Arabesque

Your feet get fat just like the rest of you so when you lose weight you loose it on your feet too. I usually was a 38.5 but then went to a 39 when I gained my last 15kg. Now I wear a 37.5/38. Wait till your rings start to slip off your fingers cause, yep, even your hands & fingers get thinner.

I only told my mum, one brother & sister-in-law, & one friend (she was my transport😉) at first then slowly let other friends know. There are still some who don’t know. One because she’s always been very competitive with me so there was no way I was telling her. She thinks I went to a dietician which is partially true. I didn’t tell my other brother because I knew he & his wife would be very judgemental. When I first started losing he congratulated me & was supportive but then he found out about the surgery & has never said another word. His silence was damning in itself. Though at least I haven't had to put up with his criticisms…. probably because it’s been successful so far. I find it easier to tell strangers about the surgery than those I know & the strangers have all been quite positive & inquisitive. When I had my gall surgery last year I had to explain why I needed to make changes to the menu options. Afterwards several nurses come in to ask about my sleeve & experience which was unexpected. Wonder if family & friends have the potential to be most vocal about their negative (& often uneducated) opinions because they believe they have the right to tell you you’re doing the wrong thing & feel they have to ‘save/protect’ you from a such a terribly bad decision.

Looking fabulous @BayougirlMrsS. Who’s wedding?

Further to my post a while ago, I had my first micro needling session about a month ago but I had derma pen which is deeper & more precise. My reaction lasted about four days instead of the usual 1-2 days of redness. I spoke to my cosmetic physician & she’s going to do subsequent sessions more lightly as my skin is more sensitive. I’m expecting to have 4 sessions in total six weeks apart. It takes about three months for your skin to go through a renewal cycle & therefore to see any results. I decided to try it because of my cystic acne scaring & open pores. If it helps with loose skin that would be a bonus. My doctor also recommends a maintenance session every year. This pxt is about 6 hours after it was done. It was more rash like in the following days & no makeup didn’t cover the rashy blotchiness.

Started when I got home so about day 4. And the vitamins I was advised were capsules. They were a little difficult to swallow for day or so until the swelling in my throat fully disappeared. Always take your vitamins after you eat or with your last sip/bite. It may not solve any nausea issues but it will help some. Also don’t be afraid to spread them out across the day if you have to take multiple vitamins. I took one of the 2 a day I had to take in the morning & one at night.

This is another one of those it just depends because we’re all different. I can’t recall being swollen post surgery (it was a little while ago now) & wore the same waisted fitted pants home a couple of days later without issue. I do reminder feeling a little tenderness/sensitivity in the abdominal area for about a week. I used to roll my waistbands down to sit below my tummy not to put any pressure on the wounds. Same with tummy sleeping. I’m a side sleeper with a twist (so from about waist down I’m 3/4 on my tummy) & I was sleeping like that in hospital. But there are many who can only sleep on their backs for some time. Are you having issues with swelling? Are you swollen or bloated?

And a little head to toe colour from me. Was attending a lunch for a charity of which a friend is a director. It supports families who have lost a child from gestational losses to children in their 20s. First gala lunch they’ve been able to hold in 2 years. Tickets sold out in 5 minutes so they had to have additional people in a second function room & also live steamed the event. They raised $91 000. So marvellous for a worthy cause.

Your comment ‘in my head I’m not satisfied’ set off alarm bells for me & I’m worried you may have developed an eating disorder of some sort even though you say you want to put on weight. Have a chat with your surgeon/doctor & ask for a referral/recommendation to a therapist who specialises in disordered eating. It’s hard to judge your weight without knowing your height but I would worry you are underweight at 100lbs. What does your surgeon or doctor say? I would also think you are eating very low calorie to be at that weight too so if you want to gain weight the first step would be to increase your caloric intake. You can do this easily without introducing cakes, cookies, etc. into your diet. Simply increase the nutritious foods you already consume. This can be through snacks & portion size if your portions are smaller than recommended. Not knowing your diet, consider adding multi/whole grains. Snack on cheese, fruit, vegetable crudities, nuts, some good fats like avocado. Your dietician would be best placed to advise you on this of course.

