Arabesque

As you progress you will be able to eat more. And don’t worry, you won’t have stretched your tummy. It takes a lot of concentrated effort of eating large portions & over a long period of time to stretch your tummy. If you eat until you have had enough or until your restriction kicks in you’re fine. As you’re male & taller, you’re dietary requirements will be a different from mine. Plus I’m in maintenance. I do snack several times a day but when I was losing I snacked on yoghurt or cheese initially then added fruit. I alternated eggs with rolled oats for breakfast. I love rolled oats. Lots of fibre, a good carb, & if you make it on milk you boost the protein content. You could even add protein powder as well though I didn’t. I eat it with blueberries now - yum. I try to ensure everything I eat is of nutritional benefit to me & not empty calories. I eat multi/whole grains twice a day, fruit twice a day, vegetables 2 or three times, dairy 2 or 3 times, meat &/or seafood twice a day to reach 50-60g protein & eat <30g of fats (salad dressings are my weakness). Some serves are the recommended serving size but others are less it just depends. Some people find they have no issues eating a wide range of foods but others discover their tummies just don’t tolerate certain things. I can’t do char grilled meats or vegetables, mashed potatoes, oily fish, fatty meats, breads, rice or pasta. Some fruits make my restriction kick in early (like mango & apple skin 🙁). I don’t do beans often because they give me terrible wind. Lentils are fine & I’m going to try some barley soon. I can eat lots of lettuce - it’s a slider food for me so my salad lunches are huge 😁. It’s a bit of trial & error to work out what you can tolerate especially in the first few months. Don’t give up though, you may be fine with something a few months on. Check with your dietician if you are unsure. Plus they should be able to give you a list of foods you could eat &/or a template diet plan to work from. Good luck.

Earlier this year I had a day when I truely felt ravenous. I was craving processed carbs - bread specifically which I don’t eat anymore. It was weird. Took me most of the day before I realised it was just like my old pre menstrual craving day. A couple of days before my period I would often be hungry & nothing would satisfy except lots of bread. But I’m menopausal, haven’t menstruated for years & haven’t had the craving for that long either but it was the exact same feeling. Weird. The next day I was fine. Hormones can powerfully drive a lot of our desires. May not be what’s happening to you but you never know.

My surgeon asked what my goal weight was & I suggested 60kg & a BMI of about 23 which was the lowest weight I’d reach whenever I tried to lose in the past. I was always told I was a medium to large frame so the higher end of the BMI range seemed reasonable. He thought it was achievable too. Hit my goal at 6 months & then lost another about 12kg trying to find the balance in the first year of maintenance. I generally sit at 49kg now (+/-500g) though I sat at 48.5 (+/-500g) for a couple of months once I stabilised. The lowest weight I’ve reached was 47.9kg last month but that was an anomaly. Yes, I did look thin at first & family would comment I looked drawn but everything seems to have resettled & I look fine now. Funny thing is I actually have a smallish frame so I can carry my lower weight & BMI. I maintain at about 1200 calories but I’m not very active. Some days I feel hungry others I don’t. My hunger started coming back at about 18 months or so. My restriction is still active. Generally I eat to routine to allow for times I’m not hungry & also allow for days I am so I ensure I still eat about 1200 calories. I’m a big believer in finding the right balance for you. You have to be able to maintain your weight & be happy living your life. You may be able to maintain at a lower weight but are the costs (more restricted diet, increased activity) worth how it may restrict your life. For you, the answer may be yes but for someone else it may be no. Both answers are correct. A healthy, happy life should be more important than a number on the scale or the size label in your clothes. Of course those numbers can be incredibly empowering but the reality is they’re not as important as health & happiness. But that’s my opinion.

There are a couple of general adages to go by: 1: The more you have to lose the more you’ll lose in the beginning. 2: You will lose at the rate that’s best for you. Some people lose slowly, others more quickly but both are right. It’s not a race or a competition. 3: The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you’ll lose. Simple things we say but all are true. Honestly, the reason why this has been the most successful weight loss experience I’ve ever had (& I’ve done a lot: diets, clubs, medications, ...) is that I’ve actually stuck to the changes I made to my diet to lose the weight. In the past, I’d reach my goal & then I’d slowly but surely go back to how I used to eat & I’d start to gain again sometimes within a week or so. I’ve never stuck to it as I am now. That has been the difference for me. Good luck.

