ms.sss

I always think of a younger Tormund Giantsbane whenever I see a pic of Jake...LOL, its the red hair and beard. Love it. Winter is coming....

Meh...Old, Shmold. Alot of us are probably fitter than we have ever been in our adult lives! P.S. if your avatar is any indication, you look great. AND happy! ❤️

@ChubRub, @FindYourFire: Oh, going-back-to-work day is going to be FUN! Reminds me of a wedding I went to when I was about 7 months post op in June 2019. I hadn't seen a lot of the extended family since the Christmas prior, so I looked pretty different, to say the least. I saw one of Mr's uncles who is one of my faves and walked up to him and said hi and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek. He looked at me very surprised (which I expected), but then he spoke to me very coldly (which I did not expect), and excused himself rather quickly. Ok, so that was weird. During the ceremony, he leaned over the pew from behind me and gave me a hug from behind. When the ceremony was over he explained that when he saw me earlier he didn't know it was me and incorrectly assumed that Mr' and I had broken up or something and that I was the new girlfriend!! 😂😂😂😂😂 His wife had set him straight during the ceremony, hence the hug, LOL. Glad to know that if Mr and I ever broke up, fave uncle has my back! @ChubRub, @FindYourFire: Maybe you guys can show up pretending to be a new hire and see how far you get, lololololzzzzz

I'm 2+ years out and have basically crossed off all the things that were on my as-soon-as-I'm-smaller bucket list, except one: The entire fam became avid scuba divers about 6-7 years ago and it was one of the few activities that I could participate in with them that my weight and overall lack of fitness didn't hold me back from. Anyway...i had to wear a men's XL wetsuit that ended up being way too long on my legs (I'm 5'2"), AND I had to carry 20+ lbs of weights in my vest; which is ALOT...the rest of the fam all need less than 10lbs of weights. I can't wait to be able to wear a regular women's size wetsuit (skin tight and schexy to boot!), and triumphantly reduce the number of weights I need...which, along with my own body weight loss, would make make walking to entry soooooo much easier. Unfortunately, Covid nixed those plans this year 😭. Eff you Covid.

Ok, maybe not the best compliment, but definitely the funniest: The first time the Kid's boyfriend (now ex) met me, I overheard him tell her "Whoa, your mom is hot". He was 15. I was all "awwww" and "ewwww" at the same time. 😂😂😂😂

Correction: I would rather the excess skin vs. the excess body.

I've read of some people using a mini crock pot, or a mug warmer, or insulated bowls to keep their food warmer, longer. In the early days it took me 1.5 HOURS to eat. I just got used to eating cold food. Nowadays I'm even perfectly fine eating leftovers straight out of the fridge. I think one could get used to anything if they do it long enough?

I am noticing this too. It seemed to always come up on here but lately the number of posts of people with the excess skin concern in increasing. To the OP: like most, I would rather the excess skin the the excess body. Note that I did have plastics to address some areas, but other areas (i.e., my butt, and to a lesser degree my inner thighs) are still pretty saggy/soft looking. Of which I would still rather have any day of the week vs firm skin that is filled with fat. You will get alot of responses about creams, exercises, and slower weight loss to ensure skin elasticity. The truth is you won't know how you will fare until you lose the weight. So many things will factor into your end result, as many of the above have stated. The only sure fire way to ensure you don't have loose skin is to NOT lose weight. Though even then, age will eventually catch up to you and there will be loose skin anyway. And fat. It's probably best if expectations are managed and assume that one WILL have loose skin, and there isn't, its just a lovely bonus. The goal here is to lose weight, not to be a bikini model. Apologies to those who DO aim to be bikini models! 😂❤️

After weight loss phase I worked myself up to about 1800-2000 cals a day, BUT I was also exercising moderately to high every day. However, I gained about 6lbs during pandemic due to decrease in regular exercise (and increase in desserts and alcohol, lol). So I cut my cals to about 1200-1500 (and exercised a little bit more regularly, but not to pre-weight-gain levels cuz I'm lazy) around mid-summer and am basically back to 115lbs today (weighed in at 115.6 this morning). Soooo....based on this, if I exercise every day then I can maintain at 1800-2000 cals a day. If I stick to the amount of exercise that I am currently doing, I am guessing I can maintain at around 1700-1800 cals a day. If I don't exercise at all, it would probably be around 1500. Keep in mind though that other factors need to be considered to determine each persons' calorie maintenance level (age, metabolic rate, medication, malabsorbative functions of different surgeries, thyroid function, etc. etc....)

