Arabesque

There are sweet biscuits in my pantry 😱. First time in four years. My five younger nieces & nephew (almost 6-13) are having a sleepover this weekend so I bought the biscuits as an afternoon snack. Can’t expect them to eat my snacks - lol! Though I did buy frozen edamame we could also share … if they like it. 😁 Supermarket brand: 82 calories & 1g of protein. They’ll be taking them home on Sunday if there are any left (probably won’t be).

Yes, 32lbs is a good loss over two months. There’ll always be people who lose more/lose faster while others lose more slowly & there’s nothing wrong with either way. Yes stalls can be frustrating but they are an important part of your weight loss. It’s when your body takes stock of the changes you’ve made (weight loss, reduced food intake, increased activity, etc.). Think of it as your body being stressed by these changes. Your body then resets things like your digestive hormones, metabolic rate etc. so it can better manage your new needs. Your stall will end when your body is ready to move forward again & they usually last 1-3 weeks on average. Leave the scales for a few days or reduce how often you weigh yourself. Take some body measurements as some say the scales don’t move but their body is still getting smaller.

That’’s much like why I don’t like to use the word ‘diet’. I hare people asking what diet I’m on. Sure I was on a diet while I was losing but now this is just how I eat. It works for me but it may not work for anyone else. I prefer to say ‘a way of eating’ instead of diet because to me there are too many negative connotations with the word diet. Restriction, punishment, limitations & failure. And much like @The Greater Fool, how I eat now is very much like I ate when I was getting closer to maintenance based upon what I learnt about my needs & preferences as I was losing & adding & trialing foods. Slightly larger portions than then of course & more snacks, but still predominately low processed, lowish carbs, lowish fats, very low sugar, still hitting protein & fluid goals.

It’s something we all have to face. Some have a little, some have a lot. All depends on factors like age, gender, starting weight, how long you’ve been at your higher weight, how much you lose, genetics, etc. Can’t stop it as your skin has already been stretched out. You won’t know how much you’ll have until your weight stabilises. If it does bother you, you’re self conscious /effects your confidence, it causes health issues like rashes,etc. or limits your ability to be active, there’s always surgery to remove it which many do. Personally I haven’t gone down the surgery path. I don’t have a lot of loose skin and I can cover it easily with my clothes & don’t need compression underwear to hide or control it. In some ways I feel I earned it - not as a punishment for being obese but because of my successful weight loss. Rather the loose skin than the fat.

I didn’t have to count carbs or calories either. Just told to keep my carbs (sugar, fat) low & given a list of carbs to avoid (bread, pasta, rice, etc. - anything low processed). Portion size was what I had to focus on (& protein & fluids of course). 1/4-1/3 cup from purée increasing to a cup at about 6 months. I still watch my portion sizes. I used to randomly check calories just out of my own interest while I was losing & I still do this. Simply because if you are consuming more calories than your body needs to function effectively you will gain weight. (An additional 100 calories a day equates to 10lbs over a year 😱 yikes!) But yes working out calories for complex meals like salads, soups, stews, etc. you cook yourself can be challenging & never completely accurate. I tend to focus on the protein content only then. I check the weight of the protein in the soup, casserole, etc. & work out about how many portions that would be of the finished meal. Hard to weigh meats with bones to work out the calories too. I go to recommended serving sizes then to help guide my portion. To eat carbs or not in the long term is really up to you and what works for you in regard to what types, how often, how much. I only ate rolled oats while losing and then could start adding other whole or multi grains carbs from maintenance. The carbs in vegetables & fruit were always okay & were a free pass. I only eat two serves of multi/whole grain carbs a day & still don’t eat bread & similar products, pasta, rice. They sit heavily. Don’t miss them & I do feel better without them - no bloating, less wind, etc. but that’s me. There’s nothing stopping you counting your own carbs & keeping them at a level you’re happy with while you’re losing if you want. As long as you monitor, the best you can, the calories your team is asking for. Remember once you work out the calories for a specific salad, soup, etc, you don’t have to do it every time you eat those recipes. As long as your portion remains the same (adjusting for the increase in portions as you progress) the calories will be pretty accurate.

