Arabesque

Hey @MrsFitz, I’m a little confused. Sleeve does reduce hunger hormones - where it is produced in the tummy is in the section of the tummy that is removed. Unfortunately, hunger hormones are also produced in the brain which can compensate which is why hunger comes back in varying degrees for both sleeve & bypass.

My cousin experienced early menopause in her late 30s too. It was a shock to her as well. Thankfully she had a good & supportive doctor. I hope the functional medicine doctor is able to help you. I’d seriously consider going down the HRT route. I’ve been on it for about 8 years. I had an absorption issue with it after my gall was removed but we sorted that. So many benefits besides the hot flushes, night sweats, emotions (I got pretty feisty before I started on it), etc. There are other benefits as well: help with bone density by reducing calcium loss, supports muscle development/strength, brain & cardiac health & reduction in cervical, uterine & colorectal cancers. Plus I look way younger than my friends who are similar ages but aren’t on it (slows the decrease & can boost collagen production). PS Don’t forget it is normal for the rate of loss to slow to almost a crawl as we near our stabilised weight. Consequently those last pounds can be a right b*&ch to lose. Congratulations on what you have achieved so far.

Congratulations @kristieshannon. Welcome to the five years club. Yay! Where are you off to?

I don’t believe it really impacted my weight loss at all. I lost at a pretty good, stable & expected rate throughout. Lost all my weight by 6 months and then more. Plus a sachet (or 2 tablets) of hydralyte to make 200ml (I’d dilute it to 500ml/2 cups) is only 12 calories so wasn’t going to have much of an impact on my weight loss especially at the few calorie I was eating then (maybe 300 in months 2&3). Also it’s more important to get fluids in & if a glass of this helps it’s a win. If you track your food just remember to add it to your log to ensure you’re not increasing your caloric intake too much. A couple of extra calories here & a couple more there can add up in a day if you’re not careful. Check with your dietician or team for recommendations if you’re unsure which brand is best for you.

I don’t look for anything which is funny cause I’m a big reader of nutritional panels on everything else. I just bought hydra lite which was recommended by my surgeon. I did drink a diluted glass (it was so sweet) most days from early in month 2 for a couple of months. I was struggling with low energy, low blood pressure & episodes of hypoglycaemia. After a lot of that settled I stopped & then I only drank it or took some with me if I knew I’d be in a situation when I may have a hypoglycemia episode. Now I tend to eat some berries if I think a may have an attack. Looking back I probably thought a glass of hydra lite would have minimal impact on my weight loss in those first months but had a lot of positive impact on my ability (have the energy) to do what I needed to do each day.

I don’t drink sodas diet or not either except for soda water & tonic on the rare occasions I have a gin (can’t recall the last time I had one). I do drink sparkling water every day (San Pellegrino is my go to). I started drinking that around month 3 or 4 I think. I’d let it go pretty flat & sipped on it for hours interspersed with plain water back then. If I’m socialising I’ll sometimes have soda or sparkling water with a slice of lime if I don’t feel like an alcoholic drink. I stopped a lot of carbonated drinks some years before my WLS as a way of managing my reflux, of course the calories (😁) & I was questioning the use & impacts of artificial sweeteners. So I lost my desire/craving for it way before my surgery. But you know you best & whether it will lead you down a slippery slope.

Thank you @MrsFitz. It has been pretty crappy lately. I had small fibroids picked up last year & GP sent me for a follow up ultra sound to check growth in June which was when they picked up the cervical fibroid had grown but they questioned if it was a fibroid or something else. Sent to gyno. Sent for an MRI & they still don’t know what it is. Sent to a gyno oncologist. Waiting for deeper Pap smear result but considering a hysterectomy regardless of the results (she doesn’t know if the deeper Pap smear into the cervix actually reached the mass so another may not be an accurate test & result). At least, I’ve been able to get appointments to see each specialist comparatively very quickly: about 2 months from when I got referral from GP for ultrasound. I hope your getting appointments quickly too @fed-up & we get an answer and a way forward soon.

Oh no, @fed-up. I’m going through this too & waiting for results (an undiagnosed cervical mass) so I know how you’re feeling. Those ‘it could be nothing but ….’ statements from the specialists are the worst and then the waiting for results are a rollercoaster. You’ll be in my prayers. Fingers crossed for an all clear.

