Arabesque

I have odd days I feel hungry and days I don’t but when I feel hungry it’s more like a ‘it must be lunch time’ feeling not that I’m starving & have to eat. Protein is more filling & satisfying and a more nutritionally beneficial choice than other foods such as carbohydrates which many of us turned to when we felt hungry pre surgery. One of the benefits of the sleeve is that the area where much (but not all) of our hunger hormone is produced is removed. Another is a boosted metabolism which can make us feel hungry as we burn energy faster then before. This could be why you are feeling hungry. It could also be head hunger as against real hunger. There are several threads on this & on doing the head work which I’ve found useful. At least with our much smaller stomach we can’t eat that horse - at least not in one sitting 😁

My surgeon asked me if I had a goal. I suggested 60kg (BMI of about 23) as I had been that weight before & had been happy then. He agreed & said it was a sensible goal for my height, age & lifestyle. When I surpassed it by 5kg he was initially concerned but after we talked about it he was ok. I lost another 5kg while I was working out my maintenance plan but have been stable for about 4 months. Personally I think you need to consider what is the weight that will allow you to live the life you want & you can happily maintain. And if your goal changes, that’s your choice. It’s not always about the number on the scales. For me it’s about being happy & healthy.

I gave up carbonated drinks many years ago because of the gas (terrible hiccups & aggregated my reflux) & the calories. I only drank soda, tonic or mineral water (& wine, gin & scotch 😁). I didn’t miss other carbonated drinks. Now, I only have tonic or soda, which I let flatten a bit, the rare times I have gin. I agree with the studies about artificial sweeteners @s@ssen@ch mentioned. Artificial sweeteners don’t do anything to stop your desire for sweet things because they provide you with the same sweet hit just with much fewer calories. Sugar has addictive qualities as does the caffeine in many carbonated drinks. That’s what you’re likely missing @Heather13 not the Diet Coke itself. For me, this process has been perfect to cut out, reduce or limit my intake of things like sugar, carbs, alcohol, etc. All the things that contributed to my weight gain & inability to lose & maintain loss in the past. You’ll notice for every person that says they can eat or drink something or can or can’t do something after their surgery, you’ll find someone who doesn’t or can’t. Remember, we’re all different & have different experiences on this program. One of the big learnings is discovering what works for you & brings you success. I’ve very much appreciated the suggestions, advice & stories people posted on these threads & through trial & error I’m working out my what helps me & brings me success. Good luck.

You probably have some swelling at the top of your stomach from the surgery. I had terrible problems swallowing & was constantly bringing up saliva the first three days. Take things slowly. It doesn’t matter if it takes hours to drink your fluids at the beginning. Of course, if the pain worsens, contact your surgeon straight away. Good luck.

Congratulations on reaching your goal! Whoo hoo! I have no butt & empty boobs too. I’m always cold & have suffer bone pain (bony butt syndrome) but it’s so worth it. It took me a while to work out what I needed to consume to stop the weight loss. I actually lost another 10kgs over 3or 4 months but have been pretty stable for about 4 months. I took it slowly, testing, what worked by adding snacks, a small amount of multi/whole grains, a little more fruit & my portion sizes naturally became larger (more than a good cup but it depends on what I eat). I still avoid a lot of sugar & alcohol, no carbonated drinks except the very odd glass of tonic or soda water & don’t eat rice, pasta & bread. I weigh myself almost every day so I can keep on top of losses & gains & compare with my intake. I’m still learning. Some days I feel like all I do is eat but if I skip a meal or snack I can easily lose again. (Due to medical appointments & going out I skipped a meal & snack on two consecutive days & lost 500g - about a pound.) It’s the fast metabolism but I know it will eventually slow & I’ll have to modify my diet again. Talk to your nutritionalist or your surgical team. They should be able to make suggestions as to what to add to your diet. Also have a look at the food before & after photos thread. Almost all on it are in the successfully maintaining their weight stage & share recipes & pxts of what they’re eating.

Stunning @sophie7713. Love that leather jacket with the ribbed & lace dresses. Cant watch the Dr Blake Mysteries even though people say it's enjoyable. Can’t get passed Craig McLaughlin & only see him as when he was in the terrible Aussie soaps Neighbours & Home & Away. While they were where many well known actors began (Chris Hemsworth, Guy Pierce, Margot Robbie...) they are embarrassingly bad. Plus Craig was in Neighbours during the Kylie Minogue years. Ugh!

Met my aunt & cousin for lunch today. Ended up tucking my stretch leather pants into my boots after seeing the bunching at the ankles in this pxt. Chilly in Brisbane today, so wore two layers of wool - a long line cardigan belted over a high necked fitted top. Funny seeing @Sophie7713 in short sleeves & shorts & @GreenTealael in a strappy dress when I was seriously considering wearing gloves with my all my layers yesterday. Brrrr.

