Arabesque

From what I understand, weight loss post revision is always slower than the rate at which you lost with your original surgery. Plus you’re losing from a lower weight (if I read correctly) so that will result in a slower rate. What does your team say? Are they concerned? When losing I only had one snack a day: a high protein yoghurt or yoghurt drink, or I had some fresh fruit. Check with your dietician for what’s best for you & your needs. I never exercised but I lost all my weight & more. Exercising only contributes to about 10% of the weight you have to lose. So in your case if you want to lose those 45lbs, exercising will only result in about 4.5lbs. Of course many other benefits to exercising especially for your family history. Maybe start with walking. You don’t have to go to a gym. All I do now is stretching & use resistance bands. Do about 4 sessions of 5-10 minutes of various activities. Mainly for my back & to remain limber. All the best.

Mine wasn’t this noisy before either which is why I asked the doctor. I swear I can hear gurgling even as what I drink goes down my esophagus. Maybe all my fat muffled the sound before 🤣🤣🤣. Oh, that’s an unexpected issue with the antibiotic. Glad you checked & stopped it.. Hope the doctor gets back to you soon.

The rumbling grumbling tummy is just your digestive system doing what it’s supposed to do - digest food or so my surgeon’s colleague told me. I describe mine as my own personal poltergeist rattling the chains & moaning. Mine’s growling now 🤣🤣🤣. Most tummy rumblings aren’t a sign of hunger like we used to be told. As to the cramping & large BM, that may not be related to anything but maybe your bowels not fully emptying the previous days. Check the side effect of the antibiotics to be sure though. I know some can cause diarrhoea not sure about the reverse. I can get diarrhoea (very smelly & cutting pains befits hand) if I don’t have my PPI or haven’t eaten for a while. The acid builds up & irritates the intestines. Maybe the acid irritated your intestines enough not to cause diarrhoea but & a clean out??? If it occurs again give your team a call.

41 days out & nearing the end of the soft food phase I was only eating 1/4-1/3 cup of food so really just a couple of bites. It took me 6 months to be able to eat about a cup & then another year to be able to eat about a recommended portion of most foods. I still have my restriction. I don’t feel it every day of course because I learnt not to eat until I feel it but that took time. There are days when it kicks in earlier than I expect - ate something more dense or rich, something that sat too heavily in my tummy, ate a little more quickly, or for some other reason my quirky tummy has that day. Some people can eat more from early on but it’s an individual thing. I remember saying to my surgeon at 8 months I can only eat what I can physically eat & he agreed. Do check with your team though to be sure everything is okay. If they want you to eat more you may have to eat your smaller meals more frequently. E.g. 4 or 5 small meals vs 3 meals of the size they recommend to meet goals. Worth discussions with your team. The healthy way of eating comes as you progress and are eating a wider variety of foods. At the moment you’re still healing & recovering & slowly introducing foods into your diet. In time you’ll work out how & what you want to eat in the long term. Think of the time you are losing weight as your time to learn better habits, about better nutrition, making better choices & what way of eating works best for you. I.e. a sustainable way of eating so you can maintain your weight that isn’t restrictive but complements how you want to live & enjoy your life.

Made chicken pie with my younger nieces & nephew last night & was all hands on deck for the dicing, slicing & stirring. Even the 5 almost 6yr old was dicing celery. Made a huge pie. That’s a regular soup spoon as a size comparison. Only thing was the poaching liquid didn’t thicken enough despite having to add more flour (ended up doubling what the recipe said). Was tasty. They all cleaned their plates & I have 4 more meals in my freezer with the leftovers. Forgot to take a pxt of it served out.

You may have localised swelling making the depressions. The deeper incision dent may also be an internal stitch that is being pulled a little more. Any pain? If not & no change after a few days, check with your team.

Congratulations on your surgery! The pain could be a pulled muscle (from the surgery) or some surgeons use an extra stitch to support your tummy (some scaffolding 😉) & that can pull with certain movements. Hope your surgeon gets back quickly & it is nothing.

