FLHappyGirl

You've done fabulous, congratulations! I agree ^^ - grab a test just to be on the safe side. You said they told you it will take your body a while to ovulate regularly, that doesn't mean you won't ovulate at all - you may ovulate one month and not the next and so forth!

Just my opinion....I agree you need to be careful to insure you do not cause any damage from lifting too heavy. Talk to your surgeon and let him/her know your plans. Follow his/her guidelines. If something doesn't feel right don't do it. I didn't tell my trainer about my surgery. I didn't want any unsolicited opinions or judgement. Trust me, most are super helpful but trainers can be judgy. I also am pretty sure if you tell your trainer, every trainer in the gym will be informed. It's a close knit community. Since I don't tell everyone about my surgery I wasn't going to share this info. A lot are young and think they have every aspect of fitness figured out! If you talk to ten trainers you might get ten different answers. I found a great one that helped me so much.....but I still didn't tell her I had surgery. She did however know I lost a considerable amount of weight. She was fabulous about taking my age and previous condition into consideration. She pushed me hard during the times I needed to be pushed. I've seen great results with her! They provided some nutrition advice and/or guidelines. I politely smiled while nodding my head and then followed my surgeon's plan. Most likely they will assume you are following their nutrition plan because you will see results, no need to tell them otherwise. Anyway, just some things to take into consideration.

I'll be two years out in March and am not considered type 2 any longer. It is still odd to me that it resolved itself within days of having surgery. I continue to stay away from sugar and avoid bread, pasta and rice. In addition I exercise regularly. It is my opinion that even if you resolve the issue, if you aren't careful you can tip the scale back to the other side. Insulin resistance is a tricky thing! But chances are your numbers will be greatly improved after surgery.

I don't have the exact number in front of me but I know the results showed my BMR in the low 2,000/day. It was a reality check that I often overate and how much I overate. Since I didn't bother to track food I didn't realize how many calories I actually consumed. It also pointed out how inactive I was...... While I haven't had the same test re-done, my gym does have a fairly advanced body fat/skeletal mass/water scale. Based on my current weight and muscle mass my BMR based on that is 1498/day. Makes sense given the loss in weight. The new number is helpful because now I track food/calories/nutrients and I track exercise/calories burned by way of a heart rate monitor. I have consistently stayed within 2-3 pounds of my current weight and increased my muscle mass using this method. My new goal is to continue to increase my muscle mass. That is proving to be a difficult balancing act! I'm blabbering on....in short it gives me a tool or guideline on how many calories I can eat in a day. Keeps me honest. Keeps me exercising. Of course not all calories are created equal so I am mindful to eat the stuff on my program.

I had it done. I had to breath into a little mouth piece for several minutes. Aside from some drool running down my cheek it was easy. I got my results immediately and believe the results to be pretty accurate.

I had a friend who had it done. At best, she said the results were barely noticeable and in no way equal to the high cost. When she questioned the practice they said, "everyone's results are different". Also, you have to remember it is designed to shrink fat, not tighten loose skin. I am curious if anyone else has tried with a better outcome!

RinRin, Sorry to read about your struggles. I am fortunate in that I do not struggle with depression, or more importantly medication to treat depression; keep this in mind while reading my response. Your body is going through some major changes during rapid weight loss, this includes changes in your hormones. Again, not knowing how your medication works I would be curious if the weight loss and change in hormones due to it are complicating matters. My only suggestion is to be in close contact with your primary doc since he/she is the one treating you and to reach out to a psych doc if your primary can't get things under control. Maybe get psych on board now rather than later. I wish you all the best. Keep reaching out and doing what you need to get yourself where you need to be.

Knowledge is key, for the patient as well as support people. Can she access this website? It might prove beneficial for her to see so many people doing well. It also might help with what to expect during the different phases you go through. Would you be comfortable having her join you at some of your pre-op appointments? Just some thoughts....

My nose will run. Not a lot but enough to realize it is my cue to stop eating. Strange isn't it?

Given the opportunity, I actually find myself going out of my way to smile, say hi, or even provide a compliment to someone overweight. A small gesture of kindness goes a long way. I think I do this because I remember (and honestly I hope I never forget) how it feels to be overweight and self-conscious that people are looking at you. I will admit sometimes I think to myself, God I hope they somehow are able to have the opportunity I had and look into surgery! I would never, ever think to randomly suggest surgery unless someone asked me about it.

I turned 50 about 2 months after my surgery. I can't tell you if it came off slower than someone younger than me but what I do know is it came off faster and more consistently than any other diet I have been on. Best of luck on your journey!

Great article with important reminders. Thanks for posting!

