Arabesque

I second the suggestion to track everything you eat or drink. I know it can be annoying to weigh/measure and record everything but it is the best way to ensure your portions are too large or you’re missing hidden calories or underestimating them. For example ate your potatoes mashed with butter, milk & are you counting them? Try to focus more on home made foods too so you can control the ingredients and cooking methods. I’d also suggest eating more regularly aiming for three small meals of real food not two meals of shakes. I was someone who lost their hunger and interest in eating for about a year. I ate to a routine to ensure I was getting in the nutrients I needed. I still eat this way. Even if I’m not all that hungry, I’ll still eat something. At 800 calories, most of your meal would be protein with some vegetables. Take your record of your tracked eating & drinking to your dietician and ask them to review it and make actual suggestions of what you could eat (add or remove). Demand better advice than an eye roll or general you must be eating something that’s sabotaging your weight loss.

Yep, it is exactly like a growing baby’s stages of eating: liquids, purées, soft food then solids. Most of us are told no pasta (rice or bread) because it swells in the tummy and takes up valuable space which should be dedicated to protein and then vegetables. Plus they are simple carbs with little nutritional value when the nutrient value of what we eat is so important. When you are able to eat carbs look to whole or multi grain complex carbs and then only if you are able to eat them after eating all your protein first, then vegetables, (then fruit if you are able) and finally carbs. You’ll be getting some good carbs in any vegetables & fruit you eat. Some, like me, can never go back to eating pasta, rice and bread. They just sit far too heavily in our tummies. Don’t be worried if you eat a meal that is solely protein either. I often did that but it wasn’t for all my meals or every day but sometimes the protein was all I could eat at a meal. Also yes to high protein yoghurts. Blend them with milk for added protein & to make a smoothie. These were a game changer for me in regards to meeting protein goals. The yoghurt I buy used to have a pre-made yoghurt drink with 34g of protein & I would sip it during the afternoon. But be careful of some pre-made ones as they can have lots of added sugar or artificial sweeteners and not much protein.

Great advice from @SpartanMaker as usual. I’d also add if you’re lifting weights you’d be building muscle which is heavier than fat. So you could have been losing some fat during this time while building muscle. May be consider having a dexa scan to measure your current muscle, fat & bone density. Then have another in a couple of months to compare. Are you still in contact with your dietician? If not maybe arrange an appointment. Because you are aware of your average daily calorie intake, I presume you’re measuring and tracking every thing you’re eating and drinking every day. I’d take this with you to the appointment and ask the dietician to go through it with you in case you are missing something not only in regards to calories but nutrients as well. If you’re a random tracker like I was and am, vigilantly track everything for a week or two before seeing the dietician. Don’t give up though. The scale may not be moving but I bet you’re fitter, stronger and generally healthier than you were before.

I hear you about the shakes. I found them sweet too and also very grainy so texturally off putting. I used to dilute the shakes to try to reduce the sweetness and had only one a day. Shakes aren’t your only source of protein if you’re still in the liquid stage. Bone broths, consommés, cream soups can all be eaten/drunk during this stage. I found the bone broths salty so drank cream soups ( just strain them to make sure there are no stray fibres or random chunks). I agree with @summerseeker’s suggestion to make your own shakes with milk, yoghurt, protein powder, skim milk powder and an unsweetened powdered flavour if you wish. You will likely find this sensitivity to certain flavours, textures and even smells continues for a couple of months. Your tummy can be pretty fussy. I described mine as a petulant, temper throwing 2 year old child. You may find you tolerate something one day but not the next. It does pass so don’t think you’ll never be able to eat those foods ever again. Multi vitamins can make you nauseous too. Make sure you take them after you’ve eaten or with the last few sips of your shake, broth, etc. Also if you have to take multiple vitamins spread out across the day when you take them. I’d take one multi in the am and the other in the pm to reduce the effects of the nausea. Also have you tried taking an anti nausea med to get you through this period. Your liquid stage will soon be over and then you’ll be on purées and that can be another interesting experience in finding something you can tolerate eating. It does get better and easier.

