Arabesque

I don’t take them because of an issue with my pancreas either. I don’t absorb protein well as a result of my gall removal. Malabsorption after gall surgery isn’t uncommon but it being for protein is more rare. (Also don’t absorb some medications either now like hormone replacement meds.) I forget to take them at times too - usually my lunch time one. I keep the bottle on the bench right in front of me to remind myself. The creons keep my protein levels at just on the border of okay. The original dose of 10 000mg 3 x a day didn't do anything so it was increased to 25 000 3 x a day which does. I don’t like having to take meds. Am lucky & very glad I only take the creons and a Nexium in the morning.

Glad you’re feeling more yourself @Starwarsandcupcakes. You’ve been through a lot the last few months and recovery is just not the healing of physical scars. Looking forward to seeing your meal prep pxts again.

No one sees my saggy, baggy thighs @ms.sss LOL! Wish you could get rid of the lose skin with exercise or weights. Actually it’s mainly my inner thighs so no shorty short shorts. I do wear longer closer to the knees ones which show off my toned knees.

Did you have side effects from the creons? The only thing I’ve noticed is that it firms things up and can cause a little constipation as a result. I think it’s like the creons slow the passage of digesting through the intestines so more nutrients are absorbed - could be right off the mark though ?. I do wonder if they are contributing to my increasing cholesterol which is a conversation I’m going to have with my GP and prescribing doctor.

I sometimes date the bag as to when I made it but generally up to 6 or so months. I found some lamb cutlets (raw) in the depths of the freezer that were about two years old (I think from memory). I made soup with them. Tasted fine, just ensure the food is room temp when you freeze otherwise you’ll get ice build up. This degrades the food most & more quickly I feel. I did a clean out last week and threw out some egg muffins that were a good 16 months old and some mystery meat I’d cooked but didn’t label. As @SpartanMaker said - the mystery meat just looked grey and unappetising. oh, sometimes double bagging helps with freezer burn. Zip lock the individual portions of a certain food and then bag them together in a larger plastic bag (I sometimes do this and recycle my fruit & vegetable bags).

I wouldn’t trust any signals now either. Simply because many nerves were cut during the surgery, so signals either aren’t getting through, aren’t the same or maybe off. You won’t start to get these signals again until you’re fully healed (about 6-8 weeks). This is why it’s so important to follow your plan in regards to portion sizes and frequency of meals. Many do find their signals change. Well may be not change more you learn to identify and recognise what the signals really mean. Like a signal for being full (or had enough) might be sneezing, hiccups or a runny nose. We also learn to differentiate between head hunger (which usually used to drive us to eat ) and real hunger .Generally if you are craving a specific texture, flavour or food. Like many want to eat something crunchy during puree stage - that’s head hunger. Your desire for coffee is head hunger. Like @SpartanMaker said real hunger has different and unusual signals. I get restless and think something is wrong and then I realise I’m hungry. And yes, most times a grumbling tummy (hunger pangs) are just your digestive system working properly. It takes time to learn what these things mean to you. Just tread slowly and stick to your plan.

I ziplock everything: soup, casseroles, home made pies, meatballs, steak, chicken, pork, lamb, etc. with gravies or sauces or without. Just don’t reheat in the ziplock bags - they don’t do well in heat! I find vegetables cooked in a dish (like soups, casseroles,…) freeze well but by themselves they can get mushy. So your taco filling should be fine except I don’t think you can freeze guacamole either. Much like custard, cream, yoghurt I think it may go lumpy or split.

What about a mouth spray? I take a D3K2 as a mouth spray in winter when my vitamin D levels drop (the regular blood tests identified the seasonal drop). It doesn’t real taste of anything and you simply squirt it under your tongue. I buy Bioceuticals but I don’t think they’re in the UK but there are other brands that make mouth sprays. Even if you can reduce how many capsules you have to swallow will help. And yes look fur capsules and not those huge, dry horse tablet ones. Check with your team about what vitamins you need to take @Chatterboxdea. Different surgeries have different vitamin requirements & ask when you should begin them. Plus your blood tests will inform what you may be lacking in so you don’t take more than you need which can have side effects (and can be expensive). For example I had a sleeve. Didn’t need to start taking supplements until the surgery and only took a multivitamin and briefly a vitamin D. My surgeon advised I could stop the D at about month 3 or 4 and then the multi at about 8 months.

