biginjapan

Congratulations! You look great and are a wonderful inspiration to everyone here!

My mother had pin-straight hair before having kids; after all her pregnancy-related hair loss, what came back was darker and curlier that what she had had before (sandy brown hair to very dark, very curly brown-black hair). My hair is still falling out, but I think (I hope!) I've got some new growth coming in - if it is, then it appears to be the same as before. I was worried, because I thought the same thing that happened to my mother would happen to me!

I chose 140 because that's the high end of the normal BMI range for my height. It's also the same weight I was at my thinnest, when I was 24 years old (actually, I probably was down to 135, or even lower, but I didn't have a scale and 140 is the last number I remember seeing). If I get to 140 I will have also lost 50% of total body weight from when I was at my largest, so it's a nice number to aim for. If I go lower, no problem. It gives me room for a little "bounce back" which often happens, and if it does, will probably be easier to maintain. Interestingly, in Japan 22.9 is the high end of the normal scale, 23-24.9 is overweight, and anyone 25 and up is obese. So I'll probably never meet the "normal" weight limits on my yearly health checks, even though that BMI scale is meant for people of Asian descent. Recently I went home for a visit (and much needed clothes shopping), and my family, friends and random people (like shop assistants) refused to believe that I am still obese - again getting to the idea that we as a society have a skewed view of what is "normal" weight. Even my Western friends here in Japan don't believe that I could still be considered obese. Grant it, I'm very close to just being overweight, but still...

I had my surgery back in February and I still haven't told my family about it. Only a couple of friends who live in other countries (!) know. I'm not married or in a serious relationship, nor do I have kids, so I did want some people to know before surgery, just in case. Even though I haven't told my family, co-workers, and other friends and acquaintances, most people have been supportive of my weight loss efforts so far, and I'd like to keep it that way (although my parents are encouraging me to keep my old fat clothes, "just in case." I want to tell them that it's not something I will have to worry about). I did have a few people ask me if my weight loss was intentional, and I have to admit I was touched by their concern. I've always been a private person so it's not unusual that I've kept this to myself. That said, if someone asked me specifically about it, I wouldn't lie, but I have a feeling no one will do so.

I would be worried about that too. Have they said why your calories have to be so low, and for so long? Even when I was on my pre-op diet I was told to stay above 800 calories if possible (and even more when I was post-op), since getting so little in can wreak havoc on your metabolism. Look at the Biggest Loser contestants they studied a couple years ago - every single one of them had a worse RMR after the program than before, and most gained weight back because they could never increase their calories to a more normal range without it affecting their weight.

Yes! Plenty of people exercise post-op without joining a gym. I'm just over 6 months post-up and all of my exercise up to this point has been walking. One thing that surprised me post-op was how much energy I had. So instead of sitting in front of the computer all evening, I would find myself getting restless and go out for another walk at the end of the day. That said, I'll probably be joining a gym in September when I get back to Japan from my holidays, as the reality is I need to do more than walk. I can't run or do anything high impact due to heel spurs in my foot, and I'd like to have more strength training options than I do at home. Also, I live in a tiny Japanese apartment, so there isn't a lot of room for me to work out, even if I had the inclination to do so. I figure if I can make going to the gym part of my daily work routine, it will be much easier for me to commit to it.

Do you mean now that I'm 6 months post-op? (as of tomorrow, yay!) Honestly, I had no problems in the hospital or afterwards, never had any real restrictions, food aversions, or anything else like that. I try to stay from carbs just because they are real slider foods for me and don't provide the nutrition I need, otherwise I eat whatever is available - usually protein and veggies (and sometimes fruit). Of course, my portions are pretty small (compared to before) but bigger than what most here have posted about. That said, my weight loss has slowed considerably, so I'll need to re-evaluate what I'm consuming and change up my exercise. Unfortunately I'll be travelling for the next 3 weeks which makes any kind of consistently to my food and/or schedule pretty difficult. Not to mention no weigh-ins! (that might be a good thing).