Oh I love labneh. It’s a middle eastern soft cheese made from yoghurt. It’s easy to make your own though a little messy. Mix a good pinch of salt in a tub of Greek yoghurt (500g/2cups full fat) & then tip into cheesecloth (I use a large chux cloth). Knot over the handle of a large spoon & suspend over a bowl in the fridge for 24hrs or so. Use it as a spread or a dip, in salads, etc. https://www.loveandlemons.com/labneh-recipe/ Yes, peanut paste is peanut butter. I buy my roasted fava beans or chick peas but it’s an Australian company. There are likely US companies as others have mentioned them too. My nieces & nephews are staying over this weekend so they’ll probably eat all the ones I have at the moment - they love them. 😁 You can make them yourself too & add your favourite flavours. I’d do them in an air fryer if you have one so less oil. The ones I buy are salted & 110 calories per 25g (0.8oz) & 6.8g protein. https://www.fearlessdining.com/roasted-fava-beans-recipe/

Okay, we can be still be friends but only because you like gazpacho. 🤣 I’m sort of that way with strawberries. Fresh strawberries yum including on a Victoria sponge or in fruit salad but strawberry flavoured things like yoghurt, ice cream, milk shakes, cheesecake, jam, etc. nope can’t do it. Even if they have chunks of strawberry in it it’s still no. Blah!

The lethargy can really knock you about & it can come & go at various stages along the way too. An electrolyte drink can be very helpful. I sipped diluted hydralite (to make it taste less sweet) when I needed the extra boost. There are lots of other brand options available (just watch the sugar content of some). Check with your team in case they have preferences or recommendations. Great job on hitting your protein goal out of the park!

Okay that’s it. Our friendship is over. How can you not like tomato based soups??? 😱 I love all soups as you know but my favourite soup since a child has been tomato. Tomato with lentils, with white beans, using fresh, roasted, or tinned tomatoes, … I’d very happily eat A’s minestrone except for the pasta of course. Mmm now I might make a pastaless minestrone this week (though is it still minestrone without pasta??) 😁😁😁

Oh yes, plans can be very different @PennyinAL & we have different needs too which is why I suggested to the OP she contact her team about their requirements/expectations about snacking & what would be best for her. My plan was quite restrictive in some ways compared to others but it wasn’t difficult to follow. And my dietician adjusted the requirements based upon my needs as I progressed. Finding a way of eating that is sustainable, meets your individual needs & doesn’t restrict/limit your ability to live the life you want is essential. Certainly contributed to my successful weight loss & continued maintenance. 🙂 And yes it does take research & trying different things. It would be way easier for all of us if there was one way of eating that worked for everyone. PS. Out of curiosity what of the foods I mentioned didn’t you know?

I think developing gerd post sleeve is about 30% but many of those can manage it with medication & dietary choices. Like @DeAnnasNewLife23, I had reflux before my sleeve. It was mild & I managed it with dietary choices rarely needing meds. I still have reflux though it’s different. I need meds everyday (Nexium 20mg), still watch my food choices (no spicy foods, nothing too rich or too fatty/oily, no coffee, limit carbonation, etc.). Not eating or drinking will likely cause you reflux/gerd like symptoms simply because you have no food in your tummy to absorb the acid your body is producing & no fluids to flush it through your digestive system. The excess acid can also cause unpleasant diarrhoea too. I won’t mention the major health complications not drinking & not eating to get your necessary nutrients in will cause. To avoid that stuck feeling ensure you are eating slowly, taking small bites, eating foods that aren’t too dry, coarse or heavy & not eating more than your appropriate portion. It can result in the foamies too. I used a teaspoon to eat & literally ate 1/2 teaspoon at each bite. Take a bite, chew well & wait a couple of minutes or more before taking a second bite. I could take 20 or 30 minutes to eat 1/4 -1/3 cup of food. If the stuck feeling is like a tightness across your chest that could be your restriction. There’s a lot to learn & to discover what works for you & it can change as you progress. It takes time but you’ll get there.

Eggs can be difficult for many people at first. I was a lucky one & could eat them but only scrambled. Our tummies can be weird & quirky. I lived on scrambled eggs & rolled oats for breakfast (still do four years out until a few months back my tummy decided it didn’t like eggs anymore - see weird tummy). Some people stick with protein shakes for breakfast because of food aversions, simplicity & protein. I hated the shakes so i ate a high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink ( blend the yoghurt with milk) to supplement my protein. You could try that for breakfast. It really is a lot of trial & error unfortunately. The gas, bloating, cramping, etc, could be your body adjusting to your altered digestive system. Has your surgeon offered any solutions or suggestions on how to manage it like gas X for the wind? All the best.

