Gottajustdoit

So good to hear about the success. Overall I am good, but I cannot say my diet is the healthiest. I find eating carbs to be way too easy to digest and my sedentary life style working home all day in front of a computer doesn't help. I am depressed that it seems way too easy to eat more food now, such as whole (store-bought) burrito in one sitting, or two pieces of pizza instead of just one, or a fairly large salad. My little egg-sized stomach has definitely stretched. 😞 I also starting drinking Diet Coke in the morning. For three years I didn't touch it, but recently I starting drinking the mini Cokes--only one in the morning--and was surprised there were no repercussions, so that is my indulgence when I start my work day. Unfortunately, the Girl Scout cookies also seem to be digesting all too well. I did undergo a panniculectomy and a breast reduction and feel so much better since I did that. The relentless neck pain from carrying the weight of the breasts and the back ache from the stomach skin pretty much disappeared. My arms and thighs are still scary large and saggy but I just don't think I have the bravery to do another plastic surgery. It was rough! One very upsetting side effect (other than I still have thinning hair) are that I have had four kidney stones since last May. Dr. Google confirmed that there is a correlation between gastric bypass and an increase in kidney stones. They are crippling, and from what I understand, an intake of animal protein is partly to blame. I absolutely need to consciously drink more water so would LOVE to hear y'all's tips and tricks for remembering to drink water!

Congratulations! It looks like you are doing well. I had the bypass surgery and was alarmed after about 18 months that the little stomach of mine that was left behind two years ago is able to accommodate much more than it was used to (not a good thing). I am now able to eat an entire bagel with cream cheese. Not a good choice, but it seems to be something I am always craving. I have been very strict with what I drink (only water, Premier Protein, and Vitamin Zero), but lately I'm been craving seltzer water. Are any of you drinking carbonated beverages? If so, does it seem to be going OK for you? I had breast reduction surgery and a pannilectomy in October and am happy to have both done as it's improved my neck pain considerably. I'm hovering around 150 (was hoping to get down to 130) at 5 foot six inches. I think 150 is my maintenance weight. Not bad considering where I was two years ago. I just need to stop eating bagels... Another thing. Kidney stones! I had a few pass recently and I've read that kidney stones are often associated with gastric bypass. Any one else had the unfortunate experience of having a kidney stone?

Congratulations! Looking good! I had a breast reduction and panniculectomy (together) in early October. What a difference it was getting rid of the extra skin. If anyone is considering going down the road of additional surgery, I’d be happy to share my experience. Insurance covered both operations.

Frou Frou-- I can only imagine how stressful things are for you. My son is also on the autism spectrum, and although he is 19 now, I remember those days when he was younger. I rarely got a solid night's sleep and he needed support all day long. The lost of a therapist is huge, I know. Also, respite time is so important. I can also imagine the extra stress on your child too right now, exacerbating the symptoms of autism. I feel for both of you and your husband, who lost his job, so I'm sure the financial stress is also awful. I agree with Recidivist--don't beat yourself up! My only recommendation is to NOT let the "escape food" into your house. I am so guilty of that myself, so I'm not judging at all--but just an idea! So glad you have this site as a outlet to express your stress. Just take it one day at a time (I actually live by the "just take it 10 minutes at a time" rule). I'm praying for you--wishing you and your family some good times amidst the bad.

Looking good, Sheribear! Have you posted a before and after photo (side x side comparison) yet?

What a difference a year makes! Thanks for sharing the photos and your progress.

During my 1-year check up my team did seem more concerned with how I felt about my current weight and condition vs. what their expectations were for me. My BMI was 24%, which my surgeon said was in the "normal" range so he just said keep up what I'm doing. I forgot to mention to him my very bad hip pain that I've been experiencing for the last 4 months or so. The pain started in my right groin and then my left. My primary doctor doctor says it is arthritis of the hips and wants me to start physical therapy. I did a bit of research online and read a few instances where hip pain started after rapid weight loss due to the change in body mass positioning. Has anyone else experienced more or additional skeletal pain since weight loss? I was expecting less pain in my back, etc. since the surgery but am having more pain, including pain in my arm/shoulder/neck.

My surgerversary was on Feb 13 and I just had my 1-year checkup with my nutritionist and surgeon. I'm at 150lbs and have been for about 3 months so I'd definitely say I'm at my maintenance weight. They asked if I was OK where I was at and I said YES! My surgeon said that the next year is crucial for ensuring the weight doesn't creep back on. He told me that many gastric bypass patients will gain back about 10% of the amount they lost. I thoughts those stats were pretty good and manageable but I'm wondering what the rest of your doctors and/or nutritionalists are telling you at the 1-year point. Are they sharing the same information? Are they cautioning you on other things in terms of diet and exercise? My nutritionist asked about what i have been drinking and it's only been Vitamin Zero and water. Pre-surgery I drank a lot of Diet Coke (for the caffeine) and seltzer water and I have been craving them. I never drank coffee. She said that many people do no tolerate the carbonation well. Are any of you drinking seltzer water and what has been your experience? Overall I'm feeling well but I'm not sleeping well. I can fall asleep but I often wake up during the night. I take my iron and vitamins at night so they don't counteract with my Synthroid I take in the morning. I'm wondering if the vitamins are preventing me from sleeping well. My labs yesterday showed that my vitamin B12 levels are high. My nutrionist has not heard a correlation between high B12 vitamins and sleeplessness but my sister claims B12 causes her not to sleep well. I'm taking OPurity multivitamins by Bariatic Advantage...only two capsules (taken together) per day so it's very easy to get in the recommended doses. Anyone else take those and have any issues with sleeplessness? It's been great hearing all your successes, team! Keep on sharing!