I don't mind the Premier pre-mixed shakes, but making shakes from the powder is disgusting (for me at least). I've been using Syntrax powders (both traditional powders - chocolate, vanilla, and unflavoured) and Syntrax nectars (which are like drinking juice) both pre- and post-op. In both cases you get 23g of protein, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, 100 calories. The nectars I usually mix with just water, but the powders I mix with unflavoured almond milk (or soy milk), and if I'm using chocolate, I usually add some PB2 peanut butter powder and (sometimes) either unflavoured/unsweetened Greek yogurt or half a small block of fresh soft tofu (the latter will make it thick like a milkshake), plus (usually) a banana. On top of that I always add either flax or chia seeds (ground). All those add-ons add to the protein count (often I get between 30-35g, depending on what I use). Oh - my new favourite smoothie is mixing Syntrax Roadside Lemonade with unsweetened almond milk, and 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries (or other berries) - it's really refreshing in the summertime!

I think everyone feels it a little differently. I've only got the burps once in all of my post-op eating. Usually it's just discomfort - tightness and pressure, and I feel like I can slowly feel the food moving through my intestines while my stomach remains uncomfortably full. It's definitely not a GERD-type feeling (which I had pre-op), although I do get pressure in my chest occasionally. If I overeat there's no way I can drink 30 minutes after eating - it's more like an hour before I feel good enough to consume anything.

I've always loved walking, did it pre-op, still doing it post-op. I add a little strength-training in when I can. In September I'll be joining a gym (as I'm travelling during the month of August) and I hope to up both my cardio and weight training there. I doubt there will be any special workouts offered at the gym, as this is Japan. I've decided to join the gym because I just don't work out enough at home. I live in an apartment so I'm limited to certain types of exercises since I don't want to disturb my neighbours, and the reality is, I don't work out enough when I'm here. The other issue is the weather here can really limit what I do outside, especially in the summer so having a place where I can work out is really helpful. Usually I don't like gyms since I have to go out of my way to get to them, but I found one that is on the way to work, so that gives me a lot of incentive to use it. Edit: In the past I always preferred to do (or learn) real activities - like dancing, boxing, etc. or doing physical activities as James has suggested, as opposed to straight gym workouts. But there's not much here for me to join (or do) so I'm going to try the gym for a while.

Well, even pre-weight loss I wanted my breasts done (they've been pointing to the floor for at least 20 years now, and one is a full cup size smaller than the other), and now they're even worse, so the breasts will be the first to be done, (lift and maybe augmentation since I'm losing a lot in that area), probably in conjunction with my arms. If I had a desk job or any other job that did not require me lifting my arms up in front of people on a regular basis, I could probably live with my flappy arms. But I'm a teacher and I write on the board a lot (and do a lot of presentations both here and abroad) and I definitely feel the breeze blowing as my arm flaps back and forth as I write. No amount of strength training is going to fix that problem. However, I'm also very bottom heavy (pear-shaped) and I imagine I'll need some work done below. I never thought I would need a butt lift, as I've always had a very round, high butt my entire life (even when thin), but now it's sagging and touching the back of my legs (a really strange feeling) and it hurts to sit on anything for any length of time. I'm not sure if I'll need a tummy tuck yet - I thought that I might, but my belly seems to be shrinking nicely with no real problems at the moment. Thighs will probably need work (and lipo) but that's where I'm losing weight the slowest (of course) so it'll be a while before I know how bad that problem is. In any event, I'm starting to save for plastics now, which won't happen for at least another year from now (probably longer), and I'll split the surgeries up - one for breasts and arms (first), and then 6 or 12 months later, my lower half.

I'm six months out and although I don't weigh food anymore, I still use my small plates and bowls and generally know when too much is too much. I've learned that it's easy for me to overeat, but that I won't feel the discomfort (most of the time) until after I've finished almost everything, and then I'll be uncomfortable for quite a while afterwards.