Are you allowed snacks? Some plans don’t allow them or advise when you can add an additional snack. For example I could snack once a day from about 8 weeks but was limited on what I could snack: yoghurt or a yoghurt drink (snack not as a meal as I was eating them initially), soft cheese (string or jarlsburg were my favourites), or fruit (only serve I was allowed & certain ones only). I was encouraged to snack more when I reached my goal because I was still losing. But again I given guidelines as to what I could snack. I still snack now 4 years out to get the calories in I need to maintain, reach my protein goals & get additional nutrients in. Again I’m very careful with what I snack on, when I snack & how often. For example protein bar, multigrain cracker with labneh (make my own) & tomato, cheese, nuts, fruit, peanut paste. The only more traditional style snack food I have is roasted fava beans/chick peas for travelling or holidays but honestly I often throw them out without eating them because they’ve expired. Check with your team first for recommendations & guidance to best suit yiu & your needs. Snacks can quickly increase your calorie intake & can reintroduce bad habits. And many traditional style snacks are sliders even the so called low carb, high protein, no added sugar, lite, versions.

Calories are always going to fluctuate a little anyway simply because you don’t eat the exact same foods every day. It’s why I focussed more on appropriate portions for what I ate & number & frequency of meals & snacks. I believe it always averages out. Like there’ll be days when you eat more protein & others when you’ll eat less. Same with fluids. Remember too though, your portions & calories are going to slowly increase as you progress until your weight stabilises & you’re in maintenance. I was told I would eat 1/4-1/3 cup from purée increasing to a cup at 6 months. You can always check with your team for additional guidance about what it appropriate for you at this stage. There are still days I can eat more than my appropriate portion or want an additional snacks. I tell myself I’m eating enough to meet my needs & if I want to eat more something else is going on (hormones, boredom, emotions, stress, etc.) & it’s not real hunger. Of course it took time to learn this. At times I still can’t eat all of my appropriate portion too. I’m simply not hungry, my tummy is being a bit odd or fussy, what I ate is sitting more heavily or is more dense, etc. I always believed it’s fine because I’m listening to my body which is more important.

Ask for some bloods to be taken to check your levels. Even with taking your vitamins it’s easy to be in a nutritional deficit simply because you’re eating so little at the moment. You may be anaemic. Try to get more protein in too when ever you can. I know it can be tough. I supplemented mine with a high protein yoghurt/yoghurt drink (I hated those shakes). Are you allowed carbs? Even some rolled oats (not instant) every day can be helpful (a complex whole grain carb, that’s low processed). My levels were okay, but I was lethargic & hard energy drops for a while. I found an electrolyte drink helpful for a boost of energy especially if I had a lot to do that day.

Yes, it may be just too much for you at this time & trying a smaller portion may be worth a try for a little while. That feeling full 30-45 minutes later is why it’s so important for us to eat slowly. It takes time for the full signals to register & more so with our cut nerves that are also healing. Eat slowly & stop when you’ve had enough (do you need the next bite or just want it), not full. You don’t have to eat all your portion if you don’t need to eat more, I still take 30-45 minutes to eat, sometimes longer & there are still meals where I don’t eat all my portion.

OMG that pumpkin **** latte has 50g of sugar 😱 That’s double the daily recommended intake of sugar for an adult. It’s funny how that is so horrifying now but before it wouldn’t even have been a consideration. What actually is in pumpkin spice? We don’t have it here. Is it just cinnamon & nutmeg?

We get them as a bar here as well too now. Back in my high school days (40+ yrs ago) it was just the cereal & it wasn’t the best choice back then either but better than those super sweet or high sugar ones we had then (cocoa pops, fruit loops, etc.) - at least it was made from whole grains - lol! The thought of eating them today actually turns my tummy. I’ll stick with my rolled oats - you just can’t eat it straight out of the box 😂😂.

Water can seem heavy at first & can seem to take odd. I was always a big water drinker but after surgery I struggled for months. As @summerseeker suggested try other liquids - they all count including your shakes, soups, etc. Warm drinks were also more soothing & easier to drink for me too. I drank a large mug of green tea every day (still do) & would let sparkling water go flat (remove the lid for a day) & to room temp (I enjoyed the mineral taste of it). I also drank electrolyte drinks (diluted them by doubling the water when making them) as well as plain water. Dehydration is a serious issue. I just had my 83 yr old mother in hospital for two days with dehydration & related complications. Keep sipping.

