Arabesque

That seems an awfully low caloric goal for maintenance for someone your height & weight unless you are not active at all. Have you checked a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator (linked the one I used below). It’s not perfect but it will give you an idea of what you may need to be consuming to maintain. Of course other issues that calculator doesn’t consider (like medical issues, medications, genetics, metabolism, muscle mass, etc.) can impact how many calories you may need. I checked mine a few months back out of interest & discovered it recommended about what I had been consuming (1500 +/- calories) for someone my age, height, weight, gender & activity level (not much lol!). So it was about right, at least for me, as I’ve been pretty stable with my weight (except for about a 5lb gain because of a medication issue - sorted it & lost 3 of those lbs without doing anything). You may be surprised how much food 1500 calories actually is. I eat about a recommended serving size (e.g. 3-4ozs meat & a good cup of green vegetables), eat three meals a day & about 4 snacks. But I am pretty careful with what I eat so mostly nutritionally dense foods that are predominately low processed. Best thing to do though is to slowly increase your calories & watch the scales. You may need more or fewer calories than what your dietician suggested or the BMR calculator recommends. Be careful though. An extra 100 calories a day will equate to about a 10kb gain over a year - gasp! https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

I’m a non traditional exerciser like @summerseeker. I lost all my weight & more too. (Exercise only contributes to about 10% of any weight you want to lose.) Not that I can’t go to the gym or go running or whatever, I simply don’t enjoy it. I upped my general activities like parking further away from where I was going, did multiple trips up & down my stairs to bring things up, etc. As you start to lose weight you’ll find these things or other activities easier to do. It just will take time especially as you’re really staring from scratch with your fitness. Can I suggest buying some resistance bands. I got mine from Kmart. I started using them about 10 months or so ago to do some stretches & also do wall push-ups to support my back to maintain my flexibility. Most are on the floor. I do short burst of a couple of minutes about 4 times a day (called exercise snacking). You should see my arms & knees. Not bulging muscles but nice definition which I prefer. It’s a matter of finding what works for you & you enjoy & it may change as you progress. All the best.

Okay I’m going to say it: all because you can doesn’t mean you should. We are told to sip for a reason. During the surgery a lot of nerves are cut so messages you are full, had enough, in discomfort, etc. don’t get through as well or even at all. Eventually you may be able to down a glass of a liquid but please don’t push yourself to do it too early & risk straining or hindering your recovery. Especially while you are still healing. Glad you are progressing well.

Oh yeah, we have to remember not to strain our tiny tummies though it is easy to forget sometimes … until our tummy reminds us quite strongly. I’ll add to also keep to small bites. Less likely to have side effects if you are chewing large mouthfuls & swallow too much or too quickly. Plus it means you taking longer to eat. Hope you are feeling better today.

I have a sleeve & my surgeon did allow me to start taking NSAIDs after he removed my gall at 2 years. Though he did give me rules to follow. Half a dose only, one a day, not on consecutive days & only take after eating a meal. I rarely have need to take pain relief, but I find paracetamols do nothing for any pain I may have. I’ve probably had five NSAIDs in the last two years. It has to be real pain (like back pain from my oozing discs) to take one. Actually had to throw out a box as it had expired! If it is just a head cold I’d stick with a paracetamol/acetaminophen like Tylenol which will help with any fever & general flu like aches. If your surgeon allows you to take NSAIDs, keep them for more severe pain. But give your surgeon a call or send an email asking if you can take NSAIDs & how best to take them. They might have totally different advice.

Most of us end up with different signals to indicate when we’ve had enough to eat: sneezing, runny nose, heaviness, etc. or restriction. Because we eat more slowly we start to understand our real full signals & not suddenly get to that groaning, stomach stretching, oh my God I’m so full feeling because we are way too much. (It usually takes 20 odd minutes for the real signal you are full to get to your brain.) I try not to eat until I feel full. I ask myself if I need the next bite or just want it. I often pick up the next spoonful & decide nope don’t need it & put it down. Sometimes I’ll have it a few minutes later & sometimes I don’t. But that’s me & how I manage my eating. You may find as you start eating heavier, denser foods your tummy may be more sensitive & signal you more quickly. These foods sit in your tummy longer as they take longer to digest so you will feel your signals a little more quickly than with purees, soft foods & liquids. It’s all part of your healing & recovery. There may be some foods that will always sit more heavily which is just a quirk of your own tummy. For me I found breads, rice & pasta do so I avoid them which isn’t difficult or a loss. I guess I do eat differently only in that I eat more slowly, take smaller bites & generally try to eat more consciously/mindfully in that I pay attention to what & how I eat & not just shovel food in. I appreciate the heaviness I feel & even my restriction (though unpleasant) on the occasions I’m distracted & not paying attention to what & how I’m eating - & we all have those times.