Fantastic news Walter! I was actually thinking about you today and wondering how you were doing. Luckily you'll have in built-in support with your wife going through it with you too. I also did a three-week pre-op diet and lost more weight on that than I did after the surgery! But the pounds keep coming off so I'm not complaining.

My weight loss has been officially noticed by the women I work with (from about 2 months post-op) and by my students, but not really from anyone else. Some of my students from 3-4 years back often don't recognise me at first, and do a double-take when they realise it's me. It is heartwarming to hear my students call me "slim" now, even though I'm not, as I'm still obese, and even if and when I get to a normal BMI I will still be considered big by Japanese standards (as I was when I first came here many years ago). The men I know haven't said anything to me unless I bring it up first.

It's worth tracking what you eat for at least a week or more, just so you can get an idea of what your macros look like based on what you usually eat. Of course, tracking every day is best, but I know that not everyone does it (including me). However, my food intake hasn't changed too much from week to week, and I mostly eat the same kinds of food every day, so I know that I'm hitting my goals. Also, what's your water intake like? Even now, 6 months out, I find it hard to get in all my water and all my food during the day - I have to constantly remind myself to keep drinking, especially now when the weather is so hot and humid. If you are drinking a lot, you probably won't be eating as much. Finally, if you find yourself snacking at night, you may want to impose a limit on yourself (for example, no food after 8 p.m.) and/or find something else to do to occupy your time (like go for a walk). I find the more I sit around at home, the more I tend to eat - which makes weekends more of a struggle for me, rather than during the week when I'm busy at work.

In the beginning it's better to measure your food as you may not be getting the right signals until its too late.

Unfortunately I live in a country that has one of the lowest obesity levels in the world, and where second-hand shops aren't interested in big clothes like mine. Plus, not being able to shop here has meant that I've always had the "just in case" mentality of saving all kinds of clothes, even ones with rips, tears, and stains, just in case I needed something at a particular size because there is no possibility of me finding anything in the shops here, ever. However, as I started losing weight, the first thing I did was get rid of all the clothes that had holes, tears, stains, etc. Two huge garbage bags full went into the trash. Then, anything that was too big went into storage boxes - 7 of them. But since then I have lost enough weight to fill 2 more storage boxes. My plan was originally to try to give away or sell clothes to any large women here in my local area. But it's going to take a lot of time to do it, and I still may end up with a lot of clothes left over. Since I'm going home for vacation soon, I've decided to pack up my suitcase with as many clothes as I can that I can donate to an organisation that will pass them on to people in need. I could do that here, but they tend to cut up the clothes into scraps, and I don't want that for most of my clothes, especially the ones that were barely or never worn. Hopefully I'll be able to take at least half of all my big clothes home with me. The rest I will try to give away when I come back, or donate them to places like H&M, since I can get their discount coupon with every donation (not that I can shop there yet - or would want to). I'm still struggling with the "just in case" mentality, since I've lived with it for so long; on the other hand, being able to free up closet space will be a huge plus since there is almost no closet space in most apartments here in Japan. However, I will be doing shopping for new clothes when I go home, but it will be difficult to plan ahead, in thinking about how small I should buy certain items, since I will definitely keep losing weight over the next year, but who knows how much. The worst thing is that, even when and if I reach a healthy BMI, I probably won't be able to buy anything here, because I'm way too curvy. Japanese women are not known for having much in terms of breasts, hips, thighs, or butts, so most clothes are cut with that in mind. So even very thin Western women have a hard time finding clothes here because there's nothing extra cut into tops or pants or anything else to accommodate those curvy body parts.

Starting BMI: 49, size 24/3X Current BMI: 34, size 16/18. By the chart I should be a 16, and that sounds right to me, but the 16s I have (which are at least 8 years old) are still a little tight for me. But all my 18s (most of which are plus-size 18s, not regular size 18s) are too big for me. So I'm in a weird place at the moment with not having any bottoms fitting me correctly. Luckily I have a lot of skirts, and they look better than pants that get really droopy as the day goes on. I think another thing to consider is body shape. I'm a definite pear, so my bottoms are often 1 or 2 sizes bigger than my tops. So my sizes are probably different than someone who has more of an apple shape, even if we are at the same BMI.

