Boldilocks

ALL the nopes!!! LOL The concept of me trying on bathing suits in a shop changing room might just rip a hole in the fabric of reality (never mind the fabric of the bathing suit)! 🤣

Show off!

BTW - I had my first stall at 12 days post surgery - and it lasted a week and a half! Try not to freak out!

Definitely! Plus with your BMI being on the lower side to begin with, you aren't going to drop the huge amounts initially that some do (it was the same with me).

Thanks for the tip - I'll look there if this one doesn't work for me! I feel like it's been so long, I don't even know where to start! Would you care to share a pic of what you got??

I had the house cleaned to within an inch of its life before surgery, and stocked up on stuff like toilet paper, paper towels, bottled water, cat food and litter, etc. I had paper plates and plastic cutlery to use to cut down on dish washing. I have one of those robot vacuums, and knew she I could run her every day anyway. The rest of the family were on frozen dinners and take out for a while after - I didn't really care what they were eating, tbh, and they didn't starve. My husband had to do all the fetching and carrying for 2 weeks until I was cleared to drive - that was the toughest part actually, as he just assumed that I'd take the kids to all their appointments and activities because apparently I'm the default parent. I barked orders at my daughters from the sofa a lot (12 and 11) - and if all else failed I would get up and painstakingly start to do things myself, and then the guilt would kick in and they'd do whatever needed done (esp laundry). We muddled through - but prep was the key. I pre-bought everything I possibly could to stock up, and spent about a month before surgery de-cluttering the house to minimise the amount of cleaning that would need to be done.

Thanks guys - I think I just needed my hand held because it's not returnable if it's the wrong size through Zulily. At a third of the price it usually sells for, I'll take the hit if it doesn't work for me. Ordered it in a10 - eeeek! That sounds so weird to say!

My surgeon recommended the Flintstones vitamins and that's what I take (the chewables with iron) - I tried the Celebrate ones, but they made me gag and very nauseous. I was told that as long as it has the 18 mg of iron and 400 mcg of folic acid, then any multi is fine. I also take calcium citrate soft chews - one at lunch time and one at dinner time. Biotin once daily. B12 1 ml sub-lingual in the morning. Prescription Vit D 50,000 units once a week. At my 6 week blood work, all my levels were great - if that changes, I'll look at doing something else. I don't have more blood work until 6 months post-op.

Congrats to you on reaching goal and maintaining! What do your calories and macros look like these days?

Especially when it's $108 on their main retail site! Just unsure what size to order - arghhhhh!

I met the best boy on my walk - and he wanted snuggles! (Don't tell my cats).

Forgive my daughter's disgusting room and mirror - I don't have a mirror in my own room (you know how that goes). But I guess I'll be wearing a Medium to Pride this summer when I'm home in Ireland! I bought this in Old Navy on Black Friday last year knowing I would have the surgery in Feb - I wanted to hedge my bets and get a Large, but my daughter made me get a Medium. I hoped more than believed it would ever fit - but here we are! I could even need a Small by the time Pride rolls around in August - but maybe not with how slowly I lose, LOL. (I'm not LGBTQ myself, but I am an Ally and my daughters and I take part in pride every year when we are home because equal rights mean so much!) 🏳️‍🌈

This is me exactly! Yes, I will feel my restriction - but I know I could overeat, and it's not a hard stop for me like it is for some. I was able to drink 8oz of water immediately after surgery, and it's continued in that vein ever since. I weigh and measure my food - I'm used to taking in relatively few calories due to PCOS dieting (was on 1300 cals or less a day for years before surgery) - and don't go over 4 oz, though I know I physically could. I don't feel restriction with that. Towards the end of the meal, I'll feel a little tight - but I think it's because I eat too fast, and I don't chew everything to an absolute pulp, and I take bites that are too big. In spite of all that, I have never dumped, never thrown up, never had the foamies, never had to spit food out, never felt nauseous or had to lie down. I am losing very, very slowly - and there are definitely days where I would like that security that comes with a lot of restriction. Then again, I feel like this is perhaps setting me up better for maintenance, as I police myself and don't rely on my restriction to do it? If I ever get to maintenance, that is...

Yep! I stalled on Day 12 after surgery, and stayed in that stall for a week and a half. Not fun - but a reminder that just because your body should do something, doesn't mean it will. I mean, there;s no earthly way your body should not be losing weight on 500 calories a day - but there it was. Just strap yourself in - it's going to be a long and eventful journey!

