jintycb

Hi there! Find it odd that it appears that no one has posted on the UK forum since 2014. I have, and so have loads of others. Hmmmmmm? Bit of a puzzle there. Anyway, I'm not in Cambridge (although I stayed the night there this time last year and loved being back there) but I have had gastric sleeve surgery. I went to Belgium in October last year and I haven't had even the teeniest moment of regret. I am loving every minute of my journey. I love wearing clothes that look like clothes as opposed to family sized tents. I love my level of fitness. My dogs can't believe their luck at their five mile daily walks. I can't believe that I can walk that far with such ease! I'm an ex-dancer and I did my first ballet class for 25 years on my 60th birthday a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I suffered for a couple of days afterwards but I was back for more the other day. This time a swim straight afterwards has really helped. Could I have done all this without having my sleeve done? Nope. I could no more have lugged the weight of eight medium sized new born human babies around with me whilst I was exercising than fly to the moon. I am a very happy sleever and can't recommend this type of surgery highly enough. I had been on the diet misery-go-round for most of my adult life and at long last I have found the answer to my prayers. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You look WONDERFUL. The figures on the scales are one thing but what you see when you start comparing timeline photos then it really hits you. Personally, I'm not scared to look in the full length mirror any more either. In fact, I positively PREEN in front of it now! As for the clothes that you can wear-WOW! Have fun with your new look. You've worked hard for it so enjoy it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Plumbers crack.............we Brits call it Builder's Bum. Personally, I loathe having to look at one, nice arse or nasty arse not withstanding. My other half is a builder and if I ever catch him showing his crack on a job in front of a client (or anywhere else for that matter) I will personally get hold of his belt and do his jeans up so high and tight that his balls bleat for mercy. Rant over. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thought that I would just shove my two penny worth in as I haven't posted for a while. I had my surgery Oct 21 '15. 201lbs 5'3". I am now 137lbs so down 66lbs. I feel WONDERFUL! I walk my dogs about five miles every morning come rain or shine and instead of dawdling I'm now making sure that I keep up a fairly fast pace. I track on my Apple Watch, my Speedo Shine and my favourite, Map my Walk. My arthritic left knee is playing up a bit but I just shove on a support and try to forget it. My two year old replaced right hip is working as well as the original did before it fell to bits!! Last Friday, on my 60th birthday, I went and did a ballet class for the first time in 25 years. I LOVED it. Just dancing again was great. Lots of muscle memory still there from my professional days but for the following few days I wasn't going to be cracking any walnuts (or any other nuts for that matter) between my thighs! I felt like I'd lost a very large horse that I'd spent hours sitting on!!!!!! Ouch. Nonetheless, I shall be doing quite a few more classes as it is great for toning the bits up that walking isn't. I am so very pleased that I had the surgery. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yep, know the feeling of the appetite increasing. I'm in the process of discovering that the honeymoon period is well and truly over. I was ravenous yesterday but had walked 7 miles so wasn't surprised. I am really making sure that I get the protein in, plus veg and some fruit but I am staying away from bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. I do eat full fat dairy produce and make my own fruit yoghurts from lots of mixed berries, a squirt of honey and some lovely thick Greek yoghurt. Much more filling than the shop bought versions. What I have found is, that on s couple of occasions when I have thrown common sense to the wind and eaten too much, I have felt so physically sick and disgusting that I know that my sleeve is working. I feel amazing having lost 67lbs (although the last 17 to get to goal are proving so much harder to shift) and my BMI is now normal at 24. I walk at least five miles every day and I am making sure that my average speed is increasing slowly so that I am not just dawdling along. I'm 60 on Friday and am off to do my first ballet class in 25 years. I used to be a dancer so reckon I should stick to what I know to strengthen my core. Also, I know the teacher and used to do his classes when I was professional. He only teaches old dears now sob thankfully so won't expect too much from me!

Personally, I love reading a good old nip and pik thread. Have been known to add my own two pennyworth occasionally although at 10 months out I don't quite qualify for vet status yet. I've used a straw and had no problems whatsoever but I waited for quite a while after my op as I was being a good obedient patient and a bit of a wimpy goody two shoes.

Mmmmmm............now there's an idea............

