This week marks 5 years since I started my pre-op diet and I would never have thought I would be the weight I am now or have a child. The past 5 years has been full of highs and lows but I certainly do not regret having the bypass.
My diet intake still varies. Some days I can only tolerate liquids and soft foods, then other days I feel like I can eat almost normally. I drink peppermint tea after meals which helps settle my stomach. I still get dumping syndrome if I eat foods that are too high in fat and sugar, and I cannot tolerate whole milk at all. I get a lot of dizziness and I'm not sure if that is from the dumping, reactive hypoglycaemia or the severe anaemia that's still under investigation.
Before I fell pregnant I was happy with how my body looked. I reached my goal weight a few months before finding out I was pregnant and was trying to lose another 7-12 pounds so that got put on hold. It's taken me 2 years to get back to my target weight after having our child and I can see a difference in how my stomach looks compared to before the pregnancy. Yes I have loose skin but since having the little one my stomach seems to be more jiggly and not as smooth as it was. As it has taken me so long to loose the pregnancy weight and my weight seems to fluctuate around the same 7lbs, I'm not sure if I want to commit to losing the extra 7-12 pounds I hoped to loose before the pregnancy. It feels like a big commitment and I would be disheartened if I made a concerted effort for the next few months for it not to work. Or maybe I should just bite the bullet and do the 5 Day Pouch Test and see if that will help give me a kick start.
I've seen a few people go keto on the WLS facebook pages that I follow, and it seems to work for them. When I asked my Dietitian she does not advise it for bariatric patients due to its high fat content. Which has left me a little confused as to how others have been allowed to do it.
I had been attending virtual Slimming World sessions but due to my shift patterns I've not been able to attend one for quite a while. Physical groups have now restarted but again I can't get there due to shifts and childcare, as my husband is often leaving for work when I get home from work. My SW consultant has said that head office are allowing us to self weigh until the end of September, so I will continue to send her my weight weekly.
I restarted B12 injections this week and I can tell the difference in my energy levels and mood. The tablets didn't really work for me though it probably didn't help that I'm still struggling with medication compliance.
Still struggling with my back pain which has now spread to my hips and pubic bone. My MSK Practitioner has asked my GP to refer me for a DEXA scan and advised I try pilates. He thinks my pain is more mechanical than anything else but agrees a DEXA scan is a good idea due to malabsorption from the bypass. He sent me a link to some videos on pilates for back pain so I'll have to give them a try. Hopefully the little one and the dog will not be too much of a distraction. He also suggested I try a sacroilliac belt to help support my hips and take some of the pressure off. I have tried it a couple of times but because of where it sits and how my stomach is it gives me a muffin top which is even worse when I'm sat down at work. I'll persevere with it and see how it goes.
