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Today I graduated with my Bachelors Degree! I have worked my arse off with working full time and raising 3 kids along with my supportive boyfriend. It was a great Mother’s Day present to myself. I decided to do a side by side and I noticed that even my guy lost weight. Not only that I feel like this year is a year for me to take control of my life. This is just the beginning!

My program too counts the highest or starting weight from the beginning. I had bypass 11 days ago and they weighed me at check in. I weighed 211. My Surgeon came to see me and she said wow you lost over 30lbs Sara be proud of yourself. I was confused and said no I only lost 10lbs and that was the pre-op??? Well I “forgot” that last August when I started this program I weighed 245. slowly over the last 8 months I did lose that 30lbs 15 right away with nutrition classes and then a few here and there, but had been stuck at 221-223 for months!! Then I lost 10lbs on the pre-op diet. So she made me feel wonderful and I went into surgery that day feeling like a rockstar and it was great! So I am counting my total weight loss because I worked hard for that 30lbs!!!

Not sleeve but RNY here and I can say you can stretch it out a bit. I can definitely eat grazing style all day and definitely gain weight back (as I found out over Christmas tho year). It’s a Conscious choice to eat healthy regular planned meals to keep the weight off. When I want to slide back to binging to handle life and feelings, I use my skills from eating disorders therapy. The feelings of wanting to binge are still there, but I’ve worked really hard to substitute healthier rituals to deal with anxiety and depression and just feeling unlucky. I strongly suggest OA or an eating disorders therapist. The size of your stomach doesn’t really matter. If you want to eat the whole bag of cookies or chips you can do it. Or, you could choose not to and have sex, crochet, go for a walk, talk to a friend, journal, bird/star watch instead. It’s all a choice. The fact that you are investigating choosing surgery is a choice for yourself to live a healthier life. Why surgery at all then? It’s true it’s a metabolic “tool” that helps your body with the healthier choices you make. It’s like an e-bike, you still have to steer and pedal.

Agreed! Speak up and lay out what you want. If others aren't on board, do it for yourself! (and find people who would be on board ) side anecdote: i have different groups of friends and family. as my interests and lifestyle changed since surgery, i have found that so too did the groups of people i hung out with the most changed. the group of friends that i spent the most time with before are eaters and sitting-around-ers. the group of friends and family that i now spend more time with are the ones who are more active and down for whatever. i still hang out with the former group, just not as much i used to. i also made a whole bunch of new friends/acquaintances (from all the stuff i do now) that i share common interests with. i guess what i'm trying to say is that you are going to change. it may be a little unfair to expect all those around you to change as well. if they do, awesome! if they don't, its unfortunate, but don't let it stop you from doing what you want to do (with those that want to do it with you :). good luck! ❤️

Just wanted to update everybody. I did it! I did have some pain right after the surgery, but the nurses gave me something that really worked. I haven't had a ton of pain since. I'm doing good with my fluids and am now 411. I was 429 on the day of surgery. It's awesome!

Has anyone experienced an increase in their cholesterol levels? Before surgery, mine sat around 5 regardless of my weight (healthy, overweight or obese). In the first 3 years post surgery it was about 4. Then it went to 5 again. Okay I thought just where my body wants to be. But it’s 5.7 now. Like what?? My surgery follow up doctor suggested I speak to my GP about a coronary artery calcium store test. My dad had a higher cholesterol level but not enough for meds. One brother’s is about what mine is now but he follows one of those fat is good diet (I swear he slathers his toast with butter like an inch thick). My mum, other brother, aunts, uncles, grandparents levels are/were ok. Rest of my blood work was great.

I eat out a lot, both for work and in my personal life. I feel like I’ve been navigating menus alright and making good choices. It didn’t take long though for the takeout containers to take over my fridge and my garbage. And take up so much room in the trash! So I bought a four pack of square plastic food containers (Glad brand, I think) that are about sandwich size. I keep them in my car and stick one in my purse when I go into a restaurant. They seal well and don’t spill in my car, store leftovers better in my fridge, and are less wasteful. Might be tricky with restaurants that want to wrap up leftovers themselves but I’ve been able to use them ok so far. A friend recently said she wondered why she never thought to do that, so thought I’d share here.

Almost 5 years & yes, I do. There are certain foods that simply are too heavy in my tummy. Breads, pasta, rice I’m looking at you. I try a bite of bread every now & again just to see but nope not for me. (Don’t really miss them at all & I used to eat them often). I also have times when something I’m eating unexpectedly sits too heavily. Unexpected because I’ve eaten it before without an issue & I’ll eat it again easily. Though it is nice to know my restriction is still active. And yes I still have bouts of the foamies. I think I’ve a more sensitive tummy & esophagus but I had a sensitive tummy before surgery so nothing really new just a little different. I’ve accepted them & think of these as things that are just quirky to me: makes me more special than I already am - LOL! Doesn’t really restrict or limit me in any way. Can be a little annoying at times of course but easily manageable. And much like @The Greater Fool, some days I eat all of my meal & another I may not. Doesn’t matter. I love left overs. They mean I may only be reheating my dinner tonight not cooking from scratch. I’ll be snacking on my left over rolled oats breakfast later this afternoon. I also focus on protein & vegetables too & honestly after that I couldn’t eat anything else. Oh yes, also female, though late 50s, 5’3” & not active,& have maintained (apart from a 2kg medication glitch 2.5yrs ago but I lost that when we sorted it). Congratulations on maintaining too. Who hoo!

How can you eat those without maple syrup? That's my question. Lol

I had to look up what DS was (duh) .....so while I was at it I added DS weight loss smell to the search engine and google pulled up 150,000 hits about the smell in about half a second lol. Yikes.