EmzBee

Sorry to hear about the stomach problems Gaby! That sounds nasty [emoji22] When I went in to hosp. for my tummy issues I was in a room with a lady who had some ulceration around her lower join. She was about 5yrs or so post op, I think. Hopefully your tummy issues are something they can solve quickly and easily [emoji4] Anyone else fairly dependent on laxitives to keep things moving? I'm taking a laxitive sugar syrup most days now. I was having some... issues. Like, everything was 'saving up' and when I did go I'd get such intense stomach cramping I had to have a bucket by the loo to dry retch into and it'd take me several hours to feel okay again. Can't believe I put up with that cycle for as long as I did... urgh. Anyway! I made it to the 160s, woo! I think I need to up my protein. Stuck to shakes for a couple days and the weight fell off me... likely I'm just not getting enough protein in from food alone. Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Amazing! Go you!! I seriously believe that killing the pre-op diet is key. Lose the 'easy' weight pre-surgery, so that you have the 'tool' of surgery to lose that more stubborn weight that's been hanging around for longer I've just turned 30, and I'm smaller than I was when I was 17. It's amazing to go out in public and not have to worry about if they'll have chairs that will support my weight or if I'll feel comfortable at a table. I went back to my hometown a month or so ago and walked everywhere. The city felt so much smaller than I remembered, because I could travel everywhere by foot! Keep us updated with how you go, Mikey! And stay away from those TimTams 😂😂😂

I went hard on the Optifast and lost 40 pounds pre-surgery. 3 months post-surgery I was down 85 pounds 6 months post-surgery I was down 121 pounds. I've gone from a BMI of over 50 to around 28. Best of luck! You've got this! 🙂

Hey@november11, wow! You're surgery date is going to come up so quick! All the best! [emoji4] If you have a question for Sheri directly, I'd suggest you reach out to her via direct message. I'm really proud of the community us February peeps created here together and it's important that it remains a community (rather than a hierarchy) so everyone continues to feel that their personal journeys are valued and important. We all have setbacks and we all have successes -- no one journey is more valuable than support and friendship we've built together over many, many months of sharing our journeys, and I'd hate to see any one of our February members start to feel excluded. Obviously we all know this is a public forum, but we do put some fairly sensitive information (and pictures!) out there for all to see. It can be confronting when someone else comes in and we realize those intimacies we've shared have traveled further than we expected. Perhaps there is a Novemeber group you could join, or better yet, start one! With your enthusiasm I'm sure you'll develop a thriving November community! Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Great to hear how everyone's going! Even although I haven't been posting much lately, it's been good having a big ole catch-up... I got really behind on our wee thread. How are our other infrequent February posters? You all still out there? September was a slow loss month for me, but I finally today lost a total of 60kgs! Only 9kgs (19 pounds) to go and I will have lost HALF my body weight. How crazy is that?! Also, I turn 30 next week. If you'd told me I'd be seeing my 30th in 60kgs lighter this time last year I wouldn't have believed it. Heck, if you'd said I'd be 20kgs lighter I would have been stoked! So crazy just how much life can change in a few short months. Hubster and I are thinking of climbing Rangitoto here in Auckland for my birthday. That, and going to see the Joker movie (mainly because I know my husband is desperate to see it. Lol.) Hoping I can lose my 19 pounds by my 9-month check-in in November... probably a bit of a tall ask, but hey, I'm always up for a challenge 🙂 Sending you all positive thoughts! ❤️

Thought I'd upload a shot if me wearing that dress. Same one I wore onstage in my band all those years ago [emoji4] Went to a conference and wore it at a cocktail party. Lots of people there didn't even recognize me! I've finally transitioned from 'obese' to 'overweight', by BMI standards, anyway! I'm still losing significant weight atm (I think over 10 pounds last month) but I'm expecting a stall soon. My stalls are getting longer and longer... it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if I lost nothing this month at all. Hope everyone's doing well and keeping positive! Where's Recidivist at? Have you moved to winterless Australia yet, my friend?? Can't wait to hear about your move! Stay away from the TimTams. Hehe! [emoji23] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

