ms.sss

i wasn't prescribed any stool softeners after surgery...but i probably should have, as it was 11 days post surgery when I had my first poop (omg, it was a doozy). i had to keep on top of my "regularity" for about 2-3 years after WLS with a curated regime of Benefibre, Miralax, MOM and glycerine suppositories, depending on my need, as constipation was a annoying problem for me those years. I'm nearing year 6 now (end of Oct) and haven't needed any extra help for about 3 or so years. I am "regular" now in the sense that i go about every 3-4 days with no discomfort in between (which is a huge departure to my schedule pre-op when i would go multiple times a day!). I think you need to monitor your own schedule/needs/comfort and act accordingly as we all have different pooping paths, ha! Edited to add: coincidentally, my constipation issues sort of stopped a few months after i stopped taking my supplements/vitamins...not sure if this is related, or indeed just a coincidence. i also started eating more carbs around that time so i dunno....?

exactly that!

im 52. and still called the baby.

Stories from the other side (i'll be 6 yrs post op this Oct): Sleep: about 1 month after surgery, i was able to sleep through the ENTIRE night without getting up to pee or waking myself up with snoring for the first time in YEARS (decades?). it was (and still IS awesome). I am always well rested and have seemingly endless amounts of energy during the day. the only thing that is a bit of a downer is that i can no longer sleep comfortably on my stomach (which was my previous preferred sleeping position), i've long suspected my lack of stomach padding now seems to contribute to hyper-extending my lower back when i am on my stomach. so its back and/or side sleeping for me now. no biggie though, i've got used to it. Activity: as per my aforementioned endless amount of energy, i am like an energizer bunny during waking hours. i've become a bit of an exercise addict (who me???) and am probably stronger and fitter than i have ever been in my whole adult life (and i'm 52 yrs old for effs sakes). i also LOOK the fittest i have ever looked in my entire adult life...and i was already fit-ISH up until my mid-30s. it's funny and mind-blowing (and ridiculously ego-boosting) when the young 20-30 yr old girls in my Pilates and yoga classes come up to me after class and tell me that they aim to be able to do the things that i do in class, and, wait for it...want to LOOK like me. cray. zee. Fashion: don't even get me started. even before i ran out of "skinny" clothes to wear during weight loss phase, i was already in the throes of being an over-the-top-clothes-buyer (and shoes, and purses, etc lol) i've calmed down a little bit compared to those first couple years, but i do admit i could probably calm down a little bit more. i have way too many clothes in my closet (some of which i haven't even worn in public yet). not sure when i will cure myself of this habit, but i'll enjoy it until i do, ha! one last thing not on your list the deserves mention: CONFIDENCE. i found that i am just bursting with it (maybe too much as i really do think of myself as the absolute BOMB.). but the confidence is not just feeling good about and trusting myself, but it translates also as feeling good about others, trusting others, patience with others and self, calm, peace, courage, all the good stuff! of all the things, the confidence is the one i value the most. thanks WLS. (and thanks ME for doing what i needed to do to get here).

a little off tangent, but wanna share: have you ever head of the Wim Hof method? in a nutshell its a series of efforts that, when performed consistently over time can ease the symptoms of asthma (and other circulatory ailments ) or eradicate them altogether. (i've included 2 links below, an easy read and a more in depth one, choose according to your attention span lol). ANYWAY...my brother in law had been taking daily preventative steroid inhalers since he was a child (he's like 45 now). about a year ago he committed to the efforts outlined in the Wim Hof method (breathing exercises, cold plunges/showers, among other things) and for the last 6 months now has been completely off his inhaler. its really quite remarkable. note though there is some controversy regarding reports of drowning surrounding the cold water therapy benefits, specifically due to unsafe practices and implementation, but u can be the judge of that urself if u got this far and want to read more below easy read: https://www.wellandgood.com/wim-hof-method/ a little more technical read: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-44902-0

heya October 2018 sleevers! we'll be 6 yrs old soon! any of us still out there???

