ms.sss

i goaled myself for 120, smack dab in the middle of the bmi healthy goal range for my height, only because i needed a goal to head towards (i wasnt much of a lets just see kinda person back then…though i am now…but i digress) anyway got to 127 and i called goal cuz i wasnt interested in going lower based in what i saw in the mirror. plus i felt pretty great already. that was 6 years ago. since then i seem to have continued to slooooowly lose weight. i sometimes gain a little but my graph definately trends down over the years. especially the last 2-ish years. and im not TRYING to lose, just am due to my lifestyle choices and other circumstances (more active, got braces, tried out vegetarianism - spoiler alert, it didn’t stick lol). as of this morning i am 101 lbs. yes i realize its too thin. i was 98 lbs a few days ago, so im on it! so really, setting a goal can help lead you in a direction, bit the buck doesnt stop there so to speak. feeling good, liking/accepting what u see in the mirror, all the nsv’s should be considered. further, weight loss (or gain, by the same token) is not restricted to to the immediate months after surgery. if u stop losing, doesnt mean u cant lose more in the future. same as gaining…doent mean i wont gain weight back. nothing is static, things are always changing…you decide if you will change as well.

omg and lol *raises hand* i totally used to bawl during savasana at the end of almost every yoga class i took in the beginning!!! my instructors said its a common occurrence....something about releasing tension and emotion?? lasted about a month or so for me (mind u i went/go to class 1-2 times daily so i fast tracked the ugly-cry phase lol). i do remember it was very disconcerting at the time. when i try to explain it to non-yoga-ers, the best i could describe was that i wasn't feeling sadness nor happiness exactly...more like feeling overwhelmed, with what exactly, its hard to pinpoint...relief? gratitude? unworthiness? its been a while since i did that in class so my memory is foggy.... in any case, it normal apparently!

chiming in to say i had a similar start to running like AmberFL. (note though that i am a track or round-my-600m-neighbourhood-block runner, and not a follow-my-nose-runnner lol). started off walking around the track/block, then jogging one side of it, to jogging 1/2 of it, to jogging every other lap to full on jogging non-stop, then doing the same progression, this time interspersing with running. then longer and/or faster runs. by the end of my running heyday, i was running at least 5K every day (sometimes twice a day) with a longer 10K maybe once a week. then...i hurt my foot. didn't run for 3 months, and never went back to it with the same intensity. these days, i probably get a 5K in 1-2 times a week (less when its too cold). but i do get my exercise in other ways, so its all good. as for fuel, its been a while, but i do remember feeling quite hungry after runs and would actually eat food before noon (not my usual M.O.), could also be because i always ran on an empty stomach (by choice, i hate - and still do - the feeling of something in my stomach when i exercise). to the OP, its effing awesome that you are discovering a fondness for exercise...it really does make a world of difference, for your health, your sleep, your body's ability for recovery, your mental clarity....your overall well-being! plus, it makes you feel grrrrrrrreaaat and look hawt. ❤️

i actually thought i was in menopause at the time of my surgery...i hadn't had a period for almost two years just prior to that. about 2 weeks after surgery, i got a period, omg. and lasted for like 8-10 days. which is weird, cuz when i was regular, my periods lasted 4-5 days tops. and this one was HEAVY. after that, i got my period like clockwork, every 4 weeks, lasting 4-5 days again. guess i wasn't in menopause after all, i was just fat. which sucked (the period part not the fat part) cuz i really hate getting periods. then about 4 years later, i truly went into menopause. and haven't had a regular period since 2022. yay! but yeah, i as i understand it, hormones are stored in some level of fat, so when there is rapid weight/fat loss, your hormones are released back into your body (bloodstream?), and you are effected by it. so if hormones are the cause of your spotting, this could be why. but to be safe, pls have a visit with your doc or gyno. don't mess with reproductive health: if you can catch something early, catch it early. good luck! ❤️

i have a oft-visiting hernia (it pops out sometimes, but i've always been able to pop it back in - yeah, i know, gross - also its not an umbilical hernia, but an incisional hernia a couple inches below and to the right of my belly button) sometimes it hurts a bit (when it protrudes a little), sometimes its excruciating (when it protrudes alot ), and sometimes it doesn't hurt at all (when its under the muscle). when its under the muscle, i can't feel it with my fingers. soooo...do u have a hernia? most likely not, but go doctor to make sure pls.. cuz if u do have a hernia, they very rarely get better on their own...they only get worse over time until u need surgery to keep it under control. ive been dealing with mine for about 5-6 years now, and i really should get it taken care of, just haven't got around to it. le sigh. good luck ❤️

