Arabesque

As you lose weight a lot of hormones, etc. are released into your body that were stored in your fat which can cause issues. For me, the oestrogen that was released stopped my menopause symptoms (they came back when I reached my goal weight unfortunately) & my cholesterol levels rose very quickly (back to the level it was pre surgery now). My general liver function was off too. My GP & surgeon were concerned & I was having monthly blood tests & scans. It was my dietician who explained what was happening & that things would settle when I reached my goal which they did. I was still glad I had all the tests though - better safe than sorry. This could be what’s happening to you too. It’s worth discussing with your endocrinologist. Hope they find a answer soon. PS - feeling cold is very common as you lose weight. All that insulation is disappearing. I almost need to wear thermals to go grocery shopping in the middle of summer.

It’s quite common for people post surgery to experience changes in their taste buds & a sensitive sense of smell. For me it was just my taste that changed. Foods I usually enjoyed suddenly tasted disgusting. It does go back to what it was in a few months. The unexpected vomiting can happen too. I was eating a meal I’d made & frozen individual serves. Had a bite fine. Had a second bite & oh no & a mad dash to the bathroom. Didn’t affect me when I ate it the first time & it didn’t do it a couple weeks later when I tried it again. I just blamed my petulant, temper tantrum throwing tummy. Good luck on your journey.

Everyone looks so great. Congrats on your success. I lost 31kg in 6 months which was my goal & a further 11kg in the last 13 months. The first pxt was about 6 months before surgery - can’t believe I was that big. The second was last week. It’s a big decision to change how your body functions so your worries are understandable. Having surgery was the best decision I ever made. My journey was pretty smooth. A couple of little hiccups (low blood pressure, a little hyperglycaemia) all manageable & all things I’d experienced in the past when I had been slim. Certainly nothing that makes me regret my decision. Good luck on your journey.

I had a couple of stalls. I just stuck to my program like Catwoman7 did & the weight would start to drop again. Give your body a break. It’s going through a lot. Put the scales away for a few days if it’s frustrating you & breathe. Remember stalls are very, very common. I’m sorry about your daughter’s health but you will be in a much better position to help her with your weight loss than if you didn’t have weight loss surgery. Your health would have been more likely to be compromised by donating your kidney if you were at your old weight or they may have ruled you out as a candidate because of your size. Losing the weight will be of benefit to you & your daughter & it likely is a very fortunate decision you made. Good wishes to you both.

Your tummy is a bit like a petulant child in the beginning. Some days it happily plays then the next it’s throwing tantrums. Something you’d been eating successfully suddenly makes you feel unwell or sits like a lump in your tummy. Something you enjoy eating suddenly tastes disgusting. It does settle just give it time. Your body’s been through a lot with the surgery & reduced calories so I guess it’s understandable that it’s sensitive. Oh yeah the tiredness. Thankfully that improves too. Just enjoy having nana naps. I loved my afternoon doze on the couch.

That one definitely goes in the keep pile Greentealael. Hot!

This is going to sound silly but I’ve been stubbing my toes in my kitchen a lot over the last few months. Kicking the dishwasher, the fridge, the skirting boards, cupboards - lots of swearing, hobbling, cracked toe nails & pain. Couldn’t work out why I mean it’s my kitchen. I know where everything is. Then yesterday, when I was putting ice on my bruised big toe, I realised why. I don’t have a large stomach that protrudes out & reaches the kitchen bench before my toes do anymore. How ridiculous is that. Subconsciously, I walk up to the bench & stop when my tummy hits it. Now when my tummy reaches the bench, my toes have already slammed into the cupboards. Also realised while I often have bruises on my lower legs now, probably for the same reason I stub my toes, I don’t have the bruises I used to have on my upper thighs which I’d get from knocking my old large body into furniture. Boy do I need to work on my spatial awareness in regards to my smaller body... if only to protect my poor little toes. 😁

When I first started adding vegetables, I was only eating a small cauliflower floret or 1 or 2 green beans or a dessertspoon of steamed cabbage. I added a small amount of fruit as an afternoon or after dinner snack. Get your protein in first then eat the vegetables if you can. As @Jaelzion said over time you will be able to eat more. I have fruit/vegetables 4 times a day now. Blueberries on my rolled oats, salad for lunch, vegetables with dinner, some fruit after dinner. Yes, the serving portions are less than the recommended size but are pretty close. Take it slowly. It does take time to work out how to get a balanced diet that is right for you but you’ll get there. Make yourself a smoothie on high protein yoghurt, milk, fruit, add some soluble fibre & sip it all day. You’ll get extra protein, some fibre & some fruit plus it contributes to your fluid intake.

