dashofsunshine

I am 5'8" and a size 4/6 at 153 lbs. I have excellent overall musculature, though (long distance running and weight lifting), and essentially no excess skin after my 170 lb loss (lots of prayer and good genes is the only answer I have, lol). I'm about 10 lbs below my intended goal weight (I went by what my doctor said, and by a "normal" BMI) and have been maintaining there for about a year. I had a difficult time stopping the weight loss, ironically - I couldn't lose a single pound at 323 lbs

I had your normal week-2 week long stalls during active weight loss phase - maybe 2 or 3 of them? Those are pretty much standard and expected - your body is trying to catch up with all the massive pounds lost. No super long lasting plateaus, though. I know stalls are discouraging, but I promise - they're just part of the package! Stick to your plan and it will come off I was a long distance runner before I started lifting weights, and was consistently at 150 lbs. Once I began lifting, I started fluctuating between 150-153 lbs. But that occasional 3 lb fluctuation doesn't bother me! My best suggestion to you would be to get active and get away from your scale. It will destroy your mind, if you let it!

This gets better, guys. Give it time! My sense of taste absolutely changed after surgery - I prefer salty to sweet things now, and flavors are more pronounced. It was overwhelmingly so at first, but after several months, it does become less apparent. My sense of smell took longer - maybe 6-8 months - but I have always had a very sensitive olfactory system, anyway. Surgery made it even more so - I threw up a few times early on due to smell. Hang in there! It all dissipates down the road.

Thanks all!! You guys are too kind <3 As far as skin goes, I have more questions about that than most any other issue. I have many friends who lost 30-50 lbs less than I did, around my same age (28), and were left with folds of excess skin. It's highly uncommon to be left with so little after a weight loss as large as mine - and I wish I had words of advice for the many people who ask me daily what my "secret" was! The truth is, your excess skin (or lack thereof) will have more to do with your age, general body composition, skin elasticity, and genetics, than it will have to do with anything you do externally. I exercise and use regular lotion on my skin every night. That's it. That's all I've "done" to have so little excess skin. I chalk it up to a whoooooole lot of prayer and good skin tone & natural elasticity, honestly!

I'm 2.5 years post op, and still struggle to even eat 4 oz in one sitting. But as far as I can tell, that isn't common, lol.

Thanks for the kind words, all!! As as far as diet advice, during rapid weight loss I followed my surgeons plan to a T. I just kept losing and losing. I got to 10 lbs below goal (my goal weight was 163 lbs) and started adding back in some complex carbs to stop the weight loss. I've been in the 150-153 lbs range ever since. FWIW, I still can't eat 4 oz in one sitting. I usually max out at around 6 bites of anything. I still eat high protein, moderate fat, low carb - usually 50 or less carbs per day - and I count total carbs, not net carbs. During rapid weight loss I stuck to less than 15 per day. I eat around 1,000 calories a day, sometimes a few extra if it's a long run or heavy workout day. I eat mostly protein and veggies, with an occasional serving of quinoa or a slice of sprouted whole grain toast with PB2 in the morning. I cook every morning, pack lunches for myself and my husband, and also cook dinner every night. I've learned how to use herbs and spices to flavor my food and I really do enjoy cooking delicious and unique meals - we don't do boring, lol. Oh, and I still only drink water, one 6 oz cup of coffee every morning, and dry red or white wine. All of this is my day to day norm, obviously - but if we have a date night, I'll eat a few bites of my husband's pasta, or we'll share some cheesecake moderation is the spice of life!

I am 2.5 years post op and drink dry red or white wine, a glass or two on the weekends. I didn't touch alcohol at all until 8 months post op, and I didn't drink it regularly at all until I was 10 lbs below goal and had been maintaining for 6 months. Just watch yourself and know that your tolerance will be much lower than before. Also, I highly encourage you to be very aware of transfer addiction - MANY bariatric patients transform their food addictions into alcohol addictions.

I am 2.5 years post op and never experienced any hairloss. Some people do, some don't!

Lol, thanks Tink!!!