google "waistband clip"... i've only seen lics of it used in front or the side, but i dont see why u couldn't affix them to the back (or at least side-back). full disclosure, i've never tried them myslef, but i did contemplate buying them during weight loss phase, just never got around to it. (im 6+ years out now and my weight loss days are long behind me)

ah, me too! my regrowth came back with a curl to it. but i LOVE it, it makes my hair look thicker than it really is. i'm 6+ years out now, so my whole head is now wavy (instead of just the top). hang in there, and just wait it out...you may love it just as much as i do.

i wouldn't worry too much about a 3 lb gain over 10 days, especially if you haven't drastically changed your eating habits and/or activity level. maybe if those 3 lbs are still there a month from now, you can do some re-evaluating, but until then, TRY not to stress (yeah, i know easier said....) case in point: 3 nights ago, i weighed myself and i was up 5.2 lbs. now i don't usually weigh at night, and i hadn't pooped in a few days, AND i JUST had dinner, AND i had a super extra-salty vodka caesar. then yesterday morning, i was a little over 1lb less than my "normal"...(i pooped! lol, and it was morning, my usual weigh in time). i didn't eat less nor more, i didn't exercise less nor more either. long story short, our weight will fluctuate (sometimes by alot) day to day. what matters is your average weight over time (and not over 10 days, but over months) good luck! you are doing great ❤️

i'm one of those that had a 3-fer. I had breast lift, arm lift and tummy tuck all in one knock out. i too tried to decide if i should space them out. since my surgeon said he could do them all under 6 hours (his max under time), he left it up to me. i initially decided just to do just the arms and boobs but then at the very last second decided to add the tummy tuck as well. i'm glad i did cuz my recovery was a bee-yatch...though all of my own doing...but i digress...and i'm glad i don't have to go through that again. in all, am super pleased with his work. my arm are nice and slim (i live in sleeveless shirts), my boobs are like teenager boobs (i can go bra-less no prob), and my stomach is (almost as) flat a board (i have 20 year olds in my yoga class who compliment on my abs on a regular basis...btw im 52). if you have the means and the desire to get plastics, go for it. its a total game changer. the hardest part is the recovery, but if you take it slow and do as your doc says, you'll be up and at em (and looking hawt) in no time. good luck! ❤️

something to note that i discovered many women (and men) don't realize is cup size is not static across band sizes (sorry if you do know, i just got the feeling that this wasn't clear in the thread above...) anyway... the amount of "boob volume" that can be stuffed into a 36C is actually LESS than the amount you can stuff into a 34C. along the same lines, that same 36C boob is larger in VOLUME than a boob in a 38C. sooooo... 3 women with bra sizes 34D, 36C, and 38B actually all have the same size boob (if they are wearing a properly fitting bra of course), however their TORSO sizes are different. with that said, 1) @ShoppGirl its reallllllllllly hard (impossible?) to tell what size you will be in the future. on top of that, it's equally (more?) difficult to determine if you will stay that way. 2) i do understand that you have a decision to make (under time crunches and duress, omg) but like everything else on here, its reallllllllyy hard to compare yourself and your outcomes to others cuz, well, you know... but since you asked, here are my deets: btw, 28D is like a unicorn to find in a retail store...i just get the sister size of 30C (which isn't that easy to find either, but at least better than trying to find 28D!) i didn't keep meticulous records of my changing bra size during active weight loss, so i can't say how quickly i changed bra sizes. i dont think i even bought a new bra during weight loss phase, just kept wearing ill fitting ones or none at all, ha. not sure i was any help here, but it there is anything to take away from this data of my sample of ONE, is that if you shrink proportionately as you lose weight, you will stay the same bra size (remember 28D has same boob volume as 30C, just smaller torso, which has nothing to do with implant size)...now, will you shrink proportionately? who even knows. 3) lastly, in my insignificant opinion (i mean i am just a stranger on the internet), if it were me, i would opt to err on the side of smaller vs bigger. i can always wear a padded bra if i wanna go bigger afterwards, but not much i can do to make a set too-big boobies smaller. good luck! ❤️