I agree with @SpartanMaker, @ShoppGirl. You can’t spot lose weight/fat. But be careful building muscle in your thighs as they could end up bigger. I have three pairs of slim legged pants I can’t wear anymore because they became too firm in the legs. Weight hadn’t changed. Pants still fit perfectly in the waist & around the butt but the thighs, and calves in one pair, nope. Waah! And no they didn’t shrink in the wash. (Remember when we used to use that as an excuse -lol!)

I love a doctor who explains everything (& not using medical terminology) and draws diagrams. Glad yours does this and you feel comfortable with them and confident about the surgery. It makes such a difference. You’re well on your way now. Yay!

Go slowly, my first drink was a gin & tonic and I nursed that low ball for hours. Not kidding - hours at my cousin’s 40th. I chose the G & T because I was very sensitive to anything that was even the slightest sweet tasting. I actually found I lost a lot of my taste for alcohol too and some drinks I used to enjoy the taste of I didn’t until well into my 2nd year. And yes it will hit you more quickly. I still can get a bit ‘happy’ on less than a glass of something specially if I haven’t just eaten.

I did not exercise while I was losing. No gym membership. No walking miles. No cycling. Nothing. Didn’t hinder my weight loss. However I did up my everyday activity. Parked further away from where I was going. Walked up escalators. Made multiple trips up & down my stairs instead of making one or two trips to bring up the groceries, etc. Or go down to take or the rubbish and then go back down to get the mail instead of doing it in one trip. Saw a program by the late Dr Michael Mosley that compared the benefits of doing a block of 30 mins of exercise a day vs doing 3 or 4 bursts of 5 -10 minutes totalling 30mins of exercise a day. The difference was minimal. They called it exercise snacking and it’s what I started doing about 20months ago. I incorporate a number of yoga based stretches, resistance band exercises and exercises to improve flexibility across my day. Honestly I wouldn’t burn 30 calories but I have more defined & toned muscles in my arms and legs and my flexibility has improved which is what I wanted. I don’t find it a chore and I sort of enjoy it (something I never really down with any other exercise except yoga). I do it, or a modified version if I’m away, every day bar the odd day once or twice a month. Exercise contributes only about 10% of any weight you’re to lose. However, there are other benefits to your health and well being. You just have to find something you enjoy doing & doesn’t feel like a chore or a punishment.

Doesn’t sound like you have gastritis based on you saying you don’t have any symptoms but belching. Seems strange your team would suggest that and not confirm you have the symptoms of gastritis. Most times our tummy growls & rumbles it’s a sign of our digestive system working not a sign of hunger despite. What we were always told. You may find those noise are very loud and you may be someone who continues to experience this noisy digestive system. I say I have my own poltergeist rattling chains & moaning. My younger nieces & nephews think it’s hilarious. Another thing many of us discover is that real hunger feels different. For example I get restless like something is wrong but I don’t know what. Wanting to eat and/or wanting a specific food, flavour or texture (like salty, sweet, crunchy, etc.) is head hunger. However, it takes 2-4 hours for your tummy to empty so feeling hungry about 2.5hrs after eating could make sense. Plus add in you say you’re very active, real hunger does seem a possibility. Are they aware of how active you are? Are they concerned you aren’t meeting your protein goal (I mean that & getting your fluids in are supposed to be our main focus)? I’d ask whether having a shake after you swim, which would help with your protein intake, would be okay. Also ask would having the additional shake sabotage your weight loss at least until you are able to eat more at each meal and are better able to reach your protein goals without it. Can’t hurt to ask.

It’s definitely because of being menopausal. One of the many ‘fun’ side effects. Knock on wood I haven’t had an episode for a few months now.

