Arabesque

Watched an interesting British medical program recently that talked about how caffeine restricts your absorption of iron (by up to 65%). This is a concern because low iron levels & anaemia can be a side effect many experience after surgery. I too was a no caffeine after surgery. I drink green tea which I was allowed so it didn’t bother me. My surgeon is a no caffeine proponent because it can be harsh on your sensitive tummy. There are some who have coffee in hospital so you can never tell. As @Recidivist advised this is a conversation best had with your surgeon.

Yes the shoulder pain is from the surgical gas which is pumped into your abdominal cavity. It rises & settles behind your lungs putting pressure on nerves & causing shoulder pain. It takes about a week +/- to be fully absorbed into your lungs & breathed out. Best advice is always follow your plan. It is in place to protect your healing tummy & support your recovery. I always say: all because you can doesn’t mean you should. It’s not a race. There isn’t a prize for doing more or doing it sooner. You’ll be okay but don’t push your luck by continuing to do more than what is recommended - even though you may get frustrated.

Two bonuses of the surgery are a reset of your metabolic rate & of your body’s set point (the weight your body is happiest at). As others have said your pre surgery BMR will have no impact on your maintenance BMR. Before surgery, I’d struggle to lose a kilogram eating 800 calories & would gain weight eating 1200 calories. Now I eat about 1400/1500 calories to maintain my much lower post surgery weight. I am also an almost 58 year old woman, with a smaller frame, only 5’3” & not very active.

Most of us have been where you are now. Hair loss is common with weight loss (& during pregnancy & stressful periods too) . Your natural hair loss cycle has been accelerated as a stress reaction to the surgery, weight loss, hormonal changes, etc. The hair you are losing you would have lost anyway but over a longer time period. That hair is dead so you can’t save it. Your new hair is still growing though at it’s usual rate. Supplements won’t help your dead hair but may make your new growth stronger. Yes, three months is generally how long it lasts +/-. Hair grows slowly & you don’t usually notice your new growth coming in but a couple of months after you stop losing your new hair may be long enough for you to start to notice it (short fluffy strands)

It does seem a lot of calories if you’re still trying to lose. But if it is what your team advised based on your body & needs, activity levels, etc. that’s fine. You may be in maintenance. With a BMI of 27 & at your goal, this may be at your new set point (the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain). To lose more weight you’ll have to be more active & consume fewer calories but to stay at the lower weight you will have to continue to do more & eat less than you do now. My restriction kicks in more quickly if I eat food that is too dry, coarse or dense or if I eat too quickly. If a food is dense, like certain meats, it will feel heavy in your tummy & feel like you’re full more quickly setting off your restriction. Sometimes I feel it but can’t work out why - just a quirk of my tummy.

Stalls will break when your body is ready. You can’t really force it to happen. If it broke when you did that before it is more likely because your body was ready to start to lose again & not because of dietary restriction or increased activity. Stalls are an important part of your weight loss as it is when your body resets itself in response to your weight loss to date (metabolism, hunger & satiety hormones, etc.). Stick to your plan & don’t stress your body more.

You’d know if it was dumping. Cold sweats, heart palpitations, nausea, cramping, dizziness, etc. More likely just your tummy reacting. The potatoes could be too heavy/dense because of their starch content. I wasn’t allowed potatoes (for the starch reason too) until maintenance though I know many are allowed them from purée. I still can’t eat them - too heavy in my tummy. Could have been the mayo too. Lots of trial & error as your tummy is healing & recovering. The taste, smell or texture of some foods can set off your tummy.

I wonder if it’s an internal switch. I believe some surgeons use one to help tether the tummy. But keep ringing your doctor until you get a response. Pain is never okay.

Seems like you’re doing well on all fronts. I’d be celebrating. As to how well you’re doing & if there are red flags or things you’re missing that’s hard to tell as we’re all very different. Our bodies are physically, emotionally & psychologically different & have different nutritional needs & capabilities. We have different health situations, lifestyle demands, etc. Only you, your body, your surgeon, GP & dietician can best make that call. 180lbs is a possible goal but whether you’ll get to that weight or be able to maintain is unknown. Your final weight depends on many factors. The most influential is what your new set point is. This is the weight your body is now happiest at & is easiest to maintain. Lifestyle choices, medications, genetics, sustainability of your final eating style & activity regime all influence your final weight too. Remember not everyone reaches their goal. Not sure what the average weight loss stats are for mini bypass but it is about 65% for sleeve & bypass. (That is 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you at a healthier weight.) Of course some exceed that stat & some don’t reach it. Celebrate every pound you lose. Celebrate how much healthier you are. Celebrate how much stronger you are & how much more energy you have. And not so much the final number on the scale (though we’re all guilty of doing that 😉).

