Arabesque

Beautiful pxt, Jake. Thank you for posting it. Your fan club misses you. We’ll put the date in our diaries so we remember to message you. (Don’t worry we won’t crash the wedding 😆😆.)

It can be difficult at first to get the full 64ozs in. Swelling from the surgery & a sensitive tummy can’t make it more challenging. As long as you’re making an effort & getting closer to the full 64ozs you’ll be ok. And don’t forget your protein shakes, soups, broths, all count to your fluid intake. Often warm drinks are more soothing & easier to drink: try adding green or herbal tea to your daily fluid intake. Protein waters are great addition as well. Some find it helpful to set a timer so they sip every 5+/- minutes. I also drink during the night. 64ozs or 8 cups of liquids is actually the recommended intake goal for all adults not just those who’ve had weight loss surgery. It’s necessary for your body to function effectively.

It’s becoming more & more common & not just for weight loss surgery patients. I know 3 women who have iron infusions (none had wls). Five years ago I knew no one. (If you will continue to take iron supplements as well as the infusion, don’t take the iron when you take calcium as the calcium inhibits the absorption of the iron.) As for restless legs, my mum (suffered for decades) found a lot of relief from Sifrol. It’s a Parkinson medication. Worth talking to your doctor about.

I feel exhausted just thinking about it. PS - Set a date for your wedding yet, Jake? Or if you are married, we need pxts. 😁

Congratulations. Fabulous achievement. 🥇🏆

I’m a big fan of acupuncture. When I did my back & ended up with oozing discs, I did three sessions of physio over two weeks & no real help - she just gave me exercises which I religiously did. Went to my acupuncturist & had a dramatic improvement after one session. He used heat lamps & electroacupuncture. Worth a try.

I didn’t get all my protein in either in those first couple of weeks. You’re healing, not hungry or interested in eating. My surgeon was ok as long as I was making an effort & was getting in a little more every couple of days. Same with fluids. You’ll notice some days are easier than others & that’s fine too. You’ll get there. Just slowly sip on those protein shakes, soups, etc, all day. They count as fluids so double win. Try protein waters too.

Head hunger or real hunger? Real hunger feels different. I get restless & think something is wrong. I don’t crave a specific food, flavour or texture. It also doesn’t go away. And there is always a logical & reasonable reason why I’m hungry like I haven’t eaten much all day or have missed a meal. It usually occurs later at night but that’s me (been known to get out of bed to eat some chicken meat at 11pm). Head hunger is related to boredom, habit, emotions, time (it’s lunch time I must be hungry), etc. Also excess acid can cause you to think your hungry. And in most cases, a grumbling, rumbling tummy is actually just your digestive system working not that you’re hungry. It can take time to work out the difference but is all part of our learning. As is discovering how to manage the head hunger if it is that. Have something to drink like water as others have suggested or a warm drink. Distract yourself: craft, clean, read, play a game, ring a friend, check social media or this forum, etc. Or wait 30 mins or so before satisfying the hunger. But yes, your hunger does come back. When is individual though many seem to start at about 6 months. But as with most things some start earlier & some later. So you may be experiencing real hunger. Check with your dietician to review your current food choices & intake. Maybe adding a little more food to a meal, if you’re able, will help if it’s real hunger. Try a couple of nuts, some jerky or other meat, yoghurt, boiled eggs, & other protein dense foods as snacks. But again check your plan & ask your dietician for suggestions.

Bresola with crème fraiche & fresh grated horse radish. Super easy to prep & to eat. Took it my cousins for a pre Christmas drink. Forgot to take the before pxt but took one after the plate had done the first round of the guests. Unfortunately we don’t get those ginormous tree branch sized horse radish roots you see on UK cooking shows. Just sad looking, wizened roots.

I detested them too which is why I turned to drinking yoghurt. Shop around as some don’t have a lot of protein or have a lot of sugar (real or artificial). The one I drank had about 25g of protein per 200mls if I remember correctly. Unfortunately they don’t make it anymore. 😩 You can make your own- just add milk to your favourite yoghurt to thin it out. Add some fruit & extra protein powder if you want.

I also lost my interest in food & wasn’t really hungry so I get how you feel. I also was only eating two ‘meals’ a day to begin but then I realised I needed to eat for my body to function properly. So I started to eat more regularly. I found eating to the clock helpful. It actually changed a lot of my relationship with food. That adage of eating to live not living to eat became true for me. (I still very much enjoy food but I consider what & why I’m eating it.) As a place to begin, try adding a third meal of a smaller portion & eat it even more slowly than you normally would just to get into the routine. Or add a yogurt drink or shake at sometime during the day & look at them as a drink not a meal with the bonus of necessary nutrients. Have you had a chat with your dietician to review your diet, nutrient & calorie intake. They may have some suggestions re nutrient dense meal suggestions. The lack of hunger & interest in eating doesn’t last. It’s a temporary bonus of the surgery. Though my lack of hunger lasted into my second year, most find it starts to return in their first year from about 6 months. Actually you’ll get to a time in the future when you wish you still experienced them.

