RHCD

So haven’t been here in a while. But two today (after some small regain it was a good reminder). I was able to walk all over campus keeping up with my team (couple miles) without getting out of breath or breaking a sweat. Second I had put down my size as a medium for my polo shirt. It was a women’s medium and when I heard that I was a little worried because women’s cuts are notoriously tiny. Not a problem.

Last week and I went and bought new jeans as the ones I bought last fall (32”) are just too baggy. I bought and fit into 29”. I can’t believe my waist is now smaller than my 32” inseam. Awesome NSV for me as the scale is pretty stagnate. Then I was sharing this story with one of my close friends (who affectionally calls her self a skinny bitch) and she tell me she has pants in that size too. I literally stopped walking and just gave her this look of WTF and commented “I just have no idea how to process that”. Seriously a year ago I was two weeks post op and today life is completely different.

I haven’t talked about it at all on social media even when the comments started coming in about why I looked drastically different. I belong to a body positive group and it’s too hard to articulate in writing all the reasons I did this that aren’t about being physically smaller. I had plenty of confidence and felt beautiful before my sleeve but I know I’m in the minority. I took guidance from a close friend who had dramatic weight loss with out surgery who didn’t post her transformation on social media. Not because either of us are ashamed. Now in person I talk about it but there was a small group (The Mr and a few select friends but no family) who knew ahead of my surgery. Afterwards I’ll talk about it pretty freely because going from a size 24 down to a ten in under a year is dramatic. I literally don’t look the same. I knew ahead of time who I could trust with telling. The supportive folks vs the not.

So I’m at my one year and I did most of my exercise via walking. And honestly it wasn’t until the 6+ week that I even had the energy to deal with walking and didn’t get real distance/time until well past 12 weeks. I have yet to go to a “gym.” I’m back at my yoga studio that I was at at 300lbs+. I now go several times a week with yoga and cardio classes. You’re doing fine. Don’t beat yourself if not perfect.

So this is a weird one. Last night while taking a bath if I had my knees bent and touching and there was an honest to goodness visible gap. Like I could see thru it and had to really contort myself to close it.

I’m so sorry you had that happen. Honestly if they are general caring people it’s probably more thoughtlessness. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. If they are general not nice people then it’s intentional. Usually I find people who bring people down intentionally are usually miserable and unhappy. They want you feeling like them. So much BS.

I’ve been struggling the last few weeks as the numbers are flat gain flat gain loss ... rinse and repeat. But I keep going back to how clothes that a few weeks ago were tight in the legs, belly or arms are now plenty comfortable and are not tight or pulling. I’m wearing heels regularly and my feet aren’t angry at me. I get antsy if I haven’t been active and look forward to moving my body with a walk/workout etc. The weird one is recognizing I’m now thin enough (size 10 US) that thin privilege is real and a total mind frak. I’m no longer invisible in public and that’s just really odd to have the shift in under a year.

I had a shot at about 12 weeks post sleeve. (I was traveling and it was a group celebration thing). It instantly hit me. Like insta drunk I could see the world shift and feel it hit my blood stream. After that it’s been a few schooners or less that I don’t finish here and there. I wasn’t a big drinker before and even less now. I’m not a drinker

Yesterday while in for my 10/11 month check up I was scheduling my 12 month follow up. The receptionist looked at my photo in the system and said “dang you look totally different!” The other lady in the waiting room who was having a pre surgery appt asked if she could ask me some questions. Total convo about yeah the number change is amazing (and frustrating) but more than that are all the NSVs that I’ve had and at.

Well done!!! Seriously a fun wtf feeling

My other half broke his ankle and couldn’t drive during the time I had initially scheduled. Pushed me out about 6 weeks. So not insurance related but one of those life laughed at my plan...

Yep! I keep thinking I can’t have had this be this “easy”. Other than my gallbladder emergency surgery at month 5 it’s been fairly straightforward. Follow the plan and tweak where it ya need to. Don’t get me wrong plenty of hard moments of figuring things out but not anywhere near some of the side effects you read about. In fact when people start thinking about a sleeve and ask for my input I tell them I’m so far on the right side of the standard deviation that holding me up as normal is setting them selves up for heart ache.

Yep! 10ish months out and omg always so cold. I was a chilly person before now it’s just comical because I always have a heavy warm scarf just in case. This is on top of multi layers. Btw fleece lined leggings are amazing.

I stopped somewhere around the 12 week mark. I had a two week international trip and knew there was no way I could find something especially since anything dairy based caused me issues. Honestly I struggled with them because of my intolerance to dairy (particularly whey and it’s counterparts) despite trying several styles. As a smoothie they’d take me so long to finish that’d it throw off my meal timing and water intake.

Have a new one... I had to take a decent work headshot for our internal IM and network. This was after replacing my badge picture two weeks ago. Two weeks ago I got questioned on my Costco card not looking at me. Traveling in a few weeks and just had a panic moment about how much my DL or passport don’t really look a lot like me.