Arabesque

Years ago I had a extensive collection of wide legged pants now I’ve realised my wardrobe is all skinny leg pants. This is another pair a just picked up but with a side zip. I paired it with a beige coat which I bought online from The Curated. The fabric is nice, the colour a break from black but the cut is not good as you can likely see. Couldn’t be bothered packaging it up & trudging it back to the post office & waiting in a queue for 20+ minutes. It’s freezing here … well freezing for May in Brisbane. Apparently we’ve averaged just over 3hrs of sunshine a day this month. So much for living in the sunshine state. It’s just all rain, grey skies & humidity. Everything is damp & clammy. Shudder!

Made a pork loin stir fry last night & these were the vegetables. They looked so delicious & colourful I couldn’t resist immortalising them. Added some shredded cabbage as well as my pretend noodles LOL. I think I’ll have enough for ten meals though. They’ll freeze. ?

You’re losing around 4lbs a week. That’s a great rate especially with your starting weight. I hated protein shakes too & just suffered through the two week liquid stage. Soon as I was on purées I put those powders away & never had another one. Yes, it was a struggle to get in my protein eating ‘real’ food because my portion sizes were so small but as long as I was close I was happy & so was my surgeon. I found a great high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink which gave me a good boost of protein (15-30g) every day. Worth a try. You may have to try a few to find one you enjoy - some are very sweet. Give yourself time to recover & heal. You’ll be feeling better & more comfortable about your food choices & options before you realise it.

I think we all find the way of eating that works best for us. It sounds like your body is leading you to eat like intermittent fasting (which a lot of people swear by). I eat almost every meal later than I ever did before (not as late as you though ?) but then before when I ate was dictated by things like work. Now I breakfast around 9 because I’m not really hungry before then. I snack at 12, lunch at around 3:30 (sometimes later) & dinner around 6:30pm. If it works for you & you’re getting in your protein, other nutrients & fluids it shouldn’t be an issue what time you eat.

As @SleeverSk said your nerves are still healing after being cut during the surgery & you won’t feel signals yet which is why it’s important to stick to the portion sizes you’re given & your eating plan. All because you can doesn’t mean you should. The staged return to eating is there for a reason - to support & protect your healing tummy. Remember all those staples & sutures holding your tummy together. Yes, we all recover & heal at our own pace but you can’t see your tummy to assess how you are healing. Stick to your plan & eat slowly is always safest. Testing a food a couple of days before your plan says to is ok. Trying something a solid food like a chicken thigh three weeks before your plan likely recommends isn’t the best choice.

Just tell them you are making changes to what & how you eat. Tell them you’re seeing or have seen a dietician & you’re doing this with your doctor’s support. I’d also tell them you hope they will support you too as you try to improve your health. They don’t have to know any more if you don’t want. You’re not lying. Just not telling them everything. I have friends & acquaintances who only know this part of the story & all accepted it. Oh & if they start sharing their weight loss stories & how you should try their diet, remind them you are seeing a dietician & want to stick to that plan as it’s working so far. Have a great time on your holiday.

Yeah, a few of us suffer from episodes of dry mouth. Besides being a random menopausal symptom I think it also happens because we don’t have fat around our necks which used to help keep our mouths closed at night & we are likely sleeping differently (head position) & our lax muscles cause our mouths to droop open. Well that’s a bit of a theory I have. I have water beside my bed too (I drink through out the night) but others have found success with Biotene which is a spray that moisturises the mouth.

I take a PPI every morning (20mg Nexium), always will & it controls mine. I also found not eating a heavy protein a couple of hours before going to bed eased the odd night of a bit of a sore throat. If meds are going to be a long term solution, try esomeprazole instead of omeprazole. It is a more recent & advanced formulation of basically the same medication & has fewer side effects (so my pharmacist told me yesterday). You can also make some dietary changes that help too. Avoid or reduce carbonation & caffeine intake & avoid spicy, rich, creamy, fatty, oily food. Allowed me to manage my reflux pre surgery with out medication except on rare occasions like if I had too many G&Ts or champagne ?.

I agree with @catwoman7. It could be low blood pressure (postural hypotension if it occurs after you stand up or get out of bed). This isn’t uncommon but more the minority & even fewer reach the full out faint but it’s a temporary side effect. Think it may be just yiur body sitting itself out & getting used to the weight loss & changed diet. Stand slowly & wait before moving. Some suggest marching on the spot for 30 seconds or wriggling your feet before rising - doesn’t work for me. If I feel an episode coming on I stop moving & hold into something solid - table, chair, wall, person - or sit down again. I’d certainly get your sugar checked too especially if it was accompanied by cold sweats as it could be hypoglycaemia (drops us sugar levels) I have hypoglycaemic episodes & have low BP all the time. I had them occasionally whenever I was at a low weight before my surgery. Now I’m at a much lower weight I have them more often. So really pre existing for me.

