Arabesque

About 20 years ago I was prescribed the weight loss miracle pill: Reductil (sibutramine). It was great. Killed my appetite to the point I was eating once a day & I lost weight. But when I did eat I wasn’t interested in prepping good healthy meals. I must have been so lacking in necessary nutrients & vitamins. And I didn’t sleep - like only getting an hour or so a night for months. (Actually think it contributed to my developing poor sleeping habits which have only improved since my surgery.) when I went off the med my appetite came back as did my weight because I ate in the same way as I had before. Then came the news they were taking it off the market because of side effects they’d newly discovered - anal leakage, cardiac issues (strokes, heart attacks, etc.). Yikes. It’s why I worry about these medications. What happens when they stop taking them, what long term side effects are they yet to discover & what impact does the reduced food intake have on their general health & is that being monitored? Yes, we were on a reduced diet & many of us lost our hunger & appetite for a time after our surgery but we were also given guidelines to ensure we met nutritional needs & foods we should or shouldn’t be eating. We also had regular blood tests to ensure we weren’t low in anything & our health wasn’t being affected. All of which contributed to us changing our eating behaviours & helped us learn how to make better food choices. Those with diabetes who are on these meds would, I’d hope, already be aware of their nutrient needs & how to regulate their eating. But I understand some believe these medications are their their best/only option because they don’t want to or can’t have weight loss surgery. I just wish that when they’re given their prescription they’re also given a referral to a dietician, nutritional guidelines & their health is regularly monitored. Just my opinion. No judgement. We all do what we feel we have to do which is best for us & our lives.

My pharmacist said he’d have them in by the end of the week so we’ll see. ?? A friend swears by the cream you rub on your thigh so I thought I’d ask my doctor about that if the shortage gets worse. Hadn’t heard about the vaginal cream as no one I know uses it. Thank you for the tip. Good to know about a couple of options.

Yep, sounds like every side effect I’ve read about. It’s something I worry about: not eating & losing weight only because you feel too sick not because you are making better food choices & establishing better habits. And what happens when you stop the medication? Will you be able to continue to eat the much lower calorie intake needed to maintain your lower weight? My question is were you stalled or had you reached your set point - the weight your body is happiest at? It’s always much harder to lose below & maintain a weight that is lower than your set point. Your body will keep taking you back to that weight. Not everyone loses all the weight they may want to lose. The average weight loss for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight to be lost to put you in a healthier weight range. From the numbers you gave you had already exceeded that average which is something to celebrate. Your choice of course but talk to your prescribing doctor about how to manage the side effects & the what happens after you stop taking the medication.

I thought the same thing as @catwoman7 in regard to whether an antibiotic will be absorbed well or not would depend on where it is predominately absorbed. It’s the same with all medication & conversations with your surgeon & prescribing doctors are important to decide whether a change of tablet or formulation is needed after your surgery. After my gall surgery it was discovered I wasn’t absorbing protein well & then we realised I wasn’t absorbing my HRT effectively either. I’m now on a patch for HRT. (Tried to get my script filled today & none in stock - damn world shortage. Going to be some flushed, very cranky women about.) But I tell every doctor about my absorption issue if they are prescribing anything (which is very rare) just in case. Better to be getting the right & needed dose than not.

The well strained broths from wonton soup, pho, ramen, etc. are generally considered okay but do check with your team. It’s pretty hard to track the protein content though so it may be best not to rely on them.

They’re all different. I saw mine at two weeks, a month, two months then 3 months. Not long after I reached goal (6 months) I transitioned to his colleague for my follow ups & had three monthly appointments. At my three year mark it became 6 monthly. In my fifth year now & it’s still twice a year. I have the feeling it may end this year though. My program of visits seems to be quite unusual though. It’s a good idea to find someone to continue to monitor your progress close to your new home (& to find a good dietician). I agree with getting a referral too which will help open the door to the new doctor. Hope your move goes smoothly.

You need to check with your team. My surgeon gave me the go ahead after two months because I take them so rarely but he still gave me strict restrictions: half dose (so 1 tablet at a time) & not two or more days in a row. I may take them 5 or so times a year. Thankfully, I don’t experience regular pain just an odd headache or if my back goes out but pain meds like Tylenol do nothing so I was pleased when I was given the okay.

