Arabesque

It depends upon how much you want to lose. And everyone loses at their own rate - lots of factors influence this (age, gender, weight loss history, metabolic rate, activity, etc.). Generally you lose more quickly to begin & then slow as you get closer to goal. I took 6 months to lose the 31kgs (68lbs) to my goal. I lost an additional about 11kgs I over a year as I was trying to find my way in maintenance. You’ve lost 81lbs in your first 6 months that’s great. You’ll get to where you want to be. It’s not a race.

You look fantastic in that bikini @Kris77. Your legs look pretty darn good from what I can see in your pxt.

Happy birthday for Monday @STLoser. Hope your dream comes true soon. Book the ticket soon.

Well I’m beginning to think this outfit is jinxed. The two times I’ve been going to wear it the event has been cancelled due to COVID. First time was my birthday dinner two weeks ago. Second time is dinner tonight as we’re going into a three day lockdown from 4pm. 😥 Wonder what will happen if I decide to wear it again? Is a H&M buy. Spied the sequins as I was walking buy. What a wonderful time together @WishMeSmaller. And glorious weather too.

Nope not diabetic @johnm so that’s why it was never a consideration as a possible cause for either of us. Plus it happens so randomly. I hope they can help you manage your sugar levels. How long post surgery are you? Your taste buds can go a haywire for a while after surgery & I found protein shakes made my teeth revoltingly grainy - I was always having to brush my teeth. So if you’re not long post surgery that could be contributing to how things taste & feel for you. It does pass & get better.

The truth is the average weight loss at three to five years is about 65% of the weight you have to lose (that is the weight that puts you in the healthy BMI range - higher end if you are a larger frame, lower if you’ve a smaller frame). Your surgeon may have given you a goal weight of where you may end up at based on these averages. Better to under promise & over deliver thinking. Some medical teams discuss where you’d like to be. Mine did. Mine was based on the lowest weight I could always get down to before gaining again which was on the upper end of the BMI range (cause I thought I had a larger frame - turns out I don’t). It was deemed a reasonable, healthy & attainable goal based upon my history. I know many people poo poo BMI but look at it as a guide, not a hard & fast rule. Amend it based on your body type, frame, muscle mass, etc. Plus you know how your body works & functions best - it may be at a higher or lower weight. You know you functioned well at a lower weight when lifting so that may be somewhere for you to aim as against what your surgeon suggested. I’ve lost way more than my goal & have been working at maintaining it for about 10 months - so I’ve got a long way to go. Looking at my stats, you may expect me to be bony but I’m not. But that’s me. Someone with a different body shape & frame may be very bony at the same BMI. As long as the weight you reach is healthy & sustainable everything is great. The surgery will rest your basal metabolic rate & that will dictate how much weight you lose too. This video by Dr Matt Weiner may be helpful. He has a lot on this topic. Good luck.

It doesn’t seem like anywhere near enough but what do your dietician & surgeon say? Are you recording your food? What does your plan require & recommend? I was eating three meals a day from purées - small portions about 1/4 -1/3 cup. Each meal contained protein. The portion size slowly increased to less than a cup as I progressed adding more protein & vegetables & I added an afternoon & evening snack usually fruit & yogurt. I was focussed on developing good eating routines & incorporating a balanced diet & what would be sustainable in the long term to maintain my weight. I wasn’t really hungry or all that interested in food but I knew I had to eat. By about 5 or 6 months I was eating less than 900 calories I think. I stopped multi vitamins at 8 months with my surgeon’s approval as my blood work is as very good so I was getting all the nutrients I needed from what I was eating. I maintain at about 1200 calories (not tall, smallish frame, not very active & in my mid 50s), blood work is still good. Some people can eat more than others & some people’s plans require to eat more or less than others. I do believe you can only eat what you can eat at each meal but I’m concerned you are really only eating one meal & a snack a day. You’d be better off eating smaller portions more frequently through the day. Add a protein shake or yoghurt for more protein - you can’t be any where near meeting your daily protein goals - you can sip the shake & graze on the yoghurt for ages at work if you need. Are you eating slowly? I take 30 - 60 minutes to eat even now. If you don’t have a dietician, I’d ask your team for a recommendation & if you don’t track your food, I’d also start doing that too.

Perfectly fine to ask these questions more so if you’ve never had surgery before. I stayed a couple of days (back spasmed - existing condition). I too wore the same clothes to & from the hospital. I wore slightly stretch pull on pants, a loose over shirt & flat shoes. When I left I actually liked the gentle supportive pressure of the stretch pants on my incisions but could have folded the waist band down below my incisions if it was uncomfortable. I wore a bra after without issue. The upper central incision was below my bra band but yours may be a little higher. You’ll probably just have to try it & see how you go. Take a loose jacket just in case. I slept a lot too. I downloaded things to watch or read on my iPad but I couldn’t really concentrate so 5 minutes in I’d give up. I took my own toiletries including shower gel. Personally, I enjoyed changing from those gaping, flapping hospital gowns into my own pjs - felt so much more comfortable. (On my first ward walk I came upon a man still in his hospital gown. He was standing in the sun & believe me those gowns are extremely transparent & it was all hanging free 😂😂😂) I’m a bit of a just in case packer so I threw in extra pjs & knickers. Super glad I did because I experienced one of those unexpected, extremely sudden diarrhoea attacks. 😱 I used a small wheelie bag - you can’t carry anything heavy after surgery usually nothing more than about 10lbs. My bag was stored & taken to my room when I got to the surgical waiting room. The clothes I was wearing were put in a named paper bag when I changed into the hospital gown, non slip socks, anti clotting hose & those very sexy disposal knickers & also taken to my room. Good luck with your surgery.