My thought was reflux &/or air borne allergens too. Food based allergies usually don’t cause gagging or wheezing, sneezing, etc. But reflux can cause a sore throat & a dry cough. Talk to your doctor again or at least try an over the counter esomeprazole to see if that helps with the sore throat & cough.

Check with your surgeon first but also try avoiding lactose. Lactose & certain artificial sweeteners can cause bloating & cramping. Try plant based protein shakes & non dairy yoghurts, milk, etc. Also try a heat pad instead of ice.

Sounds like your aunt has reflux or gerd. Did she have it before surgery or develop it after which is a possibility? I had reflux before my sleeve but managed it with my dietary choices & only rarely took medication. I cut carbonation, spicy, rich, creamy or fatty foods & reduced caffeine. If I had too many gin & tonics I knew it & would have to take my med but this was rare. My reflux is different post surgery. I still avoid those things & I take a PPI every day to manage it. I could eat those foods but I know they’ll make me unwell so I don’t. She should have a chat with her surgeon or GP about what she’s experiencing. Does she still eat slowly? Eating too quickly can cause discomfort or your restriction to kick in which stops you eating. She may also have to return to leaving a break between eating & drinking. Not necessarily 30 minutes though. I can take a mouthful or two 10 minutes before I eat but can sip up to 5 minutes before. We all have our own indiosyncracies we have to learn (& choose) to manage.

I was eating a meal anyone could eat from soft food. Sure they were way smaller portions & sometimes without certain sides. I made things like chicken stew spaghetti bolognese (without pasta) in my first week of soft foods. Some recipes I tweaked to make them healthier & to meet my plan but there wasn’t anything anyone couldn’t eat. I regularly had breakfast with girlfriends from solid foods. I’d order a single egg scrambled no toast. I was allowed green tea from the beginning which I drank anyway so no change in my routines. Dining out was pretty easy too. Just careful & considered food choices & small portions. I usually order entrees (US appetiser) & I don’t worry if I can’t eat everything if I have to get a main meal portion. If I’m able I’ll take home the leftovers. Of course a lot of this depends upon the type of food your family eats & what they still want to eat. I live alone so it is easier for me, but I often spend weekends with my mother, eat with my siblings & their families, dine out for lunch & dinner, have friends & family over for meals. No problems. My sleeve really doesn’t stop me eating anything (except bread, pasta, rice, potatoes that sit heavily in my tummy) & I have to avoid dry, coarse foods (but a good sauce & eating carefully helps). What stops me eating certain foods is me & the eating plan I’ve devised to help me maintain my weight & be healthy. At 6 months I could eat almost 3ozs protein & maybe 1/2 cup vegetables but sometimes less. It took me into my second year before I could eat about a regular portion size - e.g. 3 - 4 ozs protein & a cup of vegetables. But that was me & we all take our own time.

Embracing the tastebud changes & losing the craving for sugar was a big win for me too. I gave up soft drinks (sodas) years ago so I didn’t have to break my addiction to them but I enjoyed dessert & always at a sweet treat after dinner. I haven’t done that since surgery. Don’t miss it either. I will have a couple of spoons of dessert at Christmas (I make the Christmas desserts so …) & then maybe a bite of one or two sweet things a year. Had a bite of a friend’s wedding cake last year - it was awful. But nothing yet this year. I remember accidentally picking up a box of honey oats during Covid lockdown in 2020. It was so crazy sweet I couldn’t eat it. Yes, fruit is my sweet treat now too (but I always enjoyed fruit). I have blueberries every day with breakfast. Occasionally I might snack on some other fruit. I avoid artificial sweeteners where possible (they just feed your sweet cravings) & as I cook most of my own food from scratch it’s easier.

I found keeping an eating schedule much easier too. I still follow one though with a little flexibility based upon how I’m feeling (hungry/not hungry) & what I’m doing. Generally, at three years, I do breakfast at 8:30, snack at 12, lunch at 3:30, dinner at 6 & snack at 7:30. Sometimes there’s an extra snack before lunch but then lunch & dinner are later. Initially I started because I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating after surgery. Then when I was trying to stabilise my weight, it helped to ensure I got in the calories I needed to stop losing & now it’s to meet my higher protein goals. (It’s why I snack so often too.) Give it a go. You may find it helpful too

Mine were whey based & I didn’t have any issue with clumping. Guess it just depends on the product. I used to microwave my chocolate one too & tried to convince myself it was real hot chocolate. Tried but … ?

Your tummy is very sensitive after the surgery. Think about how your body spasms if doused in cold water - same with your poor tummy at the moment. Try warm drinks. A lot of us found them more soothing than cool/cold which can be too harsh on our healing tummy. I made my shakes up using warm water or you can microwave them briefly if pre-made.

We call it the 3 week stall but it can occur earlier or later. Think of it as your body needing to take a breath. It’s been going through a lot. It’s like your body shutting the door & pulling the covers over its head just like you might like to do when stressed or anxious. And yes, just stick to your plan, let your body do what it needs to do & you’ll start to lose again. Just remember it may take 1-3 weeks.

