Sheribear68

Hey I’m sooooooo glad to read that you didn’t have a structure. Lol, it was nice to see Marine post. One of the biggest reasons I decided for sleeve vs bypass was that I didn’t think I’d be able to handle dumping. You guys that have survived that are rock stars. Seriously.

Okay so I’m going to have to try those next. I’ve had my eye on those

More amazing progress! Lol, y’all make me want to post a current pic, but I’m grubby from Pilates and yard work and refuse to put on nicer clothes or put on makeup. I started losing again this week.... 2.2 pounds since 8 days ago so fingers crossed I’m back on a downward trend. Yesterday morning I was at 183.8. We’ve got a family vacation trip planned to New Orleans in 3 weeks and I desperately want to weigh in the 170’s by then. I’ve got 19 days

Omg those legs!!! Anna you’re doing GREAT. Hehe.... I don’t even want to do the math on how much lipo would cost me just so I could have legs like yours. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 And guys...... by all means keep the pics coming. This isn’t bragging, this is us SHARING our victories. I love seeing all of the great progress our February group is making. Just think.... in a few short weeks we will all be sophomores!

Awesome job! Lol, isn’t it great not to have to hide from someone taking a picture of us? Now I really wish I had better “before” pics, but ever time I saw myself in a photo, I would cry and then delete it.

Never been to Iceland so I can’t wait to hear how awesome it is. Today I have back-to-back classes again and I can’t wait to see how my body responds. Other than that, it’s my day off and I’ve spent most of the morning doing CE and getting recertified on all of my CPR and blood borne pathogen training that has to be done every year n

Please be carful though. This time of year with heat indexes >100 degrees could still be dangerous to us even if we don’t “feel” the heat

It’s funny because in our own heads we are still “us”, but to the outside world (that doesn’t live in a bariatric bubble) we are now so different physically that we’re hard to recognize. I don’t know.... I’ve had a few patients that have had this surgery and even though they’ve gone through transformative changes, I still recognized them. it seriously makes me wonder how many people saw “the real me” vs a body type.

Thanks so much for the encouragement guys! I have my goal set for a range of between 145-155 and I’m still 30 pounds over the max. The last 2 months have really been struggle months, but I honestly do worry that maybe I set my goal numbers too low. At this point, I need to remind myself to take the one day at a time approach and make sure I’m doing my program daily and don’t beat myself up too badly if I wander off trail from time to time. So according to your math Fluffy, I was carrying around 110 pounds EBW and therefore can hope to lose up to 90 pounds at the max. That will put me right at the upper range of my goal window, but that doesn’t mean I’m doomed to stay there. I can still work hard and (eventually) go to more intense IF once that time comes. I’ve read you guys posting about this and realize this is a special tool that really shouldn’t be used until the timing is right, but I’m going to continue to stay on my modified version for now because the routine is soothing and so far I feel great physically. Well.... okay, I’m 50 years old and have been MO for the last 22 years, so feeling “great” is up for debate, but it’s all relative. 🤣🤣

Yes to all of this! Honestly I like taking my bariatric vitamins. I use chewables for the multi, the calcium, the iron, and the probiotic. I space them throughout the day after meals as my “dessert” for afterwards. Not only do they satisfy my need for something a bit sweeter, but I feel good knowing I’m giving my body things that it needs to stay as healthy as possible. FYI, the chocolate bariatric advantage iron chews are quite tasty with a glass of milk and I do this combo a lot as a post-dinner treat.

So today our upstairs a/c unit finally went kaput. Unfortunately our bedroom is upstairs and right now ( it’s past midnight here) the temp up there is hovering at 85 degrees. Right now me and hubs are in the downstairs guest bedroom (thankfully I finished that project back in April) but I swear I think I could’ve toughed it sleeping there. Hubs, OTOH, would’ve been a sweaty mess. Anyway, that made me think about this thread. Thankfully we’re getting a replacement unit tomorrow so we should be able to sleep in our own bed.