Berries are good. I ate a lot of water melon at first because it helped with my fluid intake. I’d probably avoid the pineapple to begin because of its acid & fibrous nature. Like most foods, it’s trial & error as to which ones you’ll be able to tolerate. I love mangoes & lychees but they tend to trigger my restriction pretty darn quickly. And remember because of the temporary change to your taste buds you may not enjoy eating your favourite fruits at first.

There’s nothing you can do to stop it or slow it down. It’s a very normal side effect of your natural hair loss cycle speeding up due to the shock of the surgery & reduced nutrient intake. As my surgeon said: your body has better things to do with the nutrients you’re eating than grow hair. The article @TheMoxieMama posted is very good. Any supplements you take will only help your regrowth at the root. The hair on your head is already dead so nothing will help that - lol. I lost quite a bit of hair - my hairdresser thought a good 40%. Thank goodness I had a lot to begin with. Your hair will grow back too. In fact new hair is growing now, just at its normal rate, you just can’t see it yet.

Congrats on your surgery. What’s your plan? At 4 weeks most are just starting soft food - think mushy foods, soft fish, stews, etc., foods with little bite, crunch or chew. Pork skin wouldn't be considered a soft food neither would pizza or a pizza alternative. It’s important to go through the stages so you don’t damage your tummy, etc, post surgery - you’re still healing. Were you given a a food plan of what you can or can’t eat in the first couple of months by your surgeon &/or your dietician? At 4 weeks, I wasn’t hungry at all & was lucky if I could eat about 1/4 cup of food three times a day, no snacking. Are you really hungry or is it head hunger? If your craving foods you used to eat like chips, pizza, etc., it’s likely head hunger & not real hunger. If it’s a legitimate hunger, try eating small pieces of protein like cheese, chicken, egg, yoghurt or sip a protein shake or some broth. I found that sprinkling a little extra salt on food like egg, cucumber or chicken helped with any desire for a salty snack. There’s a lot of learning about why you eat, what you eat & why you eat and the weight loss phase is the best time to understand what all that means for you. Now’s the time to break old food habits & start new ones. You’ll be able to work it out. If you’re feeling lost or confused, speak to your dietician, your medical team or bring it up in this forum - lots of people here happy to help. Hope I don’t sound like I’m lecturing. ☹️ We all have our own experiences on this journey. Good luck on yours.

As you lose weight a lot of the oestrogen stored in your fat is released into your body. It’s why a lot of women suddenly start having heavier, more frequent or more uncomfortable periods after surgery. In my case it made my life easier as all my menopausal symptoms disappeared. Once I hit my goal & lost more, my symptoms returned because I wasn’t releasing oestrogen any more. I’m wondering if this is why you have been experiencing something like a period & I have to admit I thought you might have small amounts of endometriosis too. If your periods are being caused by the release of oestrogen, I would think adding more oestrogen would make it worse. But I’m not a doctor. Just throwing thoughts about.

Just curious as to why you have to restart taking your vitamins? Have you had a recent blood test which showed your levels are low? I ask as I stopped taking mine a year ago about 8 months after my surgery & 2 months into maintenance. They’d make me so nauseated. I used to have the same problem before surgery whenever I’d think I needed to take them for a boost. My understanding was that as a sleeve patient there was not a long term need for multivitamins if I could absorb all my requirements through what I eat. My surgeon was fine with my decision & all my bloods come back fine. Had a test this morning so fingers crossed nothing’s changed.

Congratulations. You’ve done so well & are looking fabulous.