Funny how different our taste buds can be after surgery. Rice protein powder is a new one for me but I struggled with the pea protein. So much for its claim it was flavourless. I love peas but this tasted & smelt awful. Plus the texture - blah! I had a huge container of it & was going to throw it out but like you felt it was a waste of ‘food’ (& money). Ended up giving it to some friends of friends who loved it. May be you can find someone to give your rice powder to or donate it to a food bank?? I gave away some tins of tuna I had in my cupboard (gone right off it not that I loved it before). The pest man who came to spray my house yesterday took the two tins I had. Now to find someone to take the tinned salmon.

So sorry you are experiencing this @fed-up. Have you seen a dermatologist who specialises in hair loss issues? There may be something else going on. What are your blood work results like? Have you had your hormone levels checked?

Glad things have gone well so far. The sucking not blowing the spirometer confusion I think is pretty wide spread. We thought you had to blow for years before a nurse told us. 😁😁. Oh those inflating leg things that gently pulse to keep your blood pumping to avoid clots are wonderful. They felt so soothing. Will you be heading home tomorrow?

Usually weight loss & eating more nutritious foods boosts your immune system. Maybe you’re a little run down from the recovery & healing, the physical & emotional stress of it all, from the changed diet/lower calories & the initial more rapid weight loss. Low protein can affect healing but, if I remember correctly your protein intake has been okay. How are your iron levels? Anaemia can affect your immune system too. Sorry lancing the abscess was so painful. ☹️

Made meatloaf for the first time ever. It’s not something we traditionally make in Australia but decided to, give it a go. Of course I didn’t follow the recipe exactly - do I ever 😁. Added lentils, used tomato paste & balsamic vinegar for the glaze, added carrots & celery to the mix and used panko crumbs. Will be lots of portions to freeze!

Remember the first week is always the hardest on the liquid diet. I didn’t do it for my surgery but I did it myself a couple of time to try to lose weight before I ever thought about surgery. Maybe be a little more gentle on yourself and give your body time to get used to the reduced calories, low/no carbs, and whatever else has been cut from your usual diet like sugar & caffeine & your body used to rely on. The spring cleaning jobs will still be there & who cares if it takes you longer to get through them. (Mine are still there from last year 😂.)

So lovely. And look at that jaw line and cheek bones. Even your eyes are larger & brighter.

Some people do develop a sensitivity or intolerance to lactose after surgery. Don’t know why. I had it before surgery thanks to a parasite in my tummy which was in the section that was removed (good riddance) though I can still be a bit sensitive if I consume a lot of milk which if do in my rolled oats. So I drink lactose free milk now. Only difference between real milk & lactose free is that it’s a little bit less rich. It tastes great how ever you use it (porridge, shakes, coffee, etc.). Only thing is the skim/low fat versions taste sweet (well to me anyway) but I’m a full fat girl so …

Two weeks is the usual length of the pre surgery diet. But there are difference in what format the diet actually takes. Some are all liquid like yours (can be shakes or milk based drinks or other liquids) or two shake meals & one meal. Mine was keto. It, as @ShoppGirl said, can be influenced by your staring weight & how much weight they want you to lose to reduce the size of your liver before the surgery. It may be your general health status. It can also just be your surgeon’s preference. My two friends & I were each on a different pre surgery diet but all were two weeks long (2 of us had the same surgeon .) Each of us were in different places (health, weight) when we began.

Don’t know what bra size you are but have you looked at the seamless crop top types? I wear the Bonds (Hanes) one. They’re stretchy all over so plenty of give with no real cup just shaping and gathers & comfortable. Not the best in terms of keeping the girls high & pert but fine for around the house. The sizing is generally based on your band size not cup size. This is an Australia shop but it shows what they look like. I’m a 10E so I while I should buy a S I buy an M to cater for my E cup boobs. Lol! https://www.bonds.com.au/comfy-seamless-crop-wvlhy-lfn.html?queryID=def541b1464b9e5be69d5945c487f127&objectID=501141&indexName=prod_bonds_m2_bonds_products

