Arabesque

Many of you know my story. Was two months shy of turning 54 in 2019 when I got my sleeve. Lost all my weight & more and was successfully maintaining that low weight. I began gaining weight from puberty: about a stone a year. Then I started my 60-75kg weight diet/regain swing from my early 20s until peri menopause & menopause hit and then seemingly overnight I was 91kg. Nothing I did moved that weight. Hence my decision to get a sleeve. I experienced some weight regain (good 2 almost 3 kgs) almost 4 yrs ago after I had my gall removed. We worked out I had an absorption issue and wasn’t absorbing protein well or it turned out my HRT tablet (hot flushes, etc. had returned). Switched to a patch and lost the weight without doing anything & no menopause symptoms. Had a hysterectomy in September 2024 & then couldn’t access the HRT patch I was using (damn supply chain issues) & this is when my body turned against me again. ALL my menopausal symptoms returned: hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, headaches, creaky joints, acne, etc. & weight gain. Only three kgs so far but that’s in the last three months. And so here we go again. My body working against me. Since this regain began in January (used my last HRT patch in December & was my usual weight at the end of Dec) I’ve made some modifications to my eating. Dropped a snack, reduced some portions (which were still only recommended portion size or a little less). I eat pretty carefully anyway & stick closely to my plan of eating. Was eating about 1600 calories a day and now am probably at about 1300/1400. So at the very least I should have slowed the regain but nope. It’s scary & upsetting. I recognise it as being how my body & my hormones work (or don’t work!) but that doesn’t help. My doctor is trying to help me sort out alternative HRT but nothing is working yet as it all involves at least taking one tablet. I wish I was completely past all this hormone crap & I wish supply chain issues for pharmaceuticals were a thing of the past for everyone affected. I so wanted to be my maintained slim self when I turned 60 in 4 months. I always have been overweight at significant birthdays. This one was going to be different. The way I’m going I’ll be a stone heavier. Not overweight but more than I want to be & have been happy at. Very sad face.

Thank you @spartanmaker, @ms.sss & @DaisyChainOz. No I don’t work out as such. No gym and no running miles. Have never found any enjoyment in it at all which means I find it a struggle to do it & then I give it up. And I’ve done it all over the years. Plus I’ve been told by my retinal specialist not to do any strenuous activity which was when I gave up the 2x50 sit ups I used to do with my stretching & resistance band routines. Been doing these routines for more than two years now usually every day and even do a modified version if I’m away because I actually enjoy doing it. They include yoga moves and poses as that was the one thing I used to enjoy. Strength is pretty good. Had to buy all those new pants last year because my thighs had got larger thanks to the resistance bands & my shoulders are starting to look like I swim laps. Added a new stretch with my bands which is working on my forearms. I might end up looking like Popeye. LOL! Recently added some pulse squats to my routine as the other so called butt building things haven’t helped yet (it’s still flat and running down the back of my thighs 😁). So my metabolism should have increased at least a little over the last 2 plus years. Flexibility is good too as is bone density (had most recent scan last year). I started doing these routines because I was missing my old flexibility, to tone muscles and keep my bone density (was worried that my malabsorption may affect my calcium absorption too). Ugh, I don’t want to HAVE to add in another activity but …. Sigh! Actually bone density is becoming an issue for middle aged and older men too these days too @SpartanMaker. I know several men in their late 50s early 60s who have been diagnosed as having osteopena or osteoporosis. One was very surprised as he is an avid cyclist & thought himself very fit & healthy but cycling doesn’t help with bone density. He got tested after his wife, also a cyclist, was diagnosed & was worried. PS Buying shoes and clothing always makes me feel better @ms.sss. I bought a new dress last week & yes it made me happy (another Victoria Beckham) though I had to buy a larger size which then depressed me. It’s going to be my back up dress for my niece ‘s wedding. Waaah! PPS To add to my niece’s wedding & my 60th this year, I found out this week I have a school reunion too. Scheduling all my Botox, facial and hair appointments for the year now so I don’t look grey and wrinkled at any of them.

