ms.sss

Good point. Does your surgeon know about your timelines? What did they say? I'm only a week out, and my waist measurement increased considerably. Maybe the PS vets can chime in (of course understanding that everyone's healing is different)... @catwoman7?

I would think for the a regular recipe, yes. But I'm thinking you are asking for Bariatric-specific recipes? In that case it if was SPECIFICALLY for those not far out maybe 2 would be better....cuz it takes them forever to eat, LOL.

I was at a work site earlier this year when the client did this to me. She insisted I take a peice of cake that was doled out at a going away party, and then would loudly comment to the room that I handn't touched any of it when she walked by my desk. I resorted to wrapping up bits of the cake in napkin and tossing in the garbage every once in a while to get her off my back. It's been over 6 months since this happened and I still get irked when I think of it.... I hate that she felt the need to comment to everyone in earshot on my eating habits. I hate even more that I succumbed to the "pressure". If I could do it all over again, I would have stood my ground and not have accepted the cake at all. I console myself by saying it was a client, but still...

I don't specifically look for specific sized serving recipes. Whatever looks good i'll give it a try, multiply or divide the ingredients depending on how much I want to make. If there is too much, there is always the freezer....

Not only is wifey the sweetest, but is also a BABE.

Day 10: Still waiting. 😓😓😓😓😓😓😓😓😓

Some people weigh every day, others once a week, once a month, etc. It all depends if you can handle seeing the inevitable fluctuations (it is a cause of stress and anxiety for some if the scale doesn't move, or if it goes up...) Weigh as often as you can and still stay sane P.S. I'm of the weigh-every-day-at-the-same-time camp.

Poop-watch DAY 9 : So far, so NOT so good... (Took MOM this morning...still waiting...) P.S. I need that shirt. P.P.S. Is that you in the pic holding up the shirt?!?

Food Scale. Timer (on your phone or watch) Food Tracker App (I use My Fitness Pal) Decaf coffee crystals (for flavouring protein shakes) ClearLax/Miralax, Benefiber, Milk of Magnesia, Glycerin Suppositories (hope you never need the last one!)

Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / ??? lbs (last weight in 115.0 lbs on Dec 18th) ---------------------------------------- Monday, Dec. 23 ---------------------------------------- 4:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + 1/2 oz cheddar + 1.5 oz roast beef 6:30pm - 1 oz chicharron + 2 Kinder Advent Calendar Mini Eggs 8:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + 1.5 tsp grated parm + 4.5 oz pan fried chicken breast Totals: 554 cals - 55g Protein - 18g NET carbs - 33g fat ---------------------------------------- Yesterday, Tuesday, Dec. 24 Kicking off xmas-party-palooza with Xmas Eve dinner at my my mom's place with her side of the family. Spent most of the time being made fun of for my old-lady shuffle w/ my borrowed cane. Family. 🙄 Let the indulgence begin! ---------------------------------------- 10:00am - coffee-cayenne w/ stevia 12:30pm - 1/4 cup greek yogurt + blueberries +1/2 fl oz pumpkin seeds 6:00pm - 2 oz turkey breast + 1/4 cup stuffing + 1/8 cup roasted butternut squash + 2 tbsp gravy + 3 shrimps + 5 baby carrots + 1 tbsp blue cheese dip + 4 cucumber slices + 1/2 tbsp artichoke dip + 1/2 slice pumpkin pie + 1 tbsp whipped cream 9:00pm - 5 regular potato chips + 1/4 chocolate chip cookie + 3 red pepper spears + 1 tbsp blue cheese dip + 1 Lindor Dark Chocolate Truffle 12:30am - 1/2 Portuguese Custard Tart Totals: 1160 cals - 46g Protein - 114g NET carbs - 55g fat