Well my Sunday night was a lot of fun. 🙄 How can one small gallstone cause so much pain?? Far out!! I thought I was dying. My tolerance for pain is pretty high but I was groaning, moaning, almost crying with the pain, rolling about on my bed, doubling over, stretching out, sweating, ... all from my single gall stone which decided to revolt & stage an escape. Thankfully it only lasted about 75 mins & not hours like some experience. I swear I was a minute from calling an ambulance when the pain quite rapidly reduced. After about 5 minutes I was pain free except from a vague discomfort that seemed to trace across & around my intestines. I wondered if I had actually passed it & the excruciating pain was the stone actually it forcing itself out of the bile duct & into my intestines. I’m glad I was pretty sure the pain was from the gall stone. Not knowing what was causing it would have been way worse & extremely frightening. I saw my GP this morning & she is sending me for an scan to confirm if the gall stone is still there or if I did pass it. (I forgot about the need not to eat before the scan otherwise I would have had it right after I saw her - blast.) If it’s still there, she’ll send me back to my surgeon to remove the stone hopefully endoscopically or smash it by ultrasound. The stone could have formed because of my weight loss, high bilirubin levels, being on HRT or I could have had it for years without knowing. If I hadn’t had a scan at 7 months post sleeve because my liver function was off & had high bilirubin levels, I’d never had known I had a gall stone.

So sorry you are experiencing this. Has anyone suggested other ways of you getting in nutrition in the meantime? My dad had a temporary feeding tube after his stem cell replacement & he couldn’t keep anything down. Sounds scary but it helped build up his strength again & he only had it in for a couple of weeks.

Surgery all over & home less one gall bladder. My surgeon used 3 of my sleeve incision sites & only added one new one. My blood pressure was very low after surgery. I spent 4 hours in recovery but it only got up to the 80s over 50s. Have to say the pain is worse than when I had the sleeve but not that bad. It feels more like I’ve pulled all my stomach muscles & some I didn’t know I had. I also had some gas shoulder pain which I didn’t have at all with the sleeve. Took an oxy last night (night 2) but nothing today for day 3. No issue sleeping on my sides but have to say sneezing or coughing is a b*tch. Just got to get the bowels moving again. 😁

I think the anaesthetic messes with your hair causing it to become frizzy & dry. Mine went like that too & I had to wait for it to grow out. I tried a couple of hair masques/treatments but ... 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hair oils can be helpful to smooth frizz & add lots of shine. I still like moroccan oil (not good for blondes apparently though) but any of the argon oils are good.

Your natural hair loss cycle accelerates due to the shock of the surgery & reduced calorie intake - excess stress on your body. I also think the oestrogen flush we have as we’re losing weight probably adds to it like the hair loss it causes in a lot of pregnant women or after childbirth. This is hair you would have usually shed over a longer period of time concentrated in a short time frame. But just like new hair grows when we shed at our usual rate, new hair is growing in while we lose at the accelerated rate. It’s just the new hair is growing at it’s usual rate so it’s going to take time to catch up. There’s nothing you can really do to stop it or slow it down. The hair you’re losing is already dead & ‘scheduled’ to fall out & be replaced. All the supplements can do is maybe make your new growth stronger. I just cut my almost waist length hair to shoulder length so the new growth wouldn’t take as long to catch up to the hair I had.

A stitch is like a crampy spasm that runs down your side. I used to get them when I ran (well that jogging thing I used to pretend to do). Best way to alleviate them is to stretch the muscle (raise the arm on the stitch side, stretch it out) & breathe slowly & deeply into the stretch. Wouldn't be surgical gas pain this far out from your surgery @lottie2021 but you could have excess digestive gas. When I had a abdominal scan at 9 months out I was apparently full of digestive gas though I wasn’t at all windy or bloated so 🤷🏻‍♀️. Maybe try some gas-X or similar - won’t hurt. Some surgeons use a long tethering stitch so it could be that pulling a bit as it’s dissolving. Guve your medical team a call to be sure.