Did your team give you portion size recommendations and guidance around number of meals & snacks if any a day? If not ask for some as you will find them helpful. The next advice is to stick to those recommendations. Are you eating slowly? It takes at least 20 minutes for the message to get through that you’ve had enough. If you eat too quickly you will get over full & be uncomfortable & you’ll really know it when your restriction kicks in! Take small bites, use small cutlery (teaspoons, cocktail forks, baby cutlery, etc.), put the cutlery down between bites, sit back from the table & wait a couple of minutes. Then ask yourself do you need the next bite or just want it. If you just want it put the cutlery down again. Personally I aimed not to feel full but to feel like I had enough & didn’t need more. As @SpartanMaker said it takes time to learn the difference between your real hunger and your full cues. Before eating take a moment to think about why you’re eating? Are you bored, emotional (sad, angry, frustrated, stressed, anxious, etc.)? Are you eating out of habit (like because you’re watching tv, a movie, it’s an old snack time,…)? Sneezing, hiccups, runny nose can be full cues for many. If you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture that’s not real hunger. I get restless with real hunger as if something is wrong. It usually takes time to realise I’m actually hungry and then I can logically understand why I would really be hungry - missed a meal, didn’t eat much at a previous meal, etc. It takes time to understand all this, what your signals are, and what strategies to manage it all works for you. Give yourself grace while you’re working it out.

I agree, Check with your surgeon. I had low energy too and low blood pressure with several weeks. There’s no way I could walk around Disneyland. I couldn’t stroll around the local shopping centre for 30 minutes. Can you postpone your trip? I know your son is probably vey excited but he won’t enjoy it if you’re not at your full strength. Congratulations on getting your surgery approval.

I don’t like shakes. In fact I never had another one after the initial liquid stage. But you might find it easier to treat your shake as a drink with a protein bonus and not a meal or a snack as it can count towards your fluid intake. Dilute it a little more so it’s not as thick & heavy then just sip it throughout the day like you would water until you’ve finished it. Boost up the protein content of other drinks by adding flavoured or unflavoured protein powder to coffee, soup, porridge, yoghurt, etc. Find a good high protein yoghurt. That’s what I ate to boost my protein. Or you could try protein water. Lots of flavours available. I had pork scratchings/crackling a couple of times. Handy when travelling. Found a low salt one but it wasn’t worth it - no flavour. Need that salt. Keep to the recommended portion size though cause they can be very morish. Yum!

Soggy top crème brûlée? Sacrilege!! You have to have that crack or what’s the point of a brûlée. It’s just custard otherwise. (Not that there’s anything wrong with custard 😁.)

You look lovely. And you had a bouncy castle. So much fun! Congratulations on your weight loss so far, your size 14 win (yay!) & your fifth year anniversary.

Aah, stalls. The eternal battle of weight loss. But yes, you can continue to experience stalls of varying lengths until you stop losing. Plus you’re getting close to your goal weight (or your new set point) so your rate of loss can slow right down to what seems like nothing - like measuring loss in ounces not pounds. The last 11kg I lost took about a year so less than a kilo (about a pound) a month on average but in those last months it was almost at a dead stop with fluctuations until it finally settled & didn’t change. Did you carry most of your weight in your abdominal area? If so, this might be why you are still carrying weight there as it is where you had the most to lose. Losing an inch off your thighs will look like you’ve lost more than losing an inch off your tummy because it is a larger area. But it wouldn’t hurt to speak with your doctor about possible build up of lymphatic fluid or lymphedema given your history.

Yes, it was a lovely thought but … I avoid buying clothing of any sort for anyone unless I’m certain about what size they are but even that can be different label to label, fit to fit. Even someone who is about the same height and weight as you can wear a different size because of different body shapes. If I do want to buy clothing for someone I’ve snooped (helped with the laundry or checked a tag of something they’re showing me), asked a spouse, sibling, parent or child to find out what size someone wears or just asked them outright. What about asking if they still have the receipts so you can exchange them for smaller sizes?

No issue with flavour (which does sound like it could be related to your medication change) but I feel a bit meh about food. Nothing really excites me. I enjoy cooking but at the same time I can’t be bothered. I do because I know I have to & I’m hungry so I stick to pretty much food on repeat as I don’t have to think when preparing it. Even if a new recipe or a dish I’ve seen looks interesting I can’t be bothered to make it as it seems like too much of a phaff. When I do try something new I feel disappointed by it. It’s ok but not rushing to make it again. Maybe I just need someone to do it all for me! They can plan the meal, do the shopping and cook it. Oh, maybe I need a wife. 🤣🤣🤣 Though I think I just need to shake things up & get out of what is likely just a funk. (Probably as I’m nearing one of those decade ages.)

