Arabesque

Drinks with my cousin & friends again yesterday afternoon. (Sipped a small glass of wine for about 4 hours 😁.) Made a cherry tomato, burrata, pesto & prosciutto tart with basil leaves. I love these simple tarts I’ve been making lately. Sheet of puff pastry & a few ingredients & voila … a savour tart for drinks. Get 16 pieces from it. Baked it in my non fully functioning oven but it worked. Yay! I ate two pieces.

I wasn’t told either. I’m a side sleeper too & from the day after surgery I slept on my side without an issue. Couldn’t the first day/night because of the compression machine on my legs. It really comes down to whether you find it comfortable or not (given your surgeon doesn’t advise differently).

I too am sorry you are experiencing so many difficulties. There always is a chance for side effects like with any surgery & it seems like you & your friends got the bad hand unfortunately. Like @maintenanceman I too wondered if you are working with your team & surgeon to find solutions or ways of managing your challenges. Sure I have a couple of issues I manage from my surgery. I experience the foamies more frequently than most & it varies from one occurrence to the next as to what set it off. It’s not a daily or even weekly thing but it happens. But my tummy always was a little quirky & it still is. I take a PPI every day because my previously managed & mild reflux is now a constant. Though some of my old reflux symptoms side effects (like hideous hiccups) are much improved which is a win in my mind. Rather have these couple of issues then still be at the weight I was. Because believe me I tried to lose my weight many, many times over the years. Sure sometimes I succeeded at times but it never lasted. This is the first time in my life (& I’m 58 now) I have lost weight & been able to keep it off as I have with this surgery. How much are you able to eat? What do you consider is a ‘normal’ sized meal? So many meals & portions we are served are double or even triple what we should be eating & our view of a ‘normal’ sized meal have been screwed. The smallest piece of steak I can order anywhere from high end restaurants to a pub is 250g (they’re even often called a petit serve 🙄) which is more than double the recommended 85g (cooked) portion size for an adult. I hope you receive some help & support soon.

I still take a break between every bite. For me it can be about 2-5 minutes, just depending how I feel, between bites. I found putting my cutlery down & sitting back from the table helps. If with others I don’t eat while someone is talking - give them my full attention. When at home alone I’ll read or play a game (solitaire is my go to) & then might take a bite every couple of pages or after a game or two. Didn’t like setting a timer as I felt like I had to take a bite then. I only take the bite when I feel like I need it not just want the bite or ‘told’ to take a bite. Not uncommon for me to pick up a bite then put it down again either. Took me a while to learn to eat more mindfully & focus on what I needed & not just mindlessly shovel food in. And don’t worry if everyone has finished their meal & you’re still going. Don’t rush to eat in time with them (this can be difficult). At a function yesterday I was still eating my entree while everyone else had finished, had had their plates removed & the staff were starting to bring out the main courses. There’d even been a speech between the courses LOL! (I barely ate half my entree & only a couple of bites of my main 😁.)

I’ve been in maintenance for a couple of years now, so like @catwoman7 can’t really answer your first question. Mind you I don’t eat all that differently. Just larger portions (& probably a little more good & bad fat 😉). Don’t be afraid to widen your meal selection & food selection. It may need you to do a little work to make a recipe healthier, lower in calories & to complement your plan (ingredients, cooking method). Don’t forget to check the nutrient content too. And it’s working towards how you’ll eat in the future. As to the stall issue - you can’t break those. It’s your body’s reaction to your weight loss. It’s the time your body needs to takes to assesses your current needs & adjusts things like your digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Your body will take as long as it needs to do this. Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more by making changes to what you’re eating or your activity. Your stall will break when your body is ready. Still is frustrating I know.

Yep, me too. The burning of the cold is awful. I dress according to my needs & take a coat with me & keep one in my car. But not having the heat bother me as much is wonderful.

I vaguely remember it being mentioned here in the past. I can’t recall why it happened or how long it persisted. Sorry. Worth a conversation with your surgeon (phone call or email at least). Better to know then worry about nit knowing.