While there are similarities there are also differences as we have different needs. I was barely eating 900 calories at goal at 6 months but some are eating 1200 within a couple of months. I was never given caloric goals. Just protein, water, & portion size recommendations. It’s best to discuss this with your dietician. They should consider things like, your age, height, build, gender, activity level, etc.

Yes, everyone is different & they have different requirements around needing vitamins or not. And our requirements do change. I would ask your doctor why too especially as your blood tests show you aren’t lacking in anything & have for a while. Though are your blood tests showing everything is okay because you take vitamins? Maybe some comparison testing is needed. I stopped taking vitamins at about 8 months with my surgeon’s approval. They were making me nauseous & I was still losing. I said you want me to stop losing than I need not to feel nauseous (it want all that bad more felt off than nauseous). My blood tests were good as well. He said ok but would keep reviewing my three monthly blood tests to ensure everything stayed stable.The only thing I take is vitamin D in winter as we realised it dropped every year then.

Heartily agree with everyone. You need to go back to your surgeon & your dietician ASAP. You also need a blood test to see what minerals & vitamins you are lacking & then you need to get on your plan & take the vitamins etc. you need for your body to function. We’re talking about your health. Curious as to why you aren’t eating solid food & aren't taking your vitamins? Some people are scared to start eating real food as they think they’ll stop losing. Is this your worry too?

Could be your multi vitamins. They used to make me nauseous & almost vomit most days. Ensure you take them after you’ve eaten & spread them out across the day if you take several. Iron is probably the worst culprit but other vitamins can cause it too. Try looking for a different t brand or if you take a multi & an iron tablet, you may need to cut down on the iron itself. But talk to your medical team first. Worth trying to see if they’re contributing.

It’s from the carbon dioxide gas they use to inflate your abdomen during surgery. This gas escapes by rising & being absorbed into your blood before being breathed out. When it rises it usually ends up under your diaphragm & puts pressure on a phrenic nerve which causes the shoulder pain. It can take up to a week +/- to disappear. Walking, deep breathing, marching in the spot, lifting your arms up & down all help move the gas. A heating pad can help with the shoulder discomfort too.

Like @kcuster83, I too did a lot of reading & I was fortunate who had a friend who’d had the surgery a good year before. My surgeon was very informative & gave me a book to read too. It was very reassuring to know what I was experiencing was to be accepted. Of course sometimes the actual experience can be different from what you imagined. And sometimes the degree to how we experience something can be less or more. If it is more be conscious of what may be too much more like too much pain or too much nausea. If you’re not sure give your surgeon or team a call to be certain all is okay or to get some meds or advice to manage it. My recovery went pretty smoothly too. The only real issue I had was low energy & low blood pressure but that in itself was to be expected based on my own idiosyncrasies with those things. Best advice for the constipation is keep on top of it. If I got to day 3 without movement, I’d take a stool softener. On the odd occasion I’d need to take two the next day but that would fix it. If it didn’t I probably would have tried a stronger laxative. Personally I have an issue with artificial sweeteners. Anything that continues to feed your desire for sweet things isn’t a good thing in my opinion. Xylitol can cause a lot of bloating too so tread carefully if you do decide to go down that path. All the best.

Wait until the butt pain starts radiating up your spine. That happened to me at work & it was horrendous. Took a few days to realise the cause was my bony butt not that I had done something to my back. Three years on & it’s a little better in that I can sit for longer periods of time without discomfort. Must have developed some calluses on my ass. Ha! Oh & I’ve been doing some exercises that are supposed to boost your butt for years & I still have no ass. Nothing there at all. Donut cushions are probably best as they protect & take pressure off your coccyx. Oh, & I bought a thick exercise mat from Kmart a few months back because I was struggling a lot doing sit ups which I’d added to my nightly routine (pain from the bony ass & bony spine). It’s a thick foam about a centimetre thick. Made a huge difference.

