Arabesque

Yes it will pass. It’s one of those quirky temporary side effects. Just sounds like it’s more severe for you. ☹️ My sense of smell wasn’t affected only my taste buds. And sometimes textures were strange. Congrats on your surgery. Hope everything is going well for you.

We’d have so much fun. Partee!! 🎉🎉🎉

Your hair cut is lovely @Lynda486 I’m jealous. I’d love to have those gorgeous waves of yours. I have to sleep in plaits or twists like Ms.SSS did to get any kinks in mine. Sigh. Lookin’ hot @JMJames92. Spent two days Mother of the Bride dress shopping with a a girlfriend whose daughter is getting married in about 8 weeks. (The wedding was postponed from September last year - thanks COVID.) Oh my God. So difficult to find something that’s not boringly conservative or too young, shirt or revealing that still has a soft beach’s vibe. It’s a beach wedding on a island resort of the coast of Queensland. Think @MarvelGirl25 is on to the right idea with eloping. I haven’t offered to go shoe shopping with my friend though I did find some pretty sandals with brushed gold & silver straps with a touch of fuschia online that might work with the dress. We ended up choosing this dress. I think we did pretty well.

I always disliked the smell of salmon, though I don’t mind eating it. Try poaching it in milk. The flesh is very delicate & flaky after so much easier to eat. Plus the milk seems to absorb a lot of the oil (& yes I know that’s where the omega benefits are) & the strong odour. Besides the smell, the oiliness could also upset you. The initial changes to our taste buds & becoming very sensitive to smells does revert to how it was pre surgery in time. Have fun experimenting with foods.

Scallops & asparagus for dinner? My favourites. I’ll be there soon. 😁

It’s one of the reasons we’re advised to eat slowly. It takes time for the message you’ve had enough to get through. You don’t ever want to reach that I’m stuffed stage of being full. Just I’ve had enough & don’t need any more. I still take ages to eat 30 - 60+ minutes depending on what I’m eating. When I was losing & eating small meals I ate over 20 minutes. Sometimes I distract myself between bites by watching tv or reading when eating. I know some say you should focus on your eating but I find it works for me to be distracted. I don’t shovel in the spoonfuls then. Put your cutlery down. Sit back from the table. Wait a couple of minutes before you have the next bite. I used to ask myself if I really needed that next bite or did I just want it. Still do sometimes. There is a huge difference between needing that bite & wanting it. It’s not unusual for me to pick up my fork & then put it back down again because I realise I don’t need that bite. Much like discovering what real hunger feels like for you versus head hunger, you have to discover what enough means for you. That is what the physical, mental or other signals are for you. I don’t get that running nose thing either so I’m very conscious of the portion size I’m eating & don’t overfill my plate beyond what my portion size should be. I get like a heaviness in my chest. This is followed by a slight tightness before my restriction really kicks in though sometimes it does very quickly with no warning. Good luck with your revision surgery.

Like Catwoman7, I haven’t found it difficult to follow this rule either. Though, I have found I can sometimes, not always, have a sip closer to when I eat now - up to about 10minutes before & after. But if I drink while I’m eating, my restriction kicks in & I can’t eat anything else. When I eat soup, I try to eat the solids first then the broth to avoid or at least limit the restriction discomfort. (I make very thick soups heavy on the meat & vegetables & thin on the broth to help.) If dining out, I order my drink as soon as I arrive then sip until my meal order is taken. I don’t drink again until after my plate is removed &/or when the others are eating dessert/having coffee. It’s pretty easy to manage.

So sorry you have developed such severe gerd. Did they warn you to avoid seeds, unprocessed grains, nuts & corn with your diverticulitis? Some doctors just say to increase your fibre but omit to mention that seeds, unprocessed grains, etc. can get trapped in the diverticulitis pockets & cause infection & pain. Of course, as with many things it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. You may be able to eat these with little or no issue. Neither my mother or uncle can. (As he discovered after he was admitted to hospital with terrible pain & other unpleasant side effects. He had recently changed his diet to add seeds & more grains to his diet to be healthier.☹️)

Though not quite as far out as you, I still have issues with energy & low blood pressure. I seem to feel weary more quickly than I did before surgery. And no it’s not a lack of fitness weary. I’ll be out doing chores or something & than suddenly think, nope had enough. Can’t do anything else at the moment. It’s hard to describe how it feels. It’s certainly not debilitating. I’m not puffing. My heart’s not pounding. Just feel weak. Sometimes just sitting for 5/10 minutes is enough & I’m right to go again. Is this how you feel? The postural low blood pressure is just something I live with though it’s probably not quite as bad as it was. Maybe a 25% improvement in the last couple of months. I’ve always had a tendency to low blood pressure & when I’ve been slim before (in the 60kg range) I would have the vision loss & slight light headedness on standing a few times a month versus the several times a day I have it now. My GP prescribed a medication for low blood pressure but it did not help at all. I do all the sit up & stand slowly & wait before walking but it doesn’t really help. I sometimes bend over so my head is below my heart. Friend the deep breathing thing too but they don’t really help either. I just make sure I have a wall or furniture I can grab when it hits so I can ground myself. I’ve also be known to grab onto friends - in a non sexual way of course lol! Hope someone has some ideas too.

