Arabesque

I’m devastated. And I know it’s a first world devastation but it doesn’t take away from the depression I’m in now. I’ve admitted I’m a shoe ***** but I also love clothes. Not trendy stuff but pieces that are different, special & not found in every shopping centre. Pieces that are never ‘out of fashion’. One of my rewards for losing this weight was I would be able to fully indulge my passion for certain designers like I once could. I didn’t want a tattoo. I didn’t want to be able to run a marathon. I wanted a wardrobe of gorgeous clothes & to be able to wear high heels again. Superficial I know but it’s my addiction. It’s like art to me. The fabrics, the cut, the designs are just so beautiful. They make me happy. I keep the pieces for ever & as I was losing this weight it was a joy to wear my old favourites again though these archived pieces are all too large for me now because I’m the smallest I’ve ever been. Well, I just went to my favourite boutique (my dealer) to buy (get my fix) from the new seasons of three of my favourite designers (my drugs of choice) and NOTHING FIT. Absolutely nothing! The smallest sizes they had (size 38) were all too big. Some like hugely too big. I even put on the only size 36 they had, pants, & I could take them off without undoing the button or zip. WTF!?!? I did have trouble when shopping in Melbourne last month but this was the lowest point. I’m experiencing withdrawal symptoms. I’m going to have to visit net-a-porter but virtual shopping isnt the same as physically touching & trying the clothes on in a store. More tears. 😭

I agree with @FluffyChix. Remember your tiny tummy can only fit in a small amount of food. At this stage I could barely eat a quarter cup of food. The bread alone would fill you up & then you wouldn’t be able to eat your protein which is essential. I would go easy on your tummy - you’re still only 5 weeks post surgery. Treat your new tool with care. I was told not to even consider carbs like bread (or rice or pasta) until maintenance & then only multi grain crackers as a snack with hummus or avocado. Like @Superman84 I haven’t bought bread since I began my pre surgery diet last April & I threw out the loaves I had in my freezer months ago. I don’t even even eat wraps though I might try a lettuce wrap soon.

Dita von Teese has been my fantasy ideal for years. So stylish & polished ... with & without clothes. 😜 I agree, Dorothy Dandridge had it going on too @GreenTealael. Yep, I’m with you @KaysMommy. All a bit same ol’ same ol’ wardrobe wise for me too. Been raining for hours here (yippee!) & it’s cool. And I have ‘a little man from the village’ here servicing my air conditioners. They’ve been blowing air so frigid I had to dig around in my hamper to find a grungy old grey hoodie that’s at least 3 sizes too big so no photo from me today. Lol

Besides giving you a false feeling of being full & having no nutritional value, carbonated drinks can aggravate reflux as well & not just the belching & hiccuping side effects. I gave them up years ago & it was the best decision for my reflux & acidic stomach. The only carbonated drinks I have are soda & tonic water (with my occasional gin) but I drink one over hours so the bubbles are way gone before I finish the glass. I also have issues with the artificial sweeteners in the diet soft drinks. First their chemical make-up but most worrying to me is how they continue to feed your sugar cravings. It’s not easy to cut out the processed & artificial sweeteners from your diet but it worth the effort to consciously reduce it. Sorry that’s my rant.

I was looking at the moulded foam ones while waiting in line at my local post office yesterday (they have all those special ‘buy one get a second one free’ tv offers). I’ve also banged my nose - now that really hurt.

PS - Forgot to add I had a fight with my iPad last night & lost. Was trying to stretch out my sore elbows while reading in bed & lost hold of the iPad. Bang straight onto my face. Waaaah! The corner slammed into my lip. I now have a very unattractive, swollen bruise on my lower lip. 😢

So glad I did it. Sure there have been odd times when I’ve thought oh if I hadn’t had the surgery I could ... but then I think if I hadn’t had the surgery I’d still be obese. I was fortunate pre surgery in that I wasn’t diabetic, no high blood pressure, no sleep apnoea or other health issues related to my weight, however, I realise that was all probably ahead of me. I‘ve had a few hiccups along the way but generally it has been pretty straight forward. I had some reflux, a very acidic stomach & a lactose insensitivity (thanks to a parasite I picked up teaching in central Queensland). I was pretty successful managing these probs prior to surgery (avoided any food or drink which would aggravate). Post surgery, I don’t think my stomach is anywhere near as acidic, dairy products don’t seem to bother me (the parasite can live in the lower stomach or upper intestines for ever so I wonder if it was removed with my stomach) & my reflux is about the same though I do still restrict my diet. I still get hiccups but no where near as extreme & gurgle a bit but ... shrug. Regardless if you progress with the sleeve or change to bypass, in the long term you will be so glad you had the surgery.

Love that wrap dress @sillykitty. Super flattering. And those abs @ms.sss. There are no words.

Welcome to the sore bones club @darcyjae. My butt aches all the time. At the movies, driving, at the hairdresser. I often wake because the shoulder I was sleeping on is aching. And my elbows pain when reading my iPad in bed... who knew?!?! Oww @ms.sss. Sounds like you need a little more healing time before you start longer distances. Being extra blessed by God (big breasted), I always disliked running. Didn’t matter how industrial my sports bra was & the two extra tight support sports tops I wore over the top, the pain from the boob bounce was terrible. I can only imagine what it’s like after surgery. PS - loved those boots. The one blessing of being menopausal no more PMS @GreenTealael even post surgery. Not that those symptoms are a breeze. Though with the weight loss most of my symptoms have disappeared. I may have had a hot flush last week but it could have been the very high humidity we’ve been having.

