ms.sss

Check out this article (mind you its from COSMOPOLITAN, so it's no definitive scientific answer, but its a start, lol) https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a46327/what-food-cravings-say-about-your-health/ << -- An excerpt from the "Cheese" section in the article above -- >> When you crave cheese... You're actually craving sugar. You might think of cheese as a potent source of fat and protein. But your brain knows better: Cheese also contains natural milk sugars. (See candy cravings above.) You're not getting enough calcium or vitamin D. Cheese and other dairy foods serve up calcium and vitamin D, and it's not uncommon to eat insufficient amounts of these nutrients. Luckily, your body produces vitamin D when it's exposed to direct sunlight. But if you work indoors or live in a cold climate, you might still fall short on D — which means your body might crave it in the form of grilled cheese. You don't eat enough fat. Cheese is a good source of this essential nutrient — and it's only natural to gravitate toward the gooiest and most delicious source.

I think about food all the time (and I'm 1.5 years out). I love looking at pictures of it, cooking it, reading recipes, smelling it, watching other people eat it, watching cooking/baking shows...lol ...I just don't eat as much of it as I used to. You may find that yeah, you think about it all the time, but when you do eat, you may not get the same satisfaction from doing so as you once did, and Pavlov yourself into a new way of eating...?

I've been able cross off lots of items on my can't-wait-to-do-when-i'm-smaller list, but the one of the things I haven't done yet that's at the top of said list is to go scuba diving WITHOUT having to pile on 20lbs of weights to hold me down (was always so embarrassed of this when everyone else was like using <10lbs). And I won't have to wear a Mens XL wetsuit anymore! @ChubRub: I hear ya on the pictures. There are probably more pictures of me just in the past 12 months than the are in the last 15 years pre-op total. Though I would highly recommend taking regular pics of yourself during weight loss phase...its awesome to look back and see how far you've come!

Honestly I was already thinking that it was going to be one of the best decisions I have ever made the first week of pre-op. I had lost 8+ lbs that first week, and that basically set the tone for this whole journey for me. My mindset had done a total 180. The day I came home from the hospital I was off blood pressure meds. By the end of the first week, Mr. commented that I no longer snore; I no longer had to get up to pee multiple times in the night, and slept like a baby. By the end of the first month, I was off my cholesterol pills, had more energy than I had in years, and was down 4 pants sizes. Even though my stomach hurt like a b*tch that first week and couldn't stand up straight, that getting up and down from a seated/laying position was torture, that i felt like I exploded when I coughed (or sneezed! omg), that I was constipated for almost two weeks, that I had to relearn how to eat so that I would NOT projectile vomit that first month, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Best. Decision. Ever. If there was one thing I would have done differently (other than not letting myself get to my pre-op weight in the first place), it would be that I would have done this sooner. ❤️

Pretty!!

We have almost similar starting stats...almost: I started at 5'2", 235 lbs (BMI 43), 46 yrs old. I'm 1.5 years out now, and I am 5'1 and a bit (yep, I got shorter!) and 115 lbs, and a year older. I did get to goal weight comparatively fast (I got to 127 lbs in about 7 months), and yep, I ended up with loose skin. I had plastic surgery (Tummy Tuck, Arm Lift & Breast Lift) at 14 months to get rid of it. I think the majority of people end up with some level of loose skin. Some worse/better than others. A lucky few get none at all. Below is a side by side pic of what my bod looked like the day before wls surgery, then 4 months after starting maintenance, then 6 weeks after plastics. I will say that even if I didn't get plastics, my loose skin was easily hidden with clothes, and like some of the posters have said above, I'd take loose skin over my pre-wls fat any day.

My first drink was at 1-2 months. It didn’t take much to affect me. It was only a couple sips of red wine and i got tipsy pretty fast. But I also sobered up just as fast. Told my doc, he said to be responsible. (I find him to be more lenient and chill than others I’ve read about on here). It was a rare occasion for me to drink during weight loss phase (i dont even think I ever even was able to drink an entire serving when i did). In maintenance, it was a different story, though. 1.5 years out and i still get affected and unaffected at a faster rate than pre-wls. Use your honest judgement and the advice of your doc to make your decisions. Good Luck! ❤️

Loose skin is inevitable for most. I addressed mine with Plastic Surgery. But if you are lucky (not alot of weight to lose, are young, good genes, etc), you *may* come out unscathed. But IMO, I would take loose skin over 100 lbs of excess fat any day (but that’s just me). Good Luck! ❤️

Yeah...i was soooooo cold ALL. THE. TIME. Some people report this as lasting quite long. For me, I stopped feeling I was unnaturally freezing to death around the 9-10 month mark (a couple months after my weight stabilized). At 1.5 years post op, i *think* I feel cold and hot like normal people now...