something to note that i discovered many women (and men) don't realize is cup size is not static across band sizes (sorry if you do know, i just got the feeling that this wasn't clear in the thread above...) anyway... the amount of "boob volume" that can be stuffed into a 36C is actually LESS than the amount you can stuff into a 34C. along the same lines, that same 36C boob is larger in VOLUME than a boob in a 38C. sooooo... 3 women with bra sizes 34D, 36C, and 38B actually all have the same size boob (if they are wearing a properly fitting bra of course), however their TORSO sizes are different. with that said, 1) @ShoppGirl its reallllllllllly hard (impossible?) to tell what size you will be in the future. on top of that, it's equally (more?) difficult to determine if you will stay that way. 2) i do understand that you have a decision to make (under time crunches and duress, omg) but like everything else on here, its reallllllllyy hard to compare yourself and your outcomes to others cuz, well, you know... but since you asked, here are my deets: btw, 28D is like a unicorn to find in a retail store...i just get the sister size of 30C (which isn't that easy to find either, but at least better than trying to find 28D!) i didn't keep meticulous records of my changing bra size during active weight loss, so i can't say how quickly i changed bra sizes. i dont think i even bought a new bra during weight loss phase, just kept wearing ill fitting ones or none at all, ha. not sure i was any help here, but it there is anything to take away from this data of my sample of ONE, is that if you shrink proportionately as you lose weight, you will stay the same bra size (remember 28D has same boob volume as 30C, just smaller torso, which has nothing to do with implant size)...now, will you shrink proportionately? who even knows. 3) lastly, in my insignificant opinion (i mean i am just a stranger on the internet), if it were me, i would opt to err on the side of smaller vs bigger. i can always wear a padded bra if i wanna go bigger afterwards, but not much i can do to make a set too-big boobies smaller. good luck! ❤️

neither am i...like SM, i won't get into it here, there is alot of info out in the google-verse that you can read about and come to your own conclusions. HOWEVER, if you reaalllllly want to add more weight/intensity to your work outs, a weighted vest may be less damaging as the weight is more evenly distributed over your body. my SIL goes rucking regularly (basically hiking with a weighted vest or backpack on) and she LOVES it. says she gets a good workout in plus swears it's fixing her posture.

omg, how did i miss reading that you have the same body part injured as me???!!?!? now i'm scared i'm eventually going to tear mine!!! yikes. arggggggg.....

sooo...let me be a cautionary tale for you. after my plastics i was so itching to go back to running that i did just that, at about 2-3 weeks post (i was told to wait 4-6 weeks). and wouldn't you know, i busted open my stitches in 4 different places. doc told me to wait another 4-6 weeks. and what did i do? i went running again, 2-3 weeks before i was supposed to. and yep, busted them open AGAIN,..only 2 places this time, but still. so because of my stupidity, i extended my recovery time by a good extra 3 months, and probably made those areas that re-opened more scar-ish looking had i not been so eager to move. but i get it, i was so upset about not being able to move like i wanted to, i would seriously ugly cry some days. though this may have been because of the hormones or recovery or the pain or the fact it was winter and dark, lol...in any case i was miserable for what seemed like a really long time. sooooo...take it easy, try not to worry about not being perfect in the exercise or food department (cuz i mean, you aren't 100% right now, how can you expect to give 100% ??) but yea, easier said than done. i know. p.s. full disclosure: i am currently nursing a double "proximal hamstring tendiopathy" a.k.a. yoga butt...been suffering from it for like 2-3 months now. physio told me to rest it, meaning stop doing forward folds and splits...but i mean basically EVERYTHING in yoga involves some variation of a forward fold or split! needless to say, i have not stopped and am totally in pain. AND i have a shoulder injury from falling on it a month ago and have not been resting that either. so yeah, if you don't want to end up like a sack of injury like me, do as i say, not as i do! ha! (i made a new years resolution to cut down on exercise this year, but as we can see, it is not going well. le sigh,) good luck! ❤️

it will really be up to you to find what you and enjoy doing...best to try different things and see what sticks. start slow and small! i started off with just walking....i then tried a gazillion other activities/exercises/classes and went through phases of interest. i'm 6+ years out now and the ones that stuck were: pilates, hot yoga, running/hiking, rock climbing, dance, and the occasional swim. as an aside, weight lifting and other gym-type machines are the bane of my existence. i never enjoyed it, and still don't. i went through a couple of years forcing myself to do it, but eventually stopped, because, well, i hate it, lol. but yeah, as mentioned above, find something you actually like, because you will be more likely to keep doing it. good luck! ❤️

what the??? what sorcery is this??? i'm 6+ years out, and i still can't eat and drink at same time, unless, of course, i WANT to feel super-overly-full and want to barf.......