You could possibly reduce your protein since you’re in maintenance & it’s very filling & up your vegetable intake. Daily requirement in the US is 0.8g protein per kilo you weigh so you could reduce your intake to about 50g. But check with your surgeon & dietician first. (My dietician said I needed a little more because of my age so I work at 1-1.2g protein per kilo of weight.) I can eat more now than I did at 6 months & more than I did at 12 months. To get my calories in to maintain (about 1200+/-) I feel like I eat all day long. I snack about 4 times a day on dairy, fruit & multi/whole grains in addition to my three meals. I also still take ages to eat: 30-40+ mins for breakfast & dinner & about an hour for lunch but it does enable me to eat a little more. Are you still leaving time between when you eat & drink? Have you tried plant based proteins? I believe they can be easier to digest & may not upset you or fill you as much. I really think you need to have a conversation with your surgeon & then your dietician because you’ve been struggling so much.

Is there a specific ingredient you can’t take? There are a few different types of laxatives that get you moving in different ways: softeners, bulk forming, emollient, saline, etc. Generally stool softeners are less harsh than laxatives but some of the other laxatives can be equally gentle. I’d avoid anything really strong to begin if you can because they can cause strong intestinal cramping or have ‘dramatic’ effects but if you’ve been constipated for several days you will need something stronger. Some people swear by smooth move tea. Always follow the instructions on the pack & observe the dosage recommendation. Try to keep on top of any constipation so it doesn’t become chronic. If I got to day 3 without a bm while I was losing, I’d take a softener before bed & things would be moving again the next morning. Now I take one if I get to day 2. Have you added a soluble, non swelling fibre to your diet? I took Benefibre. Good luck.

Some places are frustratingly difficult when it comes to protein rich, nutritionally sound food options that are not heavy on the fried or processed carbs. Ask for a bun free burger. All the salad fillings & the protein but no bread. A beef patty can be fattier than turkey but it will be ok to have occasionally. Do any do chicken or fish burgers? Any soups? Salads? Fish (ask for grilled)? Any all day breakfast places where you could have eggs? (I chose something off a breakfast menu for lunch recently - poached eggs, spinach, avocado, yum.) You could also take with you or purchase while you’re there, some protein rich snacks like protein bars, cheese, yoghurt, protein shakes, etc. so if your main meals are protein low, you can go for protein rich snacks. Good luck & enjoy your holiday.

l love it when children do that @starladustangel. Was it a ‘I can dress myself’ moment or just starting a new fashion trend? 😁 Can’t beat a striped T shirt dress. So easy to pop on, little ironing if any needed, pair of flirty sandals or runners & you’re set to go. PS - 4X to a M - well done you.

There are lots of different post surgery plans around. Some restrict certain foods that others allow. Some shorten the time at each stage others make them longer. But it’s always best that you follow your surgeon’s plan. Re eating red meat. This is very individual. I can eat red meat without issue, could from very early out. Others struggle with chicken (especially breast). I can’t do oily fish or mashed potatoes. Some can’t eat certain foods at the beginning but after several months they can. Some develop sensitivities or allergies like developing a lactose intolerance.

I think you call paw paw papaya & rockmelons cantaloupe.

The more common side effects of MiraLAX include: diarrhea or loose stools gas (flatulence) nausea stomach pain bloating The miralax could certainly be contributing to your digestive issues. Apparently it should only be taken in short term i.e. only take it when constipated not every day for weeks/months. It can also be dehydrating. Your issues with artificial sweeteners which you mentioned in another post could also be contributing. Some develop a lactose intolerance or sensitivity after surgery so a food elimination diet or keeping a food log, as @lizonaplane suggested, may be something to try. There are some things I avoid or don’t eat now because they cause discomfort which I discovered through trial & error - mashed potatoes, char grilled meats/vegetables, etc.