Oh my gracious, no wonder you were having a reaction with that dosage. Yikes! Nothing will stop the hair loss. It’s hair that would have fallen out anyway in your usual shedding cycle. That cycle is temporarily accelerated. (The acceleration can happen after any major surgery, pregnancy or other hormonal changes, stressful times, etc.) Your new hair is still growing just it’s usual rate. How much hair you lose is an individual thing just like when it starts & ends. There actually is no scientific e evidence that biotin stops or slows hair loss. All it may do is strengthen your new hair growth. The hair you shed is dead - can’t save that. Most people here say there hair loss lasts about 3 months +/- & that’s regardless of whether they take biotin or other supplements. So glad you’ve discovered the cause.

Just like it takes time for our heads to catch up with how we look so too does it take others. They have a picture of you in their heads so they also have to come to terms with as you are now & really see you. I had several people ‘helpfully’ tell me I had lost enough weight. I had people tell me they didn’t recognise me during the time I had lost down to around my usual weight range (mid 60s kg +/-). This was the weight range I had been most of my adult life (30 odd years). I was only my largest obese size for about 4 or so years. They should have easily recognised me. Now 2+ years later no one says a thing. Apparently the taller you are the larger the circumference of your bones. That’s the true meaning of being big boned. For e.g. woman 5’2” - 5’5” with a wrist measurement of 6.25” - 6.5” have a medium frame (mine is just under 6”). When overweight I used to be told I had a larger frame. It was just people trying to be nice & not say I was fat. Only about 5% of the population have large frames & the same have small frames. Everyone else has an medium or average frame. Initially my surgeon & his colleague were a little concerned I was still losing past my goal. Then one appointment, I remember his colleague really looking at me & then saying you really are quite small aren’t you. They never said a word about my weight after that. Doesn’t matter what others think you should weigh. I believe, you’re the only one who matters. You’re the only one who really needs to be happy. As long as your weight & maintaining it doesn’t restrict or limit you in any way (socially, lifestyle, etc.) & you’re healthy ignore everyone else’s ‘well intentioned’ comments & advice.

Have you checked your calorie intake? If you’re reducing your fat & sugar intake you will have reduced your calories which would explain your weight loss. Why are you trying to reduce your pancreatic enzymes (which are produced naturally within your body & are needed for digestion & absorption of nutrients)? How does cutting fats & sugars stop the production of the enzymes or are you doing that for a separate reason? I take pancreatic enzymes because I don’t absorb protein well (side effect of my gall removal) hence my questions. I worry that reducing your enzyme levels may be causing your weight loss too because your not absorbing nutrients well.

We all carry our weight in different places: upper body, lower body, abdomen, etc. And we all lose our weight in different places as we progress. Add to that the differences in our skeletal frames. Like I’ve a smallish frame yet my collar bones don’t protrude as much as others at a similar weight to me. I have dips around my collar bones not hollows. You will find that once your weight stabilises that your remaining weight seems to resettle. So while you may feel you look too thin or gaunt at first this will change. Initially I was all straight up & down & had lost my hourglass shape. But a few months later I realised I had a waist & hips again. (Still don’t have a butt though lol!) Give your head a chance to catch up with your new body. How you look now & as you lose more weight. It takes time & you’ll feel like you don’t recognise yourself or know your body at times. And it can work both ways - thinking you look too thin or thinking you’re still too big. I remember seeing a woman’s reflection in a shop window & thought oh we’re wearing the same clothes & she’s much slimmer than me. It was a shock to realise the woman was me.

