Lillimint

I’m glad to see this thread popping up again! I was reading it OBSESSIVELY this time last year. 😄 I’m doing well…far better than I imagined I would do. I’m still glad that I’ve done the surgery. I’m down 145 lbs from my pre-surgery weight of 299, and surpassed my original goal. I’ve reset my goal to 145 lbs, so just another 8.4 lbs to go. I honestly don’t know if I’ll hit my new goal, but I’m okay with that. I feel good, I’m off all prescription meds, my resting heart rate is waaaaay down, and a 4-mile daily walk has become a pleasurable habit. I love that my legs look muscular, that I can shop for regular sized clothes and can tie my sneakers without a fuss. I still am very uncomfortable with having non-healthy foods in the house, and don’t trust myself with tempting foods being close by. I worry about ‘boredom eating’ so I’m working on that. I am trying to adhere to the philosophy of making good choices most of the time. I am in the process of figuring out what “most of the time” means to me. I’m working from home so it’s been a slow process of encountering my friends and coworkers. I can see the shock in their faces at my weight loss and just say that it’s been a ‘year of health’ for me. I am continually surprised at all the diet advice / opinions I get from people now, and so much of it inaccurate! I’ve been told that walking for exercise is useless (!), metabolism never changes (I am 55 and it most certainly has), the types of calories consumed doesn’t make a difference (I wish that was true so I could go back to eating more carbs!). It’s all stuff that we’ve all heard before. I’m thankful that I’ve had the past year to log my food and figure out for myself what works. @IWantTheDream I know a hip replacement is in my future, and I worry about that. When did you know that it was finally time to get it done?

Congratulations! You look fantastic, and you should be very proud of the journey you’ve been through over the past year. It’s hard work and it shows! Doesn’t it feel great to be able to enjoy being healthy?

This was THE most frightening thing about the first week or two after surgery. The math just didn’t work out! I had a lot of anxiety about dehydration, but every day became a little bit easier. I could take bigger sips, and the routine of continually drinking started to become less cumbersome. Now I’m 8 or 9 mo the post op, and I’ve got a good routine down. I can take several big gulps at once with no problem. It’s not as much as before, but it’s still very satisfying.

That is so awesome to hear! Congratulations on your hard work - you should be very proud of yourself! I love seeing when other folks reach their goal. I find it to be inspirational and motivating. 🏆

Congratulations! You should be proud of what you’ve achieved. It take lots of work and commitment to get this far. I can empathize when you say you need to learn to be kind to yourself. I’m sensing that I’m moving into needing to work on that area myself now that I’m so far along my weight loss journey. (I’ve still got 40 lbs I’d like to lose, but I’ve lost 110 lbs so far! 🏆) Again, great job on your awesome progress. I bet you look fabulous!

I appreciate the multiple pics. I had not anticipated getting plastic surgery. Not until a couple of weeks ago when my skin decided that it was going to run away and elope with gravity. I don’t find the scars bothersome or at all (on me or others), but I had no idea that there was so much to be done to make them fade. The whole thing is just fascinating. Skin is so weird.

Absolutely! I’ve lost over 100lbs now and my brain can’t figure it out. I swear I don’t *feel* like I look any different than I did 50 lbs ago. But I know that’s not true. One of my friends saw me last weekend, squealed, and used the word “skinny”. And today I noticed that my leggings were getting saggy in the butt, and I know they fit perfectly well just a week ago. Judging by the scale and my baggy clothes my weight loss is completely on schedule. It’s like my brain is glitching. I’m pleased and happy with my weight loss. Now my brain needs to stop being an a**hole and catch up! 🤣🤣🤣

You look super fantastic!!! Great job and congratulations! From the side view I can see your abs and your stomach is so flat. Clearly you’ve put a load of work into yourself. Also...is that a THIGH GAP that I see!?!?! 🤩🤩🤩

@Moon2408 It’s called Ketoconazole 2% shampoo. Directions: apply externally 2times a week. I honestly don’t know if it was the thing that led to hair re-growth or not, but I figured why not give it a try? My insurance paid for it, which I was a bit surprised about.