Second the plunging your eggs in cold water after boiling them as @Starwarsandcupcakes suggested. Plus I believe tap the egg of the counter bottom side down (just one sharp tap) will break the membrane & allow you to peel the shell off more easily. I used to roll the egg to sort off shatter the shell then peel it off. The fresher the eggs to the easier they are to shell. So you could add those spices to your coffee or whatever at anytime @Starwarsandcupcakes? So why is pumpkin spice just an Autumn thing? We’re not pumpkin pie eaters in Australia. Pumpkin fruit cake, pumpkin scones, and of course mashed, roasted, in salads, … all good, all year round here.

I had some early nausea but very mild really & vomited a couple of times in the early weeks but that was related to vitamins (some can make you nauseous especially if you don’t take them after you eat). I occasionally have episodes of the foamies where you can vomit (more like regurgitating as the food barely or doesn’t get to your tummy & none of those straining muscles). They occur if you eat too quickly or something is to dry or coarse. It passes very, very quickly & you feel fine after you bring up that offending bite. I’ve realised I tend to eat more quickly when I’m with others &/or distracted. So it’s more a side effect of me not being mindful about my eating than of my sleeve because I can avoid it happening. I have it a couple or so of times a year (less than 5) so not often. The hideous reflux hiccups I had were way worse & I used to have to go home if I had an attack of those. Don’t have to with the foamies - just keep partying 😆😆!

Exactly as @catwoman7 said. Stalls are an important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock (the changes you’ve made are pretty stressful to your poor body), reassesses your needs & then adjusts your digestive hormones, metabolic rate, etc. The stall will break when your body is ready to move forward again - usually 1-3 weeks. Let it take the time it needs, stick to your plan & it will be fine. Oh, and you’ll likely have more stalls along the way. All the best. PS - congrats on your weight loss so far!

What do you mean by bariatric foods? I just ate regular foods from purées not even shakes or protein powders. Sure my protein intake was low to begin but it got higher. What is your protein goal? Are you focussing on eating the protein component of your meal first then any vegetables & finally only if you are able & permitted any carbs. At 7 months I would expecting you’re eating about 3 or 4ozs of meat for a meal now. 3ozs chicken breast has 26g protein, 3ozs tilapia has 22g. Depending on your goal that’s a good 1/3 of your goal in one meal. I supplemented my protein intake with a high protein yoghurt (mine has 20g) or yoghurt drink (blend yoghurt with milk & get 30g) as a meal & then a snack. I still prioritise protein in every meal & snack (except if it’s fruit of course).

I wasn’t ever given calories either just portion sizes: 1/4-1/3 cup from purée to a cup at 6 months. Check with your dietician for guidance because plans are different & we have different needs.

Snap! I woke up one morning & said enough too. I made an appointment with my doctor to start the process the same day. Best decision I’ve ever made. Your anger is a stage of the grief you’re experiencing which is quite a common before &/or after surgery. Doesn’t matter how much you read about life post surgery, it’s not until you experience it yourself do you fully understand. So you are also in a place of fear of the unknown. Talking with your therapist is a great idea to work your way through your anger, grief & fear. And keep referring to that list of positives. They’ll become blessings before you know it. It seems a long time at the beginning but in time you’ll look back & realise it wasn’t that long - the progress & benefits of your weight loss sort of blurs the time & makes it worthwhile. Most importantly get off the social media sites about bariatric surgery. They are the worst. They’ll feed your fear & anger. The ones I’ve seen give you tips on how eat around your surgery, how not to follow your plan (saw one sharing how to purée a fast food burger & fries 😱) & offer little support or encouragement. Yes, there are risks but there are with any surgery & bariatric surgery is far lower than many others including appendectomies & knee replacement. Your risks are much higher simply by remaining obese. As to whether you’ll be able to eat your favourite foods again the answer is yes. Though you’ll eat them less often & in smaller portions. You’ll work out how much & how often is best for you over time. You may even find alternatives &/or ingredient substitutes that are better for you & more nutritious. I looked at some of my old favourite foods & decided while I loved them they really didn’t love me & contributed to my obesity. You may find you discover new favourite foods & even that your old ones just don’t appeal as much. I’m a low sugar eater & avoid artificial sweeteners wherever I can (rather have a little real sugar than a sweetener). The shakes can be disgusting & have sweeteners but you don’t have to keep having them. I haven’t had one since I started purées & even in the post surgery liquid stage I only had one a day. Had soup for my other meals. Then I discovered a high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drinks to boost my protein intake. (Make your own drink by blending the yoghurt with milk which gives you bonus protein.) Your dietician should be able to help you find other suitable alternatives as well. All the best.