Aah the how often to weigh debate. The responses seem to swing from very rarely/never to daily. I weighed every day for the first two years or so but now weigh 3 or 4 times a week. In the past if I thought I was putting on weight I wouldn’t go near the scales. If I didn’t see the number on the scales I could believe I wasn’t putting on weight even if my pants were very tight or bought the next size. So me weighing as I do now is about what I need to do to keep myself honest. I say you know you best & weigh yourself as you need to keep yourself motivated & on track. Has my hunger returned, yes. It did so slowly. Has it increased since it fully returned, no. There are still odd days or times I’m not all that hungry at all. (Wish that happened more often 😁.) I try to eat very much to a routine & not eat outside of that. If I think I’m hungry I consider if it’s real hunger or head hunger. Such as when did I last eat? Did I eat a smaller portion at my last meal? Is it almost time for a meal? How am I feeling - bored, sad, annoyed, stressed, etc. It can be an ‘interesting’ discussion I’m having with myself. 😁 This helps most of the time. I’m sorry about your injury @huskymama especially after achieving so much. But you didn’t have to go back to shakes to lose your weight just go back to how & what you were eating before your injury though smaller portions as you can’t be as active at the moment. Meet your fluids & protein goals. Eat your protein first then vegetables & last any carbs you’re allowed if you are able. Return to lower fats, carbs & sugar. Check with your dietician for ideas & guidance. Focus on upper body exercises because of your injury. Search for some exercises for those with limited mobility online. You can do this.

it seems odd that it comes & goes & each time it returns it’s worse. If it was something you were taking or consuming every day you would think the hives would be there all the time. Whether it’s the shake or the biotin (unless you’re taking mega doses) I don’t know. Have you ruled out all the other likely suspects - skin care products, washing powders, soaps, fragrance, any new foods you’ve introduced, etc. You could have a blood test to check your B7 levels & see if by taking the supplement you have more than you need & can drop the biotin just in case it is that. Hope you find an answer soon.

I wouldn’t think it is your bypass either unless, as the others have suggested, it’s the effect of the hormone on your digestive system. Check the side effects of the drug, interactions, etc. & it would be worth a conversation with your prescribing doctor & even your bariatric surgeon. I just checked the drug information & it does say nausea is a side effect. Try to keep on top of any constipation so it doesn’t become painful when you finally go. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/liothyronine-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20069093?p=1

Ty to stop before you get that full feeling. It takes a good 20+ minutes for the message to get through so we’ve often eaten more than we need by the time we feel full. It’s why we’re told to eat slowly & to take small bites. Try to stop when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself do I need the next bite or do I just want it. I found it helps a lot - mindful eating. I wasn’t given weight portion only told 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée to about a cup at 6 months so at 3 months it was probably about 1/3 - 1/2 cup. But check with your dietician for their recommendations for you & your needs. It’s okay if you can’t eat the portion they recommend straight away or at every meal but of course don’t eat more than they recommend.

I agree. Go back to your basics & what you were doing just before you began maintenance. Meet your protein & fluid goals. Watch your portions & your carbs, sugar & fat. Record your intake at least for a while until you’re back on track or longer if you find it helpful. Get back in touch with your dietician & your therapist (as a support & to talk through any changes, social, emotional, etc. that may have led to old habits returning). You’ve got this.

Yep, like @GreenTealael, I still feel the cold. Hate the refrigerated section in grocery stores. Take a blanket like long coat into cinemas. Brrr. We’re almost halfway through Spring here but are having a bit of a cold snap. It’s about 70degrees F today & I’m in thickish leggings, socks, a hoodie, have a blanket over my knees & the air conditioning on warm. Some say it gets better & you reacclimatise but I’m still waiting. I always dress more warmly than others & always keep a coat in my car just in case I need something extra.

Lots of nerves were cut during surgery so you have to wait for them to heal for messages/signals to get through. It usually takes 4-6 weeks to start to feel it. I always say all because you can doesn’t mean you should especially when your healing & signals aren't getting through. Stick to your plan (food, eating & drinking strategies, etc.) is the best advice. It takes time for the message to get through you are full - at least 20 minutes (& that’s after you’re fully healed). If you keep eating until you feel full you likely have eaten more than you need. Eating until you feel satisfied or had enough like you said your doing is best. I still ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. It’s all about tuning into your body & its needs (listen to your body). You get better at it over time. Also many find when they are healed, the signals are different. Some say they sneeze, or their nose runs. Were you given portion sizes to guide you? If not ask for some they are helpful to ensure you don’t eat too much. I was told. 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purée (week 3) slowly increasing to about a cup at 6 months. You may be told something different.