I'm with you on the Patsy and Ab Fab track!!!! I've got a black Fiat Abarth convertible and I LOVE IT. My mid-life crisis has not just begun, it is well under way and boy, is it ever fun. Gone is any semblance of being a mature woman and girl power is the only gear that I engage now!!!!!!!!!

If you feel as wonderful as you look, which I hope you do, you must be on top of the world. Deservedly so. Good on you girl. Congratulations x

Hiya, I'm a few weeks away from my sixtieth-holy crap.............I only had my fiftieth a short while ago! WTF happens to time? I was sleeved Oct '15 and am three quarters of my way to my ultimate goal. I feel WONDERFUL. Healthy, happy, full of energy and definitely not about to enter my seventh decade. I walk five miles every morning with the dogs and it's a breeze. Not a puff, pant, nor wheeze. Yes, some of my bits still ache but that's due to being a ballet dancer and putting parts of my anatomy in positions that neither God or the Karma Sutra intended them to be put in. They ache a helluva lot less now that I have lost the toddlers who insisted on clinging onto my frame!

Went for a walk in Runnymede, near Windsor yesterday, where the Magna Carta was signed. Came across this memorial and thought that my friends in the USA might like to see it. I had no idea that it was there.

Pokestop? No idea. I shall endeavour to find out.

Welcome back my little Roo. Where the hell have you been Kinda. It's been awfully quiet without you. Missed you x

Just a quick comment. Anyone who suffers from an addiction and goes through a twelve step program with AA, NA, OA etc is given tough love. They are also given experience, strength and hope from other 'vet' recovering addicts. They are told to 'stick with the winners'. As a recovering alkie, smoker and glutton (hence being the recipient of WLS) I can only speak from my experience personally from AA and my alcoholism. The tough love and vets from the Fellowship of AA served me well. I would probably be dead by now if I hadn't taken the cotton wool out of my ears and listened, and shoved it in my gob so that I couldn't spout excuses and crap!!! I got very ruffled feathers when I was a newby as I thought that I knew better on many occasions. I was given some tough 'suggestions' as to what I should be doing to get sober. I equate this site as the WLS version of AA. I love the fact that there is so much humour (we laugh at ourselves, not at our disease of overeating) and I also stick with the winners here. You know who you are. For heaven's sake, stick around and carry on giving me the support that I have had (in shed loads) over the months since my surgery. If anyone offends me I just form an opinion and share it through private messages. That's when you discover like minded folks. I'm sure that there are people who are upset by what I post but they have the facility to have a private moan to their like minded chums. So, the long and the short of this rambling post is that if you don't like my forthright comments, go away and have a moan or just ignore me. I'm not going anywhere by the way and I remain, a miserable, b!tchy old git.

Good Luck, prayer going up for you. You are at the start of a roller coaster of a journey. Hang onto your hat and enjoy every minute. It is the best ride ever.

Whilst I was dog walking yesterday I spotted a fellow dog walker who I've known for ages but haven't seen for for a couple or three months as I've changed routes. I politely wished him and his partner (who I'd never met) a polite good morning. I got a polite but distant reply. My reaction was to put my hands on my waist (I can find it now without searching and faffing!) and shouted at him like a fishwife. Poor bugger looked completely puzzled until by looking at the dogs he realised it was me!!! He hadn't recognised me!!!!! Yay! He is Italian and gloriously camp so his consequent reaction and comments were WONDERFUL! My husband (who'd never met him) was grinning from ear to ear. I continued the walk with an added spring in my step! Ain't life grand after WLS?

