Arabesque

I do enjoy crumbed lamb cutlets with a little bit of mint jelly of course. And my fav green veges (broccolini, asparagus, sugar snap peas & green beans). I microwave the vege with a little water & about a teaspoon of butter. I drain them so they get a wash of butter so they still glisten with yummy goodness. Oh & some cracked pepper & Maldon sea salt. I ate all of it over 40/45mins & even gnawed on those bones. 😆

The only way to weigh. 😆

I was told 1/4 - 1/3 cup to begin slowly increasing over months. I was at about a cup by goal at 6 months. I’d take 20+minutes to eat that size serving. I still eat slowly & take ages to eat. All about mindful eating & being more conscious of how your body reacts & what it needs. Was never told that chew, chew, chew thing. Freaks me out actually. You’d be left with flavourless, unappealing mush. Just use a teaspoon & take small bites/nibbles especially in the beginning. I still cut up my meats in small pieces (at home only) so I’m not tempted to take a too big a piece. I was a lucky one & never felt hungry & wasn’t interested in eating for months. First felt hunger (it felt different & it was real hunger) at about 7 months but was 18months until I began feeling hungry more regularly.

Likely the only thing to consider will be the lifting limitations. After surgery you will be restricted to lifting/carrying/pulling about 5-10lbs. The amount increases over time & every surgeon has their own preferred restrictions & timeframes as to how much you can lift & when. Ask your surgeon for their requirements & also ask when you’re allowed to drive again. Good luck.

The restriction kicks in as a signal you’ve eaten too much, too quickly or something that is too dry or too hard for your tummy to digest. As soon as you start to feel it stop. Sometimes it will seem to kick in early or for no reason you can understand. On those occasions, I think my body is just being a bit more sensitive & I need to give it a break. But it’s not something you should feel every day & after every meal. Eat until you’ve had enough. That is to the point you’ve had what you need not just because you want to eat - there’s a big difference. Do you need that next bite or just want it. I still pick up my fork to have my next bite & think nope don’t need it & put the fork down again. Sometimes I’ll have that bite a few minutes later & sometimes I don’t have anymore at all. Good luck.

A tightness in your chest (I always want to thump my chest when I feel it) is your restriction. It signals you’ve eaten too much, too quickly or something that is harder too swallow or digest. You won’t really feel that until you’re on more solid foods. Though I get it if I drink too quickly or too much at a time but if you’re sipping & waiting a couple of minutes between each sip you shouldn’t feel it at this stage. Upper chest pain near & around your shoulder is from the surgical gas they use to inflate your abdomin. It lasts about a week or so. If your pain is something different call your medical team just in case.

Congrats on doing so well so far. The brain fog & fatigue is common. Combination of low caloric intake & that you just had pretty major surgery & your body is still healing. If you feel tired, it’s your body telling you it needs to rest & recover. Coloxyl was my friend. If no movement by day 3 or 4 I’d take one. Don’t forget, you are eating all that much yet so not going every day isn’t really a concern. You’ll find it does improve as you’re eating more & a more balanced diet. Add some soluble fibre (look for non swelling ones) to your shakes, etc. everyday to help. Watch activity that pulls at your tummy. That could be aggravating that larger incision.

Happy birthday @Kris77. Hope you had a wonderful fay. Tell you what, I’d be very happy if someone made me steak, asparagus & sweet potato like that for my birthday dinner. Mmmmm yum.

If your plan allows you to eat certain fruits or vegetables go for it but blend the whole fruit or vegetable don’t juice. Most plans suggest a staged return to eating fruits & vegetables & identify specific ones ones to avoid especially as they can be hard on your healing digestive system or are considered too much starch, too many carbs, too much sugar (natural) depending on your eating plan. When you juice your miss out on a lot of the essential nutrients & fibre fruits & vegetables have. Plus you consume more serves of the fruit or vegetable than you would consuming it whole. You should still consider portion size & calorie contention relation to your plan. Honestly, I used to add 25-50ml of juice to my yoghurt drink (every 2nd or 3rd day) from purée stage because it was a little too thick to drink initially. My dietician okayed it because it was a small amount & not every day. I did it for a month or so. I started including vegetables in soups from purée stage, then just included some in what ever slow cooked meal or soup I was making in soft food. Steamed & microwaved them from solid food. Ate fresh fruit from about month 3.

Oh, that’s appalling. Can’t believe you haven’t had a post surgery appointment with your surgeon yet. Get on the phone & starts demanding some information, guidance & support & an appointment. I saw my surgeon two weeks after surgery (to the day), dietician early in week 4, GP in week 5 & the surgeon & dietician in week 6. I was given information pamphlets from my surgeon & dietician and the surgeon gave me a great hard cover reference book about all bariatric surgeries, the pre & post surgical stages & recipes.

I did it alone. No problems. Pain was managed easily with meds but by about day 5 I didn’t need anything. I did spend a lot of time on my couch with my shake (or soup) & water beside me. Though my bedroom & living areas on on the same floor, I have stairs & walked them a couple of times a day. Helps get the gas out plus getting up to get your shakes, broths, fluids, etc. & just generally pottering (carefully) around your house helps your recovery. Just make sure you have all the over the counter meds (pain meds, gas x, stool softener, etc.), shakes, broths, soups, etc. you’ll need for that first week or two. Hope all goes well for you.

