, learning & work involved. The benefits to your health, general feeling of well being, greater energy, confidence, etc. cannot be undervalued. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Try the food before & after thread. Some posters are in maintenance, 1, 2, + yrs out, some are still losing. Lots of yummy pxts, product recommendations, recipes, etc.

I bought this vegan pasta because my grocery didn’t have my zucchini noodles. Decided I’d give it a go. I cooked two serves to go with my bolognese sauce which made 9 serves so about 11g pasta per serve. Oh boy, my tummy did not enjoy it. The taste was ok but it sat like a lump about half way down my tummy. Groan! Not a great loss though as I really like zucchini noodles.

Yep, real, fresh, whole foods are more expensive but so much better for you. My grocery bill is less now because there’s no bread, no biscuits, no ice cream, no snacks, etc. I make just about everything from scratch. I control the ingredients, how they’re prepared & how they’re cooked. I used to cook from scratch 80% of the time anyway so little change except for cooking methods, portion size & no pasta, bread or rice. I don’t use protein powders but that’s me (sorry Mr Alley Gator 😊). I get all my protein in without it but as you ‘re starting out they will make it easier to reach your protein goals. One benefit of the surgery is you eat much smaller portions so you’ll save that way. 500g of beef mince makes 9 serves of a bolognese sauce for me. Before surgery it would have been 4 or 5 serves. Don’t be afraid to bulk cook & freeze like Mr Alley Gator suggested. Zip lock bags & my freezer are my best friends followed by my microwave. Good luck.

That’s one benefit of the surgery for many of us: if we make a wrong choice, push to fast or detour from our path we’ll pay for it.... big time. And it ain’t pleasant. Hope you feel better soon.

Plus the cost of returning it if it doesn’t fit. Grrrr. Been trying in last summer clothes & a lot are too big. Sigh. Will I ever stabilise. So new pants (black of course) for work. Thank goodness Witchery does a size 4 (US size 0). Picked up two new blouses too. Both size 4 as well. No wonder my old size 10 tops were floating on me. I’ll be shopping in the children’s section soon though I don’t think I’ll resort to one of those Daddy’s little Princess shirts 😂 Also cleared out some summer shoes. Too big & too wide. Six pairs to find new homes. Lucky I bought those couple of new pairs. 😂

Yep it is. The closer to your goal, the slower the weight loss. It’s part of the ‘more you have to lose, the faster you’ll lose at the start’ general rule. In saying that, you may have reached a point of equilibrium where your caloric intake matches your calories burnt which is great for maintaining but not so much if you want to lose more. Have a chat with your surgeon & your dietician to review your diet, activity levels & lifestyle requirements. What is your goal weight? How much do you have left to go? I sat at a stall for 15 days before I hit my goal with one kilo to go. Super frustrating. You’ll get there. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

It seems unusual that your surgeon or dietician didn’t give you a plan but ... shrug. Ask for a program you can follow until you discover out what works best for you as you progress & within their recommendations & guidelines. In saying that I wasn’t given a caloric goal just portion size & food recommendations & suggestions. Some people can consume more calories than others. I was a small calorie consumer - less than 300 for the first few weeks. I’m not a n avid calorie counter just randomly check but I did record what & how much I ate for the first couple of months. You can only eat what you can eat with your much smaller tummy. Unless you force yourself to overeat at every meal, make poor food choices, etc. you’ll lose weight. Eating to excess will cause you lots of discomfort: pain, vomiting, etc. But it sounds like you’re committed to the program which will lead to your success. Just take a breathe. You can do this. There’s a lot of good information & real life experiences on this site. If you’re unsure, there’s always people here to share what they found worked for them. Good luck.

