Arabesque

That seems a little odd. I mean they intabate babies. Can’t get smaller than that. Have a chat with your surgeon. It’s the only way to really know. Plus, then they can have some smaller tubes on hand if needed. My mum had a narrow airway (stenosis) & had a couple of scary choking experiences. She had it stretched & never had another problem.

We all lose at our own rate & no rate is right or wrong. But your loss so far is not a slow weight loss. It’s around what many of us lose that first month. Not sure what weight you started at, but unless you weighed in excess of 600lbs (like on the tv show) you are not going to lose large amounts of weight to begin (& even their rate of loss slows as they get smaller). And stalls are very common & almost everyone experiences them. Does your surgeon say you are losing slowly? Are they concerned? Maybe speak with your dietician to review your food choices & calories. But remember you are early out & your body is still healing. Your restricted diet is to support your healing & yes it can limit aspects of your lifestyle to begin. You will be eating more & a wider variety of food in a few weeks. I didn’t feel like I was missing out while I was losing. I went to a 60 birthday 2 weeks after surgery (took my own shake & sipped that), a 40th 6 weeks after surgery, reunions, social gatherings, dinners at restaurants, children’s birthdays, sporting events, travelled, etc. I just made careful food choices. I lost all my weight & more & have maintained +/- a kilo or two (am almost 4 years post surgery). I’ve never been able to do that. My lifestyle still isn’t compromised by how I chose to eat now. Exercise only contributes to about 10% of any weight you want to lose. Want to lose 50lbs, exercising will contribute to 5lbs of that. Of course there are many other benefits to exercising. Personally I didn’t exercise. Got on my treadmill a couple of times but was so tired I almost fell, off it so never got back on. Even now all I do is some stretches, a few resistance band exercises & some sit ups. I wouldn’t burn 30 calories.

I made a few stews/casseroles & chunky soups. Anything slow cooked so the meat is fall off the bone tender. I also cooked a lot of minced meat dishes: bolognese with zucchini noodles, rissoles/meatballs, savoury mince, etc. Still kept things moist with gravies. Everything was easy to freeze in single servings & reheat at work.

Congratulations are your weight loss. Whoo hoo! Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to get rid of that loose skin except surgery. It’s been stretched out & won’t go back to what it was. I describe it as being like a well used hair band or a elastic in well worn old knickers. Once the snap is gone it’s gone. Working out won’t help as it’s loose skin not loose muscle. You’ll build & refine the muscles behind the skin but not the skin itself. And those creams that supposedly tighten skin don’t work either or at the very least don’t help with the excess skin we usually have after weight loss. (They’ll make your skin feel nice & soft though.) There is shape wear available that has been designed for men which will help control your muffin top & abdomen.. You could give that a try see how it goes. Apart from the upper arms, inner thighs & my butt (which has oozed down my thighs) I have a little tummy pooch but find full briefs are usually enough to keep it under control even under close fitting clothing. I do find good posture does help. Slouching when sitting or standing makes that pooch more obvious, I weakened & bought some you beaut fancy & certainly not cheap cream that was supposed to tighten skin & lighten stretch marks. See results in a month. Well it’s been two months. No change to my stretch marks or my skin. At the very least I’d hoped for maybe a little improvement in the creepiness but no. Should have saved my money.

Yes, ketosis (fat burning) is likely causing the bad taste. Bad body odour is another side effect. It will pass when you are eating more & a more balanced diet. I wonder if the excess saliva is the foamies??? It usually occurs if you eat too fast, too large a bite, too much or food that is too dry, coarse or fibrous. Your body produces the slimy, mucus like saliva as a protection: to ease the food into your tummy or to help bring it up (regurgitate) if it is stuck or too much. Use lots of sauces, gravies & stock if you’re on soft foods. Chicken breast can be too dry & cause problems for many. I ate a lot of minced beef dishes to begin as they were much easier to swallow & digest. Make sure you’re not drinking too close to before or after you eat (stick to that 30 mins) as that can contribute too. Give your surgeon a call too just the be sure.