They happen. It will break when your body is ready. You don’t have to change a thing you’re doing. Just stick to your plan.

Glorious. Paul Hollywood couldn’t complain about that cake. 😉 Oh, soufflés @sillykitty. Mmmm mmmm, mmmmm. I have beautiful memories of some totally orgasmic soufflés I’ve eaten in the past. Yours looks deliciously fabulous. Jealous!

Snap. Social media pxts, tv ads, etc. just turn my tummy. Watching a football game on tv (& I hate football - not fussy don’t like any code 😉.) recently with a sleever friend & we both groaned & said yuck at the same time watching an ad for a fast food chain. We thought it was hilarious. If I’m going away for a couple of days, I pack yoghurt, protein bars, cheese sticks, whole grain crackers, etc. to take with me just in case. I have a small thermal bag & put ice bricks in it to keep everything cold. Just refreeze the bricks overnight (ask hotel if they can be put in their freezer if travelling). You can always throw in some protein shakes too.

Last night was Riverfire which concludes the month long Brisbane Festival - performances, street art, exhibitions, etc. Fireworks are always so glorious & appeal to the child inside. These are located along the river which meanders around the city, on floating barges, on bridges & tops of city buildings. Every vantage spot, apartment building or hotel along the river or with river views overflow with people watching the extravaganza all timed to music played by a local radio station. Thought you would enjoy a short burst. FullSizeRender.mov

Another way, they’re all different. I was every three months for the first two years, then went to 4 months because everything was consistently so good. But I’m back to 3 months because since my gall was removed 4 months ago I’m not absorbing protein well. Sad face. I have blood tests before every appointment but sometimes my GP asks for another in between. She’ll probably send me for one when I see her in a fortnight to check how I’m going with my protein absorption after being on Creon for about 6 weeks. I’m happy they’re so thorough & want to make sure I’m as healthy as I can be.

I picked my goal based on the lowest weight I’d ever reached before too - my bounce weight range. 60kgs & BMI of about 23. Reached that at 6 months & then lost another 11/12kgs over about another 11 months. The weight loss just continued to get slower. No stalls in that time, but the trend was still the same pretty smooth & even trend I experienced in my first 6 month weight loss. Just more up & down when I was starting to stabilise at around 50kgs I struggled to find that caloric balance to stop losing. Just trying to eat larger portions & then eat more frequently was hard but over that year I eventually got to about a recommended portion size for most foods. I was eating 4 or 5 snacks a day on top of three meals by the end. Now I eat about 3 snacks & 3 meals & I’ve been maintaining for almost a year at about 49kg (generally fluctuate between 48.5-49.5) & a BMI of just under 19. I know a lot of people have issues about BMI but I always look at it as a guide. Higher end of healthy range for large frames, lower end for smaller frames. Taking in the needs of our bodies is also important as is how muscular we are. Some people just sit happily at a BMI above the healthy range - their body seem to function better. We also carry our weight in different ways too. You can look at two people with similar height, build & weight but one can look slim & the other bony. I was always told I had a larger frame. Once the weight was gone it was obvious I don’t. When I was nearing 50kgs, my surgeon & doctor wanted me to get back to about 54kgs but they’re fine now & happy I’m healthy & maintaining. As one said: you’re actually really quite tiny aren’t you. It’s still can be a freaky I’m the size I was at about 12.

I managed most of my reflux before surgery by modifying my diet & avoiding or reducing caffeine, carbonation, spicy foods, extra creamy or oily food, etc. I only took prescription Nexium occasionally. Post surgery, I take Nexium every day but it’s generally ok. Eating smaller meals more regularly so acid doesn’t build & eating soft proteins before bed all help too. It wasn’t good last night but I drank champagne (2 glasses) & didn’t eat much (a piece of cheese & 2 tiny meatballs) over 6 hours so my fault.

It is both a personal choice & whether you can tolerate it or not. I can tolerate only small amounts - air fried occasionally yes, deep fried generally no. But there is usually plenty of other food choices available. You may have to pre plan so you know which places offer more food choices & cooking style options. If you’re really stuck you can always eat the inside of battered or crumbed foods to reduce the oiliness & fat content.

