Arabesque

Oh my gracious no beef or pork for a year??? I would have been struggling. I eat them a lot. I wonder what the reason is?? What about trying some plant based protein options. Besides beans what about vegetarian meat substitutes? This may be a good opportunity to broaden your food preferences as your taste buds can be a bit off. Things you didn’t like before may be more palatable & you may find you enjoy them more now. Worth a shot.

What a great video. Thank you for sharing it @acopas. Watching it reminded me to ask if you take body measurements @SleeveDiva2022? Some people notice their physical measurements decrease while in a stall even though the scale doesn’t change.

Look at your tomato babies @Starwarsandcupcakes. Can’t wait to see them all rosy red. Lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the Brisbane River today with some girlfriends. Edamame with nori & under the crispy crust were 8 pork gyoza. I ate 5 but the last one was groan. (Too many edamame I fear.) The crust is formed by pan frying the gyoza in the teriyaki style sauce. Very yummy. The left over edamame I took home. Afternoon snack??

Jealous of the holiday snaps @kristieshannon & @ms.sss. Had lunch with my girlfriends today. Sunny but cold day. I was sitting under the outdoor heater & it was so hit like constant hot flushes. ☹️ Wore the colourful skirt & cardigan I bought a few weeks back & dug out some boots from 15 odd years ago. Pretty good colour match but I don’t know how I wore heels this high all the time then.

I’m sorry you read my post in a way that offended you @Sunshine Princess . That wasn’t my intention at all. It was simply sharing an interesting fact I’d recently stumbled across & that it’s an interesting example of the power of advertising. And, regardless of the fact 10 000 steps started as a marketing plan, I think it’s a good motivator. Again, as I said in my post, congratulations on your achievement.

Aah, carbs. You’ll get a lot of contradictory info on them. Some plans are pro carbs, others anti carbs & some advise a balance. Mine was low carbs & lower starch. I was allowed rolled oats (a low processed whole grain) & incidental carbs from foods like vegetables & fruit while losing. In maintenance I could add additional whole or multi grains (I added multi grain crackers). I still don’t eat rice, pasta or bread (or potatoes) mainly because they sit heavily in my tummy. All good because I’ve discovered I’m better on lower carbs & low starch. Good advice is always eat your protein first, then vegetables then carbs & fruit. Though a fruit, plantains are higher in carbs than other fruits & are starchy. Having some as an occasional treat is likely ok but regularly not so much while still losing. Worth considering your carb/starch intake but as I suggested in your other post, have a chat with your dietician. They should know best for you & your needs.

Yep, the closer you are to your goal the slower your rate of loss & yes, it can get so slow you think you’re not losing at all. You’re eating more, which you should be, and eating nearer the calories your body needs to function. Generally the first year is the honeymoon time when most weight if not all your weight is lost. Unfortunately, not everyone reaches their goal. It depends upon many factors including where your set point has reset to after your surgery. This is the weight your body is happiest at. If it is a long stall, sometimes a small tweak to your diet or activity can help. Do you still have appointments with your dietician? They may be able to make suggestions on what you could adjust & they’ll be best able to advise on an appropriate caloric goal for you. But consuming 950-1250 should still result in weight loss. I’m one of those unusual people who kept losing weight well into their 2nd year. I reached goal at 6 months & continued to lose, albeit extremely slowly, for another 11 months. I struggled to get to the 1300 or so calories I found I needed to stop me losing. BUT I’m not very active, am short & more finely built & in the downward slide end of 50. I eat a few more calories now. Many eat a lot more than I do to maintain at their weight. PS - Are you able to update your profile information on the left side? It can be very helpful if others can see that information about you.

As @catwoman7 said dumping is very uncommon in sleeve patients. If you avoid sugary, greasy/fatty, or rich foods you’ll reduce your chance even further. But on your diet you wouldn't be eating these types of foods anyway so you have even less chance of experiencing dumping. Yes, your tummy can be sensitive & fussy for a little while after surgery and certain foods can upset you but it’s pretty minor & passes quickly & nothing extreme like dumping (nausea, cold sweats, rapid heart rate, diarrhoea &/or vomiting, very tired, hours to recover). Often it’s just it tastes awful. Start with plainer, simpler foods & don’t be surprised if you can eat something today but tomorrow you can’t. It is temporary. You may experience the foamies at some point which usually occurs from eating too much or too quickly or eating foods that are too coarse/dry. You’ll feel like something is stuck. Produce a thicker saliva & may regurgitate what was too much for you. I also cough. No cold sweats, no heart palpitations, no nausea, no diarrhoea, no vomiting. Foamies pass very quickly too. The longer you take to start incorporating a variety of foods into your diet the harder it will become. Plus you may be missing out on essential nutrients.

