Arabesque

@FifiLux is right. Never compare yourself with others. It will only mess with your head. I can guarantee the one thing you can depend upon is that you will do this in your way & is best for you & your body. Whether it be how much you lose, the rate at which you lose, how long it takes, when you experience stalls & how long they last, when you can tolerate certain foods and what foods you can’t tolerate, etc. and there’s nothing wrong with any of that. There’ll be similarities with other & differences & averages which give you an idea of what you might experience that’s all. You’ve lost 13lbs. That’s amazing, Stick to your plan & remember to celebrate every pound you lose.

Oh corned beef is great. We used to love when mum cooked it for dinner because my brothers & I used to slice off chunks from the leftover piece and eat it as a snack after school the next day. But no (mustard) pickles @Starwarsandcupcakes? As a fellow lover of pickled vegetables I would have thought you would have dolloped some on or maybe that’s an Australian thing. 😁

If any pain feels unusual or is strong to you, yes contact your team. It may not be anything but it’s always better to be sure. In saying that, certain sutures like ones that act sort of like scaffolding or support can snap as they dissolve and cause some pain so it could just be that. Ensure you’re not lifting, pulling or straining too much while you’re healing too & pulling on your internal organs and sutures, etc. Remember it takes around 6-8 weeks to fully heal so you’ve still got a couple of weeks to go. All the best.

Not me either but I also wanted to say congratulations. Only advice would be don’t fall for that ‘you’re eating for two’ line. You’re eating for an embryo, then a fetus and finally a maybe 8lb+/- baby. Get in touch with your dietician again and ask them about your nutritional needs throughout your pregnancy. Your surgeon may have some suggestions as well. All the best. Exciting times ahead.

You may find therapy helpful. It’s something many people seek support from to help them work through their relation ship with food and eating. Your surgeon should be able to recommend someone who specialises in disordered eating or ask your GP first a referral. The surgery can only help us with a physical tool. We have to do the head stuff ourselves & there is a lot we have to get our heads around and work our way through if we want to be successful in the long term. Sometimes we need to ask for a helping hand from a professional. All the best.

I didn’t get gas pain either. But my surgeon made up for it when he removed my gall 2 years later 😁. Out of curiosity, are you peri menopausal or menopausal? That was when my sleep became really bad & it is a known side effect. If you are, are you on HRT or have had your hormonal levels checked lately? Just a thought. About 4 weeks ago I bought a acupressure mat and since I began using it I’ve noticed I haven’t really had any issue with constipation or even the odd day I don’t/can’t go. Regular as clockwork every day now. I did look up acupressure points for constipation and the mat hits the ones lower on my lower centre back and upper butt checks & I think that may be what’s helping. Hope I haven’t jinxed myself now. 😁

Think it would be best to head to the hospital. They usually see you pretty quickly if it’s anything related to your heart (well they do in Australia). Better to be sure it’s nothing than it to be something & not know. All the best.

Vegan protein powders would be your best bet. Just avoid the soy ones. Are you okay with seeds as some vegan proteins use seeds (chia, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp) as a source of protein.

Congratulations on achieving onderland! Yay! What weight to stop losing at & how to pick a goal weight are interesting questions and you’ll get different responses. I believe it comes down to where your new set point is (the weight your body is happy at & will keep pulling you back to). It’s the weight where you’re not losing anymore and you have reached a sustainable balance of the number of calories you consume and the activity you do. It’s the weight where you’re happy with how you look & feel too. I had a goal (same as yours) which was the low weight I always dropped to before regaining back up from. I exceeded that. I kept losing until my calorie intake which I was increasing and activity level was in balance. I eat in a way that is sustainable & I don’t feel like I’m missing out or if I’m on a continuous diet or that I have to exercise first hours a day. Some reach a weight but found it wasn’t sustainable or they didn’t feel comfortable at so they gain a little. Remember your new set point may not be where you would like it to be. Also your lowest weight may not be where you end up either. Bounce back (a regain of 10 - 20lbs) is always a possibility & can be due to your body resettling, you realising you need more flexibility in the what you eat & the activity you do to find a better life balance, some conplacency, your new set point, etc. Be flexible in your goal. If you don’t reach it, that’s okay. You’ll be in a better healthier place regardless of the number in the scale. Reach a sustainable balance (food intake & activity) in your life that allows you to live & enjoy your life & doesn’t restrict or limit you. All the best.

