Arabesque

My surgeon kept me an extra day in the hospital because I would be alone at home. I didn’t have any issues but did take things easy & rested on the coach quite a bit. I had friends who checked on me & my neighbour knew I had surgery (not what) & was a shout away. Have everything you’ll need (foods, drinks, meds, etc.) for the first two weeks on hand. Besides the limitations in lifting/carrying things, I wasn’t allowed to drive for two weeks either. Good luck.

Oh, I didn’t intend to offend. I only meant that sometimes talking it out with someone can be helpful. Therapy, or counselling, is a prerequisite for many before WLS which is why I raised it as an option if you were interested. This journey isn’t always easy & our mind can mess with our thinking at times. Good luck.

Don’t worry you won’t stretch out your tummy. You’ll barely be able to eat much at all. For my first two weeks it took me all day to drink half a cup of soup & 300ml of protein shake. Thank goodness they counted to my daily fluid requirements. Listen to your body. It will tell you physically (& not always pleasantly) & audibly what it can tolerate. Go slowly. Yes, your body is healing & it does take weeks. If you’re concerned, talk to your doctor. I doubt they’d say no if you wanted to start on liquids only before purées. (When you do go to purées think sloppy though it’s not all that appetising.) Good luck.

Establish a routine: when you eat, when you drink, when you exercise. I found it the best way to keep on top of everything. It doesn’t take much to get behind with proteins, fluids or activity to begin with. And it helps to establish the long term changes you need to make to be successful. I still keep to a routine & I’m 14months out. I find it makes things much easier for me. Good luck.

I hear you @MIKEYY84. I’ve lost 45% of my body weight. I never would have believed it. Having a fast metabolism for the first time in my adult life is amazing. It’s a wonderful time. I do understand how challenging it can be to maintain while we’re in this sweet spot. I lost 10kg more than I had planned & took months to find the balance. Now, I feel like I eat all day & don’t exercise at all - can’t afford to burn the calories. I do still avoid sweet things, bread, pasta, rice, etc. I know this will change though. My metabolism will slow & I’ll have to drop some of my snacks & start exercising again to maintain the weight I am now. I weigh myself almost everyday to monitor any changes so I can modify my diet & activity when needed. Congrats on what you’ve achieved. Amazing!

I wouldn’t call loosing 60lbs in 5.5 months slow @rene50. It’s about the same rate as I did & I was almost 54 when I had the surgery. My doctors, dietician & I were all very happy. It was way faster than any weight I’d lost previously so it was all winning for me. Remember, the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning so if you compare your rate with others consider their starting weight first. While genetics will contribute, so too do many other factors including age, gender, metabolism, existing health conditions, etc. While none could be called morbidly obese, I have/had many paternal aunts & cousins who battled with weight & one brother who also struggles (my other brother never has had an issue). I had decided I would always have a weight problem too. I now understand that keeping the weight off will be a constant battle for me to maintain the lifestyle changes I’ve made to lose the weight. If you haven’t, you may find it helpful to speak with a therapist @MotoZen. They may be able to offer some strategies & help you work through the concerns you understandably have which could hinder your progress after surgery. The mental work is just as important as the physical changes you’ll make. I hope you find success with your surgery.

Congratulations on your progress. it’s a wonderful feeling isn’t it? I think coming to the realisation that continued success will only come with a lifestyle change is the game changer. I also realised that I will have to work at it for the rest of my life. The hard work continues. I didn’t have any health issues before my surgery either but it would only have been a matter of time. My doctor was very supportive from the start & now she asks me questions about my experience so she can share with any of her patients who may also benefit from the surgery.

This sounds just like dukkah an Egyptian spice & herb seasoning mix. It starts with the same ingredients as your bagel seasoning and has various combinations of other herbs, spices, seeds & nuts. I used to use one that had fennel & rosemary as a crust on lamb. Would be easy to add your choice of herbs & spices to amp up your bagel seasoning to sprinkle on meats, seafood, dips, soups, salads...

I had trouble too. I still do & I used to drink a lot of water so this is weird for me. Hasn’t stopped me peeing all day & night though lol! I added extra water to all my shakes, soups, purées etc. as I progressed through the stages. That way I was getting more fluid in as all liquids count towards your 64oz daily requirement. I drank green tea, high protein drinking yogurt & kept a bottle of water on my desk at work, in my kitchen, by my bed, in my car, by my lounge so there’s always water at hand. Still do. I also used a straw (ssshhhh - I know I wasn’t being environmentally aware) because it was easier to sip that way. Eventually you’ll be able to drink more than a sip at a time but even 14months out I struggle with more than a mouthful at a time.

