Arabesque

Will a revision help you to lose weight again? Yes but your weight loss will likely be at a slower rate than after your initial surgery. Will it help you keep the weight off in the future? Well, like your first surgery, that depends on you. The revision will offer more physical restrictions though many of these fade like your appetite returns & you’re able to eat larger portions. What the revision surgery, like your initial surgery, won’t do is anything about changing your head & your thinking about food, your eating habits, food choices, etc. That’s the work you have to do: establish a new relationship with food & a new sustainable way of eating that supports you maintaining a lower weight without hindering or limiting how you want to live your life. The one thing we all have in common is that our old way of eating & how we looked at food did us no favours. It led to us all being obese & affected our health. Many find a therapist helpful in understanding your eating habits & relationship with food. Your surgeon or their team should be able to recommend someone if this is a path you’d like to try.

You can stall several times while you are losing so yes you may be stalling again. Remember a stall is the time your body uses to reassess & readjust to your lower weight & new needs. It resets things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc.

It started at about month 3 or 4 & lasted about three months. This tends to be pretty common in terms of starting & finishing times regardless of taking supplements or additional ‘hair growing’ vitamins. I didn’t lose so much it was noticeable to others (beside my mother & hairdresser) but I had lots of hair to begin. I cut my hair to just above my shoulders so that it wouldn’t take the new growth as long to reach the length of my hair. (Remember your new growth is still growing g at it’s usual rate while your shedding cycle has been accelerated.) I did notice a slight change in texture from the anaesthetic (can contribute to your hair loss too). It eventually grew out. I lost hair in the past after a stressful time like you too and this time seemed pretty similar… except I didn’t freak out as I knew what to expect.

Peeing is part & parcel of better hydrating yourself. I go every 60-90 minutes so am jealous of your two hours. Mine slows in the hours after midnight when I rarely/never have to go. You get used to it & some find they eventually stretch out their bathroom visits as their bodies get used to the higher fluid intake. Plans are very different but 5 shakes & two cups of broth seems a lot. A shake is considered a meal & a cup of broth is a meal too so you are having the equivalent of 7 meals a day. Is this what your plan advises? It will be your surgery day before you know it. All the best.

Boredom & eating can be a tough head hunger to break and because it’s happening at work the usual distraction techniques are difficult to implement. Knowing it’s boredom making you want to eat & not real hunger is half the battle so you’re on the right path already. Not knowing your actual job & responsibilities some of my suggestions may not be possible. Try a hot drink instead of a snack (snacking, even healthy ones, can be a gateway to establishing bad snacking habits & they all have calories which add to your daily intake). Green or herbal tea are great low calorie (green has none at all) or coffee (if you’re able but without the syrups, etc.) Go for a short (a few minutes) walk around the office or outside (good for mental health at work too). Do some desk stretches. Change the task you’re doing. You can come back to the original task later. Chat to a colleague for a couple of minutes about work or life. Get up & refill your water bottle.

There’s never a stupid post here. We have different experiences & no one’s experience is more right or more wrong than another’s. Yes, we tend to receive more attention when we initially lose weight from family, friends, work colleagues, etc. It’s because they are happy for us. Some seemingly negative comments (those you’ve lost too much weight ones) come from their vision of us catching up to the reality of what we’re like now. (Just like it takes us time to truely see what we look like physically with the weight loss.) Once they accept the changes those comments don’t continue. Actually most/all of the comments about our weight loss eventually go. The comments that are left are mostly genuine compliments: great dress, you’re looking lovely today, love your hair cut, etc. (The unwanted flirting & requests for your phone number aside of course.) Personally I enjoy giving people compliments. (I like receiving them too.) Be it about how they do their job, how they interact with others, how they look, etc. I do it because on your lowest day someone telling you you look nice or you appreciated their help or whatever does make you feel a little brighter. Maybe a therapist would be of benefit especially if how you are feelings is affecting how you view others & their comments, your day to day interactions with people, & how you live your life. At least they may help you develop strategies to cope with those situations that make you uncomfortable. All the best.

Yes after revision surgery weight loss is slower than with your original surgery, Also remember you are starting at a lower weight this time so your loss will be a little slower from that perspective too. However, there’s nothing slow with your rate of loss. Three to 4 pounds a week is nothing to be concerned about. Enjoy every pound you lose.

There are lots of statistics about weight loss after bariatric surgery. But as with all stats they’re just average. We all lose at our own rate. Some lose more quickly while others lose more slowly. Some lose all the weight they wanted. Some lose more & some lose less. And there is no timeline as to when you have to lose your weight. Statistics only give you an idea of what might happen not what will happen. I lost more than double my 3 month weight loss (16kg at 3 months & 42kg when I stabilised). Though it was about half of what I lost when I reached what was my goal (to lose 31kg). Forget any self imposed or external timelines. Celebrate every pound you lose because regardless of how much you lose or by when you’ll lose it, you’ll be in a healthier place.