I’m 161cm (5ft 3in) and weighed 91kg (200lbs BMI 35.1) at the start of my journey in April & 85.8kg on the day of my surgery in May last year. I hit my goal of 60kg at the 6mth mark. At 8.5mths out I’m about 53kg (116lbs BMI 20.4) & working on maintaining. Initially I was losing 2-2.5kg a week for the first two months but this slowed to 1.5kg and then about 1kg per week. I was very happy with this progress. Your weekly loss rate will be less than those with a higher BMI starting point but you will notice the physical loss & changes more quickly. For me, a 10kg loss was a full dress size drop (almost 2 sizes), people were commenting on my weight loss & the list of non scale victories grew almost weekly. Good luck on your journey.

You are amazing. And look at those perky breasts now. Hubba hubba.

Amazing transformation. Congratulations. (Sometimes wearing your baggy clothes reinforces how much weight you’ve lost. I pull on one of my old dresses when I’m around the house on really hot days. Love flapping it about.)

Stalls are normal and they’ll happen lol along your journey. They can last for a week, two, three or more. Shake things up a bit. Some find intermittent fasting will break it, others increase their intake. Think of them as your body just trying to catch up with your weight loss & new eating & activity habits. It’s just your body wanting breathing space.

The latest in bondage wear 😜

So I’ve just been for a check-up with my surgeon’s offsider. My continued issues with low blood pressure and now poor liver function, high inflammation levels & general weakness are raising red flags. Add to this I’m still losing weight (54.1kgs this morning) even though I’m trying to eat more & more regularly. Plus I’m still losing lots of hair (even my eyebrows are thinning now so I’m having my brows microbladed on Monday). She’s made me an urgent appointment with the surgeon for next week suggesting that he may need to stretch my stomach so I can eat more & get in more nutrients. Yikes 😱. I am eating a little more at each sitting and tend to graze all afternoon slowly eating combinations of fruit, cheese, high protein yogurt smoothies or protein bars. I eat until I feel full. Sometimes I’m just not hungry so I eat to a routine (3 meals & afternoon snacks) to ensure I get in my protein & other nutrients every day & always protein first. I even stopped my exercise program (loose description - I hate exercising so I’m not devastated) because I’m still losing weight - couldn’t afford to burn off the calories. Has anyone had to have their stomach stretched by their surgeon? What do they do? Has anymore has these problems? I don’t want to put on weight again.

Put bricks under the base at the top of your bed (1 layer). I did this for years & it was very helpful. My doctor also told me no high pillows as your neck bends allowing the acid to pool in your upper chest & throat & you get burning & ulcerations. @catwoman7 is right. Avoid coffee, spicy foods, rich creamy & cheesy foods & gassy drinks. But definitely go see your doctor about the reflux. Also ask for a recommendation for a dietician & get a blood test to check your vitamin levels, cholesterol, sugar, liver function, etc. Regular blood tests are essential post weight loss surgery. Good luck.

Normally this brand has about 11g of protein in a 40g bar. Some flavours are a little less, some a little more. This particular flavour is very low. The other bar I eat has 20g of protein in a 60g bar but I find if I eat more than half a bar my throat gets gluggy. Just proves you have to check those nutrient panels on everything... with your glasses on lol.

Vegemite is made from brewer’s yeast. Even though I’m an Aussie I way prefer Promite probably because it’s sweeter & smoother. It’s also made from brewer’s yeast. If I had vegemite I had to spread the butter extra thick on my toast to dilute the strong beefy flavour. I miss squeezing butter & promite through the holes in vita weet. Oh and fresh baked white bread with promite. Mmmmmm. @Celeste kimberly: Don’t think of having the sandwich as cheating unless you intend to break your diet again. Think of it as a slip. Slips are random & rare while cheating happens often. Forgive yourself a slip, pick yourself up & keep moving forward. This is a whole new world.

Congratulations. I had a lot of swelling after my surgery & had trouble swallowing. Trying to take all the meds was terribly painful as was drinking. The swelling did reduce after a couple of days & I found it easy to swallow again. Take it slowly. Listen to your body. Follow your surgeon’s plan. You can do it.

I eat from side plates and small tapas bowls. I use splades a lot - I think you call them sporks? Fork spoon combo? I like eating yogurt with a teaspoon too @catwoman7. Sometimes I just dip the spoon in not scoop it. I cut my meat into small pieces before I put it on my plate. Helps to eat slowly & keep each bite small. Snack size ziplock bags (15x10cm - 5x3in) for freezing leftovers & batch cooking - perfect serving size. I eyeball when I’m out - anything that would fit in my cupped palm is about the right amount of food (but I do have smallish hands).

Great work. Congrats.

That’s amazing. Glad you’re doing so well. Congratulations. 🎉🎉🎉

Love a sparkly shoe @Sophie7713 & beautiful flowers. Can’t believe how good you look, even in your pjs, in your first week post surgery. Good suggestion re ms.sss not wearing her butt pants @FluffyChix for a little more room in the dress. It’ll certainly be worth a try. @november11 you should head down to LA & go to all those awards ceremonies. You’d fit right in. Spectacular. Ha I wish @ms.sss. My legs are way shorter than my torso. I always say if they were in proportion with my body I’d be inches taller. By the way you look amazing in that sparkly dress even if you think the fit is off a bit. Love the new hair colour too @AngieBear. You’re looking fab.

That’s three stressful things you’re dealing with in your life: new job, new way of eating and giving up alcohol. Yikes. Parties are hard with everyone eating & drinking around you ... esp here on Aust Day. 🤣 If you manage this, life post weight loss surgery will be a breeze. Have fun!