Thanks to all who are continuing to share your status. One of these days I'll post a side by side before and after photo. I'm loving all the photos so keep sharing. My "maintenance" phase includes a Premier Protein shake for my breakfast during my commute to work; either Chili, string cheese, tortilla chips and pimento cheese dip, avocado toast, or ham and cheese slices for lunch; and then chicken, eggs, or beef for dinner. As you can see, my vegetables are severely lacking (as they have been my whole life). I am focused on getting in my liquids each day, but my recent dizzy spells when I stand up remind me I need to drink waaaay more water. My biggest issue right now is that my sweet tooth has come back in full force and am snacking on too much chocolate (think Hershey Kisses). I'm at a stable 150 lbs and I like the way I look so I'm very happy overall. I am scheduled for a breast reduction and possible panulectomy in October (the panulactomy will depend on whether insurance pays for it). I'm grateful--so very grateful--that I survived the surgery well and am wearing size mediums in tops and size 10 in pants. I'm just in a really, really good place right now!

"Weigh" to go! You look fabulous.

Hi yvetteperez, I can assure you, you are experience very normal feelings. I encourage you, if you can, to find a group on bariatricpal that just went through the surgery as it is a great support to be communicating with others who are at the same stage you are in. For me, the "February 2018" group was a great avenue through which to express concerns, frustrations, etc. as we all had the same thing pretty much in common. You are brave to have this done right before the holidays, as this is a time of year focused on FOOD so it will be especially tough to be around it all the time. Having said this, though, you probably won't have much of an appetite for a while so you might sail through the season. Drinking water and getting in the protein is super tough for the first few months, but do the best you can. Keep a water bottle or a protein drink/shake in your hand at all times to serve as reminder to sip throughout the day. I'm glad you posted. BariatricPal is a great resource to get through the dark times. Hang in there!

Such great news! I don't recall seeing a pre-surgery photo, but you look great here!

I am sure I could as well. So many people at work have "fun-sized" candy in dishes that whenever I pass by, I grab one or two. I'm sure by the end of the day I've eaten a full-sized equivalent. For me it's as if certain cravings came back around 6 or 7 months after surgery and are back big time. The difference is that I will feel "blah" if it eat too much at one time so I stop. I'm not too worried about these cheats except for the fact that they fill space that should be devoted to proteins. We are at a strange point in the process for sure.

Great news! No more sleep apnea! I have been using a CPAP since 2010 and recently had a sleep study done because I would be SO dried out in the morning. I could tell the pressure was too high. The doctor reviewed my results and said I was in the normal range and no longer needed the CPAP. It was very odd these last few nights sleeping without it given I was so dependent on it, but it was so nice not having to bother with it. I hope those of you who are using CPAPs will also be cured of your sleep apnea now that you're weighing less! If you are like me, you have a love/hate relationship with that darn machine!

Ugh. My body is collapsing everywhere but will be working on the breast/apron areas first. If you do go through with a face lift, keep us posted. You look beautiful just as you are though!

Wizardry! Somehow, during the last few weeks, I've eaten nearly a box of Girl Scouts Thin Mints and an array of fun-sized Halloween candy. After a 2-month stall, I lost 4.5 lbs. I was beating myself about the sweets and so thankful the scale showed mercy. I do need to get back on track with more protein and water, but am glad that the calories did not latch on. I can't explain it. Maybe there is just a delay effect going on. Darn this time of year!

Thanks AZhiker--I really didn't think there was a way to get rid of the apron skin. I'm at 160 right now and feel as if I'm at my maintenance weight as I haven't lost more over the last few months. Who knows, though, I might make my goal weight. I've always had large breasts (even when i was thin) so I know that I won't lose more there, but it's interesting what you say about the stomach. Will the skin really tighten up? Any exercises that you noticed that make a difference?

I sure hope insurance will cover it! I'm tentatively scheduled for my breast reduction and panniculectomy (apron skin removal) on February 26 of next year. The panniculectomy can't be done until one year after my gastric bypass. I'm pretty scared out of my wits and do not look forward to more surgery, but I know if I don't schedule it I will chicken out. My consultation was for the breast reduction only and here I am pretty sure I'm going to have it all done at once based on the surgeon asking me if I wanted to consider the panniculectomy. I have to do more research. I think my insurance will cover both surgeries, but the surgeon's nurse is going to verify with an insurance rep (she said her research online seems to imply it will be covered). The panniculectomy is not a tummy tuck (a tummy tuck involves tightening the muscles). I think I can pay extra for this as it would include a "contouring," but I never plan to wear a bikini and it sounds even more painful than the panniculectomy. Anyone else going to do a panniculectomy or have spoken to a surgeon about it yet?