Everyone has questions & it’s not uncommon to be a bit nervous. I mean you’ve never experienced this before so have no reference points. Everyone has differences in their experiences in the first few days after surgery. Just depends on how bodies react. This was my experience. I didn't have any pain bending over or sitting up. A little discomfort maybe but I just moved slowly to ensure I didn’t accidentally damage or strain my abdominal area. I got in & out of bed easily & could sleep on my side with ease straight away. (First night I had a compression machine on my legs so had to sleep on my back.) You’ll be given strong pain meds to manage most of any pain you may have. I took my last one on day 4 but I probably didn’t need it. I didn’t have any gas pain. I didn’t vomit after surgery & I can’t recall any heartburn but I was taking a PPI by day 4. You should be prescribed these as we tend to still produce the same amount of stomach acid as we did for our larger tummy & food intake for a while & the PPI reduces this acid. I did have to spit out excess saliva on day 2 (not vomit). This was because my throat was swollen & irritated from the breathing tube inserted during surgery. I just kept a sick bag beside me and spat into that. Warning - details ahead! I had one sudden & unexpected bout of severe diarrhoea. No warning cramping just ran out of me as I was walking to the bathroom on day 3 I think. It was dark & smelly - blood from the surgery. But that was all. Then the constipation began - lol! (A friend was advised to wear disposable underwear for a week or so just in case this happened. I remember her saying she was glad as wet farts are real.) No change to peeing just more frequent as your fluid intake increases. All the best. PS - I had an extra day in hospital because my back went into spasm not from the surgery as such just from sub consciously holding some stress/tension in my body.

It’s always soup time @GreenTealael & yours looks yummy. Did another expedition into the depths of my freezer yesterday & found minced beef so I made rissoles with a little gravy. 500g gave me 6 meals of which I froze 5. Didn’t remember to take a pxt until an hour after they were in the freezer so they’re partially frozen in the pxt.

You’ve had a pretty major abdominal surgery so it isn’t unusual to still feel bloated or swollen for a good week or so. Your shoulder pain indicates you haven’t breathed out all your surgical gas yet. Even though liquids pass through your tummy more quickly, they could be making you feel bloated especially if you’re not used to drinking large amounts of fluids. Check your shake for sugar alcohols (end in ‘itol’) as they can make you feel bloated. Lactose can also cause bloating. As for the abdominal pain, it may be the sex you had last night. It may have been too much at the moment. Remember all the sutures & staples holding your tummy together & all the muscles & other organs that were pushed & prodded during the surgery. We usually told just to go for short gentle walks in the beginning. I added a list of the symptoms of a leak below. If you are experiencing some of these head to your nearest medical centre. Check in with your surgeon if you are still concerned. All the best. Rapid heart rate Fever Stomach pain Drainage from a surgical wound Nausea and vomiting Pain in the left shoulder area Low blood pressure Decreased urine output

While most of us lose our hunger & desire to eat after surgery, there are odd cases when people don’t. What you could be experiencing is head hunger especially if food was a comfort to you. You’ve had a pretty major surgery, are stressed, likely emotional, & your hormones may be a bit off so wanting to comfort yourself is a pretty common reaction. And because you can’t have food you want it more. In most cases a grumbling tummy does not mean you’re hungry unlike we were always told. The rumbles are usually just your digestive system working. Are you on a PPI to reduce your stomach acid? You’re still making what you used to need which is too much for your much smaller tummy & lower food intake. Excess tummy acid can make you think you’re hungry too. Oh, yes I found the shakes awful too. I diluted one in the morning, sipped it for hours & then relied on soups (bone broths are great but can be salty but cream soups & consommés are fine too) for other meals. You could make your own shake using a unflavoured protein powder & milk, blend a high protein up yoghurt with milk to make a yoghurt drink, etc. you don’t have to have just those pre made shakes. All the best.

First, congrats on your surgery & you feeling great. Yay! Secondly you’re still healing & your tummy is still sensitive (it will be for a while). Are you eating purées or soft foods now? If so either are more dense & filling & can sit in your tummy more heavily than just liquids. They take longer to digest & may be contributing to taking you longer to eat or drink. I used to take hours to drink my shakes too & even now at 4 yrs out I take 30-45 mins or even longer to eat a meal. In the beginning I want hungry or interested I eating but knew I had to to get my nutrients in. I didn’t care how long it took as long as I ate. I mean we are told to eat/drink slowly. I still have times when I’m not hungry & can’t eat what is usually my portion size of a meal eat less. Yesterday, for example, I couldn’t eat all my porridge. Popped the leftovers in the fridge, then mixed it with yoghurt & had it for lunch. I wouldn’t worry too much unless you find you’re not meeting your goals for more than a couple of days. Then give your team a call.

