Arabesque

Your skin is like an elastic band. It can stretch & contract until it gets to a point it can’t contract any more. How much you weighed before surgery. How long you weighed that much. How much weight you want to lose. How old you are all affect your skin’s elasticity & how much lose skin you will end up with. I was feeling a bit cocky about how little loose skin I had but once I started losing the last 10 kgs & surpassed my goal, it all started to droop. I don’t have a lot compared to others & I’m not contemplating surgery. But you won’t see me waving my arms about or wearing shorty shorts. My little tummy pooch doesn’t show in form fitting clothes. One old hair band used a lot. One new band hardly used. 😁

In Aust the min bmi seems to 35. Some surgeons will operate on patients with a slightly lower bmi but they must have severe health complications (high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, etc.). It‘s not common for people to lose so much weight after surgery they attain a bmi in the low end of the healthy range or lower & stay there. Those that do drop to a bmi of 18 or 19 more often or not gain some again after because it’s difficult to maintain long term. Life kicks in, your hunger increases & metabolism slows again. The average weight loss after surgery is about 65% of the weight you need to lose to put you in the upper end of the healthy range after 5yrs. There are a couple of people on this forum who struggle to maintain & have a low bmi. I’m sort of one of those people. If I miss a meal or a snack I can drop weight. Do it a couple of times in a week & the drop sticks. Consequently, I’m very routine in my diet of when & what I eat - sometimes I feel like I eat all day which is challenging when I’m often not hungry. (Honestly, my GP & surgeon would like me to put on a couple of kilograms but I’ve dropped a kilo in the last 2 - 3 months so I’m a bit nervous to go back next month.) What is your goal weight? As with all things in life if you put in the hard work & are committed to your plan (very careful with your diet & very active) you can attain your goals & maintain it. However balance is key. You have to be able to live the life you want at a weight you are happy with. I hope I don’t sound negative. Your concern is legitimate. I suggest you speak with your surgeon & nutritionalist about your worries. Good luck.

Congrats on your surgery. Sometimes it’s not about the number on the scales but about changes in the fit of your clothes, on the tape measure or with your health. You’ve just had surgery, your body is still in shock & may be holding on to surgical fluids. Give your body time to catch up with the changes. (I think this is why we have stalls - our body saying let me stop for a moment & catch up with what you’re doing to me.) Stay away from the scales for a few days. You will start to lose & then you’ll see those numbers on the scales decrease. Good luck.

Welcome to our 23 day of Spring. (My double hippaestras in bloom.) A glorious 30 degrees in Brisbane today. I’ve had bare arms & naked legs for a couple of weeks now (after I undertook a major deforestation of my winter hairy legs 😂).

Go for a stool softener - much more gentle on your system. Remember, you’re not eating very much so your body doesn’t have as much waste to get rid of each day. If I hadn’t/haven’t been for two/three days I take a softener, like coloxyl, that night. Add some soluble fibre like benefibre to your diet (avoid the ones that swell in you tummy), keep your fluids up. And relax. Don’t force your self. The stress will bind you up more. Stick to a routine. Take a magazine, a device or a book in with you & let nature & gravity do their thing. Don’t let your body get used to depending on bowel stimulants to make you go. You will poop again 😁

The surgery & dramatic change to your diet accelerates your natural hair loss cycle. It’s the stress on your body. Because shedding hair is a natural occurrence, taking vitamins, using special shampoos etc. won’t stop it happening but they likely will strengthen your new hair growth. As with most things, we all react differently. People lose different amounts of hair over varying periods of time. Some people lose so little it’s not really noticeable. Others, like me lose lots. It does stop & then you’ll notice the regrowth. It’s a small temporary price to pay for your weight loss.

The three week stall is experienced by just about everyone but it can happen from week 2, 3 or 4 & can last 1-3 weeks. And you’ll experienced it again along this journey. Yes, it can really screw with your head. I thought of them as your body saying stop. what the hell are you doing to me or it taking a breath as it gets used to the changes you’re making (reduced food intake, changes to activity levels, the surgery, etc.). Leave the scales alone for a few days. Did you take body measurements before your surgery? Sometimes you’ll see changes on a tape measure before you see them on the scales. This is hard work. A lot of reflection, emotional ups & downs, changing habits & establishing new routines but it is sooooo worth it. Best decision I ever made. So many benefits. Keep a list of all your non scale victories a long the way to keep you motivated. Take photos of your shrinking body. You’ll get through this & other hiccups along the way.