One thing you can count on is that we all lose at our own rate - what’s right for us & our body & that’s a perfectly fine rate. There are averages & outliers ( those who lose faster & those who lose more slowly) but I always thought if my surgeon was happy with my lose I would be happy too. Your surgeon is happy so you can be too. You may also be experiencing a stall. The first is usually around week 3 but can be before or after that & usually can last 1-3 weeks. They can be extremely frustrating as the scale doesn’t move down at all & can even move upwards a little. Our bodies respond to the weight loss differently. Some people even say when their weight loss is stalling they notice their clothes are getting lower. After my weight stabilised my remaining fat seemed to resettle around my body. I went from having no shape to having a waist & hips again but the scale never changed. Maybe take body measurements & track those as well as the weight on the scale & see changes that way too. Maybe weigh& measure yourself less frequently so the drops are more noticeable. Celebrate every pound you lose. You’ll get where you need to be in your time.

The egg salad may not have been runny enough & so was difficult for your healing tummy to digest yet. Keep your purées pretty runny - slip off a spoon dollopy at least. Thin foods with stock, gravy, milk, water, etc. Even though you were approved for purées, you may not be quite ready. Maybe stay on liquids for another day or two or introduce only one purée meal at a time. We all heal at our own rate & our tummy/digestive system is pretty sensitive while it is healing. I second @summerseeker’s suggestion of milk & high protein yoghurts. For example Chobani has 14g of protein & uses sugar as a sweetener (check though it may not be in all their yoghurts). You can turn the yoghurt into a yoghurt drink too by simply blending with milk. You get bonus protein from the milk & you can sip it for as long as you need because it’s considered a liquid as well as a food. Your energy will come back. Usually when you’re eating a broader variety of foods. Try an electrolyte drink to give you a boost. My energy took a while to come back & I had a doughy head for a couple of months but my blood pressure was very low which contributed. PS - Artificial sweeteners are in almost everything these days & so many worrying health issues linked to them too so I understand your challenge. I try to avoid as much sweeteners & sugar as I can. I know there’s some sweeteners in my yoghurt & protein bar but not much - no way can you describe them as tasting sweet. Lol! If I want sweet I eat fruit.

Once the two week liquid stage ended that was the last protein shake I had. Food aversions (taste or texture) are pretty common but they pass & they’re usually just for a couple of foods (eggs, chicken breast & steak can be frequent culprits). Sometimes something you eat one day without issue is repulsive the next & then a couple of days later it’s fine again. This is also a great time to try foods you previously didn’t enjoy - you may find you lime them after your surgery. It’s related to the temporary changes to our senses of smell & taste & our tummy being a fussy tantrum throwing two year old while it’s healing. It can be a weird time. It’s best if you start to introduce real foods as soon as you’re able & just supplement with shakes if you’re worried about your protein goals. (I ate high protein yoghurts & drank high protein yoghurt drinks instead.) We can’t live on protein shakes alone. Real food aids your healing, provides a broader nutritional sources & supports your digestive system to recover & get used to any changes in your system better. Also helps you to start working on & learning about portion sizes & making better food choices.

At high school I’d eat dry nutrigrain in a cup late at night while doing assignments. Do you have Nutrigrain or is it just an Australian cereal? It was promoted as Ironman food by our champion surf lifesavers. Crunchy with a sweet slightly sticky when dry outer. Mmmm. Now I want nutrigrain. Lol!

From purée I was advised to eat 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food. (I was able to eat a cup at about 6 months.). So yes only a few bites. I could eat one golf ball size rissole (meat ball). It’d take me about three days to eat 2 scrambled eggs & the same for a single serve of instant rolled oats. I just portioned up the eggs or oats & reheat the portion each day. I did that with everything I ate. I still do this a lot 4 years out. It’s great I still only cook every three or so days & I cook almost every thing I eat. I freeze a lot too. My freezer is full of single serve meals for whenever I can’t be bothered to cook from scratch - just prep some veges or salad & reheat the protein & dinner is ready in 5 or so minutes. Handy to take to work for lunch too. You need to start including real food into your eating from the purée stage. It benefits your healing (getting your digestive system to work properly) & supports your learning to make better food choices in the long term & being more conscious of portion sizes. I never touched a protein shake after I got to purées. Have you a list of allowed foods you can eat at each stage? If not ask your team for one to get you started.

The texture of purées is a real issue for many. And then throw in some taste aversions it can be a nightmare. Texture want an issue for me but taste oh yes. You can purée most things just use enough stock, gravy, milk, etc. to keep the purée still runny enough.. I used to purée thick meat & vegetable soups. A friend pureed steamed chicken with gravy. I was allowed to eat instant rolled oats, runny scrambled eggs & yoghurt. I also mashed boiled eggs with Mayo. I had baby food a couple of times for some variety in flavour.