My thought would be your old scale was out too. The old rotary type scales do become less accurate over time - dust, moisture, etc. But if you weigh 1.8lbs more now you likely weighed 1.8lbs when you began so you’ve still lost the same amount of weight. That’s still a win in my books. 🙂 You’ve done fantastically - congrats.

You can only eat what you can eat. Some days you’ll meet all your goals, the next you may not. That’s ok. As long as you work towards it every day. It does get easier as you heal. You’re all very early out. I don’t meet my protein or fluid goals every day now either but some days I exceed them. It averages out across the week. As to food, some things I grazed on for ages, some things I put in the fridge for later or froze or ate the next day. There were the odd things I tossed (like turkey, ricotta & cottage cheese - blah!) Honestly, I still do this. I love my microwave. Go through a lot of cling wrap & zip lock bags though. The people from Glad must love me LOL! Good luck.

We call it the three week stall but it can happen before or after that point. It’s just your body taking a breath & playing catch up. It’s been going through a lot - surgery, change of diet, reduced caloric intake, etc. You’ll likely experience other stalls too as you progress. Stick to your plan & you’ll start to lose again. It may take a week or 2 or 3 or so. But you will happen. I like Dr Weiner’s videos. Hope this one helps you. (The question is a little long but the answer is great.) Good luck.

Well, I’m glad we’re not the only ones but it mustn’t be very common & it’s still very weird. Neither my friend nor I ever experienced it before and it doesn’t happen often - go for weeks between episodes. I’ve taken esomeprazole for years though of course not as frequently as now but when I used to take it I took twice the dose I do now. I don’t think my friend takes it at all - will ask her. Apart from the esomeprazole, I only take HRT & again been doing so for years. Will look at getting some Biotine or similar to keep beside my bed. Bit wary about toothpastes at the moment cause I got a terrible ulcer sore thing on my tongue apparently from the sulphites in the charcoal toothpaste I was using. Owww! The acid thing is a worry too @catwoman7. I’m a twice a year dentist girl & got him to specifically look for any early acid damage my last visit. He found nothing & teeth & gums were very healthy - gold star. Hope it continues. 🤞🏻 Always appreciate your advice ladies. 😁

For me, I become light headed, vision narrows or I temporarily lose vision when my blood pressure is low. When my sugar drops I experience combinations of becoming weak, have cold sweats, vision narrows, blocked ear/s, sometimes think I need to vomit or have diarrhoea, my nose runs,… I’ve never fainted or collapsed but have come close. I had these things occasionally before my surgery but now my BP is low most of the time. I suffer from drops in my sugar randomly - usually if I’ve been exerting myself but on occasions for no reason. Sitting down, sipping water, a little juice, a cup of tea, a protein bar, some fruit all help. Yesterday after a bush walk everything crashed & foolishly I had forgotten my protein bar & had meant to add some electrolytes to my water. Thankfully we had just got to the cafe & I could sit down & have a cup of tea. Keep your fluids up, ensure you’re following your plan re food intake, calories &/or portion size requirements & meeting protein goals. Get some electrolyte drinks or add electrolyte powders to your water. Go slowly when getting up - stand & wait before moving. Does your local pharmacy offer blood pressure testing? May be easier to do that if your BP machine isn’t working & before you can see your doctor.

This happens to a lot of us. Your tummy is still healing & can be very sensitive for a while. Take your time & don’t be afraid to go slowly or take a step back for a couple of days as @NovaLuna suggested. Good luck.

It’s also to start to break some of your food cravings & get through the withdrawal side effects of stopping caffeine, sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. as required by your surgeon. You don’t want to be experiencing those side effects while you’re you’re managing post surgery effects. Good luck.

So fantastic. Congratulations.

You’re still healing. A lot of nerve endings were affected during surgery & they need time to heal too. The more liquid a food the less likely you’ll feel any sense of fullness as liquids pass through your digestive system more quickly. So it’s not until you get to soft foods or solid foods that you start to feel full. I ate about 1/4 -1/3 cup depending upon what I was eating. I was given serving sizes not calories or weights to follow. Took 3 days to eat a serve of rolled oats & the same to eat 2 scrambled eggs. Of course I could have a lot more if it was a liquid or soup but always ate/drank over a long time. In saying that, we’re all different & there are lots of different plans out there. As long as you’re not experiencing any discomfort & following your plan, you’ll be ok. Congrats on your surgery.

Low blood pressure & low blood sugars could be the culprit but definitely contact your medical team to be sure.