I touched on this very subject during my pre-op psych evaluation. I explained one thing I was not looking forward to while losing weight was all the unsolicited comments and compliments. I've never been good at accepting them; so much so that I can pinpoint a time where a compliment set the wheels in motion for weight regain after I had been successful. The so called compliment was from a person known to be judgmental and think poorly of overweight people. She went on and on in front of co-workers how good I looked. In my head I knew she was saying , "hey, you look good, keep up the work because you really looked like s**t before. " I'm sure she was a mean girl in school. Subconsciously I think I allowed myself to fall off the diet and exercise wagon and start regaining in order to avoid any further attention. Of course that was an excuse but I knew this time around I would have to deal with the exact same thing so I really worked on appropriate responses. My go to response is "thank you, I've been working really hard on things." Then I tell the voice in my head to shut up and move on. It's worked. If someone presses me for details on "how" I've lost or my favorite "how much" and they aren't a part of my inner circle I've been known to tell them it is none of their business. The good news is I'm beginning to learn to accept the heartfelt compliments. That said, my husband knows me so well and knows to limit the "mushies" that he often gives back-handed compliments. My favorite was when he told my son , "you better not talk that way to your mom, she is light on her feet and goes to the gym everyday, she will kick your butt. Watch yourself." We laughed as he stormed off to his room.

I agree with Fluffy, see if your doc can refer you to physical therapy. PT can give you the basics to get started. If that isn't an option log onto My Fitness Pal. There are daily posts, with videos on correct form, for lunges, squats and lifts that you can do at home. Start with just your body weight. If you want to add weight as you progress (while maintaining good form) you can fill gallon milk jugs with water or sand. Sounds silly but it is cheap! I'd also check Craig's list for used kettlebells or dumbells. Gym equipment is always one of those things people buy, don't use and have no place to store. Good luck!

I'm about 1 1/2 years out from surgery. I feel that I was well prepared about the actual surgery and eating during each stage for the most part. I always planned on changing my lifestyle to include exercise but it never dawned on me I would become the girl lifting weights, building strength and looking for muscles under my droopy skin. The last 10 lbs have not come off easily even with vigorous exercise, strength training and conditioning. I know I am stronger, leaner and have good cardio stamina for someone my age. I know I have more muscle than when I started but I have no idea what I should be eating to maintain or lose that last 10 lbs of fat while building MORE muscle. In short, I'd love to see nutrition programs specifically for bariatric patients and our inability to ingest large meals at one sitting that allow for muscle building along with the typical maintenance programs. I hope that makes some sense! I wish you much success with your studies! Keep us posted on what area you decide to focus on.

Thanks for sharing your story! You have had a difficult journey. I will be thinking of you tomorrow and wish you much success in this next step. You've got this!

You look fantastic! Keep up the good work!

I was hoping the same would happen to me, but I'm still a mosquito magnet. It seems if I am moving (walking, mowing the lawn, etc) I'm ok but the minute I sit or stand still I'm dinner for all those little $*%#!

Hair loss is a common side effect of WLS. Google telogen effluvium for more information. I started to notice loss around the 3-4 month mark with it subsiding at about the 9-12 month mark. My hair was visibly thinner to me and I have fine hair to start. Although no one else noticed (or at least they didn't say anything) my hair dresser noticed and she didn't know I had surgery. When I told her she suggested cutting my hair a little shorter and darkening it - this did help to make it appear more full. The good news is I am about 1 1/2 year out from my surgery and it is noticeably thicker. I have lots of "fly away" hairs where I can tell there is growth that just isn't as long as most of my hair. I'm not going to lie, it sucks but you will get through it and it is worth it!

Post op is so much better at home, my hospital bed was awful! I hope they let you go soon and you are on your way to a full recovery very soon. Take things slow and stick to your plan! You'll do just fine!

Sorry to hear this, it must be hard for you! I would bet your wife is insecure in her own weight and now she feels like she doesn't have a partner in her unhealthy lifestyle. Don't let that derail your efforts! Loving someone means supporting them even when it is hard for you to do so. You look fantastic! Don't let ANYONE tell you differently, and keep up the good work.

I'm a huge fan of Costco Brand (Kirkland) protein bars. I like the chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie. They recently added a cinnamon roll and peanut butter one too. I think they are similar to the Quest bars.

Do you have to visit your doctor for anymore monthly visits? Maybe you could schedule two appointments on the same day so the trip seemed more worth it. That said, I would go with the known in order to avoid any insurance complications.

Hi HRose! I did the same thing, I started the process with one practice and made it almost all the way through the process before realizing I was just another number. When a problem came up with my insurance they weren't there to help, they didn't need to since there were hundreds in line behind me! I took a step back and even told myself maybe I should give diet and exercise another try. I did for a few months and realized I was kidding myself. I found a great doctor (smaller practice) who I felt was a better match. Fear is normal, after all you are having surgery but like MattZ said above there are so many more risks with being obese and not having the surgery. Not to mention everyday risks like getting in our car! The surgery will work if you commit to the program and make the needed changes. You already know it isn't a magic pill but it is the best tool out there to get you to goal and allow you to make lifestyle changes. I'm sure you have read it before but I'm going to say it again, my only regret is not having the surgery earlier (with my preferred doctor!) Good luck and let us know how things go! You got this!

Diabetes was one of my biggest reasons for having the surgery. I was on oral meds only (metformin) for several years. The last year or so my A1C was continually creeping up and my doctor was leaning towards adding other medications. I think it was close to 8 with my pre-op bloodwork. I was released the day after surgery and never took another metformin. My a1c was 5.4 and my fasting glucose was 90 last week at my follow up. I know I will have to be diligent about food choices and continuing to exercise but I am still amazed how quickly the insulin resistance resolved itself. Might not happen for everyone but I hope it helps at the very least!