Congratulations! You should be very happy with what you’ve achieved. You’ve been committed & put in a lot of hard work to get here. I was a very similar starting weight to you & I lost about the same amount in my first 6 months. I don’t think we are slow losers at all. Remember, the more you have to lose the more you lose in the beginning. Oh, the constipation. Lol. It’s a real joy isn’t it. Would you have imagined the elation you’d feel when you go to the bathroom & actually have a BM. It does make sense when you consider the high protein diet & the small amount of food you’re consuming though. I can tell you it does improve when you get into maintenance. However, I still have the odd day or two when there’s just nothing happening.

I had difficulties & pain on swallowing for the first couple of days after surgery due to swelling. My back then went into spasm due to the tension I was holding. But as to surgery pain I had very little. Was easily managed in hospital. First day home I took one of the strong prescribed pain killers in the morning, the second day home was a single over the counter pain med & then nothing else. I don’t think I even needed those. I didn’t even have gas pain (very appreciative of that after hearing about the experiences of others). Good luck with your surgery.

I loved the smell of Taft. Mmmmmm. Oh & perms. I had wild ones where my hairdresser would mix sizes of rollers & folded pieces in foil to get zig zags. I remember an old codger asking me once if there was a tornado outside because of how big & wild my hair was LOL! Just gorgeous @Sophie7713. All that colour. You’re so much braver than me 😁

Yes, the surgery is a tool and the degree of success you have & can maintain is up to you & your willingness & commitment to make the changes.(Sorry that’s for the lecture.) I compare it to buying a gym membership. If you don’t actually go to the gym & use the equipment, how can you expect to get any fitter or stronger. Some days I feel hungry & others I don’t but it’s not a ‘oh my god I have to eat something now’ hunger. It’s more a gentle ‘oh, it must be lunch time‘ hunger. From the age of about 13, I often skipped meals to try to manage my weight (doing more harm than good) & rarely had that ravenous feeling some do. Though my portion sizes are larger now at 14months post surgery, they’re still not large about 1-1.5 cups depending on what I’m eating (lettuce is a slider for me so I can eat a good cup of it alone) and less than a food’s recommended serving size. Though my protein serves are definitely larger now, it does depend on the day so I try for 80-100g at night. (Interestingly, I eat way more protein now than I ever did before.) I don’t count calories but do consider calorific content when making food choices & am careful about portion size. I’m sticking to a high protein low carb diet too & am very routine about when & what I eat. My restriction is still pretty active but I find eating slowly allows me to consume the larger portion sizes I need to eat now to maintain. A fast meal is a good 20mins but I aim for 30+. Fifty mins is pretty common. I’m in the sweet spot at the moment though because my metabolism is fast (first time in 42yrs). It will slow again at some time & I’ll have to modify my routines. I expect I’ll be making modifications forever because we’re not static & neither is life. The challenge is finding what works for you. It’s a juggling act of food, exercise & life & trying to find the balance where you can live your life and be happy & healthy. Good luck.

Was it after you had your vitamins? Mine used to make me nauseous & often vomit. Try taking them later in the day. It may help. Your tummy can be very sensitive at the beginning too & it won’t tolerate some foods so it could be something you’re eating. Otherwise I too would contact my surgeon. Good luck.

Yep, ordering appetisers are the way to go though I used to struggle to eat those too. I opt for seafood whenever possible. Oh & make sure you keep to the no drinking before of after. I made that mistake out of the habit of ordering a pre dinner drink when out & I could barely eat two or three bites of what I ordered. Don’t be afraid to mention to the staff (privately if you prefer) that you’re on a medically restricted diet otherwise you may face the wait staff asking if something was wrong with your unfinished meal. My biggest difficulty is needing time to eat. When everyone else eats quickly, the wait staff are wanting to clear plates & you’re not even half way through your meal. Since we’ve opened up a lot more here in Australia, I’ve met friends for lunch a couple of times but some places only offer tables for 45mins. By the time you read the menu, wait for your order to be taken, prepared & served, there’s little time left to eat. I had 10 mins at a cafe last week. My friend devoured her lunch. I got three bites in & took the rest home for dinner. Are you able to take a small cold bag with ice bricks with you when you travel? I take frozen keto frittata muffins with me & refreeze the ice bricks overnight. There are some decent protein bars around too. Just ensure they’re low in carbs, sugar & fat. You may to try a few first because some can be too gluggy & my tummy complains. Easy to grab a high protein yoghurt from a corner store too.

Did you use the big black can of Schwarzkopf Silhouette hair spray? I swear that stuff had super glue in it. We probably contributed more to the depletion of the ozone layer than manufacturing does today 🤣.

Happy birthday @GreenTealael. You know the most beautiful people are born in July but I am a wee bit biased...mine’s next week. 😁 Oh yeah being the shortest in the family has its challenges. I have to stand on a chair to get a hug from my two oldest nephews. They’re 6’4 & 6’6.

