Lynnlovesthebeach

I was attending WW when I made the decision to have WLS so I know my "goal range" for them was 94-124 lbs. I think that was based on a height of 5' because I used to round up from 4'11 1/2". I set my goal at 123 because then 125 would be my top limit to never go over! My surgeon never really gave me a "goal" but said he thought I could get to 130. The chart where they plot my weight always had 117 lbs as my "ideal" weight but he always said not to worry if I didn't meet that. Well, I met his 130 goal at 9 mon and I told him I didn't want to stay in the "overweight" category so I was going to try for 123 for a normal BMI. He was ok with that. I continued with WW throughout this because I liked the emotional support and I wanted the lifetime membrship for continued support in case I had regain. On my one year anniversary I weighed 122 lbs. I never really had any stalls that year. The next year I continued to lose gradually, (while trying to maintain) up a pound, down a couple until I reached 111-112 on my second anniversary. For this past year I have weighed around 108 lbs. I weigh every day so its sometimes up a pound. Now as I approach my 3rd anniversary, I have lost some more weight recently and have been as low as 103 lbs, without changing anything. I'm right in the middle of my BMI range at 21. I'm "medium" frame according to wrist size and wear a size 2 or XS. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd have 33 in hips!

I saw my doctor every 3 mon for the first year, every 6 mon for the last 2 years and now I just had my 3 yr visit ( Oct anniversary) and he changed me to every year. I will keep up with those visits because that is what keeps you on the books as a "current" patient. If there are ever any issues it's easier to get an appointment when you are current. Also, since I do attend the support group, it keeps me in the loop for what changes may have been made. Also, they do keep statistics and I want to be counted in the "successful" group!

Congratulations! With your change in attitude and commitment to a new lifestyle you should be successful for life. I think a lot of this is "soul searching." You need to figure out how you got to the WLS point...it was lots of sugar for me...and change the things that got you there! I too committed to a new active lifestyle and worked hard and have never regretted it! No donut or cake or candy is going to ever control my life again! Sugar addiction will never steal the happiness I feel today!

Just do the best you can and it will get better with time. You are in the healing stage. Your overall health won't suffer because of a short term recovery. Yes, you'll lose hair but it will grow back. Overall, you'll be a much healthier person when you reach your goal! Congrats on your success so far!

My recovery was fairly easy. I had the "foamies" a couple of times from eating too much or too fast. Some foods felt bad in my stomach initially but I just put them on the list of "try again later." Eggs were probably the hardest to reintroduce. No matter how I ate them, boiled, fried, scrambled , I felt like I ate a rock. It was at least a year before I could eat them comfortably. After about 6 months I could eat most anything I chose to eat in small portions. I had very little pain after surgery. The worst part was finding out I was allergic to the surgical staples and had horrible dermatitis around each incision. I thought I would scratch my skin off. Removing the staples and a little hydrocortisone cream cured that. I was a slow loser but I tried not to compare myself to others. I just told myself, it will happen eventually! I never had a stall, all the way to goal. Now, almost 3 yrs later, I continue to follow the guidelines I was given, track my protein and have had no problem maintaining my weight. Sometimes I'll look at "junk food" and have absolutely no desire to eat it. All I have to do is look in a mirror and I think to myself, "I'd rather look like this than taste that!" I've now paid for 2 skin removal plastic surgeries (a lot of money) also and don't want to undo the progress I've made there! I don't think you have to suffer to have great results. There is nothing wrong with having a smooth course. I've had 4 surgeries in the last 3 yrs and have followed "doctors orders" with each one and had great successful recoveries. I just don't dwell on any little "bumps in the road" in the process. With time it all works out. For me, best decision ever!

My program allows coffee. They just ask that you limit it to no more than 2 cups per day. I didn't want any the first couple of weeks but then resumed it after that. Actually, it was even on my meal trays in the hospital. My program also allows straws, many do not.

I wasn't a sleeve but my insurance only pays for one surgery so I felt I had to make the best decision the first time. I knew there would be no revisions. I finally decided since already had severe GERD the RNY gastric bypass was the right surgery for me. My doctor asked about a DS and I decided I didn't want that. I've never regretted my decision.

Absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations!

I know some people say they are afraid to have plastic surgery because of the scars they will have afterwards. Well, I know everyone doesn't scar the same way but I think mine are pretty typical. I would rather have this scar all the way around my body than the rolls of loose skin I had before it was removed. I took these this morning when I realized yesterday was my one yr plastic surgery anniversary for my lower body lift and brachioplasty. These pictures are my hips and the scars are easily covered by underwear or bathing suit.

You've lost 15-17 lbs in a month! That's great! Just follow the instructions they gave you and it will happen. Trust you team. Good luck with your journey. It isn't easy but is so worth it!

I like the tomato soup at Panera and ate that pretty early on. Also, the chicken tortilla soup is good.

