Arabesque

For years your body has been holding itself in a certain way to compensate for your weight. Now you’re losing weight you will be standing & holding yourself differently & your centre of gravity is changing. Consequently you will be experiencing some muscle discomfort as your body relearns how to hold a smaller you. Back pain, hip & knee pain etc. are quite common. I had upper back pain because my bras were too big - no support. Bought new underwear & pain went.

Agree with what everyone above has said. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your water routine - I found it helped with the energy lags & was a change from drinking plain water (some can be very sweet - just dilute them). Take your meds after or as you’re finishing your morning ‘meal’ so there is something on your tummy. It does get better but it happens in our own time. All the best.

The pre surgical requirements seem to be different in the UK than the US. They’re certainly different in Australia. Here your surgical approval is not given by your health fund & is not dependent upon having a therapy assessment, going to a series of dietician appointments & not does it take a prolonged length of time. Check with your surgeon’s office as to what you will need to do. Good luck with your surgery.

Well said, @Jaelzion. I used to be able to diet & lose weight when I was younger but the reason I regained weight after was because I went back to eating the same foods I did before. I decided to have surgery was because I was unable to lose the 30kgs I’d put on in my late 40s early 50s; damn menopause meant I couldn’t shift more than a couple of kgs even if eating 500 calories for weeks & weeks. If you go back to eating the same foods in similar quantities you will gain weight again after your surgery. Portion control is important but must be coordinated with calorie control. 1500 calories of high fat, high sugar, carb rich food is the same as 1500 calories of protein dense, low fat, low carb, low sugar food. It’s just that one is better for your body & doesn’t lead to major health complications (heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.). If you choose to eat pizza every day that’s your choice as long as the calories you consume over the whole day are not more than what your body needs to function & will therefore eatable you to maintain your weight. I eat more often than I did before (pre surgery: 2 meals & 1 snack - post surgery: 3 meals & 3 or 4 snacks). I eat more food across a day than I did before too. And I eat more calories than I did before to maintain at this weight then I did before to be unable to maintain at a much higher weight. The difference is the nutritional quality of the food I eat & that the surgery kick started my metabolism again. And I still have times I’m not hungry or interested in eating.

How you decide to maintain your weight is ultimately your choice. What I do or what someone else does may not work for you. My advice is, whatever you choose to do, make sure it is sustainable. That is, it’s a way of eating that doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices & are able to enjoy living your life. A way of eating that is overly restrictive is destined to fail. There are always alternatives that are healthier & more nutritious. For example if you want to eat carbs, look for multi or whole grain versions & not highly processed white flours. Want pizza, try cauliflower or chicken bases or pita bread as has been suggested. There are lots of high protein low carbs pastas available too. There are snack foods that are lower in calories & higher in protein then traditional snacks. Try different cooking styles like an air fryer or oven baking versus deep frying. Some people do eat pizza, burgers, fries, etc. but they do so in small portions, occasionally. You know you best & how well you can manage eating fast foods & foods considered unhealthy. Use the time you’re losing & on a restrictive diet, to research different eating styles & reflect on your trigger foods. You may develop your own eating routine by picking & choosing from various ‘diets’. You may become vegetarian. You may switch in some vegan options or meals. You may choose to reduce certain food types from your diet like sugar or fats. You just need to develop a way of eating that works for you. Good luck.

I agree with @catwoman7: speak with your doctor. My thoughts turned to low BP & drops in sugar (hypoglycaemia). Many have temporary issues with these. I wonder if it’s too do with our body getting used to the changes in our diet & reduced calories. Prior to surgery I had a tendency to low blood pressure (occasional drops) & random hypoglycaemic episodes. After surgery & as my weight dropped I had more instances of low BP & a more hypoglycaemic episodes. Now I live with a low BP every day. If I feel a hypoglycaemic episode coming on I’ll grab some berries but, touch wood, I haven’t had one for about 4 or 5 months. I took a bottle of hydralyte with me everywhere I went for months for a boost of energy but any electrolyte drink will work. It helped a lot & I hope it helps you too. Give yourself time. Once your weight stabilises & you’re eating more you may find you feel a lot better. But do speak with your doctor.