Weight loss is never a straight down ward line. It zigs & zags, goes up & down & plateaus. As long as your general trend is downwards you’re golden. The thing about averages is all they give you is an idea of what might happen not what definitely will happen. In saying that, if you’re currently averaging about a 15lb a month weight loss then in three months you can expect to lose about 45lbs which puts you in the middle of your average 40-50lb loss at three months. But it really doesn’t matter whether you do or don’t. Yes, we do tend to lose more in the first months & then our rate of loss slows. It doesn’t mean your weight loss is over though. When you get closer to the weight you stabilise at it can feel like it’s going to take forever to lose the last pounds - like losing ounces each week. I kept losing at that slow rate for months after I reached my goal at 6 months. I lost another 11kgs over the next 11 months. (I wasn’t actively trying to lose but my body wanted to lose more.) So I was losing for about 17 months in total. The averages were completely off the mark for me. Breath. Work your plan. And celebrate every pound you lose.

Eggs are notoriously difficult for many to eat in the beginning (chicken is another troublesome food) so it could be that. Actually for a while you may find there are a few foods your tummy says no to for seemingly no logical reason (it can be a fussy, petulant, temper throwing two yr old for a while). Or it could be while your team said your ready for the next stage, your tummy actually isn’t. It’s not uncommon to move to the next stage but your tummy says no so you go back to the previous stage for a few more days. Or it could be hat the serve was too much for you & your tummy protested. Your team will advise on portion sizes but sometimes it takes time to build up to that size. You can only eat what you can eat. Don’t force yourself to eat more than you can. Some days you just don’t want that much - it’s all part of learning to listen to your body & it’s signals & needs. You can graze on it a little later on or not bother with it at all. My fridge was frequently filled with unfinished meals. it would take me three days to eat two scrambled eggs - I just portioned it up & reheated the next portion the next day. Try sipping a warm drink like a herbal or green tea. I often find a warm drink like tea soothing. (And yes it counts as a fluid.) Dumping is a response to eating something that is high fat or high sugar. It’s actually not that common & if it does effect you it’s easy to ensure it doesn’t happen again by avoiding those foods. All the best.

I’m thinking withdrawal from caffeine &/or from sugar. Any headaches? That’s another side effect (fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, etc. too). Often it takes 3 or 4 days for these symptoms to pass so you may struggle for a few more days. Give your team a call to be sure.

There are sweet biscuits in my pantry 😱. First time in four years. My five younger nieces & nephew (almost 6-13) are having a sleepover this weekend so I bought the biscuits as an afternoon snack. Can’t expect them to eat my snacks - lol! Though I did buy frozen edamame we could also share … if they like it. 😁 Supermarket brand: 82 calories & 1g of protein. They’ll be taking them home on Sunday if there are any left (probably won’t be).

Yes, 32lbs is a good loss over two months. There’ll always be people who lose more/lose faster while others lose more slowly & there’s nothing wrong with either way. Yes stalls can be frustrating but they are an important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of the changes you’ve made (weight loss, reduced food intake, increased activity, etc.). Think of it as your body being stressed by these changes. Your body then resets things like your digestive hormones, metabolic rate etc. so it can better manage your new needs. Your stall will end when your body is ready to move forward again & they usually last 1-3 weeks on average. Leave the scales for a few days or reduce how often you weigh yourself. Take some body measurements as some say the scales don’t move but their body is still getting smaller.

That’’s much like why I don’t like to use the word ‘diet’. I hare people asking what diet I’m on. Sure I was on a diet while I was losing but now this is just how I eat. It works for me but it may not work for anyone else. I prefer to say ‘a way of eating’ instead of diet because to me there are too many negative connotations with the word diet. Restriction, punishment, limitations & failure. And much like @The Greater Fool, how I eat now is very much like I ate when I was getting closer to maintenance based upon what I learnt about my needs & preferences as I was losing & adding & trialing foods. Slightly larger portions than then of course & more snacks, but still predominately low processed, lowish carbs, lowish fats, very low sugar, still hitting protein & fluid goals.