I used to repair lots of things myself. Got my own toolbox & drill. 😁 But I’m a little reluctant to do any electrical work. (My electrician has cute boys working for him 😆😆) Thanks for the links. I’ll check them out. The fan itself seems to be working so I think it’s something to do with the connection between the fan & heatng elements. Maybe?? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Worst quote I got was more than $700 to replace a garden tap. A 5 minute job & the tap cost $25. Obscene. Said thank you but no thank you & that cos me almost $200. Only called a plumber as the tap was very old & was seizing & corroding. I didn’t think I’d have the strength to remove it plus you need a special tool to turn off the water these days here. I swear they quite based in the suburb you live in.

I ate a lot of cream soups. You can add some extra milk to thin them more so a little extra protein & fluid. Still sieved them carefully as they can have fine flakes of herbs, etc. that can sneak through the sieve. (Just thought maybe a muslin cloth would have been better than a sieve - too late for me now ha!) I really survived on soups because the shakes were disgusting. All the best with your surgery!

Wow that’s interesting. So many differences between systems. In Australia, the requesting or referring doctor/surgeon always receives a copy of test results or can access them. Or they will receive a letter from the specialist like a cardiologist, etc. When I have a blood test, they check who the results are to go to & ask if I want them to go to anyone else. I can access the reports & images of any scans I have too. I remember my dad’s haematologist would dictate his letter to update my dad’s GP on his status, change of meds, etc. in front of us. My ophthalmologist sends letters to my GP & optometrist & my previous one would dictate it in front of me too.

That cheesecake @GreenTealael looks amazing. Yum! I round up the calories & down the protein. I also call fluids in soup, etc. & what I drink to swallow my meds bonus fluids & don’t count them either. Lol! My oven isn’t working properly. Waaah! Interestingly it worked fine on a Sunday then three days later after the electrical company turned off our power for 8 hrs it didn’t. Hhmmm?? The top element heats. The bottom element heats but turn on the fan & nothing, no heat. Have to go back to old school non fan baking or call the service team to come out. Gracious knows how much the call out alone will cost. Service call-outs have got ridiculously expensive. Are they crazy in the US too?

Bariatric surgery is also known as metabolic surgery because how the surgery changes the digestive hormones & therefore the patients metabolism. There are lots of academic papers about it like the one @BabySpoons provided. I found this fact sheet from a bariatric surgery clinic which explains it in more straight forward terms. https://nevadasurgical.com/bariatric-surgery/how-does-bariatric-surgery-affect-metabolism/ I messed my metabolism up with years of restricted eating & deliberately not eating meals. Now I eat regularly throughout the day to keep my boosted metabolism burning. Don’t want to lose it again.

I never felt great after breakfast either. For years I didn’t eat it then thought I ‘should’ as I usually missed lunch so I’d eat it around 6am because I started work early. But since my surgery, & not working anymore, I discovered I’m better having breakfast later in the morning - about 9am. If I have it before 8am it seems to just sit there, my tummy grumbles & gurgles more & I feel sort of blah. I find the things we discover about ourselves since the surgery so interesting. It seems the protein content in the shots is the whey protein content so 25g whey protein is 25g of complete protein you can count. They must not include the amount of collagen in the shots as it can’t be counted for our goals. Maybe just sip the shot for longer & more like a drink. It may be easier on your tummy in the morning & would lengthen the time frame in which you’re consuming the protein???

@summerseeker summed it up well. It does get better & easier. Allow your body to take the time it needs to recover & get used to the changes - it has been through a lot. It will take the time it needs & you can’t control that. And same with your head. Remember too you’re likely experiencing a wash of hormones which are messing with your emotions (all the estrogen stored in your fat being released as you lose weight) - it can be a roller coaster. There may be days you feel you’re going nowhere or even going backwards but you’ll have fewer of those days & they’ll happen less often. I didn’t hit my protein & fluids for a while & my surgeon was okay with it because I was making an effort & slowly getting closer. I still drink all night too. I found warm drinks easier to tolerate. Are you allowed green or herbal teas? Ginger tea may help with your nausea. Try spreading out when you take your vitamins to reduce the nausea taking them can cause - I took half in the am & half in the pm. All the best.