The foods may not be moist enough. Many of us go from liquids to purées then soft. Get a good blender of some sort (or borrow one) & blend away. Add stock, broth, gravy, milk, etc. to make your food sloppy. Think food you don’t really have to chew much (think slide more than chew) to begin then slowly make what you eat more dense so you have to chew a little more. Don’t be afraid to go at your pace through the stages. Honestly, you may find some things taste awful puréed (tinned tuna & salmon turned my tummy). Wish I’d tried chicken thighs blended with gravy much, much sooner. Yoghurt, milky scrambled eggs, milky rolled oats, thick blended soup, etc. Mash boiled eggs with Mayo is good too. Eating slowly & taking small bites is key. Use teaspoons, children’s utensils. I still keep my food pretty moist to avoid that stuck feeling ( then my restriction starting or at worst the foamies). Definitely chat with your surgeon about the hernia to ensure that isn’t contributing or causing your discomfort.

My first thought was the artificial sweeteners too. My second was lactose - the whey protein many shakes use. Look for plant protein shakes (not soy of course) & avoid shakes with any of the sugar alcohol sweeteners (the ones that end in ‘tol’ like xylitol, erythritol, Sorbitol). https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-alcohols-good-or-bad#other-benefits - scroll down for the digestive side effects. Chat with your dietician & or surgeon about alternatives. They should be supportive of you changing because of the side effects you’re experiencing.

Glad you’re starting to feeling better. The gurgling & growling is just the digestive process doing what it’s supposed to do & not hunger. I think it sounds louder & is more noticeable now because of because our tummy & digestive process are a little different. The strong pain is likely excess stomach acid. For many their tummy eventually reduces production more in keeping with how much they actually need to digest what they eat. If it continues chat with your surgeon. I’m on 20mg esomeprazole too but it doesn’t fully manage all my acid for 24hrs. Previously, I was able to manage a lot of my reflux & excess acid through dietary choices & only needed to take esomeprazole occasionally. It’s why my surgeon approved me for a sleeve. It manifests differently now. Hiccups less severe. No cutting pain, No bad taste in my mouth. Just a bit of burning in my throat at night or early hours of the morning - probably from lying down or it’s just worn off. Hunger is different for me now. I feel restless as if something is wrong. It happens at night & I can logically understand why I am hungry - low protein intake for the day. I don’t crave a specific food or type of food (salty, sweet, carb). I only seek protein (any source will do) when I’m truely hungry but that could be a learnt behaviour because I know it’s what I need. Hope you continue to feel better & the reflux eases.

So happy you’ve been having a positive experience through this & have such a supportive team behind you. So many don’t unfortunately. My bariatric surgeon also drew pictures. The GP I had years ago was the first I encountered who drew pictures & diagrams to explain things better. The best. Taught me how to ask the right questions of all my subsequent doctors & surgeons. All the best for your revision surgery.

Plans are different & so are you. Some do stay on a stage longer because they’re just not ready to move on & that’s ok. Make your first purées really sloppy & runny or go for thick soups at first so you get used to that denser, thicker texture vs a liquid. Don’t give up on a food you struggled with. Our tummies can be a bit fussy & temperamental at first. Or sometimes things just taste disgusting. Try it again in a week or two & then in another week or so if need be. You’ll even find your tummy suddenly says no way to something you’ve eaten regularly but is fine with it again two days later. I used to say my tummy was like a petulant two year old child throwing random temper tantrums. That tightness across your chest is your restriction. You don’t usually start to feel until you’re on more solid food. It’s a signal you’ve eaten too much, too fast or eaten something too dry or too coarse, etc. You’ll work out your triggers - it’s a bit of trial & error. Stalls happen. The first one often is about week 3 +/-. Think of it as your body just needing a break. It’s been pretty stressed & needs to shut down for a 1-3 weeks. It does not mean you’re doing the wrong thing or failing … unless you’ve wildly gone off plan. It’s possible you’ll experience more than one stall along the way. You won’t put on weight by starting on the next stage unless you suddenly start eating huge portions (pretty darn impossible with your small tummy unless you put in a lot of effort to stretch it) or making poor food choices. You won’t be consuming more calories than your body needs to function. That’s the only way you’ll put on weight. And I’m not talking about our normal fluctuations ( fluid, constipation, life, etc.) As long as your general weight loss trend is downwards you’re doing great. It’s ok to go at your own pace. You’ll do fine.

We were always told a rumbling tummy or hunger pains meant you were hungry - not always true. Like how we had to eat everything on our plate - we don’t. Hunger pains can be caused by too much stomach acid. Do you still take a ppi/esomeprazole? If not give some a try & see if that helps. My tummy makes squelching noises & whines every day. My doctor told me it’s just a signal my body doing what it’s supposed to: digesting food & is nothing to do with hunger. What do you mean by wanting to feel ‘satisfied’ after eating? Often our old ‘satisfied’ level was a lot of food or until we felt better. Are these old feelings & ways of eating influencing how you feel now? There’s a difference between eating until you’ve had enough & eating until you're full, & whether you need that next bite or just want it. Just throwing some ideas to think about out there. They may not even be helpful to you at all. Congratulations on your weight loss so far. You’ll be at your goal before you know it. Whoo hoo!

