Ephemeral

Your emotions and feelings are valid. It's such a big change. I had my surgery in January of 2022 and the night before the surgery I remember thinking, for a fleeting moment, that I just wanted to cancel all of it.....the fear of the unknown...the fear of leaving a comfort zone....our beloved comfort foods. I can tell you, I'm glad I did not change my mind. I'm over a year and I have never been happier. I've lost over 75 lbs and my life has changed for the better. I feel free! You will get there, I promise you, you will. Allow yourself to have those days of "loneliness"....they are normal. Push through them. You are strong, you are young and beautiful. In a few months, you will look back and smile.... Allow yourself the time to heal, to recover, to adjust... You are so brave and strong. Remember your "why". You are meant to do amazing things. Tight hugs to you ♥

Hello everyone! Where are my January 2022 Surgery Buddies? I'm just checking in with all of you! How is everyone doing? I've lost 75 lbs so far, so I'm super proud. I want to lose another 25 lbs and then I will be satisfied. Although, I have to admit, if I would not lose any more weight, I would still be happy with how I am now. I feel good and when I look at myself, I "look good" and healthy. So in my book, I'm already a winner! I've never been so happy! The only regret I have is not doing this sooner! Check in and tell us how you are doing!

I am sure there's a thread on this very topic, out there.....however, this goal was an important one, as well as an emotional one for me and I wanted my own thread on it. I don't remember the last time I weighed under 200 lbs, and finally this morning, my scale read 199.8 lbs. I know that .8 is there, but for me, seeing the 199, meant a lot. While I still have a little ways to go, (about 55 lbs), to reach my end goal, reaching ONEderland was a cornerstone for me. It's been just a little over 2 months since I've had my surgery, and not one day goes by without me telling myself that I should have done this much sooner! I'm no longer wearing "stretchy" pants....I'm now wearing jeans!!!! PS. Don't mind my toes....I wasn't going to have a pedicure done until I reached ONEderland, so guess what? I'm getting my toes done this weekend!!! Thank you for being part of this journey with me. I know we are all somewhat "strangers" to one another, but in our own way, we hold each other's hands through all of this. The good and the bad. Virtual Hug to All! ♥

I just noticed your surgery date! You just had it 10 days ago! How are you feeling? Already 17 lbs down! Super awesome! And YES, you will hit ONEderland too! Hang in there! I hope the puréed stage is not too challenging for you! Hang in there Keep us updated!

It's never too late to celebrate! Congratulations to you! It's all "downhill" from here 😁 I can totally relate with that BMI number! I can't wait to change categories as well- I've always hated the word "obese" and "morbidly obese", they sound so negative and final, don't they? Those words make "overweight" look so good! lololol. Thanks for sharing your Onederland milestone achievement with us ♥ Keep going!

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!! I have goosebumps! Reading your message totally made my day! Congratulations to you! Keep doing what you are doing, it's working! Keep doing YOU! YOU matter and YOU are worth it! Super proud of you, Twinnie! ♥

Just checking in on everyone..... how are you all doing? 😘

All of the ladies above me have made great points. It truly comes down to what will be best for YOU. I have to admit that the night before my scheduled surgery, I had thoughts of backing out. Just thinking that I would never be able to eat a big plate of my favorite foods again, or polish off a bag of potato chips in one sitting, or drinking my beloved Coke, etc...that kind of scared me. It scared me because I am/was an emotional eater and food was like a comfort blanket for me. However, the desire to finally be healthy and no longer being fat was stronger than my fear of losing my "blanket". I had the surgery on January 19th and never looked back. The only regret I have is NOT doing it sooner! I'm down 52 lbs and it has done wonders for my physical, mental and emotional health. I have not had any major issues at all. My main struggle is keeping that multi-vitamin down. That iron kills me! And right now, I'm losing my hair by the handful....but I know this won't last. Read all you can read. These ladies/forums are amazing! I've learned so much from them. Good Luck to you! ♥

How funny that you say that, Holly! I'm getting ready to go on vacation/trip, next week, and of course I had to go buy some new clothes and YES....I'm wearing XL now instead of XXL in Old Navy's shirts (I'm a fan of Old Navy). It's such a great feeling! Thank you for your kind words! ♥

Hi, I won't be the best one to help you with a "kickstart", so I will leave that to the ones who have way more knowledge and experience than I do. However, I want to let you know that your weight loss, in 8 months, has inspired me. You have lost a tremendous amount, and I'm confident that your children are proud of you. I'm sorry to hear about the family fight. Hopefully, things are on the mend and you can put it behind you. Follow your plan, and re-incorporate your daily walks. You don't have to start at 10K a day. Just make yourself go out there, even if it's just for a few minutes. You have accomplished so much in the past months. Be kind to yourself. We only have one shot at this life. Focus on you. I'm sending you many blessings your way. Tight virtual hug. ♥

We could be twins in spirit, you and I! Same height, almost the same starting weight, and we have a close goal weight (mine is 145 lbs). You are so close to achieving ONEderland. One big sprint, and you will cross that line. It feels so good. I'm cheering you on, WLS twin!! ♥

They don't taste vegetal to me. I would say it's more like a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.