Ok. so I finally took a good look at my tummy this morning after another unsuccessful attempt at Number-Two-ing (Poop-watch: Day 8 and counting... ). So I know I'm bloated. I mean, I haven't pooped in 8 days, for eff's sakes. And I also know I'm swollen from the surgery. But my midsection is huge right now. My stomach was flatter when I walked into the operating room. Mind, you, it is now smoother and tighter, but man, it's also BIGGER. Naturally, I did what my surgeon told me not to do: I busted out my measuring tape. Now I normally take my measurements every Wednesday, but in the flurry of getting ready for surgery last Wed, I forgot to take them. So my comparison measurements are 2 weeks old. RESULTS: Calves remained the same: no change. I think I have those lovely leg massagers at the hospital to thank for this. Hip & Thigh measurements increased by about +1 inch. I'm still swollen. Fine. Boobs increased by +2.5 inches. Now granted they are also swollen, but they are also higher up now so my back is wider higher up. So i think this measurement can't really be compared to the old one. Fine. Arms remained the same: no change. Which is odd because they visibly look TINY to me. I know I am swollen there, and it was all just skin removed from that area so I sort of get it. Plus, I took the measurement with my garment on cuz its a pain to take off (unlike sports bra and ab binder). So judgement reserved for later. Fine, for now. BUT my Waist!!!! an increase of +4.5 inches!! WTF?!?!? I went from 25.5" two weeks ago to 31" !!!! And my drains were only producing less than 10mL those last 24 hours they were in !!! So there isn't THAT much fluid left in me!!! And yeah, I haven't pooped in 8 days, but I haven't eaten much either!!! I won't fit into my pants for for the next 3 days of xmas parties!!!! And I have really cute pants!!!! Ahem. OK. Freak-out over. BTW, my fellow Winter PS patients, do you find yourselves a little more emotional than usual....???? @rs @sillykitty @okayestmom @mousecat88 P.S. This is exactly why my surgeon told me not to measure yet.

@Moa: wow! congratulations on all your success! you look amazing, and comparing the two close up head shots before and after, you look about 15 years younger now! (the fab hair and clothes make a difference too ❤️) As far as goal weights go, if you want to lose more (and your doc is ok with it), then by all means go for it. If you are happy where you are (and you do look great, lady) then that's cool too. Your goal-forever weight ideally is whatever you feel comfortable at and can maintain. I agree, whatever loose skin you may have under there, you hide it well P.S. I just had an arm lift, breast lift and tummy tuck 6 days ago. Of the three, its the tummy tuck that is the most annoying in terms of recovery (for me) because I can't stand up straight and my back is paying for it. With that said though, my recovery from my WLS was much, much more painful than this. But I've also read from others who have said plastics was more painful than WLS. 🤷🏼‍♀️

...off to google what an upper back lift and lower back lift entails...

Day 5 Update: P.S. I haven't taken any pictures yet. I missed my chance after my shower today as I forgot and put my garments back on. I can't really see much of the incision as they are covered with steri-stips anyway, but I'll try to remember at tomorrow's shower time...