Congrats on your surgery & doing well with your recovery so far. A lot of nerves were cut during your surgery so many messages wont don’t get through until your healed. It’s why portion size is important is more important from the purée stage to so yiu dint accidental eat too much. I was told 1/4 - 1/3 cup but check with your team. When your healing is further along & you’re eating more solid food, you’ll start to feel signals again. For many those signals are different though & you have to learn what they are for you. Like many find there sneeze, yawn or their nose runs when they’ve had enough to eat. Also it takes time for those signals to get through (it’s why we’re told to eat slowly). By the time you feel full you’ve likely eaten too much & more than you need. Try not to keep eating until you are full or you feel your restriction. I ask myself if I need the next bite or just want it.

Therapy & ‘doing the head work’ is a very important part of not just the weight loss but maintaining. You need to ne mentally & emotionally ready for this surgery. Many of the benefits of the surgery are temporary or become weaker. If you haven’t done the head work, it is extremely easy to return to your old habits & regain your weight. The desire to eat can become so strong again it is possible to eat around your surgery. Remember the surgery changes your body not your head. The surgery affords us the time to change our relationship with food. Well it did for me. For years I skipped meals to control my intake & all it did was screw up my metabolism & I was still fat. I’ve stuck to diets & lost weight many, many times but I always regained the weight. While I was losing I looked at how, why, when & what I ate & realised what I did didn’t work for me. I needed a new way. I worked out a way of eating, not a diet, that worked for me. I haven’t been this size since I was about 12years old & have never maintained a weight loss like this ever. I have a different attitude about food & eating. It’s been sustainable, It doesn’t rely on my will power to control my eating. It doesn’t limit me or hinder me in enjoying my life as I want. Sure there are certain foods I avoid or eat very rarely because I’m careful about what I eat & it’s been my choice to do so. I feel better for it & I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. I still love food, enjoy what I eat & regular dine out. You’ll work out a way of eating to complement your lifestyle & meet your needs too in time. Join that art class now. Don’t wait until you move again to look for a class. Great way to meet people with similar interests.

Lol! The same thing happened to me. I was on holiday too & packed the strapless bra which I had fit fine a few weeks previously. But unfortunately it didn’t anymore. I thought it was going to fall straight to the ground & I’d have to step out of it & leave it on the footpath 😆😆.

I’m almost 4 years out & while my bites aren’t as small I certainly don’t take mouthfuls. I don’t use teaspoons anymore but still use a buffet spork or a dessert forks to keep bites smaller. I also serve my meals on side plates & in small bowls. it’s still about mindful eating. There is also a physical concern for me too. If I take too large a bite or swallow too much I can end up with the foamies so another reason to be mindful. Oh, & I still cut up my meat into small pieces when I’m at home. 😁

We’re all told small bites regardless of surgery. I was a tip of a teaspoon person during purées & worked to half a level teaspoon during soft. I ate from a teaspoon or a buffet spork for months & months & never heaped them. There are reasons for this especially in the first few weeks. The main is protect your healing tummy & not to strain it with too much food entering the tummy with each bite. Our throats can be irritated after surgery too. It also contributes to us being more mindful about our eating - not mindlessly filling our mouths with food. It also slows our eating down & allows the time needed for the message to get through we’ve had enough to eat (not full - feel full & you’ve likely eaten too much or more than you need). Same with sipping. Think how you sip a very hot drink.

It happens to most people. It’s your body reacting to the stress of the surgery, reduced caloric intake, etc. Your body has just temporarily taking a time out. Your weight loss will start again when your body is ready - usually 1-3 weeks. Stick to your plan & breathe. Don’t stress yourself more. Take some body measurements. Some people notice a change on a tape measure even if the scale doesn’t move.