Not everyone experiences a bounce back regain. And not everyone experiences a larger regain. If it does happen there’s often a reason: complacency/&or bad habits returning, a too restrictive way of eating, lifestyle changes, medical/health issues, emotional issues, settling of your weight, … I had a regain of a good two kgs (about 5lbs) rather quickly a few months into my second year so earlier than the usual 3rd year. Didn’t gain any more. Wasn’t happy but was accepting it. Couldn’t really put my finger on why. No dietary changes, no activity changes during that time. But what I did have was a gall removal at 25 months which caused an protein absorption issue. Then almost at the three year mark we realised the gall removal also stopped me absorbing my HRT & caused other issues. Went from a tablet to a patch & slowly but surely I lost a good kilo of that regain over 6 months +/-. I’ve been sitting pretty stable again for about 6 months or so. I keep an eye on the scales, monitor my portions, watch my food choice & fingers crossed I continue to remain stable.

Snap. I just found out I have two fibroids too & a small cyst on one ovary which they found by accident doing an abdominal CT. But because I’m menopausal & have no symptoms, we’re going to leave them alone unless something changes. One benefit of being old - wry smile! I’m sorry it means another surgery for you & long recovery. Though an end to the heavy bleeding & maybe a reduction of your bulgy bit will be a blessing. All the best. Keep us updated.

As time passes you are able to eat more. Your tummy is a muscle & it can expand & contract like any other muscle. Can it become a lot loser so you can eat a lot more? Sure but yes it takes a lot of effort of eating large portions over a long time. The other thing that happens is that your resistance softens so you don’t feel it as often or as strongly. That’s why it’s important to learn & listen to your signals that you’ve had enough to eat & to keep closely to your appropriate portion sizes. I’m also a believer in an ‘all because you can doesn’t mean you should’ & a ‘do you need the next bite or just want it’ thinking. We all slip & slide. Little ones & larger ones for all sorts of reasons (holidays always seem to be challenging). You recognised your slip which is half the battle. The other half is letting it go & to start moving forward again. You’re back on track so all you need to do now is let it go. You’ve got this!

As everyone has said, stalls are very common. They actually are Dan important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of your constant needs & readjusts things like your hormones ( hunger, satiety, etc.), metabolic rate, etc. The stall will end when your body is ready. You can’t force it, let it take the time it needs. Still frustrating though. Fluctuations are also perfectly normal. We all fluctuate. You’ll eventually work out your usual fluctuation swing. Mine is about 2 lbs. Some are greater, some are less. Fluid retention, constipation, diarrhoea, hormones, etc. all contribute. I mean you don’t eat & drink exactly the same foods & fluids in the exact same quantities every day either. Nor do you the exact same activities to burn calories. Congrats on your weight loss so far. Yay!

I’ve had my hair coloured every 4 weeks for years before & after my surgery (gotta hide that grey) & continued my usual drying/styling routine. Don’t believe it affected how much hair I lost. The hair you lose during the usual 3+/- months is have that you were already going to shed. You’re just shedding it more quickly. The only thing I would worry about is bleach as it is more harsh on your hair. I remember having streaks many years ago & I shed more hair than usual. So I wouldn’t want to increase the hair loss by doing that again. Plus the anaesthetic can make the texture of your hair change & make it feel drier.

I hear you! I kept pulling at my knickers because I thought they were bunching up. Nope not my knickers just my lose butt skin bunching.

Nothing stopping you from eating ‘non breakfast foods’ for breakfast if you’re tired of eggs. For example 3ozs of most meats contain more than 20g of protein - you could have some chicken for breakfast, salmon, etc. Find a high protein yoghurt (mine has 20g - it’s an Australian brand). A serve of rolled oats, milk & seeds can give you 15g. Make a smoothie. Try some other egg recipes not just poached, fried or scrambled: egg muffins, omelettes, frittatas, etc. Add some unflavoured protein powder to your pancake mix, porridge, smoothie, coffee, etc. for an extra boost. Here are a couple of high protein breakfast ideas. You may have to adjust them based on what you are allowed to eat. Ask your dietician for some high protein meal ideas too. https://www.health.com/25-high-protein-breakfast-ideas-to-keep-you-full-7566320

Liquids go through you much more quickly then solid foods so you don’t get full as quickly. But I do encourage you to go slowly. We’re told to sip (& then to eat slowly) for reasons (e.g. nerves are cut during surgery so messages don’t get through in the same way or at all for a while). At the moment you don’t want to stress or strain your healing tummy & digestive system. Remember all those sutures & staples holding everything together. All because you can doesn’t mean you should. All the best with your recovery.