I’m not a calorie counter. Didn’t have to & I was happy about that. I’d done it before and for me it just made me think about food more and I found it annoying and frustrating. However I would check my calorie intake and I still do random checks especially about new foods or recipes. I was more vigilant about portion size because that was the requirement I was given (1/4- 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at around 6 months). I still watch that carefully though I’m more aware now of the portion size of what I’m eating without having to get my scales or measuring cups & spoons out regularly. And I can eat more than a cup of course. I’m probably equally vigilant about the nutritional quality of what I eat. (Sister-in-law was just telling me about a new protein bar she’d found and I’m googling the nutritional info & ingredient list & comparing it with the one I already eat.) If you are required to track your intake then you have to track every single thing you put in your mouth to eat or drink. It can be very easy to consume a lot of extra calories without realising it even ‘healthy’ ones. If your team hasn’t set this as a requirement, than do what you feel most comfortable with. You know your relationship with food and eating getter than anyone. Though I’d probably at the very least do random checks if it isn’t a requirement. Yes, stalls are frustrating and can be depressing. Remember they are an important part of the process and it’s the time your body shuts down to take stock of where you are now Whithead your weight loss and changing diet, and what your needs are around things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Weight loss is stressful on your body & it needs to take a breath to better manage the changing situations much like you do psychologically during a stressful time. The stall will break when your body is ready. Stick to your plan and don’t stress your body more than you are required to by your plan. It will be okay. All the best and I hope your surgical site heals soon.

Contact your surgeon or their team. Always better to be safe and sure about what’s going on. Could you have pulled something? Like stretched too much, lifted something too heavy, exercised too strenuously? Have you been constipated and maybe pushed to oop too much or your poop was overly firm? Let your surgeon know if any of these could be a possibility. Hope all will be okay.

Always best to talk with your surgeon but did think hypoglycemia when I saw your post title. Reactive hypoglycemia is a form of dumping too. Low blood pressure can also cause light headedness. The fact you’re eating so little at the moment that you feel weak. Plus you’ve just a pretty major surgery which is stressful to your body. But definitely speak with your surgeon to be sure and ti find out ways to manage it. PS - Try an electrolyte drink. I used to take one with me whenever I was going to be a bit more active (even grocery shopping) and when I started back at work to offset the hypoglycemic episodes. Sip some if I thought it might happen & when it happened. Seems crazy but sometimes a cup of green tea helped though I think it was more to do with the fluids which may be why the sugar free popsicle helps you. I had had hypoglycaemic episodes prior to my surgery but not often. After my surgery I had them frequently. Also my tendency towards drops in blood pressure became a multiple times a day experience. All just how my body reacted.

Before, during, after I eat or even drink sometimes. Just whenever it likes. And yes still does though probably not as much now at almost 6yrs out. I was told it’s perfectly normal too and just my digestive system doing what it’s supposed to: digest food. I used to say I had a poltergeist in my tummy. Groaning, moaning, rattling chains, squelching & whining. My younger nieces & nephew used to think it was hilarious and they’d rest their head on my tummy to hear it better.

Stalls or plateaus are very normal with weight loss so you’re not failing. Frustrating, yes but not a sign of failure. Almost everyone experiences them. Literally thousands of posts about them here. The first one (yes first because you can experience a few along the way) usually occurs around the 3 week mark though sometimes they occur before then or after. A stall can last around 1-3 weeks. Stalls are a stress response. Your body thinks what the hell is going on here and shuts down. It uses the time to reassess your new needs (like what changes need to occur with your digestive hormones) as a result of the weight loss, changed caloric intake, surgery, etc. compare it with when you experience psychological or emotional stress and just want to shut the world out until you feel able to deal with the stress. Same for your body’s response to physical stress. Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more. The stall will break when your body is ready. Take some body measurements as sometimes, while the numbers on the scale don’t change, your measurements may. Though every plan and advice given is different, two plus hours a day of workouts is actually a lot this soon after surgery. Your body is still recovering and healing (lots of sutures and staples holding your digestive system together). Is your team aware of how much & what activities you’re doing? If not I’d check with them. Dr Matt Weiner (pound of Cure) is a great resource as is Dr John Pilcher. Check out their videos on You Tube (they have a lot so prepare to scroll). I‘ve included Dr Weiner’s on stalls as a start and to help alleviate your worries. He does podcasts too. Glad the vomiting has eased.