How long you carried your weight, how much you lose, age, genetics, etc., also influence how much lose skin you’ll have. I don’t have a lot of loose skin & what I have is not restrictive or limiting in any way. I can even wear body conscious clothing without need of any support undergarments. Genetics in my favour I think because as a menopausal woman in her mid 50s I certainly was more likely to have a decent amount. Like @learn2cook I look at it as something I earned. It reminds me every day of how far I’ve come & a great motivator to stay there. But for some it can be very limiting & then plastic surgery is the only solution. Your BMI is comparatively low so you won’t have as much weight to lose which may mean less loose skin. Wait until your weight has stabilised & allow for some resettling of your remaining fat in the months after. Oh, and don’t believe any of those creams, supplements & such that say they help with sagging skin. They don’t. Our skin has been over stretched for too long like a well used old elastic band.

Smoking cigars is the same as smoking cigarettes. Same toxic ingredients, same impact & hindrances on your healing & recovery (slower healing, increased risk of blood clots & breathing issues during surgery), same addictive quality, same impacts on your health in general. Some surgeons will test for nicotine before surgery. Another concern after surgery is addiction transfer. Your ability to satisfy your addiction to food/eating is decreased so the addiction transfers to something else. Alcohol or smoking are what most turn to instead. Of course the choice is yours.

How long is a piece of string? Only you know if it is too much & is restricting/limiting you in any way (health, lifestyle, etc.) or if the amount you’re doing is sustainable. Exercise only accounts for about 10% of any weight you’re to lose. Want to lose 50lbs - exercise will contribute to the loss of approx 5 of those pounds. Of course there are many other benefits to exercising: fitness, muscle strength, toning, flexibility, general well being (mental & physical), etc. So how much would benefit you best depends upon what you want to achieve. I’m a non exerciser & I lost all my weight & more. About a year ago I began doing some stretches, resistance bands & some sit-ups. I do them over 4 short sessions during the day for a total of 20-25minutes duration (exercise snacking). I do it more to support my back, flexibility & a little toning of my arms & legs. I’d only burn about 30 calories. Lol!

That’s so funny @Starwarsandcupcakes. Bed pads. 😂 We’ve always called them Chux as that as the original brand of the kitchen cloth. These were a cheap roll of an unknown brand from Kmart. Do the same job of course. Had the labneh with baby Roma tomatoes & basil fur lunch yesterday. Very yummy. The sprinkles on my board is my exuberant grinding of sea salt & pepper.

Apparently the patients my surgeon put in the liquid diet called that frst 5 or so days hell week. I’ve done the shake diet a couple of times in the past (for about 6 weeks each time - awful & hardly lost any weight). I cannot tell you how relieved I was my surgeon said no shakes for me but a dietician supported diet which was keto. Survive the first week & it does get easier. The worst aspect is the withdrawals from sugar, carbs, caffeine.

Congratulations @liveaboard15. How great about your cholesterol levels too. Keep it up You never know how much more you’ll achieve. Don’t worry too much about your bilirubin levels yet especially while you are still losing. Almost 4 years out mine is still high but we discovered Gilbert’s Syndrome runs in the family & as I experienced many of the symptoms it’s likely I have that & always did just didn’t know it. Gilbert’s is quite common. Not debilitating or limiting in any way. My vitamin D levels drop in winter (when I hibernate) so I use a Vitamin D & K mouth spray (love it - no pills to swallow - yay!) late autumn to early spring. Yep, exercising only accounts for about 10% of the weight you are to lose. Of course there are other benefits but the choice is yours. I’m not an exerciser & I still lost all my weight & more & have basically maintained. I do some stretches, use some resistance bands & some sit ups (I hate them but they’re good for the lower back) over about 4 sessions of 5-10mins each day. Would burn maybe 30 calories. I only do this to help with my back & for a little toning.

Dr Charles Proctor on the program Too Large performs robotic assisted surgeries which is where I first saw one. He directs the robotic arms from a console in the operating theatre. All the usual staff seem to be there too. Sure there’d be videos online you could watch too. They aren’t that unusual. Five incisions is what we usually end up with regardless of robotic or manual surgery. One for each of the instruments (forceps, scalpel/cutting tool, etc.) they use & the camera. Most tend to be in line with your belly button with one coming from your belly button but it may depend on your body shape and some may be higher as a result. The longer incision (about 2cm/an inch) is on the right which is where they remove your stomach. You can always ask questions & for more information about robotic surgery if you’re feeling unsure.

The labneh making journey has begun. 400g full fat Greek yoghurt, good pinch of sea salt, a little grated lemon & two new chux cloths. Will see what tomorrow brings.

