Arabesque

Definitely check with your surgeon. My surgeon told me I could take over the counter nsaids for my odd headache but only because I took them so rarely & usually took only 1 or 2 once every month or two. But that was my situation. I think frequency of usage & the strength of your medication will influence your surgeon’s advice.

Congrats to all of you on your surgeries. Don’t be surprised if your cycles go haywire for several months. As you lose weight, eostrogen is released from your fat into your body. This hormonal flush can make your cycles go crazy - heavier, lighter, more painful, less painful, more frequent, ... So fun & games ahead. At the moment, it’s likely from the shock of the surgery to your body plus the reduced caloric intake prior to surgery. It does eventually all settle again.

Yep, it’s very likely gas pain from when they inflate your abdominal region for the surgery. Walk, walk, walk to get it moving out of your body more quickly. I know it may be a bit challenging to move much post surgery depending upon your recovery progress. Even short walks around your home helps. Congrats on your surgery.

I had stress related reflux before my surgery, suffered terribly from hiccups, was sensitive to spicy foods & had a lactose sensitivity due to a parasite I’d picked up years ago. Post surgery, my reflux is ‘different‘ but it’s managed by daily meds versus ‘as needed’. The big wins were I don’t suffer from the awful hiccups any more & my lactose sensitivity seems to have vanished (I think it was hiding in the part of my stomach that was removed). Still can’t tolerate spicy food but no loss. You have to feel at peace with your decision to proceed with your surgery cause you are going to have to be fully committed to the program & to making the changes if you want to be successful. When they say it’s going to take hard work they’re right but the benefits are amazing. So, so worth it. Good luck with whichever path you chose.

I’m so sorry you’ve been disappointed by some of the responses here. I lurked on a couple of other forums but found this one by far the best. Overall it has been very supportive & there are some truly lovely people here. Yep, there have been the odd posts that have shamed or bullied but the supportive ones far out number them. I admit I once posted a response that upset the author. It certainly wasn’t my intention to do so & I made the comment as something she might consider as an option. I was so upset I had caused her distress. None of us are experts here & we can only post about our experiences, our own research or what we’ve been told by our medical support team & we just want to help. The sharing makes us feel less alone whether we’re the poster or responder. I hope you give this forum another chance or you’re able to find another group you feel comfortable with (so important). It’s so awful we are experiencing this pandemic at the same time you’ve made the decision to have weight loss surgery. Making the decision to proceed, all the steps you have to go through, the surgery & the the journey after are stressful enough without adding covid fears. I hope you have the support of your family &/or friends while you’re going through this. Good luck with your surgery & your weight loss journey.

I would think you were in a stall too. Some people say shaking up their calorie intake (increase or decrease slightly) &/or changing your activity (increase it or change what you do) will get you out of a stall. I just continued on my path & I would start to lose again. How are you preparing your proteins? Spray oil is so useful. Plus, invest in a non stick fry pan if you don’t have one. I ate all red meats, chicken, fish & prawns. All cooked in a little spray oil in a non stick pan. No deep frying. No crumbing (breading) or batters. No sauces (except sometimes a splash of soy sauce) just herbs & spices for any additional flavour. Or I would use tinned tomatoes or cook down fresh ones for a sort of sauce/gravy (counted as my fruit/vege serve). Just microwaved or steamed my veges unless I cooked them in with my meat (like in a savoury mince). Good luck.

I wanted an all in one like yours, Sophie, though just to my knees.(Love the floral print on the top half of yours.) But because the summer stock wasn’t in yet I ended up with the shorts & long sleeved top set. No finger holes though - I love those too. I think that denim jumpsuit would look fab on you Ms.SSS. I think you should seriously consider getting that one or one like it. Congrats on the NSV, Nermada. I love NSVs. They make you feel just so happy.

I went from a 38.5/39 down to a 38. Just enough for the shoes to be that bit too loose. But I can wear some of my treasured ones again. So yippee! And who needs an excuse to have to buy new shoes - not me. 😁

Congrats on your surgery. Cheese can be a little rich for your tummy to digest at first so go slowly. I puréed or strained all the soups I made or bought so no chunky or stringy bits. I also diluted it with extra stock or water so it was easier to swallow/eat. Better to be gentle on your tummy to begin. Don’t be surprised if you can only consume a small amount at a time. I kept my soup in a small thermos & would sip it over a couple of hours.

