livvsmum

It's really hard to tell. I think that age, heredity, skin elasticity and more. I would say you would likely expect some excess skin. But honestly - for me anyway - even with the excess skin, it was worth it

Or....sometimes it's just easy to revert to old behaviors. I mean, we did them for many, many years and sometimes it's just too easy to go back to those habits, routines, etc. I think - again - being mindful is a key in breaking that.

What I've learned from working with a nutritionist and years (literally) of therapy with an eating disorder therapist is that when we skip meals our body kind of goes a little crazy and the urge to binge (even though a binge post-sleeve looks really different than pre-sleeve) is almost uncontrollable. And it's all our brain can think about. So definitely try to eat even if you're super busy or don't feel hungry. It will keep you from overdoing it later. Another thing I learned that your situation made me think of is "bolting". I'm very similar to you. I have a pretty busy career, 4 kids, a hubby and lots of other commitments so my mind is always going and it's super easy for me to stress eat. So who knows if this applies to you - well I guess only YOU know...lol - but I have found that I am a "bolter". That terminology comes from Geneen Roth's "Women, food & God" which is an amazing book and is not religious so don't let the title throw you. Anyway, when a situation becomes too ___________ (fill in the blank - stressful, sad, frustrating, etc) I often have used food in that moment as a way to emotionally and mentally "bolt" from what is going on at the moment and focus on the food. At that point my mind fills itself with all of the self-hate that you stated in your original post and there's no room left to think about the stress of the moment I'm in. SO.....I would lie if I said I never "bolt" anymore. Because I do, and it often leads to weeks on end of little cheats. But, I am mindful of what I am doing now, which is huge. And I try as much as I can to be present in the moment. I've even gone as far as to - when I'm feeling an urge to eat something unhealthy or have a mini binge - to literally out loud say "Ok, right now I'm feeling __________ (angry, exhausted, unappreciated, etc) and this food will not help that." or something similar. Anyway..... just my experiences that your post made me think of.

Definitely just sticking to the basics (Water, Protein, carbs, etc). I track them religiously in mfp & it keeps me on track. And I've also been going to therapy since about 8 months post into deal with my underlying food issues so I can ensure I never go back! So far so good, 2 years post op & 150 pounds down.

I only took 2 weeks off. I probably should have taken 4. It was at least 4 until my energy came back

Milk of magnesia works like a charm

Congrats on your success thus far! I agree with you. The emotional work, to me, is way harder than the diet changes or physical parts of it. What has helped me is therapy & the book "When Food is Love." I highly recommend it :-)

Yes. It didn't regulate again for about a year.

You're definitely still healing. Protein shakes & powders were hard for me to stomach the first month or so. Have you tried protein hot chocolate, jello or pudding from bariatricchoice.com? That was my go-to.

Not to just echo what others have said, but I would strongly encourage you to see a therapist that deals with eating disorders about the depression, anorexia & self-destruction. I'm also surprised about the aging. I think I've aged in reverse through my weight loss. Are you getting enough Water?

It's definitely not an easy journey, but everyone's experience is different. If you feel that it is the right decision for you, stand by it! If you're prepared for the journey you'll be great!

How often after would you say? I remember wondering the same thing & I felt better thinking that I would someday be able to a piece of pizza....not 4 or 5....but 1. Now that I'm 2 years post op, I wish I had that problem! Unfortunately I can eat pretty much anything I want. I choose not to eat pizza or chips or any oft old vices. Some people can eat a little of that stuff and be fine. I'm not one of those people. I have to keep a tight rein on what I eat. It's a lifestyle change honestly.

So this week I had a definite NSV. I dug out the courage to go have some boudoir photos taken of myself as a gift for my husband. I still struggle daily with confidence in relation to my body. I still struggle with comprehending what I see in the mirror against what I see as myself in my minds eye, even after maintaining my goal weight for over a year and a half. I still struggle with feeling like an imposter, like a very obese person hiding in a thin body. Every day is a battle ground in my mind it seems. I've been in therapy since 10 months post op, and I don't see that ending any time soon. But.....I am still making progress mentally, emotionally, and with my self confidence. Never in a million years would I imagine I would be someone with enough confidence to pose for boudoir photos! I can't even remember what it was that prompted me to take the first step and schedule the appointment. I just remember thinking what an awesome surprise gift it would be for my husband. He has been an absolutely AMAZING support over the past 2 years. He has encouraged me to keep going when I wanted to quit. He has stepped up to help deal with some issues in our marriage that were contributing to my emotional eating. He has put in extra time keeping the "home fires burning" while I put in literally hours and hours and hours training for races and marathons. He has traveled, gotten up at the crack of dawn, stood out in the cold for hours to cheer me on at my races. And perhaps most poignant in my mind is that he has done the not always glamorous tasks involved with caring for me and helping me recover after my 2 surgeries - especially the tummy tuck which was especially non-glamorous and painful. I thought a book of my boudoir photos for him would be an awesome way to say thank you for the support. But once I made the decision, I actually had to go through with it. I was dreading it and super excited about it all at the same time. By the end of the shoot I felt confident, strong, and sexy. I was having a complete blast. I cannot wait to go back next week and see the pics. Maybe if I love them I will share one or two of them here. It just blows my mind the ways in which I have changed physically, emotionally, and mentally over the past 2 years. What an awesome journey it has been!

I did have a tummy tuck to remove excess skin 6 months ago totally covered by insurance. It wasn't a terrible amount of skin, and even without the TT, it would still have been worth it to me You definitely can be because it's not luck. It's hard work. If you put in the work, you WILL get the results :-)

Yes. Unfortunately so.....lol.

I would not have been nearly as successful as I've been without reading When Food is Love by Geneen Roth. It completely changed my perspective on so much regarding food. In fact in the 2 years since surgery I've read it 3 times. Each time I keep a journal & learn something new

I don't know if it qualifies as "awesome" but you are welcome to check mine out. It's linked in my signature. I started it in January 2013 while I was pre-op & still update it pretty regularly now at 2 years post op. In fact I was just sitting here working on a new post for tomorrow :-)

I feel amazing. So much more energy & way more confidence. Thank you :-)

I am 2 years and 1 month (exactly!!) post-op. My starting bmi was 43.5 and now it is 20.7 (146 pounds lost as of this morning) Absolutely, positively without a doubt or hesitation would I do it again.

133.8

Great job! Congrats!

At 3 months I had lost 60 pounds.

Great job! Keep it up!

For me it was running a 5k with my daughters. We did that, then I moved on to a half-marathon and marathon. Be careful what you wish for! haha

Great job so far! Keep it up!