Arabesque

A lot of your hunger could actually be head hunger & not real hunger. Our head can play lots of tricks. The boredom you’re feeling with the diet can cause head hunger. As well as coming to terms of eating such small amounts actually being enough (how can this little bit of food fill me up) can make you think you’re hungry. Stomach acid can also trick you into thinking you’re hungry & at the moment you’re likely producing the same amount of acid as you did for your larger old tummy. Are you on a PPI as they can help? Oh and most of the time a grumbling tummy is just your digestive system working & aren’t hunger pangs & a sign you’re hungry. Remember too lots of nerves were cut during the surgery so all the messages you used to know about feeling full & hungry aren’t working or aren’t working in the same way. Many of us find our signals are very different after surgery. There are lots of new things to learn about your head & your body. But you’ll work it out. Just stick to your plan. The restricted diet is to protect & support your healing tummy & support your weight loss.

Yes, you should be eating more than 2 tablespoons at three months. Best to check with your dietician though to be sure as plans & your needs do differ. I was told start with 1/4 - 1/3 cup slowly increasing to a cup as I was able which I reached at around my 6 month mark but it did depend upon what I was eating. I was barely eating 900 calories at that point. Remember not every portion is the same & calories & nutritional content play a part too as well as the density of the food. Oh & 30lbs is a good amount to have lost by three months. I’d lost about 33lbs at three months & my surgeon was very happy. So you’re doing well. Congrats.

Am jealous @GreenTealael. My grocery store no longer stocks the dukkah I really liked. Had a good balance of cumin, thyme & pistachios. So frustrating. This is my last box. Waaah!

Just log it when you have finished drinking all you made. Or if you don’t finish it, just record what you did drink. So if you drank 3/4 of your shake that’s 6ozs of fluids & 3/4 (or 75%) of the total protein content of the protein powder you added plus the protein in the milk). Keep it simple when you can. There’s enough to be thinking about & working out in the beginning without complicating aspects. 😀

I understand PCOS can make your weight loss a longer & more challenging journey. So you’re carrying an extra hindrance to what your trying to achieve. Doesn’t mean you are or will fail. What dues your surgeon say? Do you still see your dietician? Do you still measure & track what you’re eating? Are you having regular blood tests to ensure you’re not lacking anything? Are you still losing weight even if it’s very slowly? Sorry for all the questions but it does help us offer suggestions & to share common experiences. Don’t give up.

Yep, that tightness across your sternum is your restriction. Mine always makes me want to slap my chest to relieve it not that it works. It’s a sign to stop eating now. Not everyone gets the runny nose or sneezing full signals - I don’t. And it will take time for you to feel & recognise your full or had enough signals. The signs may be more subtle to begin. Remember all those nerves they cut during your surgery. This is why it’s important to stick to your portion size recommendations. You should aim to stop eating before you feel your restriction or you feel full. Stop when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself 3.5yrs on do I need this next bite or just want it. Nothing wrong about stopping before you eat all your portion either. It can be easy to eat around your restriction & your smaller tummy if you just wait a bit until you don't feel any discomfort & eat again so be careful. There are lots of things to learn & to discover how things work for you. You’ll get there.

The bad taste could be ketosis or even some reflux (gerd). If it’s ketosis that’s good. It means your body is burning fat. If it’s reflux, a PPI will help if you’re not taking one. Lactose intolerance usually involves sharp cramping & diarrhoea usually within a couple of hours of eating a lactose product. Artificial sweeteners can cause cramping & diarrhoea too (especially the sugar alcohol ones - those whose names end in ‘ol’). Of course it won’t hurt to avoid lactose & see if it helps. But chat with your surgeon to be sure & your dietician for alternative food suggestions.

That doesn’t surprise me. I quite liked some of his earlier videos (the getting off or staying on the elevator one was particularly good) & then he seemed to be all about the money. Pay to join his group. Pay to have access to his advice, videos, etc.

64oz (2L) of fluids is usually the goal everyone, not just bariatric patients, are advised to aim to consume each day for our bodies to function effectively & healthily. More if you sweat a lot or live in a hot climate. So yes, you’re not getting in enough. Maybe they meant to count 32oz through your shakes, broths, etc. your ‘food’ so to speak & 32oz via water & other fluids?? I understand a demanding job limiting your drinking & peeing. When I taught I’d go to the bathroom when I left home at 7am, again at lunch time & when I got home at 6pm (would race inside doing the have to pee now dance). I used to drink lots of water when I got home to compensate - would down glass after glass after glass. Can’t do that now so drinking throughout the day is essential. You should aim not to ever feel really thirsty. Maybe try working a routine of drinking & peeing at work.