Today's highlights: Actually went Costo shopping with Mr. this morning for some last minute pot-luck parties shopping. The greeters asked if I wanted one of these motorized shopping cart-moped combos, and while I was tempted just for the fun of it, the point was to get some walking in, so I declined. It was the most exercise I got at one shot in 5 days. I was pooped...went home and took a 2 hour hap afterwards. Had my first follow up with my surgeon this afternoon, and he is pleased with the healing, etc., etc. The swelling I continue to have is normal. Suggestion: drink water, move around, it will get better. The itchiness I am experiencing is normal. Suggestion: drink water, stay cool, take Benedryl, it will get better. The dizziness I am experiencing is normal. Suggestion: drink water, move around, eat more, get up slowly, ease up on the narcotics, take the prescribed Iron, it will get better. My tight feeling va-jay-jay is normal. Suggestion: apply ice packs as needed, it will get better (He also said does not look odd to him. He says I may not be used to the way it looks because I can actually see it now. Before the TT, there was excess skin above it the hid it lower between my legs.) I am now free to shower. Any steri-stips that fall off or get loose are to be covered over with a new steri-strip until my next appt on Jan 8th. Am to continue using my arm compression garment, sports bra & abdominal binder. When the tech was changing my dressings, I started to itch really badly. It seemed to get worse as the appointment went on. By the time we were walking to the car in the parking lot, it was so bad I was almost crying. Mr. drove us to the closest pharmacy and bought me a rapid-acting liqui-gel Benedryl. Within 10 minutes I was feeling better, and in another 20 minutes the itchiness was gone. BENEDRYL PEOPLE. BENEDRYL IS YOUR FRIEND. (but it does make me quite sleepy). My long-awaited shower was a tandem one, as Mr. insisted he be there in case I pass out or something. I didn't pass out. But I did have him wash my hair. I am anxious to stand up straight as the sore back is screaming at me. And I thought I would be able to do so by the time our annual 5-xmas-parties-over-3-days party marathon kicks off tomorrow night but its looking like its not going to happen...

Safe travels home, @sillykitty !!

This actually brings me ask another question...for those out there who had arm lifts? Can you see your incision line when you look down? @rs ? @mousecat88 ? @catwoman7 ? Edited to add: Actually, I guess i could see at least part of my line if lifted my arm and twisted it outwards...so the question above is for when your arm is just in a normal resting/hanging position...

Ok, and I finally have a definitive answer to this question. I have a line from my elbow to the bottom of my armpit (from the arm lift), and then another line down my trunk with the starting point at the highest part of my side-boob and along the under-boob (from the breast revision reduction/breast lift)....so two unconnected lines. ...though I still haven't seen it myself. My surgeon used his finger to show me where the beginning and end lines were.

yes - I was completely numb from navel to pubic bone for the first year post-surgery. My sensation started to come back after 12 months, but definitely not all of it (yet). I'm probably still a good 50-75% numb. I understand that some people never get their sensation back - and for others they do mostly, but it's not uncommon for the numbness to stay permanently along the incision lines. Ok, so yeah, I am definitely numb or something along my tummy incision line. When I touch it, i feel the sensation somewhere else. Like further up my abdomen and deeper inside. I've read @mousecat88 describe something to the same effect, and my doc says it happens, so I'm not worried. Just weirded out. My arm incisions are numb as well, but don't have the phantom-sensation feeling. My boobs are not numb. And my nipples still have sensation. Both of them. BONUS.

Yay for Ace Bandages! (Though I'm the opposite, am so much happier with a garment + sports bra than the bandages, lol). And yes, the shower was heavenly...for the most part. Mr. insisted that he get in the shower with me after he heard my surgeon tell me at our appointment today to be careful, as I may get lightheaded with the temperature changes and/or the removal of my compression garments. So I had company for my first shower in 5 days. I think I would have preferred to stand in there alone for like an hour. On the bright side, I had someone to wash my hair and other hard to reach areas. Did he say how long you have to wear the bandages for?

Just came home from mine. Drains are out!!!!! OMG they felt weird coming out. Off to a long awaited shower.....🙌🏼

LOL, I'll put a comment down for the carbonated drinks question, and leave the rest for the others... My team's reason for the no-carbonated-drinks directive was this: sugary sodas aside (this falls under the no-sugar-directive, which I figure we all understand), carbonated drinks tend to fill you up which leaves little room in your stomach for stuff you actually need, like nutritious food. My team does not use the "it will stretch your stomach" reasoning. And after some of my own research, neither do I. With that said, I was drinking sparkling water at around month 4 (and still do). Told my team, they were not concerned.

According to MFP, I averaged 326 calories during my 3rd week post-op. I'm 1 year 2 months out now and I can do 1600-2000 cals on an average day (but there are still days I can go as low as 600 and then other days when I can go up to 3000).

Now these types of posts are the ultimate. Cheers!!!!!!