ms.sss

same, same, as the other posters above. i am really, really good at losing weight. I am (was) also really, really good at finding that weight again. i've lost 50-75 lbs three separate times prior to wls, and each time managed to regain it within a year or so, plus a few more pounds for good measure, until i finally hit my highest weight of 235 lbs (i'm 5'2" so thats alot of weight for my height). with WLS (sleeve for me), i lost 120-ish lbs and kept it ALL off (give or take 5lbs) since reaching goal...almost 5 YEARS ago... whats more, maintaining this weight seems relatively effortless compared to before. because i eat so very little in volume (added to the fact that i somehow developed an affection for exercise and activity!), i have quite a bit of leeway in food choices to reach my maintenance calories. i am very grateful for this aspect of my surgery experience, i tell ya. BUT... i will add a disclaimer here that not everyone has the same WLS experience. you won't know what yours will be until you know. though we all of us here already sort of know that low calorie diets alone aren't sustainable long term for us. i mean, that's why we are all here, no?

first time someone outside my home said something to me UNSOLICITED was around 3 months (was down maybe 50-60 lbs by then). mind you i asked my Mr. and Daughter like every week, lol. they did say "yes" to my constant pestering around week 2 or 3, and i was down probably 20-30 lbs by then (but this includes the 11 lbs i lost during the 2 week liquid pre-op diet). don't forget that there are folks who consider it impolite to ask or comment about someone's weight (i wish there were more of these types of people!), so while you may not get stuff SAID to you directly, they may be THINKING it.

i didn't reach my water goals until about 3 weeks post op. protein goals i did not reach until sometime after 3 months..and even after that i reached protein goals maybe 80% of the time i did get headaches weeks during the low water weeks but i slept alot. water def helps with headaches...if it's particularly bad, i've read some folks on here go to doc to administer fluids. i also had a bout of orthostatic hypotension before AND after meeting my water goals (dizzy/fainty from getting up or moving too fast due to low blood pressure)...my doc told me to yep, drink more water, increase my salt intake and exercise, among other things. you are right to speak to your doc, they will advise u properly. good luck! ❤️

yep i had back (and hip) pains for a few months after dropping the first 30lbs or so. like others above i asked my dic and did some of my own research and its seems the answer is as the above posters mentioned. - water and mineral bone loss (reduction of bone density) during weight loss (especially at a rapid rate) may cause spinal misalignments due to the weaker structure, hence pain. - muscle tone loss: your remaining muscles are working harder to make up for the loss, hence pain. - your centre of gravity is changing: your back was used to carrying the weight of your belly and it's reduction in size is affecting your posture, hence pain. its a bit of a changeover period, but with some effort you can decrease the discomfort: exercise, stretching, sit/stand up straight, good nutrition, good sleeping position, body alignments (chiro) and what no one wants to really hear: slower weight loss rate. by losing weight slower, you allow your body time to adjust as you lose weight instead of playing catchup which causes relatively more pain. those weight loss pains eventually went away (i can't remember exactly when..maybe around 6-7-8 months post op?), but i do have morning back pain now if i sleep on my stomach (which has always been my preferred sleeping position), but that's another story. im 5+ yrs out

i took my measurements and recorded them religiously every month for the first 2 years (almost) - i stopped a month shy of my 2 yr anniversary date). i also took many random measurements now and then just for kicks. here is a summary on the major milestones: start, goal, 1 yr-post-op and almost-2 yrs-post-op. note the last two measurements are 2 months BEFORE and 8 months AFTER plastics, respectively. note also, that my measurements were little affected by my plastics...but i definitely looked different. edited to add: best "yay"? CLOTHES, baby. oh, and i found some measurements i took at 3 years post-op: (i should also say that i am barely 5'2" so im on the short side)

another gratuitous OOTD swimsuit shot! my abs are becoming a little more prominent...not because im exercising or anything, but because we have barely eaten while we've been here! i am NOT a fan of all-inclusive resort food and basically have only eaten over easy eggs and cabbage and the tube of Pringles i bought on the plane, ha. Oh, but i have probably drank my weight in vodka sodas omg.

on vacay this week, so every day's OOTD will be a bikini. this is the first of MANY (too many, some might say lol) that i brought with me 😉

hourglass, baby.

i know several people (including myself*) who have used Ozempic and/or Mounjaro, all with great results (read: all lost probably an average of 10-15 lbs with little reported effort. From an observers point of view, it *looks* like most slowly gain weight back when discontinuing use. but some seem to keep the weight off (but it's early still so time will tell). *i seem to be part of the latter group. i took my mom's leftover Ozempic for a month in April last year (shes a diabetic and takes less than she's prescribed cuz she doesn't like how it makes her hate food...and yes i know i shouldn't be taking someone elses meds! dont judge me! it was in the name of science, ok??? 😂 ) i lost about 7 lbs by the end of it, and gained back 2-3 lbs a couple months later. to clarify, i was 122 when i stated in April, 4 weeks later i was 115, and i've hovered between 114-118 since then to today. long story short, the stuff WORKS. but you will likely experience regain without significant lifestyle changes when u stop. or not. who knows? 🤷🏻‍♀️