Is it true vomiting or just the foamies regurgitation? Try ruling out the causes you suspect first: eat earlier & try lighter, less dense foods. Also ensure you’re still eating slowly & not exceeding your portion sizes. Is there a common ingredient in what you’re eating for which you could have developed a sensitivity or allergy? Are you starting to worry you’re going to vomit after you eat & then you do? Sounds silky but I’ve noticed I’ll often end up with the foamies when I worry that I may get them because I’ve had a couple of embarrassing incidents - like when dining out or at friend’s home. But it often strikes an hour or two after I’ve eaten. Weird I know but I spoke with my surgeon’s associate at my last check up & she said it can happen. One of those idiosyncrasies we can have. Strong pain is usually the most common symptom of gall issues. Nausea & vomiting are possible but less common & usually after eating rich fatty/oily foods though we do respond differently. Maybe give your surgeon a call especially if you’ve ruled out the obvious.

So sorry you’ve had such a dramatic reaction to the stress of the surgery & weight loss. It’s seems so unfair that some experience more severe reactions than others. Our bodies can react so differently & unexpectedly. But I’m very glad the loss is slowing for you now. Losing your hair can be very demoralising. Would a hair piece or wig help until your new growth catches up for when you want to look & feel more confident? It looks like you have a little peach fuzz happening which is your new hair growth - yay! (Remember you’re still growing new hair while your losing hair at an accelerated rate.) PS - Congratulations on your weight loss so far. That’s certainly something worth celebrating.

I second the follow your plan advice. Always the best thing to do. I’m not a coffee drinker (gave it up years ago because the caffeine stirred up my reflux & kept me awake all night & decaf is sacrilegious 😉) but I was allowed green tea (which is what I drank anyway) & herbal teas. This was great as I found warm liquids more soothing then cool/cold. Is the no whole milk requirement because of the fat content? Does it mean you can have low or no fat milk? That may be worth a question to your team. It’s an easy way to get in fluids, some protein & other nutrients when water or your shakes get a bit blah.

It could be something as simple as gas (colic) or a strained muscle. Try a heat pad & see if it helps. Any associated temperature, vomiting, nausea or tenderness in the area? If so a visit to a medical centre may be best. Same if the pain persists or isn’t alleviated by the heat pad.

I’ve never heard of it so did a quick read about it. It sounds like a way to sell their supplement (yeah, I can be a bit cynical) & those with certain medical conditions should not follow it. Sure people can lose weight on any diet but keeping it off is the problem as we know. (How many diets have you tried over the years?) Diets are designed to be short term & restrictive. Finding a sustainable way of eating that doesn’t restrict you living your life & provides your body (not your head) with what it needs is the way. It may include aspects of certain eating styles but the way of eating you find that works for you will be personal to you. It won’t be exactly the same as how & what I eat or someone else eats. Go back to the basics of your initial post maintenance eating as a start. Meet your protein & fluid goals. Eat lots of vegetables, some fruit, some low processed whole/multi grains & some good fats & oils. Avoid high processed, high fat, high sugar foods. Reestablish the good post surgery habits of smaller portions, eating slowly, measuring & tracking your food intake, etc. And then modify your eating as you need. Get in touch with your dietician for some guidance & support. Life just gets in the way sometimes (health, family, friends, jobs, etc.) & old habits sometimes regain their old power & override our good intentions. Many turn to food for comfort in times of stress. (So sorry about your mother’s diagnosis @mgt3boys.) Maybe visit a therapist to discuss ways of managing stress & anxiety without turning to food & ways to break those old habits. Because you’re newly post surgery, it’s best you follow the diet you’ve been given & the advice your dietician & surgeon give you @Merri Beth. Because our portions are so small after surgery what we eat is extremely important to ensure our body gets the nutrients it needs. And they have access to your medical records & blood work to ensure you are getting what you need. As you get closer to your goal, start exploring how & what you want to eat for the long term & what your body need to eat to benefits your health.

Don’t worry, none of us worked it all out in he first few weeks. I’m 3.5yrs out & I still discover little idiosyncrasies about how my body reacts & responds. Satisfied or enough is the goal not full. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or just want it. The wanting leads to feeling full & feeling your restriction (that’s the tightness you feel in your chest). If you’re feeling the restriction at this stage, I would worry you are trying to eat way too much. Most don’t start to feel their restriction until well into soIid foods. And with all the nerve endings that were cut during the surgery, the signals you used to get that you were almost full aren’t getting through. When the hunger & full signals do come fully back they may be different. Watch your portions. I was advised 1/4 to 1/3 cup of purées & soft food depending upon what it is & how liquidy it is. Keep your bites small. I used a teaspoon & only put food on the end (sort of dipping in the purée). Put your spoon down between bites & sit back from the table. Wait a couple of minutes before taking the next bite. It takes time for your body to recognise it’s had enough that’s why we’re advised to eat slowly. These things worked for me & you’ll have to work out how you can manage your eating.

