Hi ladies
I would just like to offer you some hope about our middles! I had been getting quite tubby over the last 10 years and I'm short which doesn't help! Tried dieting, I am quite active doing 2-3 classes a week (aerobics, walking, dance) but nothing was happening until...da da da the gallstone saga kicked in.
Some of you know I had a couple of pretty bad attacks but as soon as the first one happened I put myself on a very strict low fat diet. It was boring, it was hard but of course these things are easier when you know it's for your health and keeping you out of hospital!
From the moment I started that diet (under 10grams of fat per meal and then latterly 5, which isn't much believe me!) cutting fat and consequently sugar I instantly started to lose weight and also from my tummy! I didn't change anything else, still did the same amount of exercise etc. I also ate liver friendly foods, cucumber, beets, celery and also heaps of grapes. Now I had read that red grapes contain a substance which can help with weight loss, it's also in red wine but alas I can't drink much of that now
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I'm 6 months on from my gallbladder removal now (time flies!) and I have managed to keep the weight off and my mid tummy! My lower tummy is a bit of a pouch still, not as bad as it was (just no low cut bikini bottoms now!) I'm eating more fat now but not a huge amount and trying to keep everything balanced. I think having to do that diet for 5 months pre-op got me into such a way of eating it is actually hard to break out of. When on holiday I was actually looking forward to getting back to eating plain, simple dinners! I've also found I can't eat a huge amount in one go now as well, so I think portion control does play a big part. Some portions in restaurants are so big now I actually feel sick looking at them!
The other thing now is my digestion is soooo much better, I did suffer from bloating and not being terribly regular before but now unless I have a day when I don't drink as much as I should or a change of routine it's been really good, therefore I think when things are moving along properly that also helps your wellbeing. I did read that a lot of naturally slim people have really good gut bacteria and I've been taking a good probiotic since the op.
The only issue I've had with losing weight around the middle is that it's messed my hormones up a bit at times. As you know some of the fat around the middle is there to make up for lost oestrogen so that had an reaction as I started getting some bad side effects again, flushes and anxiety and all that funny head stuff which we all talk about! I think things have settled a bit now but I had an awful few weeks but I saw a naturopath who helped with some supplements. Plus also I don't know how much of that was down to the op as well, as soon as I had finished the physical healing all this other stuff kicked in. Anyway, I'm doing much better, I can still feel the anxiety bubbling under at times but I just tell myself that's what it is and to bugger off!
I think it is hard to lose the middle tum and my shape is much straighter than it used to be but I just wanted to say hopefully it is possible but it's strict work! I've just got to hope I can keep it off now but I do feel and look so much better that I hope that in itself is an incentive... I just really need to do some toning work and tummy exercises each day!
It's pretty drastic what I had to do but for me it worked so I do have some gratitude to those pesky stones! Hopefully you can all do it without the pain, good luck!