Glad to know there are so many champagne lovers here. We need a champagne party to share the joy. ?????

I loved Greece when I went years ago so I hope you do too. We went to lots of amazing historical sites around the Peloponnese. It can be a bit of a mind bender buying new clothes in smaller sizes but well done you for needing smaller sizes. Yay! Tip: cool winds tend to blow in the afternoons & evenings from end of September on in Greece so pack a jacket just in case.

I drink it slowly & only have one glass so the bubbles aren’t as great an issue plus the bubbles are smaller & more refined in good champagne. It does mean I can’t open a bottle to drink at home myself. I don’t mind as I’m not drawn as much to alcohol as I once was but I do know what you mean by having a nice supply of bottles. Never know when you have to go somewhere or if someone pops in. I introduced my girlfriends to the joy of real champagne some years ago and now there’s never ordinary sparkling for us anymore. I say quality over quantity now. Don’t know about using a swizzle as part of the joy of champagne is the bubbles. What are your favourites champagnes? My go to is Mumm but I enjoy Veuve in summer don’t mind a Moet or Bolly and have three bottles of Dom in my fridge I’m saving (not sure what for though).

I’m carefully with carbonated drinks (including champagne) because it causes issues with my reflux which I think is one of the reasons surgeons advise to avoid it especially in the period after surgery. I’d given up carbonated drinks years before my surgery because of the hideous reflux hiccups I’d develop. The only ones I drank was soda, tonic or sparkling water and champagne but not often & I’d have to watch how many glasses I had. I still drink these. I have. Sparkling water every day (as an alternative to still water) but I usually try to let it go a little flat and drink it over a couple of hours. Soda & tonic waters are used as mixers only so rarely have them as I don’t drink very often like champagne (maybe once a month I’ll have a glass of something alcoholic & it may not have a carbonated aspect). Plus the taste (things can taste too sweet & I lost my taste for them a long time ago) & the artificial sweeteners - I try to avoid as many of those as I can. But you have to work out what you can tolerate: how often & how much of whatever carbonated drinks you prefer.

I ate eggs without an issue for four years then suddenly tummy said no. Was annoying because if I went out for breakfast I’d have scrambled eggs and often made an omelet with lots of vegetables for lunch. Worse went to a new restaurant for breakfast and they do a scrambled eggs with crab - drool. Keep saying it’s been more than a year & must try eggs again but haven’t got around to it. I still have odd times too when I eat something easily one day & the next night I’m eating the exact same thing & nope not tonight & then next week it’s fine. So does it happen? Yep it does, even years out. I know there are some (not all) people here who also continue to struggle with certain foods. You’re relatively early out so it’s even more likely to happen - fussy & still sensitive tummy.

Roadkill pancakes. Hilarious! Mine are the same.

Roadkill pancakes. Hilarious!

Like @GreenTealael, I agree finding a way of eating that is sustainable is key. If you choose to follow an eating style that is too restrictive or makes you feel like you’re missing out or can’t participate, it is destined to fail like any diet we tried to follow in the past. And same with whatever exercise you choose to incorporate. If you don ‘t enjoy the exercise, find it restricts or limits your lifestyle, you aren’t’ going to continue with it. Of course, over time you will find you make adjustments or swap out certain foods or activities as your way of eating or exercise routines evolve. You may explore other options, discover you can have a little of this or that occasionally, try a different activity, or you have lifestyle changes. Do I eat exactly like I did when I first stabilised? No. I can actually eat more but the modifications I’ve made are pretty close to how it was and it still works for me & allows me to maintain at the same weight. You have to be vigilant and keep working at it though. Complacency is a slippery slope. Don’t be afraid to seek support & help with therapy if you find yourself sliding back to habits and behaviours. We can’t always do all of this on our own. All the best.

Still find it too heavy in my tummy and too filling.

Still find it too heavy in my tummy and too filling.

Absolutely fabulous. You look amazing. Congratulations @AmberFL. (Bit jealous you’ve still got a butt thiugh ???.)