why yes, i do know! lol. i was/am one of those "diligent" trackers so i have over 5 yrs of food log data to statisticize, ha! on AVERAGE: weeks 1-2: 400 cals a WEEK...this was a weird time. week 3 to about 3 mnths: 400-500 cals A DAY. months 4-6: 600-700 cals a day month 7: 800-ish cals a day at this point made efforts to increase cals and by 9 months i was at about 1700-1800 cals a day. 2-3 years post-op was 2300+ a day cuz i was exercising heavily. today im at 1800-ish a day with moderate exercise (been at this calorie level for 2-ish yrs now)

yep, i sorta became an exercise fiend at around 3 months. i tried my hand at many things to see what i liked...i ended up sticking with yoga, zumba, dance class and running. i also did some strength training, but only the bare minimum cuz i hate it lol. i'm 5+ years out now and while i don't run 5K every day like i used to (AND go to 4-5 classes a week), i still run 1-2 times a week, go to pilates 2-3 times a week, and i have a weekly tap class. low calorie intake. hands down.

short answer: yes! upper/lower/mid back pain improved! as did foot pain, knee pain! long answer: it got better, then it got bad again, and then better. apparently rapid weight loss results in weird aches and pains as your body musculature re-adjusts to your smaller size. lower back pain returned and i got a new hip pain, but then both went away. aside: but one thing that was new and annoying and hasn't gone away is that get back pain now when i sleep on my stomach (i never had this problem before)...my guess is because now that i don't have a larger stomach to prop me up, my back is actually hyper-extending now when i'm on my stomach which results in pain in the morning. boo.

noticing how your clothes fit is a good idea for monitoring weight loss if you don't have a scale. you could also take your measurements if you have a tape measure; you could use the scale at your doctors, the gym, at a department store; or even water displacement, lol: fill a tub with water to a certain level get in up to your neck and mark the waterline...😂

i didn't poop for 11 days after wls. you'll find constipation is pretty common among our demographic. drink water, include fibre in your diet, keep active and don't be afraid to bring in the big guns (miralax, milk of magnesia, glycerine suppositories) if it goes to long or you start to feel uncomfortable. good luck! ❤️

yep. i was notorious for barely eating anything. i just didn't want to honestly. and i want to be the type of person to force my self to eat if i didn't want to (personally i think that is just as an unwanted eating habit as eating out of boredom). i did also lose more that i wanted to after reaching goal (at 7 months), but it all leveled out eventually (by 1 year). and no, i did not waste away, i did not become malnourished, i did not starve to death. while i did look pretty gaunt for a few months, that too went away despite not re-gaining any substantial amount of weight. i did have to re-learn how to eat higher calorie foods (abstaining from them during weight loss phase got ingrained into me, so it took me a few months to be mentally ok eating it again, you know?) i'm 5+ years out and there are still days when i just don't want to eat, or just forget to eat altogether. i don't worry about it too much because i know there will be a day when i just wanna eat. so long as my weight stays within my acceptable range, my pants fit, my doc is not concerned and i feel great, then i'm all good. honestly i just accept that i didn't reach my goals that particular day...so long as i reach them at least like 60-70% of the time, then i consider it a success. but i'm a bit far out now...during early weight loss phase i did try a little harder by drinking protein shakes (which i don't anymore), also i never tried to forcefully increase calories during weight loss phase though, no matter what i was eating. but during maintenance i was concerned about increasing calories...see my go-to's below: stuff i ate to increase calories in the early days of maintenance when stomach real estate was on ongoing issue: - avocaods - nuts and nuts butter - full fat dairy and cheese - beef jerky - olive oil drizzled on whatever - chicharron / pork rinds --> yeah this one would raise eyebrows cuz the crazy fat content, but i loved/love it! plus it had the added bonus of being very high in protein, ha. and it really helped to bump up my calorie intake. finally, i am also a grazer...since i can't really eat alot in one sitting, i eat a little bit every hour or so. this was really an issue for me in the early years, but now my food intake capacity has increased so it doesn't feel so much like a chore as it used to. In sum, just do your best, keep up with your labs and doc appt to make sure you medically ok, and eventually the stuff that you are worrying about now will be just that thing you used to worry about. good luck! ❤️

well, i *thought* i was in menopause before I had my surgery (i hadn't had period in about 1-2 years). a few weeks after surgery i got my period and it came like clockwork every month for the next 2-3 years (i guess it wasn't menopause and i was just fat? or maybe the estrogen release from my diminishing fat stores that re-activated my period? i dunno.) Anyway, a couple years ago when i was at maybe 3 years post op, my period disappeared again, and i haven't had it since (except for a singe errant period when i was on vacaiton of all places last year). im 5+ years post op now and i guess to answer your question i was both perimenopausal and menopausal AND post-menopausal before, during and after the entire experience. i don't know if being in that state affected my weight loss in any way as i have nothing to compare to, but i can tell you i reached goal by 7 months post op (lost 108 lbs by goal date) and was down a total of 126 lbs by 1 year post op (i was 235 lbs 2 wks before surgery). like i said above, i'm 5+ years post op now and am still down 120-ish lbs today.

