Arabesque

That could be to ensure you have completely healed internally as well as externally. You wouldn’t want to risk pulling or straining something internally. My surgeon also told me no reaching up to high shelves for about a month & recommended lifting nothing for two weeks, up to 5kg for the next fortnight, then up to 10kg, then as normally.

Glad things have settled for you now. In my first two weeks I used to dilute my shakes (50% more) & take a couple of hours to sip them. Helped me meet my fluid goals too. Same with soups (put them in a small thermos to keep them hot). Mind you I only had 1 shake & a cup of soup each day. While you’re sipping & consuming them over time, it shouldn’t be a problem.

What a pretty skirt Sillykitty & you know I love me a striped top. Picked up this linen one at a up to 90% off sale yesterday. Where have you gone for your break? Also found this pretty blouse with pseudo stripes at Zara last week.

Congrats on your surgery. We all worried if we were doing the right thing to begin. It’s such a change to how we ate before & we want to be successful. I wasn’t consuming much at all the first fortnight. A diluted shake & a cup of soup, which I often didn’t finish & I’d sip them for hours. Once I got onto puréed & soft foods, I only ate about 4 teaspoons three times a day. Even on solid food, I didn’t consume much for months - about 1/2 cup at each meal. I was probably getting in about 500 calories max & way less at the beginning. But that was me, you may be different. Eating slowly is important so you get the message you’re satisfied before you eat more than you need. That tight chest feeling is because you’ve eaten too much & not what you want. Feeling comfortable is good. I ask myself do I really need the next spoonful or am I eating it out of habit. Just take it slowly & listen to your body. You’ll work out what works for you. Good luck. PS - watch the juice. It’s still full of natural sugars & could upset you. Plus it’s high in carbs. It takes about three oranges to make 1 cup of juice but you wouldn’t eat 3 oranges at one sitting - just something to consider.

I have a small circle of friends who know I had the surgery though I know there are others who suspect I did. I told people who asked about my weight loss I was seeing a dietician which was true. I also told them I had cut a lot of carbs out of diet, was avoiding sugar & was very focussed on portion control again all true. I don’t feel I’m lying because I’m not saying I didn’t have the surgery, I’m just not saying I did. Though I have had one person ask me straight out & I told them I did but stressed it is something I keep to myself.

From all I’ve read & heard, lap band is not very popular today & the number of lap band surgeries have decreased quite dramatically. Gastric sleeve is much more popular & common with fewer side effects & complications. But you have a few surgical options. Your health & medical conditions will influence which surgery is most suitable for you & your lifestyle. For example if you already suffer from reflux, you would not be a suitable candidate for a sleeve. Before I made my choice, I did a lot of reading & sat with my surgeon who went through the pros & cons of each surgery. He then made his recommendation based upon my medical history which matched my leanings towards the sleeve. I’m very happy with our decision. Good luck with your journey & whichever surgery you choose.

Your body is in ketosis. That is your body is using your fat stores for energy. The smell is a very common side effect. Bad breath, strong perspiration smells & other unpleasant bodily odours. If you google it you’ll find lots of information & ways to manage the odours but unfortunately no cures. The smell is not good but you are losing weight - yay!

I’m so sorry you’re going through all this. Radiation therapy is very taxing on your body & that in itself would exhaust you & stress your body. No wonder you’re not absorbing nutrients & are malnourished. Plus you’re caring for a parent. Another stress. And that’s without considering your weight loss journey which is not easy. Unfortunately, until you can dedicate time to take care of you, you are going to struggle to get your health & strength back. Do you have any support from other family members? Do you have respite services available locally for your mother just to give you a break for a couple of days? This is always a difficult decision because you want to be able to care for your mother but your health is suffering & if it worsens you won’t be able to care for yourself let alone anyone else. I do understand, even though I haven’t had your health concerns. For two years, I traveled 90 mins to my parents on Friday after work to give my mother a break from caring for my dad (cancer, mobility issues, etc.). Then Sunday afternoon I’d travel back to my home to prepare for work on Monday. I was emotionally, mentally & physically exhausted. I was getting up before 5am so I could do my washing, clean my house, pay my bills & struggled to get my grocery shopping done. But you do it for those you love. Also have you got a dietician or nutritionalist supporting you during your weight loss? They should advise you on how to improve & boost your nutrition. Are you still taking all your vitamins?

He did a friend’s surgery & she was very happy. My GP knew one of the doctors on his team & was confident about him as well. He also trains other doctors specialising in this field.

Contact your medical team ASAP. Pain is never good especially this long after surgery. Hope they can sort this out for you soon.

I had twilight anaesthetic for my endoscopy many years ago. After all I remembered was being in the room & the medical team talking to me & that’s it but it felt like someone else had the procedure & they told me about it. No side effects at all except feeling weary for the rest of the day.

It’s all the fluids you’re consuming. Don’t worry, the reverse will start soon & constipation will become your enemy.