I live alone too so I had no support in my home. I told a few people, one of which had had the surgery, but apart from phone calls to see how I was I really did it alone. I did get a lot of support and information from this forum and my GP was also supportive and interested in my progress. In saying that, I’m pretty independent and organised & I was very confident and comfortable with my decision to have the surgery. I didn’t have any psychological or emotional issues, was very mobile & didn’t have any co morbidities before my surgery. My recovery was pretty smooth though slow as I had issues with low blood pressure & hypoglycemia. Both of these I had experiences with before but occasionally not regularly and o knew how to manage them. I had no issue getting in or out of bed and my pain was easily managed with the prescribed meds (for about 4 days) and then didn’t need anything. I prepared well with all the over the counter meds my surgeon recommended (not that I needed them all) and had shakes, broths, soups for the first two weeks on hand. So I didn’t have to go anywhere or get anyone to shop for me. I think looking back I probably would have got my groceries for purée and soft food stages delivered simply for the convenience and not having to deal with weight restrictions for carrying things and the lethargy. Grocery shopping can be exhausting, (I did it after my hysterectomy last year & wish I’d done after offer my sleeve and gall removal.) I had a cleaner and a gardener so I agree with @BigSue’s suggestion about that even if it is for just a couple of weeks or so. Not everyone’s recovery is the same. We come in to it at different weights, with different medical histories and different existing medical conditions. There will be similarities but also variations. Do your research. Lots of people have shared their recovery and journey here to give you an idea of what you might experience and give you an idea of what you might experience. All the best.

I have terrible purple discolourations under my eyes but it’s from glaucoma medication not from weight loss. Looks like I’ve been punched and no amount of camouflage/colour correctors or concealer will hide it 😩. I do remember my face looking drawn when I initially got to my final weight. (My uncle commented that I looked like death.) it lasted a couple of months and then everything seemed to resettle and my face looked fine then. In saying that you do lose fat in your face. I lost it at the temples and in front of my ears. A little filler helped in those areas. I also lost my hooded eyelids but was happy to see those go. Could be what’s happening with your eyes too. Maybe look into getting a touch of filler & see if it helps. Doesn’t help all under eye bags & issues but certainly worth investigating it. Have you tried caffeine eye creams to help with the dark circles? Hyaluronic acid & retinol eye creams are also supposed to help. But who knows? Didn’t help with mine. lol!

@FifiLux is right. Never compare yourself with others. It will only mess with your head. I can guarantee the one thing you can depend upon is that you will do this in your way & is best for you & your body. Whether it be how much you lose, the rate at which you lose, how long it takes, when you experience stalls & how long they last, when you can tolerate certain foods and what foods you can’t tolerate, etc. and there’s nothing wrong with any of that. There’ll be similarities with other & differences & averages which give you an idea of what you might experience that’s all. You’ve lost 13lbs. That’s amazing, Stick to your plan & remember to celebrate every pound you lose.

Oh corned beef is great. We used to love when mum cooked it for dinner because my brothers & I used to slice off chunks from the leftover piece and eat it as a snack after school the next day. But no (mustard) pickles @Starwarsandcupcakes? As a fellow lover of pickled vegetables I would have thought you would have dolloped some on or maybe that’s an Australian thing. 😁

If any pain feels unusual or is strong to you, yes contact your team. It may not be anything but it’s always better to be sure. In saying that, certain sutures like ones that act sort of like scaffolding or support can snap as they dissolve and cause some pain so it could just be that. Ensure you’re not lifting, pulling or straining too much while you’re healing too & pulling on your internal organs and sutures, etc. Remember it takes around 6-8 weeks to fully heal so you’ve still got a couple of weeks to go. All the best.

Not me either but I also wanted to say congratulations. Only advice would be don’t fall for that ‘you’re eating for two’ line. You’re eating for an embryo, then a fetus and finally a maybe 8lb+/- baby. Get in touch with your dietician again and ask them about your nutritional needs throughout your pregnancy. Your surgeon may have some suggestions as well. All the best. Exciting times ahead.

You may find therapy helpful. It’s something many people seek support from to help them work through their relation ship with food and eating. Your surgeon should be able to recommend someone who specialises in disordered eating or ask your GP first a referral. The surgery can only help us with a physical tool. We have to do the head stuff ourselves & there is a lot we have to get our heads around and work our way through if we want to be successful in the long term. Sometimes we need to ask for a helping hand from a professional. All the best.

I didn’t get gas pain either. But my surgeon made up for it when he removed my gall 2 years later 😁. Out of curiosity, are you peri menopausal or menopausal? That was when my sleep became really bad & it is a known side effect. If you are, are you on HRT or have had your hormonal levels checked lately? Just a thought. About 4 weeks ago I bought a acupressure mat and since I began using it I’ve noticed I haven’t really had any issue with constipation or even the odd day I don’t/can’t go. Regular as clockwork every day now. I did look up acupressure points for constipation and the mat hits the ones lower on my lower centre back and upper butt checks & I think that may be what’s helping. Hope I haven’t jinxed myself now. 😁

Think it would be best to head to the hospital. They usually see you pretty quickly if it’s anything related to your heart (well they do in Australia). Better to be sure it’s nothing than it to be something & not know. All the best.