Oh yeah menopause was the pits for me. It was when I put on my last 15kg seemingly overnight. My girlfriends were the same. When I was perimenopausal I also put on about 10kg over about two years. I hadn’t changed what I was eating or my activity levels. And I couldn’t shift it at all. It was what made me decide to have the surgery. I don’t have any answers but have you considered going back to your nutritionalist? Have you gone back to your post surgery habits: protein first, meeting water & protein goals. Are you measuring & weighing your foods, checking your portion sizes? Are you on hrt? I didn’t lose any weight on it but I didn’t put on any more.

As the months pass you will be able to eat more & you will start to feel hungry. I’m not sure how far a long you are but by 5/6 months I could eat half a cup of food at a meal. Now at 16 months I can eat about a cup of food or two eggs or about 80g of protein. I still have days when I’m not hungry but do have some I feel hungry. I keep very much to a routine of when I eat, how much I eat & what I eat. It helps me meet my goals on non hungry days & not over eat on hungry days. One of the challenging learnings along this journey is working out what is real hunger or head hunger. Are you eating out of habit or are you truly hungry? It’s like cravings. Are you really craving a specific food or is it salt or sugar or just wanting something you should avoid? On these days I look for an alternative - a slice of apple, a cube of cheese or a chunk cucumber with salt to satisfy. Some days it’s really hard to sort through these feelings but it is worth it. (I’m still sorting through it.) Keep your protein up because it is more filling. Avoid slider foods as they don’t satisfy hunger. Good luck.

I can’t imagine you’ll need a shower chair either. I was up showering the next day no problems - I just went slowly. I didn’t wash my hair for a few days just because I had long thick hair & didn’t want to lift my arms up high & did it over the laundry tub for a couple of weeks. I had no issue sleeping in a bed & on my side as usual but I think I was a lucky one as I didn’t even have gas pain (don’t hate me). Make sure you have all your prescription meds & over the counter meds (gasX, benefibre, aspirin, coloxyl, etc.) before your surgery. You may find a heat pack soothing. Good luck with your surgery.

My question is what guidance has your nut been giving you for the last 6 months? Surely they should have been tracking your weight every visit & advising you on dietary changes so you could lose weight throughout this time if a specific amount of weight loss was a requirement of your surgical approval. Following two shakes plus one high protein & vegetable meal per day or three shakes a day will get the weight off. Many patients follow this diet in the two/three weeks prior to surgery with a lot of success. Apparently the first week is pretty hellish but you’ll get through it. Good luck.

The old cup a soups when I was lazy & easy for work. Strained it get out any chunky bits. I also made my own chicken soup. Simmered for ages to cook everything right down. Strained out any big pieces of chicken & vegetables & blitzed to make sure it was smooth. Added more chicken stock to make it a nice thin consistency.

You’ll still lose only consuming that many calories - it’s still not many at all. But if you are concerned you may need to consider what it is about work that makes you eat more. Is it because others are eating? Are you really hungry or head (habit) hungry? Do you take your own food or buy your meals? ... It can apply to other situations too. I found it difficult when I went back to work simply because I didn’t have as much control over when I ate. Some days I’d be so busy I wouldn’t get close to my fluid goals. Also, I take a while to eat but at work I had to eat more quickly (causing me discomfort) within my prescribed break times. I always took my own food too because it was very difficult to buy suitable healthy food I could eat. There’s so much to learn on this journey about how, what, when & why we eat & so many other things. Good luck.

I barely tolerated shakes but I only did them for two weeks. I wouldn’t have been able to survive 4 weeks & think I would have felt just like you. Our tastebuds do get screwed up after surgery. Everything tasted sweet to me too or tasted like nothing. I used to dilute my shakes which helped a bit with their flavour. Try some thin soups & consommés also. They were my saviours. Good luck. You will get through this.