Hey y'all! Checking in! 2.5 years post op SW: 323 CW: 153 Size 24/26 to a 4/6 No skin removal

Hey y'all! Checking in! 2.5 years post op SW: 323 CW: 153 Size 24/26 to a 4/6 No skin removal

Hey y'all! Checking in! 2.5 years post op SW: 323 CW: 153 Size 24/26 to a size 4/6 No skin removal

Hey y'all!! Long time, no talk - training for a half marathon and work has been insane lately! My two year surgiversary was November 20th, and I tried on my old Cotton Ball dress because it was hanging in my closet, lol. (Cotton Ball is a southern cotillion ball - traditional thing with debutantes, etc. - I was 17 when I did it). Left is from my wedding <3 that dress is a size 28; the one on the right is a size 8 (I'm a 6 generally, but bridal does run small!) HW: 330 CW: 150 No skin removal

Hey y'all!! Long time, no talk - training for a half marathon and work has been insane lately! My two year surgiversary was November 20th, and I tried on my old Cotton Ball dress because it was hanging in my closet, lol. (Cotton Ball is a southern cotillion ball - traditional thing with debutantes, etc. - I was 17 when I did it). Left is from my wedding <3 that dress is a size 28. The one on the right is a size 8; I'm generally a 6 in clothes, but bridal runs small! HW: 330 CW: 150 No skin removal

I posted this same topic over on the general boards, but figured you guys might benefit, too! Hi guys! I wanted to put some minds at ease about excess skin. It truly depends on your body type, age, exercise level, Water intake...and about 20 other variables. That being said, I think most of the after photos people see show huge excess amounts of skin, and thankfully, it isn't that way for EVERYONE. I drink tons of water, exercise a lot, and in general, have good skin. I also had rather good weight distribution - no one part of me was excessively larger than all the other parts (luckily!). I had VSG almost 2 years ago - I'll be 22 months out on the 20th of this month. I'm 28 years old, my high weight was 330 lbs, surgery weight was 323 lbs, and current weight is 150 lbs - putting me at 173 lbs lost. I know so many people decide WLS isn't for them, for fear of excess skin. Don't let that sway you - it might not be as bad as you think!!

Hi guys! I wanted to put some minds at ease about excess skin. It truly depends on your body type, age, exercise level, Water intake...and about 20 other variables. That being said, I think most of the after photos people see show huge excess amounts of skin, and thankfully, it isn't that way for EVERYONE. I drink tons of water, exercise a lot, and in general, have good skin. I also had rather good weight distribution - no one part of me was excessively larger than all the other parts (luckily!). I had VSG almost 2 years ago - I'll be 22 months out on the 20th of this month. I'm 28 years old, my high weight was 330 lbs, surgery weight was 323 lbs, and current weight is 150 lbs - putting me at 173 lbs lost. I know so many people decide WLS isn't for them, for fear of excess skin. Don't let that sway you - it might not be as bad as you think!!

EVERYTHING should be considered before deciding WLS is for you; my choice of words was "don't let excess skin SWAY you," meaning, don't let the chance of excess skin alone make you decide surgery isn't worth it. Do I wake up in pain every day (despite not having loads of excess skin)? Yep. Am I having neck surgery thanks to all the years I carried around 330 lbs? Yep. Was my WLS still worth it? Yep! I'd still take my chronic pain over being dead in the ground due to obesity any day. I absolutely don't think it's always about the cosmetics - my point with this post was just to let people know, the excess skin isn't always as bad as they think. Sure, sometimes it is. But I wouldn't want that fear alone to scare anyone away from saving their own life

My whole life, lol. Minus about 3 years in high school, when I was anorexic. Otherwise...basically since birth. Thank you!!

I'm back, y'all!! Work has been crazy. I'll be 22 months post op on the 20th. Almost to that 2 year mark! HW: 330 SW: 323 CW: 150

Will it stretch your sleeve? Nope. Is it empty calories? Yep. Will it cause discomfort? Maybe. I was never a beer drinker before, so I'm not now. I have had a few sips of my husbands dark beer (less carbonation) on 2 occasions. I'm 18 months post op, and I'm able to handle light carbonation, but nothing super bubbly. There is one specific type of seltzer - Spindrift - that has less carbonation than others, and I drink it. La Croix still kills me, unfortunately. That being said, the only calories I drink now are 1) 2 tablespoons of creamer in my one cup of coffee in the morning, and 2) dry white or red wine, a glass or two on the weekends. You're an adult and we can't tell you what you can and cannot do, so to answer your question - you will probably eventually be able to have a beer again, sure. And it won't stretch your stomach. But it IS a slippery slope, so just...hold yourself accountable.