It’s something we all have to face. Some have a little, some have a lot. All depends on factors like age, gender, starting weight, how long you’ve been at your higher weight, how much you lose, genetics, etc. Can’t stop it as your skin has already been stretched out. You won’t know how much you’ll have until your weight stabilises. If it does bother you, you’re self conscious /effects your confidence, it causes health issues like rashes,etc. or limits your ability to be active, there’s always surgery to remove it which many do. Personally I haven’t gone down the surgery path. I don’t have a lot of loose skin and I can cover it easily with my clothes & don’t need compression underwear to hide or control it. In some ways I feel I earned it - not as a punishment for being obese but because of my successful weight loss. Rather the loose skin than the fat.

I didn’t have to count carbs or calories either. Just told to keep my carbs (sugar, fat) low & given a list of carbs to avoid (bread, pasta, rice, etc. - anything low processed). Portion size was what I had to focus on (& protein & fluids of course). 1/4-1/3 cup from purée increasing to a cup at about 6 months. I still watch my portion sizes. I used to randomly check calories just out of my own interest while I was losing & I still do this. Simply because if you are consuming more calories than your body needs to function effectively you will gain weight. (An additional 100 calories a day equates to 10lbs over a year 😱 yikes!) But yes working out calories for complex meals like salads, soups, stews, etc. you cook yourself can be challenging & never completely accurate. I tend to focus on the protein content only then. I check the weight of the protein in the soup, casserole, etc. & work out about how many portions that would be of the finished meal. Hard to weigh meats with bones to work out the calories too. I go to recommended serving sizes then to help guide my portion. To eat carbs or not in the long term is really up to you and what works for you in regard to what types, how often, how much. I only ate rolled oats while losing and then could start adding other whole or multi grains carbs from maintenance. The carbs in vegetables & fruit were always okay & were a free pass. I only eat two serves of multi/whole grain carbs a day & still don’t eat bread & similar products, pasta, rice. They sit heavily. Don’t miss them & I do feel better without them - no bloating, less wind, etc. but that’s me. There’s nothing stopping you counting your own carbs & keeping them at a level you’re happy with while you’re losing if you want. As long as you monitor, the best you can, the calories your team is asking for. Remember once you work out the calories for a specific salad, soup, etc, you don’t have to do it every time you eat those recipes. As long as your portion remains the same (adjusting for the increase in portions as you progress) the calories will be pretty accurate.

Oh I love labneh. It’s a middle eastern soft cheese made from yoghurt. It’s easy to make your own though a little messy. Mix a good pinch of salt in a tub of Greek yoghurt (500g/2cups full fat) & then tip into cheesecloth (I use a large chux cloth). Knot over the handle of a large spoon & suspend over a bowl in the fridge for 24hrs or so. Use it as a spread or a dip, in salads, etc. https://www.loveandlemons.com/labneh-recipe/ Yes, peanut paste is peanut butter. I buy my roasted fava beans or chick peas but it’s an Australian company. There are likely US companies as others have mentioned them too. My nieces & nephews are staying over this weekend so they’ll probably eat all the ones I have at the moment - they love them. 😁 You can make them yourself too & add your favourite flavours. I’d do them in an air fryer if you have one so less oil. The ones I buy are salted & 110 calories per 25g (0.8oz) & 6.8g protein. https://www.fearlessdining.com/roasted-fava-beans-recipe/

Okay, we can be still be friends but only because you like gazpacho. 🤣 I’m sort of that way with strawberries. Fresh strawberries yum including on a Victoria sponge or in fruit salad but strawberry flavoured things like yoghurt, ice cream, milk shakes, cheesecake, jam, etc. nope can’t do it. Even if they have chunks of strawberry in it it’s still no. Blah!

The lethargy can really knock you about & it can come & go at various stages along the way too. An electrolyte drink can be very helpful. I sipped diluted hydralite (to make it taste less sweet) when I needed the extra boost. There are lots of other brand options available (just watch the sugar content of some). Check with your team in case they have preferences or recommendations. Great job on hitting your protein goal out of the park!

Okay that’s it. Our friendship is over. How can you not like tomato based soups??? 😱 I love all soups as you know but my favourite soup since a child has been tomato. Tomato with lentils, with white beans, using fresh, roasted, or tinned tomatoes, … I’d very happily eat A’s minestrone except for the pasta of course. Mmm now I might make a pastaless minestrone this week (though is it still minestrone without pasta??) 😁😁😁