I didn’t gain any weight during our shut down & even though things are pretty much back to usual here, my work hasn’t reopened yet (so I’ve been at home since March). I’m not a gym person but I have a treadmill - not that I use it often Lol. I’ve just been very routine in what I eat & when I eat. The routine makes me feel in control which can be soothing in stressful times. Plus I didn’t buy any ‘treat’ foods so I couldn’t be tempted to eat them. Yep, I’ve been pretty strict & I admit it is easier to do because I live alone but I know my weaknesses. Go back to your pre covid diet. Take it day by day. Find ways to be active like go for a walk, use stairs, etc. You’ll get back on track. You can do this.

Look at you in your jeans, Sophie: looking great. I’ve decided grey is the perfect transeasonal neutral. The mules actually have a bronze 3.5in heel too - go the metallics. Oh, & some animal print - growl. And yes they do it in a flat too - Sophia Webster Ramona flat.

I think negativity about high protein intake is related to the negativity about the keto diet. I was told to aim for 60 grams during my weight loss. When I reached maintenance I adjusted to the 0.8 per kg of my weight. But my dietician said it should be 1g per kg but because I was a woman in her mid 50s I should be getting 1.2g but that seems too much. I aim for 50g a day but I don’t beat myself up if I only get in 40g on the odd day. It’s a bonus day when I get in 60g. I think you should just follow your plan & the recommendations from your dietician & surgeon.

First, congrats on your weight loss. As for your clothes: get rid of them. As ChubRub & AZHiker said you don’t need a back-up plan. A ‘just in case‘ plan implies you have accepted you will fail. You can & will be successful. Every month, I’d clear out a wardrobe, a cupboard or set of drawers & then I’d start again. It was really rewarding to pack up clothing that was too big for me. I donated most things except for my really good clothes which I’m slowly selling or gave to my mum. I simply tossed somethings. One girlfriend got all the unopened packs of tights I had & another a brand new bra. I’m offering shoes in good condition but too big to my cousins then to the ladies in the office at my family’s business.

Congrats on having your surgery & your weight loss so far. You likely aren’t doing anything wrong. Generally, the less you have to lose the slower you’ll lose. But, we all lose at our own rate. Some at similar height, age & weight will lose very quickly, others will lose very slowly. Our age, genetics, gender, health, personal weight loss history, type of surgery, etc. all impact our progress. There is no right or wrong speed just as long as you’re losing. Stick to your program. Do the work. You will lose your weight & get to your goal just in your time. Just watch those numbers decrease, your clothes to get too big, your health to improve & enjoy your progress. Good luck.

A lot of foods are just too sweet for me since surgery. (A bonus.) I eat Danone YoPro yoghurt - don’t know if it’s available in the US. A 160g tub of passion fruit yogurt has 15g protein, 94 cal, 0.5g fat & 5.8g sugar. I don’t find it overly sweet. It has a slightly denser texture - not silky smooth.Their drinking yoghurt has 30g protein in a 350ml bottle & similar ration s if fat, sugar, calories. My dietician initially suggested Chobani but that was really too sweet. You could always purée fruits you enjoy & add them to plain yogurt. You’ll get the sweetness from the fruit & not from the sugar/sweetners in syrups. I gurgle terribly when I have yogurt but it’s a good source of protein for me each day so I put up with the growls, whines, moans & gurgles. 😁 Good luck with your surgery.

Looking absolutely fabulous @BayougirlMrsS. Love the memory lane pxt @Cheeseburgh. I lived in my long line cardigan in winter @ms.sss. So easy to layer. The mossy green colour is lovely too. So pretty @GreenTealael - both you & the location.

I did lots or reading before surgery. I also chose the sleeve because it didn’t change my digestive pathway & I wouldn’t be challenged by malabsorption issues. Sleevers also seemed to be less likely to suffer from dumping & food intolerances. The average weight loss over 5 years is about the same for the two surgeries though bypass patients often lose more quickly at first. I had stress related reflux before but while I have odd days now when I have attacks (usually at night) it’s manageable with medication - I just take 20mg Nexium every day & not as needed as I did pre surgery. I didn’t have any side effects from my surgery so I can’t advise you on that. I just have the usual side effects of weight loss: feeling the cold, bony butt pain, cholesterol went up before settling back to normal, low blood pressure, etc. & better health. As with all things, we all have different experiences throughout this journey & level of your success is directly dependent upon the effort you put in. I’m so glad I had my sleeve surgery. Whichever surgery you decide to have I’m sure you’ll be equally as happy. Good luck.

