Spinoza

I absolutely adore beef cheeks. The most tender meat ever, if properly cooked. I can't get them with the tough sinew pre-removed any more so have to do that myself (think - hatchet job, LOL!) I cook them verrrrry slowly in a Bourgogne sauce - always. Favourite dinner. Yours looks lush Arabesque. 😍

Absolutely amazing transformation. That's what we're here for. Well done you. I so love before and after photos - thank you for sharing!

How very amazing! Honestly, 6 months after surgery it's very likely you will lose much more OP. Is there any reason that you wouldn't want to? I am a firm believer in our body selecting its own goal weight after WLS. Loads of us here want to get to a randomly selected end point that we'd be happy with, but find that either we can't make it, or alternatively that we overshoot it. I was one of the latter people. I have regained 8 lbs in the last 8 months (which is common in the third year) but I've levelled out now and I am so glad that I stuck to my programme and kept losing those few extra pounds rather than taking my foot off the gas when I got to my (arbitrary) goal. Welcome to your new life. In a couple of years you'll be glad you used your weight loss tool to the max while it's in its honeymoon phase!

Oh OP please update your stats! No idea what surgery you had or when so no idea what advice to give about the gain. Sounds an amazing time. Big PSB fan here too. I saw them many years ago supporting Take That in Manchester. Glad you had fun. 🤩

That phase is so short - honestly if you have a blender or any other way to puree food (including pushing through a sieve!) it seems like something you mightn't get a lot of use from.

Absolutely normal to experience stalls after surgery OP. We all have them - and I mean ALL. What matters is how we react to them. They can be demoralising, demotivating, de-everything!! I do see that you have included the words zombie, dissociated, automaton, emotional shock, shut down, apathetic, superficial and others - in just one post about a stall. I totally understand that this might result from an in depth knowledge of the psychology of weight loss, or just psychology generally. I do hope that you can focus on how well you have done (and will do!) and are having lots of support from wherever you can get it.

Aha - same hair issues here. I straighten religiously. If I don't I need tons of product. Your hair looks amazing @sleevetobypass

Amber you have done so so well (and am totally expecting that pesky 0.4lbs to goal to melt off soon, along with more besides LOL!!) Since my surgery I have tried to avoid processed foods and ultra processed foods, other than on special occasions. These are what made most of obese in the first place. Meeting our post op macros and choosing foods that will sustain and nourish our bodies in the long term are, I believe, two completely different things. I have no evidence that people who eat mostly whole foods cooked from scratch do better long term than those of us who return to ultra processed foods but just in lower volumes (because we have a much smaller place to put them at the start - but it does enlarge for some). I do know that my approach is working for me. Also no idea whether people who revert to UPFs are on a slippery slope, do worse, just stop posting here. My observation would be that most of the long termers here don't. There are a few exceptions I think but they seem to be people who have had surgery that allows them to malabsorb hugely (and pay the price GI-wise). The sleeve isn't designed to do that. In summary - hats off for your massive and rapid loss. I think that long timers seem to do better with whole foods and home cooked meals. If you're eating something that has ingredients that you don't have in your home cupboard, be wary, think twice, but enjoy if you want to! I wish you all the best.

I'm in Ireland and our healthcare system is totally different. Might your first port of call be your GP? They should know what is allowed on the NHS and what isn't. Also I had a sleeve and I know that can be revised to bypass but not at all sure what the options are for a revision of bypass. But someone more knowledgeable will be along soon. I'm so sorry that having stuck to the rules and lost so much weight your medical condition has contributed to a regain. This is every bariatric surgery patient's worst nightmare. I hope you can get back in control.

Good early morning attitude! 🙌

I also relate to this big time. Totally agree with others - strained soups (home made for me but take it where you can get it!) got me through this phase. It is so short and every phase after that was so much easier. I actually loved my pureed food stage - it's when I realised I was eating proper food again and always would be able to. I do know others hated it, especially if they have texture issues (I don't)! Best of luck on your journey OP.

Amazing. OMG that loss in that timeframe is totally inspirational! Took me much longer from a similar starting point. I am in absolute awe of your regimen. I suspect you have further loss in you. Enjoy all of the feels, all of the NSVs. You are doing this gal! With or without any further surgery you've done this 🤲

Ah this is so part of the journey and of life after surgery. I love that you're focusing on your NSVs, but also analyse the HECK out of your down week to see where you went off piste. That will help you to ensure you don't fall into that particular trap again. Knowledge is power in this process. We've all made mistakes (we are human) what matters is how we take that experience forward. I hope you can regroup, rediscover your mojo and smash it next week!!! All here for you OP.

OK - opinion from the other side of the track. I have had reflux for 20+ years and was always tied to a PPI. When I lost a lot of weight it always receded. When I regained it recurred. I took the chance and had a sleeve procedure. I wanted to maintain my anatomy as far as possible. I took a gamble that my reflux would not worsen and I won. The sleeve does work out for some people. Also it doesn't work out for others. I really hope you can weigh up all the experiences we have to share here and find the right path for you.

