kristieshannon

Well you look awesome in them. Adding a pair to my shopping list!

Thank you, it really sucks :(

My parents have been overall extremely supportive. However, I haven’t seen them in 15 months since just before COVID. My mom recently saw a pic of me and said “Oh my goodness, you’re so beautiful now!” I know she meant well, and had no intention of being hurtful, but the comment did sting. Often people say things without really thinking about how it will be received.

Zero regrets about surgery, except as mentioned above not doing it sooner.

I’m very torn at this point. Some things have been said that will be very hard to put aside. However, I love my husband and if I felt like he was willing to work on things, I’d also be willing to try and work things out. However, he has been very adamant so far that he will not go to counseling. I’ve got an appointment scheduled this Friday with a marriage counselor. I will go on my own either way.

Thank you, I believe that too. There’s someone out there who will appreciate all of who I am and the journey I’ve gone through. For now though I’ve got to just take care of me and get through this.

There probably is. I’m going to one on my own, but he has refused to go to counseling.

Are these the awesome 🍑 boosting leggings from TikTok? I need a pair!

Yes, and the tummy tuck I had back in January makes it even better :)

I’m 18 months post op. Mine are nearly invisible.  I left them alone. 

Yes! I mix my protein shake with cold brew every morning. So yummy!

I’m all about routines. On my work days I weigh naked 1st thing after I pee. Days off I weigh after my morning workout.

If I’m out to dinner and plan for a glass of wine I order it first and complete it before my meal arrives.

Tuna with enough Mayo to make it moist was my go-to at first. I also did well with cottage cheese.

Ugh. WTF is wrong with people? What you set for your goal is between you & your doctor. Mine, for example, set my goal at 155 which is above the BMI requirements for “healthy”. She prefers the Smart BMI calculation which does take in to account age & race. By any measure, I am more healthy at this point than I have been at any point in my adult life.

Weight gain is a really common side effect of depakote! Let your prescribing doctor know that you are working towards weight loss surgery, and ask them to prescribe a medication with less likelihood of weight gain-there are definitely other options. I’m a psych nurse, we use depakote sometimes for a mood stabilizer and it also used to treat seizure disorders. Either way, there are other options that your doctor should be willing to prescribe.

Try various textures, temperatures, and sweet vs savory. Not sure if you have it in your area, but pho broth saved me during the liquid and puréed stage. It was warm and savory and went down easy and had a decent amount of protein as well.

If I remember correctly I was cleared to eat (well chewed) meat at around 4 weeks. However, I was only able to eat very small amounts to at first. Now at 19 months post op I can eat 3-5 ounces, depending on what meat it is. Ground beef and steak, and fish I can do about 5. Chicken about 4, and pork 3 max. Hang in there-the things I was really worried about missing I didn’t miss at all. I was sure it would be torture to live without my Coke Zero but from day one post op I completely lost my taste for it. Like you mentioned, my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner.

As catwoman said, I wasn’t given a calorie target that early on. I was told 70-80g protein per day, at least 80oz fluid, and to keep my carbs grams less than my protein grams. After the protein and liquids there wasn’t room for much else. Looking back at my MyFitnessPal entries I averaged 600-750 cals over my first 4 months.

I’m 19 months post op and still use this size of reusable food container for snacks. I take 5 pre-measures portions of nuts or seeds as a snack for work each day, and also use them for cheese cubes or salad dressing. They’re great portion control!

I’m nearing maintenance (at my doctor’s goal right now, contemplating dropping my goal to 145). I usually have a couple drinks a week. Sometimes more on vacation. No big deal, as long as you & your doctor don’t see it as a problem, go for it.

I did really well. My husband travelled to Miami with me and cared for me post op. I had a rough couple of days then progressively felt better and better each day after that.

I had five consultations. Three would do all three procedures together, two wanted to do them separately. I ended up choosing one of the surgeons who would do them all together.

I had all three done at once and am glad I did. One recovery, one block of time off work.

I would totally do that!