I did some of my own research first and I had a friend who had got a sleeve about a year previously and I picked her brain a bit. The surgeon went through each of the surgeries listing pros & cons of each. He also discussed my eating habits and weight loss and gain history. Though I had reflux I managed it with dietary choices and maybe took medication 5 times a year he still recommended the sleeve because of my history & eating habits and I had no co morbidities or other health concerns. It was the way I was leaning too so the decision was easy after that. My brother recently had sleeve surgery too. He didn’t have any co morbidities either. The surgeon said he would be considered very healthy for someone in a healthy weight range let alone some one at his weight and recommended sleeve because of that. (Interestingly it was the same surgeon but my brother didn’t know the name of my surgeon to tell him he’d done my sleeve too.)

Did anyone see that influencer saying fair life shakes don’t have any protein because they don’t list protein in the ingredients? Ignored that milk, containing protein, is listed as an ingredient. Don’t know what’s worse: that this uneducated fool is spreading this misinformation over social media or that people will believe him. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I ate a lot of minced meat dishes (meat balls with gravy, bolognese sauce, savoury mince), slow cooked stews and soups so the meat and vegetables were very soft and tender. Omelettes, rolled oats, scrambled eggs, sausages (from butcher not mass produced), soft white flesh fish, yoghurt. A lot of it comes down to the flavours and textures your tummy will tolerate & it can be a bit fussy. You may go slowly at first and stick to just a couple of foods to begin gradually adding more as you test out your tummy.

Just checking you had your surgery in May so you’re 8 months out? Mmmm 800 may be a little low for you given your height and gender though that is a conversation to be had with your dietician with consideration of your needs and activity. I’m a lot shorter than you, female, likely older & wasn’t very active when losing and I was eating about 900 at 6 months and at my goal & I kept losing. Even now I maintain at my weight eating about 1600 calories. Though if you’re not hungry do you need more calories at this time?? I do disagree with your dietician saying if you increase your intake you will gain as you will continue to lose weight eating more calories if you’re still in a deficit (i.e. eating fewer calories than your body needs to function). It may slow down your rate of loss though. Yes, this time of year can be difficult with so much food and so many treats. It really does come down to making the best choices you can when you have little or no control of the food available. Consider portion size. Can you swap out anything? Try to balance your intake across all your meals during the day. Keep focus on your protein first then vegetables. Avoid carbs and limit what sweet treats you may indulge in. And if you’re not hungry you don’t have to eat because everyone else is. If you’re contributing a dish, make something you can eat without compromising your plan. Remember this is not everyday but just this time of the year so don’t beat yourself up if you do go off plan though try to get back to your regular eating style/plan as soon as possible. I’m 5.6 yrs out and I still follow these guidelines in these types of situations. After four Christmas gatherings with full on meals over a couple of days, food to prepare & leftovers to eat, I am glad to be back in my own home, with my own food choices and my own eating routines. I weighed myself this morning and I only put on 300g (0.6lb) over Christmas & being away a week so the guidelines do help to keep things under control. PS What are the shots you mentioned?

Mmm not sure but I’d check in with your doctor especially when it is a new and unusual pain and lasts a while like yours does. PS - I find these diagrams helpful to rule out some things and as general information when experiencing pain.

Sending you good wishes for your Brest check and that they find nothing untowards. Hoping it just is finding out more about your breasts since they’re likely smaller and you can feel things more easily now. I remember finding a hard lump as I was doing a self check of my deflated breasts only to realise it was a rib bone as I felt around more. Congratulations on your continued weight loss and getting into the next stone bracket. Yay! And yes, I’m for a little Christmas treat too. Enjoy your dark chocolate and have a most wonderful Christmas. PS. You’re not alone in feeling a bit flat about Christmas @NickelChip. A few friends and I are feeling the same. Can’t be bothered putting up a tree, hanging a wreath on a door, …Can’t blame it on the cold, or the heat in my case. Just a bit bah humbug. Though we had an early Christmas dinner with my younger brother’s family last night and watching his children (7-14yr) be so excited about opening their presents did boost my spirits. Oh & we did a little drive around to see the local Christmas lights. Hope wrapping your gifts will brighten your Christmas too.

