Arabesque

The surgery & dramatic change to your diet accelerates your natural hair loss cycle. It’s the stress on your body. Because shedding hair is a natural occurrence, taking vitamins, using special shampoos etc. won’t stop it happening but they likely will strengthen your new hair growth. As with most things, we all react differently. People lose different amounts of hair over varying periods of time. Some people lose so little it’s not really noticeable. Others, like me lose lots. It does stop & then you’ll notice the regrowth. It’s a small temporary price to pay for your weight loss.

The three week stall is experienced by just about everyone but it can happen from week 2, 3 or 4 & can last 1-3 weeks. And you’ll experienced it again along this journey. Yes, it can really screw with your head. I thought of them as your body saying stop. what the hell are you doing to me or it taking a breath as it gets used to the changes you’re making (reduced food intake, changes to activity levels, the surgery, etc.). Leave the scales alone for a few days. Did you take body measurements before your surgery? Sometimes you’ll see changes on a tape measure before you see them on the scales. This is hard work. A lot of reflection, emotional ups & downs, changing habits & establishing new routines but it is sooooo worth it. Best decision I ever made. So many benefits. Keep a list of all your non scale victories a long the way to keep you motivated. Take photos of your shrinking body. You’ll get through this & other hiccups along the way.

Oh yeah menopause was the pits for me. It was when I put on my last 15kg seemingly overnight. My girlfriends were the same. When I was perimenopausal I also put on about 10kg over about two years. I hadn’t changed what I was eating or my activity levels. And I couldn’t shift it at all. It was what made me decide to have the surgery. I don’t have any answers but have you considered going back to your nutritionalist? Have you gone back to your post surgery habits: protein first, meeting water & protein goals. Are you measuring & weighing your foods, checking your portion sizes? Are you on hrt? I didn’t lose any weight on it but I didn’t put on any more.

As the months pass you will be able to eat more & you will start to feel hungry. I’m not sure how far a long you are but by 5/6 months I could eat half a cup of food at a meal. Now at 16 months I can eat about a cup of food or two eggs or about 80g of protein. I still have days when I’m not hungry but do have some I feel hungry. I keep very much to a routine of when I eat, how much I eat & what I eat. It helps me meet my goals on non hungry days & not over eat on hungry days. One of the challenging learnings along this journey is working out what is real hunger or head hunger. Are you eating out of habit or are you truly hungry? It’s like cravings. Are you really craving a specific food or is it salt or sugar or just wanting something you should avoid? On these days I look for an alternative - a slice of apple, a cube of cheese or a chunk cucumber with salt to satisfy. Some days it’s really hard to sort through these feelings but it is worth it. (I’m still sorting through it.) Keep your protein up because it is more filling. Avoid slider foods as they don’t satisfy hunger. Good luck.

I can’t imagine you’ll need a shower chair either. I was up showering the next day no problems - I just went slowly. I didn’t wash my hair for a few days just because I had long thick hair & didn’t want to lift my arms up high & did it over the laundry tub for a couple of weeks. I had no issue sleeping in a bed & on my side as usual but I think I was a lucky one as I didn’t even have gas pain (don’t hate me). Make sure you have all your prescription meds & over the counter meds (gasX, benefibre, aspirin, coloxyl, etc.) before your surgery. You may find a heat pack soothing. Good luck with your surgery.

My question is what guidance has your nut been giving you for the last 6 months? Surely they should have been tracking your weight every visit & advising you on dietary changes so you could lose weight throughout this time if a specific amount of weight loss was a requirement of your surgical approval. Following two shakes plus one high protein & vegetable meal per day or three shakes a day will get the weight off. Many patients follow this diet in the two/three weeks prior to surgery with a lot of success. Apparently the first week is pretty hellish but you’ll get through it. Good luck.

The old cup a soups when I was lazy & easy for work. Strained it get out any chunky bits. I also made my own chicken soup. Simmered for ages to cook everything right down. Strained out any big pieces of chicken & vegetables & blitzed to make sure it was smooth. Added more chicken stock to make it a nice thin consistency.

