Arabesque

Would have thought there’d be a good range of food at a Celtic festival. Maybe all to hearty for summer?? I’d go that cream puff though. Was it real cream or mock cream @Starwarsandcupcakes? Those strawberries do look fine @summerset. I don’t eat as much fruit anymore. Not a carb thing but because some don’t sit as well (like mangoes 😩), are too filling (watermelon) or some fruits are too large (peaches, nectarines, mandarins). It’s why I eat blueberries everyday & then go through phases of having grapes or strawberries as an extra. Anyone else struggle with certain fruits?

It’s not uncommon for our tastebuds &/or sense of smell to temporarily change making foods we used to like taste disgusting. It can also make foods we used to dislike yummy. Also ketosis (fat burning) can cause a foul taste in our mouths. Also causes bad breath, and other bodily secretions to smell unpleasant, and flu like symptoms (keto flu). It will pass. No timeline as to when though just when your body is ready. Congrats on your weight loss so far.

Yep, the iron. Much like taking too much vitamin Bs make your pee more yellow.

I think you’ll get a lot of different answers too. No one size fits all & no experiences are exactly the same. The issues, motivations behind why we ate & our relationship with food can be so different as will be how we process our history, experiences & manage our recovery from our addictions, etc. You are doing the best thing by seeking help, support & guidance through therapy. I too lost my hunger & appetite & I lost most of it for about a year +/-. It gave me time to reset a lot of my thinking about food & eating, & to work out what I needed & was best for me. Before surgery food & eating were like fear, control & punishment to me. Fear of getting fat & then punishment for being weak, eating ‘bad food’ & getting fat. Trying to control what I ate & then repeatedly failing. I took what I learnt about eliminating certain foods to help manage my reflux (much like someone with a food allergy does) & applied it to all my eating. Now I choose what I eat or don’t eat. Not as a control or by force. Not as a punishment but because I’m healthier & my body works better by not having them. And consequently I feel better about myself & life. I don’t say I’m on a diet, follow a diet or describe my eating as a diet anymore either. Diet has too many negative connotations like restriction, punishment & failure to me. It’s just how & what I eat now. Have a chat with your surgeon about your existing reflux. A sleeve may only make it worse. And don’t fear a bypass/RNY. With a sleeve about 80% of your tummy is removed & the remaining part of it is still connected to your intestines in the same place as it is now. With an RNY your tummy is still there but the majority of it is bypassed & reconnected lower down your intestines. The bypass tummy you’ll use is about the same size as your sleeve tummy. You’ll eventually find your way too. All the best. PS - I too had those horrible hiccups with my reflux @Starwarsandcupcakes. Thankfully not often but sometimes several times in the one night. The next day I’d have all these pulled & strained abdominal muscles. Suffered for years until I started taking Nexium when I would have an attack & it would stop them very quickly. Post surgery my hiccups are thankfully different. My body isn’t racked by hiccups. No strained muscles. Funny is Nexium doesn’t work to stop them so they’re obviously not related to my reflux anymore.

Congratulations on getting your date confirmed. It will be here before you know it. Exciting! I’m surprised your surgeon is doing your gall removal separately to your sleeve. Many do it at the same time so only one lot of anaesthetic, gas, recovery & hospital stay. It will make the surgery a little longer so maybe that’s why they’re doing it separately. It will give you an idea of what to expect post sleeve surgery except no restricted diet after your gall is removed. You’ll feel more tired & low energy for a while after the sleeve - well that’s how I was. I had my gall removed two years after my sleeve. My surgeon used the same incisions as my sleeve so no additional scars. All the best.

