Arabesque

There’s a world of difference between supportive comments & intrusive or critical ones. I’ve never quite understood how some people think it’s ok to comment on your weight & tell you what they think you should weigh or should do. And do you find they tend to do it when there’s an audience? 🤷🏻‍♀️ The reverse was, I also was a little bemused by people who didn’t comment at all. I mean I was almost half the size I had been. But then I realised they were the ones who felt my weight was a personal thing & it wasn’t their place to comment or they saw me for who I was not what I weighed. Consequently I began to respect those people more. After my weight settled, I noticed those ‘well meaning’ acquaintances who repeatedly told me I was too thin weren’t saying anything at all. I think it just took them time to readjust how they saw me. Hopefully this will happen for you too. PS - love a bit of sarcastic humour: lighter than air, baby weight. 😂😂😂 That should have made them rethink their desire to comment.

Hello @Sophie7713 so lovely to see you. That is one scrumptious looking hot dog & as for Mr Sophie’s pie - delicious. Are you serving it with cream, ice cream or creme anglaise? Love your shirt (or is it a shirt dress?) too - is it fagotting? (Do people know what that is anymore? 😂)

I was very badly swollen for the first few days & hardly drank anything either. And don’t get me started on trying to swallow the pain meds - ugh! I spent the first two days in hospital carrying a sick bag because I was constantly spitting up saliva. Silly thing was I sort of felt ok just pain on swallowing & the saliva. On day three my back went to spasm from the tension I was apparently holding in my body. By day four it improved dramatically. Didn’t even need pain meds. The swelling reduced, the tension reduced & I wasn’t bringing up saliva. It will get better. Just take it slowly. As I said warm drinks were easier to sip - warm water, green or herbal teas, soups, were easier to sip & more soothing. I’m glad you’re going to get some iv fluids. Good luck.

There’s lots of different pre surgical plans. I had about 2.5 weeks keto. My friend had four weeks of two shakes & one small protein & vegetable meal per day. Another friend had two weeks shakes only. The first week is always the hardest - my surgeon called it hell week. I’m secretly pleased I had keto but I’ve done those shake diets several times in the past for a couple of months each time. Once past that first week of cravings, headaches, etc. you’ll be ok.

I taught year 6 many years ago & I would have definitely needed more than a week recovery before returning to the classroom. I tend to take longer to get over things & I struggled to return to a desk job at week 4: low blood pressure, low energy & often got doughy in the head as the day progressed. A friend returned to work after two weeks & was fine, another extended her two week leave to three weeks. We all heal differently so take how you tend to recover into consideration. Remember you will be limited on how much you can lift too for the first month. I was restricted to carrying less than 5kg - 10lbs. Can understand why you don’t want to delay your surgery further though.

Could be your tummy healing too. Some surgeons use an internal tethering stitch which could be pulling when you’re active. Constipation can cause discomfort & intestinal spasms as well. But as @Creekimp13 suggested, contact your medical team to be sure.

Aaah the foamies. Better than a full out vomit but still unpleasant. Our tummies can be pretty fussy to begin & you may find you can eat something without issue one day but the next no way. Give that food a break & try it again in a couple of weeks. Eating slowly is really important. I still eat slowly: 30 - 60 minutes for a meal depending upon what it is. What I found helped was putting down my cutlery between bites & sitting back from the table. I also asked myself if I needed (not wanted) that next bite to help ensure I didn’t overeat. I still do these things. I also find dry foods cause issues like the foamies or a gagging choking thing so I try to ensure my meals are moist or have some sort of sauce or gravy with them. I tend to steam my vegetables so they add moisture too. If you like chicken, try the more tender (& flavoursome) thigh meat & not breast which is drier & more coarse in texture. We all have these quirky or strange things that happen to let us know we’ve eaten too much, too quickly, something our tummies don’t like, etc. It will take a little time to work out your signals & then modify what & how you eat accordingly. Good luck.

I think the hike & the bugs were worth it for that fabulous pxt @GreenTealael. You look gorgeous & such a beautiful location too. Gotta love a fluttery sleeve @BayougirlMrsS. So pretty. And red too. Perfect with your colouring.

Pug butt - hilarious @Czarrina. The bony ass pain does reduce in time. Doesn’t go away but I find mine has definitely reduced in intensity. I still have to do that twist & sit on my hip thing to alleviate the pain but not as often.