You’ll still lose only consuming that many calories - it’s still not many at all. But if you are concerned you may need to consider what it is about work that makes you eat more. Is it because others are eating? Are you really hungry or head (habit) hungry? Do you take your own food or buy your meals? ... It can apply to other situations too. I found it difficult when I went back to work simply because I didn’t have as much control over when I ate. Some days I’d be so busy I wouldn’t get close to my fluid goals. Also, I take a while to eat but at work I had to eat more quickly (causing me discomfort) within my prescribed break times. I always took my own food too because it was very difficult to buy suitable healthy food I could eat. There’s so much to learn on this journey about how, what, when & why we eat & so many other things. Good luck.

I barely tolerated shakes but I only did them for two weeks. I wouldn’t have been able to survive 4 weeks & think I would have felt just like you. Our tastebuds do get screwed up after surgery. Everything tasted sweet to me too or tasted like nothing. I used to dilute my shakes which helped a bit with their flavour. Try some thin soups & consommés also. They were my saviours. Good luck. You will get through this.

Looking great Ms November 11. Love your pink & yellow bags. So bright & fresh.

I’ll take the ‘kids’ comment thanks as I’m 55 - lol. Mind you my scale does do all these fancy things but I just use it to weigh myself. ?

I’m a gurgler not a burper (never been able to ever). I get the tightness but can’t relieve it. My thought would be to ensure you’re eating slowly. I know we all say it but sometimes, especially when eating out with others, we unconsciously eat more quickly (I think the hovering wait staff put pressure on you to eat more quickly.) Not leaving enough time between eating & drinking can cause tightness for me too. I know you said it occurs at every meal but it may be certain foods. You may need to eliminate different foods to see if there’s something that specifically sets you off. I’ve discovered dairy foods make me gurgle something bad and chia seeds give me terrible wind so I plan when I eat these (especially the chia seeds lol!)

Congrats on having your surgery. Frustratingly, sometimes it’s not about the number on the scales. Did you take any body measurements? You may see changes with those measurements when you see little or nothing on the scales. Fluid retention & constipation will affect your scale weight too. Do you keep your scales in the same place when you weigh yourself? An uneven floor surface can result in erratic numbers on the scale. New batteries will give more accurate results too. Good luck.

That’s wonderful, Jake. I’m very happy for you. I wonder how much time we actually spend hunting for the perfect jacket, pants, dress, shoes? I’ve been roaming stores for weeks trying to find a simple top in a neutral colour to go with a new skirt. White is too white but beiges look terrible on me. I need a sort of taupe colour but no luck yet. Fingers crossed.

I still have the occasional problem & if I have no action on day 2 I will take something that night to get things moving again. I find that not pushing helps. I’ll sit there for a while & relax & let gravity & nature do their job. If I’m anxious or try to force something nothing will happen. I also try to go at the same time each day. It’s like you have to re educate your body. I hope it gets easier for you.

The change in your taste buds can really make things difficult. I couldn’t eat some of my favourite vegetables & proteins for quite a few months so I hear you. Don’t worry, they will start to taste yummy to you again as you progress. I found nothing really tasted good on the purée stage until a friend told me she could successfully eat puréed poached chicken with lots of gravy & chicken stock. It was probably the salt from the gravy & stock that made it tastier lol. I ate a lot of soups - strained & puréed - as they seemed to go down more easily. As did yogurts. Take it slowly to introduce purées especially if they are causing you discomfort. Start with one purée meal a day. You may be someone who needs to go through the stages more slowly - it’s not uncommon. Good luck.

Your manager sounds supportive which is great. Don’t be afraid to ask for the extra time though if you need it. Would they consider a part time return or reduced hours as other options on your return if needed? Just a suggestion. Good luck with your surgery.

Oh, yeah I was the same. I’d nap just about every afternoon. I was so tired one day, I thought I was going to fall off my treadmill. I’m not a good sleeper but I’d be out for 8+ hours a night. The energy levels picked up at about 6 months when I started maintenance was eating more & added small amounts of whole or multi grains. Unfortunately this last month or so I’m back to sleeping poorly.