Try some other fruit. Watermelon, rock melon, paw paw, grapes, berries, mandarins, ... I’m eating lots of grapes & red paw paw at the moment (sometimes finely diced the paw paw into my daily yoghurt & have as a ‘dessert’). Maybe tread slowly with high acid fruits like oranges & pineapple. I struggle with mangoes but I’ve found some freeze dried ones - yummy & great for work or travelling. I added some whole/multi grain crackers as a snack & have some string cheese if I want a little something else. I have three or four snacks a day but one is always fruit, one a good carb & one a dairy. The 4th is the string cheese or a protein bar depending upon if I hit my protein goal. It’s the one benefit of lower BP - extra salt. Mmmm good.

We all react differently to surgery (any surgery) & sometimes it’s unpredictable but aren’t you glad you were in hospital though & they were so vigilant post surgery. Imagine if you were at home. 😱 I was going to stay overnight because my surgeon didn’t want me going home to an empty house as a precautionary thing. Then I had a lot of trouble swallowing, my BP was very low & then my back went into spasm. Nothing as serious as you but I didn’t go home until day 4. I was glad my surgeon was concerned enough to want to monitor my progress in case something went south. Though it would have been nice to be in my own bed. Glad you’re home now & recovering.

Thank you @STLoser.

Such a pretty dress @kristieshannon. So fresh. And very cute rompers @ANewJourneyAwaits. For many stores in Australia, size 8 (US 4) is their smallest size. Not many go to a 6 & even fewer go to a 4 (don’t have the customer base). So it can still be a struggle just a reverse one. Sigh! But it’s the exaggerated 80s style oversized clothes that are everywhere that are killing me. Huge jackets, extra large shoulder pads, ... Two plus years ago it would have been great because I would have been able to fit into smaller, more regular sizes in these big cuts. Now, I’m swamped, drowning in fabric. I look like I’m a child wearing my mummy’s clothes. I’d need a negative size. I guess I wore it all the first time round in the 80s so i don’t have to now.

I’d cut back on the soups & yoghurts. It sounds like your tummy just isn’t ready for them yet. Some people take a little longer to progress through the stages - we all heal at different rates & plans are different too. I was told no yoghurt until week 3 but could eat thin soups from week one. It’s going to take real prolonged effort of eating large portions to stretch your tummy again so I wouldn’t worry about that. Most of us are told to aim to drink 64oz of fluids a day so at a week out you’re doing well by hitting 50oz. Try clear broths & consommés only not creamy or thicker ones. Sometimes diluting them makes them easier to swallow & tolerate. And don’t worry if you take ages to eat them.

I slept on my side or almost flat on my tummy after surgery without a problem but that’s how I always sleep (have nightmares if I sleep on my back 🤷🏻‍♀️.) But how your incision sites are post surgery will dictate your sleeping position - it will be very individual. My incision sites were basically pain free from the beginning - just a little tender. No real bruising either. I didn’t even have gas pain (don’t hate me). I took my last pain med on day 4 but don’t think I really needed it that day. Waist bands were uncomfortable for a week or two so I just rolled them down to under the wounds. If you are a side sleeper a body pillow might be a supportive.

Stalls are very common along the way. They’re just your body playing catch up. They can last 1 to 3 weeks but you will start to lose again. Yes, definitely increase your protein intake. I was told 60g too though some are told 70. I still aim to eat 60g at two years out. (Recommended daily intake for an adult is .8g protein per kg of weight in the US. It’s 1g per kg in Australia.)

Your weight loss does start to slow as you get closer to your goal. Many of us find the last pound or two the hardest & slowest to lose - can take weeks. It’s because your caloric intake is getting closer to what your body needs to burn to function so closer to your maintenance point. I was never given calorie goals or told how many carbs I should have either. I was told portion sizes, to avoid carbs where possible & definitely no high processed carbs. Besides fruit & vegetables my carbs from less obvious sources like yoghurt or cheese, etc. The only obvious source of carbs were rolled oats (one serve lasted me 2 or 3 days so only about 10g each time I ate them). If you’re worried, ask your dietician/nutritionalist to review your diet.