I find I just get tired of certain foods especially if I was eating them regularly. Though I think laziness is why I don’t make omelettes as often - too much slicing & chopping + whisking. (All those veges I add.) My tummy still turns a bit if I see ‘unhealthy’ food which is a blessing I hope never ends. Was at a state club gymnastic comp yesterday (for one of my 10yr old nieces). I’d been at the venue before & knew there’d be little food good or bad so I bought my own. However this time there were several food trucks. Everyone was eating cinnamon donuts, fish & chips & pizza off their laps around me. Didn’t appeal at all. Even the smell was a little off putting. I was happily nibbling on my savoury egg muffins, beef jerky & macadamia nuts. (Did have a couple of my 5yr old nephew’s blueberries - he never shares them but he loves me best. ?) Made me think that venues with large crowds sitting closely together eating must be a nightmare for anyone, young or old, with severe allergies.

It’s very difficult to stretch your tummy out to point it doesn’t contract to it’s smaller size. You’d need to consistently over eat for a long period of time. Not sure when you had your surgery, but it takes a while for all the nerves that were cut during surgery to heal & for messages about having eaten too much to get through. You often won’t feel your restriction either until you are eating solid food. It’s why sticking to your portion size recommendations is essential. Also try not to eat until you are full or feel the restriction. It takes time for the message that you are full to get through to your brain. By the time you get the message you have eaten to the point of being much more than full. Plus full signals are often different to what the were. Some sneeze, some find their nose runs, etc. I still ask myself do I need the next bite or just want it. Never be afraid to put your cutlery down, push away from the table & take a break to wait for the messages to get through to see if you are still really hungry & need another bite. if your surgery was recent & you are still on the staged return to eating solid food restricted diet than the risk of damaging your tummy or hindering your recovery is high. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together (about 12 inches of them). You may have got away with it this time but do you want to push your luck?

Hair loss usually lasts 3-4 months. You just have to ride it out until your accelerated hair loss cycle reverts to its usual rate. Those who spend money taking extra supplements using special shampoos, etc. find their accelerated hair loss slows at about 3 or 4 months so I say save your money. Your new hair is still growing just at its usual rate. Many of us cut our hair shorter if it was long so the new growth will reach your shorter length more quickly. And shorter hair is usually bouncier so can look thicker. May be get in contact with your dietician to review your food choices & suggest healthier alternatives because based on what you’ve said it seems you are eating too much & not making the best choices. Your dietician will also be able to advise on caloric goals that you need (we have different needs & are often given different goals), number of snacks each day & recommendations for intake of other macros (fats, carbs, sugars, etc.) & food groups. You just need to start implementing those better habits & routines. Start by making one or two changes & then next week make another change or two. Always easier to adapt to a couple of changes at a time than a total dramatic overhaul that can be too confronting & difficult to manage & stick to. A couple of tips. Avoid popcorn. It is a slider food & goes through you very quickly so it’s easy to eat too much. Usually rice, pasta, breads & bread alternatives (bagels, wraps, tortillas, etc.) are off the menu. They are considered high processed, nutrient poor simple carbs. They are too filling in your tiny tummy reducing your ability to eat more essential nutrient dense foods like your protein.h Get rid of the junk food out of your house so you won’t be tempted. If you have family, store their snacks in a separate area. Try not to skip your three meals - it only slows your metabolism. I eat later in the day because it works for me: breakfast at about 9am, snack at about 1pm, lunch at about 4, dinner at about 6pm.

You know one day in the not to distant future you’ll look back & wish you still weren’t interested in eating & weren’t hungry. Because when your appetite & real hunger comes back is when the battle truely begins. This is only for a few weeks, not forever. And it is in place to protect your healing tummy (about 12inches of sutures & staples holding it together) & support your recovery. Yes it can be difficult to find things to eat that your tummy will tolerate or taste okay. It can be a lot of trial & error. I tossed a few meals out before I found foods I could eat & enjoy. And don’t avoid foods you are allowed to eat because you didn’t like them before. Often with the temporary change to our taste buds &/or smell, foods we never liked suddenly are super tasty & vice versa. Wanting meat or any other specific foods, flavour or texture is head hunger not real hunger. It will be being driven by your emotions at the moment and you are craving certain foods etc. to comfort yourself. Look for other things to comfort or distract you. Go for a walk, ring a friend or family member, craft, watch your favourite movie or tv show or re read your favourite book, garden, have a warm/hot drink, cuddle with your loved one (children, partner or pet), etc. You’ll get through this.