Oh man,I’m sorry that class got cancelled! Tonite I did my TRX class and it was exhilarating to do something totally new for the first time. Lol, my triceps are going to be singing out loud to me tomorrow am! I already feel as if I have jello arms. 🤣🤣

Oh I have a funny story to tell: My daughter and I both work for the same retailer at different stores. I’m a pharmacist, she’s a pharmacy technician. Since pharmacy is such a small world, all of us know each other/talk daily on the phone/keep up on social media. Also our jobs are 100% standing on feet. Last week my daughter severely sprained her ankle and is in a walking boot and I brought up a bar stool from home so she can sit part of the time and be able to return to work. Anyway, it’s the first time since about a week after surgery that I saw the pharmacist that works at her store and he didn’t recognize me! Now granted, I was on my way to Pilates and had on yoga clothes, no make-up, and my hair in a ponytail, but he literally looked me directly in the face and said, “hello ma’am, how can I help you.” This is someone I’ve known for 7 years and who knows my voice instantly on the phone. The moment I laughed and held up the bar stool I could see recognition dawning on his face and the reaction was priceless! It was genuine shock and he confessed the next day on the phone that it was the sound of my voice/laughter (not even me holding the bar stool clued him in) as to who I even was. So...... even though I feel as if I’m having a rough time lately with success on the scale, this was a great ego boost!

Ooh yes! Nothing like a good mani/pedi or a rejuvenating facial to make you feel better. Besides, it’s more fun to do those things now with a slimmer more confident you

Thanks for sharing this! Yes, those numbers seem low, but I’m okay with that. I feel as if I’ve really slowed down at 60 pounds lost at 4.months, but I’m about where I should be at the 6 month mark. I started at 246 pounds on sleeve day

Okay so this last week has been frustrating, but I’m working my way through it. Honestly I get so frustrated at my self-perceived lack of progress, but then I see some struggles that some of you guys are going through and I realize that I’m lucky that I’m not battling constant nausea or other problem. This week I decided to focus on higher protein, higher water intake and trying my best to tell myself that the positive actions I take today don’t necessarily show up on the scale tomorrow. They might take 1-2 weeks to show. Weighed myself again this morning and the pound I gained over the weekend is now down by 0.6, so I’m “only” up 0.4 pounds from Saturday. *sigh*. Each day I’m vowing to do the best I can in this program and allow that I can’t always control how my body responds. At the end of the day all I can really control are the behaviors and my response to what my body decides to do. This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon

Thanks for the update and I hope they find answers for you soon and get you back to feeling better.

Lol, as a healthcare professional who deals with the public full-time and must maintain a “professional” wardrobe, it’s a bit harsh on the pocketbook, but thankfully my consignment store is able to help me as much as they can. I’ve already had to sell back clothing that I purchased 2 months ago. Honestly I’ve considered a rent the runway kind of program, but I need more than a few outfits mailed to me and I’m spending that same amount of money rotating through sizes at the consignment. Next month *fingers crossed* I’ll be ready to move down one more size and start looking into selling back all of my summer stuff and start collecting fall wear. The advantage to me doing this is that since I bought the clothes from the store in the first place, I know it’s stuff they’re going to take back and give me store credit on.

Thanks! Yesterday I got in over 75 gm protein, and I’ve started tweaking my foods to sneak in a bit more. For example, this recipe will never make the food network, but I gave myself a 30gm lunch that was under 250 calories by using a packet of bariatric protein cream of chicken Soup, with a scoop of beef bone Protein Powder, then 1 ounce shredded rotisserie chicken. Put in a smidge of grated cheddar and it was a very high protein nutrition bomb. In fact, this filled me up so much (I ate it at noon) that I had zero desire for a snack and had dinner of 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 ounce diced ham cubes, and a pack of tuna to round out the days nutrition. I was also happy because I FINALLY got in 96 ounces of Water. Honestly very soon I need to sit down, do some math, and figure out what my goal weight needs to be. I was sleeved so I know that I’m “supposed” to lose about 60-80% of my excess fat, but it’s the estimation of my “excess” that I’m having trouble with. I figure I was about 100 pounds overweight the day I went in for surgery at 5’7” and 246 pounds, but who can tell me how much of that is excess fat? Since my current weight is 185, I’ve lost 60, which is assuming that if all of the 100 pounds extra was “extra” fat, then I’m already at one edge of what I’m expected to have lost. I’m starting to wonder if my goal of losing all extra 100 pounds is realistic. Lordy I hate it when the self-doubt starts creeping in and I’m questioning my numbers!