I've got to have a rant- sorry guys but there you have it. I have noticed that there are so many people starting threads/posting on this site recently with questions for other members. However, they are normally questions that they should be asking their surgical team as they are the people who are qualified to answer. They will be in charge of care so ultimately it's their necks on the line if anything goes tits-up. It's them who will have to deal with any lawsuit that ensues due to anything that might go wrong. For every bit of surgery I've had (and believe me as an old hoofer there have been plenty of orthopaedic bits of mending and replacing on my knackered carcass) I did as I was told by my surgical team. If they had asked me to whistle Dixie whilst standing on my head farting the National Anthem and air dancing the Marseillaise I would have done it. Apart from my VSG all my surgeries were paid for by the National Health Service (NHS) and that included my hip replacement. I did as I was told pre-surgery and then post surgery. I read all the info and watched the DVDs that I was given. I had to give myself the anti-blood clotting jabs every morning and wear those REVOLTING AND UNCOMFORTABLE anti-thrombosis socks for WEEKS after my hip replacement but I'd been told to do it so I did it!!!!! After my VSG (which was self pay as our NHS here in the UK do very few) I stuck like glue to all the info that I was given. Any questions I had I knew that I could call or email my team for their help and advice. It appears that there are a lots of newbies (and sometimes more experienced WLS patients) who really don't want to adhere to instructions that they have been given. They post on this site in the hope that they can find someone who will give them the answer that they WANT. Not the answer that they NEED! My answer to those people - JFDI. Just as you're told by the professionals who are in charge of your care. Maybe Alex you should start a forum with the title 'Half-arsed Questions from Those Too Lazy and Arrogant to Listen to Their Surgical Team'. Rant over. Happy Monday. It's pissing with rain in the UK so could start a rant about British summertime but.........................!

Sunday morning here in the UK. Sitting in bed with husband, three dogs and two cats. Dogs can't believe how far they get walked now that I've lost weight. Four to five miles every morning is a lot for little legs.

I can only echo all the positives that have come from other post op friends. I too wish that I had done this years ago instead of nine months ago. I feel WONDERFUL. I agree with Dub about the hormones after surgery. Heaven only knows what was stored in my lardy bits but it was like the gates of hell had opened for a while as all those guys escaped from captivity! Lots more settled now and have just gone back to being an old git. I won't say a miserable one though as I spend most of the time walking around with an idiot grin on my face. I love it when I'm dog walking and I wish someone who has a face like a smacked arse a cheery 'Good Morning'! That person with the SAF used to be me. Not any more it ain't. I walk at least four miles every morning but five is becoming the norm now. I've even started to break into a sprint when there's no one around. Not for long, but a sprint nonetheless. My old injuries from being a ballet dancer for years are still there but so much easier to deal with now that I no longer have the weight of eight average new born babies clinging to my frame. The plantar fasciitis in my foot has gone dormant so hopefully it is considering leaving altogether. My knees are finding life easier so think the replacements can now wait for a while. My hip replacement is amazing. 18 months ago I was limping around but since having had the worn out one replaced and losing weight I can do great things with my leg. Arabesque? No probs! Going to attempt a ballet class for us older ballerinas soon so shall see how that goes. When I have time to go for a swim, I can now manage a mile in just over an hour. Slow but certainly sure. When it comes to clothes, well, I'm having fun. Gone are the boring, hide the fat, tents. I am into stuff that is fun. I might still wear Sketchers for all my walking but my collection of heels is growing all the time and I LOVE wearing them. Less the Miss Piggy look around the leg and foot area and more Miss Whiplash! My carb intake has, naturally enough plummeted. My protein intake has shot up. I always have some cooked chicken or salmon hanging around in the fridge just incase I get peckish. I stick to natural, unprocessed foods and when I have dairy produce I go for the full fat version. The satisfaction I get is immense, both physically through my stomach feeling full and mentally through my brain feeling satisfied and happy. I've still got 20lbs to lose until I reach my goal and am again in the middle of a stall but I know that my internal stylists are at work on my body rearranging and reshaping so I'll just let them get on with it! OK guys, it's Sunday morning, I'm sitting in bed with husband, three dogs and two cats and I need another cuppa. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and I'm a very happy punter. Have a great day guys x