Regardless of surgery, you’ll need to have regular blood tests to ensure you’re getting all your nutrients in. I had sleeve surgery & gave up taking vitamins 7 months ago when I began maintenance with my surgeon & dietician’s knowledge (they made me so nauseated I wasn’t eating). I had bloods taken at 3 months & 3 weeks ago & all my levels are very good. I make sure I’m eating a balanced diet of protein, vegetables, fruit & a small amount of multi or whole grains & dairy. However, it doesn’t matter which surgery you have, for you to be successful, you will always need to be conscious of the foods you are eating. Nutrients are absorbed at different stages as food passes through our digestive system. My understanding is that because bypass surgery changes the normal digestive path, malabsorption can be a concern. However, we are all different & there are sleevers with absorption issues & bypass patients without any. Same with dumping & with discovering foods your new tummy may or may not like anymore. Hair loss is because of the shock of surgery to your body & your initial reduced caloric intake (your natural hair loss cycles are accelerated) not the type of surgery. Some people find their hair changes texture too. It does grow back. And don’t waste money on products that supposedly help to stop the loss, regrow or strengthen your hair - they won’t during this stage. Just be patient. Good luck with whichever surgery you decide to have.

Congrats on your surgery. It’s likely swelling from the surgery. I had terrible trouble swallowing anything for the first few days. My surgeon told me that was the cause & it would pass. It did. Sip & wait before your next sip. I also used a straw to begin with so I wasn’t tempted to gulp large mouthfuls. Don’t stress about not getting all your fluids in to begin as the stress could tighten everything as well. Of course, if it persists or gets worse contact your surgeon.

I avoid that full feeling. By the time you get that message you’ve really already eaten past being full. I still try to eat slowly all the time just to make sure I know when I’ve had enough & I’ve only eaten the portion I prepared. On the odd occasions I’ve reached that full point, usually because I’ve rushed my eating, I feel very uncomfortable, have some pain, lots of gurgling, etc. When I near the end of my meal, I’ll often ask myself do I really want or need that next spoonful. In other words working out why I’m eating & if I’m eating just out of habit. Don’t be afraid to put your fork down. On the days I’m not hungry, I always try to eat the minimum amount to get my basic nutrients in. It’s why portion control is important to me.

This is pretty common. It’s because of the flush of hormones being released into your bloodstream. As you lose weight, the oestrogen that was stored in your fat is released which causes the difficult periods - heavy, bad pmt, irregular, etc. Being menopausal, I had the reverse situation. All the oestrogen stopped my menopausal symptoms. Unfortunately, now I’m in maintenence & all the stored oestrogen is gone, the hot flushes are back.

Was watching Skin Decision on Netflix yesterday & the surgeon did lipo on her patient & used the fat to fill the upper emptiness in her breasts. I thought oh maybe that’s what I should have done but then realised I don’t really have much fat left anywhere for them to harvest. Not a problem I ever imagined having. 🤣

Mine are just empty now but not any droopier than they were before my weight loss. I went from an 18E to a 10E. I’m not that interested in a breast reduction. I’ve just bought good supportive underwear. I do like not having to readjust myself to get my breasts out of the way when I go to bed. And I don’t have to buy a larger size in anything just to fit my breasts in.

It is possible & there are quite a lot of us on this forum who have and yes, some don’t for myriad of reasons. I’m 5’3 with a smaller frame & I exceeded my goal. My BMI is about 19 at the moment. But it’s not always about the number on the scale or your BMI. @Recidivist is correct. The ultimate goal should be about being healthy. You need to find the weight you can maintain while being able to live your life happily (balancing diet, exercise, family, relationships, etc.) & healthily. Good luck with your surgery.

It was 4 weeks before I took up a new work contract. Thankfully part time as I struggled with low blood pressure & energy levels (but that is me). My new employees new I had had surgery but not what & were very supportive if I had to take an early mark. Amusingly, I think my male boss thought I’d had some sort of ‘female surgery’ so never pushed for more information. Teaching is emotionally & physically demanding. (I taught for many years.) Would your school allow you to come back part time to begin - maybe working a Mon, Wed & Fri for your first week back? Just to test the waters.

Yeah, there seems to be a few of us who have had difficulties with protein powders. I have a huge tub of supposedly unflavoured pea protein. It tasted terrible & I love peas!

You’d both be very welcome to sit on my deck with me & enjoy a glass of bubbles or three, some treats & the beautiful Brisbane weather, Sophie & Ms.sss. We could ask daisychainoz to join us. 😁

So pretty. And nothing wrong with comfort dressing in these times. Recently saw a guy in his 30s at my local supermarket wearing navy pyjamas, a matching robe & slippers carrying a bottle of milk & a couple of other essentials. It was 10:30am. Thought that was taking relaxed, casual dressing a bit far.

Our humid summer day temps are 35+, so when we get winter days of 18 or less it’s freezing for us in Brisbane. I always shake my head at how people dress for the cold - wearing parkas with thongs. I love our springs & autumns. Just glorious days.

Losing 10lbs in three weeks is worth celebrating. You’re doing well. Some people will lose more but it’s often because they have a lot more to lose to begin (that’s why those on my 600lb life can lose 25-30lbs a month to begin). Losing 2-3lbs a week is great. It is likely you’re experiencing a stall or slow down. It’s very common in week 3 (though it can happen in weeks 2 or 4) & you’ll experience more along your journey. I think of them as your body playing catch-up with the changes - to diet, activity, etc.