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You are singing the song of my people. There are people in my office who put the bag in the microwave and then go to the bathroom or back to their desk. Of COURSE it burns! You have to watch it and listen for the pops to come longer than a few seconds apart. Like the bag always says. DUH.

I'm curious how loose skin is interpreted by these scans? Is it perhaps mistaken for fat? I've really like a better idea of how much extra fat I'm carrying. I find it difficult to distinguish between it and loose skin sometimes.

I've not been tested, but want to chime in about target heart rate. If you use one of the 200 minus your age formulas, remember that's just an estimate. I learned through wearing my fitbit that my maximum heart rate is at least 10 beats per minute higher than the formula predicts. That means my target zones are also higher than the formula predicts. Just something to think about!

I'm about a year out from RNY and am having trouble with Iron deficiency. My surgeon suggested I take ferrous gluconate (because stomach is less acidic after RNY) three times a day with meals. I'm really hoping this helps because I'm sick of being so tired and lightheaded all the time.

Hi everyone, I'm about 11 months out and recently (about the last two weeks or so) have started having nausea after I eat. This morning, for example, I drank some coconut water and a protein shake after my morning workout. Later, after I got to work, I ate a luna bar and feel nauseated and yucky. Has anyone else experienced something similar a ways out from surgery? If it continues or gets worse, I'll definitely call my bariatric clinic. Just want to see if anyone has insight in the mean time. Thanks!

I absolutely respect your choice. I am sorry to see a vet go. You guys have been such a valuable resource for me over the past nine months. I estimate I have about 25 or so pounds left to lose, so I am fast approaching maintenance. I'm going to need you vets more than ever when I get there. You guys are amazing and such an inspiration to me. The majority of my attention on this site goes to reading the vets forum. I really look forward to being able to post there in three months. One year is how a vet is defined, right?

@@Margie122 You have a really good outlook and it's inspiring! Your thinking sounds spot on — what can you do to help yourself today? You're controlling what you can by looking out for those little steps you can take that all add up. Believe me, I understand it's hard not to let these last pounds drive you crazy. I keep reminding myself that if I do the right things, it will come off, just like all the other weight. I hope your nut is helpful! I had to really push myself this morning to get out of bed for my walk. I'm really glad I did. I was thinking, does one day really matter? It does. One day is part of a habit. One day sets the tone for how easily I give in the next time I don't feel like doing it. It makes a difference and how I feel and how well I have my head in the game. And it helps determine how seriously I take all the other little steps I need to take. Thanks for this thread, btw. It's help to hear from someone in the same boat as me and to hear all the suggestions!

I've been surprised by: 1. How much calmer I've become. I experience less stress now about everyday things. 2. Just how much I've gotten into physical activity. I assumed I'd be exercising more, but not THIS much. The more I do the more I want to do just because I CAN. 3. How easy it was to get over my ex-boyfriend who dumped me a few weeks after surgery. I was sad for about five days. Then I started concentrating on myself. That was SO GREAT. I'd get home from work and be like "what am I going to do tonight? Oh yeah, whatever the hell I want." When I started dating again, I went in with high standards. Someone was going to have to be worth it because I was so enjoying being single. I'm happy to report that my new boyfriend is awesome and not a compromise in any way.

Sounds like my experience was different from most others. When I woke up after surgery, my pain was an 8 out of 10. I also had a lot of nausea. My caregivers helped me get both under control quickly. I fluctuated between a 3 and 6 out of 10 for the next few days while I was in the hospital. The gas never bothered me that much. I was most bothered by an allergic reaction I had in the hospital that left me covered with an itchy rash. It took about two days to calm down. My hospital room had a white board on which my nurses wrote goals for the day. I kept wanting to cross out "control pain" and change it to "stop f***ing itching." I took oxycodone for a few days after going home. I believe I was off pain meds around day 6.

Best of luck to you, @@Margie122! I'm nine months out and have a little less than 30 pounds to lose to get to my first stated goal. I just pushed out of a multi-week stall. My surgeon actually said he didn't expect me to hit goal by one year. I was really surprised by that because it seems like most people here hit their goal within a year. He said to expect the last weight to come off really slowly and it may take up to 1.5 years out. I'm curious to hear others' take on this. During my stall, I think I was snacking a bit too much. A couple crackers here and a few bites of dessert there were adding up. I've decided to temporarily abstain from anything off plan. When I want something, I keep reminding myself, "This isn't the last cookie I'm ever going to see." It makes it easier to say no. I'm also continuing to increase my activity. I'm trying to take long walks with my dogs most days along with exercise classes at the gym and swimming.

@@JamieLogical Best of luck to you as you begin putting yourself out there again! My boyfriend of nearly three years broke up with me a few weeks after my surgery. I took about six months off to concentrate on myself and my health before I decided I was ready to date again. I had some of the same thoughts you're having. It was really interesting to date as a much thinner person. I loved that I didn't feel the need to give a disclaimer about my weight when I met someone online and scheduled a date in person. I could comfortably post full-length photos of myself on my profile. I'm still losing. I have maybe 30 pounds to go? I'm unsure how much loose skin will affect that. I'm sticking with the plan and waiting to see what my body does. That said, I haven't had plastics and I do have loose skin. I also have very fair skin, so my scars are still very visible, even after nine months. I worried some about when to tell a new partner about my surgery. I went on several dates with a guy visiting my city on business. He was curious about why I was eating so little. I just said I'd eaten earlier and stuff like that. He wasn't around long enough to get into all the details. I ended up telling my now boyfriend on our first date. I'm a private person so that's really unusual for me. Somehow I just knew it was okay. He didn't judge me one iota. In fact, he thought it was awesome. He's very supportive and encourages me to continue putting my health first. Exercise also has a heavy impact on my schedule. During the week, I wake up an hour and a half early several days for long walks with my dogs. I also work out for an hour to hour and a half almost every evening. By the time I get home, shower, get ready, feed my dogs, etc, it's 8 or 9 p.m. and I'm tired! We spend a lot of time together on the weekends and we're working things out for during the week. I'm just really happy to be with someone who thinks I'm a badass for all the work I've done/am doing!

