beautifuldaymonster

Today I finally reached Onederland. 199.3 pounds. :)

I thought I would cry and feel lots of emotions, too. As for me, I was surprised by not crying and I did not feel as emotional as I thought i would. Instead, I smiled uncontrollably then I nodded "yes" at the scale and I said, "Well? Well gosh, there it is." Coupled with huge gratitude to my surgeon and for my surgery. Then a sense that "I must stay at this or under this. It's time to really get serious now." Out in sunshine in real life outdoors, there is this warm steady glow. You look at other small women and think, "I'm same now. I don't stick out anymore, I'm not different-looking from this any longer. This feels awesome."

Thank you so much!!

Exactly. It's proof my mind can't deny that the surgery works.

Thank you so much!

Good heavens you are close too. I was 205 three weeks ago... will welcome you all when you get here. It's a good feeling.

Thank you... expect to be here soon, too. I had my surgery just two months before yours and you are close.

Thank you... I only hope I stay with it and become who I was again when I was small. Thanks so much.

You will be here too! Look me up and PM me when you hit 199. I'll come cheering for you!

I'd like to add a thing here: how about "surprises"? New things I discovered and adjusted to. Surprises after the RNY gastric bypass: I used to hate bread, but now I not only can tolerate a mouthful of bread, I kind of like it, especially soft flaky croissants. I don't eat these often. I used to love potato. I don't anymore. I still enjoy pizza: beware pizza! Things about WL surgery I experienced and you might and might like: Pain in your knees, ankles, lower legs, back and feet may go away. Mine did and quickly, suddenly. I wasn't prepared for this. Took me by surprise. Your energy to do physical activities may increase and you'll find yourself spontaneously doing stuff you didn't before and might not be used to or psychologically ready for (like dating). My big surprises are I find myself just suddenly feeling "let's go for a bike ride" and off I go, on my pedals, unable to prevent it, lol! You suddenly "just want to walk there instead" and leave behind the car. "I'll take the stairs" not the elevator: your body reacts to challenges like a kid does -- watch and see, lemme take them stairs! Ha ha! Increased male eyeballs and attention: rather awesome but I'm still not used to it. Warning: it will not be just the eyeballs of guys you would want checking you out -- they all will and they all do! Be prepared! The way and position you sleep in might change. Your sleep habits might also change. Strangers might become much nicer to you, opening conversations with you in the store and such... Big surprise: your pouch will shrink. For me it was the fourth month. When it does, you may notice increasing nausea while eating amounts you previously could. Your surgeon might advise you to eat even less than you are eating, which already is not much, right? Listen to him or her; they know the right steps. When you suddenly cannot eat as much as you did yesterday and your surgeon says to suddenly eat less, the pouch is shrinking, and this is normal, I was told. (ymmv.) Nobody told me pre-surgery the pouch shrinks in order to spur subsequent weight loss phases in your first year. In my case at least, it does and did. Go with this process. It will help you lose even more weight! Forgive yourself for: Falling off the wagon and eating le bad thing. As long as you do not throw up or do not feel pain, and if your surgeon and/or regular doc say you're okay, you did not stretch the pouch or do a bad thing. If you stretch or tear the pouch, according to my doctor, you will know instantly because you will be subjected to the worst pain since you woke up from surgery. He said it's unmistakable and you will know. If you do not feel this horrible scream inducing ripping tearing pain you did not stretch beyond or tear your pouch. This is not license to eat poorly! Finally, unless I think of more to add, forgive yourself for stalls. Stalling is normal, it does not mean your surgery is failing, it just means your body is catching up. You're putting it through a lot, be kind and merciful. Give yourself patience. If you continue to drink water, eat as prescribed and exercise, one day you will just notice the stall has ended and you lost a little more weight. Trust The Process.

Prolly need to list both good and bad things I did, after all as one of you has reminded me this is great inspiration for all my surgery buddies here on BariatricPal... so here goes... The Good: I ate mostly veggies, and used tofu, chicken, seafood and occasional beef stir fry bits for my protein. Kept protein at the top of my mind 365: protein went in first ahead of everything. Remembered to drink milk, at least every few days. I take the bari vitamins religiously. Bought a scale and got on it daily: every morning just to check. Started walking as soon as my surgery permitted (for me it was one week which surprised me), eventually ramped this up to walking, squats, light short runs then bicycling, biking is the easiest and most fun. Absolutely stopped buying the bad things I used to eat before and did not allow them even into the house, this includes Baked Lays BBQ Potato Chips, white Asian rice for steaming Chinese style, and cut back on sushi, my weakness. I also gave away my rice steamer. Smartest thing I ever did. When Pouch signals I'm full -- hiccups, tightening chest sensation, nausea -- I stop eating. Late at night when I crave a salty snack, I eat either a little kimchi or a couple pickle slices, instead of the potato chips that I used to. Does the trick. The Bad (Naughty): I resumed red wine drinking after surgery and you are not supposed to. I retried beer and cocktails too. Eventually lost all taste for those. Cannot resist Reunite Lambrusco: it's fairly low in calories (but high in sugar). So far Pouch has taken to lambrusco fine but dislikes other alcohols. I enjoy it in extreme moderation, about two ounces an evening if that. No weight gained as a result. But other bad things, I do not exercise as much, as hard or as often as my surgeon wants. I also do not drink any protein shakes. Except for wine, I have always just kind of hated sugar and sweet things and all protein shakes taste gross to me, like a milkshake. So I have to get my protein in other ways and mine are tofu and cut up chicken thighs for the most part. Stuff the Pouch did and I had nothing to do with I think: My appetite died after my RNY procedure. I maybe eat a cup of food a day and that's almost forcing it. I have no sweet tooth and prefer hot, salty and spicy, so I never eat ice cream, candy, cake or pie. I do eat an occasional small piece of cookie when drinking my weekly milk. I have way more energy now so I exercise more than I did pre-surgery, but I believe it's because of my weight loss. I hope this is inspirational and helps!