You look hawt!!! @Lilia_90. I live in leggings in winter. Just around the house though cause I don’t do the gym thing. 😉 They’re comfortable and because I do stretches and such at a few times throughout the day so it’s just easier. My niece #2 swears by Lululemon leggings @Bypass2Freedom. She’s a contemporary dancer and teaches Pilates. Says other brands don’t last & she was always splitting seams in them. On the expensive end unfortunately (though she can probably claim them on her tax as work wear LOL!.) I wear Bonds (Haynes). Been wearing the same ones for years but then I wouldn’t put as much strain as you would with squats, etc.

Oh the disposable knickers may be useful at least for a couple of days. Friend was advised by her surgeon to wear disposable knickers for the first week. Sudden and unexpected diarrhoea is a possibility and you shouldn’t trust a fart for the first week or so. Wish my surgeon suggested the paper knockers. My real knickers ended up in the bin at the hospital. Got up to pee, took three steps and oh my God!! Away it came. Of course it doesn’t happen to everyone but it’s not worth the risk. Glad things are going well so far.

Can’t offer any suggestions about your band but I can offer a possible cause of your reflux. So your gall’s job was to regulate the acid in your stomach. At the moment, your body hasn’t learnt to regulate it itself so you’re getting more than you need causing the reflux. I already had reflux and that didn’t really change much if I recall correctly but I did experience quite a bit of diarrhoea after the surgery from the excess acid stimulating my intestines. My surgeon told me it takes about a month to settle which it did. If your band is tight I presume it’s limiting how much food you can consume which also could also be adding to the reflux (too much acid for the smaller amount of food in your tummy.) If I miss a meal, I get a strong cutting pain across my abdomen from the excess acid and my reflux flares. Little meals more often may help. Check with your surgeon though of course. Maybe your band needs adjusting too.

Likely the battery. When mine went flat it read I weighed 136kg so like 87 odd kgs more than I was LOL! Freaked me out for a moment. Could also be just a fluctuation (poop, fluid, your body playing silly buggers, …). Either way I wouldn’t worry too much about it (though I know it can be frustrating). Your general trend will still be in a downward direction over time. And little hiccup steps are all very usual. Sounds like you’re doing great with hitting your goals and your weight loss so far is pretty much on point with most of us - not slow at all. (I’d lost 7.6kg at my one month mark and everyone was happy with that.)

Yes. They pump you full of fluids and consequently everyone experiences some weight gain. It certainly isn’t from what you’ve eaten LOL! You’ll pee it out over the next few days. Make sure you still drink because your body will hold on to that fluid if you don’t.

Yes! Yes! 100% yes I would have the surgery again. I personally know 4 people who’ve had surgery and know of several others who’ve had surgery (friends of friends, siblings of friends and relatives of in-laws). None of them have complications or have died. There have been a couple of people here who have had complications but they are few. The majority of people I’ve got to know through this forum are fine. And from what I can recall over the almost six years I’ve been here, their complications have been resolved through some sort of medical intervention. Of course there would be some who’ve had surgery who have passed away or have serious complications. There have been a couple on My 600lb Life who passed away. But what pre existing complications did they have? Was their death or the complication a direct result of the surgery or because of the pre existing condition? Carrying excess weight alone would have shortened their lifespan and led to many complications regardless of the surgery. The risks of the surgery alone are very low. I recall reading they are less than a tonsillectomy or appendectomy yet no one questions those surgeries. I wonder about those who share horror stories and what is the motivation behind spreading those stories. Are they jealous a friend or family had the surgery? Are they against a family member or friend having the surgery? Believe me people do react like this. There have been a number of people here sharing the negativity they they receive from people who supposedly love them & who at the best for them when they say they want to have the surgery or have had the surgery. I deliberately was selective in who I told for these very reasons. If you want to know the true stories from people who’ve actually had surgery you’re in the right place here. Also, I don’t believe insomnia is common. For many of us our sleeping improves. Before surgery I would average about 4 hours a night. I would often have nights where I didn’t sleep at all. Now I probably average 7.5 hours. I had 9 the other night and had a nap during the day. LOL! Many also throw away their CPAP machines because the quality of their sleep improves to such an extent they don’t need it with their weight loss. Hey @niecy. I wonder if your poop isn’t soft enough. Are you meeting your fluid goals? Have you tried a stool softener to see if that eases the discomfort? Have you spoken to your surgeon or doctor? Maybe a colonoscopy to rule out any blockages, tears, etc. would be beneficial? It is possible to be constipated & yet still poop regularly which I discovered 18 months ago. https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-be-constipated-and-still-poop