The skin on my body improved too. I used to have dry skin with bumps on my arms & my legs would get super itchy. Didn’t matter how much moisturiser I used or how much I exfoliated there was never a change. Now I have soft smooth skin. My legs still get a little itchy in odd occasions but no dry skin anywhere. It’s like the lotions are working now but I use less than half the amount I used too. Lol! I love my skin now. So soft. I often find i’m gently caressing the skin on my arms & legs. 😂. I’ve even had people compliment me on my skin. I think it’s because of the greatly reduced sugar & carbs in my diet. It’s a great non scale victory.

They are lovely friends. And thank you for your kind comments. ❤️ Hey Sophie good to see you back. You look gorgeous all rugged up for winter.

I hated the shakes too (texture, sweetness, etc.) but I found if I diluted them they were a little more tolerable. I added about 50% more water. Good luck.

Constipation or diarrhoea is pretty common in the beginning. A friend wore disposable adult diapers for the first week (a suggestion from her surgeon) & she thanked God every day for them as she suffered bowel in continence too for the first week. I was fortunate & only had one bad attack like that. I got up to do a wee & uh oh! No control at all. Of course if it persists contact your medical team. Good luck & congrats on your surgery.

A tablespoon of cider vinegar a day is supposed to also help. I think you can dilute it in water if you can’t tolerate the vinegar burn.

This is pretty common. Some of it comes from a change in your taste buds & for some also their sense of smell. Plus your tummy is pretty sensitive while it’s healing. Don’t worry, it changes back. A lot of things I previously enjoyed were abhorrent after surgery. You’ll also find that something you can eat one day will make you sick the next. It’s a lot of trial & error to begin. I ‘d say a lot of us survived on a pretty small range of foods we could tolerate in the beginning. But don’t give up on a food. Just have a break & try it again in a few days or a week or two. Try different foods too. You may find things you wouldn’t have eaten before now are quite easy & enjoyable to eat. Don’t worry if you go back a step for a short time or move more slowly to a next stage. You have to do what works for you. As I said, it’s a lot of trial & error to begin. Good luck.

Knowing it happens made it easier for me to accept when it did. It’s just your body taking a breath to get used to all the changes you’ve been making. I’d heard all the stories about upping or lowering your calories, changing your activity, etc. but I just stuck to my plan & I started to lose again. The first one lasted a week. I had a couple of what I called mini stalls where I’d lose less than my average loss across a week. My last one was my worst. One kilo off goal & I sat there for 2 & a half weeks. Longest 19 days in my life. You’ll get through it & you’ll start to lose again.

I freeze a lot of my leftovers - well the protein content - or eat it the next day. But generally I take at least 20 minutes to eat a meal. I usually take an hour to eat lunch but I do eat a lot of lettuce & other salad ingredients. I guess my protracted lunch is probably a bit like grazing or having mini meals. I agree with Ms.SSS. If the calorie intake is the same it shouldn’t matter whether it’s eaten all in one go, in three separate meals or multiple mini meals. If you struggle to eat 4oz in a meal, I’d suggest you finish it off as a snack later in the day if you’re concerned about not meeting your goals. I had to eat snacks to meet my protein goals when I was losing because I couldn’t get my protein in three meals alone. I eat even more snacks in maintenance so I don’t continue to lose. It’s hard cause I’m often just not hungry & my restriction kicks in a lot. All my snacks contain protein and are nutritionally sound (yogurt, fruit, hummus on multi grain crackers, cheese, protein bar, etc.). I find it works for me. You’ll find what works for you it just may take a lot of trial & error. Good luck.

Congrats on your surgery & welcome. You’ve lost 77lbs that’s amazing. I lost about 70lb in 6 months so pretty similar. It’s going to take time. Remember you didn’t put on your weight in a short time frame so you can’t expect to lose it quickly. Surgery isn’t a quick & easy fix but you’ll get there. Stick to your plan, meet your protein & fluid goals each day. Take time to learn new healthier cooking methods & try more nutritious foods. It’s a lot of learning & changing from what you used to eat, how you ate & why you ate. But it’s so worth it. Good luck.

Met up with friends today. We met at college 38 years ago. We’re quite different but somehow we work together as dear friends. It’s been a couple of years since the three of us have been together but keep in touch by phone & individually so today was special. I’m very in love with puffed sleeves at the moment - though they’re annoying to iron. They’re cool & hide my saggy upper arms 😁.