Madam Reverie

Keep a bottle of Water with you at all times. Duck-tape it to your hands, if you have to... The more 'visual' reminders you get, the more likely you are not to 'forget' to drink...

Ab-so-bloody-lute-ly. In the irrepressible and immortal words of Malcolm Tucker which seem entirely appropriate for this very special occasion: "You're looking at Lazarus, sweetheart. And not just Lazarus; I'm Self-Raising f*cking Lazarus". Many many congratulations, honey. A job very well done xxxx

Probably cause some nerves were disturbed in the process... Its not hot and swollen, is it?

Ahh, much obliged. We call that glandular fever over here

You're very welcome. in truth, citrus won't likely be your friend for quite a while.. It takes time, trial and error to see when things start 'working' for you again and when they don't. I'm 15 weeks out and I wouldn't risk that level of citrus still.. Can't be doing with the rampant indigestion. Same with hot spices. Promise you though - get some real, home-down, healthy food in you - keep it simple - eat it regularly and you will feel much better.

'Scuse my ignorance, but what is 'Mono'? Horrible that you had to go through this over Christmas. As RJ stated - keep pushing until they get you sorted. Wishing you the best of luck x

Up your Water. Up your Protein. Get more calories in for the short while. I felt crappy at 4 week.. But by weeks 6, 7, 8 and got on real food? I was flying. Try roasted meats in gravy with mashed vegetables. It'll make you feel like a human and one pot of it will last you, like, forever whilst at work! Stay away from citrus, sugar, fats and high-spice. It won't sit well. Keep it bland and get the food in. Promise, it'll make the biggest change to your mental state.

I drank champagne on Christmas day. I had it with orange juice to 'soften' it a bit. Went down fine - but without a PPI on board, I wouldnt recommend anything over 3 glasses. Quite acidic.

Me, too. I ache when I wake in the morning. Hips, shoulders, tops of the arms and strangely, my ribs on my back. So, the padding did have one use?!!

That made my heart sink, RJ. I know EXACTLY the scenario. I used to go quiet. Feel wounded. And eat for comfort at night.... The years of wounding are making me a bit angry of late... I have to be mindful not to go too far the other way.... As attractive as litigation might be, maybe a quick 'go **** yourself' might make me feel better about things these days. Particularly if its accompanied by a flick of the hair and a flouncing away with my new, much smaller behind wearing something fabulous. When it happens, I'll be sure to let you know how it felt x

Insh'Allah ameen, Rose. For all of us x

Oh, I hear ya. Regular comedienne I am in real life... What did Smokey Robinson sing about? 'Tears of a Clown'? Well, I am that. I am also the hardest working person on the planet - all to prove that I might be fat, but holy cow, am I capable. I also accepted a level of professional treatment which was, at times and in fact, sexual bias and hard-core bullying. (Coming from a male-dominated legal background, it was ludicrous that I swallowed it) Not any more. With the weight loss, I'm feeling like I have nothing else to lose (if that makes any sense?). Why should I demean myself and defer to older, generally male incompetents to make sure the 'cosmic order' is maintained and their egos bolstered at my expense? Made to feel subtly lesser in preference to women who are half my size and have half my intellect (arrogant, but true). By continuing to turn a blind eye, kow-towing- all because I was bigger than your average? I was doing every other woman who strove for equality (or the 'illusion' of equality we have been fed) the greatest of injustices. Not. Any. More. This attitude is also permeating into my social life, too. I might still be ill-equipped to deal with rising levels of attention from potential suitors.. But no longer is my kind and overly-generous nature going to be exploited by the often calculating and emotionally and financially vampiric people who have masqueraded in the past as so-called friends. That **** is done and the revolution is now!

I really don't understand why people don't cut their BS and come out and say it as it is.... 'Look, can you stop losing weight? Every time I see you, it makes me feel insecure about my own body. It has forced me to re-evaluate my own position in our one-to-one and wider social interactions. Frankly, I always felt better about myself in your company when you were fat. It made me feel like the more superior person. The person in control. Not, the loser round the table who can't stop filling their face. Your weight loss is forcing me to not only look at myself physically, but look at my personality, too. When you were fat, you were still socially accepted. This must mean that as a 'human being', you had enough of a personality to carry you amongst our peer group. That much acceptance, for you, was the only level of social accommodation I was prepared to embrace and feel comfortable with. I don't like change. You will fail. I've read it that people regain all their weight after bariatric surgery - and some, all of the time. You will fail. You have to fail. Surely? For a big person, you dressed as best you could. We thought it cute you'd 'made an effort', but knew you were never going to turn heads or attention away from us as you were. I felt safe in that. Now that you've lost weight, you not only have the gift of having a sparkling personality, but you've attained a higher physical status now, too. But surely you're going to look hideous naked, with all that loose skin? Surely? Arent you? Please say you are! It must mean I'm not as good as I used to be. There has been a seismic shift in the universal cosmic order and our 'social hierachy' has been changed. I think I might now have fallen lower in those ranks. Please put your weight back on so I can go back to feeling better and more secure about myself?' Do you know, if someone was honest enough to say any of that to me or machinations of it - I'd buy them a pint. In fact, I'd buy them 10 pints. As it stands, we will all have to spend our time reading the subtext of the statements being uttered in our directions, feeling lost, confused, bewildered and largely hurt. See them for what they are.... The wittering insecurities of people who really are incapable of embracing change - even for the greater good of another persons health and wellbeing - both mental and physical. These are the festering musings of individuals, muttered in hushed embittered tones, whose only real concern... is about themselves... You know what? Bugger them all. That's what I say Stay strong, people. x

