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I am so excited; I am having surgery in two days. Everyone is asking me am I ready? My answer is yes, I am too prepared and ready to go! I was supposed to have my surgery last Tuesday but had to get it rescheduled because the surgeon was out ill and therefore had to reschedule for this coming Tuesday. I have been looking at all my before pics and looking at myself now, I am so filled with joy how far I have come. This has and is an amazing journey and I can't wait to get back to my old self again. I am so happy that I made the decision to do the surgery. I have no regrets about my decision. I know am I doing the right thing by investing in myself and becoming more healthier and looking at food differently now. I now know what it means by "Mindful Eating."

So the reality is that we can't cheat physics. I want you to remember this both now and after your surgery. While I can't make an super accurate assessment of your total kcal expenditure per day right now, I'd guess it's probably in the range of 3000 to 4000 kcal per day based on your current weight. I'd also guess that your total intake right now is around 800-1000 kcal. This means you are absolutely burning massive amounts of fat currently. So I know you're thinking if that's true, then why isn't it reflected on the scale? The short answer is scales lie. They only show total weight, but as you alluded to above, our bodies are made up of lots of "stuff" other than fat, so scale weight can vary widely just based on how hydrated you are, how much glycogen you're storing, and the weight of your stool. In short, trust the process. You'll be fine.

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.

I just had a sleeve to bypass 3 weeks ago 23lbs down so far.

Hey! Stalls are really common, and I think around this point in the post-op journey it does seem to hit! My weight loss has stopped at the moment, but my surgeon did say to me that a stall is only really considered a stall when you have been stuck at the same weight for around 6-8 weeks! just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing, eating well, keeping hydrated and getting some form of exercise in and hopefully it'll break soon ❤️

I do think there's an element of "meh" going on with me as well. I'm not entirely sure if that's all due to things tasting a bit off, feeling tired (I've been really upping my workouts lately), or if I'm just losing some of the joy from eating. I'm sort of in the opposite boat in terms of food prep. I do almost all the food planning and shopping, as well as 90%+ of the cooking around my house. This is mostly because I'm retired and my wife is still working. When we were both still working, it was closer to 50/50. I do think if I didn't feel obliged to make food for her, I probably wouldn't bother for myself.

First and foremost, I'm not going to preach abstinence, we are all adults and can make our own decisions. For me, apparently, I'm not an adult enough to be responsible. I've let alcohol take over, I drink daily and I've gained weight back. My spiral started around 4 years ago and has progressed steadily. Until recently, I was in control. I could drink and be ok. I would get drunk and know what happened the next day. Now however, I will get drunk and can't remember a thing. The next day I have massive brain fog, can't concentrate, can't orate correctly, I feel like crap, have the shakes etc. To be clear, I never leave my house and drive. I worry however that it could come to that. My weight is making my back problem even more painful. My clothes are tight, I'm depressed, and it's just awful. I feel like it's groundhogs day every day. I say I'm going to stop and I last a few days and then I slip back. However today I've made a decision to stop drinking entirely. I'm done. I'm not drinking ever again. I clearly can't control my self. I'm an addict with food and now alcohol. Much like food did, booze will ruin my life if I continue. I'm going to join AA and clean my life up yet again. Writing this is a first step for me. I'm not looking for pity, or to be chastised. I need to be self shamed and admit what I am. I'm an alcoholic. However, I can change this, I will change this. I will be healthier soon, it will be hard but I'm going to get there. So please, be careful with alcohol. We all spent a lot of time and money to say nothing of the physical and mental pain we've been through, don't throw it away. Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using BariatricPal mobile app

I was going through my album, and while trying to lose weight I had favourited a few of my pictures for inspiration to get back to what I was. I was in the best shape after having my first child, see below photos from (2016/2017). My highest weight at 90 kgs/198 lbs (a few days before my VSG in December 2023) My post-op journey has all been about restriction and not being able to eat enough. It took me time to slowly build my stamina and muscle tone back. I have definition in my abs and my legs and arms are toned. I am 13 kilos/29 lbs lighter than my “before” fit (but it doesn't much show because muscles ha!), I am at an all time low in terms of weight but I feel absolutely fantastic. Hopefully can build kore muscle once I stabilize. My “fit” after:

Same dress!!!!

355 to 150 at 4.5 years post surgery. I've lost another 10 lbs since this pic too!