ms.sss

3.5 years out. ZERO regrets (other than not doing it sooner, like many others) My eating habits have not gone “back to normal”, as in my pre-op days, but has definitely expanded since the early days post surgery. I still eat much less and much slower than everyone else around me, but thats just fine with me. I also eat a wide range of foods (including not-as-healthy options) and am doing just fine. Been maintaining below goal weight almost 3 yrs now. I do still dump as well, but again, this is easily avoided (not too much sugar at a time, and never on an empty stomach). ALL of my obesity-related issues are long gone, and i feel awesome. Confidence, energy and attitude are way up (as is my wardrobe, lol). So yeah, no regrets. Good Luck! ❤️ P.S. @18kDays: are u contemplating surgery or have you already started the process?

I dont think i did Brussel sprouts during weight loss phase (dont really know why…just didn’t get a chance I guess), but i do now. Either pan-fried or roasted in the oven, and always with bacon, and often with balsamic glaze drizzled on top and/or shaved Parmesan. I will say though that Brussel spouts are one of the few veggies that fill me up almost as quickly as dense protein (along with cabbage, beets and al dente cauliflower). yum, though.

First meal of the day. Longanisa and pickled cucumbers: 353 calories (ate it all). P.S. Longanisa is like a a sweet chorizo.

Omg looks store bought. Nice! (i looked at the recipe - thx btw - and it lists the batch produces 16 servings…how big was the cake???)

I totally appreciate your tidy pantry and the way the item are all lined up like grocery shelves (a woman after my own heart lol)

Those shrimp look mouthwatering 🤤

Ooohh this one looks even better! (my attempt was not successful…overcooked and turned out basically like mashed potatoes wrapped hard (and chewy? 🤷🏻‍♀️) skin #oopsies. Will try again another time!)

Ive turned into the leftovers-eater. The fam is adverse to leftovers and i hate waste, so…. Theres always something to eat, but not always of the healthy-persuasion. But i count calories and try to make sure im within range, so its all good.

You’ll likely get this anyway in the immediate days post op. But again, it only lasts a a couple days.

Yes, yes they are.

I too had to do 2 weeks of 3 (clinic-provided shakes a day). But was allowed unlimited coffee tea water as well. The first 1-2 days was a bit of a challenge (esp cuz i hated the vanilla flavour but didn’t mind the chocolate), but by day 3 it was no sweat. In fact, sometime in the second week i went down to 2 shakes a day cuz i refused to drink the vanilla ones anymore (gross). I lost 11.8 lbs by surgery day (but like 8 of those were in the first week). Sone tips that helped the shakes go down easier (for me): —- lots of added water (i probably added 2-3 times the amount the package required. — add a tsp of decaf instant coffee crystals — drink it SUPER COLD — and if u are worried about constipation, a couple tsps of Benefiber. Good Luck! ❤️

BFF just came by to drop off these things, omg. While I wanted to take a bite of each one, I managed to hold myself to 1/8 of the Kit Kat Matcha one (bottom right) and 1/8 of Strawberry Basil one (bottom left ). Im guessing (and logging) 100 calories for the equivalent of 1/4 a donut 🤷🏻‍♀️ If there is any leftover later tonight, i got my eye on the Peanut Butter Espresso one (middle right)…!! 😳

🎂

Today’s salad, technically without actual salad (we’re out of lettuces AND cabbage!) All the good stuff: cucumbers, beets, cheese, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, Brussel sprouts and and some chicken liver pate. #yum 325 calories Ate almost all of it. As is almost always the case, someone was sitting with me and ate some. Im guessing i got to eat about 80-85% of it?

Well thats a fancy looking potato! Hasselback, yes? Now i wanna make some for the fam *prepares to go out to pick up some potatoes*

So my team green-lit everything at 1 month, including raw veggies, bread and alcohol. Had first raw veggies/salad around 2-3 months cuz until then, there was no room after getting my protein in. Went pretty uneventfully when i did. Bread I didn’t have (by choice) until well after weight loss phase and discovered harder, dryer bread went down much easier and in larger volumes than soft fluffy bread. Still the same now at 3.5 yes post. I do have bread on occasion these days. Regarding alcohol, i had like 2-3 sips of red wine at 3 weeks post. It burned a little and I swear i felt it travelling through my intestines. Next try was at around 2-3 months post with a soju/sake drink and i had one of my worst dumping experience ever. In all i must have had maybe 5 partial drinks in total during weight loss phase, and i got pretty tipsy/drunk each time (though I sobered up surprisingly quickly) Now though, I’m basically an alcoholic (at least according to the North American measure of it. Apparently women who consume >= 7 drinks per week are alcoholics. Soooo… *raises hand* 🤷🏻‍♀️ And yep, i smoke too (at least right now i am, i’ve been quitting and un-quitting for the last 2 years) MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: i am in no way advocating what i do for anyone else. You know your own limits and can choose as an autonomous adult whether you choose to stay within these limits or beyond them. …and…don’t judge me! Good Luck! ❤️

Ugh. The dreaded Pureed Stage. When i got to that stage, i puréed some beef, took one look at it and was all, No Thanks. Eww. So i just continued another week at Full Fluids then went to Minced right after. I did eat really, reaaaally runny eggs and creamy cottage cheese though.

I never really removed ALL carbs from my diet (i think that would be really difficult), but I did go ultra-low carb during weight loss phase, < 25g NET a day. I didn’t really use any substitutes during weight loss phase, but i did try making cauliflower crusts…while good, i deemed them too much effort and just went without. After goal (approx 7 months) I did start using more substitutes (shiratake noodles, chicken crusts, zero carb bagels). The noodles were good, but super filling, the chicken crusts are effing delicious and i have yet to enjoy any type of zero carb bread (its NOT bread!). It took me a few months to lose my fear of carbohydrates, but by around 1 year (or was it 2?) post op, i started eating desserts and bread and pasta again. Granted i only eat really yummy bread or pasta (i.e., homemade by Mr.) but still. Nowadays i dont put limits on my carbs anymore (im 3.5+ years out) and just keep an eye on total calories. So far so good.

