Arabesque

How awful. Did you find out why this happened? What was the cause? My initial thought was muscle spasms in my back which I had when I was still in hospital (bought tears to my eyes). Surgeon said I was holding my body stiffly in response to pain & discomfort. For me it was swallowing - had a lot of swelling & could barely swallow a sip of water the first 24/36 hours.

That will be the anaesthetic coupled with the stress of the surgery itself. Many find their hair temporarily changes texture (more coarse, finer, etc.) after any surgery not just weight loss. Then add in the reduced diet with our diet, our natural hair loss cycle is accelerated. Double hair whammy. 😁. I wondered if that would happen too as the extension is attached to your hair which is more likely to fall out after our surgery. Tape extensions may be better???

I don’t believe will power plays a long term major role in your success either.. I have decades of evidence that my stubbornness & pig headedness meant I could stick to any diet & lose weight. But I always put weight back on because i always went back to eating exactly the same way. Sound familiar? I never dealt with the why I ate. I never permanently changed my relationship with food. My will power couldn’t compete with those old, strong habits & thinking. Many of the benefits of the surgery don’t last. Your hunger comes back. Your restriction isn’t as strong. You can physically eat more, etc. (People can & do eat out around their restriction & their smaller tummy.) What the surgery does is give you time. Time to lose weight. Time to examine what, why & how you eat. Time to change your relationship with food, to establish new habits & routines around eating. Time to do the head work. The surgery alone doesn’t do all the work for you. If you think it will you won’t be as successful. Reframing the problem, as @SpartanMaker suggested, certainly worked for me. For many years I managed my reflux through dietary choices. Cut out daily carbonated drinks. (Limited how much soda or tonic water or champagne I’d had when socialising.) I cut out caffeine (except green tea). No spicy food (helped I had a sensitivity to chilli). Avoided rich, creamy, fatty, oily food. If I ate/drank them I would experience severe hiccups & other reflux symptoms. It became it didn’t matter how much enjoyment/ pleasure/comfort I got from eating/drinking them, they made me sick so it wasn’t worth it. I approached my post surgical weight loss & the way I eat now the same way. I’ve put my health & well being above any emotional benefits I got from eating. I feel so much better by not eating in my old way. I don’t get bloated & windy everyday. I don’t have those little white pimply bumps on my arms & they aren’t dry & scaly either. My thighs don’t rub together so no more heat rashes. I sleep better. My feet don’t ache when I wear heels or stand for any length of time. I have more energy. I didn’t have any comorbidities before my surgery so I can’t claim I don’t have those anymore but my chance of developing them is extremely low. I’m maintaining my weight. And so on. Initially it was my physical well being that motivated the change of thinking but now there’s also a emotional & mental well being component. And yes, part of that is vanity. The old maxim of eating to live not living to eat resonates strongly with me. I’m trying to apply this thinking to the stretching exercises I do now. (I really don’t enjoy exercising.) I feel better & body parts are looking leaner & more defined. Sorry for the long post.

I think genetics play a big part in how strong your teeth are. So there may be a predisposition or weakness to various teeth issues. My brother has never had a dental issue, refused to take the fluoride tablets as a child, wasn’t the most regular brusher & rarely goes to the dentist. His dentist says he’d go broke if he was relying on doing procedures on my brother. I was the opposite, did & do all the right things: 6 monthly visits, brushing, flossing, fluoride, … & yep I had wisdom teeth removed, braces & fillings. (Haven’t had any for years though.) I also wonder how many of the teeth issues after surgery is actually from years of eating a poor diet??? It can take up to four or five years for tooth decay to reach a stage that treatment is necessary. Do you have children? Remember mothers lose a lot of calcium while pregnant weakening their teeth (& bones). Also, I hate to tell you but menopause can play havoc with your teeth too. https://www.periodonticsnaples.com/the-negative-effects-of-menopause-on-oral-health You may be experiencing a perfect storm of contributing factors.

