Arabesque

I still eat slowly. 20 mins is a quick meal, 40 mins is common & I’ll take more than an hour to eat others. I’m a believer in putting your cutlery down between bites & waiting - sometimes for a couple of minutes. As I also ask myself do I need the next bite or do I just want it. If I eat too quickly or feel pressured to eat more quickly (like by hovering wait staff) I get tightness & I can’t eat more even I need to. I’m used to eating cold food now too. Or I’ll just pop my plate in the microwave to reheat it.

Oh you poor thing. Something similar happened to me at a restaurant. I was making all these terribly loud retching, gagging & belching type noises in the bathroom for several minutes & then had to walk out in front of everyone. Embarrassing! You’ll find that your tummy is extra sensitive to foods you used to eat pre surgery for the first few months. Sometimes even food you’ve been successfully eating for weeks post surgery suddenly make you unwell. I described my tummy as being a petulant 2 yr old during that time - you’d never know when it might have a tantrum. But you may find there are some foods you’ll always struggle with. Good luck on your journey.

Wonderful. I’m very happy for you. 🏆

It is difficult when you want to control the information about the surgery. Some people, like your dad, just can’t help sharing your stories. But it is your right to control your personal & private information. I have a nosy & competitive long term friend who I didn’t tell. We caught up for lunch a few times during my weight loss phase. I went down the telling the truth path but just omitted the part about the surgery. I told her I was seeing a dietician - true. I told her I had my doctor’s support - true. I told her I had come to the realisation that as a shorter person with a smaller frame who wasn’t overly active, I didn’t need as much food so I was eating smaller portions - true. I told her I was avoiding or restricting certain foods like carbs while I was trying to lose weight - also true. Now I tell her I’ve changed a lot of my diet based on what I learnt during this time but I’ll always have to work at my diet. She’s accepted everything. Yes I sometimes do feel a little guilty about not telling her everything but because she is competitive (she started to see a dietician after I told her I was) she’d be of the view I’d the taken the easy route to lose weight by having surgery.

No snow here. 30+ degree temps (my mum had 43 degrees C last week) which is why the sudden drop to 19/20 over the weekend was a shock. At least it was accompanied by rain which was wonderful in our drought stricken land. Though not nearly enough to change anything. Sigh. I think you & I will have to look to Ms.Sss for snowy landscape pxts. Hint hint! The pants are actually proper trousers in a heavy suiting type fabric with only a touch of stretch - to allow you to sit comfortably. I had a dressy pair of leggings in winter too. I wore them a lot with jackets & my over the knee boots. I’m sure you’ll love yours too Sophie. You could wear them with your new boots. 😁 We’ve been very fortunate here & have had only very small number of covid cases. In Queensland, I think we’ve only had about 1200 cases & fewer than 10 deaths from the beginning. Though people have become more complacent lately. Fewer people using provided hand sanitisers & more not complying with social distancing guidelines which I think is risky with the heaving, maddening crowds at the moment. There certainly wasn’t any social distancing yesterday at the shopping centre! They’re ‘oiled’ Swarovski crystals so they flash pink, yellow, green, purple as they catch the light. Thank you Wishmesmaller. 😊 I actually still have a little of the lamb left. I’ll be bundling up the last couple of slices for the freezer today. It was super delicious if I say so myself.

Yes, you will be able to sit down & eat & drink with others. You’ll just eat a smaller portion & not drink as much and you won’t be able to eat & drink together. There may be food you can’t tolerate but most sleevers can eat just about anything. Just step gently with a new food or an old favourite the first time you eat it after surgery. The closer you get to your goal weight & maintenance you’ll find your portion size increases closer to a recommended portion size for a non surgical adult. It’s an important thing to remember that many people eat serves that are 2 & 3 times the recommended portion size without even knowing it. You likely did. We all likely did. I used to have a large glass of wine every night. Now half a glass is enough & I can go for weeks without even wanting a drink. I’ve lost a lot of my taste for it. It’s not a problem. I just sip slowly if having a social drink. I understand your experiences with extreme dieting & then regaining very quickly after. I was the same. The big realisation & acceptance for me has been I can’t go back to eating like I did if I want to be successful & keep the weight off otherwise I’m just repeating what didn’t work before & I’ll be obese again. I have to eat smaller portions. I have to make healthier food choices & I have to eat food prepared in a healthier way. There are foods I avoid. There are foods I restrict. But it works for me. It’s a realisation you will have to come too as well. And you’ll also discover what you need to do to be successful. Yep, it’s hard to begin but you’ll work it out. It’s about finding a balance between your food & activity choices & how you want to live your life. Good luck with whichever path you decide to take.

The vision tunnelling could be from orthostatic low blood pressure. That means your pressure drops on rising to standing & then equalises a few seconds later. I take a couple of steps & then everything goes black & then comes back again. I used to randomly experience this now it happens frequently every day. When it occurs I stop moving & try to touch a wall, a table, someone just to ground myself for those few seconds. If this is also coupled with tremors, weakness & feeling like fainting it could be a hyperglycaemic event. I have those too now occasionally. Eating a few blueberries or grapes help relieve the symptoms (or a ‘medicinal’ rum ball as I had to have last week after an attack). Ketosis occurs because of being on a low calorie diet & having less glucose available in your body. Low glucose has links to diabetes & can cause hyperglycaemic events. These may not be what’s happening to you but just something to also consider. Things do go a bit haywire after surgery as a lot of hormones are released into your blood stream from your fat as you lose weight. My liver suddenly wasn’t functioning normally & my cholesterol went up. It all stabilised again when I reached maintenance & was eating a little more. I hope you find some answers soon. Good luck.

Not happy with what I wore for my Christmas drinks. Had to choose a different top which didn’t really work with my new teeny sized pants (lol) as it was damn chilly here. I had to get the rugs out for everyone again. Sigh. But I did still wear my crystal Christmas mules - sparkly. It’s like everyone’s suddenly realised it’s almost Christmas here & they’ve gone crazy. Had an early appointment at a shopping centre to collect my new phone & was jostled, bumped, knocked, pushed, shoved, had my heels clipped by a wheelie walker & was even poked with an umbrella (accidentally but still). And only two people apologised. Unbelievable.

Finding the perfect pair of boots is sheer bliss. Tour’s will look good with a skirt too Sophie. And did you ever think you’d not only wear long boots but long boots with your pant legs inside them? Love the new sweaters too. Especially love that pink on you. Gorgeous.

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. 😂