I had a very interesting conversation with my doctor recently. I was having some issues I thought may be a bug which included soft motions & wanting to go again later in the day. Did some tests & it showed I had some constipation. Not blockages or impaction but some traffic slowing speed bumps (that’s my analogy 😁). Apparently your body’s response is to thin out your poop so it can go over the speed bump but it also means the bowel isn’t fully emptying hence wanting to go more often. Treatment was a stool softener taken one night, none on night two & then one on nights three & four. It did help. This may not be your issue but worth a conversation with your doctor.

It doesn’t matter if you take ages to drink or eat your protein. I would sip my protein shake & then high protein yoghurt drink for hours. Just sip, sip, sip. I also ate some things very slowly too - just dipping in a teaspoon & not a full spoonful. In fact I still take an hour to eat my high protein yoghurt. I wasn’t interested I eating or hungry for almost a year but I knew I had to eat & drink to at least be close to my goals. It actually helped me change my relationship with food - that maxim of eating to live not living to eat. (My surgeon was okay if I wasn’t hitting those goals for the first month or so as long as I was close & getting closer.) You can also boost your protein intake by adding protein powder to soups, your own smoothies, yoghurts, etc. I still can’t gulp down a glassful of liquid. One big mouthful or two swallows & that’s it & yes I still have to wait before I have another so I still sip all day long & I drink over night too. And I still take 39-45 minutes to eat what is about a recommended portion for a meal - like @sweetsmith78 about 8ozs of usually 3-4ozs protein & about 4oz steamed vegetables. In the beginning I was eating 1/4-1/3 a cup of food from purée for a meal & slowly increased to a cup at 6 months. It does get easier. During the first couple of months you’re still healing & your tummy is sensitive & fussy with certain tastes, smells or textures literally turning your tummy & being impossible to eat. All the best.

You may still have some fluid retention or surgical gas in your abdomen. Plus just general swelling from all the prodding & poking, pulling & pushing from the surgery. If it persists, give your surgeon a call. If it is painful to touch or warm, go to your nearest medical centre as you may have an infection - rare but …

Oh yeah, the protein shakes are awful. I forced myself to have one a day & then had soup. So glad to get to purées when I never touched a shake again. Did your dietician give you a list of foods you can eat? If not give them a call. There are some foods like certain fruits we’re advised to avoid while we’re healing. Smoothies are great. The high protein yoghurt I ate had a yoghurt drink too which I regularly had (25-30g protein). Yes, you still have to purée the soups. Everything must be extra smooth, no lumps, fibrous, bits, etc. so it just slides down into your tummy. You can purée a lot of things just keep them very runny by adding sauces, stock, gravy, mayo, milk, etc. And don’t worry you won’t be undernourished after 5 days. You’re likely feeling weak & lacking energy simply because of what is a pretty major surgery. Oh the constipation will be with you for a while. Try to keep on top of it. Add a soluble fibre to your soups or smoothies & take a stool softener or similar as needed to get things moving. I used to take something if I got to three days without pooping. Oh & don’t be surprised if your poop is small & you only go every two days - you’re not eating much at the moment.

It not very common. I had a little nausea but it was related to taking multi vitamins but then I used to get nauseous with multi vitamins before surgery too. (I split my vitamin dose of two capsules in the AM to one in the AM & one at night which helped.) You may be more susceptible to more nausea because of your history, unfortunately. Make sure you tell your surgeon your history & be a script for anti nausea meds so you have them jus in case. Your tummy can be pretty sensitive & fussy for a while when you are healing which can contribute to the nausea. But like most things it passes as we progress. Working out the foods or drinks that upset our tummy more during that time helps. It may be the smell, texture or taste that sets off your tummy. Just avoid that food or drink for a couple weeks & until you’re further out. All the best.

Unfortunately, those heady weeks of large weight loss after surgery don’t last. Sigh! We all eventually slow to what is considered a healthy rate of loss: about 2lbs a week +/-which is about where you are now. And even worse, those last few pounds can be a b**ch to lose. I’m talking grams/ounces a week & seemingly more fluctuations. But as long as your general trend is still downwards you’re doing fine (even if seems to be almost flatlining it 😉).