To add to @SpartanMaker’s great response, a few things I’ve discovered that have worked for me. Often, because of the delay of your fullness signal, by the time you feel full, you’ve often already eaten more than you need. I’ve found I sometimes have a very slow signal. I can unexpectedly feel full an hour or so after I finished eating. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s one of the reasons I still eat slowly. If my meal has cooled I’ll simply reheat it. It’s also why I don’t rely on feeling full to stop my eating. My goal is not to feel full but that I’ve eaten what I (my body) needs. I ask myself if I really need the next bite or if I just want it (I share this a lot). It’s how I’m more mindful of my eating. I often pick up my fork or spoon, ask myself that question & put my cutlery down again. I do this whenever & wherever I eat - at home, at family & friend’s, at restaurants. I may eat that bite a few minutes later or I may not eat any more at all. Portion size is also a big consideration. I don’t always eat all of my portion but I never eat more than my portion. Also don’t be afraid to set aside your portion if family demands stop you eating all your meal. You can always eat some more or finish it later on. Treat the unfinished meal as a snack or as eating several small meals. You’re not exceeding your caloric intake for the day by doing this. Many have found this to work for them.

I’m with @SpartanMaker, it’s likely what you’re eating. Maybe not directly related to your surgery but there could be a certain food or food group that isn’t being digested as well & causing the gas. I used to have a sensitivity to lactose thanks to a parasite & would get a lot of wind (& then diarrhoea) if I had more than a little lactose like a milky drink or milk on my cereal. I think my surgery might have cut away the parasite but still only have lactose free milk just in case. It’s also a common sensitivity post surgery though often temporary. Other foods that can cause excess gas & colic like pain include: beans & lentils (gave me a lot when I first began increasing my consumption) brassicas - cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc. fructose - found in fruit & as a sweetener added to some foods corn, pasta, potatoes, rice & other starch rich foods sorbitol & other sugar alcohols found in artificial sweeteners (this is a common sensitivity after surgery) Maybe an elimination diet or a version of your own making and see if cutting out certain foods helps. Also what does your surgeon suggest?

Good idea to give you an idea of how your recovery might go. Just remember everyone’s recovery is different so know it may not be what you experience. You’ll also find some posts here about how people got on. All the best.

This is perfectly normal. You’ve just undergone a pretty major surgery & your recovering & healing. Listen to your body. If it says rest or nap, have a rest or have a nap. (Wish I could still justify an afternoon nap 😁.) How long this current lack of energy will last as it will depend upon how you heal & recover. And you may have another period of low energy in a couple of months - it’s our body getting used to the changes. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your fluid roster. Try to get your fluids & protein in. It may be difficult to begin but keep working at it. It does get easier & you will feel stronger & have more energy as you progress. All the best.

Had a few leftover vegetables to use up before they went to God (or the bin) so decided to make a 4 egg omelette. Celery, capsicum, tomatoes & cheese. It split when I was flipping it so looks a bit messy. Had half for lunch yesterday & will have the other half tonight.

And also you’ll likely experience them a couple of times while you are losing. All perfectly normal.

Surely all that food should be kept in your lunch room or kitchenette not in the open working office space?? I understand having a few snacks at your desk for your personal nibbling (we all do that) but this sounds like day long party eating. I worked in an office where the lead would have an informal catch up team meeting with morning tea in her pod. And another office that regularly held lunches & morning teas to celebrate or recognise just about any event you could think of or create. But once everyone had eaten the food was packed away. You could go into the lunch room to snack on a leftover if you wanted. If people bought in a home cooked treat it was kept in the lunch room too with an open invitation to help yourself. People would grab a coffee & pick up the treat & go back to their desk. Unfortunately, you can’t stop what others choose to eat but is there any way to influence where that eat it or where it’s stored or shared??

You’ve lost 52lbs. That’s great. Whoo hoo. Are you feeling better? Are you able to do more? Are you learning more about yourself? Are you changing your relationship with food? … These are the things to focus on. As @heatherdbby said it’s how you look at it. I agree with @catwoman7, there are too many factors that affect how much you’ll lose & the rate of your loss. Sure there are averages but with all averages some people exceed the average & some don’t meet the average and there’s nothing wrong with that. I say celebrate every pound you lose. You’ve worked hard to lose every one of them. Same with setting hard & fast inflexible weight loss goals & setting a time frame in which to attain that goal. Too many factors to predict how much & when. It can be depressing & lead to you sabotaging your loss if you don’t reach that goal or reach it in a specific time frame. Not every one reaches their goal but if you do or exceed it that’s a bonus. All the best.