I think toxins & or hormones may be the culprits too. Fat stores a lot of stuff, like oestrogen, & as you lose the fat it’s released into your blood stream. Some women say they have cycles that are heavier, prolonged or more painful because of the flush of oestrogen into their bodies. I was menopausal so my hot flushes disappeared for a while - whoo hoo! Lol! Good luck in your journey. The pimples now will be so worth it when you’ve lost your weight. 😁

The general rule is the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose to begin. That ‘s why people on My 600lb Life lose 25-30lbs in a month. I’m not sure what your starting weight was but 18 pounds is a lot of weight to lose in two weeks. I lost about 5kg in the first 2 weeks so about 10lbs which seemed pretty average for those with similar height & starting weight to me. But, everyone loses at their own rate as other factors besides just caloric intake can come into play (age, gender, metabolic rate, weight loss history, lifestyle, etc.). As long as you’re following your plan & meeting your protein & fluid goals, you’ll lose weight. Every pound lost is a win in my book. Celebrate each one you lose. Congrats on your surgery & good luck on your journey.

First, just about everyone stalls at least once on their journey regardless of their protein intake. It’s just your body taking a breath to catch up with the changes. I wasn’t getting my protein in either to begin. My goal was 60g. I couldn’t tolerate protein shakes at all - so grainy & blah! Shudder! But they’re the easiest way to meet your goals if you can tolerate them & they contribute to your fluid goal too. I added a high protein yoghurt/yogurt drink to my diet to up my daily protein intake instead. My dietician also suggested adding milk powder to my milk to make it extra rich & double the protein except I found it too sweet. I add it to my chia pudding now.

Multi vitamins can make you nauseous. I spread mine out over the day & made sure I had them after I ate. Also, some people have trouble with lactose post surgery. At the best it can make you nauseous. At the worst it will go right through you. Many experience changes to their taste buds making previously enjoyed foods totally unpalatable. Some also find the smell of some foods turn them right off. Have a chat with your surgical team & your dietician. You should be able to eat regular food now. Congrats on your surgery.

I never ate that much for months. A quarter to a third of a cup was the norm for me. It would take 3 days to eat 2 scrambled eggs. I ate three times a day & at about month 3 I started slowly adding an afternoon snack of yogurt &/or fruit. At 19 months out I eat about 3 oz of protein. I do eat more vegetables than when I was losing (about 1/2 cup now) & have more snacks. Last night I had a bare cup of bolognese ( mince beef, onions, celery, carrot, tinned tomato) over 35 mins & it was more than enough. At 5 weeks I could eat about 1/4 cup of the same. Don’t push yourself to eat to a specific amount. Just make sure you’re meeting your protein goals. We can only eat what we can eat. Eat slowly until you feel like you’ve had enough. (It takes time for the message you’re full to get through.) You don’t want to eat too much or eat until you’re over full. I can take 20 mins to an hour to eat. I’m a believer in putting my fork down between bites, waiting before I take another & asking do I really need (not want) that next bite. Some people can & do eat more. Others less. You just have to work out what is the right amount for you & your body within your program. Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

In my first two weeks I was consuming way less than 500calories. I wasn’t even hitting 300 calories. I wasn’t hungry & had issues with swallowing post surgery because of surgical swelling. By soft foods I was eating more but still not 500 calories. Once on solid foods, I started eating to a schedule to ensure I ate & to increase my calories to about 500. My surgeon & dietician was fine with this. At almost 19 months out & I still eat to a schedule & am pretty routine in what I eat too. I still have days I’m just not hungry & I struggle to maintain my weight so the food routine is important for me. I can be flexible because I accept some things are out of my control, but I am concerned about how I’ll manage going back to work. Can’t take an hour to eat & take regular breaks to snack especially in retail. Sigh. You have to discover what works for you & your medical team is happy with as well. I understand your husband’s concern because of your history so while your surgeon & dietician can oversee your food consumption & physical health, conversations with a therapist may be necessary to support you with your control issues. Good luck.

Don’t worry about meeting your protein goals to begin. You’ve just had surgery, you’re swollen & your digestive system is very delicate. I was in hospital for two days after surgery & I doubt I consumed a cup of broth & water combined. I was very swollen & had trouble swallowing. But as the days went by I could get more in. The surgeon was fine with it. Take your time, increasing your intake each day as you can manage it. You’ll likely find things you used to enjoy upset you to begin & you can be more sensitive to certain foods like dairy. Your taste buds change as does your sense of smell for many too - they do go back to normal. Congrats on your surgery & good luck on your journey.