Steph_anie, you look AMAZING. Well done. Love your new look, not just the weight loss but the haircut, the sassy way of holding your body, your tattoos. What a transformation. You can see your confidence in YOU in the pics, whereas in the 'before' pic you looked as though you wouldn't say boo to a goose! What a transformation between this time last year and now. I'm a very happy sleever and couldn't recommend the procedure enough to anyone who is serious about changing their lifestyle. I'm (5'3") down from 203lbs SW to 140lbs. I want to get rid of another 20lbs to get to goal and am just being patient as this final bit is the hardest to shift. I am walking the dogs about five miles every morning and surprised myself (and the dogs) yesterday by breaking into a gentle sprint when there was no-one around. It felt fairly easy with a few beads of sweat seeping through my pores even on a cool UK summer morning. I need to be careful as I've got a ton of old injuries from my days as a dancer but I just felt this wonderful sense of freedom and achievement. If I imagine that I have lost approximately the weight of eight new born babies from my frame then it makes perfect sense that I can move so freely. The mental picture I have of eight babies hanging onto me, well.............. thank heavens I ditched them!!! I know that I am going to have to be on my guard for the rest of my life to keep myself at the weight that is good for me. My eating habits are still changing and settling down. I DO NOT eat any processed or pre-packed food and my carb consumption is limited to veg and fruit. Bread is kept as a special treat. I'm addicted to baby plum tomatoes and sweet strawberries at the moment. I always have a load of cooked chicken thighs or cooked salmon in the fridge for when I get the munchies. I have Greek yoghurt with berries or cherries already stirred into it ready so that I can grab a dollop when I need it. If the berries are too sour then I shove in a quick squirt of honey. I make a large Spanish omelette and have bits of that as a snack. I'm sure my eating habits will continue to change as I carry on through my WL journey. One thing that I do know is that along with being aware of what I eat I need to be constantly vigilant so that I don't indulge in slider foods and make sure that I fill up on Protein first and foremost. Right, must haul my carcass out of bed now and get my mutts exercised. I shall try a quick sprint again, but as long as no-one is looking just incase I make a complete ass of myself!!!! Oh happy days

Guilty pleasures? Buying clothes and shoes in ever smaller sizes that are fun, not just practical, lard covering tents as pre-op. Nipping into my local coffee shop at the start of my morning dog walk, catching up on the local gossip and grabbing a full fat, large latte for my walking Breakfast. Walking for about five miles in the beautiful park surrounding Hampton Court Palace where Henry 8th and Elizabeth 1st used to hunt deer. My time, my bliss. Eating Protein and full fat products now that I stick to a low carb plan. Finding a recipe for the stickiest, most 'chocolaty', grain free brownies, making them and discovering that a square inch of one can satisfy my chocolate craving. Yum, yum, yum.

I'm going to be 60 in September and am 9 months pat op. 63lbs down and 20 to go to goal. I walk about 5 miles every morning with my dogs before I get on with my chores and working for my husband. All the bits of my anatomy that were falling to bits before surgery are still falling to bits but they don't hurt nearly so much due to the fact that they are not carrying around the weight of about 8 newborn babies!!!!!!! Scary eh! I've got muscles now instead of bags of lard. Yay! I'm wearing clothes that I like instead of tents and wearing vertiginous (well, they are for an old git) wedges. I'm loving life.

Hi JJ, welcome to the UK bit of BP. You're in the right place. If you are anything like me you're going to need to hand on as this can be the ride of your life. I (personally) am loving my journey. I'm in the middle of a stinking great stall at the moment but I haven't felt this good since I was in my early thirties. Got 20lbs to go until I reach my goal and it's hard work now. I was sleeved Oct 21st last year in Belgium and am just so glad that I did it. Good luck hon, life just keeps getting better! As for you Ms Cheeks-keep letting your bonce get big as you bum and boobs get smaller. Well done x

When you see a frock that you like in the sale but it is a UK 10 US 6. Just had to try it and it fitted! Yay!!!!!! It's not a fluke as I spotted two more dresses in another shop a few days later, again 10/6 and they fit as well. This is costing my husband a fortune-well, bit cheaper than a fortune as everything that I buy is on the reduced rail. I'm in the middle of a stall (again) but what the hell. 20lbs to go to goal but I feel WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

On 9 August I celebrate 12 years of sobriety, helped, for the first six years by attending AA meetings. If the guys who I was working for and who were both recovering alkies hadn't taken me to my first AA meeting I reckon I would have kicked the bucket by now. My father died of alcoholism so I should have had enough of a warning but I convinced myself that I was just a party animal! Yeh, right. Bog standard lush more like. Having the support of fellow alkies was invaluable and in this part of leafy Surrey, just outside London, where I live we had AA meetings within easy reach every day. Lots of middle class drunks around here!!!!! I can't walk down the high street without bumping into one of the clan. Go to a meeting, try it for a month and if you don't like it you can have your misery returned, with interest, no questions asked. AA really does work, even for sceptics like me. Good Luck.