BabySpoons

My bariatric nutritionist suggested vodka and SF cranberry juice. It's been my go to when I want a drink.
I stay away from sugary or carbonated drinks now. I used to love a frozen strawberry Margarita and occasionally miss them. But I know there are SF mixers out there. I Just haven't tried one yet.
And like everyone else said, it doesn't take much to get buzzed unless you nurse a glass for a loooong time.
Have fun on holiday!!

That is a major point I forgot to mention. If I buy a pair of shoes second hand, I make sure they are either new or have little to no wear on them. A worn out pair of shoes no matter the brand won't do anyone any good.
Thanks @BlondePatriotInCDA for pointing that out.

There are many ways to tell one's story. I found a website that allows you to write your own lyrics, pick the kind of music you want and... create a song. Try it! I've already found other bariatric patients who have composed their own music there. Suno.com
After you create your own song, post it here!

This is fantastic! I made a heavy metal song about losing weight called "Shredded to the Bone"

https://suno.com/song/2a5b2b64-b16d-4650-80d3-93feb3caf4a4

That is a major point I forgot to mention. If I buy a pair of shoes second hand, I make sure they are either new or have little to no wear on them. A worn out pair of shoes no matter the brand won't do anyone any good.
Thanks @BlondePatriotInCDA for pointing that out.

I'm going to check out these shoes, the back story sounds amazing! I have permanent shin splints and that is one of the conditions they support help! Thanks for the suggestion.

That is actually a super good idea and way to try out different brands of shoes since you can’t really wear new ones much and still be able to return them. We coukd pick up a couple of pairs at a thrift and wear them for a day and see if they are really good before committing to an expensive pair. I love to go thrifting. I have my new HOKAs for now but I will try some of these other brands if I come across them now. Maybe I will find some I like even better.

I have worn many expensive brands of workout shoes over the years. Most recent, post op, were Nikes for walking. Averaging 14 miles a week. I started to develop a painful corn/bunion on my right foot and it was starting to effect my walks, slowing me down. I didn't relish the thought of having it surgically removed. Until....
I was out thrifting and picked up a new pair of G Defy walking shoes. Never heard of them but were my size so I tried them on and stood up. I remember saying out loud... holy shi*. I googled them and saw they sold for over $160. They immediately went in my cart.
I put them on when I got home and went for my daily 2 mile walk. The shoe corrected my supinated gait and there was no longer any pressure or pain with that corn. I couldn't believe it. I thought this is a miracle shoe. I ordered another pair from their website after reading the history of how and why this shoe was created. The corn is shrinking since there is no longer any more pressure from wearing the expensive pair of Nikes. Obviously name brands mean nothing people.
When my new pair came in the mail, printed on the box it read, "Here's your miracle." If that isn't some kind of sign I don't know what is. Happy walking. https://www.gravitydefyer.com/about-us

I have worn many expensive brands of workout shoes over the years. Most recent, post op, were Nikes for walking. Averaging 14 miles a week. I started to develop a painful corn/bunion on my right foot and it was starting to effect my walks, slowing me down. I didn't relish the thought of having it surgically removed. Until....
I was out thrifting and picked up a new pair of G Defy walking shoes. Never heard of them but were my size so I tried them on and stood up. I remember saying out loud... holy shi*. I googled them and saw they sold for over $160. They immediately went in my cart.
I put them on when I got home and went for my daily 2 mile walk. The shoe corrected my supinated gait and there was no longer any pressure or pain with that corn. I couldn't believe it. I thought this is a miracle shoe. I ordered another pair from their website after reading the history of how and why this shoe was created. The corn is shrinking since there is no longer any more pressure from wearing the expensive pair of Nikes. Obviously name brands mean nothing people.
When my new pair came in the mail, printed on the box it read, "Here's your miracle." If that isn't some kind of sign I don't know what is. Happy walking. https://www.gravitydefyer.com/about-us

Today marks 6 months since my gastric bypass surgery! It's also almost exactly one year since I attended the orientation class at the weight loss center that was the first step in beginning the surgical program. I came home after the class and took a "before" photo. I had just weighed in at my highest weight ever. I was on blood pressure meds and my A1c put me in the prediabetic danger zone. My joints ached every morning. My 50th birthday was looming and I felt so old.
The day after that photo, I started making changes to my diet. I lost 13 lbs from August until early February. I lost an additional 13 lbs on my 2-week liquid diet. I had my surgery on February 21 and since then, I've lost another 45lbs, for a total of 71 lbs down! My blood pressure is normal, and so is my A1c. The aches and pains are gone, and I'm hitting my 10k step goal several days each week. I'm nowhere near perfect, but I'm improving steadily.
I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I was this weight. It had to have been when I was around 22 years old. Like pretty much everyone says, my only regret is not doing this sooner.

I really do think it is one of the hardest things - at my heaviest especially, being complimented I just shrugged it off. I think the one 'compliment' that always stuck out for me was: "you're not fat, you're beautiful", b***h please 😂 can't I be both?!
It is hard not to hold onto those feelings for sure, but as you say, we need to be proud and that involves changing our internal narrative of not thinking we are deserving of compliments!