Yes, very likely. Your digestive system is healing from a pretty major surgery (think of all those sutures & staples holding your tummy together) so swelling & inflammation is to be expected. You’ll find that you’ll randomly experience these types of symptoms for a while. First because you’re healing & recovering & then because you’re system is relearning & generally can be sensitive & fussy. Some times you eat something one day easily but the next it’s no way & then next week it’s fine again. Of course the how long, when, why & what of this is different for everyone but it gives you an idea of what you may experience. Best advice is go slowly & gently. Follow your plan. Sip leaving a few minutes before the next sip then same with bites. If something disagrees with you avoid it for a few days & they try again. Are you allowed juice? Many of us aren’t but plans are different. Are you on a PPI to help reduce your stomach acid production? Water can almost seem heavy to drink at first especially if you drink it cold. Try warming your shakes, water, etc. or hot drinks (herbal or green teas are great) as they often are more soothing.

Yes to the high protein yoghurt. And you can make it into your own yoghurt drink by blending with milk. Cheese & boiled eggs are also handy. Like @Spinoza, I try to avoid medium & high processed foods & I love leftovers. My freezer is full of them. Easy meals - just add vegetables. Made a 5 egg omelette yesterday (with mushrooms, tomatoes, celery, capsicum, mozzarella, basil, prosciutto). Ate a third for lunch & will eat the rest today & tomorrow. Just reheat in the microwave. I do have a packets of baked fava beans & chick peas in my cupboard. I rarely if ever eat them except they are handy if travelling. I always throw some in my bag when I stay with my mum though I still don’t always eat them. Make up a batch of the savoury egg muffins. Dice vegetables, cheese, meat (chicken, bacon, tuna, etc.) or whatever of your choice and add to a half cup muffin pan. Whisk up 8 eggs, salt, pepper. Pour over the meat & vegetables. Bake moderate oven about 30 mins. Freeze & reheat in a microwave. Easy. These are the ones I made with home made caramelised onion, feta, mushrooms, pancetta. Eat two for a meal or one as a snack.

Some people lose quickly & some lose slowly. It’s just how it is. The only thing you can rely on is that your weight of loss will slow over time. Not sure what weight you started at, but if you have more to lose you often lose more in the beginning. If your doctors were concerned they would have said something so enjoy your loss - it’s worth celebrating.

Welcome to the three week stall. Almost everyone goes through this & you’re not doing anything wrong. The first stall, yes the first, usually starts in week 3 hence the name but it can occur before or after that time too. They usually last 1-3 weeks. Frustrating but very much part of weight loss. Stalls are your body taking stock of your weight loss & reacting to the stress of the changes you’re making. The first is often in response to the surgery, reduced calories, etc.. Your body uses this time to reset your metabolism, hunger hormones, etc. & is a necessary part of your weight loss. Your weight loss will never be a consistently straight line in a downwards direction. It will waver up & down. At times is won’t move, move slowly or move quickly. Though the scale isn’t moving some people notice their body measurements still reduce. Stick to your plan. Don’t stress your body more than your plan advises. Your weight loss will start again when your body is ready.

Collagen isn’t considered a complete protein as it doesn’t contain all the necessary amino acids. Check with your dietician to be sure. They may consider it a bonus protein but not part of your goal. (I do this with my fluids - what I drink when I take my meds, the broth in chunky soups, etc. aren’t counted to my goal just bonus.) Better to add unflavoured protein powder to soups, milk, shakes, yoghurt, etc. if you want to increase your protein intake.

Though you are losing hair at a more rapid rate (this is hair you would have lost anyway as part of your usual & natural shedding cycle) your new hair is still growing just at it’s usual rate. Hair grows slowly. It will likely take another month or so before you’ll start to notice short fluffy bits of new hair. Your hair is dead (only the root is alive much like your nails are dead but the nail bed is alive) & will fall out. Taking supplements won’t bring your hair back to life or stop it falling. All it may do is make your new growth stronger. Many of us cut our hair shorter as shorter hair tends to be fuller & bouncier. Plus it will take less time for your new growth to catch up to the length of your existing hair. If your hair loss is great, try a wig or some temporary extensions (clip-in my be easier & more gentle on your hair than bonded - ask your hairdresser).