I’ll be 14 months on Monday and have been maintaining for about 4 months now. It took a few months to sort out my maintenance plan which is why I dropped below my goal weight (not that I’m complaining). Yes, I eat more than half a cup of food. For lunch & dinner I eat 80-100g of protein & 1/3 cup vegetables or a good cup of shredded lettuce but I do this over 25-50mins. If I try to eat more quickly my restriction kicks in something fierce. I also eat three snacks a day. At the moment I’m in the sweet spot with a fast metabolism & I’ve discovered I’ve a very small window of how much I consume to maintain (skip a snack & I lose, eat a little more or have an extra snack & I gain). The snacks will go as my metabolism slows. I tend to be pretty consistent with the foods I eat & stick to a routine of when I eat to ensure I get in my protein (I aim for 50g for my current weight). I try to avoid sugar, limit carbs to multi & whole grains (no bread, rice or pasta), avoid starchy vegetables, no carbonated drinks (except an occasional soda or tonic water) & a glass of wine or gin about once a month. There are days I feel hungry & days I don’t. From month 5, I was learning about me, how I needed to live my life, what I could eat (what my tummy could tolerate), what I should eat & putting it into practice. It still takes work every day & it always will for me. What the next six months will hold for you will depend on how far along you are in your weight loss journey. Be aware that what works for me or others may not work for you. Best advice I was given was to listen to my body. Take a breath. Put your cutlery down. And ask yourself are you really hungry? Do you really need that extra bite? I’m so glad I had this surgery. I hope you continue to have success & reach all your goals & not just the one on the scales. 😁

I told my mother, one brother & a couple of close, supportive friends. One friend told several of her fiends which I was pissy about but I didn’t say not to tell anyone so my fault really. My other brother now knows (I think my other brother let it slip) but he hasn’t said anything to me only to my mother. I think several other friends & acquaintances are suspicious but they haven’t asked me. I appreciate their being respectful of my desire to be private. I felt it was my decision & nobody else’s. Plus, the surgery is only a tool. I’ve taken advantage of it but put in a lot of work to get where I have. And I’ll have to continue to work at it.

What you’ve achieved in your first year has been amazing, Jake. You look so good! As you said, is a lifestyle change. If you don’t make the changes & just keep going on the same way you always did you can’t expect to be successful as you have been. The hard work doesn’t end once you hit goal. It takes effort every day. 😁

I think my first Rundholz dress (with the panelled fullish skirt they always do) was probably about 15yrs ago. The boutique here has their deliveries delayed so we get the winter drop 6 months late in our autumn. But it does mean I can wear it straight away. Woo hoo! They get in Studio & Black Label so I haven’t seen any DIP in real life only online. I decided the cost of altering the pieces that are too big (a good 4 inches) would be expensive & likely to be unsuccessful because of the complexity of their designs - all those panels, inserts & curves. They’d have to be completely pulled apart & recut or I would lose features of the design. Sigh. I was trying skirts & pants without undoing zips & buttons & had to hold them so they wouldn’t fall down.😪 I kept checking the sizes cause I thought they’d given me two sizes larger. Thank gracious they do some stretch pieces as they fit. You may find one size fits all pieces are too large for you now. I feel like I’m drowning in fabric in the ones I’ve tried from various brands & look shorter than I am. I haven’t enough body to fill them out anymore. Who’d thunk it? After the experiences I’ve had trying to return a pair of Barbara Gongini pants I’m very reluctant to buy clothing from overseas again. For five months I’ve been trying to return them to Copenhagen & they’ve just come back to me for the second time - undeliverable! WTF! I know covid has made deliveries difficult but this is ridiculous. What shoe brand do you wear? You should look at Ester Perbandt. She was in Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn’s Making the Cut but I knew of her already. A friend has been buying from Ester when she goes to Berlin for a few years.

Oh jam rolly polly. I forgot that one. I used to make it a lot. Sushi used to be my go to for lunch on the rare occasions I had lunch. Easy to pick up on the run though I haven’t really missed it and I loved rice. I had a mushroom mini quiche for lunch last weekend when I was out - had little to choose from at a small cafe. Ate the insides leaving the crust. Wasn’t as oily as quiches sometimes are from all the cheese which made it edible without any side effects. Oh yeah, changed tastebuds have had an impact on lots of things. Last week I picked up an individual wagyu beef cottage pie from my butcher. It was in a cup sized ramekin & topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. Scraped off the potato but ended up having a spoonful & it was terrible. Sat like a lump in my stomach for ages afterwards. Blah! Think it may be better to just keep the memories.

How wonderful for you. Congratulations.

Just a thought - What’s your blood pressure? Low blood pressure has the same symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, weakness & doughiness in the head. I have that every day but with good iron levels. It may be contributing to your symptoms.