I cook for my family so basically I adapt all of our meals to suit my post op diet. For dinner tonight I had ragu in lettuce leaves with added parmesan. Heavy on the veg. Basically spaghetti bolognese without the pasta. I have so many favourites now. Stir fry veg and whatever protein - chicken, pork, beef, tofu, tempeh. Beef chilli without the rice. Chicken or beef fajitas without the tortillas. Sunday roast dinners with the veg but not the carbs. Fish pie without the potato topping. Stews and casseroles with veg only. At 2.5 years post op this is second nature to me. I am really lucky in that I can eat anything. Protein and then veg is my priority but if I have room I fit in fruit too. Still have to be really careful re carbs - they are NOT my friend.

Enjoy the ride 😍

Aw, you had the roughest ride gal. Of course you need to mourn for the year you expected - that never materialised. I hope today marks the time when you can try to move ahead, putting it behind you as much as you can (and as much is healthy for you) and get on with living your best life. You have done so very very well xxx

Interesting! I have not yet run up against this. I think my photo on passport looks *just* enough like the new me never to have drawn comment. I'll now be ready for when it does though. Driving licence the same. And yeah, I'd also put up with the crappy photo for 10 years before paying an extra penny for the nicer photo, LOL.

I think you have absolutely got this. Forewarned is forearmed and you have definitely done your research. With regard to your two categories of successful maintainers I think there might be a crossover too. I did clean up my act AND I track everything. I regained 8lbs from my lowest weight about 9 months ago. I knew/know I was eating more than the approx 1600 calories I need to maintain (even if not eating crap) but wasn't upping my exercise. No further regain for a couple of months so I am hoping that's me done (?) Best of luck on your journey 😍 and interesting thread!

So pleased to hear this @ShoppGirl. I know you have researched this to the hilt. I wish you all the luck in the world. Please tell us EVERYTHING about your revision. Here for you.

Left field suggestion - now that you're where you want to be, would it be possible for you to completely stop weighing yourself for a few months and just go by how your clothes feel, etc.? I am a huge believer in our body choosing its own new set weight. Mine was well below my target. Others' are well above. You could just go with the flow - just keep eating what you like and what is good for you and see where you end up?

I am 2.5 years post sleeve and 2 hours between eating an meal and wanting to eat again is absolutely my norm! I extend this time with my fruit and veg portions for the day (even fluids) - they typically buy me an hour or so. So I end up eating a 'meal' every 3 hours instead of 2. I also don't eat breakfast, so I start late morning and end a couple of hours before bed. I hope the prep for your revision is going well @ShoppGirl

Early post op I liked to think about exercise as just 'moving more'. It allowed me to think of a short walk as a huge win. As I lost weight I could walk further and faster and even tried jogging a bit. And it didn't kill me. Now, at maintenance, exercise is a regular and enjoyable part of my life. It's never worked for weight loss, but it's so good for my wellbeing and cardiovascular health generally. Now I'm not morbidly obese I can do most things within reason (I'm just into my 50s now, LOL). I advise baby steps, finding something you like (I love Pilates but if you'd asked me to do it 10 or 20 years ago I would have laughed out loud). Dance classes are fun too (but I have NO co-ordination). Keep an eye on things locally and try taster sessions. Hopefully something will click with you and then it won't be a chore but a joy.

I am an outdoor walker through and through - all weathers. I have dogs so this has always been non-negotiable, LOL. I also do Pilates (indoors obvs) 2 or 3 times a week nowadays. I enjoy that in a different way. Honestly anything you can do and enjoy you're more likely to keep going with. If you can click with that then do it. Horses for courses!

I will say, as I often do, be careful with processed and ultra processed food. That's what made most of us obese to start with. Its raison d'etre is to encourage us to eat more of it. Chemicals are added for flavour, mouth feel, even the noise when you open the package or can is researched to the hilt to encourage us to buy more and eat more. If you look at the ingredients and you don't have those in your kitchen then eat in moderation I think. I love BeanitoDiego's recipe. I've made something very similar with flax meal when I really wanted something akin to the bread I used to eat (I call it a MIM and it dates back to my Atkins diets of yore). If you cook it from scratch it won't be like processed bread and that might be slightly better (for some of us anyway). I wouldn't have made that until I was about 18 months post sleeve, and honestly only once or twice so I could e.g. have food that I and guests I was cooking for could share, but that's my choice of course. Depending on how far post op you are you will want to keep an eye on protein first, veg second, fruit third, carbs a looooong way back fourth if you have room to spare (so you get your protein and vitamins in). Having said all of that - welcome to your new life and here's to making good choices that keep us healthy.