Looking great Ms November 11. Love your pink & yellow bags. So bright & fresh.

I’ll take the ‘kids’ comment thanks as I’m 55 - lol. Mind you my scale does do all these fancy things but I just use it to weigh myself. 😁

I’m a gurgler not a burper (never been able to ever). I get the tightness but can’t relieve it. My thought would be to ensure you’re eating slowly. I know we all say it but sometimes, especially when eating out with others, we unconsciously eat more quickly (I think the hovering wait staff put pressure on you to eat more quickly.) Not leaving enough time between eating & drinking can cause tightness for me too. I know you said it occurs at every meal but it may be certain foods. You may need to eliminate different foods to see if there’s something that specifically sets you off. I’ve discovered dairy foods make me gurgle something bad and chia seeds give me terrible wind so I plan when I eat these (especially the chia seeds lol!)

Congrats on having your surgery. Frustratingly, sometimes it’s not about the number on the scales. Did you take any body measurements? You may see changes with those measurements when you see little or nothing on the scales. Fluid retention & constipation will affect your scale weight too. Do you keep your scales in the same place when you weigh yourself? An uneven floor surface can result in erratic numbers on the scale. New batteries will give more accurate results too. Good luck.

That’s wonderful, Jake. I’m very happy for you. I wonder how much time we actually spend hunting for the perfect jacket, pants, dress, shoes? I’ve been roaming stores for weeks trying to find a simple top in a neutral colour to go with a new skirt. White is too white but beiges look terrible on me. I need a sort of taupe colour but no luck yet. Fingers crossed.

I still have the occasional problem & if I have no action on day 2 I will take something that night to get things moving again. I find that not pushing helps. I’ll sit there for a while & relax & let gravity & nature do their job. If I’m anxious or try to force something nothing will happen. I also try to go at the same time each day. It’s like you have to re educate your body. I hope it gets easier for you.

The change in your taste buds can really make things difficult. I couldn’t eat some of my favourite vegetables & proteins for quite a few months so I hear you. Don’t worry, they will start to taste yummy to you again as you progress. I found nothing really tasted good on the purée stage until a friend told me she could successfully eat puréed poached chicken with lots of gravy & chicken stock. It was probably the salt from the gravy & stock that made it tastier lol. I ate a lot of soups - strained & puréed - as they seemed to go down more easily. As did yogurts. Take it slowly to introduce purées especially if they are causing you discomfort. Start with one purée meal a day. You may be someone who needs to go through the stages more slowly - it’s not uncommon. Good luck.

Your manager sounds supportive which is great. Don’t be afraid to ask for the extra time though if you need it. Would they consider a part time return or reduced hours as other options on your return if needed? Just a suggestion. Good luck with your surgery.

Oh, yeah I was the same. I’d nap just about every afternoon. I was so tired one day, I thought I was going to fall off my treadmill. I’m not a good sleeper but I’d be out for 8+ hours a night. The energy levels picked up at about 6 months when I started maintenance was eating more & added small amounts of whole or multi grains. Unfortunately this last month or so I’m back to sleeping poorly.

One friend went back to a desk job after one week no problem. Another did three weeks but said she could have gone back after two. I did four weeks & still struggled - low energy & low blood pressure with vision loss & a doughy head - thank goodness I was only part time. But I do normally take longer to recover.

She had sleeve surgery just like me. I understand that some dieticians do allow carbs but I hope chocolate muffins & croissant were not what the dietician meant. The high fat high sugar aspect concerned me more as well as the sheer volume of food she consumed at each meal. She is a good friend, wishmesmaller, & had the surgery because of the success I’ve had. I’m hoping that her seeing what I ate over the weekend might get her thinking. I’ve also suggested she watch Dr Vuong’s maximise your weight loss & the fat brain. You’re so fortunate to have a great dietician (who is also a wonderful friend). As Silkykitty said, gerd (or reflux) said can be a complication of sleeve surgery which was why I think my friend’s ‘hunger pain’ is acid related & she may have developed reflux. Especially when the Nexium relieved the pain. I know she has to find her own path but I just want her to be successful.