hiya! and congrats on the weight loss and 18 year maintenance! thats awesome to your questions: (1) can't really comment for U.S. surgeon recommendations as i'm up in Canada and had mine done up here. though sometimes when i read U.S. prices posted on here, it seems like prices up here are cheaper than the U.S., and its in Canadian dollars so thats like monopoly money for you guys. 🤷🏻‍♀️ (2) I had a breast lift in 2019 no implant nor fat transfer (a had an arm lift and tummy tuck as well...all 3 in one shot) and i actually stayed the same bra size before and after surgery...the bras just fit differently on my lifted boobs. I technically should be wearing a 28D (my torso circumference is on the small side of normal), but since 28D is like finding a unicorn in the stores, i mostly have 30Cs in my closet. so while the bra size remained the same, i fill them out better now....i used to just stuff all my boob material in the cup of a full coverage bra. Now, i can wear those demi-cup style bras without looking like im carrying two bowls of jiggly pudding on my chest ahhahahha. And i can wear those triangle bikini tops and NOT look like i'm spilling out the sides NOR do i have the separated-elongated cleavage look anymore, if that description makes sense. AND i can go commando and not wear a bra at all and still remain relatively perky. good luck! ❤️ p.s. i'm curious as to the reasons why you are not pleased with your thigh lift?

hiya! i remember you from a post about a year ago I remember you were concerned about the number on the scale back then and were resolved to take measurements vs weighing since you are a body builder...did you end up keeping records? you didn't mention in this post what your current weight is, but at 5'6" (assuming age 25 and weight of 266lbs) your current calorie intake is well below your BMR, even if you sat on your couch the entire day...which you aren't. so if your calorie count is indeed accurate, its not an issue with your intake. besides the number on the scale, how do you FEEL? joints better? sleep better? move better? less winded? off any meds? pull out the measuring tape and compare from your measurements last year...like a poster suggested a year ago, as a body builder, the tape will tell you the truth more than the scale will. have you taken pics of yourself this past year? can you see a diff? i know its difficult, but really try not to go down any shame spirals, stress is not a friend of health and weight loss. ask your team for advice and guidance during your appt next week. good luck! ❤️

sip sip sip. i carried a water bottle/insulated cup (and yes, i used a straw...i know people have been told not to use them, but i did...ymmv). around day 2-3 i realized warm/hot water went down easier than cold/room-temp so i started sipping that. was able to stand colder water again by week 2, and also in week 2 i accidentally found out i could gulp water...i was so thirsty and didn't think, so yeah. was able to drink large amounts of water no problem after that.

1 day 1 week 1 month 3 months 6 months 1 year, 2yrs, 3yrs, 4yrs had my last regularly scheduled appt at 5 years post (about 4 mnths ago). Also worth noting that i had labs (bloodwork) done each time (except the 1 day post one) and i had dexa scans/checks before surgery for baseline and every year until 5 years post.

i was allowed coffee (black only...no sugar or milk, ofc). though i think they told me not to drink any 12 hrs before surgery...but i think that was all liquids, not just coffee...i don't remember? further, they served me both coffee and tea in the hospital after surgery...with cream and sugar packets for some reason. i take my coffee and tea black anyway so i didn't bother asking if it was a mistake. 🤷🏻‍♀️

like a lot of the folks here, i only had to do 2 weeks. it was 3 shakes a day for two weeks. i had to go back to do the math, but figured out you wrote your initial post on day 2 of your liquid diet, yes? Most will tell you that the first 3-4 days are the worst of it. If you white knuckle it those first couple days, you'll likely find it gets much, much easier. I'm sure there's some science to it, but essentially your body gets used to the lower intake and does something else instead of whine loudly lol (google ketosis). But you have to try to not "cheat" during those days or you may just reset the clock, and have to do those 3-4 days of discomfort again. Doing math again, today should be day 4 for you...how are you doing? In terms of the 4 week road ahead of you, it does sound daunting, but maybe if you could break it down to week long increments it may be easier to bear. just get this friday and you'll have one week under your belt. then look forward to the next friday. or if a week seems too long, just get to the end of the day. whatever it takes to shrink the seemingly endless void into small manageable parts (with small victories along the way). ...and if you fall off, get up and start again. no need for shame spirals or self-flagellation. good luck! ❤️

omg repurposing leftovers is one of my fave things to do! a sample of my "Leftovers MacGyver-ing" (yes i take pictures food every. single. day. ...almost...i have an album titled "random food pics" on my phone hahahhaha) in order of appearance: 1. leftover baked potatoes into chunky cream of potato soup with bacon and cheddar 2. leftover cheesecake into cheesecake brownies 3. leftover dahl and sweet potato fries into curried sweet potato soup BONUS: also used leftover pita bread to make the croutons on top. 4. blueberry yogurt that was about to expire into yogurt bread