I'd always been in the type to enjoy a few glasses of wine socially about every four weeks or so. I waited several months after surgery before deciding to try wine again. Like many have said, I've found it hits me faster and harder now. It also seems to metabolize faster too. I still only have a glass or two every four or more weeks. If it's your habit to drink infrequently, I'd guess you'd probably be ok? But if you're the type to drink a glass of wine with dinner every night, you may want to be more careful. That seems like enough to potentially derail your weight loss efforts. As with everything, YMMV. Good luck.

A few weeks ago I started getting up before work to walk the dogs. It's gotten hot here, but I don't want to miss out on our walks. I would have never done that before. I also started hiking a couple months ago. I've been really enjoying that!

Really? I think WLS and getting my physical health in order was the very last step (after doing lots of other work on myself) for me to REALLY like myself and love my life. I am happier now than I have been at any other point in my life (besides maybe as a little kid). I would think this might be a common experience?

So I'm getting really annoyed by how much my stomach jiggles during exercise classes. It's embarrassing. It doesn't matter how much my instructor reminds me to "lock in my core," there's just too much loose skin. I have a really good sports bra to lock the girls in, but my stomach is all over the place. My question is, are there actual "spanx" or "compression garments" that are specifically for exercise? Are they moisture wicking so you don't overheat? Do they still allow you to move? Has anyone tried any they really liked? Can you guys recommend store/brands? Or is this a thing that doesn't really exist and I need to get over my jiggly bits?

HIGHLY ironic! I also went to a major state school in the south, not too far from FSU and I was definitely a lush.

I love this! I think it's really cool and really fun to think of who we are outside of WLS. It's a big part of our lives, but nowhere near all of who we are. Honestly, I think WLS has just helped me uncover more of who I am. Shortly after I learned to write, I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I'm thankful I could turn it into a career. I love my two rescue dogs like no other. I used to foster dogs and my oldest is a "foster fail." Being in nature has always brought me a sense of peace. I'm shy at first, but warm up quickly. I can't remember not knowing how to swim. I love anything involving Water, but not boats. I get seasick easily. I'm in no rush, but I look forward to having children one day. My sense of humor is really dark and I like it that way. It helps me deal with some of life's harshest realities. I'm terrible at keeping in touch with people, but I'm still thinking about them often. I love to read, but I also probably watch more reality TV than I should. I'm a decent driver, but I can't parallel park to save my life. I value science above all else. It's the only way I can truly know anything.

Yay! Congrats on seeing that instead of this:

Is it the jiggly bits or is it the instructor reminding you to lock in your core that is the source of embarrassment? Have you mentioned to your instructor that his/her reminders are not welcome as you cannot control excess skin? You need to be careful you don't wind up with rashes and irritations from compression garments - they are not designed for folks like us. They are designed for people who are all muscle. He's not pointing me out specifically. He's saying it to everyone. It's just a personal reminder to me that even if I brace my core, I can't stop the jiggle. I will be careful to balance accepting my body the way it is, jiggle and all, with wanting to blend in and look more "normal." It's just personally embarrassing to me to look in the mirror and see my stomach flopping up and down. It kind of makes me want to workout less hard so that it jiggles less. I don't ultimately want that. I'm hoping I can find something to wear that will control it a little bit and make me feel more comfortable and confident with going all out.

Thank you, everyone! Your suggestions are really helpful! I actually found a Skins compression top in my size for $20 on Ebay. I'm going to try that first.

Veterans, thank you all once again for helping those of us with less time under our belts understand what struggles might be ahead for us. And OP, I wish you all the best as you deal with this!

I won't lie. Sagging skin sucks. But maybe think about the things you'll be gaining in exchange for that sagging skin. I've lost more than 90 pounds and it's been life-changing. I can move in ways I couldn't before. I can do so much more physical activity and I really enjoy it. (This includes in the bedroom.) I can wear so many things I couldn't wear before and I look GOOD wearing them. I also have so much more energy. All of this is worth the extra skin, believe me.

Also, can I just say how much I'm cursing the two-inch long, course and kinky as hell gray hairs I'm sprouting? They're like little silver pubic hairs growing up in my part. Wtf?

Jerks who completely block an intersection, making you have to cycle through the entire traffic light rotation again. Is it that hard to look across the intersection and see whether there's room for you before crossing? We're ALL dealing with traffic here. Wait your freaking turn.

I'm eight months out and I don't feel like I have to obsess over food. Everything has become pretty routine now. I'm used to portioning and using my kitchen scale. And I have a pretty good handle on how much protein the things I normally eat contain. Before I go out to eat, I look for a menu online and scope out something I can eat. Most places have chicken or a salad or something that works. So yeah, it's all no biggie.