Oh dear lord. You are a hero.

LOL, do whatever you need to do, lady. 😉

I think you are right, that you need to start keeping track of your calorie intake....it will give you a better idea of how much you should be eating to lose weight. Take a look at this calculator and input your data and it will give you a general sense of what calorie level you should be at to lose weight: https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/ There are many other calculators out there, this just happen to be the one I used. Good Luck!

Couple questions...how tall are you? How many calories on average do you take in a day?

First, let me make the mandatory disclaimer that everyone is different. The experiences of each person on here vary GREATLY. With that said, my own personal experience was that I got actual physical hunger around the 8 or 9 month mark. Everything else was just cravings. (For the first 1-3 months I actually had food aversion. Later it would just be sporadic in the sense there would be days every once in a while that I just didn't want to eat) I'm 1.5 years out now and I definitely get hungry regularly. But not the ravenous kind from pre-WLS. And it definitely doesn't take as much food as it did before to satisfy it. I would also like to add that I have times when I just want to eat (even when I'm not actually hungry). If I'm not mindful, I could go back to just eating/snacking just for the sake of eating/snacking. So I have to be mindful. I realize this is going to be a life-long thing, and I'm fully prepared to do it.

I told 5 people: the Mr., the Kid, my Mom, my sister & my BFF. Of course, as the weight started falling off, others would ask how I was doing it; I told them I was severely restricting calories & carbs, as well as exercised daily. All of which was true. After about 9-10 months, people just got used to seeing me smaller and eating differently and they stopped asking questions/commenting. It's been 1.5 years now, and me and my weight are old news. P.S., I did, however, tell people I had plastic surgery to remove excess skin. I had PS over Christmas, and I had to explain to friends and fam why I was all hunched over and unable to lift my arms. Plus they would see the scars on my arms/tummy eventually (sleeveless tops!), so I couldn't really hide it anyway.

Glad its just a cough. If its martini's you seek, here's my drink du jour these days...espresso martini: 2 fl oz espresso 1.25 fl oz vodka 0.75 fl oz kahlua add ice cubes, shake, strain & enjoy! Shhhhhh.....I've had almost one a day for the past week or so, lol.

*hugs* Does husband have any serious symptoms?

...we’ll be waiting...

You and me both. I may wear it to mow the lawn later...

Oooohhhh... i love Tim Gunn. Thx, will check it out. I did try Next in Fashion, I stopped after the second episode. Just didn't grab me. RE: Say Yes to the Dress...me too! Forgot about that one, lol

OMG thanks for the share! I totally made one for myself tonite. And yes, it really is yummy. I made a few tweaks with mine though cuz #1, I didn't want it to be sweet & #2 I wanted to spike it (LOL): 2 tbs decaf instant coffee 1 tbs stevia 1 tbs boiling water 2 tbs warmed-up Kahlua Items of note: * I only had to mix up mine for about 1 min to fluff up * Used up half of the resulting fluff with 1 cup cashew milk. I felt it was too creamy so will use maybe a quarter per 1 cup cashew milk in the future. * I still found it a little too sweet, will try 1/2 tbs stevia next time, or maybe even skip the sweetener altogether, since I used cashew milk (sweet) and Kahlua (also sweet).

I'm back to my morning runs, and recently added a second run in the evenings. Started a core strengthening program/routine with Mr. too...I have a secret goal to successfully execute and hold a yoga lift. I was always jealous of how Mr could do it, and now that I am half my former size, it is def a possibility! Oh, and I've been spending more time cooking/baking, and cleaning out the basement, lol.

Running Shoes. I had 3 pairs of Asics with treads in almost-new condition (courtesy of my orthopedic benefit included in my health insurance) that I probably used less than 10 times each the past several years. Now I rotate through them twice a day to actually RUN, lol.

My hair started falling out (ALOT) around the 3 month mark, and I think it probably stopped at the 7 month mark (about the time that I stopped losing weight on purpose). I lost quite a bit. Cut my hair super short pixie when it started to try to minimize the visible scalp look. Started to notice the sprouting of little itty bitty chicken hairs around month 10. I'm 1.5 years post op now, and I've got a TON of these chicken hairs all over my head, and they are about 3-4 -ish inches long now and still stick up when I don't style my hair, so it looks pretty funny. But I'll take em. Once they grow long enough to lay flat I will probably look close to normal again...though I dunno if I want to grow it back to the length it was before...we'll see.

Not sure if its anyone's bag, but I am also obsessed with cooking/baking shows (Top Chef, Masterchef, Chopped, Great Baking Show, Buddy vs. Duff, Late Night Eats, Food Truck Race, and ALL the old Anthony Bourdain shows...) Oh, and honourable mentions to: Project Runway, Survivor, So you think you Can Dance. ...man, I watch a lot of TV!