Were you given a caloric goal? If so you could split daily total of calories over smaller meals or split your meal portions into smaller sizes. I added yoghurt, a yoghurt drink, cheese or a little fruit as an afternoon snack I think from soft foods. Check with your dietician for suggestions. The foamies shouldn’t affect your tummy but still are something you should try to avoid simply because they’re not pleasant. Work out your triggers & try to avoid them. (Mine are too dry, too coarse, too fast or dehydrated.) Are you taking a ppi/esomeprazole? That will help with the heartburn (reflux) & the hunger pains & rumbling tummy which, like the reflux, are caused by too much stomach acid & aren’t real hunger (unlike we were always told). Good luck.

No method is full proof ( except abstinence ?) but I agree with @ClareLynn: double up on the contraceptives with both of you taking precautions. Maybe try an implant vs an oral med in case of vomiting & how & where your pill is absorbed. Better safe than sorry.

The stuck feeling is usually associated with the foamies: just the first stage. For me I feel like something’s stuck, then get a hacking cough to try to bring it up, start producing a thicker saliva (how it got its name) which I spit up, then I regurgitate the last thing I ate. After there’s pretty instant relief whereas dumping lasts for ages & knocks you about. Sometimes I experience the full gamut of the foamies stages, other times I only get part way through the stages. Well that’s how it is for me. I don’t get them very often at all The tightness across your chest (like you have to thump your chest to relieve it) is your restriction. It will kick in if you eat too fast, too much, eat too coarse or too dry food, etc. On a bad day I sometimes get the restriction & then a couple of stages of the foamies. We have slightly different experiences of dumping & foamies attacks & for what might set it off (your triggers). I just discovered being dehydrated will set off the foamies for me.

With foamies there’s a feeling of something being stuck. You produce thick saliva which you spit up (hence the name) & then regurgitate (not vomit sort of bubbles up) of the last thing you ate. I often get a hacking cough to begin as if trying to bring up what’s stuck. Usually caused by coarse or too dry food, eating too fast … or being dehydrated as I discovered. It was actually a good afternoon & evening: a farewell to a former work colleague & a catch up with people I hadn’t seen in about 3 yrs (pre surgery). The bad was that the venue had horrendous food choices, predominately pre mixed high sugar drinks, a storm came up & prolonged rain which left us stranded in an outside area & then a long wait for taxis/ride shares.

Remember the liquids you’re consuming as food (broths, shakes, etc.) count towards your daily fluid goal. I wasn’t interested in eating either. I sipped on them just like I did water. It is essential to ‘eat’ to get some nutrients into your body. It’s going through a lot. Do t stress it further by starving yourself. Start establishing a good eating routine, like three ‘meals’ a day, from the beginning to help set your new eating habits. (Mind you in the liquid stage I only had 2 ‘meals’ a day.) I continue to eat to routine 2.5yrs out. I just make adjustments to what I eat if I don’t feel hungry or don’t want to eat (like yoghurt instead of a full ‘meal’ or drop a snack). It’s how I ensure I get my protein in, don’t randomly pick at food between my meal & snack times & still consume enough calories to maintain. Good luck.

Now I’ve had the foamies a few times in my 2.5yrs from just the hacking cough of something feels stuck & a little saliva to the full regurgitation of whatever I’ve eaten. Each time the foamies related to eating something too coarse, too dry or too fast. Last night the coughing started like something was stuck but I actually hadn’t eaten for hours (8hrs - no lunch no diner - long story). Was understandably hungry so grabbed some chicken when I finally got home. Still coughing. Few minutes later, coughing worsens, salvia starts coming up & then the one bite of chicken I’d had bubbled up. Thing was it wasn’t the chicken, that was just the final straw. I believe the real cause was that I hadn’t really had anything to drink either (same long story). I was way below goal & was likely dehydrated. Moral is seems you have to stay hydrated to avoid the foamies or the potential foamies too. So we keep learning new things even when we think we’ve a handle on what doesn’t work for us.

This sounds more like the foamies. Did it sort of bubble up (regurgitate) with saliva? With dumping you may feel bloated, too full or nauseated. You may vomit &/or have diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, flushing, dizziness, cold sweats, lightheadedness & a rapid heart rate.