I know every surgeon has different stages for you to progress through post surgery but at one month out I was only just commencing soft foods (think mushy, flaky foods without a bite). Prawns would have been too hard a food to eat & difficult for my sleeve to tolerate. Remember you are still healing. Give yourself time to heal & learn your sleeve’s likes & dislikes. Listen carefully to your body. It will tell you what it can tolerate, when & how much. There may be foods you will never be able to eat again without suffering discomfort or unpleasant side effects. I don’t have cheese often - fat content - is too high - but I do have the odd small cube to up my protein intake if I’m low as recommended by my dietician when I was close to my goal. Also it’s not uncommon for bariatric patients to develop a lactose intolerance. So tread carefully introducing any dairy back into your diet. My sleeve becomes very noisy when I have certain dairy foods as it struggles to digest it. Good luck with your journey. Best decision I made.

It’s all Rundholz. I love their designs. It used to make up a large part of my wardrobe but unfortunately their XS is too big on me now. Sigh! I grabbed this jumper & skirt for winter & two loose dresses which are more summery. From the last drop. My favourite boutique calls me when it comes in so I can preview buy before they promote it. There are only a few stockists in Australia. Thank you @Sophie7713. The gown is actually a glorious steel grey. I still have it as it was too beautiful to give away.

Seems to be lots of variations of pre surgery diets. I was on a keto diet for 2.5weeks before with no minimum weight loss required. One friend was on 2 weeks all shakes no specified weight loss required Another was on 2 meals shakes & one meal high protein, no carbs over 4weeks with a minimum weight loss requirement. I found the diet helped get you in the new mindset in regard to eating. Good luck with your surgery.

Unfortunately, I don’t have them anymore. A couple got a wee bit trashed at B&S balls (Bachelor & spinsters balls in western Queensland. Just an excuse for 24hrs of major drinking. Go to the ball & then the next day the party continues. Usually a couple of hundred people turn up.) The rest were donated or tossed. Did find this photo before the Emerald B&S 1988. I’m 2nd from the left in the dress with the black velvet bodice & red paper taffeta skirt.It also has a red sequinned piece on the shoulder. My friend’s hair is so big! We thought we looked fabulous. 😂 Also found this one. We were on our way to the Show Ball again in 1988 when I taught in a very small town in central Queensland. Can’t claim I made the ball gown but it is so 80s thought it deserved to be seen. You look amazing, Jake. And enjoy every moment of our objectification. It’s done with love. Nothing wrong with vanity sizing @GreenTealael. Looking good. We haven’t had a covid case in Queensland for some weeks now @Sophie7713 & I think only 1 active case. We’ve been very fortunate & have opened up a lot now. A smaller population with less high density living has benefited us in Aust I think though Victoria is experiencing a second wave at the moment. (They say we’re currently experiencing a 'Spice Girl Paradigm' where everyone is trying really hard, but Victoria is ruining it for everyone. Sorry very poor joke.)

Oh yeah, this does happen. It seems to be no movement or all movement. My friend’s first week was just like yours. She wore the disposal incontinent pants to avoid mishaps & surprise leakage. She said it improved a lot in the second week because she started adding some benefibre to her shakes. The fibre seemed helped to solidify all the fluids. May be worth a go. To see if it works for you. Good luck. There’ll very soon come a time when you’ll pray for any movement at all. 😁 Aaah, the joys of this journey.

I had a sleeve & was advised no driving for 2weeks plus no lifting for the same time. And Bypass is a more involved surgery. Four hours driving is tiring enough without the consideration of you just having fairly major surgery. Plus you’ll have low energy as well because your food intake is so low. I’d reschedule. You could explain you just had surgery. They don’t have to know what sort. I delayed starting a contract because of my surgery. They were excellent & were happy if I couldn’t work a complete day to begin. Think they thought the surgery was for ‘female issues’ so they tread very lightly. Lol! Or there’s always Skype, Zoom, etc. if that would work.

No arm guns to show off here I’m afraid. My biceps could never compete with yours @ms.sss & @Dtrain84. I did wear my over the knee boots today. That’s a win for trim calves. 😁 Went to the city yesterday with an old college friend. There were people everywhere - school holidays here. Had to dodge, swerve & sidestep to avoid them. Very strange experience & somewhat disconcerting. Black fine wool dress with attached sleeveless overtop with cutouts & slashes. So lovely to be able to dress up.

There’s no hard & fast rule except generally the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning. We’re all different. Gender, genetics, activity levels, calorie intake, lifestyle, personal weight loss history, etc. affect our weight loss rates. My advice is don’t compare your rate with anyone else - it can mess with your head. After battling to lose weight for years, any weight loss was a win so this process has been amazing for me. Stick to the program & you will lose weight & reach your goal. Enjoy the journey. Good luck.

I had the reverse. Thanks to all the oestrogen being released from my fat as I lost my weight, my menopausal symptoms disappeared - yippee! They’re back now though - sigh! BTW my cholesterol levels also rose a lot for the same reason so don’t be surprised if that happens too.