Thanks so much. I know deep down that all will work out, but I’m such a Type A control freak and I’m one of those people that absolutely MUST have structure or else I start to really stress out. That’s something about myself that I focus on working on, but there are many times where it’s a constant struggle. Oh, to be one of the carefree people in life who can compartmentalize and not allow their struggles to eat away at them.... I 💕💕💕 what you’re doing for the town. Also, I think that for me (love wine and that’s been one of the toughest things for me to mostly give up) that yoga class would be quite dangerous, although boy oh boy does it ever sound like fun! Tonite I’m trying out a whole new class in Pilates. It’s going to be class on the TRX. Not gonna lie... I’m a bit nervous about doing something kinda far from my comfort zone (that whole type A “need to be able to master something before I try it” aspect kicks in), but I’m going to go for it anyway even if it’s ugly. 🤣🤣

Okay so the stress monster firmly has me in its grips. June has been a really horrible month so far as far as stressors go and I found out yesterday that my company paid insurance got termed (my entire family is on it) because of a paperwork snafu from when I was on disability in February for my surgery. Oh I’m sure it will all be fixed in a few days but now I just can’t stop the blind panic I’m in! Lol, my case has been “escalated” to highest priority which will be 3-5 business days to “look into” My daughter horribly twisted her ankle 10 days ago and we were waiting for an approval for an MRI (which won’t happen now) Omg, I’m trying my best to control this horrid stress!

Same same. I live in OKC and finally we had some hot weather. This weekend I was out gardening with hubs and it was in the high 90’s. He was sweating bullets and one time as he was wiping his brow it struck me that I wasn’t a sweaty mess. In fact, I was wearing shorts and a tank top and was actually considering going back into the house and grabbing a heavier t-shirt. Then I started wondering how “safe” it was for me to stand outside in what truly was hideous heat and humidity (the heat index was 108 that day!) and not feel overheated. I mean, I’m guessing we’re just as susceptible to heat stroke as anyone else and I’m going to have to pay close attention to what my weather app tells me and not trust how my body perceives the heat.

Lol! Yes, it’s much more satisfying to grab something in a size you’ve not been able to wear for years and it actually fits. As someone is is only a bit past halfway to goal, it’s a great feeling and I can’t wait to actually wear non-plus sizes soon. Right now I’m wearing 14s comfortably and even found a pair of shorts in a size large last week. I will warn you though... one of the ladies in my support group had her surgery almost a year and a half ago and lost over 120 pounds and had stayed the same size for a few months and thought she had stayed stable long enough to shop a new wardrobe. Right after she did that she dropped yet another size in clothes! I mean, I guess it’s not the worst problem in the world to have, but would be incredibly frustrating at the Same time

Oh I LOVE this thought. From now on, I’m going to imagine my surgeon sitting right across the table from me watching and judging what I would eat. Brilliant! Also, my biggest food tigger is Mexican food. I’ve been in a few restaurants, but no Mexican ones and my ex-fave is literally in the same strip mall as my Pilates studio. Mexican food is my kryptonite. As goooooood as the smells are coming out of that place, I always feel so empowered because I’m going there to that building to work out now instead of eat Mexican food. Another trigger of mine is alcohol. Hubs and I used to glory in selecting the perfect bottle of vino to complement whatever meals we were making. Our first 3 anniversaries we got hooked on wine country in Napa and I desperately miss the whole experience. Maybe some day I can go back to experimenting with the perfect wine pairing for my meals, but at this point in time I just don’t feel able to handle it. About 2.5 months post-surgery, I “allowed” myself a half glass of saki with my sashimi we were having out and I was battling carb/bad food cravings for the next 24 hours. It was awful and it scared me

Okay, so this is a healthy attitude. I promise that after surgery, you’re going to have those same type of incidents. None of us— no matter how dedicated we are and how much willpower we think we have— is immune to occasional slips. The important thing is to recognize what our triggers are and avoid those situations as much as possible. Getting right back up on your feet after a “mess up” is critical and sounds like you’ve done just that. You’ve got this!!!!