Unfortunately, you can’t prevent loose skin & you can’t control how much you end up with. You can’t even predict how much you end up with. If you’re young & still have lots of elastin in your skin it will bounce back some. If you only carried the bulk of your excess weight for a short period of time you may not have as much. If you’re blessed with good genes you may not have as much either. Where you carry your weight can affect what you end up with too - more in your abdominal region then you will have more loose skin there. The only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I don’t have much (more than a pinch but less than a handful) & decided it wasn’t worth surgery. I can hide it very successfully under clothes even in fitted body con dresses without need of any support garments. I feel I’ve earned the loose skin after working so hard to lose my weight. Rather have some loose skin that may flap a bit than my fat body.

It just depends on how you recover & how your body reacts to the changes. My friends & I had desk jobs too - quite mentally demanding & reactionary. One was back after a week, another took three weeks & I needed four (I always take longer to recover from everything). Best advice is to have a contingency plan in place with your employer - ability to take more time if needed, to return part time or with reduced hours. Just don’t push yourself to do more than you physically (& mentally) are able.

Your rate of loss always slows as you get closer to your goal weight. You can always depend on that. The heady high rates of loss you experience at the beginning don’t last. You can also stall any number of times along the way. The small weight gain you are seeing at the moment could be related to your health issues or it could be your natural weight fluctuation becoming more noticeable as you get closer to your goal. It could also be your body resettling after your holiday loss & getting you back to where you would have been without the holiday. I’d go for option D - stop panicking & let your body catch up & I’d also add wait for your health to improve. Doesn’t hurt to do a check of your food choices, portion sizes, calories, protein & fluid intake, etc. Though you may be currently struggling with food, there may be something you are missing or could tweak to keep you closer to your plan. All the best

Look at the variety of women’s body shapes. Long or short waisted, large or small breasts, higher or lower waist to hip ratio, broader or narrower shoulders, length of legs, … How can we expect a set of standardised measurements & sizes to fit every body shape perfectly? But we do. Clothing sizes are erratic even within the same brand. Some of it relates to the cut & style of the clothing. I’m an Australian size 6 in skinny jeans but a 4 in wide legged jeans. There’s even discrepancies in the same item of clothing in the same size which I think has to do with mass production. It’s one of the reasons I dislike buying clothing online - it’s a crap shoot around sizing even with ‘size guides’. Also sizes have changed over the years - they’ve subtly got larger. Some of it’s for vanity including the I weigh 20lbs more but am still a size 10 so I must be ok type of vanity. Vanity is why US sizes now have size 0 & 2. I also remember reading an article a few years ago about bra sizes being adjusted to allow for more women going to the gym & their backs getting broader from doing weights. I always find it amusing that I’m generally an Australian size 6 in pants, dresses, shirts, etc. but wear size 10 knickers. There’s no consistency. You may find this article an interesting read. https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/heres-why-your-size-is-different-at-every-store-you-go-to

You can develop a stricture with a sleeve too. I’d really start demanding they investigate why you are struggling so much. You’ll never get in the protein you need if you are vomiting.

Nerves are pretty common prior to surgery, so you aren’t alone in that & it is understandable. It’s a pretty major surgery & you are making changes to your body & your lifestyle. Yes malabsorption is something to continuously monitor after bypass. Regular blood tests will keep you informed of any thing you may lack & they will pick up any specific absorption issues you may have. It will be important to monitor your diet to ensure you’re consuming a range of nutrients & take the vitamin supplements you need. Yes, malabsorption isn’t really an issue with sleeve & you may not need to take vitamins in the long term (I don’t). But eating a balanced diet is always the healthier choice. Some people have posted about dental issues post surgery but not many that I can recall. Could be something that began pre surgery because of dietary choices, be a genetic weakness, or they had pre existing gerd/reflux. Excess acid is a common temporary side effect of surgery but keeping on top of it will help reduce your risk of dental damage - take your PPIs. In three years, I haven’t had an issue at all. We’re all different & we can’t predict how our bodies will react to the changes. All because something may happen, doesn’t mean it will. Not worth focussing on some very low risk maybe. Focus on what will happen: a healthier you. But, as you already have reflux, bypass is really your best option. Why did you choose or were you advised bypass over sleeve in the first place? Those reasons will still be true. All the best.

There are a number of different pre surgical diets but you must follow the one you are given. I’ve noticed a few UK members have been on a milk diet. Three pints of milk provides 48g of protein plus a high protein yoghurt can provide 15-20g so about the usually recommended 60g of protein. The broader range of nutrients is a worry but your doctor would be aware of that. The headaches & weakness comes from cutting out carbs, sugar, caffeine - breaking the addictions & removing the stimulants (caffeine & sugar) from your diet. The first 5-7 days are usually the hardest but it gets easier.