So sorry you are feeling this way @miamiman86 and I’m really glad you are seeking help. You actually raised some important points about weight loss surgery. It is not the easy way. It’s hard. Harder than just going on a diet or exercising. It will get easier but I know I will always have to watch what I eat & why I’m eating. The surgery removed part of my tummy but not the part of my brain that was behind my eating. That’s always with me. The decision to have the surgery has to be yours & yours alone. You alone are the one who has to do the work & live the experience. Your wife may have thought it would help you (& there are many health benefits) but if you’re not ready or unsure about having the surgery don’t have it. You need a lot of mental & emotional strength & if your head & heart aren’t ready & willing the surgery isn’t for you (at least not until you are ready). I’m glad you are doing well so far despite your regret. I will add, in time you will enjoy food as much as you did before. These early days are restrictive but it does change & improve. How you manage your maintenance, when you get where you want to be, is really up to you. You make the choices that allow you to live & enjoy your life & maintain your health & mental, physical & emotional well being. In time you may choose to eat differently. For example you may still eat old favourite foods but swap out ingredients or use different different cooking methods that offer better nutrition. You may choose to still enjoy certain ‘less healthy’ foods but you eat them less frequently in smaller portions. All the best.

Congratulations on your weight loss so far. You may not be at your goal but what you have done is a great achievement. The truth is not everyone reaches their goal. This may be the weight your body is happiest at - your new set point. Or your rate of loss could have just slowed right down. Ensuring you get in all your protein, water & other nutrients is vital & not doing so maybe compromising your loss. You just have to establish those better habits around eating & drinking to meet your goals. If you eat your protein first you should meet your goal without too much difficulty. Protein first, then vegetables & then only carbs if you are able. Sometimes all I’d eat was the protein component. Still do sometimes. And make any snacks you eat protein rich too. Keep fluids by your side all the time. I drink during the night, in the car as I’m driving, etc. I have habits like get in the car drink. Get out of the car drink. Red light drink. You can do this if you use public transport too. Remember all fluids count not just water. This far along you probably don’t need to be waiting 30 minutes between eating & drinking. Reduce the time you wait to a time frame you feel comfortable with & doesn’t compromise being able to consume the food you need. In my second year I only needed to wait about 10/15 minutes. Now I wait about 5 but can only take one large mouthful at a time - 2 swallows - any more is uncomfortable.

Perfectly natural side effect which most of us experience. Your natural hair loss cycle has been accelerated so the hair you’re losing you were going to lose anyway. It’s just happening more quickly than it usually does. The stress of reduced calories, the surgery & restricted diet, the hormonal flush & changes all contribute to the acceleration. Remember your body has more important things to use the food & nourishment you’re consuming for than protecting your hair at the moment. It usually only lasts about 3 months +/-. Don’t worry, your new hair is still regrowing but at its usual rate. Any vitamins, supplements you take to try to stop your hair falling may only benefit your new growth. The hair on your head is actually dead. Can’t save that. I know it can be frustrating & upsetting but the best thing you can do is just let it do what it’s doing. You don’t need the added stress of worrying about it. Some temporary hair loss is really unimportant compared to the weight loss & improvements to your health & welll being. PS - Many of us cut our hair if it was long so it doesn’t look as noticeable & it takes less time for the new growth to catch up & be the same length. You can always grow it again if you want.

Shouldn’t be too difficult. A dairy or lactose allergy is quite common & there are so many plant based dairy substitutes for cheese, milk, yoghurt, butter, etc. & plant based protein shakes available these days (thank you vegans) it should be easy. (Watch the coconut ones though as those I’ve seen often have a higher fat content.) The protein content may be something to be conscious of too but as your doctor said, your dietician should help you out with that. As for the sunflower seed products, which is more uncommon, you’ll probably just continue being vigilant with ingredient labels. Actually some people develop a temporary lactose intolerance in the beginning & simply swap to plant based dairy products & shakes without compromising their weight loss.

