Recidivist

I reached 150 this morning, which was my original goal weight. Before surgery I thought 150 was unrealistic and that I would be satisfied with 170. Now I've adjusted my goal weight down to 140 and am quite confident of reaching it. (I weighted 127 when I went into the Army!) In reference to the body dysmorphia comment, I still think of myself as fat, and I'm shocked every time I see myself in a mirror or a shop window. I wonder whether that ever goes away.

I take them as well and it hasn't been an issue. If anything, things have been better since my surgery. However, my doctor did change my pills to immediate release from extended release.

I love the tropical fruit popsicles and find them very refreshing as a snack in the evening. On the other hand, I can't eat the sugar-free fudgesicles--they make me nauseous for some reason.

So, after posting the above message yesterday, I decided to have a modest amount of sashimi today as a treat. Now I am horribly nauseous. I can't even think of eating for the rest of the day.

I find that I am also able to eat more now, and I haven't experienced any discomfort from eating in several weeks. It's nice to feel "normal" again, but I do wonder whether this mans the honeymoon phase is ending. I am still sticking to the diet, but eating a bit more of everything. I've discovered packages of "protein bites" in cheddar cheese, pizza and cookies and cream flavors. Each pack contains 90 calories and 13 g of protein. Those have become my snacks.

I recently noticed something. I commute to work on the Washington, DC Metro. When I was big, people generally wouldn't sit next to me unless there were not other options (kind of like being picked last in gym class). Now I'm one of the first to have someone join me. That's progress, although I always enjoyed having the seat to myself.

No regrets here either--and was having some major buyer's remorse in the first month, as you may remember. I'm starting to feel quite comfortable with what I can eat, and I'm branching out a bit so it doesn't seem so boring. I've recently added fruit--mostly berries--which has helped a lot! We moved out of our house a week ago in preparation for our move to Australia, which means I haven't weighed myself in a week--and that might be a good thing. I could of course find a scale somewhere, but it would likely not be calibrated the same as the scale at home and might not give an accurate result. So I'll wait! And nobody has told us yet what an NSV is!

You look fantastic, Sheribear! (And thinner than hubby--when was the last time you could say that?) It looks like you have very little left to lose, but I believe you when you say you do. We all know our own bodies better than anyone else.

I want to urge everyone not to compare your progress and weight loss to others on the forum. Some of us started at a lower weight and had less to lose, so we are of course closer to our goal in a relatively short time. Also, everybody's body reacts differently to this process, and some will take longer to settle in. Don't forget that we will be in our "honeymoon period" for another six to eight months, so we all have plenty of time to get near our goal weights. As long as you are making steady progress, even with some stalls or small weight gains, you are succeeding! And if you get off track, please reach out to the rest of us for the guidance and support you need--that's what this community is for. You are not in this alone!

I have just two words for that photo: Hubba-hubba! 🙂

Congratulations, Marine! You are making terrific progress. And it's good to see you back again!

Once I discovered chewables, I starting enjoying the vitamins as well. I completely agree that they feel a bit like dessert after eating, so I space them out the way you do. I'm particularly fond of the Bariatric Advantage caramel chewy bites.

I originally took two weeks off. I went in to work on the following Monday and felt weak and exhausted. My boss actually looked at me and told me to take another week off, because I was apparently quite pale. I gladly took the third week off and it made all the difference.

I had the exact same pains your are describing at around the same time after surgery, when I was transitioning to "normal" food. I attributed it to adjusting to the new normal and trying to eat too much. I'm now at 4 months and haven't had those pains for a long time. It gets better!

Okay, I found a "before" photo when I was singing in a local choir. It's not my fattest, but it gives you an idea. I want to note that I was wearing sort of a man's girdle, which is why things look rather flat beneath my stomach. (I can't believe I'm admitting this.) And yes, it was very uncomfortable.

So, I'm finally ready to post a recent photo--actually taken just a few minutes ago. Here I am after losing 90 pounds from my pre-surgery weight and 76 pounds since surgery. Most people say I should stop, but I want to lose another 10-20 pounds. (I'll know when I'm at the right weight.) I have been looking for a "fat" photo to show the difference, but I can't find one. I almost never allowed myself be photographed at my highest weight. Trust me, I look really different now!

Hey, Marine--we haven't heard from you in a while! I was thinking of writing so see how you are doing. As for dumping--I've had four or five incidents, the most recent earlier this week. In one case I know what the culprit was (a refreshing low-sugar frozen yogurt), but otherwise I have no idea what caused them. And yes, the do indeed suck.

That's wonderful news, EmzBee. Thanks for updating us!

I have a similar story. Last week I went to the concert of a choir I had sung with last year (including their Christmas show in 2018, not too long before surgery. I went up to a number of them afterwords, shook their hands, and told them what a nice job they had done. About 80% of them gave me a blank look, and I said, "You don't know who I am, do you?" They admitted they did not. When I told them, they were quite shocked by the transformation. I was frankly shocked that people couldn't recognize me, because I think I still look like me--just an upgraded version.

EmzBee, you've been doing so well in your weight loss, but apparently at a huge cost to your overall well-being. We are all hoping that they are able to resolve this so you can start to feel better. By the way, I had a barium swallow when the were diagnosing my leak way back when, and it wasn't bad all--actually tasteless. As for the celebration, I vote for pampering yourself with a day at a spa.

So sorry to hear that, EmzBee. We will be thinking of you, and please let us know how things go.

I'm sorry, Sheribear--I hope it didn't sound like I was bragging. I'm just sharing my journey with everyone. I just returned from a 3-day weekend with friends at a resort, which is always challenging. Breakfast every day was three pieces of bacon, and dinners were a protein-rich appetizer (including a delicious lamb dish on the last day). I weighed myself upon return home and found that I'm down three more pounds to 162, just 12 pounds from my goal weight. (Sorry again, Sherribear.) I've decided to revise my goal weight down to 140. I think I still have a paunch, and I'm wearing 34 pants. (At one point in my adult life I wore a 30.) Also, I weighed 127 when I entered the Army at age 22 (38 years ago). I will admit I was a little scrawny, but I think that means 140 is probably realistic at this point.

I'm getting the exact same thing. People are actually telling me I'm too skinny and that I should try to gain a bit, but I know that I should lose 15 more pounds. That would be my goal weight of 150, and I know exactly what that looks and feels like because that's what I weighed from about age 20 to age 32. (Age 32 is when all hell broke loose.) I have been told that it's not uncommon to "rebound" a bit when you reach your goal weight and stop losing--meaning that you can gain 10-15 pounds before you body stabilizes at the new weight. For that reason, I'm actually okay if I get 10 pounds or so below my goal. I'm sure that I could gain 10 pounds without a problem if necessary!

I also have a 32-oz Nalgene that I really like. Two of those per day is my minimum water intake, so it's easy to keep track. I actually have two--one at the office and one at home.

I was a moderate drinker before surgery (wine at home on the weekends and occasional happy hours or dinners out during the week). My surgeon said no alcohol for a year, and ideally never. I'm now almost four months out and have not had a drink yet--and I'm hoping to give up drinking permanently. I'm not judging anyone for their choices, but I don't think my life will be less fulfilling without drinking. For me, it was more of a social thing than actually loving wine.