I tried something new tonight. At least, new for me, as I had never seen those before....Trader Joe's "Jicama" wraps. The wrapping said they were good for tacos, I guess to be used in lieu for the typical hard or soft tortilla. I fell in love with them. Absolutely delish! Each wrap is about 4 inches in diameter. If you have not had them already and looking for an alternative to the usual tortilla shells...this is it!

Superstar, you are! Congratulations!! Celebrate your achievement! Manicure, maybe? Hugs you! You've infused me with energy....I'm so close to ONEderland! I can't wait!!!

I have the exact same ones, and I could not agree with you more......not only do they smell bad, but they make me so nauseous! I also take their Calcium Citrate chews in caramel flavor and those are soooooooo good. Like Grady said, they are "my daily treat". Let us know if you try something different and you like them. I'm considering changing as well.

You are not alone in wanting to keep it a secret. I kept it private as well. The only person that knows is my husband. I've been kind of a hermit during Covid, so that helped because I wasn't going out much to begin with. I did tell family and friends that I had adopted a healthier eating lifestyle. That way, they won't be too surprised when they see me....well they will be because I've lost weight, but they will assume it's the new, healthier eating habits, which is not a total lie. As far as work, I simply said I was getting a procedure done, and I would be back in approximately four weeks. I work from home, so they won't see me anyway.... Good Luck to you! ♥

Welcome! I'm glad you are doing ok! You're just a little over a week out already! I see you've lost 20 lbs, that's amazing! I struggle with my water intake as well. I've never liked water....NEVER....but it's super important that we get at the minimum 48 oz of fluids daily. What helps me is I line up my bottles of water, and I know I have to drink all of them by end of day. So I make it like a competition with myself. I drink the Essentia water, it's the only water I can stomach. Good Luck to you! I can't wait to celebrate your weight loss success! ♥

Stinkin' Covid! April will be here before you know it!! Hang in there ♥

Heather! Welcome January Buddy! You are already 18 lbs down since your surgery! That's fantastic! Tomorrow will be three weeks since my surgery, and I'm still surprised at how little I can ingest. Just 2-3 tablespoons max., at a time! It's crazy! I will be starting Phase 3 (soft/bland foods) this Friday, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm still drinking a protein shake every day, it's the only way I can get all of the required protein in. I also don't have much appetite. I'm not craving food...I'm craving flavour? If that makes any sense at all? But most of all, I so want a darn coffee!!!! I dream of it. lololol. Totally normal of that one incision to be sore. It's the biggest one! Mine have healed very well and I'm already using Mederma Advanced gel for scars, on them. Keep up your positive attitude and enthusiasm! Good Luck to you!

Same here! Major headache and nausea after surgery. I assumed the headache came from lack of caffeine in my body. It will go away eventually, give it a few more days. Good Luck! ♥

Bonjour Mme C.! I'm certainly no expert at all this, but I wanted to echo some of the sentiments and comments shared above. When you think about it, 60 lbs is a good chunk of weight off of your body, and will alleviate some of the burden on your joints, hips, etc. Sometimes, in our desire to lose a lot of weight, we forget just how beneficial it is to lose even just 5 lbs. Ultimately, the decision will be yours to make. Personally, if my doctor would have told me, "you will lose approximately 60 lbs", I would still have underwent the surgery. I'm almost at 25 lbs lost right now, and I'm already feeling better. My plantar fasciitis is no longer acting up, so that pain went away.... I wish you best of luck, whatever your decision may be. ♥

How exciting!!! It's finally here! I love your comment about "it's all about self-love", because you are so right! It took me a while to get there mentally. Don't be too hard on yourself, because a loss of 26 lbs is fantastic! I lost 3 lbs during my waiting period. I did not have to do a full-blown pre-op diet. Just the week before my surgery, I had to cut out all carbonated and caffeinated drinks, sweets, etc. and amp up on complex carbs instead. I was told it helped with the nausea experienced from the surgery, and I can attest that it did! So I was happy about that. Keep your eye on the big prize, and take it one day at a time. You have 11 days to go......it will be here before you know it. I'm 2 weeks post-surgery and I've lost 22 lbs. I had the sleeve. I can tell you, I have very little appetite. I don't feel hungry at all. I have to remind myself to eat my 3 meals a day to make sure I meet my protein requirements. It's crazy. The only thing I crave is COFFEE......isn't it crazy? It's not even food....it's a good robust coffee with the Funfetti-flavored creamer.....sigh.... Keep us updated! Good Luck! ♥

Hi, Not sure which procedure you got done- I had the sleeve one, and I can tell you, 2 weeks post-op, I'm still not hungry. During Phase 1, I made sure to sip sip sip all day. What helped me a lot was diluted apple juice. I would definitely not recommend drinking with a straw and also drinking while eating. Poor thing. I hope you feel better soon. Congrats on the 14.3 lbs loss! That's awesome! Take it one day a time, and sip sip sip ♥ Good Luck!

My surgery was on January 19th and my incisions are healing nicely. They are super itchy as well! I've been putting Mederma gel on them. Has anyone tried that Bio-Oil at all?

Hello everyone! I had my revision surgery on 01/19/2022. I went from lap band to sleeve. Today officially marks 2 weeks post-surgery and I have lost 20 lbs! I dealt with severe nausea, but it's much better now. I feel good overall. Just a bit tired still. Happy to have found this place! ♥