Everything

I do get what you’re saying though. Forcing myself to eat ice cream is completely illogical. I just felt terrible for a few days. No energy completely burned out. Felt like I needed something to get me rolling

Well I puked up my salad for lunch so the ice cream is all that sustaining me. And you’d probably be surprised how poorly I have eaten through this process. I gravitate toward healthier foods now but I never deny myself anything. I just don’t have that “I have to eat this... last meal on Earth” feeling like I used to. Which that’s really the best part. I literally used to think I had to eat like it was my last chance. Especially if I was traveling. I would think “I’m never going to get to eat this again. I must eat three of them!”. Thank God I don’t feel that way anymore.

All this talk of Ice cream made me hungry. Salad with thousand island for lunch and I’ll eat a little ice cream. This Halo says it has protein..? Has anyone tried the halo ice cream before? I’m a Texan so I’m a Bluebell girl but protein is protein!

I have started cooking again which my family is happy about I’m sure. They have more or less been fending for themselves since February... thinking I’ll make a meatloaf tonight. Protein, right?!

I am disproportionately skinny now. I guess I’m skinny-fat. S**t, it’s awesome that I’m “skinny” at all! I wish I could lose enough weight to get my waist thin but my legs... My legs were always the thinnest part of my body so it stands to reason that the same would apply now.... My husband thinks I’m crazy but I do want a tummy tuck to tighten the skin on my stomach. My butt is in pretty dismal shape too. It is saggy! I don’t have any money left for elective surgeries but I have been researching butt lifts. Going to try to start doing some resistance training to see if I can build the muscle up to fill in this saggy “butt bag” I’m caring around. Maybe in a couple of weeks I’ll make an appointment with a plastic surgeon and I will give you guys a report on what they say. I am very blessed not to have a lot of excess skin but I had a lot of volume loss in my stomach and rear end. It’s kind of sad because I was excited to lose weight to wear a swimsuit and I have now found a new insecurity. I’ll just rock a one piece until further notice. Clocked in at 106.4 this morning. I am not trying to lose weight but honestly I just kind of CRAVE healthier food now and getting in more calories has proven to be challenging. I suppose this is a good problem to have. Something I thought I would never be saying in my entire life! Here are a couple of pictures from this morning, Along with a picture of an apple pie I attempted to make on Sunday. I did not eat any of the pie by the way. So I do not have make up on so I am deliberately hiding my face in my selfies. And here are some turkeys that are eating bugs out of the grass behind my house. Throwing that in for entertainment purposes. Enjoy

This is what I don’t understand. Maybe my restriction is just still.... well, more restrictive than everyone else’s. I actually forced myself to eat a bowl of strawberry ice cream the other day because I was trying to get more fluid and calories in. (I never eat ice cream but I have to admit it was pretty good.). I’m definitely going to have to start tracking everything I eat. I think I could stand to lose another 5 pounds and then I’ll start getting uncomfortably skinny. Ironically I still have a good amount of weight around my waist. I am always wanted to have a nice trim waist. But if I lose anymore weight I will not have legs only bones.

I do not have a plan and I definitely need to go see my doctor. I have not been for one single follow up since my surgery. I spend so much time in doctors offices already it’s just difficult for me to go see them face-to-face as it is a six hour round-trip drive. But I definitely need a plan. My current plan of bacon and wine is not sustainable... So Sheri you knew that UTIs were something we had to look out for? Because I never knew that. I actually tested negative for it but I was having all the symptoms. No best thing I can figure out is that it was simply dehydration...

Hi November! Thank you for your kind words. I definitely would not say I am the queen around here in my mind that’s more like Sheri. She is very organized and disciplined and I am all over the place! But I do love coming on here and catching up with everybody. It has been wonderful to have a support network of people that understand what you are experiencing. Sounds like you are going in the right direction - doing lots of research and preparing yourself mentally! The first two weeks are a little tough but it gets easier. The long-term results are definitely worth it. Congratulations on taking control of your health and your life. There are great things to come! Oh, and please feel free to ask us anything! We are here to help!

Hi November! Welcome to the convo! Goody - Thanks for the advice. I should’ve checked this earlier to see if you responded because he got the braces this morning! But at least it’s done. We’ll just figure out the details as we go. They were only paying for $1500 of it anyway. He had to have some oral surgery in the hospital etc. etc. etc. so really in the long run $1500 isn’t the worst. Sheri you are looking lovely as always. My mom would have loved your shirt. She was a huge OU fan. My husband a huge Texas fan so that was always a fun conversation. My mom was from Okmulgee Oklahoma. Ever heard of it? Congrats Pattianne! 2B - you’ll have to define “bad days” for me. I still puke now and then and sometimes I even still spit out that last bite of food. I get a little ahead of myself rushing. OK last thing and this is super personal but has to do with weight loss surgery so I’m sharing. For the last four weeks I have been battling symptoms of a urinary tract infection. I have been on antibiotics and they have sent my samples to the lab twice. I get the new results later today. The last time I gave a sample they said I was extremely dehydrated. So I have been chugging water which seems to have really helped all the problems I was having. Just something to think about because we focus so much on food. I was literally only using the bathroom twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. So I am actively forcing fluids now. Hopefully that will resolve the issue once and for all... (Hope you enjoyed that bit of TMI!) My hair loss has finally stopped! It was weird it’s sort of just all fell out at once and then stopped immediately. So I got my hair highlighted and I feel pretty now. I have been trying to increase my calories and stop the weight loss. I gained a pound in the last couple of days and that’s exciting. Between the dehydration and the (almost) scary weight loss- it was a little concerning. I’m starting to feel better now though. Nice checking in on everyone! Hope everyone is well.