Congrats on your surgery & I’m glad you’re feeling so well. Remember, you are healing after your surgery. Your nerves have been cut, your digestive system is working differently & you may not feel/experience things the same way. The restrictive diet & volume limits are to allow your body to heal. My first thought regarding your hunger is are you really hungry? Head hunger or habit eating hunger is real & can mess with you bad. We all have to work through understanding the difference & learning about about mindful eating. It’s part of this journey. You’ll work your way through this too. Also because your ‘drinking’ your meals at the moment you can consume more because the liquids go through your tummy more quickly. If you are really concerned & can’t speak with your dietician, contact your surgical team. Good luck.

It’s likely the anaesthetic. Many non wls patients comment on dry, brittle or frizzy hair a couple of months post surgery. My mum & her neighbour both complain about the change in their hair texture after their knee replacement surgeries. It’s a pretty common side effect of having a general anaesthetic. The hair loss is the shock to the body & restricted diet. Your hair texture will improve over time you just have to wait for it to work out of your system.

It’s always soup season even in spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Chicken & vegetables. Was going to throw in some barley but forgot to buy it ☹️. Still yummy.

I was put on a keto diet plan by my dietician for the 2.5 weeks pre surgery & I was ever so grateful. One friend was on 3 shakes a day for two weeks while another was on 2 shakes plus 1 high protein low carb meal for 4 weeks. Which ever plan you’re given stick to it. It starts the process of re-examining your food habits & making better food choices so you can take the best advantage of your surgery. Good luck with your surgery & on your journey.

It may be the type of ‘mask’ you have or you may need to adjust the fit or the air flow because of your weight loss. There could be other non CPAP causes too. There are some of us who began to breathe through our mouths post surgery (don’t ask me why but the dry mouth is pretty hideous). If you fall into this group too, it may be contributing. Make sure you’re not eating to quickly or gulping your fluids & building up air in your stomach. Watch carbonated drinks. Have you noticed any reflux symptoms? It can cause burping (& hiccups).

You may dump from the sugar hit, just vomit, have diarrhoea or you may not have any side effects or any you are aware of. But is it worth it? There is a reason for the restrictive diet & staged return to eating. You’re healing. There’s swelling, nerves have been cut, you’re generally more sensitive to foods, etc. You may not even enjoy it as your taste buds change after surgery. These first months after surgery are a perfect time to reflect on your eating & change your eating habits (what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat & why you eat). This won’t be the only time you’ll be challenged by a food choice on this journey just the first. Ultimately, it is your choice.

I did look drawn & pasty when I was losing weight (worst were the ones from people thinking I had a mortal disease) but my colour & face shape improved greatly when I settled into maintenance. Depending on what they said I usually responded with something about feeling so well now I’m in the healthy weight range & thanked them for noticing my hard work. Yep, at times I was a bit b*tchy but only when their comments were really upsetting & intrusive. I still get comments about looking sick from ‘well meaning’ family friends. Unfortunately, I have glaucoma & the drops give you dark bruising shadows around your eyes. (concealer doesn’t really cover it). So I have a legitimate reason to give them in response but it’s still annoying because they tie it to the weight loss.

Killing the sugar craving is hard. My mother is crazy for sweet. As a child she risked being bitten by a snake to grab a bag of lollies her mother had hidden on top of an old cabinet. That’s an addiction.😁 Some people can’t tolerate sugar after surgery and dump. I can, but have killed most of my desire for it & now find lots of things too sweet. I went pretty cold turkey. Ate food I made myself. No treats. No snacks. No dessert foods. That worked for me but I didn’t have really strong cravings - just missed specific treats. I looked for naturally sweet alternatives like fruit (just watch the serving sizes). Or even something with texture or a little salty when the cravings hit. I found freeze dried mangoes at my green grocer - yummy, crunchy & sweetish. Blue berries are fantastic. Melons are great too plus their high water content is a bonus. Now I also make a plain chia pudding & add vanilla extract which makes it a little sweeter. Read labels carefully. Watch the ones with no added or low sugar as they likely use artificial sweeteners instead & they still feed your craving. Good luck.