Give your surgeon a call. Four weeks seems too long for you to still be experiencing pain. Do you think you might have pulled a muscle at some point? Some surgeons do an internal tethering stitch it could be this causing the pulling sensation. I was one of those with no real incision pain. A little discomfort for a week & then for another week if I did a little more than my body was ready for. I slept on my side & partially on my tummy from day 2. I have nightmares if I sleep on my back so I was pleased I didn’t need to.

Are you allowed to snack and what snacks are you allowed? (Check with your dietician.) This is always the first place to begin. I was allowed one snack: yoghurt or a small portion of fruit from early in my third month. You may be allowed other things like hummus, or vegetable crudités, beef jerky, etc.though most of those can’t be easily taken to the movies. 😉 Will you be at the movies during your regular meal time so legitimately would be hungry & needing to eat? If it is a meal time take one of your shakes or soup in a thermal cup. Looking to snack simply because you’re at the movies is another issue - eating just out of habit not need. I don’t eat when I go to the movies even if it’s a meal time. It’s only a couple of hours. I don’t need to snack & I don’t ‘have to’ snack because others are. I take in a bottle of water & that’s all. But that’s my choice & we all make our own choices.

This will likely be the surgical gas they pump into your abdominal cavity so they can better see where they are operating. It slowly rises up behind your lungs putting pressure on nerves. It escapes your body when you exhale. Very little of it is actually in your digestive system so farting & burping doesn’t really help.. It takes about a week to pass. Walk, walk, walk little & often as you physically are able. March on the spot or pump your arms up & down to get the gas moving & you breathing more deeply. Long deep breathing helps too. Heat pads can help with the discomfort.

It’s not unusual to feel down after the surgery. You’ve been through a lot, so many changes & things to learn & your hormones are screwed up too at the moment. You may feel this way for periods of time on & off too for a little while until you’re more fully recovered, things are more stable & you feel more confident about what you’re doing. Everyone slips up along the way. And yes our tummy usually tells us nope this wasn’t right. There’s a lot of new things to learn about food choices, eating, learning new habits, quirks of our smaller tummy, etc. so mistakes & misunderstandings are inevitable. Craving specific foods (or flavours or textures) is head hunger. Your head is wanting food to comfort & soothe you in this stressful time. Distractions can be helpful when this happens. Read, craft, play a game, catch up on social media or this forum, take a stroll around your home or garden (as you’re physically able), ring a friend, etc. Sometime s sipping a warm drink can be helpful. All the best.

I didn’t have any itchiness but I do recall a hairdresser (not my regular one) saying I had little red spots on my scalp. No idea what they were & they were gone two months later. So it could be just how your body is responding or it could be more sensitive to something (like an allergy) or a deficiency. As @catwoman7 suggested: detective work maybe needed. Before surgery my arms & especially legs would be crazy itchy most nights. I’d get bruises on my thighs from my scratching. Changed moisturisers, shower gels, razors, etc. but nothing helped. After surgery the itchiness was gone. It eventually started again after about two years but nowhere near as frequently or as bad. I believe it’s something in my diet but I’m not sure what exactly.

Yep just your body doing what it’s supposed to: digest food. I even get it after drinking water. But it always happens after I’ve eaten or drunk … or if I’m resting something on my tummy like my iPad at night when reading in bed. My mine’s very noisy. It’s like I have my own poltergeist in my tummy.

I’m in Australia & I had face to face appointments every two weeks until I reached goal then monthly appointments. When Covid hit, we had phone calls for my next 2 scheduled appointments. By then I had sort of stabilised and we left it as I could ring her whenever I needed advice or support. I haven’t had to contact her since then.

Randomly recently discovered that caffeine can reduce your absorption of iron by up to 70%. Advice was not to drink coffee close to (before & after) a meal. Also that the iron used in iron enriched foods like breads & cereals isn’t absorbed easily & are of no real benefit. Also don’t take iron with calcium (including dairy products) or antacids/PPIs - leave 3 - 4 hours between taking/eating them. Always seem to be discovering new information that are worth conversations with doctors.

It most likely is head hunger. Cravings, habit, in reaction to & as a comfort for stress & other emotional upsets (like your surgery), boredom, etc. make you think you are hungry - head hunger. Even excess stomach acid (stomach pangs & a rumbling tummy) can make you think you’re hungry. Unfortunately the surgery doesn’t stop that occurring - that’s something you have to work through. You’ll learn how head hunger is different from real hunger for you & how to manage it. Like for me if I crave a specific food, flavour or texture that’s head hunger. With real hunger I feel restless & as if something is wrong & there’s a legitimate reason for it (missed a meal, late eating a meal, etc.). Distractions can help. Go for a walk as you’re able, play a game real or online, read, ring a friend, catch up on social media or this forum, craft, clean out a drawer or cupboard, sip a warm drink, etc. You generally are advised to sip every 5 minutes +/-.