It’s probably time to visit your primary care physician and discuss your new reality. Are you on blood pressure meds? Other meds? Those might need adjusting. I went through the lightheadedness and my PCP reduced my blood pressure meds, with the goal of stopping them in another month or so. I think you get a different perspective and information from your PCP. The first time I saw her my hair had started falling out and she gave me a prescription for a shampoo. Didn’t know that was available (all I had gotten from the Bariatric center has the advice to take biotin). I’m not sure if the shampoo helped, or if it was the biotin, or just time, or all three but my hair is now growing back like mad. As an added benefit, I love seeing my PCP because she raves about how much healthier I am becoming.

You have the loveliest legs! They look like they’ve been sculpted. You should be seriously proud of your efforts.

That is so awesome! I’ve loved seeing my BMI go down, and I think that’s going to be a HUGE milestone for me to get under 30. I can understand the emotion. Great job!!!

I’m 55 and I live by myself. I prefer to do a lot of things on my own, and I’m used to it. I had a friend drive me to surgery and pick me up. Other than that I was on my own and I was fine. There was pain, but it was manageable. I never did take any of the prescription pain meds. Getting into and out of bed was slow and awkward, but still manageable. There was actually nothing I absolutely *needed* another person to do for me. Hmmmm...I don’t have a dog, but I would have needed help walking a dog. But not letting one in and out of the house. I’d stick with the surgery date that you have, and maybe just ask your parents to be available by phone for moral support? When I was in the recovery room after surgery the nurse was very attentive and texted my friend a bunch of times letting her know my progress. I didn’t expect that, but it was nice and would probably be comforting to your parents.

I’m so pleased to hear that y’all are doing so well, @Swjtes and @IWantTheDream! Congratulations on your progress. I can’t believe that it’s been over 6 months!!! I have also managed to drop below the 200# mark (about a week ago), and I’ve lost over 100 lbs. it’s weird to think that I’m way closer to my goal than I am to my highest weight. Does that make sense? I’m enjoying walking every day, and I’ve even started jogging. I never thought I’d do that! I love seeing and feeling the muscles that I’m developing in my legs. I’ve heard people talking about how pleased they are to see their collar bones again, but for me I think it’s my knees. LOL! I’m happy for y’all!

I hit a couple of major NSVs today. I’ve lost 100 lbs (or near enough to count), and finally dipped down into the 100’s. I am pretty pleased with myself, and I am so glad that I had the surgery. HW = 299 CW = 199.4 SW = 280.0 Surgery Date = 07/23/2020 I follow my program of eating healthy extremely well. Cravings are at a minimum, but the weight loss isn’t a complete breeze. I feel like I need to make a conscious effort to stick to the plan. I’m a slow and steady loser, and weirdly each pound lost always feels like it’s going to be the last. Not sure why, because I am not a pessimist by nature. The body dysmorphia is strong, and I have absolutely no sense of how big or small I am now. I feel much better than before, and my clothes are getting looser, but I don’t *feel* like I’ve lost much weight. How very weird! It’s not disheartening - just kind of a clinical observation that my brain can’t quite figure out what’s going on. My initial goal weight was 165 lbs. I picked that weight because it was a goal just beyond what the average weight loss for my height was. I honestly didn’t think it was attainable. But now I do. I’d like to shoot for maybe 140 now. I initially didn’t think I was going to be interested in plastic surgery. However loose skin, age and gravity are not a winning combination. It’s on the table now! I’m glad I don’t have to think about it anytime soon, though. Other observations: * I log my food meticulously. I focus on high protein and low carbs, and feel like it’s a good day when my protein intake is > carb intake. I pretty much ignore the fat intake, but I am eating healthy so it’s just not a concern. * I’ve averaged about 1100 calories/day since the new year. * I don’t think I would have been this successful if i hadn’t been teleworking since the pandemic started. I live alone so I cleared out my kitchen of all temptations. * I walk 3.5 miles a day and I’ve grown to really enjoy it. I rarely miss - only if there are monsoon-like rains will I stay in. * I wear a Fitbit, and I think the most important and useful feature is the reminder to walk throughout the day. I typically average about 15K steps/day. * I have started jogging a little bit, and have been ASTOUNDED that I can do it. I’m super slow, but I can do it. This morning I jogged over 3 miles without dying a single time. 😂 * I do not like jogging. * I was going to the the gym, but stopped because of the crowd of ‘New Years resolution’ people who didn’t seem to be very good with the mask-wearing. I’ll pick back up with that once I get the vaccine. * I have become more limber, and a lot of my aches and pains have receded or disappeared. I love that I can cross my legs now. * My hair fell out. A lot. Started at about 3 months and it was just shocking. It was particularly bad around my temples, and around the crown of my head. It is growing back as seen by the scraggly hair sticking out in all directions. I am so pretty. 😱 It seemed to stop falling out pretty abruptly about 2 weeks ago. * Eating breakfast is still a struggle. I’ve always hated it and I still do. I almost always rely on the Fairlife shakes for breakfast. * I eat a lot of chicken, shrimp, salad, and Morningstar frozen vegan options. I am not a good cook, and as much as I think about food I guess I am just not willing to spend much time preparing it. I like the salad kits that most grocery stores have now. * I take a tremendous amount of joy in cleaning out my closet of clothes I can no longer wear. My closet is so empty! It is seriously so awesome! I’m not ready to do much shopping yet, though. I don’t need clothes for work (yet), and I’m hoping to still lose more weight. * I weigh myself every morning, and I think I’m always going to have to do this. It’s an accountability thing for me.