Having surgery doesn’t mean you can’t manage your eating & drinking or it will be too hard to do. It’s more that it may be different to how you used to do things & you just need to establish new routines & habits. A lot of our old habits did us no favours anyway so they are no loss. Vitamins morning & night. Many people take a packed lunch to work. Pack your meals & snacks in a small ice bag & take it with you from vehicle to vehicle. Make sure you always have your fluids with you & sip, sip, sip. Pop everything you may need in a back pack or similar so it’s easy to grab & go. Be organised & allow for the unexpected. My family are on the land too & always take a large water bottle, a thermos of hot water & a packed lunch &/or snacks with them if they aren’t going to be near home. They haven’t had surgery but it’s their routine so it’s not impossible to do. Benefits of the surgery (loss of appetite, the staged return to eating, possible temporary changes to taste &/or smell, boosted metabolism) give you time to evaluate your old eating habits & try new more nutritious foods & cooking methods. Remember also the most restricted eating period after surgery is only usually about 6 weeks not forever. Therapy can also be very beneficial too. Helping you understand your relationship with food, what was behind your eating habits, cravings, etc. Doing the head work is essential. And sometimes realising something as serious as surgery is your only option to improve your health & life is the best motivation to make changes.

First rule of weight loss: don’t compare yourself to anyone else. We’re all too different: age, starting weight, medical status, weight loss & gain history, mobility, gender, genetics, … As everyone has said you’re pretty much on track. We lose our weight at the rate that’s best for us & it has no impact on whether we lose our weight or not. It just may take longer if you are are slower loser & there’s nothing wrong with that. Stick to your plan, make the best choices you can & you’ll lose weight. All the best.

I find I can have a little sip or two of water after an attack but I am a lot further out. You can try & see how you go at the moment @Cheesekitty7. Some people do struggle with eggs in the beginning but it usually passes so that could have been the cause of yours - just your tummy saying nope. I find the foamies can be delayed and can occur 15+ minutes after I’ve eaten or drunk too @brandiwine. Don’t know why. I’ve always put it down to just me. What is it with scrambled eggs at the moment?? They set me off last week too & I’ve never had trouble with eggs. Just my quirky tummy keeping me on my toes.

Protein water is another option too. Watch the protein bars as many are just glorified candy.

It can happen though it’s usually just a temporary sensitivity. Try some lactose free or plant based products instead. So many to choose from these days. PS - Lactose free skim milk can taste very sweet so if you are sensitive to sweet at the moment just use the full fat/cream version. The fat content isn’t that much & shouldn’t have much impact on your total fat content for the day … unless you’re drinking gallons.

I stopped shakes from purée which was always my intention & they tasted awful. My surgeon & dietician were also a bit freer with hitting protein goals at first - as long as I was close & making an effort to get closer they were happy. But it is hard when you are eating so little. To help with my protein I found a high protein yoghurt (20g) & yoghurt drink (30g & which counted as a fluid too). I had them in the afternoon & ate/drank them over an hour or so. (You can make your own yoghurt drink by blending your yogurt with milk.) I also often ate meals that were protein only some of which was because once I ate my protein I couldn’t eat anything else. I also made my scrambled eggs with milk & made them runnier & the same with rolled oats (made on milk & extra runny).

Another case of I’m glad I didn’t get rid of these shoes or boots this time. Bought these about 10years ago back when I was in my old usual weight range (before my menopause weight gain). I kept them because they were so lovely even though I thought they were too big at 38.5 (now a 37.5-38) & them being wide around the calf. I decided to put them on yesterday for the hell of it & they fit. A little big but thick socks helped then I remembered they did run a little small. Yes, I can put my hands down the sides but putting them over pants helped. Wore them today & two people stopped me to tell me how much they loved them. One was disappointed when I said they were about 10yrs old as she was going to ask where I bought them to get herself a pair.