Comments like that never get old! They actually have some pretty decent clothes at Costco. I used to get a lot of pants from there but now can't find anything in my size because the smallest they have is usually a 4 or size small. Occasionally, I can find an XS if they have just stocked stuff.

It sounds to me like the revision is really to correct the "turn" in your pouch so that you can actually digest your food and get adequate nutrition instead of vomiting it back up. That should allow you to eat more so you don't continue to lose weight. Good luck with your surgery and congratulations on your weight loss. You look great in your picture.

I had a couple of injections in the hospital but they stopped them because I was up walking so much. At home I took Eliquis for a couple of weeks.

Yes, mine was robotic 3 yrs ago. I think probably most are these days. A lot of laparoscopic and gynecological surgeries are "robotic assisted."

I lost 9 lbs on my pre-op diet and gained exactly 9 lbs from the fluids in the hospital when I went home the next day. I lost 6 of it the first week and another 6 the next week so I was actually -3 in 2 weeks. I didn't think that was fair at the time either. Next month I'll be 3 yrs post op and have had no problem maintaining well below my original goal.

Congratulations on moving on! You deserve happiness! My opinion is that most men of a mature age will understand what you have been through and if they are lucky enough to be with a beautiful woman nekked, they can overlook a few scars or loose skin. He probably has things he hopes you won't notice too! Since it's morning now-I hope you had a great time!

When I got close to my goal, one day I noticed everything I bought recently (mostly summer T-shirt dresses) had horizontal stripes and I never had a second thought about it in the store! Now, I try to buy bright colors like red, lemon yellow, lime green because ...well, because I can! I figure if I'm purchasing a size XS, I can get whatever I want...it doesn't have to be black!

If he did your surgery, I'd follow his orders. If he gave you a plan, stick with it. If he has done this surgery many times he is obviously doing it right. Don't compare him or yourself with others. Don't believe everything you read online!

I'm not sure what your unit of measurement is but here in the states our measurements are different. We consider 80-100 more "normal." I sometimes have hypoglycemic episodes. When I feel it coming on if I can check my blood sugar I do and then I'll usually eat something like a couple of mandarin oranges or a banana for quick treatment and some protein...some lunch meat or a cheese stick that takes longer to process. At work, I always have stuff in my lunch bag just in case. I usually can feel symptoms when my glucose is around 60.

I laughed when I read that because I got measured recently and I was trying to stretch as much as I could because I knew they would use it to calculate my BMI. She actually measured me 1/2 taller and I knew it wasn't quite accurate but hey, when you are 4'11", another 1/2 in counts. When I used to actually be 4'11 1/2" I'd just round it off to 5'. For some reason that sounded better to me! I think it's funny how we know all the tricks to influence our statistics! Anybody remember before we got digital scales how you could shave a little off your weight depending where you stood on the scale? Yep, we did that!

I didn't really have an exact goal when I started. At my first surgeon visit he told me he thought I could get to 140. He asked me what my goal was and I told him I wasn't sure but once I got to 140 then we'd figure it out. It had been so long since I weighed that and it seemed so far away. At my first post op visit he said he thought I could get to 130. I said ok, I'll shoot for that and we'll reassess then. I reached that in 9 months. I told him since I only needed 7 more pounds to be a normal BMI, I was going to shoot for that. I told him I didn't come that far just to still be "overweight." He told me not to lose too much or I'd look sick. A friend of mine that had WLS told me "your body will figure it out. You'll stop losing when you body is done." It took me 2 more months to reach 123 but apparently my body wasn't done. I finally stopped losing at 108 lbs. And that is an appropriate weight for me because I'm only 4'11." I don't know why but this week I'm weighing in the106 range. I'm not trying to lose more. I think as long as I'm 110 or less I'm good. I'll be 3 yrs post op next month and I don't look sick...I look normal.

I looked for those on Friday and unfortunately my Aldi didn't have them. I'll keep looking though because that looks like something I'd like.

It took about 60 lbs before those that didn't know about my weight loss surgery to comment on my weight. One person even said to me, "um, I notice you've lost a lot of weight. Has it been intentional?" Now, I'm almost 3 yrs post op and just had my 2nd round of plastic surgery. I had a breast lift without implants and I'm sure the gossip is about that! I just went back to work last Wed and somebody already said to me, "they don't look any bigger!" I said to them, "see where my boobs are now? When I take my bra off, they stay in the same place!"

Sometimes I think you just have to be flattered and then move on knowing that some men are just that shallow. Anyone that goes to Costco probably knows they usually have an automobile of some sort in the front of the store that advertises a local dealer. One day while there I was looking at a cute little Mazda Miata. I loved driving a little sports car before I traded it in for the mom-mobile many years ago. Been in an SUV ever since! Anyway, while I was looking, a guy walks up to me and says, "you should buy this." I asked why and he said , "because you'd look really hot in this." I said to him, "I bet I'd look even hotter if you were driving me in this!" He said, "gee, thanks." And then off he went...to find his wife, I'm sure! I know he wouldn't have said that to me 130 lbs ago!