Interesting about the light stool. I wasn't sure what was causing mine, as it is often light gray, like chalk-colored sometime. I read about the bile being insufficient, but not the fats being related to it. I will now keep track, as it does seem when I eat lot of cheese and yes, ice cream, I have these pale-colored stools. Has anyone asked their dietician or doctor is this is OK?

I had that same feeling when I got out of the shower and found I could wrap/tuck a normal-sized bath towel around my body. Yep. My whole body. Woot woot!

gabybab--so sorry to hear about the Endoscopy. Please keep us posted on the followup. I hope you will not need a revision, although if you do the procedure should be minimal, right? Or would it be similar to enduring the whole process over again? That would be awful. I feel you about the lines on the face....no one tells you that you will age substantially. I see it in my hands, my forehead, my mouth and especially my neck. Thank goodness turtleneck season is arriving in the Midatlantic!

I can relate so well to all those things, especially the chin. I'm 53 and I think the advice I would give to those over 50 who are contemplating the surgery is to expect to look older. As those chubby cheeks lost weight, the skin starts to sag on the face too--at least for me. I definitely don't regret the surgery, but now when I see photos of myself I think "WOW! I look so....old!" The lines in my forehead have increased, as have the lines around my mouth. I guess I should have enjoyed that baby face when I had it! Another interesting thing is that I am noticing overweight people so much more now--not in a judgmental way, but more in a "I'm so glad I am not dealing with all that excessive weight, feeling overheated and sweaty all the time" way. Last night I was on an airplane and it felt so good not to have to expand the seat belt from the person who was last sitting in the seat before me. It fit so naturally and you are right, my neighbors did not fret that I was going to infringe on their space or be that "fat person" next to them. It's just a wonderful feeling. So glad I went through all the tough stuff to get to this point.

Thanks Sheribear--you look very well proportioned to me! I love your running story. My two sisters are both A size cups and genetically I inherited a way different body shape than the did. I'm not worried about being too small, really. The one thing I thought was funny was when the surgeon said, "I don't think you'll end up being a D, probably much smaller, but you won't look like a man." Um.....that was odd. I didn't assume I'll be a flat as a guy when she was done so when she said "smaller" I'm thinking maybe a B now? I definitely need to research the procedure more, including the pain associated with recovery since you mention it was SUPER painful and, given the bypass, I can't take any NSAIDS. I don't mind pain killers but don't want to take them too long because of the horrific constipation they cause me. Was the pain really that bad? How long did it take for the incisions to heal? Did they itch like mad when they were healing?

Interesting thoughts...! The doctor asked me what size I was hoping to be. I'm a 36J right now. I didn't want to sound greedy so I said "D?" She said I would probably end up smaller than a D and cautioned me not to be surprised because, from my perspective, I'd look out of proportion to the rest of my body (shoulders, stomach). I sort of thought they could reduce boobs down to any size, so that surprised me. She said my apron skin would be way more noticeable as well given right now my boobs sort of block the view. I hadn't really thought about feeling "too small" or how big my tummy would look without the massive boobs so there's a lot to think about. I would love to improve my hunched posture, though, and be able to buy a normal-sized bra. The bras I have now I call the "cargo hold"!

Hi all---just wanted you all to know that I had a consultation with a surgeon on Monday to discuss a breast reduction. I'm at 160 lbs and feels as if this is my maintenance weight. Given my history of back and neck pain, and wanting to get a breast reduction years ago, I figured now was the time to start pursuing it. The surgeon told me that my insurance would cover it so I'm going to go ahead with it. During the consult, she asked me if I was thinking about getting the apron skin removed. She took some measurements and photos and will submit them to my insurance company to see if that could be covered too. I never thought insurance would cover it so I'll wait and see---if my Blue Cross Blue Shield plan will pay, then I'm going to seriously consider it. If I decide yes, then I have to decide if I want to have that done at the same time as my mammoplasty. To be honest, both surgeries sound very painful. The incisions are real cuts, not laproscopic cuts, so the recovery time will take at least 2 weeks and longer if I do the apron skin. The apron-skin removal is not the same as a tummy tuck...that would be on my dime, but could be done at the same time as my apron-skin removal. So much to consider, especially because I'm not thrilled about going into surgery again. Oh, and I'd have to wait until my one-year surgerversary for the apron-skin surgery, which is fine with me given I want to make sure all the weight I think I've lost will be lost. Just to let you know....apron-skin removal might be covered by your insurance if the skin hangs below your pubic bone (that was why she measured me and took so many photos--ugh!). Anyone else considering one or both of these surgeries?