I think that show does influence people’s perceptions too. You’re not going to lose at the same rate as people who are two or three times your starting weight. If you do watch that program (& I do) you’ll notice the weight they’re expected to lose each month decreases as they lose once they get down to 400lbs & less. This surgery isn’t a miracle cure. You’re not going to lose all your weight in a couple of months. Consider how long it took you to get to your staring weight in the first place. Yes, to begin the weight loss is quite large in comparison to your previous weight loss rates & it’s motivating & exciting but it will slow down to a 2 pounds +/- a week which is generally considered a normal healthy rate. Men tend to lose more quickly then women @Mnevins, unfair but true, so don’t be discouraged & compare your weight loss to your husband’s. You are playing on two distinctly different fields - height, starting weight, gender, genetics, age, … all influence the rate at which we lose. We share a surgery anniversary & are similar heights & staring weights - I’m just two years ahead of you. I lost about 10kgs (22lbs) in the same period so you could say you did better then me. But my surgeon was very happy with my rate & as I said earlier my rate was considered pretty common.

There are a few maxims you can depend upon on this journey. There’s no right or wrong rate of weight loss. Some people are fast losers & some are slow losers. The more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning. Muscle weighs more than fat. The closer to goal, the slower you’ll lose. You may stall multiple times as you’re losing. It’s not a race. I lost 31kg in 6 months - that’s 68lbs - sound familiar. And I wouldn’t be considered a slow loser. Of course, I don’t know where you started but I think you need to reassess how well you’re really doing. You are doing the right things. It will happen. Remember, every pound you lose is a win. Celebrate each one’s passing.

Oh, yeah. The tale of the missing ass. Have you experienced bony ass pain yet? It’s awful. I don’t really have a butt anymore though some of it (the empty loose skin part) droops down the back of my thighs. But as my remaining fat has redistributed (it does start to happen when you’re a few months into maintenance) I think my butt got a little bigger & my bony ass pain isn’t as bad. You could always add some of those exercises to boost your glutes.

Most pre & post surgery diets recommend you avoid juices. For example it can take three or more oranges to get a cup of juice but you wouldn’t eat three or more oranges in one go even though there’s way more nutrients in the whole orange than the juice alone. A cup of orange juice contains 21g of sugar (daily recommended intake for everyone is 24g). It contains about 111 calories - that’s a lot of the total calories you’re consuming at this stage. Remember most of your calories should be from protein. A cup of orange juice has about 2g protein - you should be working at consuming 60+g. Thank you brother for his generosity but tell him it’s best you rely on water, shakes, soups, etc. for your liquids & nutrients.

I agree with @kristieshannonsuggestion of contacting your dietician to develop a healthy eating plan. How many calories a day are you eating? What’s your activity like? How tall are you? What body type are you? I have a smaller frame, am 5’3” tall, not overly active & weigh about 106lbs. I’m happy with my weight & how my body looks. I’m slim but not bony (can feel my bones but they don’t protrude). But that’s me. We’re all different & we have to find the weight we feel happy at. To maintain my weight I added additional whole & multi grain carbs like @Jaelzion & more fruit & vegetables. (I would have added seeds & nuts but they make me windy 😁.) I eat three meals a day & snack 4 or 5 times. This allowed me to increase my calories to a point I maintain while still ensuring all I eat has nutritional value. I still takes ages to eat but it does allow me to eat a slightly larger portion size (3-4oz protein & more vegetables) & therefore a few more calories.

Try not leaving such a long time between eating & taking your antibiotics. Try swallowing them with milk, yoghurt or protein shake if you’re waiting to take them so you’re not drinking water 30 mins after you eat. Antibiotics taken on an empty tummy can make anyone nauseous even non bariatric patients. Though our tummies can be fussy & sensitive. Give your medical team a call if the prescriptions aren’t working or causing you more distress. You can’t keep vomiting multiple times a day.

You gotta just keep driving. Some days it is much harder though. Unfortunately, the cravings do remain you just learn better ways to manage them or discover healthier alternatives. During the losing phase, you can reduce their power too. There’s a absolutely delicious patisserie where I shop. Every time I was there to buy groceries I had to tell myself to just keep walking. The desire to go in is no where near as strong now & it’s pretty easy to ignore it & walk past. Maybe in the future when you’re in maintenance you can include the odd treat from a fast food place like @Creekimp13 does. You’ll work out what you can eat & what is better for you to avoid. There’s no right or wrong as long as it works for you. Good luck.

Always contact your medical team if you’re experiencing pain or unusual symptoms. You’ve had a pretty major surgery. It could be something as simple as healing symptoms (I was getting uncomfortable spasms & twinges as I was healing from my gall surgery). It could be that your drinking a little too quickly. But definitely give your team a call to be sure.

