FifiLux

Yeah €150 is expensive but I get a small contribution from work towards gym membership so I think I will try it out, plus if it is too cheap I may not turn up! I have a free introductory personal training session at the end of Sept (have to wait until I am back from holidays) and then if I like it I can start membership from Oct. and they include personal training in their price so that should help me. It is a small gym, only 10 people allowed at a time and no-one from my work is a member there which is a bonus as my boss is a member in the cheaper gym near me. I really just need to be shown the correct way to use the weights to try to tone up arms and legs but any tips from you @AmberFL would be great and much appreciated for at home use. I have 3lb and 6.5lb dumbells at home but no idea where I am on fitness scale, I would think medium - I do pilates and aqua aerobics (but not for August as everything in this country closes down for the month!) and walking but nothing high energy.

I bought clothes a few weeks ago for going away this coming weekend for a work trip and then my holiday in a couple of weeks. Tried on the various trousers yesterday to sort out my packing lists and they are all too big on the waist and wide on leg. Nothing that I can do about it now but thankfully they all have drawstring waists though and I guess if the weather is going to be warm it will be ok to have flowy trousers, just not the chic look I was aiming for on the work trip, holidays I don't mind about as that is casual and no-one will know me in the US.

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.

That is great and you will have a fabulous time in Greece. In another few weeks the clothes you bought will probably be too big 😁

After a year I have problems sometimes where the food just will not go down or if it does it is uncomfrotable. Beef burgers seem to be my main issue, no matter how small a bite I take or chew it, I have realised that about 70% of the time they don't agree with me. I have made chicken dishes and one night able to eat without an issue and the following day having another portion it immediately comes back up or if it goes down it does so uncomfortably. Last time with the burger was when I was out for dinner with a work colleague a couple of weeks ago and he got so worried about me as he said I literally went sickly white and looked like I needed to either vomit or pass out. I just took deep breaths for a few minutes and it (and the feeling) eventually passed but I think I will avoid burgers when out of the house for a while anyway.

Looking fab

I have had it a couple of times post-op (ooh it was so delicious and salty) but as pre-op I used to consider popcorn a food group in its own right and should have appeared in the food pyramid I am trying to stay away as much as possible. I used to have bowls of it every weekend and even during the week if I couldn't be bothered cooking dinner I would make a large saucepan of salted popcorn. Like potatoes now, for me it is something that will be an occasional treat but not to become a staple in my cupboard.

30 minutes is great going - a win!

After three months I would have thought everything is healed sufficiently for nothing to open just from eating or moving but I'm no expert. If you are in pain or have serious concerns call your doctors office to see what they recommend, I have made the egg bites a few times and varied the recipe but the most recent one I logged on MyFitnessPal was;

In awe of how you are looking and the work you are putting in. Please share away I am months ahead of you on the op date but months behind on exercising as I was so ill and had no energy really until a couple of months ago and still just building my energy up. I also don't think I could do all that you do on my own, as much as I try to motivate myself as it is just me I find it too easy to find something else to do instead of exercise. The gyms near me are expensive, I think, between €50 and €75 every two weeks but I think after my holidays next month I will sign up if they allow just a few months membership at a time to see what I can do. I really need to tone my legs and arms.

Can you add in some eggs? I have made egg muffins/bites in my air fryer and I do not like eggs but by the time I had in some veg (last time I used tiny bits of onion, some spinach and green beans) and a dash of sriracha sauce I can manage them. As they are small they are only about 2 or 3g protein each but handy as a snack.

I use the grocery ones, I think they are all pure enough without having to pay a months salary for some gimmicky one

When a colleague or friend tells me I am looking well, which is happening more often now, I am learning simply to say "thank you" and not do a longer answer like I used to with such things as "thanks, I had a shower today" or "thanks I brushed my hair" as before if anyone said it I didn't believe them - how could they think I looked well if I didn't think or feel it? Now I know I am looking well (albeit tired) so I am learning to get comfortable with people noticing. I wouldn't consider that I had a resting b*tch face but before I would just have a 'not interested, ignore me' resting face, now I try to remember to smile and find it is happening naturally. So when sitting on the bus or at my desk etc I have a little smile and I think that then rubs off on those around me.

I added tumeric as a spice in my soups and soft food and added cinnamon to my yoghurts to help with inflammation - both recommended to me in the hospital and I think they helped. The hospital actually said they could be taken together as a tea but I am not a great tea drinker so went with the adding to food option. I still take cinnamon frequently just to keep up the good habit, travel with a jar of it for adding to coffee and yoghurts if needed.

I get that occasionally and can usually track it back to something I ate. When it happened the first couple of times I freaked out and almost went to hospital but after a couple of hours it eased. I mentioned it to my surgeon at my appointment with him in May and he said it sounded as if it was due to something not passing through as easily depending on size or consistency. Last night it was like a rainbow shape about the belly button area but I think it was because I had a mini beef taco for dinner and I have not eaten much of that type of carb since before my op as I try my best to avoid bread and pasta.

Congratulations on having the surgery and your loss. I agree with the other comments above. Don't see this is a restrictive diet as that will possibly become unsustainable thinking and lead to bringing back bad habits and what might be a cheat day becomes cheat days/weeks/months. I believe it is about finding balance and enjoyment in what you are doing, enjoy the food you are eating but obviously in smaller portions and try to make the healthier choice between fried and grilled foods etc. I also plan my grocery shopping based on what I want to cook and eat for a week and don't buy off list, that way when at home I don't have anything 'bold' to eat and I am not going to go to the shop just for a bag of popcorn (boy do I miss popcorn). I am not one who enjoys exercise and tried gyms, yoga, running, zumba before over the years but I have found over the last few months that once I start a pilates class, aqua aerobics or go for a walk that I am more relaxed so I think finding an activity you like and trying to keep to some sort of routine will help as well, for me that is paying in advance for classes, so I can't opt out

Looking great and fit, you have achieved so much in a just a few months.

I have slip ons, lace up sneakers, hiking boots and their sandals all of which are great for walking and standing around, be it a 5 minute or 5 hour walk. Never had issues with breaking them in.

I love skechers and I keep going back to them even after trying others (asics, new balance, nike).

You and your body have been through a lot over the last few years.

Yes, I had great ones for a few years from Marks & Spencer but after my surgery they didn't fit anymore so wouldn't exactly seal/hold anything in if you get what I mean. Once my periods started again back in April I got more M&S but they aren't as nice a style as they used to be so now I have gotten some Modibodi ones plus a swimshort.

What about yoghurt with some garlic and lemon in it? Also work as part of protein needs.

That is now 7 Amazon deliveries due in the next few days and an order from About You. This weight loss journey is so expensive 😂

Ooops I accidently put it in my basket and paid for it on the UK site so it will arrive to me on Friday or Monday 🤣 It means I can bring it with my on my upcoming work trip and then holiday so I don't miss my Monday weigh in's. That is how I am justifying it to myself, even though I promised myself and my bank balance I wouldn't buy anything else before my holiday.

For body weight yes, the brand I use (Renpho) also have a travel one that has really good reviews. Its available on Amazon UK and US sites but not the German or French ones. I am tempted to order it on the US one for delivery to the hotel I am going to be at.