I put on weight when I was peri menopausal too (about 15kg over 3yrs) & then I swear, overnight, I put on another 15 when I became menopausal at about 50 (so didn’t want to be that big at fifty!) Couldn’t shift it at all. My battle with weight started when I hit puberty - gain, lose, repeat. Blasted hormones!! I had my sleeve surgery 14 months ago when I was almost 54 & I’ve surpassed my goal. I haven’t been this weight since I began puberty - so full circle. Yes, I worry about regain especially the not uncommon 5+kg in yrs 1&2. I intend to work at this every day & try not to slide into habits that will cause me to gain. Our weightloss journeys are all different & what works for one may not work for another. The key is to find what best works for you & how you want to live & enjoy your life be it which surgery you chose, how much weight you want to lose lose, how active you want to be, etc. As an aside all my menopausal symptoms disappeared during my weight loss thanks to all that eostrogen flooding my body from the vanishing fat. I actually dropped my HRT at about 12 months thinking I was over it but... no. They all came back so I’m back on HRT. Have to admit the hot flushes weren’t as severe as when I was overweight probably because I was always hot then. Good luck.

I found the shakes hideous too & don’t get me started on pea protein powder 🤮 (anyone want to buy a tub - lol). I found a high protein yoghurt drink (22g). I used to thin it a bit with about 40ml of unsweetened juice & added my silica, collagen & benefibre. I had it every day to boost my protein intake. Sometimes my tummy would grumble about it but worth it for the protein. You’ll find it easier to reach your protein goals as you progress & can eat a little more. My surgeon & dietician told me not to stress too much if I didn’t reach the goal every day to begin. Eggs & seafood are good sources of protein & easier to consume for most.

My surgeon kept me an extra day in the hospital because I would be alone at home. I didn’t have any issues but did take things easy & rested on the coach quite a bit. I had friends who checked on me & my neighbour knew I had surgery (not what) & was a shout away. Have everything you’ll need (foods, drinks, meds, etc.) for the first two weeks on hand. Besides the limitations in lifting/carrying things, I wasn’t allowed to drive for two weeks either. Good luck.

Oh, I didn’t intend to offend. I only meant that sometimes talking it out with someone can be helpful. Therapy, or counselling, is a prerequisite for many before WLS which is why I raised it as an option if you were interested. This journey isn’t always easy & our mind can mess with our thinking at times. Good luck.

Don’t worry you won’t stretch out your tummy. You’ll barely be able to eat much at all. For my first two weeks it took me all day to drink half a cup of soup & 300ml of protein shake. Thank goodness they counted to my daily fluid requirements. Listen to your body. It will tell you physically (& not always pleasantly) & audibly what it can tolerate. Go slowly. Yes, your body is healing & it does take weeks. If you’re concerned, talk to your doctor. I doubt they’d say no if you wanted to start on liquids only before purées. (When you do go to purées think sloppy though it’s not all that appetising.) Good luck.

Establish a routine: when you eat, when you drink, when you exercise. I found it the best way to keep on top of everything. It doesn’t take much to get behind with proteins, fluids or activity to begin with. And it helps to establish the long term changes you need to make to be successful. I still keep to a routine & I’m 14months out. I find it makes things much easier for me. Good luck.

I hear you @MIKEYY84. I’ve lost 45% of my body weight. I never would have believed it. Having a fast metabolism for the first time in my adult life is amazing. It’s a wonderful time. I do understand how challenging it can be to maintain while we’re in this sweet spot. I lost 10kg more than I had planned & took months to find the balance. Now, I feel like I eat all day & don’t exercise at all - can’t afford to burn the calories. I do still avoid sweet things, bread, pasta, rice, etc. I know this will change though. My metabolism will slow & I’ll have to drop some of my snacks & start exercising again to maintain the weight I am now. I weigh myself almost everyday to monitor any changes so I can modify my diet & activity when needed. Congrats on what you’ve achieved. Amazing!

I wouldn’t call loosing 60lbs in 5.5 months slow @rene50. It’s about the same rate as I did & I was almost 54 when I had the surgery. My doctors, dietician & I were all very happy. It was way faster than any weight I’d lost previously so it was all winning for me. Remember, the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning so if you compare your rate with others consider their starting weight first. While genetics will contribute, so too do many other factors including age, gender, metabolism, existing health conditions, etc. While none could be called morbidly obese, I have/had many paternal aunts & cousins who battled with weight & one brother who also struggles (my other brother never has had an issue). I had decided I would always have a weight problem too. I now understand that keeping the weight off will be a constant battle for me to maintain the lifestyle changes I’ve made to lose the weight. If you haven’t, you may find it helpful to speak with a therapist @MotoZen. They may be able to offer some strategies & help you work through the concerns you understandably have which could hinder your progress after surgery. The mental work is just as important as the physical changes you’ll make. I hope you find success with your surgery.

Congratulations on your progress. it’s a wonderful feeling isn’t it? I think coming to the realisation that continued success will only come with a lifestyle change is the game changer. I also realised that I will have to work at it for the rest of my life. The hard work continues. I didn’t have any health issues before my surgery either but it would only have been a matter of time. My doctor was very supportive from the start & now she asks me questions about my experience so she can share with any of her patients who may also benefit from the surgery.

This sounds just like dukkah an Egyptian spice & herb seasoning mix. It starts with the same ingredients as your bagel seasoning and has various combinations of other herbs, spices, seeds & nuts. I used to use one that had fennel & rosemary as a crust on lamb. Would be easy to add your choice of herbs & spices to amp up your bagel seasoning to sprinkle on meats, seafood, dips, soups, salads...