i was a 2-3 Diet Coke a day drinker pre-wls. stopped 2 weeks before surgery and pretty much stayed away for about 2-3 years. If I had to guess, i probably had maybe 10-15 over those 2-3 years (most of them consumed near the tail end of that period). around year 3 i started drinking Coke Zero and now i basically have at least one (or equivalent to one) a day...sometimes more depending on what environment i'm in (i.e., party, hot weather or whatever). I'll be 6 years post op in October and drinking it does not seem to affect my weight (i've stayed below goal weight all this time since reaching it at 7 months post op). but as with everything, YMMV. my experience may or may not be what you would experience. p.s. you specifically asked about diet drinks, but @summerseeker mentioned fizzy/carbonated drinks...so in case that is what you were also asking about, i started drinking carbonated drinks around month 3 or 4 and never stopped (i love me Perrier lol...i drink that stuff like water...oh wait, it is water, hahahhahahha).

i was already lactose intolerant before surgery...but afterwards it got worse. the same amount of dairy that i could get away with without a pill is no longer. now i have to take a pill before anything with cream or milk in it.

my win today is successfully holding a straight handstand for just over 5 seconds! been working on this for a few months now and this is the first time i held over the 5 second mark (the goal is 10s...halfway there!) i would like to note that i am 52 years old and this year is the first time i EVER did a handstand (of any length of time, outside of a cartwheel) in my LIFE. 💪🏼 i feel very accomplished lol

i loove my slow cooker (and its close cousins, the instant pot and my trusty rice cooker!) *remembers that there are ribs in the basement freezer and makes mental note to defrost them so i can make my slow cooker ribs...yummmmmm*

ok, so i did quick math on your macros and u are currently consuming less than 900 cals a day (i used the mid point of all your reported ranges). this calorie level (which doesn't take into account exercise) is weight loss level calories, unless you are like 4'10" tall. so its no wonder you are still losing weight. if you double your fats, you could reach up to 1300 a day, which is closer to maintenance level for some, but i suspect you'll need more based on your height and activity level. aside: i am a shrinking 5'2", and have been maintaining a range of 115-120 lbs for over 5 years at a calorie range of 1800-2300+ a day (it all depends on my activity level). currently, im on a (so far) 10-mnth long, high volume exercise kick so i average about 2100 these days. i weighed 116 this morning. further, as is my m.o., i dont eat alot of volume at once, but i eat often (i.e., im a card-carrying grazer lol)...otherwise i would not be able to reach my maintenance calorie level.

i know this may sound too simple, but really, you just have to eat more. If not in volume, then in calories. it doesn't have to be carbs if you can't tolerate them, but it can be fats. there are 9 calories per gram of fat..more than double the amount of calories per gram of either protein or carbohydrates. avocados (240 cals for just one medium one). macadamia nuts (204 cals for 1 oz)...if you don't like nuts, try the nut butter version. "super' full fat greek yogurt i.e., 9% M.F. (200 cals for 3/4 cup) and my personal favourite and go-to high calorie/low volume snack: chicharron! (i.e., pork rinds): 150 cals for 1oz, 9g protein, 5g fat, ZERO carbs. p.s. also, eating so little carbohydrates is probably contributing to what you say you are not liking about your appearance (i.e., looking too skinny or gaunt). most people find that re-introducing (a "normal" amount of) carbohydrates into their diets after a long hiatus rounds out their appearance again and reduces that gaunt look.

thanks google for telling what tarta de santiagos are, lol i've made many an almond cake/cookie/tart with sugar substitutes. i've had the best luck with the coarser or granulated versions of monk fruit sweeteners. i've also just reduced the amount of real sugar by half and replacing with ½ amount of left out sugar with of almond flour. works great...and still delicious!

Ok, so there are lots of posts out there about concerns about speed of weight loss, amount of weight loss, how much is too much weight lost, how much is too little, etc. etc. The same responses inevitably come back, about how we are all different, we lose at our own rates, genetics, starting weight, height, gender, age are all factors, don't compare, etc. etc. But the reality is that no one really cares about the reasons for the differences, we all seem to just wanna see the NUMBERS. And then compare them to our own. Le Sigh. Sooooo....being a one who personally LOVES numbers and data and spreadsheets, I thought I would start a little project. I want to collect stats from any willing members and i will compile the data into a lovely spreadsheet and graph(s) organized by certain variables. Doesn't that sound like fun???? 😂😂😂😂 So, for FUNSIES, send me the following info (if you are willing!), and i after i collect a good-enough sized sample (say at least 100?), I'll do my thing. It may take a week, a month a year, depending on how many people participate. 1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 5. Weight at 3 MONTHs POST surgery 6. Weight at 6 MONTHs POST surgery 7. Weight at 12 MONTHs POST surgery * the final report will have names/usernames removed in an effort to a bit of privacy if you don't want to reply to the thread with the info, feel free to DM me ** of course this will not be in any way some definitive scientific report! - ms.sss