omg same. in the immediate years after WLS i would always wear snugger fitting clothes because i felt they "highlighted" my skinniness more. these days (and basically the past 3 or so years), outside of my workout gear and the odd fancy-night-out, i wear way more relaxed-fit clothing. its just waaaaay more comfy, lol. as cher horowitz would say: I know it sounds mental, but sometimes I have more fun vegging out than when I go partying. Maybe because my party clothes are so binding. 😂😂

as everyone has alluded to above, the number on the scale is often not very indicative of your overall progress. i had a goal weight and goal BMI number. turns out neither were where i wanted nor ended being at. its weird because a certain weight number looks totally different on me at different times. at one point in my life 115 looked "fat" on me. 5 years ago it looked malnourished. then 3 years ago it looked awesome. these days (i'm 6+ years out), i go by how my clothes fit me (i.e, body measurements). so long as my clothes still hang well on me, i'm all good! when they start getting looser or tighter, then i'll make efforts to correct. so i guess i'm saying if your clothes start hanging looser on you, that is a better sign of your weight loss vs. the number on the scale. good luck! 😍

both i guess. good cuz my inner fat person is glad that i gave myself a bigger skinny buffer from my happy weight; bad because i didn't do it on purpose and i am actually not entirely happy with how it looks on me (sort of), plus my clothes are effing too big on me and i REFUSE to buy new clothes, because i KNOW i will regain the weight eventually. or hope. (background: i got braces on my teeth back in september, and i discovered that i HATE the feeling of food stuck in my braces, so i have to brush and waterpik my teeth EVERY SINGLE TIME i eat something solid....then i discovered i HATE having to clean my teeth like a gazillion times a day, so i just don't eat. yeah, i know, not the greatest reasoning, but there you go. as a result, i lost like 10 lbs (which is actually alot since i was already 115lbs)....but, since i started adding a morning protein shake and eating higher calorie foods when i DO eat, i seem to have stopped/slowed down the weight loss...so we'll see...) sooo maybe if anyone wants to try, getting braces may be a good weight loss tool for you too. lololololzzzzz.

i skipped puree cuz it grossed me out. i barfed a little in my mouth when i saw the beef i pureed for my first foray into that stage. in the end, i just extended my full fluids diet an extra week then went straight to soft foods afterwards. though others have had great success an joy in this stage, so it cant be all bad?

hugs love and good thoughts sent your way....❤️

my go-to fave was ISOPURE dutch chocolate flavour (its the least sweet of the *many* brands i tried). low carb, not too sweet, not powder-y feeling. blended it up with 2 tsp decaf instant coffee crystals, 1.5 cups water, 1 cup ice and 2 tsp benefibre (for regular pooping lol). had 2-3 of these the early post wls months, then 1 a day in the later months until about 7 months post. recently went back to drinking 1 a day to deal with some unintended weight loss. ISOPURE also has a flavourless zero-carb version that used for cooking...not for drinking though cuz it really isn't that flavourless, ha.

honestly, you really just have to white-knuckle it if you are looking to adopt a low-carb diet long term. it takes about 3-4 days, but if you can get through it, it's soooooooooo much easier going forward. the cravings are no longer as intense and its easier to stick to low-carb. keep in mind though, that if you indulge at any point in time you will likely have to go through another 3-4 days to tame the beast again....which is why as soon as you pass the "no-carb-craving-point" for YOU, then its in your best interest to stay there (i.e, don't eat have high-carb meals, like ever....especially if you have a self-proclaimed addiction to them). with that said, it takes ALOT of dedication and self control to make it a lifestyle. so really, its not that sustainable for the majority of the human race. i myself was only able to keep it up for about 2-ish years, and i gave up after i had a piece of Mr.'s homemade bread, lol. good luck! ❤️

Drink less alcohol (i drink too much, and it really is getting out of hand) Do less exercise (i exercise too much and my body is starting to object...feel like i am hurting in some body part or other like 24/7 these days). Buy less clothes. Eat more often. Read more books. Floss my teeth regularly. Do what i say i'm going to do.

same here. doc gave me a prescription for oxy, but i didn't even fill it. pain was tolerable...mostly annoying. i slept alot. (i was a one night hospital stayer...arrived at hospital at 8am, surgery at 10am, was out the door 11am the next morning) now...recovery from plastic surgery was another story though...yikes. i filled AND went through every last tablet....but i digress.