Lol. CLASSIC.

I didn’t try (nor was i advised) to practice post-op behaviours pre-op. While is may be helpful to get into the habit, it’s probably difficult to do without the physical feedback-response one would get AFTER the surgery. In any case, this is what *i* did after surgery: I used a timer (on my watch) to time my bites. I’d take one, maybe 2 bites, put my utensil down and set my timer to go off in 2-3 mins. At the buzzer if i felt like taking another bite or two, i would, if not, i’d time another 2-3 mins. If I didn’t want another bite after that, i called it and put my food back in the fridge for later. Yes, it took me FOREVER to eat in the first few few months (or was it a year?) but I learned very early on that if i ate too fast or too much, i would be barfing in the toilet in no time. Not pretty. I also learned early on that i could not drink about 30-45 mins after eating solids, or yep, cue more barfing (but i had zero problems drinking right up to the moment i ate solids). But everyone is different and you may find that it wont affect you as much, or maybe it will affect you more. As someone mentioned above, listen to your body, and act accordingly. You’ll know when you know. Good Luck! ❤️

My mother and aunts and older female cousins (and my PCP) are/were the only ones that talked to me about my weight gain…at least to my face. They never actually called me fat, but did say things like “maybe you should lose some weight”, “oh you’ve gained weight”, “you are bigger than the last time i saw you”, “you are eating too much”, etc etc. In the case of my PCP, he said stuff like “losing weight may help alleviate x” It was annoying, but i chalked it up to busy-bodiness on my family’s part at least. But i will say i got like 50x more comments than i ever got to my face about needing to gain weight, looking sick, not eating enough, being too skinny in the one year after WLS than i did about being fat in the 10-ish years i was overweight. And from a wider range of people, including stangers. Which was equally annoying. Mind you these same family members say other stuff too like: “oh i think its time to dye your hair, i see greys”, “you look tired, do u have any makeup on?”, “your forehead wrinkles are showing”, “your legs aren’t the best for miniskirts”. 🙄 I just nod/change subject. People suck. Let it roll of u, if u can. P.S. My legs are awesome for miniskirts, thankyouverymuch.

Ok, this may not be a popular opinion, but here goes: While there is evidence to support the theory of a constant body weight inherency (i.e., what is commonly discussed as “set points”), and that genetics do play a role one’s ability to lose/gain/maintain one’s weight, I would venture to say that a person’s weight is not so much immovably tied to a “set-point”, as much as it is tied to their lifestyle. Yes, it may require more effort for one person to get to 130 than another…it just depends if the former is willing to put in that effort indefinitely to reach and maintain an arbitrary weight number. For some it is, for others, not so much. For a couple years, every time i neared a self-imposed weight “red-line” i would tighten the reigns a little bit to get down to my “happy weight” again (we are talking a diff of 5 lbs here, so it was a pretty regular thing). Last year I decided it was too much effort too often and raised my “happy weight” by 5 lbs. I haven’t had to tighten the reigns since and enjoy eating/drinking in my own way without having to go out of my way to self correct every once in a while. Now i believe i could get back to sub 115 again if i reeeaaaaallly wanted to, but it turns out i don’t. And who knows, maybe i may raise (or lower) my happy weight again in the next couple years. Its all good. So if you want to get to 130’s and are willing (and at peace) to put in the effort, then yay! But i think if it gives you angst and takes away from life it may be in your best interest to rethink your expectations. Good Luck! ❤️

As someone who cancelled/postponed their surgery TWICE, i get where you are coming from. And like many of those who came before AND after me, my sole regret of the whole thing was not doing it sooner (or even not doing it right away the first time i was approved). What caused me to finally go through with my THIRD scheduled date seems a little inconsequential: i was sitting on a patio stair step trying to put sunscreen on my feet at a pool party, but my bulk prevented me from just bending over to do it comfortably, so i had to bend my leg behind me so i could reach. I looked up and noticed people watching me (with what i took as pity, though it may not even have been, it was just what i took it as), and that was it. I was sleeved the next month. Best decision ever. And while i could have had it done 2 years earlier, better late than never i guess. You are ready when you’re ready. Good Luck! ❤️ P.S. We sort of have similar starting stats: I am 5’2”, and was 235 lbs at the beginning of my 2 wk pre-op diet (but im much older…was 46 when i had surgery) And here are my progress pics:

Sometimes my food just looks unappetizing lol. This is leftover salad from a couple days ago, plus a nugget of leftover bbq pork, plus 1/2 a leftover chicken thigh, plus a 1/4 cup of leftover butter chicken. Looks gross, but tastes YUM. I also just drank an espresso martini (yes, its not yet noon, dont judge me!) 250 calories (including the martini, not shown) Ate/drank it all.

You know, im thinking back now to when i first was nearing goal and I remember i too got a bit concerned about having to increase calories to stop the weight loss (i tried to find my original post but no luck). I did not think it would be possible. Then i also remember a few members further out than me telling me “don’t worry, it’ll happen”. And yep, they were right. So i get the bit of panic. i/we are/were in a diet groove of sorts and changing that up does of course bring about a bit of uncertainty and with that maybe some panic/anxiety. its easy for me to say now, looking back, to just trust yourself that you can navigate through the inevitable changes, but im saying so in hindsight, with the benefit of actually having gone though it already. In any case, good luck, vent away, voice your fears, broadcast your successes, and try if you can to know you aren’t alone in feeling this way. ❤️