I’m almost 3 & a half years & I still feel my restriction at times. Though it’s usually not related to how much I ate but what I ate. I felt it Saturday night because of some coarse vegetables I ate. Got a slight case of the foamies too. ☹️ However the goal really is not to feel the restriction just like it shouldn’t be to feel full as an indicator to moderate how much you eat. Once you feel full or the restriction you’ve already eaten too much. I ask myself do I need the next bite or do I just want it. And I only serve myself an appropriate portion. As @summerseeker said we’re all different. While there may be similarities you really can’t compare yourself directly to another. You’ll work out the portion size, the foods you need to eat & the calories you need to consume to lose & maintain your weight & for your body to function effectively & healthily. If you’re determined to do it you can eat around your sleeve but do you want to? To go back to eating how you did will only lead you back to each to where you were before surgery - with a weight problem. I eat smaller portions than I did. I eat more regularly now (was a meal skipper). There are a lot of foods I don’t eat any more or eat very little of or rarely but that’s my choice though there are some that don’t sit as well (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) I don’t eat. I eat a lot more protein because of an absorption issue. I don’t eat a lot of carbs & very little sugar (real artificial or alternatives) & I feel better for it. But again that is me. You’ll work these things out for yourself too. Remember, no one diet/way of eating works for everyone. All the best.

Yes, it does get better & easier. As @liveaboard15 said you are still healing & your tummy is very sensitive. I used to say my tummy was like a petulant, tantrum throwing two year old. The changes to our sense of taste/or smell is very common & is temporary. And it is also very common for certain foods to make you feel nauseous & blah! This too is temporary though some foods take some people longer to tolerate. You’ll even discover a food you eat one day, you can’t tolerate the next day. If that happens, just take a break from that food for a few days or a week or two, then try it again. The most common foods people struggle with seem to be eggs, chicken & steak but yiu could have different ones. Take it slowly leaving a couple of minutes between bites/sips. Ensure you take small bites & sips. Don’t push yourself to eat a food you think you should if you find you’re unable to not ready to yet. You’ll get there just in your time.

I had this problem years ago when I did a liquid diet not as bad as you’re experiencing though. I was told then it was because the shakes have a lot of fibre & block you up because your stools get too firm & hard. And you’re not eating any fruit or vegetables to balance your diet. I’d avoid additional fibre supplements until post surgery as much of the constipation then is because you’re consuming even less. And initially post surgery you’re consuming more than just shakes - broths & soups, milk, … if it’s so bad ask if you could try the two shakes & one meal (protein & vegetables only) version of the pre surgical diet. They may say no but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Sorry the lentil recipe wasn’t mine. I just throw them, barley or beans into whatever soup I’m making. I’m a bit of a whatever’s in the pantry/fridge soup maker. Actually I’d probably do really well on those cooking shows when they’re told to just use the provided pantry. Ha! 1/2 cup oats, tablespoon seed mix, good 1.25 cups milk. Use the coarse cut oats not instant. They’re better for you than the instant ones & much coarser/chewier when cooked. I can eat a full serve most days but I am almost 3 & a half years out. The seed mix I buy from the supermarket - supposed to be a gut health blend. An Australian brand called Kapaipuku. The only thing I don’t like is it has a little monk fruit powder. Don’t know why as it’s not needed & there are also raisins in the mix.

Can’t really help on the vegetarian meal suggestions except for beans, lentils & barley dusges. I often throw lentils, barley or beans into soups for extra protein. What about faux meat products? I know some are fine with them but others won’t eat them. I understand the dislike of sweet things (I eat very little sweet foods) but I don’t find rolled oats sweet at all - wouldn’t eat them if they were. I use traditional oats with a spoon of seeds, make them on milk & add some blueberries before eating - 15g of protein (which is more than 2 eggs). I don’t add natural or artificial sweeteners. The natural sugar in the milk & the berries is plenty for me. And this is usually the only fruit I eat in a day & one of my two serves of multi/whole grain carbs.

Lol! Wet or liquid farts. Yep some do experience them. My friend’s surgeon suggested disposable underwear for the first week or so until everything settled. She told me it was the best advice. I think the smell, diarrhoea & wet farts are from all the blood, debris & stomach acid from the surgery working there way out of your body. That first hideous & very sudden diarrhoea I had in hospital was very dark & smelly. Wish I had the disposable knickers that day. 😁