@Starwarsandcupcakes...am loving that bowl of yours. I am stealing that idea by marking some nice ceramic bowls and salad plates and with food safe-ceramic paint pens and giving them as xmas gifts to my parents who are watching their food portions. Anyhoo...tonight’s dinner (cuz the fam ordered pizza): a DIY charcuterie plate: cheddar, pumpkin seeds, pepperoni slices & dried cranberries: 278 calories. Ate it all (while sitting on the couch and watching TV, lol)

Me too!! I'll add: sea sickness, going backwards on the subway, roller coasters, tire swings, seeing other people vomit == VOMIT. I definitely vomit, but it really, it's more like "spit-up" as a result of: eating too fast/too much, drinking too soon after eating, not chewing food well enough (in particular pork). The body-wracking, heaving kind of vomiting only happens when I have a serious dumping episode because of too much sugar. This has probably happened to me 4-5 times in the past 2+ years. All completely my doing, and all completely avoidable. So it would be safe to say, I think if you tend to be a puker, then you will likely remain so. If not, only time and actions will tell...

DS patients benefit (and/or suffer, depending on how you look at it, lol) from the malabsorbative function of the DS. I am a sleeve, so I don't have first hand knowledge of this, this is just from what I've read. Now, for all WLS patients as a whole, I believe that the surgery is most helpful as the initial boost to get you on your way. The physical inability to eat large volumes of food in the beginning hopefully sets you up to continue eating that way, when the stomach eventually relaxes and you can't count on it as much any more. Kinda like training wheels, I guess. Some people need them, some people don't. For those with balance issues, its easier to learn how to ride a bike with them. Sure, you can learn without the training wheels, its just makes it easier. Now continuing with this metaphor (which I am loving as I type this btw LOL), there are some who get so used to the training wheels, or rely on them so much, that they never take them off and end up being like those kids who ride their bikes leaning to one side. I need to make a meme about this! This is just my opinion. Ultimately, if you don't think it will work, your mindset will likely set you on a path to prove yourself right. P.S. Further to the screenshot of your food log for yesterday...what is your height and current weight? Also, you didn't specifically mention in your original post, but are currently having issues with losing weight with your current diet?

Not sure if this will help you, but maybe a slight change in perspective may aid in the understanding? The above bolded statement is not exactly true. If you go overboard, the thing that happens is that you will not lose weight, OR gain weight and keep it on (and all the mental and physical issues that go with it). That is the consequence. Not everyone gets immediate physical feedback from their surgeries. It's unfortunate that your doc told you different, and that it wasn't more researched on both your parts. I know it's easier said but perhaps its time to start looking seriously into other ways to address the binge eating? When you are ready, just ask away. Good Luck ❤️

YOU will be the best person to say how long to wait after eating. I was told 30 minutes, but really, this was just a guideline. In time you will be able to figure out how long to wait for yourself. I learned that mine is generally 30 mins to an hour after eating. I can tell from my "fullness" if I should drink now or wait a little bit more. If I drink too soon, I'll feel a very unpleasant pressure in my chest OR barf. It took me a couple months to figure this out. On the other side of things, my doc told to me wait 30 mins after drinking before I start eating. I found that I can drink liquids right up to eating with no ill effects. It'll be trial and error...but eventually you'll figure out what works for you if you pay attention (hopefully sooner rather than later!) Good Luck!

I'm 5'2", started at 235 lbs 2 weeks before surgery. I got to goal (127 lbs) at 7 months. My lowest weight was January of this year at 109 lbs (1 year, 3 months). I generally stay between 115-120 for the past year (except for a couple months around January when I was below 115, as stated above). This morning, at 2 years, 2 months, I am 115.8 lbs. What weight you maintain at eventually will depend on your what your regular diet and exercise levels are.