Could be something you’re eating too like the lactose in your shakes/protein powder. (If you’re not digesting lactose well post surgery - not uncommon.) But definitely contact your medical team.

Haven’t heard of anyone developing a seafood or shell fish allergy post surgery but developing an allergy or intolerance is not uncommon. Lactose, certain artificial sweeteners, eggs, etc. tend to be the usual culprits. It may also be temporary too as many are. Wonder if it’s linked to a changed in your general gut health??

Yeah, shakes & protein powders are the worst. I’m presuming you’ve started soft foods given your diet. Minced meats are a good option cause they cook up soft & are easy to eat (well I found them very easy). 4ozs beef, pork, chicken, etc. mince will provide about 25-30g of protein. Throw in your favourite herbs & spices, sauces or gravies to keep it moist. You can also add some vegetables (cook it all up slowly so they’re very soft) but this will lower the protein content so be careful. Soft flaked fish will also provide about 25g. Find a good high protein yoghurt too.

It seems it may be related to an excess of all vitamins not just B12 . A lot of foods are fortified with vitamins to supposedly improve people’s health. Everyone eats more, but generally eats poorly then they take vitamins to make them ‘healthier’. I’d question whether the weight gain is from too many vitamins or too much poor food or both. Apparently though, having a B12 deficiency may lead to weight gain. As I said in my earlier post, if your bloods show you are lacking in a specific vitamin or mineral, a supplement is a solution (as is modifying your diet to include good natural sources of the lacking vitamin/s). But if you have ample, you don’t need it. Two articles I found you may want to read: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-deficiency-and-weight-gain#deficiency https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932423/

These are the worst garlic prawns ever. Bleack!!! (Not your prawns @kris77, they look delicious.) I usually buy cooked prawns & make a salad but due to poor supplies I have bought garlic raw prawns a couple of time. This week my only choice was this grocery store brand prawns. They were dry, tough & tasteless except for a synthetic chemical taste which I think was from the anti clumping agent they used. They also weigh 30g less than the name brand ones I had bought. You’re so lucky not to have these in your supermarkets. I’m going back to making my own garlic ones from raw prawns or just buying plain cooked ones. I’d bought two packs so these are going in the bin with the ones I prepped yesterday.

Did you know 10 000 was a marketing ploy? Yep the power of advertising. I was fascinated when I read a Japanese company developed a step counter around the time of the Tokyo Olympics in the 60s. The name of the step counter literally meant 10 000 steps & a marketing campaign was born. Scientific evidence has shown that 7000 steps provides as much benefit as 10 000. Regardless, I guess it’s still a good motivator. Congrats on hitting your target. https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/where-did-10000-steps-come-from

If your high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high sugar levels were caused by your weight gain & food choices (the higher your weight the higher the levels rose) then yes, if you lose weight after the surgery, change your eating habits & maintain the loss & changes, the symptoms should not return to their previous high levels or will at least maintain at a lower, healthier point. If these issues have a genetic predisposition (occur in your family & are not weight related), they will always be something you have to watch. E.g. type 1 diabetes is genetic which you can manage but can’t change but type 2 is caused by lifestyle choices like obesity which you can do something about. After my surgery my cholesterol went from borderline high to the low end of the healthy range. My blood pressure was normal before surgery & now it’s low all the time. (Didn’t have sugar issues before but I know I have further reduced my risk for diabetes greatly. But talk to your surgeon & doctor for the best information especially as your medication contributed to your weight gain.

Oestrogen is stored in your fat & as you lose weight, the oestrogen is released into your blood stream & messes up your usual cycle: heavier, lighter, more or less frequent, more or fewer PMT symptoms. It may continue for a few months. Plus the stress of the surgery can throw things out of whack too so you)43 being hit from two directions. . PS - the extra oestrogen can make you extra fertile too so some surgeons recommend doubling up on contraception.

You’re not alone in this. Cravings are emotionally driven so you will need to identify the feelings, situation, etc. that are behind the craving. It’s not real hunger.Your body is not wanting food to function. Your head is wanting comfort. A lot of people gained weight over the past two years during the pandemic. People experienced more anxiety, fear, frustration, anger, boredom, etc. then ever before & they ate to comfort & soothe themselves. Were you referred to a therapist during your pre surgical process? If so, I’d reach out to them & ask for their help to support you to identify what’s really driving your cravings & discover ways to manage them. If you weren’t, ask your surgeon for a referral. All the best.