I was the same. I had farmer’s feet. Plus dry, itchy skin on my legs & little pimply type things on my arms. All gone. I think it’s the reduction of sugar in my diet. Your body produces various hormones to try to process excess sugar. These hormones can cause skin dryness, reduced elastin, acne, wrinkles & skin dullness. It’s why a lot of diabetics suffer from dry skin. Plus excess sugar causes inflammation which also can cause dryness, wrinkles, etc.

Aah, body dysmorphia. Yes, we all go through that in some form or another. That’s why this thread is so great - those pxts don’t lie & everyone is really supportive & gives honest feedback. I still get surprised when I see the reflection of a slim woman in a shop window & realise it’s me. One day I was sitting & trying on shoes. I glanced up & thought wow that woman has great legs. I looked up & around to see who she was & realised they were my legs in a mirror. It just takes time to recognise what you really look like now & accept it’s pretty darn good. Put on that dress & wear it proudly.

I had mine removed 2 months ago (just over 2yrs post surgery). It was my first ever attack. That pain is horrendous & I was soooo pleased the pain eased in 45 minutes. So sorry yours persisted. I actually lost 2 lbs after surgery (once I git rid of all the fluids they pumped me with) & I’m in maintenance. I lost some of my appetite (came back though ☹️) for that first month so I wouldn’t worry too much about not losing yet. Plus exercise accounts for less than 20% of the weight you have to lose so not being as active likely won’t have a great deal of impact on your weight loss in a month. You can always reduce your calories a little if you’re worried though. And any fitness you may lose will come back quickly too. Sorry about your holiday but better to have your gall removed then experience another painful attack. Hope your recovery goes well.

I second the suggestions to track your food for a while if you’re not & speak with your dietician. Because we are different heights, builds, ages, weight loss histories, etc., with different activity levels, we also have different caloric needs to lose or maintain. At 26 months, I physically can only eat about 1.5 eggs & eat about 1200 calories to maintain but that’s me & what I can & need to eat. If you can eat more or need to eat more for your body to function healthily that’s fine. My plan was portion sizes & protein & fluid goals with no calories goals. I was also no bread, rice or pasta & only small amounts of carbs from whole or multi grains. Protein first, then vegetables then fruit. I stopped shakes at week 3 & haven’t had one since. I got & get my protein from the food I eat. Are you really hungry? Are you eating what you need or what you want? Or out of habit, or because of cravings or emotions? Are you eating until you don’t need more or until you are full (there’s a difference)? I still reflect on these questions to focus on why I’m eating or why I’m hungry. Losing 53lbs in 4 months is a good amount of weight - congratulations. You may be in a longer stall while your body plays catch up. Or you may be in maintenance - your food intake equals the calories your body needs to function. Have much more weight do you want to lose?

Congrats on your weight loss. Woo hoo. Hiccups: Yes, I do but they are way less severe & pass much more quickly then they did before my surgery when my reflux would stir up or I’d have too many gin & tonics lol - the gas. Esomeprazole helps if they are bad. They happen now if I eat too fast, the food is a little dry or rich. Staggering: Your centre of gravity does change as you lose weight. You may even get lower or upper back pain as your body relearns how to stand & move about.(I had upper back pain for a while & I noticed I was slumping more until I got used to my changed body.) Do you have any light headedness &/or narrowed vision when you stagger as that could be some orthostatic low blood pressure. Wait a moment, hold onto something to ground you & it will pass as your BP stabilises again. New clothing: It can become rather expensive buying new clothes as you drop sizes but it does become a necessity when your clothes start to fall off. Try second hand, thrift or inexpensive stores just to buy a couple of essential pieces to get you through. I was pretty fortunate I had a few different sizes stored away so I pulled them out & enjoyed wearing them again.

There are several medications available which are more effective than nsaids to counteract migraines. My mum used to take a cocktail of nsaids & codeine just to take the edge off her migraines which would last for days. Now she takes one of these migraine meds & they don’t even manifest into a migraine. Speak to your doctor about which one would be best for you. The no caffeine is usually only short term. They often ask you to stop a couple of weeks before to get over the withdrawal & then continue for a couple of months (though this differs surgeon to surgeon) to protect your tummy post surgery. Like @Creekimp13, I’m allowed to have the odd nsaid now. It is a possibility for sleevers but it is only the odd one not regular doses. As you lose weight, some of the pressure will be taken off your knee & may alleviate some of the pain you experience before you can have your replacement surgery. Whether you can lose all the weight you need without weight loss surgery & can you keep it off is something you need to decide. You know yourself best & you know what you’ve been able to do in the past.

Thanks for sharing. I was curious as your height & starting weight & BMI are similar to mine were. Honestly, when I started my research the permanency of the surgery was a concern too but the more reading I did & self reflection I realised the permanency was what I probably needed. Not that I was really someone who binged, emotionally ate or craved food but I felt it was the only way to alter my dead slow metabolism & the hormonal influence on my weight gain/loss cycle. That was my thinking for my situation & it’s certainly worked so far. Good luck whatever surgery you choose. 😀