okay, am i the only one who actually DOESN'T like to wear leggings anymore????? when i was thin, i didn't like how my calves looked in them. when i got fat, i didn't wear them, because i felt even FATTER in them. then i lost the weight, and i was all, "oh yeah, look at me in leggings, i'm not fat". but after a while i realized that wearing leggings made may non-existent ass look even more non-existent! unless i constantly flex my butt muscles, you can draw a straight vertical line from my neck to my calves if i stand sideways. i do wear them to exercise classes though, but not in everyday public life lol

i know several people who are on or HAVE been on Ozempic (including me**)...all of them lost weight in varying degrees...all with different starting weights. but they all did lose weight and it was noticable (to me). from what i can observe, the ones who stopped taking it gained the weight they lost back eventually. the ones who are still on it seem to maintain the weight loss. **i tried ozempic last year for fun/testing as my mom is prescribed it for diabetes and she had some surplus. I used it for a month at the lowest dose, and by the end of it i lost almost 8 lbs (and my starting weight was like 120 so that was actually quite a lot for my size). i stopped taking it because really, i didn't need it and just wanted to see what the fuss was about anyway. within a 2-3 months i gained back 5-6 lbs of the inital loss. so end net result was minimal (for me). in summary: - it works, but it seems you have to keep taking it indefinitely for long term maintenance. - it is expensive, so keep that im mind. - im my experience (and the general consensus of those i know who take it), part of its charm/workablitiy is because you basically don't want to eat when you are on it. so when you get off it, you want to eat again. - if you have the means and desire and accesss you could try it and see for yourself...the initial weight loss may even be a mental boost to inspire you do more on your own? good luck!

same for me. no food or water after midnight and my surgery was at 8am.

One of the few standing-full body pics I have of me on recent vacay (weird). This was me taking a pic of a skirt i was trying on in a changeroom in Italy. Mr. says it was too expensive to consider buying...at €540, i have to agree, lol...but it was super fun trying on all the clothes!!! even more fun that they all fit! (in this particular case the skirt was too big. and there was only one size/item of every piece, so i was all, to the shop assistant, "oh too bad its too big, and i'm leaving tomorrow, so i can't wait for it to be altered..." hahhahaha)

agree with poster above...you don't look too small at all....just right IMO. AND your boobs look very much intact..still good sized, yet higher up than your before pic! (sorry for objectifying you...you look fab!) ...also the lighter hair colour in the after pic suits you better!

congrats! (despite the sleepy mood lol) i spy with my little eye: a drug store level of supplies on the shelves back there1 lol...AND the cutest little kitsy cat that is a replica of mine ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

+100000000000000000000000000000000

i absolutely ADORE this dress!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

this is not the first time, but it happened again...and i think it's happened often enough now for me to consider it a "normal" thing: I. Lost. Weight. On. Vacation. it still fascinates me when this happens because the norm prior to wls was to GAIN weight during vacay. Every. Single Time. (even when i was not overweight) Went on vacay 20 days ago, and came back this afternoon. I did not count calories, track food, weigh myself, nor perform a lick of exercise (besides walking) all that time. And lo and behold, i lost 3.1 lbs. which is very unexpected, because me and Mr. basically ate and drank ourselves across a good part of europe, and i fully expected the scale to show a good sized weight gain when i got home (he says HE gained almost 4 lbs). honestly i felt like i ate (and drank) more in the past 3-ish weeks than i ever have since WLS 5+ years ago...but maybe i am mistaken? maybe i should have tracked my food intake after all... anyway, yay! i may just have to fully accept that i got this maintenance thing down pat. i didn't think about calories or portion sizes or whatever...just ate (and drank) what i felt like, in amounts i knew i could handle. yay!