Happy surgery birthday, @summerseeker. 🥳🎉

Lifestyle changes are a major part of any long term weight loss & maintenance plan regardless of whether you have surgery or not. To return to eating the same way as you did before is a guarantee of weight regain. How & what you eat in the long term is up to you & how to manage it so it works with your lifestyle. Many are more flexible in their food choices & eat foods which may be considered unhealthy at times. But they don’t do it everyday, watch portion sizes & they accept it will result in a some regain & maintenance at a higher weight. It’s all about balance & sustainability. It’s important to keep to the no fluids 30 mins before & after eating while you’re losing to avoid filling up on them & flushing the food through your tummy more quickly. Plus you’ll be sipping & drinking all through the day so you won’t really feel thirsty at meal times. As time passes you’ll discover the amount of time you need to leave before & after eating. It may just be 5 minutes. And you eventually won’t miss drinking while eating. Just another of the new habits you’ll adopt. Taking vitamins long term isn’t always needed with a sleeve. The only reason you may need to continue to take additional vitamins is because you are lacking in something. I haven’t taken vitamins since 8 months post surgery. My blood work showed & continues to show I’m not lacking in anything & have no need to take supplements. Except, this year we realised my vitamin D levels drop in winter so I take D only then. Nothing to do with the surgery - just me & my sun avoidance ( am very fair). I weigh 2kgs more now than I did at my lowest weight. I put on the weight at the end of last year after a necessary dietary change (don’t absorb protein well since my gall was removed) & a medication change. Don’t like it but accept it for what it is. Sometimes things are beyond your control. I’ve never been able to maintain like this after weight loss. I’d be regaining in a couple of weeks after a diet. I work at it every day. I watch what & how much I eat. Don’t exercise as such but have a series of stretches, sit ups & resistance bands exercises I do almost every day. A lot of this is discovering what you need & what works for you.

I described my tummy as a petulant, tantrum throwing two year old. An angel one day & a demon the next. Eggs can be too rich for some plus the mayo & your tummy may have just said hell no. Well at least not yet. Dumping is rather severe: cold sweats, heart palpitations, bloating, dizziness, light headedness, nausea, cramping, etc. can last for a few hours. It will knock you about for a while too. They say you won’t forget it once you’ve experienced it.

We don’t have thanksgiving in Australia but Christmas is very big here - food everywhere. As some others have suggested, go for the meat first, then add a few vegetables. Avoid the dressings & ‘sweet’ sides. It can be difficult to measure/weigh food if you’re a guest at someone else’s home. Practise comparing serving sizes at home before you go. For example what does 2oz of meat look like. How much does a spoon of mashed sweet potato weigh. Compare to the palm of your hand, the length of a finger, etc. too. Sounds silly but it does work. Don’t be afraid to choose one of the smaller children’s plates either instead of a larger adult plate. Have a little fruit, if you’re allowed, for dessert. Yoi’ll find that the first Thanksgiving will be the most challenging to work out. In subsequent years you’ll have more flexibility in your food choices. Like, Christmas now is one of the rare times in a year I will have some dessert.

Water can seem almost too heavy to drink in the beginning. I drank a large mug of green tea every day to supplement my water consumption (herbal tea is ok too). Also sip during the night. I get in a good cup or more in that way. And yes, your shakes count, as well as any soups you may drink. I eventually started letting sparkling water go flat & added that to my daily fluid routine also - I liked the minerally taste. You’ll get there.

Warm drinks are often more soothing in general. Try room temp water & even warming your shakes a little too. Anything too cold would make my tummy sort of clench - can be a lot for our healing tummy to cope with. But if the pain persists or you think it’s more pain than you should have, have a chat with your surgeon. Our taste & sometimes smell can become more sensitive to certain things. I didn’t enjoy the shakes either. Had one a day & then ate soups (broths, consommés, etc.) for other ‘meals’.

Vegemite & marmite are similar in that their main ingredient is yeast extract (from barley & wheat) but they’ve some other different ingredients. Vegemite has a much stronger taste & is thicker & harder to spread. Promite has vegetable protein as it’s main ingredient. It is a softer spread & has a slightly sweeter & more mellow taste. All three are good sources of vitamin B & generally considered healthier spreads. The main problem is you tend to slather butter on with them. LOL! I’m a Promite girl but I did enjoy Marmite when I was a child which my paternal grandmother always had. Vegemite is too strong - even the smell irritates me. Yeah, not a good Aussie about that. 😁

You’ve had a pretty major surgery & are on a restricted diet so low energy, feeling weak, etc. is pretty much to be expected. Your body has been & is going through quite a bit. We recover in our own time but you will start to notice some improvement when your body has recovered more & is feeling stronger. You may be experiencing a postural drop in blood pressure. That is your blood pressure drops on standing & then regulates itself very quickly (less than a minute). Hot showers can cause it to occur too. If you are concerned or you think it’s going on for too long, give your surgeon a call. The change in your taste buds, & sensitivity to some smells, is also very common. It’s temporary, but can make finding something to eat a bit challenging at times. I would think your calorie intake at this stage is okay. I was eating way less than that but that was me. Check with your dietician, though, as all plans have different expectations around calories. Some are encouraged to eat more. Some aren’t given any calorie goals - I wasn’t.