That’s amazing! Congratulations on your weight loss as well ! ‘Disbelief’ is an excellent way to describe the feeling. Hopefully my brain will catch up, but I’m not too terribly concerned. I’m also not very focused on the number on the scale. I have a vague idea that a pant size of 6 or 8 would be great, but even that isn’t a hard goal. It’s mostly this feeling that I’m not done yet with the weight loss. Not having an absolute number in mind feels more low pressure and it’s working for me. I need to check out Pinterest for recipes. I have so much time at home, and I am getting a little tired with my monotonous diet. 😂

I had such a problem finding something that went down and stayed down the first 2 weeks. Pre-op I had liked pretty much all the clear Protein Drinks, but post op only the grape Isopure seemed okay. Beef broth worked okay. I wish I had tried the hot chocolate. And I wish I had tried things at different temperatures. After the 2 week mark (and likely internal swelling had gone down and healing was on its way) my tummy seemed to tolerate many more options. It was a bit frightening at first when it seemed like my taste buds and sensitive tummy were rejecting everything. Now it’s hard to remember that feeling with any clarity.

@ms.sss Kind of a odd story, but quite a while back I was catching up with a friend from my high school days. She’d traveled the world and had lots of cool adventures. She’d spent quite a bit of time in China, where she had become a model! This is a cute, Caucasian gal about 5’6” or so. Pretty, but not a supermodel figure. Turns out she had been recruited by someone who made clothes that were exported to a lot of western countries. She worked as a model for those clothes, and they’d use her figure to make sure the clothes they made would fit westerners. Only problem was, she has a figure like a boy. Very slender, no waist, no butt, small boobs. (Come to think of it, that is a supermodel figure.). I think they used her as a “large”, because she was a lot taller and larger than most of the Chinese women. She was probably an American sized S or XS. It was a very entertaining and interesting story, and it was cool to learn that there was a method to the madness of the sizing. If only I knew the right people I would volunteer to become a international model for XL-size clothes. Or at least American XL size. 😄

Hi @Lola2122. I’m sorry you’re feeling so lousy. Yes, I had a terrible time with nausea right after surgery. Lots of puking and dry heaves. If you’re not already, hold a pillow against your abdomen when you throw up. I put a bowl on a counter so I didn’t have to lean over too much. Definitely contact your surgeon. I met with the nurse practitioner who sorted me out. I received IV fluids in the office for dehydration (made me feel a little bit better). I was prescribed the scopolamine patch for nausea which worked 100 times better than the zofran. And they did a CT scan to make sure nothing was wrong with my insides. Nothing was, but it gave me great peace of mind. There’s no reason to let this go on without a little medical help! For me, the nausea subsided by about day 7 or 8, and I think I only threw up once or twice after the office visit. I could feel I was on the path to mending once I saw them. Call them right now, and good luck!!!

I think that’s pretty normal. I felt kinda bad for the first three days or so, then I started perking up. I had headaches in the beginning but I had already given up caffeine, so I’m not sure about the source of the headaches.