Yes, less ounces for sure! My brother and I would drink beer (ales, not carbonated lagers) when we go out, and I don;t think I'll be able to manage that! (Also, UK/Irish pints are 20oz, where they are 16oz here!)

Ended up having a bottle of wine over the course of 3-4 hrs. Felt completely normal. I used to have a very high tolerance (I am from Ireland after all), so I don't know if that makes a difference - but I'm relieved that I can drink when I feel like it, and not get wasted very quickly. Calories will be factored into MFP, don't worry!

I'm 4.5 months out and am going to have my first drink tonight while watching the Eurovision Song Contest (most Americans don't have a clue what that is, but it's a big deal for us back home, LOL). I'm going to be in Ireland in 8 weeks (I go home for the summer every year) and my brother and I like to go out for a drink, so I'm looking to see what my reaction is to alcohol now and what my tolerance is. I have a friend who had the sleeve 2 years ago. She gets buzzed very quickly, and then sobers up equally quickly (like in 15 mins). It's pretty funny to watch. I'll report back tomorrow, LOL.

Is that the correct surgery date on your profile? Because if so, you are only 3.5 months out, not 4.5. I know because I had my surgery the day after you, LOL! And how much have I lost? 30lbs - half as much as you! It sucks to compare yourself to others, and that way madness lies - but if you are going to insist on doing it, compare yourself to me. You are absolutely flying!! You are doing wonderfully well!

Thank you for the suggestions - I think I am going to have to look into toppers. I am ultra, ultra pale (I'm a redhead from Ireland) and even in 60 degree sun I can feel my scalp burning now with the thinning.

My stalls are not stalls where the scale stays the same day after day - I fluctuate up and down when I'm in one. This is my month so far - as you can see, I've been stalling since May 1st (green asterisk denotes a new lowest weight). I weigh every day - there is still a downward trend when you look at the big picture - but I like the stats and info from daily weighing. I factor in protein, liquids, bowel movements, period, ovulation, calories, activity (all are on this page, just not in frame for the pic). I'm glad I'm not the only one who has the scale jump around on them!

Let's keep posting and sharing on this thread to keep it active so we encourage each other! PCOS is a special kind of torture!

I didn't consider bypass, though my surgeon would have preferred it for me because I my endoscopy showed some small ulcers and reflux. I was adamant I wanted the sleeve. I was worried about the malabsorption - really worried. I already have a harder time getting everything I need from my diet because I am vegetarian (well, post-surgery I don't because all the supplements I take, but I used to). And I have the PCOS thinning hair - I know that hair loss can be a problem with bypass and malabsorption, and I was terrified to lose more hair. (I am getting a little more hair left in the comb now - but I believe the 3-6 month hair loss common with WLS is due to the anaesthetic, and is not permanent. At least that's what I'm hoping.)

I work for our county's domestic violenc programme, and they always need stuff. Please consider donating to your local DV shelter - I lot of these women leave with nothing except what they're wearing.

My PCOS was my reason for surgery. I had been logging my food intake in MFP for 7 years - and at 1300 or fewer calories a day and exercising, I did not lose. Plus the other symptoms that come with PCOS like the facial hair, thinning hair on scalp, cycle irregularity, cystic acne, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance/diabetes. I have been losing since surgery - but VERY slowly - and I was told that this is due to the PCOS. I'm about 3.5 months out, and have lost 30 lbs. I don;t regret it at all - I wouldn't have lost anything if I hadn't done it. And the silver lining is that I will not have a problem when it comes to maintenance, as I have been eating those smaller amounts for years. I was able to get off the metformin that I have been on since 2004 pretty much immediately. That alone would have been worth the surgery, as I hated it and never built a tolerance to it. I felt like it cut my stomach to ribbons and I always had to be near a bathroom. Just be prepared to lose slow and don;t compare yourself to non-PCOSers losing quickly.

Hello! I have PCOS as well! How much have you lost since the surgery? I was 187 on surgery day - I had been 192 and then lost a few lbs on the pre-op diet. I'm just about 162 now, so 25 lbs since surgery day. Nowhere near as much or as fast as a lot on here - but I have the PCOS, and my starting BMI was relatively low. I was wearing Size 16 and am now in 12s that are a bit loose - hope to be in Size 10 by the end of the month. (Bear in mind that US sizes are different and you have to add 4 to get the UK equivalent. I'm from the UK, so I'm fluent in both, LOL). At 158 lbs I'll be halfway to goal, and that is the milestone I'm working on right now. How is it all going for you at about a month out??