I puréed a few things. (Tinned fish was the worst - disgusting.) You can purée quite a few proteins (wouldn’t do steak but you could do minced beef) as long as you add enough liquids like stock, milk, gravy or water. Or you can use things like mayo, ricotta, cottage cheese with eggs or chicken (like an egg salad). Really it comes down to how your taste buds react to certain flavours in these first weeks or if you’re repelled by the texture. I could eat scrambled eggs (I made them pretty soft with extra milk), instant rolled oats (again extra milky), and I would puree chunkier soups. I did have baby food a couple of times when I couldn’t eat what I’d pureed. A lot of people swear by a ricotta bake. Sure someone has a recipe they could post.

Think your way works too @GreenTealael. It’s nice to have the proof of what we always knew about ourselves 🤣🤣🤣.

Also 59 and agree it never hurts to ask. And if a revision isn’t an option (for whatever reason) ask about GLP-1 meds or other options available to you. You never know the answer if you don’t ask the question. All the best.

Congee would be too thick (dense) & textured to be considered suitable for the fluid stage. It will be fine for the purée stage though. Liquids have to pour like water. No lumps, chunks or fibrous bits even tiny soft ones like in congee. Water can feel almost heavy to some plus because your taste buds may be temporarily ‘off’ it can taste odd. Have you tried adding a little lemon or lime to your water? I was allowed green or herbal teas which were a bid send to break the water. Don’t forget your shakes & the consommés, broths you are allowed in the liquid stage count towards your fluid intake for the day. I often added additional water to my soups to thin them out more and to the shakes to dilute the taste which was awful to me after surgery. A lot of people also drink protein water and crystal light too as a break from plain water. Congrats on your surgery & your weight loss so far.

Recently visited the PL Travers, author of Mary Poppins, museum. (She was born in Australia not the UK as many think.) If you are familiar with the Mary Poppins’ books, movie or musicals you may remember with the scene where Mary measures the Bank’s children with a tape measure which shows their personality. They had the tape measure on a wall at the museum. Turns out, just like Mary Poppins, my 5’3” height means I’m practically perfect in every way. Lol! Found a t shirt that said this & bought a size 12 CHILD’s! Good gracious. Proof below. Ignore my flat hat hair and my extremely shiny face. (And yes my friend’s disagreeable without coffee measurement is true too.) Same shirt but for some reason it looks beige in this pxt. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Many of us discover that what we thought as of being hungry actually wasn’t hunger at all just our heads directing our eating. I remember the first time I experienced real hunger after surgery. I truly didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was restless. It was late in the evening & was in bed trying to sleep but tossing & turning. Knew something wasn’t right then I realised I hadn’t eaten since lunch. Aah, I’m hungry. Had a chicken tender and went back to bed and fell asleep all good again. Grumbling tummy, no hunger pains, no craving of a specific food or flavour or texture. So you may be on to something and on your way to discovering what your real hunger feels like. Whoo hoo!

My surgeon always keeps his patients in overnight and a second day if they live alone (I do). He kept me a third day as my back went into spasm - not a complication of the surgery just me holding stress in my back where I have a weakness. Was fine otherwise. He kept my brother in three days too to give him a break from his five children (aged 7-14). I know 🙄. I like to think it was so he’d stronger & his wife wouldn’t have 6 children to look after. 😉

Yes, it could be your hunger returning. PPIs reduce your stomach acid and consequently the crampy ‘hunger pangs/pain’ excess acid can cause which makes you think you’re hungry. Never known them to make you hungry. (i’ve been on daily Nexium since my surgery and prior took it randomly yet never experienced hunger.) Might be worth asking your doctor or surgeon. You never know. PS. I’m so over these pharmaceutical shortages. Back to not being able to get my HRT patch - was 5 months without them last time. I mean what the F! I ask my pharmacist to double dispense all my scripts and I still run out.

Was given opioids in hospital for three days & a script of palexia (also an opiod) to take home . I took one that night to ensure I slept but probably didn’t need it and took no more. Pain is always difficult as people have different pain thresholds. If you have a lower pain threshold couldn’t hurt to ask for a script for a small number of opioids just in case.