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way @SleeverSk. Your surgeon, doctor & medical team really should have discussed your lifestyle & how the surgery might impact it with you so you would have been better informed - it is your body & your life. I’m sorry you weren’t better prepared by your team. The first couple of months can be challenging - a restrictive diet, changed eating habits, fussy tummy, hormonal changes causing emotional upsets, etc. & your body just not letting you do what you want to & used to do. But a lot of the things you’ve mentioned like chewing & sipping do get better. You won’t need to chew, chew chew forever. (I never did at all.) Will you need to still eat slowly & take smaller bites? Yes. But how large a bite & how much time you will take to eat is individual. (I still eat slowly & take small bites but some of that is my choice.) Like some people can go back to gulping fluids & taking multiple sips at a time. Some not so much. (I’m a 2 mouthful person.) My tummy gurgles but not all the time. I find it happens more after I eat dairy or if I put pressure on my chest (like my iPad resting on my chest when I read in bed). It’s not uncommon for people to experience changes in their taste &/or smell after surgery But this is a short term affect. Cutting some foods out of your diet for a period of time may make you more sensitive to them like sweet things may become too sweet. Some develop food sensitivities or intolerances like to lactose. Oh & yes you will becoming more regular with your BMs as you start to eat more & a broader range of food types. Add some soluble (non swelling) fibre to your diet to help in the meantime. Will you go back to eating exactly the same way you did before? No. But do you want to? I mean look where that got you before. Part of this process is examining your food choices & making better, more nutritious choices so you can enjoy a healthier life. Does that mean you’ll never eat pizza, burgers, ice cream or whatever you enjoyed? No. Many do eat foods that would be considerate less nutritious, high fat, high sugar, etc. It’s just not every day or every week & yes, portion control is important. Working out how you manage your eating (when & what) does take time. There are many people in this forum who work long hours, night shifts, etc. in a range of occupations & they have devised eating routines that complement their job demands & limitations & lifestyles & still meet all their nutrient needs. It just takes time. I frequently freeze single serve portions of meals I make & leftovers. Makes it easy to grab a meal out of the freezer & reheat at work or on those occasions you don’t feel like cooking. The surgery isn’t a magical fix. Changing a lifetime of habits isn’t easy. And life often throws a truck load of crap at you at times. It’s why some regain part or most of their weight back. I doubt anyone on this forum would say it is a totally easy journey though some find aspects smoother than others but we’re different people. Most are positive because when they reflect on all their experiences they see how it’s made their life better & decide it was worth the hard work & any challenges or struggles. I certainly do. I hope you can find peace with your surgery & feel more confident about managing the changes soon.

There is no one right way to recover. There is no only one right plan or only one right calorie goal, protein goal, etc. There’s no specific minimum time frame to eat a meal or drink a cup of liquid. There are, however, generalisations, averages, some can, some can’t, etc. things. We’re all different & have different needs & are able or unable to manage different things at different stages. If your body can manage it without causing you discomfort or pain you’re ok. Your body will tell you pretty quickly what is too much, too fast, what it likes, what it doesn’t, etc. You’re following the plan your surgeon gave you so all is good. My surgeon considers each patient’s starting weight, health status, weight loss history, etc. when assigning plans. My post surgical plan & recommendations had similarities but also differences to what a friend who was also a patient of his had. Our pre surgery diets were different too - mine keto & hers shakes only. We’re not the same people so it makes sense our plans weren’t exactly the same & neither were our experiences but we both reached our goal weights. There will be times you may stall or lose more one day or over one week & less the next. As long as the general trend month to month is downwards you’re golden.

Don’t worry, I’d take half the day to drink mine. I diluted them (at least 50% more water because disgusting) but I’d make it for breakfast & still be sipping it at lunch.

Met with surgeon & hand therapy people today. My thumb is healing, the graft isn’t dying & they said it looked good. I thought it looked gruesome & very much like a Walking Dead zombie finger. Anyway decided to wear a new skirt. Took me ages to iron it. All those pleats & it’s a wrap. 😱 It still looks like it’s been stuck in my cupboard for months. Well I guess it had been. The problem of having to buy northern summer clothing in our winter. Meant to ask if you any pxts of your daughter @kristieshannon? Love to see her bridal gown.

Is the cauliflower mac & cheese just cauliflower au gratin? Steamed cauliflower, smothered in béchamel sauce & backed in the oven until golden?

I am an advocate of finding the food choices & way of eating that works for you.There isn’t just one totally correct way to eat eat. It may be vegetarian or meat focussed or Aitken or vegan or keto, intermittent fasting or frequent eating, etc. or include aspects of a number of eating styles. The only thing you can trust will work for everyone is portion control - eat more than you need you’ll gain weight. Once you get to maintenance you can really embrace your new way of eating but you could start to incorporate aspects while losing as long as you’re still meeting your plan’s requirements & expectations. Have regular conversations with your nutritionalist & surgeon to discuss what you could start introducing & when. Your regular blood work will influence their advice & recommendations. You may (or may not) have to make adjustments to your weight loss plan & future eating style because of your personal physiological needs. Some may be pre existing, some may arise because of the surgery or be discovered as a result of all the additional medical tests & monitoring. I’ve never been great with too fatty or too oily food. I was low fat while losing but added some more good fats from goal. I was low carb while losing too & then added some whole & multi grains carbs. Since my sleeve, rice, bread & pasta sit like lumps in my tummy so I still don’t eat them. Protein has become even more important to me since I had my gall removed 4 months ago as I don’t absorb it properly anymore. I’m a carnivore but include vegetarian meals occasionally. 40+yrs of fasting & skipping meals killed my metabolism. I feed my much faster metabolism now - 3 meals & 3 or 4 snacks a day. These things influenced how I chose to eat now & it’s been working for me. Your enthusiasm for researching & adopting a new way of eating & making the changes to take the best advantage of your surgery is fantastic. I hope it motivates others starting the process too. Good luck.