You’ve just had a pretty major surgery & aren’t eating very much so feeling lethargic & low in energy is to be expected. As your body recovers & heals & you start to eat a more balanced diet & more than just fluids & purées, you’ll start to feel better. you may have odd times after when your energy drops a little as your body gets used to the changes. Like @ms.sss, I don’t think I’m quite as strong as I used to be. I seem to hit my wall a little sooner too. But I know I used to push myself to do more (carry more, lift more, work harder & longer, take in. more responsibilities, etc.) to prove my weight wasn’t limiting me in any way. I might just be more conscious of what I actually & reasonably can or can’t do now

I had a couple of baby food meals during purée stage. They were okay & handy to have on a day when purées were unpalatable or I couldn’t be bothered puréeing something. Yes, they are bland (low salt, low sugar, no spice) but it was fine for my sensitive tummy & tastebuds at that stage. If you think they’re too bland add some of your own spices to up the flavour. I just chose flavours I would enjoy as a real meal so yes meat & veges. I looked for organic brands & the ones that had the highest protein content (it’s not a lot though so don’t rely on them for most or all meals). They still have a good balance of nutrients because babies need as much, or more, nutritious food as we do - they’re just in smaller portions.

This is a great opportunity to try new brands @omrhsn. You may be surprised by which look great on you now. I love being able to wear the labels I couldn’t before but always wanted too. My credit card doesn’t like it though 😉. I think because the average size is larger than we are now, many stores only stock a few of each item in smalle sizes. Hence it being hard to find your size in sales - sold out. I’ve also discovered in high street brands if they go to a Aust 6 I need a 4 but if they do stock an Aust 4 I need a size 6. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I can’t donate blood either @pintsizedmallrat. I was shocked when I found that out & realised it’s because we have less blood volume in our smaller bodies. I had the same thing happen with my rings too. It’s expensive to resize them & one couldn’t be sized down anymore due to its design. I bought some clear ring resizers from Amazon & I can wear all my rings without fear of losing them. I noticed that about crowds too @The Greater Fool. Worse that I’m short as well. In my mind I’m shouting ‘get out of my way ‘ (with colourful adjectives). But I can easily zig & zag around some of the zombies mindlessly wandering around shopping centres now. And in stores with high counters I feel like I have to wave my arms about & jump up & down to be seen. I’ve even had people say oh, I didn’t see you. Hello?!?!

They’re great. I take roasted chickpeas when travelling or going away - easy to transport & a protein boost for the day. And a great option to serve if hosting drinks. Can be moreish though. Roasted fava beans are yummy too.

I love how there are still discoveries, big & little, even years later. Yesterday I realised the waistband of my skirts & trousers don’t roll over & scrunch anymore like they used too. And they never feel crazy tight by the end of the day because I ate too much or am overly bloated. And I wear proper waist bands all the time - elastic waists be gone. Have a flat tummy now (except for a little loose skin pooch 😆) & no rolls of fat around my tummy & middle.

Menopause is what did me in too. I went from my usual lifelong range of 60-75kgs to suddenly being 91kg. It was like I woke up one day & there was the weight. Tried to unsuccessfully move it for a couple of years & decided surgery was my only option. I’m almost 58 & still have menopausal symptoms even on HRT. (Actually the estrogen flush we have while we’re losing actually stopped my menopausal symptoms. They came back once I got to goal though. ☹️) So losing your weight & maintaining is still possible. Don’t worry too much about doing ‘enough’ exercise. It only contributes to about 10% of your weight loss & I didn’t do any formal exercise while I was losing. Just was more active in my everyday life. Like stairs not lifts or escalators, park further away from where you’re going, make multiple trips up & down my stairs instead of only one or two trips, etc. Of course there are lots of other benefits to being active. I too found tea easiest to drink. I still have a large mug (about 400ml) of green tea every day. You’ll get your fluid up. Try drinking during the night as well. Sip every time you get up to pee. I still do this to push me up & over my goal. Looks like you’ve got a good handle on your protein so we’ll done. And congrats with your weight loss so far too.

I wondered about the steroids too as they can increase your appetite. People I know say they make them crave carbs or sugar. I also agree with focussing on your diet. Exercise only contributes to about 10% of any weight you want to lose but also makes you hungry. Of course there are lots of other benefits to exercising but don’t rely on it for weight loss. Reduce sugars (real & artificial), reduce fats, reduce carbs, reduce high processed foods, increase protein, increase vegetables, get your fluid intake up to 64ozs (try for more water than other fluids), introduce more low or no processed foods & watch portion sizes. All good new habits to start. You may find it easier to start adopting only one or two of these at a time.