Congratulations on your two year anniversary, @Recidivist. You look great. And yes, an excellent motivator for those starting out.

Congratulations Marvelgirl. Such wonderful news. ❤️❤️❤️

Oh yeah. I spent a lot of time resting on my couch after surgery. Your body’s going through a bit post surgery, recovery from the surgery & healing plus your eating very few calories. Listen to your body if it says it need to rest or nap.Nana naps are the best.

My doctor sent me to a dietician who put me on keto for the two weeks (was actually 2.5 weeks) prior to surgery. But he sent my friend to the hospitals weight loss clinic & she was put on their liquid meal replacement program. Another friend’s surgeon put her on two shakes & one meal (small serve protein & steamed vegetables/undressed salad) per day for four weeks prior. So I guess what I’m saying is every doctor has their own ore surgery requirements, some even have different plans for different patients. You just have to do what they advise. Being more careful about what you eat prior certainly won’t hurt. oh, just noticed this was posted last month. Have you had your surgery and if so how did it go?

My nieces made this for me once but they put coconut cream in it. (They put coconut cream or coconut milk in everything for a while for its ‘health’ benefits ... till their skin broke out quite terribly & they put on weight.) I found it far too rich & couldn’t eat it. They love it.

As you know I’ve been pretty anti artificial sweeteners for a while so thanks for this article to add to my argument against them (& from researchers from my alter mater too). I also enjoyed the video from Dr Matthew Weiner about the negatives around sugar, alternative sugars & artificial sweeteners. (I started watching his videos after a recommendation from you too, @GreenTealael.) Way at the bottom of this article it mentions how they make your body store fat: https://www.goodfood.com.au/good-health/diet-myths-busted-why-breakfast-is-not-the-most-important-meal-20210218-h1u35y It’s just hard to avoid artificial sweeteners cause they’re in so many things. I try to avoid them where possible & try to limit how many foods I eat with them. I know they’re in my yoghurt, my protein bar & in a dressing I use but that’s really it. Have a friend who goes on about the evil that is sugar but drinks litres of diet soft drinks & puts artificial sweeteners in everything. I think I may send her this article.

Yes to not missing so many of the same things. Yes, to not missing bumping into walls, tables, ... & all the resulting upper thigh bruises. Yes, to loving being able to buy any clothing I like, except in stores that don’t stock small enough sizes. Yes, to loving being able to zip up long boots. Yes, to not missing having to sit down & physically lift one leg up over the other to put on tights. Yes, to not missing being knocked & bumped because my body oozes over the seat into the aisle on planes. Love that I don’t need the entire bath sheet to dry myself anymore - half an ordinary towel is ample. Love I am able to play with my nieces & nephews longer & don’t need to sit down after a couple of minutes. And I love that two of them can sit next to me on an armchair with one on my lap now.

I love my rolled oats. I was never much of a cereal eater before surgery. The odd bowl of untoasted muesli or rolled oats a couple of times a year. (I ate toast with fresh sliced tomato every morning.) When I was able to eat solid food again after surgery I ate either scrambled eggs or rolled oats. But about 6 months ago I lost my appetite for eggs so I just stuck with rolled oats. I make it with milk & add nothing else but blueberries. I get a good 10+g of protein which is a good start on my daily protein goal. I really enjoy it. It’s a good carb, good source of fibre, has no added sugar or artificial sweetener, it’s an appetite suppressor & helps flush out cholesterol. It easily fills me up for three hours. It’s an easy, no brainer in the morning.

I’ve been making soup again. Chicken & lentils with carrots, onions, celery & fresh tomatoes & a touch of cumin, paprika, garlic & fresh parsley. I only use chicken thigh meat - has way more flavour. Have to admit the fresh parsley was a bit raspy on my throat. ☹️ Forgot to clean the edges of my bowl before I took the pxt.

Don’t forget you’re not consuming very many calories at the moment & your body is using most of them to function. Therefore your body won’t have a lot to excrete. In saying that, it is important to work back towards healthy & regular bowel habits. I used to go every two days. If I got to a third day I would take a gentle stool softener so I would have some movement in day four. Are you adding some soluble fibre to your shakes, broths etc.? Avoid those that swell in your tummy though. Don’t force yourself to go. Stick to your old routine of when you used to go. Sometimes you just need to sit, relax & let gravity & nature do their thing. Somedays I felt like my niece who had just gone through toilet training. I wondered if I needed a chart on my fridge & some gold stars. 😆 Happy pooping.