Congratulations on reaching your goal (& yes being 0.2lbs off is still goal in my book). My goal weight was the lowest weight I always get to before slowly but surely bouncing back from over the years (well until the last few years when I could barely lose 5kgs let alone the weight I needed to lose to get to that goal). It was the weight I enjoyed being at and felt good at being. I just couldn’t maintain it. When I exceeded my goal weight I was actually trying to work out my maintenance but just kept losing though very slowly for another 11 months. I decided, I’ll just see where I stop while still trying to work out maintenance. Of course I know now I got to a weight that was my new set point (thank you surgery). It was the weight my body wanted to be at & had nothing to do with a weight I wanted to be at. It’s also a weight that doesn’t require me to restrict my calorie intake or exercise more than I want to or enjoy doing to maintain so yay! Instead of setting a new goal weight why not just see where your body settles. You could lose those two stone or you could lose more or less. Regardless it will be the best weight for you. You’ll naturally be slowly increasing your calorie intake and discovering the activity levels you’re comfortable with anyway & wait till you see where you end up. People can continue to lose for 18 months or more so you have time. Remember, if you force yourself to lose more than your body wants, you’ll continue to battle to maintain that lower weight.

Sip, sip, sip is the mantra we all followed. Leave a couple of minutes (set a timer for your phone to help if needed) between each sip and you’ll be okay. Also put a cup by your bed and sip whenever you wake during the night. (I still drink throughout the night.) Just be aware you may have trouble swallowing the first few days because of internal swelling. I found warm/hot drinks more soothing than cool/cold but some are the opposite. You should be sent home with pain meds or a script (opioids) but some find an over the counter non NSAID pain meds are enough. (We all have different levels of pain tolerance.) but generally you’ll find that over the counter, or nothing, are enough for the surgical pain by day 3 or 4. Now surgical gas is another matter. That takes about a week to leave your body. You breath it out (not by burping or passing wind) so do some slow deep breathing. March on the spot. Pump your arms up & down and walk, walk, walk. Little and often are fine. Heat packs can ease the shoulder pain that occurs because the gas rises behind your lungs before being absorbed into your lungs. All the best with your surgery & recovery.

It’s not always easy to meet your exact goals every day in the first months. You’re recovering, your tummy is teeny and often won’t tolerate certain foods (flavours, textures or smells), you’re trying to work everything out, all the emotions and mental stuff, etc. It’s a lot to deal with. As long as you’re close most days and over time you are getting closer you’ll be fine. You can only do what you’re physically and mentally able to cope with on any day. Give yourself some grace.

First stall. It’s not uncommon to experience a number of stalls as you continue to lose weight. Try taking body measurements. Sometimes when the number on the scale doesn’t move (or fluctuates around the same number) the numbers on the tape measure will change.

Both are very important to your general health. Vitamins because you’re not able to consume enough of a variety of foods to get all the nutrients your body needs to function effectively. Protein should be your focus not only now but forever. It can be a challenge to reach your protein goal every day especially in the first couple of months after surgery when your portions are so small. But work at being at least close to your goal and that your general trend is you’re consuming more and getting closer to the goal. We usually say eat your protein first then any vegetables you are able to and lastly any allowed complex carbs but only if you are able to eat more. This often means a meal is solely protein and nothing else. Protein is very important to your wellbeing and if you’re not consuming enough your body will take it from any it can i.e. your muscles. Not taking your vitamins or meeting your protein (or any other goals you are given) will have a negative impact on your health. The regular blood tests your surgeon & team will request are to ensure you’re not deficient in any nutrient. (5.75yrs out I still have regular blood tests - was 3 monthly until year 4 & every 6 months now.) You are likely experiencing a stall. Stalls are very common with the first one (yes, first one) almost all of us experience occurring around the three week mark though it can be earlier or later than that. @catwoman7 would tell you, there are literally 10s of 1000s of posts here about the infamous three week stall. A stall usually lasts 1-3weeks though some experience longer stalls. Frustrating yrs but they happen for a reason. A stall occurs when your body shuts down to reassess your current needs in response to your weight loss, smaller calorie intake and this first one the stress of your surgery & recovery. You will start to lose weight again when your body is ready to move forward again. Stick to your plan & meet your nutritional goals as closely as you can so you’re not & stressing your body more than it already is experiencing.