Yep, a stall. You’ll likely have a few more of them while you are losing too. They’re a natural & important part of your weight loss. It’s the time your body takes to reassess your current needs & your weight loss & readjusts things like digestive hormones & enzymes & metabolic rate. You don’t have to do anything except stick to your plan & let your body take the time it needs to recalibrate. They usually last 1-3 weeks. The stall will break when your body is ready. Unfortunately, they can be frustrating because your body doesn’t work to your timeline & needs.

I was almost 54 when I had my sleeve. I lost all my weight & more. My surgeon was always happy with my rate of loss. The bonus 11kgs I lost took longer (11 months) than the initial 31kgs (6 months) to my goal weight. As @catwoman7 said there are many factors that influence the rate at which you lose. Some you can control but most you can’t. You’ll find there are average rates & average amounts of weight you can lose but averages only give you an idea of what you might experience not what you will. What you can be sure of is if you follow your plan & the recommendations & advice of your surgeon & dietician, you’ll lose weight at the rate which is right for you. It’s the same with how much weight you’ll lose. All the best & celebrate every pound you lose.

It really just depends on you and how you recover. Some only need a week & others need more. I wasn’t working when I had my surgery but started a new contract at week 5. I struggled because of energy drops, low blood pressure & poor concentration but I always seem to take longer to recover from things. I was very thankful I was only part time. Best advice is take a week or two & then negotiate with your employee to return part time or at reduced hours for another week or so but with the understanding you may need a little more time or may not need it at all.

I had my surgery at almost 54 & didn’t exercise. I simply don’t enjoy it. I lost all my weight & more & am keeping it off. All I do now is some stretching & use resistance bands mainly for my back & to keep me a little flexible. I spread out what I do across the day - about four sessions of 5 or so minutes. They call it exercise snacking. There are lots of exercises for people with a variety of physical limitations available on line. And resistance bands are great - so much you can do with them sitting or lying down. Check about your anti inflammatories in case you need to change formulations as some things absorb differently after surgery. We’re usually told to avoid non steroidal anti inflammatories (NSAIDS) because of our smaller tummy but if yours are steroids you should be fine. All the best.

Pureed tinned fish was awful to me too. Try mashed boiled eggs with Mayo, denser soups, runny scrambled eggs, yoghurt, runny instant rolled oats, apple sauce. Try blending chicken with gravy (a friend lived on it). I even had baby food a couple of times for a change. Think the changes to our taste buds &/or sense of smell doesn’t help. Plus many of us just what something to put our teeth in & purées just don’t cut it.

I wasn’t given a calorie goal either just the portion sizes. I’d did random checks out of my own interest so I know I didn’t get to around 900 calories until 6 months & I was okay. I eat about 1500 to maintain my weight. I love rolled oats. Ate it from purée & still eat them every day now so I hope the grits go down well for you. Instead of eating a whole taco, eat the filling only. The shell could be off your plan being a high processed, simple carb. The spices & other flavours in the filling will likely satisfy your desire. Good luck with the mandarin.

$1668.75 Australian. Hence my credit card being happy my size is sold out. I can still dream … and buy a lotto ticket in case they come back in. 😂😂😂

I found looking at the first couple of months like I was a baby being slowly introduced to foods & learning how to eat helped to understand what I as experiencing. I also used to say my tummy was like a tantrum throwing, petulant two year old. Liking a food one day & not the next. But a week later that food was fine again. Added to that the changed taste buds & maybe being more sensitive to certain odours can make meal times challenging. But yes, it does get better & easier. These things are temporary. Of course how temporary is different person to person. And there may be the odd food you will continue to struggle with or don’t sit well. I still don’t do bread, rice & pasta as it sits too heavily in my tummy. it’s just a quirk of your tummy. Keep a variety of foods on hand. I froze lots of cooked meats & leftover meals in single portions so I always had options. Chicken tender strips, soft fish fillets, sausages (from a butcher not mass produced), & smoked salmon were my go to lunches. The smoked salmon was the weirdest as before surgery I often found it too rich to eat. After surgery I could eat it but then two months later nope it was too rich again. I never had issues with eggs or chicken but many do. But I could not do tinned fish at all. PS I agree. Shakes are disgusting 🤮. I never had another one once I started purées & gave away the protein powder I bought - also blah! I found a good high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink to give me a boost of protein each day instead.