One friend went back to a desk job after one week no problem. Another did three weeks but said she could have gone back after two. I did four weeks & still struggled - low energy & low blood pressure with vision loss & a doughy head - thank goodness I was only part time. But I do normally take longer to recover.

She had sleeve surgery just like me. I understand that some dieticians do allow carbs but I hope chocolate muffins & croissant were not what the dietician meant. The high fat high sugar aspect concerned me more as well as the sheer volume of food she consumed at each meal. She is a good friend, wishmesmaller, & had the surgery because of the success I’ve had. I’m hoping that her seeing what I ate over the weekend might get her thinking. I’ve also suggested she watch Dr Vuong’s maximise your weight loss & the fat brain. You’re so fortunate to have a great dietician (who is also a wonderful friend). As Silkykitty said, gerd (or reflux) said can be a complication of sleeve surgery which was why I think my friend’s ‘hunger pain’ is acid related & she may have developed reflux. Especially when the Nexium relieved the pain. I know she has to find her own path but I just want her to be successful.

I clearly remember being 7stone at the end of yr 7, 8 stone at the end of yr 8, 9 stone at the end of yr 9 .... you get the picture. I couldn’t understand why my weight kept increasing when I was eating one meal & one snack a day. I wonder about the contradictory messages our medical teams provide. Just spent a weekend with a girlfriend who’s about 3 months out. She told me she’s hardly losing any weight now (less than a pound a week) & says she has hunger pains. I was very surprised by how much & what she’s eating. For breakfast I barely managed to eat two scrambled eggs. She’d eat two poached eggs, two bacon rashes, 1/2 croissant & jam & some fruit. She was even eating dessert at dinner. After some subtle questioning about her progress & experiences, I discovered this is what her dietician recommended she could eat. As well as English muffins & regular muffins. WTF? Her surgeon told her she could stop the over the counter 10mg Nexium so I think the hunger pain is really acid pain. She’d feel better after eating because the acid would be absorbed. One afternoon, I gave her one of my prescription 20mg & she said she the hunger pain went. How do I tell her she’s eating too much & not making good food choices if this is what her dietician has told her? I encouraged her to speak to her her surgeon about the pain & Nexium but nothing else. Even our other friend whose daughter had wls too commented to me on how much & what our friend was eating. I know this is her journey but ... Sorry it’s just I’m upset for her.

Yep. That’s me. Makes it easier to pack when your wardrobe only contains one colour - everything matches lol. You’d have loved it Ms.sss. All inclusive food & drinks. Magnificent views. Perfect occasions for wearing patio dresses (if the weather was warmer). Great friends. Private spa on our deck. Hot stone massage. ‘Would you like another glass of bubbles.’ ‘Yes, thank you & another cheese platter please.’ Surprisingly the rtn helicopter trip worked out cheaper than each of us buying a return plane flight to a regional centre. We enjoyed it so much we’re planning to go by chopper for our next weekend away.

Girls weekend in the mountains. Breakfast on our deck & view. I ate the scrambled eggs only but snaffled one of the fruit & yogurt dishes for later in the day. After pxt of our Ploughman’s lunch. Was to be at a campfire on a rise but way too cold & windy so settled for a lounge in front of the fire on the terrace. I ate so much cheese & drank more than I usually do but it was deliciously wonderful.

Damn hormones! The first time I started to put on weight was when I was 12 & began puberty. Every year till I was about 18 I put on more but was eating way less & was pretty active. Up & down (60-75kg) after that but the last time I put on a large amount (15kg), in what felt like overnight, was when I hit menopause. It pushed me to my surgical weight. Again no change of diet or activity levels. The two years previous to this I had slowly put on weight too (about 10kg) without reason except I was perimenopausal. So yep I think hormones, for me at least, contributed to my weight problems. And now I weigh about 4kg more than I did when I was 12 when the hormone merry go round started.

Girls weekend at luxurious mountain retreat. (Can’t go to Spain as planned so this was our alternative. Glorious though cold: anoraks, gloves & hats. But just had hot stone massage, followed by about an hour in the bubbling spa. Now time for a gin in front of the fire with some Frank crooning in the background. Not a clothing shot but you can see some of the white robe. We did arrive in style. The only way.