Thank you goodie! I’m bracing for over $1,000 a month... hopefully it won’t be $2000 or more 😬

Oh, thank you! I don’t actually count my calories. I try to be somewhat mindful of what I eat but I certainly don’t turn away Taco Bell, hamburgers etc. I don’t eat that stuff every day but when the mood strikes me I eat it! I guess I’m going to actually have to start tracking my calories to get a better idea of what’s going on. I eat very small quantities of high calorie food so I may not be getting as many calories as I actually think.

I’m not sure I understand. Are you giving me a suggestion or are you telling me that’s what you did?

I don’t know your statistics but I don’t think you really need to be worried about this. I found this thread because unlike many people have stated; I have had a completely different experience. I’ll leave it at that for now. But I don’t think you need to concern yourself too much about losing too much. Every time I would lose 10 pounds I would feel “skinny“ and it was an adjustment getting used to seeing myself that way. I am currently trying to slow or stop my weight loss but there is no one in my surgery “group” experiencing this but myself...

What happened with this? I’m having the same problem. 5 foot tall was 160 pounds. Six months out from surgery. I’m about to slip into the underweight category.

I have a question. So while I am waiting on the cobra paperwork which seems to be taking a long time, do I just pay cash and then send those receipts in or how is that handled? I would assume dental is different? I had Delta dental and my son is supposed to get braces on Monday. I guess I am no longer covered..?.

That’s helpful! Waiting on the paperwork now!

Thank you

Sounds like a filler may be more along the lines you are looking for. I don’t know where you live but here in Florida Botox typically ranges between eight and $14 a unit. I got mine on a buy one get one the other day so I only paid six dollars a unit. I wait for specials and sales and shop around. Depends on where you are sagging but you could do some filler in your cheek bone which will give your lower face a bit of a lift. Without seeing you or knowing the specifics that’s the best I can recommend... You could go to any med spa that does those services and they will give you a free estimate and recommendations. That’s probably the best place to start and free of charge to you. Fillers tend to be more expensive; usually $500-$700 or so is a guesstimate. I know a lot less about fillers because I’ve only used them once and that was to have my lips done in Arizona. I figure when I start getting into prices with “commas” I may as well just have a surgical lift done.

Didn’t take a before picture but here is my after results of the Botox. I am 42 years old. I had my fourhead done, glabella, crows feet. You can kind of see where my hair is thinning in the middle although I professionally spray-painted it on the sides. So never mind that. But I had a lot of creases in my four head and in between my brows. You can see there is still faint lines but major improvement!

Wow what a crazy story! I’m so glad you fought hard! I went to the doctor last week because I thought I had a urinary tract infection. I called my weight-loss surgeon and they said that is common because we urinate less frequently because our fluids typically go down. I had all the symptoms of it and they put me on antibiotics. While I was there they took my blood pressure and then I immediately did an EKG because my blood pressure has been exceptionally high on back to back visits Unfortunately my husband had a midlife crisis and resigned his job so now I do not have insurance. I have an order for blood work, I have an order to see a neurosurgeon, I have an order for a neurologist, I have an order for a mammogram, 2 orders for epidurals and I have no insurance. Also they called me and told me to stop taking the antibiotics because I tested negative for the urinary tract infection so no one knows what’s wrong with me. It’s pretty scary. Additionally my husband lied to me about quitting his job and this is about the seventh time he has done this. It has put a terrible strain on our marriage. He better be careful because I think I look pretty damn hot now and I have truly started having thoughts about leaving him. I don’t have a full-time job right now but I would be lying if I said it’s not in the back of my mind. I have 11 years invested in my marriage but I am furious about this health insurance and the lying. I really need to get a clear scope of what’s going on with my health and I had paid $10,000 against my deductible this year and had hit my out of pocket so I was pretty excited About having totally free health services the rest of the year. That is now blown I assume but I ask him to call and ask about cobra. Waiting to find out on that. This just happened the other day AND in the middle of the mandatory evacuation from the hurricane. This past week has been a b***h. I was in pain with the “supposed” UTI, constipated, took Dulcolax and then I had major diarrhea for 24 hours after that, was pissed off at my husband, and stuck in my house. Today was the first day I got the hell out of the house and went to Dillards and bought myself some jeans to make myself feel better. JUNIORS jeans mind you - take that hubby. Heh heh heh

I love your dress and I love love love your hair!!!!! Your a doll!

I am a Botox junkie and I can answer any questions you have about it. I stopped doing it about a year ago and just had it done for the first time two weeks ago because like yourself I had some concerns about my face. I have kept the fullness in my cheeks but I just didn’t feel pretty. So I have 54 units stuck in my face. In fact just today they sent me a buy one get one free coupon for fillers so that will be my next task although I will say after the Botox I look pretty freaking good relative to how I did before. Very very happy with the results. I say, if it feels good - do it! I think you should stop reading the horror stories about weight gain. Everybody is so different. Celebrate those 60 pounds and don’t worry about them coming back but of course you need to stay mindful of your caloric intake just like the rest of us do. It’s not a problem till it’s a problem right?

Congrats Sheri! I had a funny experience referencing you the other day. I was talking to my MIL and I was telling them about some of the new snack ideas I got from asking this group. I caught myself saying “ yeah my friend had this great idea, she uses pork rinds to eat hummus!”. Then I realized I referred to you as my friend and I have never even met you!! I have never been on a forum like this where I have shared personal information and hadn’t realized how attached I had become to you guys! Haha

Congratulations!!!

Bariatricpal = Free therapy for me! Haha