When I was trying to slow my weight loss I was snacking 5 x a day. I felt like I was eating all day long. In time my meal sizes got a little larger though I still snack 3-4 x a day to get the calories in. Peanut paste, nuts, protein bar, string cheese, yoghurt. baked fava beans or chick peas, half an apple, small bunch of grapes, & my left over rolled oats, yoghurt & dried cranberry breakfast are all snack options. I’m a full fat milk & full fat salad dressing girl too. No low fat foods in my kitchen (in many cases it’s high sugar &/or high salt to compensate for the low fat). I wouldn’t get worried yet. Yes there is the bounce back many experience to keep in mind. Your remaining fat will resettle and changes your body shape & you’ll look less gaunt especially in the face. Much like we tell people while they’re losing not to worry about the number on the scales too much, the same is true now while things are stabilising. Though you say you look bony & too skinny how much of this is body dysmorphia & you’re not really seeing yourself? Are you too skinny or is it too skinny in comparison to how big you were before? Are you really seeing bones sticking out or just seeing some shadowing of bones or feeling bones which you’ve never seen or felt before or have forgotten? It takes time to really see yourself after weight loss. Our brains can really twist our thinking.

Oh that little hanging pooch I know well. It makes me smile when I look down & see it when doing my stretches. I mean I don’t like it but rather it than the big belly I used to have. 😁 As much as we’d wish it the exercising/weight training won’t get rid of the excess skin. It was stretched by excess fat not extra muscle. The muscle building does make your thighs or arms look better & can distract the eye from the sags & bags. I often get compliments on my arms and my wings are old retired hen size. Your baby chicken winglets are so tiny & probably very much like those someone who’s never had a weight issue has.

I sometimes get something like that. For me it was related to reflux. Little bits of food rise and because the valve doesn’t work effectively it rises further into my throat. It felt a bit like something is stuck & I’d try to cough it up. Don’t know if that’s what you have. Some people get excess mucus/phlegm stuck in their throats and some try to clear their throats to get rid of it. I believe there are over the counter things you can use or gargle with warm salty water if it’s that.

I’d just use a blender too. Believe me, you’ll be praying for the purée stage to be over. It’s like food but not food, the texture & the temporary changes to your taste buds really kick making so much disgusting. It can be a struggle to find something to eat at times. Not worth buying a new appliance to use for two weeks. (Though if you haven’t got a blender they’re always handy to have 😉).

Looking amazing. (Love the outfit too.) Congratulations @FifiLux. Whoo hoo!

I wonder if your therapist just chose the wrong word. I think we all enjoy food (stimulating all the senses) but what we don’t do (or try not to do) is rely on it as a comfort or let it take up a great deal of our thinking. So may be glamorise wasn’t the best word and focus or fixate may have been better. But they should have given you some strategies to help. You may have to ask for some the next time you meet. You know that old adage of eating to live not living to eat? For many of us that is what it is like now. I still love to go out to restaurants with family & friends. I still like to try new foods. I still like the taste, smell, texture, & sight of food. I still love to cook & try new recipes. I just watch portions, ingredients, cooking styles, frequency, etc. & make adjustments accordingly and also make the best choices I can in the situation. But a lot of that has become second nature now & don’t think about it much. If you were someone who used food to comfort or sooth yourself, the first weeks after surgery can be challenging. Your emotions can be all over the place & you may be stressed, anxious, teary, …. If when you felt like this before surgery you turned to food you may want food more now simply because you can’t which can also make you more emotional. Plus being restricted about what you eat can often make you crave the food you can’t have even more. Though challenging, these things are temporary, not long term & certainly not forever. In the meantime try distracting yourself when you find the food voices in your head too loud or you think you may hungry. It’s a great strategy we all use. Go for a walk (as you’re able), read a book, craft, ring a friend or family member, play a game or do a puzzle, check your socials (like this forum), meditate, etc. Sometimes a warm drink can be helpful like green or herbal tea (counts to your fluid goal too - yay!). All the best.

That sinew is the worst! I started hacking at it too but gave up. After a couple of hours of cooking it cut through like butter and no sign of it since. Think it melted away. So maybe just leave it & see if it cooks out for you too. My sauce was pretty much a Bourgogne sauce too except I did one cup red wine & 2 cups stock (1 chicken 1 beef) instead of 2 cups red wine & 1 of stock, plus carrots, onions, celery, garlic, fresh parsley, fresh chives, dried thyme & bayleaves. They were delicious. Froze four individual meals & will have the last of it as the third meal tonight. My sister-in-law puts hers on in the morning too and comes home in the late afternoon to dinner cooked. Hers is huge to feed their family of 7. They use it a lot. I bought my mum a little one probably like yours which barely fits in 2 teeny tiny lamb shanks which is why I didn’t buy myself one - too small even for just me. Happy when I found this 5.5 litre (11.6pints) in between size.