How's everyone doing post-op? I just had my surgery yesterday, and other than the scars on my belly and general fatigue, I feel great. Don't know how long that's going to last though!

Congratulations! I hit onederland not too long ago myself, and now I'm 13 pounds away from hitting 100 pounds lost.

I had my surgery done in Mexico back in February (BMI 48). Based on these forums, I was expecting the worse. It didn't happen. No pain, very easy recovery, no gas, I was walking day 1 post-op and never stopped (even with a drain), the barium swallow post-op was a non-event, etc. In fact, at one point I burst into tears when talking to my doctor, because I felt they hadn't done the surgery (despite my scars). My experience didn't mesh with what I had "learned" here, nor with what the other people on my floor were going through. My doctor laughed (in a nice way) and told me not to worry - that I was one of the lucky ones that had no problems post-op (believe it or not, it does happen). And to prove I had the operation, she showed me a photo of my excised stomach with my chart beside it (apparently I have quite a long stomach, compared to others). I did go to the hospital prepared - I had my gas-x strips, and mouth spray for dry mouth. The gas-x I ended up giving to another patient on the floor who was having real trouble with gas pain, but the mouth spray was a real life saver. Even when water couldn't really "wet" my throat, the spray could. I also have found it useful even when flying, since there's only so much you can drink at a time.

Averaging 18 pounds a month is great! I think many people here have unrealistic expectations of how fast they will lose post-op. There are so many factors: did you have sleeve or bypass? Are you male or female? Was starting weight/BMI high or low? etc. No two people are alike, and no two people will lose weight the same way in the same time frame. You're only 2 months out. Do you really think the weight loss is going to stop suddenly? I know it's hard not to compare yourself to others, but really, the only one you should be comparing yourself to is... you! What was your weight loss like before you had the operation? I know for me, the most I could ever lose was about 10 pounds a month, but after a month or two, the weight loss would plateau and creep up again. What are your body measurements like? You may find that you are losing inches, even if the scale is stalled. How do you feel? Do you have more energy? Do you have less pain (if you have it before)? There are so many non-scale victories to keep track of. Even for me, the last two weeks have been a bit of a downer, as the scale hasn't budged (but it finally did today). That said, even though the scale wasn't moving, clearly something was happening because I suddenly found most of the clothes I was wearing were too big - pants and skirts literally falling off my body, shirts so baggy it was embarrassing. So I've done another clean-out of my closet and I'm happy that I am starting to fit into size 16 bottoms, something I haven't been able to do for over 10 years. Anyway, focus on your NSV's, stop comparing yourself to others (social media is great for support, but it often can create false expectations based on what others are projecting out there), and relax. Hope you start feeling better about this soon.

As OutsideMatchInside has said, everyone is different. Some people have a lot of pain/energy/fatigue, some barely any, and others in between. I was prepared for the worst, but in fact I did very well after my operation - I was walking as much as everyone else on my floor combined. And although I was tender in places, I really didn't have any pain. By day 3 post-op I was walking at least 10,000 steps plus a day (sometimes over 20,000 (day 5)). Did I have the same energy as before? No. But I found that after I pushed through my initial fatigue (usually having to take a short rest every 5-10 minutes for the first half hour), I started feeling energized afterwards. What kind of music festival are you going to? Is it a lot of sitting around? You'll probably be okay, but, and this is a big but, it depends on what your recovery is like post-op. I travelled to Germany exactly 4 weeks after my operation for 10 days (for business) and I was fine. I was no longer on purees by then (soft foods were okay) but I didn't have a single problem when I was there. I was just conscientious of what I could and couldn't handle, brought extra protein powder for drinks in case I needed it, and it was ok. In any event, you should talk to your doctor about it.