I still eat slowly. Not quite as slowly as in the beginning. Mostly it’s about eating mindfully for me & not overeating. If I eat too quickly or without care my restriction will kick in & at worst I’ll get the foamies. Also remember it takes time for the message you’ve had enough to eat to get through. By the time you feel full you often have already eaten more than you actually need. If you want to slow your eating try putting your cutlery down between bites. Sit back from the table. Work out small strategies to slow your eating down. Like if dining out I don’t eat while someone is speaking (unless it’s a long story 😉) & I focus on them not my food. If watching a program take a bite when a scene changes. Sometimes I only eat after I win an online game or after I’ve read one or two pages. Instead of a drinking game make a eating game.

The temporary change to your taste buds & for some more sensitive sense of smell can make finding something you can tolerate eating difficult. I remember being excited about being able to eat vegetables again in soft food but my favourites were awful. Took me a few tries to work out which ones I could eat. At 10 weeks I would expect you are on solid foods. I focussed on ensuring I was eating all my protein first at each meal & only a small amount of vegetable if I was able & usually only for dinner. I very happily never had another protein shake once I was on purée - they were disgusting. And like @catwoman7 I didn’t have to continue with them either. I supplemented my protein intake with a high protein yoghurt & yoghurt drink. Water can almost be too heavy too drink at first. Don’t be afraid to try other liquids & not just plain water. I’d have a large mug of green tea, a yoghurt drink & flattened sparkling water (left the bottle open - I seemed to tolerate the mineral taste better) as well as plain water. Some find warm drinks easier to drink than cold too. Hunger & appetite do return. When is individual but between 6-12 months is pretty common. I found it a helpful time to change my relationship with food. I started to eat to a routine because I knew I needed to eat to get in the nutrients my body needed to function not because I wanted to eat or wanted to eat a particular food, taste or texture (head hunger).

I have that multiple times a day. It’s likely orthostatic hypotension - postural low blood pressure. It’s quite common after surgery but is a temporary side effect for most. I had it before surgery which is why I still have it albeit a lot more often. I get it not only on getting up but can also get it if I reach & look up high. Keep your fluids up. Add a little more salt to your diet. Get up slowly & wait for a short while before moving (15 +/- seconds can be enough). Don’t get overheated. When my vision starts to go I reach for a wall, chair, table, even a person, just to ground me for those few seconds. I also find if I bend over it passes more quickly as the blood gets back to my head sooner. BUT, do speak to your medical team to ensure that’s what it is.

I had an increase in my menopausal symptoms after I had my gall removed in 2921. We increased my dosage but nothing changed (except a small weight gain) until my GP wondered if I wasn't absorbing them well anymore since the issue started after the gall surgery which also caused a protein absorption issue. She put me on a HRT patch as a trial. Well, she was right. The symptoms are gone & I’m only on a low dose HRT again. Malabsorption can be a concern with bypass so maybe ask your doctor if the absorption of your HRT could be being affected. Bonus of the patch is no pills - yay. Just replace the patch every 3.5 days. Oh, & I’ve slowly lost some of the weight I’d gained.

Snap! I’ve been having gyoza occasionally too lately (prawn though) but I usually just steam them. How much oil if any do you add to your air fryer & how long do they take to cook? I usually have 4 gyoza for about 130 calories but only about 9g protein which isn’t great ☹️.

I bought a big tub of ‘flavourless’ pea protein powder & it was awful. All I could taste was a stale pea flavour. It was probably linked to the temporary change in my taste buds because I love peas but I couldn’t stomach that. I never had another protein shake after those first two weeks. I discovered a high protein drinking yoghurt (make your own by blending yoghurt & milk) & I could eat yoghurt from purée. Got another 15 - 30g of protein depending which I had.

Any cream broths are fine. Just strain them in case they have herbs added. I had a lot of soups during liquids because the shakes were disgusting. I also diluted them as some were a little thick plus more fluids. Chicken was my favourite.