I was told fairly recently that I need to learn to take a compliment. My lack of response to them was just a knee jerk reaction and my mind thinking... Oh now I'm worthy of your attention?? No longer invisible??
It is hard not to be a bit resentful of the polar opposite way we are treated when obese vs. a healthy weight. But it's the way of the world unfortunately. On the flip side... I agree with @MrsFitz in that some people are just reflecting back to us how we feel about ourselves. I wanted to be invisible so I felt invisible.
So lift up your heads and be proud of all your hard work and how far you've come in taking back your life/health. Take those compliments. Even the backhanded ones. 😊

I have no qualms about using a bariatric card or a coupon (heaven forbid) in a restaurant. Do you know that the markup value of a meal is 300% or more? Then you are expected to tip at 20% on that overpriced meal? That's so the owner doesn't have to pay the waitress salary. They are making a killing on us so we can enjoy the ambiance and 2T of food. Believe me they are not losing any money on kid's meals or senior prices.
And I could give a flip less who knows I had surgery. I was invisible to those strangers before. Now I guess they'll see me. 👀

I was told fairly recently that I need to learn to take a compliment. My lack of response to them was just a knee jerk reaction and my mind thinking... Oh now I'm worthy of your attention?? No longer invisible??
It is hard not to be a bit resentful of the polar opposite way we are treated when obese vs. a healthy weight. But it's the way of the world unfortunately. On the flip side... I agree with @MrsFitz in that some people are just reflecting back to us how we feel about ourselves. I wanted to be invisible so I felt invisible.
So lift up your heads and be proud of all your hard work and how far you've come in taking back your life/health. Take those compliments. Even the backhanded ones. 😊

I was told fairly recently that I need to learn to take a compliment. My lack of response to them was just a knee jerk reaction and my mind thinking... Oh now I'm worthy of your attention?? No longer invisible??
It is hard not to be a bit resentful of the polar opposite way we are treated when obese vs. a healthy weight. But it's the way of the world unfortunately. On the flip side... I agree with @MrsFitz in that some people are just reflecting back to us how we feel about ourselves. I wanted to be invisible so I felt invisible.
So lift up your heads and be proud of all your hard work and how far you've come in taking back your life/health. Take those compliments. Even the backhanded ones. 😊

Thank you very much for sharing your valuable experience!

I never stopped taking stool softeners twice a day since surgery and I'm over a year out. I was concerned to continue as I didn't want my body to become reliant on them but I was told softeners were not like a laxative and only brings more Water into the intestines to keep things moving regularly and avoid Constipation. With a laxative your body becomes dependent on them. Big difference. The last thing I want is to get constipated and have a weight stall because of it. I haven't had one day of constipation so there is no need to stop taking them. It will not harm you to do so.

I never stopped taking stool softeners twice a day since surgery and I'm over a year out. I was concerned to continue as I didn't want my body to become reliant on them but I was told softeners were not like a laxative and only brings more Water into the intestines to keep things moving regularly and avoid Constipation. With a laxative your body becomes dependent on them. Big difference. The last thing I want is to get constipated and have a weight stall because of it. I haven't had one day of constipation so there is no need to stop taking them. It will not harm you to do so.

Finally worked out how to just insert this as a picture rather than a link 😂 Pre-having my eyebrows done! They were a hot mess in this pic!

Take it as a compliment for sure! Haha, sometimes the way that people phrase things is really strange 😂
I am definitely enjoying the look! I shall have to upload a picture to the thread later if my brain is engaged enough to remember 🤣 It is Friday and I feel like I am struggling to stay awake!
I definitely kept the pink 🎀🌸💟

Reminds me of a documentary I watched recently on HBO called The Way Down. It's about a diet guru pastor, Gwen Shamblin who wrote a book that swept the nation/world back in the 80s/90s. The Weigh Down Workshop. It basically teaches that all you need to lose weight is self-denial and faith in God. But if you are overweight, you are shamed into believing you're a selfish glutton that lacks self-control and a prayer life.
That same mindset is still quite prevalent today by a lot of churchgoers. So, it's amazing how many sheeples (your so-called friends) buy into this messed up type of teaching. Sure, gluttony is listed as one of the 7 deadly sins but this line of thinking doesn't take into consideration at all that obesity is a medical condition and not just a moral failure.

I quit wearing rings a long time ago for the same reasons and had one cut off by a local jeweler after it started cutting off circulation.
Recently started wearing them again. I like wearing rings on all my fingers. Sometimes even on my thumb. If a ring doesn't fit on one finger, try putting it on another. Although a wedding ring on your thumb may look a bit odd @ChunkCat. LOL

My PCP has me recorded at 320 pounds 2 yrs ago at my highest weight ever. I saw her yesterday and she smiled and said well hello there tiny person. I laughed and said well I did lose half of me. She said you look like a small child. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad but I'll take it. LOL 🤔
Same here. I really like it. I hope you kept the pink hair.

Ok so almost 13 months post sleeve I am just 2.4kg / 5lb from my goal and have already passed the target weight set by my surgeon so I may revise my goal a bit, for a buffer, will see. Anyway here is a picture of me taken on holiday end March 2023 (4 months pre-op) which a friend sent me and a picture of me today in size 8 UK / 4 US (wide leg) jumpsuit.
Not brave enough (yet anyway) to share my face.
 

So we are at the middle of the week - how are we all doing?
What is something that has gone well so far/or something that you are looking forward to?
Anything you'd like to learn from/improve on?
My week has been okay so far! I have a driving lesson and then I am getting my hair cut, which I am in desperate need of as my fringe is in my eyes 🤦‍♂️
I am trying to increase the amount I am eating, which is proving difficult, but I'll get there!
I also start with a personal trainer tomorrow which I am excited about!