Are the sweet drinks diet? Just wondered if it’s a reaction to an artificial sweetener??? Wine is sweet naturally from the fructose in the grapes. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’d just drink wine all the time so you don’t get sick. 😉😁😁

Oh no. See this is why I don’t go to the gym (I’ll use any excuse not too😁). Wonder if you had a drop in your sugar - hypoglycaemia. My worst attacks come after I’ve been exercising (another reason I avoid it). Cold sweats, muscle weakness, feel like I’m going to vomit or have diarrhoea, tremors, light headed, etc. I try to remember to take an electrolyte drink with me not just plain water. I feel you. Worst attack I had was after a bush walk up a mountain ending at a coffee shop. Friend nabbed a table outside while I went in to order & I had an hypoglycaemic episode. I was bent over with my butt against the display cabinet to prop me up, covered in sweat, white as a ghost, shaking. Asked the girl at the counter for some juice. She pointed to a fridge that seemed a mile away. All the other customers had literally stepped way back & were all staring at me. I think they thought I had Covid & no one was willing to help. All the girl at the counter wanted was my money to pay for our order. 🙄 I dragged myself to the bathroom. Never going there again.

Make the blender your friend. Use gravy, broth, Mayo, etc. to keep the purée moist & easier to blend. Purées should be smooth & pretty sloppy - at the least dollop off a spoon like the texture of yoghurt. Take your time. The stages are there to support & not stress your healing tummy.

It is a big decision & many people question if they are doing the right thing. May be continue with the process a little longer as you will find out more information. Also do a lot of reading from reputable sources. (Lots of information here too of course.) I was lucky I had a friend who’d had the surgery a year earlier so she was a font of information & experience. Yes, the first couple of months after the surgery can be difficult. You are literally relearning how to eat. In fact the initial stages after the surgery when your diet is quite restricted to support your healing is much like how a baby is introduced to solid food: liquids, purées, soft food then solid. You’ll be working at breaking habits, cravings, addictions (sugar, salt,) & any emotional dependencies on food you’ve likely had for years or your entire life. But honestly, it does get much easier. You’ll never go back to eating exactly the same way as you did before but that is how you ended up with a weight problem. Many do eat some of their old favourites BUT they eat them rarely & in small portions. Or they eat healthier variations of the food. My sleeve doesn’t limit me or restrict me from doing anything I enjoy or want to do. All the best what ever you choose to do.

I just shredded cabbage & told myself it was noodles. Lol! Works for zucchini noodles. 😁😁😁 OMG I wish I’d thought of doing this when I was on purée stage. As a child I used to love eating those imitation crab sticks from the fish & chip shop at the beach. Battered & deep fried then of course. I think I’ll be coming round to yours @Sophie7713 for dinner. That salad & then the ham & butter bean soup yum.

Weren’t you advised you shouldn’t take NSAIDS any more? Because our tummy is so small now the side effects of NSAIDS, like ibuprofen, are exacerbated (like they’re concentrated in our tummy) putting you at a greater risk of ulcers, reflux, etc. I took NSAIDS before surgery for headaches, back pain, etc. as I found other over the counter pain relief didn’t work. My surgeon advised, after he removed my gall (25months after my sleeve surgery), I could take a NSAID very occasionally: one tablet & no more. I was not to take them every day nor take them regularly. Generally applying a gel/cream NSAID topically, directly to your skin, is okay as it does not go through your digestive system though I have heard of a surgeon even saying no to that. Have a chat with your surgeon.

Yeah, mine ended up halfway down the back of my thighs. Three years on & still not back though it is a little better shaped thanks to the slight redistribution/resettling of my remaining fat in my second year. If you are also experiencing bony ass syndrome, I can reassure you it does get a lot better eventually.

I had bruising for a little while in my second year I think. I am very fair & tend to bruise easily anyway but it seemed there was always another bruise & I wouldn’t know from where. They would take ages to disappear & were more yellow than purplish. I remember someone else here had the same issue & we posted pxts of our random bruises. My bloods were all fine so I was at a loss until I realised my body awareness was off & I was often bumping into things. Like I was always kicking my toe on my kitchen cupboard skirting board because my tummy wasn’t protruding & reaching the bench before the rest of me as a warning any more. Might sound crazy but once I started to be more aware of my body in relation to furniture, other people, hallways, doorways, etc, the bruising (& kicked toes) reduced a lot. Not saying this is what ‘s causing your bruises just something to consider. Damn oestrogen. My weight problems began with puberty (oestrogen feast) & then dramatically increased with the onset of menopause (oestrogen famine). I was put on a stronger HRT med at the end of last year & I put on weight. Only a small amount but it messed with my head for a while until I realised it was likely related to the extra oestrogen. (Benefit was my empty upper breasts have filled out a little so not as many pickets in my bras any more 😁.) And yes brain fog, mood swings (I got ‘feisty’ & more argumentative), poor sleeping habits, memory loss, muscle aches, etc. are all peri menopausal & menopausal symptoms. When you have your physical make sure the test your hormone levels.