I was told to drink Skimmed milk by my Nutritionist. Not for any stated skin elasticity but because of nutrient/protein value and its low fat ratio. Values which are stripped out of/missing in things like Soya/Almond milk. Consequently and since day one, i've drunk it in my tea and drunk it in my shakes. I don't know whether it has made much of a difference... However, I just asked my man whether he thinks my skin has been 'good' at shrinking back. He said 'totally, the things you thought were going to go 'wrong' haven't. You're looking really good' Guess that's a winner? Is it genetics? Is it the milk? Who knows.. i know I will need a TT for sure.. But it's all good and if you want to try it - it can't hurt? Doesn't taste bad either!

I was told by my nutritionist, the body only needs 42g of Protein per day to function properly with no deficit. Veggies? Bad? Not in my world! And I'm 15 weeks out. I've been eating them since week 3-4. As long as they're not cooked to oblivion (which, if they're roasted, they shouldn't be) Roasted veg are a standard staple of mine. Most of my dinners consist of roasted meat, veggies, perhaps a small bit of potato and gravy. Failing that, it's lean protein and a plate of mixed salad - with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. I make all my food from scratch, so I know what's in there. The day I have to forego any form of vegetable matter will be a very sad day and if I was ever advised to do so, I would have refused to have the surgery. Veggies - are very important. More important in my books than the highly processed protein bars/protein shakes/fake yoghurts and Desserts people are pummeling down their necks in the belief that they're 'good' for you. I eat the Protein shakes and bars solely out of convenience alone. I like my kitchen. I want to continue to use it!

I think, for me, it's about how those adverts are made, what they represent and the messages 'overt' and 'subliminal', they imbue in the watcher. For example; one particular 'weight loss' advert I saw for the first time this evening, had the audacity to state in a fairly subliminal way, the link between a women who had lost weight as being a direct corollary to an improvement in the relationship with her teenage daughter. The parting shot, was 'I don't want that to change' - so, ipso facto, in order to maintain her relationship, perhaps improve your relationship with your children (because clearly, if you're overweight you cannot possibly find common ground with a teenager...W.T.F...), you need to buy our product and join our 'gang' of clearly 'better parents' who diet 'with us'. It took EVERYTHING I had not to throw my cup of tea at the TV screen. If ever there was no greater exemplification as to the moral corruption in advertising and marketing and why people should not watch TV any more for fear of stripping away every shred of self confidence and self worth they have? That. Was. It. For those not of a sensitive disposition and like the dry, more political and cynical side of comedy, look up the following: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00k1sqx Bill Hicks had it ooooooh, soooooo, right....(on many levels) I am so very very grateful to not be on that 'dieting' hamster wheel any more.... I am grateful for my weight loss and my health, but more importantly, I am now IMPERVIOUS, after 25 years, to the guilt inducing drivel spewed from the minds of the morally corrupt who I let 'play' with my mind, my conscience, my emotions and on occasion, my soul; and that character assassination administered in the comfort of MY OWN front room?!!! F***. That. S***t

I'm 15 weeks out and even now, I can't 'chug' properly. I can take a massive mouthful and swallow it in 4 parts... Its not how it used to be though. It takes a bit of time and weirdly, I can drink tea better than I can Water... Trial and error, sadly

yup feelin pretty fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lol And so you absolutely should! Just amazing!

It took me about till week 4-5 to get some odd solid foods in. Week 6, a bit better.. and it goes on week by week, trial and error. Even at nearly 4 months out, what I can eat and what doesn't sit well changes by the day and often, by the hour!! Don't let that discourage you. Take it slow, steady, fairly soft and fairly bland and you'll be well on your way.

That is, quite simply, the most awe-inspiring feat. Major hats off to you, RJ. Just fantastic. shake your boooottttaaaaaaaaay, darlin' x

Its relating to how many posts you've made - your contribution to the site. Not, as I suspect you might be fearing, your age group!!!

How long before you exercised did you drink the Protein shake? Must've been quite scary. Hope you're feeling a bit better x

Holy cow! Am I the only one who read the above and immediately thought 'Holy ****, they're going to learn how to fire a gun, get a gun and then pay a little 'visit' to their sister ......'?!! <which in my speak, is a euphemism for ending someone's life> Yes? No? Okay.. It's just my warped little mind then

Yes, that's a dress and a half! Well done, you!

The 'panic' has happened once.. it has been the 'slimes'... Didn't quite make it to puking. How? Three bites of a roast chicken sandwich on a train when I was traveling for a long while from one end of a country to the other with no other food options. One bite - fine Second bite - yeah, okay Third bite - ......... erm... oooh, hold on.. thats just got stuck.. oh crap, I'm going to the loo to wait for the sweats and over-salivation to cease.. A puking moment? When I had had too much drink, made a delhi ham tortilla, chowed down on it like I would have done 'pre-sleeved'. Got four bites in and went 'Oh crap'.. Ran to the toilet and it came up as it went down - not properly chewed! I'm of the opinion that I can eat almost anything - as long as it's chewed really well. After exploring 'chicken' in all its varieties? I'm of the opinion that it is one thing which one day can work, one day won't. As such, I eat chicken at home and choose 'safer' options elsewhere.