I met up with a friend yesterday. She's seen pics of skinny me and saw me three months or so ago... and I was standing right in front of her and she still didn't see me! I could see her scanning around looking for me and I'm like 'umm, hi? I'm right here!' [emoji23] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Physical eating problems are fine! I just don't eat tough stuff. Corned beef/silverside slow cooked, not steak or lamb. I go through phases of eating a lot of a particular protein. For a while there I did really well with chicken, now not so much. Had the wost dumping syndrome ever after eating four teaspoons of an ice cream I'd been able to stomach a full serve of about three months after surgery... seems I'm super-sensitive to sugar! Where I'm still struggling is mentally. I struggle to celebrate how far I've come. I struggle with significantly lower lows for no particular reason. I tried a non-ssri and it completely wiped me out, so I'm back to trying to manage on my own. Overall I'm good, but I never know when the next bad day is going to come and derail the progress I've made and send me flying two steps back. *But* I'm still happy I did this and I'm here! [emoji4] Hope you're excited about Australia, Recidivist! Sorry to hear about your friend... I'm sure her actions have more to do with her than you. In saying that, some cultures are different. Hubs and I are going to Christchurch soon and I'm totally expecting our close Korean friend to try to feed me up and tell me I'm too skinny. *sigh* Guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it! [emoji4] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

I rarely work out my arms and I have quite a lot of loose skin. You can tell from this side photo that my arms look massive -- lots of this is loose skin. Plus a tummy sjot to show what I'm carrying underneath! *sigh* Maybe one day I'll be able to afford a tummy tuck! Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

This is me the day after surgery, as a comparison... Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

It's my surgiversary tomorrow and I've lost 75% of my excess weight! Setting a new goal of 69kgs, which would mark losing HALF of my bodyweight. Wishing us all continuing happiness and success [emoji4] Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hope the GI goes well, froufrou! Sorry to hear about your problems 😞 Here's hoping they figure it out! After my tests I went back to soft foods and proteins mixed with gravy/moisture of some kind. I don't have as many problems with throwing up now. Though my husband bought some duck home the other day and it really did not sit well with me! Lesson learned!

Hey everyone! Interesting hearing the talk about ssris... I'm intolerant to ssris (I get some fairly extreme side effects, like sleeping 18-20 hrs a day. I attempted suicide while on an ssri -- thus why I'm so hesitant to muck around with any drugs) *but* I've had hit a couple of seriously rough patches lately and I'm in talks with a doctor about trialing medication. I think they're hesitant to put me on anything because ssris are, like 'the first line of defense' in NZ, and GPs usually won't prescribe anything else. That and my GP isn't comfortable prescribing anything because of the surgery. *shrugs* I guess until they figure it out I'll just have to cope with, like, not being able to function like a normal human. I had the same 5-month weight loss slow down/stall as many did, but in the past week I've lost 4 pounds! I really do think my body was still a-changin' even when the scale wasn't, but have to admit that it feels nice seeing the scale move a little

I wrote a Facebook post about exactly the same thing a few weeks ago! Can't be bothered retyping so here's a screenshot...

Yep! NSV = non-scale victory 🙂 Because sometimes it's more important to keep track of things that feel better than just a number on a scale! Especially when mental health things come in to play -- can't measure those improvements on a scale. Super important for me right now, because I once again haven't lost anything since 28 June which is, what? About a week and a half? I know from weight tracking in fitbit that I have little 'stalls' or slow downs like, around twice a month. This has been the longest, and I keep going up and down about 2-3 pounds. But I'm not too worried, because soon enough I'll probably lose again and I'll be like 'oh, fudgesticks! I don't wanna be just skin and bones!' Lol. This surgery totally stuffs with your brain, I swear. All the best for your upcoming move, Recidivist! I hope you have a pleasant, as-least-stressful-as-possible journey! 🙂