Drying out food?? Do they say you can’t eat steak because you may cook it to well done & dry it out that way?? Or overcook & dry out chicken or pork or any other meat in a pan or oven or grill??? I cover food I’m zapping with cling wrap which sort of steams it. (There are silicon reusable covers available if you prefer.) No dried out food. Also tend to under reheat first then add another few seconds as needed. When cooking vegetables I include a couple of teaspoons of water. I couldn’t survive without my microwave.

Stalls are very common & you can have several of them while you are losing. When they occur & how long they last can be quite different though yes the first tends to occur around week three & the usually last 1-3 weeks. It’s the time your buddy uses to reset your digestive hormones & enzymes, metabolic rate, etc in response to your weight loss & new needs. Your stomach is a muscle that stretches & contracts but it will take years of overeating to stretch it out to where it doesn’t contract as effectively & is larger. As for portion sizes, it’s best to check with your dietician for their recommendations for your needs. Some people are given caloric goals as well as goals for all macros. I was only given protein & fluid goals & told 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup by about 6 months (my goal weight). The majority of that portion should be protein. I was only eating a bare 900 calories at 6 months but many are advised to eat more than that from months 2 or 3. You’ll discover your own portion sizes too i.e. the portion your tummy will tolerate of specific foods at a sitting. Some foods sit more heavily in your tummy or take longer to digest & are more filling so you’ll eat less of them. Some are digested more quickly so unless you are aware of your portion it can be easy to eat more than you need.

I’m sorry you are feeling this way. You are not alone in feeling emotional & having regrets. The surgery & weight loss stirs up your hormones & spin out your emotions. Plus you can’t eat, which is what you likely turned to whenever you were feeling emotional, stressed, etc. in the past. So many of us used food as a comfort & to soothe us. A lot of the hunger you are probably feeling is head hunger not real hunger. Hungry for emotional reasons, hungry out of habit (meal time, snack time, what you’re doing), hungry to eat because others are, etc. You may find a therapist helpful as you work through these early stages (because it does get better & easier). Many find the support of a therapist helpful as they work through the relationship with food, why they ate, habits around eating, etc. Please, please stick to your plan. There are about 12inches of sutures & stables holding your tummy together. The staged return to eating is to protect your tummy while it is healing, and ensure your recovery goes smoothly. I know you have eaten off plan already but you just may have been lucky so far. It’s only for a few weeks. You can do this. Look at your children & think about why you chose to have the surgery.

That’s a new one on me too. Do any explain why. I’m curious as to their reasons. But maybe ask your surgeon what they think, then go with their advice. I use my microwave everyday & always have. No problems. Mind you I don’t stand in front if it waiting for it to stop cooking.

The ECG is the easiest test. I swear it took longer for me to get undressed than it took for them to place the electrodes & the actual test took seconds. Unless they pick something up in your results or if there’s something in your medical history or your age, you likely won’t need further testing.

Itching, rashes, etc. aren’t very common. Nothing to do with having a c section or not. Unless you’ve had surgery recently you may not know if you are allergic to the adhesives, anti bacterial washes, etc. they use now. If your skin tends to be more sensitive you may be more susceptible. Glad you found out what caused yours @Dknapp. As you’re susceptible to these types of infections, I wonder if the stress of the surgery on your body set it off. It’s funny how our body reacts to certain things. Every year I get a single red spot about the size of a finger nail on my upper chest (usually in about they same place). It’s not dry or itchy just looks like it should be. It lasts about a month or so & then vanishes until it reappears the next year. Weird alright.

I hear you about finding the right fit in bras @ms.sss. I actually asked about prosthetics for the upper breast today at a department store (David Jones actually - it’s about the only place that still do bra fittings). I had googled the other day without luck. But the answer was simply no they don’t. Prosthetics for after mastectomies, chicken fillets to boost the bust but nothing for empty upper breasts. Was told that many mothers who breast fed have the same problem so not just after weight loss. Sounds like a great business idea. But I claim percentage ownership if anyone here does it. Have you considered getting the bras tailored? I did that with a strapless bra years ago to tighten the band. (To get the cup to fit I had to go up in band size.) They also suggested I may have to do after my weight loss if I dropped down to an 8 band size - they don’t make them. But thankfully when my weight & remaining fat settled, the 10 was fine.