I agree with what everyone has said. You are doing so well in regards to meeting protein & fluid goals. Many of us take weeks to actually reach them regularly. I wonder if you are doing a little too much physically this soon after surgery? It’s a pretty major surgery & while walking is great 30mins is a lot in one hit. It may be stressing & pushing your body too much while it’s trying to heal & recover. Try spreading the 30mins out over the day: 2x 15 or 3x 10. Everyone is different of course. Personally if I walked for 30 minutes the first two weeks (or longer) I wouldn’t have been able to move for the rest of the day. All the best.

Check with your dietician about counting collagen as protein @Fitnewme327. It’s not a complete protein (doesn’t include all the necessary amino acids) & many say you can’t count it. Try siping through the night to help get your fluids in @Celesteb192. I always keep a bottle or large glass beside my bed. Sip when I get into bed, sip after every couple of pages I read, sip before & after every time I get up to pee - which is often 😁, etc. (I can do more than sip now of course but really it’s just a single ordinary swallow.) I get in about another 300mls - 10ozs. And yes it does get easier to the point it’s more just habit.

I wondered if sending them first to a US friend or family member first might be an option for you too. I don’t need to take vitamins anymore except for Vitamin D in winter. (Bonus of having a sleeve. 😉) My dietician recommended BioCeuticals. The ones I took were capsules but they do some as tablets, liquids & sprays (the D I use is a spray). Don’t know if they have any as a chew though. You can buy them direct or from certain pharmacies (they keep them behind the counter with all the better drugs). https://www.bioceuticals.com.au/

If you’re staying overnight, pack your own sleepwear. So much nicer to wear yours than the hospital gown. Plus yours fit better - no unintentional flashing as you do your laps around the ward. Same with your own soap/shower gel. The hospital antiseptic washes are drying & remind you you’re in hospital. All good for your soul. Toiletries, devices & charging cords, biotin mouth moisturising spray, lip balm, any medication you’re on (check with the hospital - I had to bring mine in their original boxes & unopened, Webster packs were okay). Wear the same clothes home you arrived in. Pack a spare pair of sleepwear & knickers. Accidents (diarrhoea) do happen & very quickly! All the best.

Good gracious $225 that’s like $340 Aust. Yikes! Is someone delivering it person from the States? I wonder if a different carrier would be cheaper?

Congratulations on your surgery & your recovery so far. You’ll find you won’t be able to consume as much purées as liquids. Liquids go through your tummy much more quickly. With purées your tummy will fill more quickly as what you’ve eaten hasn’t passed through as quickly & is still in your tummy. It’s the same but more so as your food becomes more solid & dense & takes longer to digest. Remember also that many nerves were cut during the surgery & messages about being full or having enough don’t get through at all or the signals are different. In the beginning this is important so you don’t overeat eat or drink & stress & strain your healing tummy (think of all those sutures & staples) holding your tummy together. Later it’s so we better understand when we’ve eaten enough to satisfy our needs & we don’t overeat. Full signals, even when working properly, take a long time to get through which is why we’re advised to always eat (& drink) slowly. Plans are different but it’s worth asking your surgeon & dietician about how much you should be eating & drinking over what time frames. Personally I’d think drinking half your daily fluid intake in 3 or so hours is probably pushing to hard. Remember have a sip & leave about 5 minutes before the next sip. Same with when you start to eat: small bites (like a nibble) & wait before the next. In time you’ll be able to drink more than a sip & eat more than a part teaspoon.

May be have a chat with your dietician & see if they have any ideas. Stalls are your body’s response to the stress of your weight loss & adjusting to the changes. I wonder if doing short fasts, increasing/decreasing calories & changing calorie sources may be adding to the stress. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve read that stalls are an important part of weight loss as they allow your body to reset your hunger hormones & metabolism to what you need at a lower weight.

Stalls happen. You just have to stick to your plan & wait them out for the 1-3 weeks they usually last. It will break when your body is ready. Not sure how much you were hoping to lose but you could be in maintenance or just experiencing the extremely slow weight loss many of us face when we’re almost at our final weight. Congrats on your weight loss. 91lbs is amazing.

It’s a brand called YoPro. I’m in Australia & don’t know if you have it. Annoyingly they don’t produce their yoghurt drink anymore. I like it better than Chobani which I found too sweet & was only 15g protein. But others have mentioned 20g protein yoghurts available in the US I just can’t recall the brands.

Just go slowly. Better to eat a yoghurt over an hour or so than be too low with your protein. I often took an hour to eat (I still often take 30-45+ mins to eat a meal or snack including yoghurt). It’s so thin it does go through your quite tummy quickly (not as fast as a liquid if course). You could always eat it slowly over a whole day (like grazing) if that feels more comfortable than eating that volume in one go.