Great discussion @catwoman7 & @summerset. I wonder if many don’t really hear or believe the statistics that most only end up losing about 65% of the weight they need to lose to put them into the healthy BMI range after surgery. Or maybe they weren’t even told that information? Though I was told & read about it, I still set my goal at 60kg a healthy BMI simply because I had reached that point many times before. I just couldn’t manage to stay there long term. Though my surgeon did support my goal & my reasons behind it he did it with a but remember... I know I’ve exceeded my goal but I also recognise I’m not quite 2 years out. Who knows what the future will bring. I’m a big advocate of finding your balance too @Creekimp13. Finding out what allows you to maintain a weight you’re happy at while being healthy & living & enjoying your life. Having a supportive & realistic team who listens as well as advises is invaluable. Have to admit, while I enjoy seeing before & after pxts on this forum, I was equally pleased that my surgeon only has 3 or 4 such photos on his wall taken over a number of years & only one had probably lost 100% of their weight. Plus I was never given caloric goals at any stage by my team. Only protein & fluid goals & likely serving sizes I would be able to manage as I progressed (about 1/4 cup, then 1/3 cup, etc.). @summerset, I liked your comments re those who continue to restrict calories & exercise compulsively. Have they swapped their overeating addiction to an under eating one? Are they now seeking emotional comfort through what may be excessive exercise & related goal setting? And if they’re not being honest about their activity levels &/or caloric intake, is that the same as when they may have been in denial about their weight & food intake when they were obese?

I just did a calorie check on what I ate yesterday. It was 1237 calories so my estimate was pretty spot on. It’s likely what you’re feeling is head hunger (hunger that is driven by emotions, cravings, habit, etc.) as most of the area that produces the hunger hormone was removed during your surgery. Working out the difference is part of the journey & unfortunately it’s not an easy thing to do. For many of us real hunger feels very different but then maybe we never felt real hunger before cause just head hunger dictated our eating habits. Liquids tend to go through you more quickly so you likely won’t feel full or feel that restriction we all talk about. (Though I did feel my restriction when I drank more than a sip - all tight across my chest.) keep to sipping slowly throughout the day. I’d start on my 400ml diluted shake at breakfast & would still be sipping it for lunch. The 200ml of soup/broth I ate for ‘dinner’ was the same taking about three hours to drink it. And yes that’s all I ‘ate’ each day during my two week liquid phase. No hunger or interest in eating. Don’t hate me. 🙂

As Catwoman7 said all programs are different. You’ll see a lot of similarities like protein goals but also lots of differences. I didn’t have to count macros except for protein & it was 60-70g. Then just generally low carbs, low sugar, low fat. In maintenance I was aiming for 1g per kg but my dietician said I should aim for 1.2g as I’m a woman in her 50s. I’ve never heard/read that anywhere but as my protein levels are on the lower end of the good scale I do aim for 60g per day. I’m still pretty low carb getting most from fruit & vegetables, then rolled oats & some multigrain crackers. I was watching a video by Dr Matthew Weiner the other day & he said he tends to push vegetables first. I think this is to reduce dependency upon animal proteins and increase plant proteins like including legumes, etc. in your diet. Do you still see your dietician/nutritionalist? They should be able to make some recommendations on what should make up your basic diet to ensure you’re eating a range of foods & getting your nutrients in each day. You can vary it then to suit your likes & dislikes & what works for you. As we well know from years of experience, extreme diets don’t work long term. For me, it’s all about balance, a variety of food sources, portion size, calorie & nutrient awareness.

Fabulous @WishMeSmaller. Congratulations on reaching your goal. And I agree with @ms.sss - your legs ❤️ OMG I so hear you re the saggy butt skin. I remember walking around my house pulling & readjusting my knickers, thinking these uncomfortable knickers are going in the bin, only to realise it was my lose butt skin. 😱 I had to rearrange myself when I sat or lay down too. It’s not as bad now. Combination of some of my remaining fat rearranging itself & just getting used to it I think. (Wish I still didn’t suffer from bony ass pain though. It’s the worst.)

Watch out Palm Beach. Jake & Sophie will be hitting the town together again. Wild days & nights ahead. 😆😆😆 Just jealous, I can’t be there.

You’ll get various responses on how many calories people consume to maintain. It will depend on a number of factors like how active you are, age, gender, your metabolic rate, etc. I’m not very active, am short, almost 56 & my metabolism has slowed a little (it was going real fast originally in maintenance but as it’s slowed I’ve dropped a snack). Someone taller, younger & more active would be able to consume more than I do. I don’t actively count calories but am aware of the calories of the food I eat. I would estimate I consume around 1200.