The gas drops & gasX won’t work because the surgical gas isn’t in your digestive system but in your abdominal cavity. It rises to settle under your lungs & puts pressure on nerves causing the discomfort. It passes into the lungs where it escapes the body in water droplets you breathe out. Best thing to do is walk (as much as you can) & you can also march on the spot, do gentle arm lifts sitting or standing & deep slow breathing. Many find heat packs soothing. It usually disappears in about a week +/-. Congrats on your surgery .

Iron & vitamin C are known to cause nausea (plus the iron can add to any constipation woes). Ensure you take them after you eat. Also check to ensure you’re not doubling up on how much iron you’re taking if you take a multi vitamin & an iron tablet. Maybe look to a different brand or formulation like a tablet not a chewable. I was thankful I didn’t need to take iron on top of the multi vitamin I had to take. (My 2 monthly blood tests while I was losing showed my iron levels & stores were always very good.) The multi alone made me nauseous. Was so glad when my surgeon said I didn’t need to take them any more when I was two months into maintenance (8 months post surgery).

You’ll only need to take the strong pain meds for a few days - I took my last one on day 4 but probably didn’t need it. Some find over the counter enough in a couple of days. We all handle pain differently. The shakes can taste disgusting after the surgery because our taste buds can temporarily change. Have a couple of different brands & flavours on hand. I forced myself to have a shake in the morning (doubled the water to dilute the flavour) & then had diluted soups (broths, consommés) the rest of the day. Ask your dietican for other protein rich fluids you can try. It’s really only for a short time. Water can be sort of hard to swallow - heavy. Try drinking other liquids as well. I drank green tea, thinned yoghurt drinks, electrolyte drinks as well as the diluted shakes & soups.. Warm drinks are often easier to drink - more soothing. As the months pass you will be able & encouraged to eat more. I was advised to start with 1/4 - 1/3 cup from purées slowly increasing to about a cup at goal (at 6 months for me). Check with your surgeon & dietician for their recommendations for portion size, maybe calories & any other nutrient goals like protein. Yours will be different to mine simply because you’re male. Same with when you progress through the restricted return to eating stages to support your healing. I was on 2 weeks cycles: liquids, purées, soft before solid which is pretty common. Having the surgery is not being a quitter. The truth is you will still be doing the work & it is hard work. You can’t rely on the surgery alone to be successful. People can & do eat around their surgery. The loss of appetite & hunger don’t last & some don’t lose them at all. I worked harder after my surgery than on any other diet simply because I wanted this to work & be as permanent as possible. The head work, understanding why you eat, your cravings, habits, etc. is probably the hardest aspect. I also did a lot of reading to work out a way of eating (not a diet - they’re temporary) that worked for me & could be sustainable. This was a huge difference. I could always lose weight (until the last gain I had) but I could also put it all back on again because I went straight back to what I did before. I was a quitter then because I didn’t stick to any exercise plan or change of eating style. I still watch my portions, monitor my protein & fluid intake, randomly check my calorie intake, & carefully read the nutrition panel on the few food stuffs I buy - I tend to cook most of my own food from scratch. All the best whatever you choose to do.

Congratulations on your surgery date. 🎉 Check with your surgeon about what vitamins to take. You have your own needs (which your blood test should show) & your surgeon will have recommendations of what others you should take & what formulation you should take them in - chews, capsules, patches, …

I used to take them a few minutes after I ate. A single swallow & then I’d not drink again for 30 minutes. If you have multiple tablets, spread them out across the day. I took one multi after breakfast & the second after dinner. Or I’d have them with a yoghurt drink.

The situation is a little different in Australia. No insurance restrictions or approvals needed. As long as you’re covered by your policy & your free to choose any surgeon you want. I agree. Personal experience referrals are a great place to begin. I spoke to a friend who’d had the surgery about a year previously. She highly recommended her surgeon. When I met with my GP to ask her advice & get a referral she said she knew of the surgeon & thought I’d be happy with him too. I was. Felt very comfortable at my first meeting so proceeded. My surgeon had several dieticians & therapists he referred his patients too. He recommended one dietician he thought I’d work well with & also a therapist (though my surgeon said therapy wasn’t a requirement for me unless I wanted or needed).