Many many thanks!

Thanks so much!!!!! I CANNOT believe it. My surgeon wants me at 180 two weeks from now, hehe, but this right here 199 is enough to make me happy

I know those feels!!!

Missouri have you looked into these? These are light, do the job and can be helpful. Small beige fabric petals that stick to and cover the nips so they cannot be seen through your clothing. They're fab for tank tops and that's how I discovered them https://www.amazon.com/Braza-Petal-Disposable-Nipple-Covers/dp/B00GR4W5DS

Why do the girls who want them lose them but the girls who want to lose them can't lose them?

I was tempted to not eat anything in order to lose quickly, but I know how sneaky my body is and decided against doing that. My body doesn't forget anything. If I try to trick it, it remembers and it will take secret steps behind my back to get its way and get the last word. I didn't even do shakes. I ate fully and carefully, followed the egg timer to a T, ignored my nutritionist and ate whatever healthy my body asked specifically for. Turns out everything I craved, my body needed at that particular time, to heal and reset itself. Beets gave me iron, seafood gave me zinc, kimchi gave me vitamins A and C, brazil nuts gave me selenium and magnesium, all these silly cravings had me going to and from the market like I was pregnant, lol! But looking back the old bod knew what she needed and I was right to listen to her and not fears, worries or recommendations. If you skip meals your body will get those nutrients and calories somehow, even if she has to sneak you into a mindless food coma and make you not pay attention to what you're eating or drinking to do it. You skipped meals to lose fast, and now she's getting the last word, sounds like! Treat her right, assure her you'll take care of her and just reset yourself with lots of healthy fresh things. Protein ahead, everything else behind. Lots of water. You'll start losing again, don't worry.

I share this sensation. Before surgery it was all about seafood, chicken and beef with my veggies. After surgery it dropped down to only seafood with them. Gradually I was able to add chicken back, but not beef. Even tiny bits of beef feel like "too much". Tofu goes down the easiest.

I weep for your poor boobies! But you can have some of mine. I have the opposite problem: lost everywhere except my boobies. This has made me the delight of many a strange male eye where I live, lol... but it makes bra buying the same hassle it always was and kind of distorts me into a Barbie doll or porn star. Imagine a poor librarian looking like this. I compensate by always wearing loose tops. Keep at it... your boobies might return. Me, I'm hoping for a bit of reduction magic to maybe happen... I am not the girl these fellas think I am after surgery

I should add, my weight at surgery was 263. For some reason that is not showing up in my little panel there.

Hi! I had RNY gastric bypass surgery April 1 of this year. I've lost 63 pounds. I'm stalled one pound from Onederland but am doing okay. I eat sensibly, almost 100% vegetables with daily servings of chicken or tofu for protein. I don't do shakes because I dislike sweet tasting stuff. I started walking a week after surgery (my nutritionist thought this was a bit early but I didn't experience pain) then moved up to squats and other light daily cardio exercises. Still haven't been able to run professionally yet but I can finally jog and run alright! Something I could not do when I was overweight. I bought a bicycle a week ago and love it! I ride it through the neighborhood and notice at night my tummy is flat. This feels so great. My thighs are firm, my butt has vanished and my tummy has shrunk away. I had to ditch years' worth of clothes and now have newer, smaller, fitter clothes. Anyone else here still find themselves in the plus size aisle out of habit? Everything there is too big... I cannot believe it... Please Onederland, let me in... one last pound... let me in... I am so thankful for this surgery. The adjustments do take getting used to such as not drinking while or near eating, and not being able to eat anywhere as much or as often as before... and eating out, forget it... what's the point...? But not one moment do I regret this. I'm smaller than now than I was in 2002!

Me too! I want to know too! Edit: thanks for the picture and explanation! I wouldn't doubt that this was part of my problem too...

Two words for you: goat's milk. An ounce or two each week. It'll fix this. It did for me.

I don't know about its behavior in a sleeve or pouch but I do know if I eat it at bedtime the nightmares are scary. So scary I will NEVER knowingly eat cream cheese again.

No sermon from me. I had wine within 90 days of surgery and have enjoyed it, beer and even cocktails with no problems since. Notice I said problems but didn't say issues. I've noticed small issues. The following is my own weird personal experience. YMMV. Alcohol just doesn't bring the same effect as it did before the surgery, so the buzz factor is gone. Wine brings a very vague buzz but it's over so fast you almost don't notice it. Real beer containing alcohol: no buzz at all yet near beer, eg Odouls etc, causes a slight buzz! Go figure! Cocktails bring a buzz but it's weaker than before and not fully pleasant. The "fun" of drinking is gone, I think never to return. So if you drink alcohol for the buzz you might never get it. If you drink for the chill and taste like I do, you won't miss any satisfaction. Drinks are still cold and still taste good. But there's no more "there" there. No lie, tonight after a sip of lambrusco, I found myself thinking, you know, this tastes like black cherry juice so why not just start chilling and drinking that. That's how weak the buzz is with no more fundus. But again YMMV. Use alcohol with caution.