Interesting question...got me doing some self-reflecting. Like you, I think I don't feel real hunger until its too late, meaning I'm probably already starving. This happens on the days that I forget to eat and/or was busy doing stuff. I feel it in my throat, and to a lesser degree in my mouth, if that makes any sense? Pre-wls I felt it in my stomach, it was a tightening down there, sometimes painful, accompanied with a very strong ravenous need-to-eat feeling/thought that was hard to ignore. Now, the ravenous feeling/thought is no longer there, and i often "come to the realization" that I'm hungry. As if that throat feeling was probably there for a while, but I just noticed it. Or I'll make smacking noises in my mouth and have to think about it and then say "yep, I'm hungry...I should eat something". I'm finding this difficult to explain! I'm sure there is at least one (hopefully more) person/persons out there who knows what the eff I'm talking about and can help explain...lol Edited to add: I don't think I feel weak/restless when I'm hungry though? I'll have to pay attention next time....

Xmas == food gift baskets at Casa SSS! I held off a full day before ripping open the box of peanut brittle that was calling my name *pats self on back* lol 15g: 55 calories So far so good on the dumping front.... DEEP THOUGHTS: I read alot of posts from peeps on here that worry that they will never get to enjoy certain foods again. While I wouldn’t recommend eating this type of stuff during weight loss phase, after getting to maintenance i find there is room to eat some candy...#dontJudgeMe Man, my hand looks pretty dry! Need some lotion, stat! 😂

(Wo)man vs. Ginormous Salad: An Update 😂 Am on day 2 now of working on that huge salad I fixed yesterday afternoon. Mr. saw my leftovers in the fridge after dinner tonight and asked why I was saving “crumbs”. Well, because I was full, duh. Lol Dawned on me that my eating habits have sooooo changed. Pre-op, i was of the mind that I had to clean my plate, and if there was just a little bit of food left, i should just finish it to get it over with. Not anymore. Here’s a pic of the “crumbs” I’m saving for tomorrow because I didn’t need (nor want) another bite: (Better eating habits for the Win!)

Yep, it takes longer to lose at a lower BMI. I just looked up my records, and as an example, it took me 11 days to lose the first 10lbs immediately after surgery (at BMI 41.1). When I got to a BMI of 31, it took me 1 month and 4 days to lose 10lbs...so basically 4 times as long. Btw, you deserve some congrats on your progress cuz 30 lbs in 11 weeks at a starting low BMI of 31 actually pretty good. ❤️

Yaayyyy she’s back! More delicious looking food pics on the horizon! P.S. Yummmmm P.P.S. I have never heard of sun dried potatoes before! I’m intrigued...

I brought a whole bunch of stuff that didn’t even make it out if the overnight bag. The things I did use were: Crocs (for walking the halls) Biotene spray (for my sore, dry throat) Lip balm Small pillow (to hold against my stomach on the ride home: bumps on the road, ouch!) If I wasn’t walking the halls, I was basically just sleeping.

There seems to be a very wide array of instructions to be followed among WLS patients and their surgeons. The common theme is to try to meet the goals, as stated in point #5 in the image provided: “Work your way up to 70g of protein a day”. We are all so different and we will all inevitably reach certain levels at different times (some may not even reach them at all). Do the best you can and you will most likely get there eventually. As an aside, I am not sure that not meeting your protein goals results in stalls. Though if u are really concerned about your lack or protein at this juncture, perhaps get your labs done and see if there the concern is warranted? And maybe in the meantime add a protein shake or 2 to your daily diet? Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and for a definitive opinion/answer its probably best to consult one. Good Luck! P.S. congrats on your surgery!

I did. ❤️ ...but I’m still paying a premium for it these days.

Gonna assume you are talking to me? Lol I use the paid version of My Fitness Pal...though the free version is good too. The last screen shot I posted was from the desktop version, but I use the mobile version way more, like probably 95% of the time. I hear/read good reviews from the Baristatic App as well...its also free for the full functionality version, I believe.

The pains of online shopping from Canada! Was all set to buy the dress in short sleeve Grey, but the shipping costs and import fees just turned me off. Amazon canada has it too, also with undesirable shipping (i HATE paying shipping costs!!! It’s a matter of principle!!!) and import fees. Sigh. So I shall live vicariously through you. Still waiting for that pic! Hubba hubba...