Only you know the answer as you have to be ready, mentally, physically and emotionally, for the surgery and the changes you will have to make to be successful with the surgery in the long term. I was healthy, no comorbidities at all yet I knew at my weight and age (almost 54) the chance of them developing was very high. I also knew I could lose weight myself as I had many, many times before (though it’s much harder as a menopausal woman) but I also knew I could put it all back on again which I always did. The decision was easy. Woke up one morning and said enough. Made an appointment with my GP and 6 weeks later I had my surgery (no or very few hoops to jump through in Australia if you meet the criteria). Yes, the first couple of months aren’t easy: restricted diet, temporarily changed tastebuds and interesting discussions with yourself around food, eating, hunger, etc. (the head work we talk about begins). Pain was gone after 4 days though if you have surgical gas pain it can linger a week or so. You’ll discover and decide how & what you want to eat in the long term to maintain and that may be different from others. It’s all about what works for you & your lifestyle. Many people still eat ‘unhealthy’ food but it’s all about the portion they eat and how often they eat it. Everyone travels & then it often comes down to making the best choices you can and not beating yourself up if you do indulge while away. I just came back from a short girls trip and ate an obscene amount of cheese & drank more than I usually do. I’m okay about it and got back on my usual path when I got home. Like @NickelChip there are things I avoid. Bread, rice, pasta sits heavily in my tummy too. Foods can be super sweet so I generally avoid sweet things (I do indulge at odd times like at Christmas). I don’t find it hard to avoid or reduce my intake of those foods I struggle to eat or choose not to eat rarely. I don’t want to waste the opportunity I’ve been given. And yes, I’d do it again in a heart beat. All the best whatever you choose to do.

Oh my gracious @ShoppGirl what a battle you have been fighting. But it sounds like you are facing this with your usual strength & focus though I’m sure there are days that are extremely difficult. I think it ‘s amazing you are still trying to balance your weight loss with your treatments. And it sounds like you have a great attitude around doing the best you can when you can & f*@k the days you can’t. You were enjoying your yoga and am glad you have access to some virtual classes. I too love the inner peace yoga provides. (I still get it with the few yoga stretches I do at home.) Sending blessings your way.

LOL! Mine are mostly grey now as well & have to get them dyed every 4 weeks too. I supposedly have a little scar tissue on the inner of my brows - deep, can’t see or feel anything. That’s the only ‘issue’ I’ve had and it doesn’t hinder the annual touchups I get. Find a reputable technician. I had a 30 min consultation where she went over everything, asked about allergies, experiences with other dyes, etc. & then I made the appointment to proceed after that. I’m given an antiseptic cream to apply twice daily for a week after. It dues bring tears to my eyes when I have it done even with a prescription strength topical anaesthetic.

Unfortunately you can stall many times while you are losing. Each time it is just as frustrating, They will break. I wonder if you are making too many changes and just need to stay your coarse for a while. Remember a stall occurs when your body needs to take reassess and take stock of your current needs in regards to metabolic rate, digestive hormones, etc. The weight loss and duet is quite stressful to your body and it too needs to take a time out, shut the door, and take a breath much like we need to do mentally in stressful times. Certainly getting your iron levels and any other deficiencies sorted is important. It may help as the deficiencies might be adding to the stress your body is under. All the best.

Yes, it could be the beginning of a stall but remember all the weight loss rates you read about and weekly/monthly weight loss goal you may be given are all based on averages @eJean. For everyone who meets those averages there’s someone who exceeds it and someone who doesn’t meet it and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with having lost 16.5lbs in your first month. Don’t ‘only’ it. You’ve lost more than a stone in a month. Amazing! I remember my weight loss slowed so much around months 5 & 6 I was losing grams/ounces a week @Bypass2Freedom. I never thought I would hit my goal - it was hellish frustrating to be so close yet so far in my mind. Yet I did and then continued to lose 11kgs more for another 11 months at various rates. So don’t give up. Do remember though that if you reduce your calorie intake to reduce your weight more you will have to continue to eat less than you are now to maintain the lower weight. You never know the weight you will stabilise at and you can maintain. You can stay your oath or make some adjustments and see what happens. Oh, and don’t forget you can still experience stalks along the way nit just at the beginning. PS Check out a basal metabolic rate calculator. They’re not perfect much like a BMI calculator but might give you an idea of whether you are eating less than you need to maintain your current weight & the activity you are doing. If you are consuming less than they say you need you should keep losing.

Many surgeons repair the hernia during the sleeve surgery. Was there a reason your surgeon didn’t? Of course once you’ve had one hernia there’s always a chance of it recurring. Are they doing a bypass to reduce your risk of a recurrence versus just repairing the hernia alone?