Vegan protein powders would be your best bet. Just avoid the soy ones. Are you okay with seeds as some vegan proteins use seeds (chia, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp) as a source of protein.

Congratulations on achieving onderland! Yay! What weight to stop losing at & how to pick a goal weight are interesting questions and you’ll get different responses. I believe it comes down to where your new set point is (the weight your body is happy at & will keep pulling you back to). It’s the weight where you’re not losing anymore and you have reached a sustainable balance of the number of calories you consume and the activity you do. It’s the weight where you’re happy with how you look & feel too. I had a goal (same as yours) which was the low weight I always dropped to before regaining back up from. I exceeded that. I kept losing until my calorie intake which I was increasing and activity level was in balance. I eat in a way that is sustainable & I don’t feel like I’m missing out or if I’m on a continuous diet or that I have to exercise first hours a day. Some reach a weight but found it wasn’t sustainable or they didn’t feel comfortable at so they gain a little. Remember your new set point may not be where you would like it to be. Also your lowest weight may not be where you end up either. Bounce back (a regain of 10 - 20lbs) is always a possibility & can be due to your body resettling, you realising you need more flexibility in the what you eat & the activity you do to find a better life balance, some conplacency, your new set point, etc. Be flexible in your goal. If you don’t reach it, that’s okay. You’ll be in a better healthier place regardless of the number in the scale. Reach a sustainable balance (food intake & activity) in your life that allows you to live & enjoy your life & doesn’t restrict or limit you. All the best.

I’m not a calorie counter. Didn’t have to & I was happy about that. I’d done it before and for me it just made me think about food more and I found it annoying and frustrating. However I would check my calorie intake and I still do random checks especially about new foods or recipes. I was more vigilant about portion size because that was the requirement I was given (1/4- 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at around 6 months). I still watch that carefully though I’m more aware now of the portion size of what I’m eating without having to get my scales or measuring cups & spoons out regularly. And I can eat more than a cup of course. I’m probably equally vigilant about the nutritional quality of what I eat. (Sister-in-law was just telling me about a new protein bar she’d found and I’m googling the nutritional info & ingredient list & comparing it with the one I already eat.) If you are required to track your intake then you have to track every single thing you put in your mouth to eat or drink. It can be very easy to consume a lot of extra calories without realising it even ‘healthy’ ones. If your team hasn’t set this as a requirement, than do what you feel most comfortable with. You know your relationship with food and eating getter than anyone. Though I’d probably at the very least do random checks if it isn’t a requirement. Yes, stalls are frustrating and can be depressing. Remember they are an important part of the process and it’s the time your body shuts down to take stock of where you are now Whithead your weight loss and changing diet, and what your needs are around things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Weight loss is stressful on your body & it needs to take a breath to better manage the changing situations much like you do psychologically during a stressful time. The stall will break when your body is ready. Stick to your plan and don’t stress your body more than you are required to by your plan. It will be okay. All the best and I hope your surgical site heals soon.

Contact your surgeon or their team. Always better to be safe and sure about what’s going on. Could you have pulled something? Like stretched too much, lifted something too heavy, exercised too strenuously? Have you been constipated and maybe pushed to oop too much or your poop was overly firm? Let your surgeon know if any of these could be a possibility. Hope all will be okay.

Always best to talk with your surgeon but did think hypoglycemia when I saw your post title. Reactive hypoglycemia is a form of dumping too. Low blood pressure can also cause light headedness. The fact you’re eating so little at the moment that you feel weak. Plus you’ve just a pretty major surgery which is stressful to your body. But definitely speak with your surgeon to be sure and ti find out ways to manage it. PS - Try an electrolyte drink. I used to take one with me whenever I was going to be a bit more active (even grocery shopping) and when I started back at work to offset the hypoglycemic episodes. Sip some if I thought it might happen & when it happened. Seems crazy but sometimes a cup of green tea helped though I think it was more to do with the fluids which may be why the sugar free popsicle helps you. I had had hypoglycaemic episodes prior to my surgery but not often. After my surgery I had them frequently. Also my tendency towards drops in blood pressure became a multiple times a day experience. All just how my body reacted.

Before, during, after I eat or even drink sometimes. Just whenever it likes. And yes still does though probably not as much now at almost 6yrs out. I was told it’s perfectly normal too and just my digestive system doing what it’s supposed to: digest food. I used to say I had a poltergeist in my tummy. Groaning, moaning, rattling chains, squelching & whining. My younger nieces & nephew used to think it was hilarious and they’d rest their head on my tummy to hear it better.