We all heal & recovery differently & in our own time. Two friends & I had our surgeries within 2 years of each other. One took a week & was define. One took three weeks. Me I needed every one of my four weeks but I always recover slowly. And yes we all had office jobs. Best advice is to speak to your boss & negotiate some flexibility just in case you need it: another week off, reduced hours, etc. Lethargy & poor concentration are very common after surgery & may impact your work. All the best with your surgery & recovery.

Stalls are very common & yes, the first one usually occurs at week 3 though it can be earlier or later than that. They usually last 1-3 weeks too. They’re your body shutting down & taking a time out in reaction to the stress it’s been under (surgery, reduced calorie intake, etc.). Stick to your plan & it will break when your body is ready & the weight loss will start again. Go back to your team & ask for more information. You’re paying them to support you & you have the right to ask for what ever information you need to feel comfortable & confident about this process & what you have to or can do . We all have different needs (what I was told may not be completely right for you) & they should be there for you. Can’t complain about an almost 7kg weight loss in 4 weeks especially with a stall. I’d lost about the same in my first month (& I never really stalled during that time). My surgeon & dietician were very happy. Not sure of your starting weight, but remember those people who lose those large amounts of weight seen in programs like My 600lb Life started at very high weights. And they only lose at that rate in the beginning.

It often starts around month 3 & will persist about 3 months. As with all things it may start sooner or later than that and last more or less than 3 months.

Yes, I’ve heard it. Not really from my family but I used the big boned excuse myself. A lot! Many years ago I went to a large chain weight loss centre where they measured my wrist & told me I was large boned. I clung to that from that day on. Logically I should have known I wasn’t. I mean I’m short & it was obvious I didn’t have a large skeletal frame when I wasn’t carrying weight in the past. Truth is I actually have a smaller frame. The ‘large bones’ they measured was just fat around my wrist.

Go back to your surgeon & demand, if you have to, help. There must be a reason for your pain. Ask for an ultra sound, X-ray, &/or a scope. Some pain is to be expected after surgery but not four weeks out. The odd twinge, yes, but not pain like you’re describing. Gas pain is usually gone or almost fully gone after a week. Surgical gas rises so it can escape through the lungs. It settles behind the lungs & puts pressure on the phrenic nerve causing shoulder pain. Some people talk about an occasional shooting abdominal pain which is often caused by internal sutures or muscles pulls & strains. I’m wondering blockage, gall stone, …. Excess stomach acid can cause sharp cutting pain - are you on a prescription PPI? Hope you get an answer soon. Don’t worry too much if you’re not exactly meeting goals to begin. As long as you’re close you’ll be okay. It can be a struggle at first but your pain will be hindering your ability to reach goal as well.

Sending you lots of good vibes. Hope the surgery & your recovery are smooth & easy.

Almost 4 years since my sleeve. Reached goal at 6 months. Exceeded it by another 10/11kg & have basically maintained +/- a kilo or two. Didn’t have co morbidities before my surgery. Didn’t really stall in the truest sense - just odd couple of days with no loss. No complications. Have low blood pressure but always had a tendency towards it. Gone from a couple of times a month to every day. (My higher weight probably kept my BP in the normal range.) Had my gall out about two years after my sleeve but not necessarily related to my weight loss. Still don’t eat rice, pasta, bread, potatoes. They sit heavily in my tummy. Don’t miss them. I have a glass of sparkling water every day but I let it go fairly fiat. Occasionally I’ll have a glass of champagne or have soda or tonic water as a mixer but no other carbonated drinks. Don’t drink much alcohol any more (a glass once a month+/-). Not that I can’t, just not interested. I have loose skin. Not a lot. Can’t really be seen under my clothes … unless you look closely.😉 I wear body conscious dresses without needing shape wear to control the loose skin. No regrets.

I’d probably ring the surgeon’s office to be sure. There may be a concern over the congestion restricting your breathing during the surgery or in the first days post surgery. If they do delay it may only be for a few days. The surgery is fairly major & you do want to be in your best health possible even if it is just a cold.