Milk always caused me problems but never yoghurt too. It’s because the bacteria used to make yoghurt reduces much of the lactose & therefore fewer or no side effects & cottage cheese has less lactose so you may be able to eat more without it affecting you. Try switching out your milk for a lactose free or non dairy version & same with other higher lactose products & see if that helps. Also, if you still have shakes try a plant protein powder instead. For many the difficulty with lactose is only temporary. If this is your problem I hope it’s temporary for you too.

It’s another one of those things where different surgeons & dieticians have different plans & requirements. I wasn’t given macros either apart from protein. Just portion advice (1/4 - 1/3 of a cup), a list of approved foods & advised to keep my fats, sugar & carbs low. I wasn’t even advised to track my food. I randomly did that for my own interest. There’s nothing wrong with asking for more guidance like wanting macro goals if you’ll feel more confident & comfortable with having them. You have to do what you need to have the greatest success.

Constipation is very common. It does getter better & you’ll find your periods of constipation won’t be as frequent or last as long. It’s usually worst in the early stages when you’re eating very little, which means you don’t have much to poop out as waste, & on a restricted diet. Once you’re able to eat a little more & a greater variety of food & nutrients, you’ll start to notice an improvement. Keep up your fluid intake & taking your additional fibre. Don’t worry if you don’t go every day (most of us don’t in the beginning) but also don’t let too many days pass before going to avoid discomfort & straining. I used to take a stool softener only if I hadn’t had any movement for two or three days just to keep on top of it. But have a chat with your surgeon if it persists or if you don’t feel comfortable with how long you go without pooping or with how you manage it.

The constipation doesn’t really last that long - usually just while you’re losing & it lessens as you progress & as you’re eating a broader range of foods & your portions get larger. Sure, I still have the odd day I have no movement but I used to have that before surgery. It could be I didn’t drink much water the day before, my diet was a little off or just my body. Nothing to do with the surgery. Many believe obesity & certain foods can trigger IBS which is likely why obese people with IBS do experience a reduction of symptoms after bariatric surgery: because of the change of diet & their weight loss. Certainly worth eliminating the worst food offenders from your diet to see if that reduces your attacks if you’re not already doing so. And a further, more detailed conversation with your doctors may better answer your questions & concerns..

Yep, bony ass syndrome. Well that’s what I call it 😁😁. It does ease somewhat eventually but if I sit too long (movies, theatre, hairdresser) I feel it again. I even got bony wrists, knees, shoulders & ankle pain for a while - would have to reposition myself in bed numerous times a night & the pressure on my bony wrist while using a mouse was awful . Now I have bony spine pain. I had to buy a very thick foam exercise mat cause my yoga mat offered no protection for my butt or spine. If you do have to sit for longer periods like at work, the movies, or long car rides, try a donut cushion.

Some people are just plain awful. Remember being told: if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all. Or to put your brain in gear before operating your mouth. Or you don’t have to share everything you think. What happened to that??? Who gave people the right to say (or write in social media) anything they damn well please with no thought to the person they’ve targeted & for it to become acceptable behaviour. Yes, I said targeted because for most I think it’s a deliberate act. Even if they think they’re being clever & witty, they are deliberately not considering the impact of their words.

Your body is healing and getting used to all the changes after your surgery. Listen to your body. Rest. Take it slowly until you feel stronger. It does pass. PS - add an electrolyte drink to your daily routine with a little boost. Ask your dietician or surgeon for a recommendation.

Sadly, the surgery only takes away part of your stomach not the part of your brain that tricks you into thinking you’re hungry. That’s one of the battles we have to deal with ourselves. And unfortunately we don’t ever really beat head hunger just learn to understand what it is, why it is & how to control it better. The surgery does take away some of the areas in your stomach that signals you really are hungry. This is why many of us, but not all, don’t feel hungry for some months. Mine disappeared for ages. Felt it once around 7months and then not again until well into my second year. I still have times when I’m not all that hungry - wish I had them a little more often 😉. But everyone is different. Real hunger feels different than head hunger but you will have to work out what those signals are for you. I get restless, know something is wrong but takes a while to realise it’s hunger. If you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s head hunger. Is there a logical reason you’re hungry like you missed a meal then that’s real hunger. (In the beginning you may think I must be hungry I don’t eat much but between what you are eating & your stored energy - fat - your body has ample to burn to function.) And you can’t distract real hunger away like head hunger. A rumbling, grumbling tummy are usually not a sign of hunger but a sign your digestive system is working. And often ‘hunger pangs’ aren’t hunger either just excess stomach acid. A PPI will help manage this excess stomach acid. All the best.