You can’t not eat. There’s some great advice from the others about reintroducing food into your day. Demand your surgeon give you guidelines & also request a referral to a dietician/nutritionalist who is knowledgeable of the needs of post surgery patients. Ask for portion recommendations, protein & fluid goals, and goals/limits of other macros. Also ask for a referral to a therapist. Many find therapy very helpful as they work through their fears & relationship with food. Can’t believe your surgeon said to eat whatever you want. I mean that’s how you became overweight in the first place. Yes, vomiting (I call it regurgitating cause it’s not like vomiting of old) is most possible in the beginning while you are healing but because you haven’t been eating your tummy may struggle for a while until it gets used to food again. You may have odd occurrences if something doesn’t sit well or if you have the foamies (eating food that may be too dry or too coarse or eating too quickly) too. I gave up shakes as soon as I began purées & got my protein from real food too. It was my goal & my surgeon & dietician were happy. I found a good high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink to give me a boost of protein each day to supplement the solid/real foods I was eating. I was also advised to eat about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of food from purées slowly increasing to a cup. I got to the cup at 6 months. Now I eat about a recommended serve or a little less & am maintaining my weight. If you follow your plan & dietician recommendations you won’t gain weight. It’s literally impossible in the lower calorie intake we have until our weight stabilises unless you exceed those guidelines & recommendations. All the best. PS. Try to avoid fruit juices as they have a high natural sugar content (that’s why it may say no added sugar but may have sugar identified on the nutrient panel). It takes several oranges to make a glass of orange juice but you would only eat one whole orange at a time. When you are able, it’s always better to eat the whole fruit & get the additional nutrients like fibre & fewer carbs.

I still can’t get over the pineapple on that pizza. I thought that was sacrilege or is that only in the States? Back in the ‘before times’ I found the pineapple cut through the fatty oily cheese. (Mind you that was the 70s/80s when ham & pineapple was one of the couple of pizza options we had.)

Very cool. Sock stilettos are great @ms.sss. I have a long, stretch suede version with a mid heel which gives a similar look & actually fit my calves neatly. (Who’d a thunk that boots can be too big in the calves.) I’m in love with Victoria Beckham’s toe peeper boot version. Apparently the upper ‘sock’ is a mesh so I guess like a thick opaque hose. Unfortunately (my credit card says fortunately) my size in the black is sold out.

Water can almost feel too heavy to drink at times though adding a little juice (a teaspoon or squeeze of a citrus) like @sleeversk suggested can help. I used to dilute a lot of things (shakes, hydralyte, soup, etc) to get them to a consistency, texture & flavour I could tolerate. I drank green tea (which is my regular drink), plain water & used to let sparkling water go flat (opened the bottle but didn’t drink it for a day). I found a great high protein yoghurt drink too (you can make your own by blending your yoghurt with milk).

The staged return to eating is too protect & support your healing tummy. Remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together. There’s about 12inches of them - imagine if it was your arm or leg & how you would treat, care & manage that wound. Eating off plan in these weeks can stress, strain or damage your tummy & compromise your recovery. While a temporary loss of hunger & appetite after surgery is most common, there are some who don’t experience it. You may not be bored or craving a specific food but you turned to chips & chicken instead of a shake or soup. I think you are craving - salt & textures (something to chew or crunch). You have been through a stressful surgery, your hormones are all messed up, your life has been considerably changed, you have had restrictions placed upon you about what you can eat & do. What may be driving your hunger is a subconscious desire to comfort yourself, look for some normalacy in your life, take back some control, etc. Worth a conversation with the therapist you saw pre surgery or if you didn't have to see one, ask your team for a referral. Many seek the support of therapy & find it very beneficial as they work through the changes & their relationship with food. The first weeks aren’t the easiest because of the changes, your recovery & worry about whether what you’re doing & experiencing is right. But it does get easier & in a few months you’ll look back & think it was actually only for a few weeks, it was okay & I managed it. All the best.