Ok ladies as it’s almost Christmas let’s see some of the outfits you’re wearing to Christmas parties. We need a bit of cheer. But do better than me. I’ve been to three Christmas events in the last couple of weeks & didn’t take a single pxt ??‍♀️ so I need to enjoy yours. Challenge issued.

I love so called medical people who don’t understand what being a vegetarian (even quasi) is. ??‍♀️?. Try beans & lentils as a source of protein, like you probably often did. Add them to your soups & blend them up till super smooth (strain after to be super sure). Many find anything that’s not super smooth too harsh to swallow & tolerate at first so go slowly. As a quasi vegetarian do you eat meat stocks? If so bone broths & the broths in pho, wonton soups, etc are also good protein options but only drink the broth part of course. Generally you can purée most things if you add enough liquids (stock, broth, gravy, milk, water).. Just doesn’t always taste pleasant but it’s only two weeks.

That’s the acid pain @vikingbeast mentioned. I’ve over produce stomach acid for years & regularly experienced a strong cutting like pain across my tummy. The only thing that stopped it was eating carbs because they absorbed the excess acid which was literally eating my tummy. Are you on a ppi (esomeprazole)? Once they diagnosed my problem I was prescribed them because they reduce the amount acid. Many are prescribed them for a period of time post surgery to counteract the excess acid. I still take them every day because I still over produce acid just less in my smaller tummy. It’s a new learning to understand that hunger pangs & a growling tummy don’t indicate you are hungry as we were always told but just stomach acid & the digestion process. It’s also a struggle to understand it’s not a bad thing for your tummy to be empty. Many of us kept feeding it before & it was rarely actually empty so it’s a new feeling. Most of us are advised not to drink about 30 mins before & after eating as it can wash what you’ve eaten through your system more quickly & temporarily fills you up. As time passes, you’ll reduce the time frame before & after & even drink a little while eating but how much & how long is individual. Your world’s probably feeling pretty upside down & not recognisable at the moment either. It does get easier & better. But have a chat with your medical team if you’re still concerned. All the best.

This is fascinating but also a terrible thing you are experiencing @MandoGetsSleeved. Who’d have thought that could be a side effect of weight loss. God yeah, being able to cross your legs is super awesome. I even do the more extreme twist the ankle behind the crossed leg thing. Think I’ll be more careful about crossing my legs in the future.

Artificial sweeteners continue to feed your desire for sweet. They’ve many other negative issues too. And you’re right, they seem to be in everything these days. Monk fruit is being pushed as a better alternative but it doesn’t stop the sugar cravings either. Neither do natural sugar alternatives (honey, coconut sugar, molasses, etc.) which are still basically sugar with slightly different glucose & fructose content. The weight loss stage made it easier to cut out or greatly reduce added sugar & sweeteners. I was only eating protein, vegetables, dairy & fruit after surgery so little opportunity for added sugar & sweeteners. (I stopped shakes from day 1 purées.) I prep most of what I eat from scratch myself. It’s the only way to control the ingredients. I carefully check the ingredient list & nutrition panel on any products I do buy. I avoid sweeteners but know there’s some in the yoghurt & protein bar I eat but that’s all. I’d rather choose products with low quantities of real sugar than artificial. I don’t drink carbonated drinks like colas, etc. or juices. I only have cakes, sweet biscuits or desserts, etc. a couple of times a year. I have a glass of alcohol about once a month. Our bodies do need some glucose. I get most from naturally occurring sources: dairy & fruit. My daily intake of added sugar is harder to define as total sugars on nutrition panels include naturally occurring & added as one total. I don’t add any myself. I know there’s 2-3g in my salad dressing & 1g in my crackers & about 6g if I use a condiment like mint or teriyaki sauce (couple of times a month). My desire for sweet has changed greatly & sweet foods are crazy sweet now. This is just what I do. Others may have better suggestions, alternatives, experiences or made more changes. It just depends upon how much you’re willing to omit or reduce from your eating plan & if it’s sustainable for you.

I still eat from a side plate but have graduated to dessert forks now. ? I try to distract myself between bites: read, watch tv, play a game on a device, check social media, etc. I even fold my laundry between bites. I know on the surface that seems to defeat the mindful eating recommendations but for me it takes my mind off eating & just shovelling the food in. Bout then when I go to have the next bite I think about why I’m having it. I’ve said this a lot but ask yourself do I need this bite or just want it? If it’s ‘want’ put the fork/spoon down. You don’t ‘have’ to eat that bite. You may eat it in another couple of minutes or you may have had enough to eat. I also check the time I have my first bite & randomly check as I eat to make sure I’m not eating too fast. It takes time for new habits to become established & just your everyday. You’ll get there.