Our weight loss journeys will have similarities but lots of differences too. Yours just may lose at slower rate & that’s okay. I don’t think you’re being dramatic as your dietician suggested. This is a big emotional, mental physical (& financial) investment in your life so there’s nothing wrong or ‘dramatic’ about wanting to be sure you’re doing the right thing. Oh & don’t worry too much about not exercising & that affecting your weight loss. I didn’t do any & I lost all my weight & more. I just increased my normal day to day activity - used stairs not escalators/lifts, parked further away, did multiple trips up & down my stairs (why do one trip to bring up the groceries when I could do two or three). All I do now are some stretches to support my back & some resistance exercises with bands. As @catwoman7 said, exercising only accounts for 20% of your weight loss (though I read it was only 10% for most people). Of course there are many health benefits to exercising. Just find something you enjoy when you’re ready.

Stalls are extremely common @rparker3313. Everyone experiences at least one with the first usually occurring at about week 3 & they usually last 1-3 weeks. Some start earlier or later or last longer. But your snacking won’t be helping and, like with @RDC2019, therapy will likely be of help to you to so you can discover why you’re snacking when you’re not hungry. It’s sabotaging your weight loss. Snacks tend to be high calorie foods with poor nutrition & especially when you’re still so early out the nutritional value of what you’re eating is essential for your health & for your body to function effectively. Protein, protein, protein. Eat it first & then when your plan allows eat some vegetables & lastly, if you’re able a little fruit or low processed multi/whole grains in a meal. I remember being able to eat my protein & maybe a green bean or two or a cauliflower floret & that was all for a meal for about three months.

The pouch reset is a bit of a urban myth. Returning to better eating habits like when you first reached goal is best & a more sustainable eating style & behaviour for the long term. You said you don’t feel hungry but you’ve fallen back into old habits like snacking. It may be helpful to seek the support of a therapist to discover why you are eating when not hungry. Many people find therapy very beneficial in working out the why of their eating & strategies to change behaviours & manage the habits, cravings, etc. Get in contact with your dietician too to ensure you’re on the right track in regard to food choices. All the best.

Everyone experiences at least one stall. They usually last 1-3 weeks. They’re just your body taking a break from all the stress you’ve been putting it under - changed diet, weight loss, increased activity, etc. (There’s a more scientific explanation but that’s what it boils down to in simple terms.) Just stick to your plan & you’ll start to lose again. How long long takes you to lose the rest of the weight you want to lose is very individual just like the rate at which you lost the weight you have so far. Thing to remember is that your weight loss will slow as you get closer to goal so it will take longer to lose the last 20 than it did to lose the first 20. You’ll be consuming larger portions & a wider variety of foods so getting closer to the calorie intake your body needs to function. This is meant to happen. Your body also gained a new set point as a result of the surgery. This is the weight your body is happiest at. It may be more or less than your goal. So you may not lose all your weight or you may lose more. If you want to push below your set point you will have to work harder to get there & harder to stay at that lower weight (lower calories, more activity) & that usually is not sustainable in the long term. Also your lowest weight is rarely the weight you are a couple of years later. Everyone gains some after - varying amounts. Your body settles, you modify your diet to be more sustainable & better compliment your lifestyle, & often just life in general. I lost more than my goal. 48.2kg at my lowest but have settled at 50.5kg 3.5yrs later but it’s a weight that’s right for me. Lots of people cried ‘too thin, too thin’ in the beginning. Now they don’t say anything at all. Just like we can have trouble seeing the reality of ourselves, so do family & friends. Don’t let your friend, as well meaning as she may be, sabotage you or make you doubt your intentions in anyway. You know what you’re doing. You have access to a dietician & to your surgeon & their team to guide & advise you & ensure you are healthy. All the best.

How scary for you. Glad you got medical support & they were able to help you Your question is only something your doctors are really best to answer. They have access to your medical history, knowledge about the severity of your A Fib episode, medications, etc. It may just mean a delay to your surgery until your meds make a difference & your heart is healthier & more stable & you can be off the blood thinners in the lead up to the surgery. You’ll be put back on them after the surgery anyway. All the best.

Soup is great. I love it. I didn’t count thick hearty meat & vegetable soups as fluids. Added barley or lentils absorb the stock & vegetables add to it so just too difficult to work out the proportion of broth (& I couldn’t be bothered to strain it & remix it). Wouldn’t be a great deal of liquid anyway. I also could only approximate the protein. Used 500g of meat & made 8 portions so about 60g of meat & tracked the protein of that.

You’ve just had pretty major surgery. A lot of the tiredness & low energy, is just your body telling you to rest so it can heal & recover from the surgery. Listen to it. Of course some days you just have to get things done & don’t have time to have a nana nap or take things more slowly. I found an electrolyte drink would give me a bit of a boost. Many taste very sweet though so maybe ask your dietician for a suggestion. I diluted mine (doubled the water) & sipped it through the day with my other fluids.

Oh, yeah, everyone experiences them. Just look at them as your body taking a break. It’s been going through a lot & just like when our lives get a bit too much & stressful, your body is just pulling the covers over its head & saying nope, can’t deal with anything else for a while. Don’t stress it out more by making changes to your diet & activity levels. Stick to your plan as others have advised & the scale will start to move again.