Not sure if you’re still losing or how much you have to go or are maintaining but I wonder if you are eating enough? Your job is physical & you’re exercising so your night hunger may be real & understandable & could explain your fatigue too. May be have a chat with your dietician. There might be something missing in your food choices or an increase in calories, or adding more carbs, etc. might make a difference. Old habits, like night eating, can sneak their way back in as time passes. Working out ways to manage the habit or to distract yourself certainly helps, as does establishing new habits. I wasn’t a late night time eater but I worried I’d become one so I followed a no eating after 8pm habit for years & still do. Like @catwoman7, afternoon eating was always my weakness. I’ve slowly moved my eating times to later in the day as I find it easy not to eat earlier in the day. I have breakfast at 9am, snack at 1pm, snack at 2:30 lunch at 4pm, dinner at 6pm & final snack at 7:30. (I have a routine of what & when I snack to get in my calories & protein.)

I didn’t/don’t tell everyone about my surgery. If asked, I said I was working with my doctor & a dietician. All true. I did a lot of reading. Also true. I worked out a way of eating that works for me which isn’t a recognised diet (because diets don’t work in the long term). True too. I often add this is what works for me but your needs are likely different so your way of eating will be different too. And like @catwoman7 I would leave out the surgery part.

I’ll add have a chat with your dietician too. They can go through yiur current eating plan & make suggestions on what if any changes you could or may need to add. I wasn’t given a caloric goal either just portion size recommendations. But if you think you’ll feel more comfortable with some guidelines around calories intake ask for some. You have to do what’s best for you & have the tools & information that make you feel comfortable & confident about what you’re doing.

You may find that by your birthday you have very little pain. Many find by day 4 they need no pain meds at all (prescription or over the counter). I didn’t. You may just have a little lingering discomfort but not pain. Just sit back, relax & have everyone run after you & treat you as a Queen. I mean it is your birthday! I like @Victoria_Faith’s suggestion of a belly birthday. All the best for your surgery & have a happy birthday.

So sorry you’ve been experiencing this. It makes me so angry for you that much of what you have experienced could have been prevented right from when you had your bypass surgery. Your surgeon should have gone through your medications, explained about absorption issues with a bypass so you could discuss alternative medications with your prescribing doctor. I’m also cranky it took so long for doctors to identify that malabsorption was causing your meds not to work. And I’m cranky that you’ve been unable to find support & answers from medical professionals. I wonder if you are are now in a viscous cycle of anxiety & anxiety causing experiences. Anxiety meds are known to cause an increase in appetite & weight gain & your anxiety increases when yiu do gain weight. The anxiety causes stress responses in your body like IBS & hair loss causing more anxiety. You’re not being supported by your medical community increasing your anxiety so you need their help more but aren’t getting it making you more anxious, stressed & frustrated. Etc.,, etc. Like @catwoman7, I too think your heart issues were more likely caused by your pre surgery status & lifestyle not the bypass. I hope you soon find some doctors who will actually work together to support you & find solutions or ways to better manage your mental & physical health issues. All the best.

Simply that I grew a gall stone. Just one. It may have been from the sudden weight loss. Could have been because I was/am menopausal, or have high bilirubin levels (have Gilbert’s). All of which can cause gall stones. The only thing I know is mine wasn’t caused by high cholesterol - my cholesterol was always ok. We discovered it about 8 months after surgery during a liver function scan. First & only symptom was horrendous pain some 16 months later. Had the gall removed about two weeks later. My surgeon said: if you’ve grown one stone, you’ll likely grow more so better it goes. It’s not an uncommon surgery during or after weight loss surgery. Some are discovered during the pre surgery testing and the gall is removed in the same surgery. These are often the high cholesterol caused stones. Others have their stones discovered & their gall removed some time after surgery. These are often caused by the dramatic weight loss. There are always exceptions to this of course.