Your husband sounds like a love. I was extremely reluctant to say anything to anyone, including both my closest friends and my family. During the months before my surgery I kept it to myself, and only told one person just before the liquid diet. Then I expanded that to my inner circle of 4 a couple of days later. I told my dad a couple of days before surgery. Every person was overwhelmingly supportive. Each time it became easier and less of a burden. I told my very gossipy work nothing, and used annual leave rather than sick leave. That part has been a little weird. I ended up having a bit of a bumpy recovery, and had to take some sick leave during the 2nd week. I provided a doctors note with no details, and gave no more information. That might have given some people at work that I was seriously ‘sick’, but since no one has asked me anything directly I’ve not had to correct any misconceptions. I’ve been teleworking since March and no one has seen my weight loss. I kind of hate having people think that I might have had some serious ailment, but I guess I get to keep kicking that can down the road for a while. The good news that I’ve become less and less worried about what others think. I’ve told a few more people about the surgery, and all have been supportive. And although I’ve asked them all not to say anything, I know that it’s unlikely that it’ll stay quiet. Mostly I don’t care. The only blips I’ve had from other people is one friend who likes to tell me how to diet, and tells me I’m doing it wrong. (Not about having the surgery, but how the carb restriction is unnecessary.) I am able to easily shrug that off, and it’s easy to change the conversation. (I look at that as her being interested in weight loss, and her figuring out what might work for her.) My concerns and anxieties now, almost 6 months post op, are just not the same as they were before. And that’s a great thing.

The soft food stage felt like it went very quickly for me. I depended on eggs quite a bit, starting with just plain scrambled eggs. Then I started introducing in spices and other things like cheese. I was very concerned that I wouldn’t tolerate spices, but that never seemed to bother me. I also ate a lot of refried beans. I couldn’t stand the thought of tuna, although I liked it just fine pre-op. I purreed some baked chicken thighs with yogurt (or possibly sour cream?). Sounds disgusting, but tasted and looked fine. I’m sure there are some recipes out there, but it was kind of a pain in the butt to prepare and very bland. I think chopping it up very finely and carefully chewing would have achieved the same effect. Towards the end of the soft foods stage I started eating boiled shrimp - just making sure that I chewed it carefully. I am 5 months from surgery now, and I still prefer dark meat chicken and shrimp. I can eat white meat, hamburger, turkey, pork, ham and steak, but dark meat chicken always feels much easier on my tummy. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do well.

This was my reaction, too. It does get better! It felt like the top of my stomach was spasming, followed by vomiting or dry heaves. I couldn’t keep anything down. At day 3 or 4 I returned to the doctors office. I got IV fluids for dehydration and a CT scan to make sure there wasn’t anything physically amiss. The spasm feeling slowly got better day by day, and by day 6 or 7 I was no longer vomiting. Use a pillow against your stomach when you throw up. I placed a bowl on a counter at about mid-torso height so I didn’t have to bend over. The whole thing was scary and miserable, and I was full of regret. After I got the IV fluids I started to feel a little better, and having the reassurance from the nurses and doctor that my surgery was fine helped too. I never could keep the zofran down. The scopolamine patch is what helped me. I am now 5 months post-op, and that miserable feeling has faded from memory. All is going well and I’m glad I did it. Just make sure you let the doctor know so they can help you.

Please don’t be too hard on yourself! I had surgery 7/23, and I still have occasional moments of lightheadedness when I’m exercising. The first time it happened it was much more like you described. I definitely thought I was seconds away from fainting. I stopped walking immediately and eventually made it to a bench. It took me a while ( hour or two) to feel back to normal. I started carrying lifesavers around with me in case it was my blood sugar dropping, but I actually think the issue was my that my blood pressure meds needed to be adjusted. My PCP has reduced my blood pressure meds, and that has helped. So that bit of near-fainting weirdness wasn’t actually an indication of something terrible. As I said, I still will occasionally get the lightheaded feeling, but I notice that feeling much sooner. It has never been as bad as it was that first time. I will either slow down (sometimes sit down), and I recover much more quickly than that first time. My PCP asked me to keep track of when it happens, record my blood pressure and in my next follow up in a couple of weeks I’m betting my blood pressure meds will be reduced again. It sounds like you had a really long day. Maybe you needed food, maybe you needed a rest, or maybe it’s time to check in with your primary care about any meds you take. I know it’s frustrating and irritating and frightening, but you can do this!

That is so awesome! You must feel lighter than air! 😁 You should be very proud of yourself.