Sausages & meat patties. Easy bbq meats that are soft & you don’t need to eat them with bread rolls. I still have trouble with char grilled meats & vegetables even at 25 months out because of the dryness of the char so tread carefully. Grilled prawns should be ok or fish in foil cooked over flames. Just keep to soft, moist foods & you’ll be fine. Enjoy your time with your family.

Even though we talk about the three week stall it can happen before or after that time. It could be what you’re experiencing. It’s just your body playing catch up with all the changes. You will start to lose again. Does the nausea happen more at certain times or with certain foods? Multivitamin made me sick & I’d often be nauseous, get the foamies or vomit a little most mornings. Your tummy can be pretty sensitive & fussy to begin. I avoided any foods that didn’t sit well with me. But I found that if I waited a couple of weeks, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Definitely speak with your team about a caloric range especially if it will make you feel more secure with what you’re doing. The whole process can be pretty stressful as it is. I was only given portion size, number of meals per day (1/4 cup three times a day to begin from the purée stage) & of course protein & fluid goals. Once you begin eating more solid foods & heal that little more your feel full sense will kick in as will your restriction if you eat too much. Plans are different as @Creekimp13 said and yours may have to be modified to suit your needs as you progress. I wouldn’t have succeeded on @Creekimp13’s plan - lol. I was eating less than 300 calories to begin & increased to about 700 for most of the weight loss period. I only eat about 1200 calories a day now in maintenance but I’m short & not out there running marathons or lifting weights at a gym 😁. Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

That’s getting a bit too close to nature @Sophie7713. Though I’d be in for the alligator skin accessories. Do the authorities remove the alligators from residential areas or are they allowed to roam freely? No bikini shots from me, ladies. Can’t compete with @WishMeSmaller’s legs or @ms.sss’s glamour shots. 😁 Congrats on your skydiving adventure @BayougirlMrsS. So brave. Another goal achieved!

There could be many reasons why your experiencing this & I hope they discover your cause soon & there’s a simple remedy. Out of curiosity did the nausea start when you moved to the purée stage? You may not be ready for denser food yet & may need to stay on liquids for a little longer. Did it start when you commenced your multi vitamins? They used to make me nauseous & I often threw up. Have you contacted your surgeon? I’d give them a call. As @catwoman7 said increased liver enzymes while losing weight is not unusual. My liver function was off & cholesterol levels rose & my doctors were concerned too. It all went back to my usual levels when I stopped losing. A lot of hormones, enzymes, etc are stored in your fat & as you lose weight they’re released into your blood stream causing the elevated levels. But it’s always better to have these things checked to ensure everything is really ok. Good luck.

You likely still have some swelling from the surgery which is contributing to the discomfort you’re feeling. You’re doing the right thing & you’ll find you’ll be able to drink more easily. Don’t forget your soups (& shakes) contribute to your daily fluid intake. I found warm water or tea (herbal or green) more soothing & easier to sip. Try an electrolyte drink to give you a boost of energy. I drank about 500mls of hydralyte most days. Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

Remember how we used to look longingly at knee high boots knowing if we tried them on it would be a struggle to do the zip up over our calves? Well, now I look longingly at knee high boots knowing if I try them on they will be so big around my calves I can put my hands down the sides. Until today! I found a pair of stretch faux suede knee high boots that actually fit. Whoo hoo! Doing happy dance.

I’m 25 months post my sleeve. I was almost 54 when I had my surgery and I’m so glad I did. I had a friend who’d had sleeve surgery & I did a lot of reading before seeing my surgeon so generally I felt pretty prepared. But because we’re different, there will be differences in our experience too. You just never know how your body will respond after surgery to the change. For example my occasional blood pressure drops have become something that occurs every day - annoying but manageable. The parasite that hid out in my tummy (multiple antibiotics over years couldn’t kill it) was cut out with the bulk of my tummy & now I’m not sensitive to lactose anymore - unexpected win! As @Creekimp13 said the surgery will give you a tool to aid weight loss by reducing your tummy but it doesn’t do anything for what drives us to eat. That’s the work you have to do. Many do the head work with the help of a therapist, short or long term, others do it alone. It’s an essential component to the success of your surgery because the things that drove you to eat will always be there. You just have to learn & develop strategies to manage those drives. The surgery doesn’t educate us on how to eat better & in a healthier way either. Keep in touch with your dietician while you lose & maintain. I also did a lot of reading, ignored all the fad diet stuff & worked out how I wanted to eat long term to maintain my weight loss & still enjoy my life without feeling I’m missing out. What drove us to eat & bad eating habits & food choices are the reason why we always regained after we lost in the past. I don’t know what the further will bring. None of us do. Life can throw a heap of sh*t at us sometimes. But I do know I’m going to try to keep working at this every day.