Leaderboard

Thank you. I honestly have no idea how they would think it’s a sensible way to schedule anything, honestly, I was so shocked I couldn’t say anything to her on the phone. I think I may call tomorrow to ask for a complaints number to be honest. I just can’t understand how that is even justifiable. I’d love to go private and I did look into it, but I had a few complex needs that they advised I go back to the tiered weight management service the NHS offer for help and therapy first. At this point I wish I’d have ignored their advice and booked anyway!

This is so awful, I am beyond sorry that you have had to go through this. I know most of us can completely empathise with how hard the waiting game is at the best of times, let alone with the added stress of the NHS and how badly run it seems to be with WLS! I had initially considered just staying on the NHS waiting list (I am currently on the Tier 3 Weight Management programme), but after hearing awful experiences like yours, and from reading about waiting times, I decided to look into going private with Spire. I think it may be worth just getting a second opinion in regards to what you were told before by a private surgeon! My surgeon, Simon Monkhouse, was amazing in the initial consultation. I have PCOS too, and an underactive thyroid, and he recommended a bypass and was transparent about it all. You can get a free consultation with him quite quickly, maybe this would be an option for you! simonmonkhouse.com I have everything crossed for you that you will get the surgery soon, and everything will work out. I'd definitely pursue putting in a complaint, too. Sending love and hugs x

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!

Thank you for sharing @n3turner3 your experiences & perspectives on the weight loss & maintenance adventure - excellent advice. How wonderful too you have such a supportive spouse & family who have been by your side through out - it can make such a difference Congratulations on your weight loss & achievements. All the best with the ‘unlimited possibilities’ in your future.

yep. i was notorious for barely eating anything. i just didn't want to honestly. and i want to be the type of person to force my self to eat if i didn't want to (personally i think that is just as an unwanted eating habit as eating out of boredom). i did also lose more that i wanted to after reaching goal (at 7 months), but it all leveled out eventually (by 1 year). and no, i did not waste away, i did not become malnourished, i did not starve to death. while i did look pretty gaunt for a few months, that too went away despite not re-gaining any substantial amount of weight. i did have to re-learn how to eat higher calorie foods (abstaining from them during weight loss phase got ingrained into me, so it took me a few months to be mentally ok eating it again, you know?) i'm 5+ years out and there are still days when i just don't want to eat, or just forget to eat altogether. i don't worry about it too much because i know there will be a day when i just wanna eat. so long as my weight stays within my acceptable range, my pants fit, my doc is not concerned and i feel great, then i'm all good. honestly i just accept that i didn't reach my goals that particular day...so long as i reach them at least like 60-70% of the time, then i consider it a success. but i'm a bit far out now...during early weight loss phase i did try a little harder by drinking protein shakes (which i don't anymore), also i never tried to forcefully increase calories during weight loss phase though, no matter what i was eating. but during maintenance i was concerned about increasing calories...see my go-to's below: stuff i ate to increase calories in the early days of maintenance when stomach real estate was on ongoing issue: - avocaods - nuts and nuts butter - full fat dairy and cheese - beef jerky - olive oil drizzled on whatever - chicharron / pork rinds --> yeah this one would raise eyebrows cuz the crazy fat content, but i loved/love it! plus it had the added bonus of being very high in protein, ha. and it really helped to bump up my calorie intake. finally, i am also a grazer...since i can't really eat alot in one sitting, i eat a little bit every hour or so. this was really an issue for me in the early years, but now my food intake capacity has increased so it doesn't feel so much like a chore as it used to. In sum, just do your best, keep up with your labs and doc appt to make sure you medically ok, and eventually the stuff that you are worrying about now will be just that thing you used to worry about. good luck! ❤️

Thank you everyone for sharing your experience. I am 57, do not take HRT. I track Macros (protein, carb, fat) which totals 1000 calories a day. I would consider myself fairly active (just got done with mowing/weed eating a large backyard but not someone who exercises daily but try to get on my walking pad 15 minutes a day. Since 12/27 to date I have lost between 35-40 lbs. On the edge of 3 month post op I am noticing a few more hairs on my sink when styling. I think, well here we go on the next part of this journey. Lucky I have always wore my hair short and sassy and like mentioned when wet you can see my scalp but after drying scalp is not visible. I’m don’t wish time away but wish I could get a glimpse of a year from now. lol For those monitoring macros/calories what is your average daily calories?

I had the menopause in my very early 40's and this surgery at 62. The only things that I have noticed a difference are - My hair had already thinned so I got really worried at one stage and had to cut it really short, I can notice my scalp with wet hair but hide it after styling. - My skin is a mess. I lost elasticity after menopause. I have decided to not have the surgery. It looks too brutal and having to pay myself it would be out of my reach for all the work I would need. I have lost a huge amount of weight and mostly without exercise or having a busy work life. I had a lot of long stalls but I tried not to compare myself with others who were storming along. You will get there in the end, Have a chat with your team. I found it useful.

Love, love, love the denim skirt. The jumpsuits look great on you. The one with sleeves is my favourite. Personally I avoid jumpsuits. The whole stripping down to go to the bathroom thing. And I had a couple of close calls in public toilets back in the day trying to balance & not let the jumpsuit touch the scary floor in any way. Shudder! LOL! There are some really lovely & tempting denim pieces about at the moment. I’m looking forward to wearing a charcoal denim trench I have which honestly I bought a couple of years ago & haven’t worn yet. I have too many clothes!

one of my post-holiday sale purchases: a faux leather trench coat. i first ordered it in XS, bit it seemed a little big so i exchanged it for this XXS...still feels a little big in the shoulders and the sleeves are def too long. undecided if i am going to keep it. The Kid says its too Matrix-y and Mr. says its giving Inspector Gadget vibes 😂😂😂😂😂😂

I eat every 2 hours. There are no "meals" with the DS. Since 85% of my stomach was removed (the sleeve), amputated, gone, along with it the part that produces the hunger hormone ghrelin; I have to eat more frequently. The key to weight loss with the DS is the sleeve. That's the restrictive part. The magic of the DS is the switch part: the malabsorption is what keeps the weight off by malabsorbing 80% of the fats I eat. For me, there is no diarrhea with the DS. Quite the opposite, I am now constipated. I take Magnesium Oxide and eat prunes with my Calcium citrate to combat this issue. I also increased my fat intake to a ridiculous point. I eat real butter on everything, heavy whipping cream in my coffee, and so on. I take high Protein high fat Snacks with me everywhere. I do not watch my carbs. Because I eat protein first, for me the carbs don't matter. Bacon is a health food now for me. Crab Alfredo, hold the Pasta, at Red Lobster is a health food. Full-fat sour cream and butter on my baked potato. Rib eye steak smothered in blue cheese. OMG, I made myself hungry, I gotta go eat!