Bypass2Freedom

Wasn't sure if now was the best time to make this, but I see others making this kind of thread the month before their surgery date so I thought why not! It feels surreal even saying I am having surgery next month! Mine is booked on for 14/05/24 - who else will be having theirs in May? A few questions just to get us started: 1) Are you nervous about anything? If so, what? - just in the hope that any veterans can give advice or if we can help each other. Anxiety is normal! 2) What have you prepared/plan to prepare for your hospital bag? 3) What are you most excited about? I look forward to hearing from you all ❤️

I really empathise with this - I am quite open about my journey anyway, and find that people are just genuinely curious and I haven't - yet - had anyone be negative about the fact I've had surgery, they just have lots of questions and I am more than happy to talk about it!

So both my boyfriend and my mum have commented on my posture recently - completely valid - but I just didn't realise how bad my posture is! I don't know about anyone else, but when I was at my heaviest I just always walked around with a slump - sometimes without realising it. Maybe just to make myself smaller. But now I have lost a significant amount, I feel more confident, but I am still slouching when I walk and it is definitely noticeable! Any tips on how to hold myself better? 😂

So I have been reminding myself daily to engage my core, loosen my shoulders back etc and it is working slowly but surely - I am noticing less pain in my back now when actually standing correctly. I just need to keep reminding myself not to slouch! Thank you for the advice everyone!

So prior to surgery I tasked myself with writing a letter to the "future me". I wrote this letter and then sealed it up so that I could open it 6 months post-op and reflect. I thought I'd share it with you all to give some inspo, and just because I value being open about my journey with you all ❤️ I wrote this letter on the 20th December 2023, with my surgery scheduled for the 14th May 2024. Some of this letter may be triggering for others (mentions of sexual assault/abuse), so please don't read on if you aren't able to. I also highly recommend for people to do the same pre-surgery. Reading this letter has been really cathartic for me, especially at a time where my weight loss is slowing down a little. So, here it is, my letter to myself: To me, I hope that you have found your own form of genuine happiness. To try and picture how life is for you now is impossible. I'm currently at work, my back is in pain, I am overly conscious of my body - my stomach and chin in particular. I hope that you aren't worrying about any of those things anymore. Remember feeling so painfully aware of your body, about how nothing quite fits you anymore? I pray life is better for you now. I want you to have a whole new quality of life. No more holding yourself back. Say yes to things that scare you. Go on a paddle boat. Go to go-ape. Do something terrifying. I hope that your mental wounds are beginning to heal. All those times you were cheated on and mentally & physically abused by your ex because of your weight. You didn't deserve that. Not one bit. Your worth is not, and never was, defined by how much you weigh. Please don't get stuck on the numbers. I know this has probably been one of the hardest experiences for you, and I know you have probably had to re-learn everything, but you deserve this. You are so, so deserving. Reflect back on the past: Nan calling you 'podgy' in a top you was excited to wear when you was 13, but you never wore it again after that. Growing fast and being bigger than most people in school. Always yo-yoing from diet to diet. None of it worked. Punishing yourself didn't work. But now look at what you have achieved. YOU did this. No one else. Be proud. I hope, more than anything else, that you have finally found out who you are. That girl inside, behind all the weight, waiting for freedom. I can't wait to meet her x

Absolutely stunning before & after!

I've recently started going to the gym again! I was trying to go in my early post-surgery days but I just didn't have the motivation! I have noticed though, since losing 6 stone, I am now happier to go to the gym. My body actually feels capable and ready to go, and I don't ache from doing the minimum. I have been doing some light weights during a full body workout, and I do 20 mins of cardio on the treadmill on those days too, and today I have just implemented a 45 min cardio day!

It is so difficult to stop! I didn't even realise how bad my posture was until recently - definitely to do with the tummy slowly disappearing! Funnily enough I have asked my boyfriend & mum to remind me if I am slouching, but yeah I am just getting frustrated with myself!

As you say, I definitely need to give myself some grace! We started at a very similar weight, and I am 5ft 5" so I completely get it! I'll start trying those stretches in the morning - thank you

Oooh I shall have a look at this! Thank you

I've currently started back at the gym so I have a basic full body workout to get me used to it, and then I will see if I can add some more exercises to strengthen those areas! Any suggestions? I am trying really hard to concentrate on straitening out my back as I sit at a desk most days! Your advice really helps and allows me to visualise it so thank you!

Thank you for reading 🖤 I like to think I'm an open book, especially when it comes to my more difficult experiences, purely because I believe having an open and non-judgemental platform to talk about things that may otherwise be hidden away, is really important! That's actually a really good idea - I think I'm going to do that!

It's so moving to hear that people have had such an emotional reaction to my little rambling, thank you for reading it and for your kind words x

My boyfriend plays Tarkov and omg it seems so complicated! Definitely a tough one to get into, but rewarding as you say!

The belt that I wear to work (size L) now fits around my hips on the biggest setting - it previously only JUST made it around my waist on the same setting!

Woo!

Just a checkpoint to remind people to take their measurements when the scale isn't moving! Feel free to share ❤️ Starting weight: 281lbs Bust = 53", Waist = 45", Hips = 56", Stomach = 56" 26/08/24 216 lbs Bust = 45", Waist = 36.5", Hips = 49", Stomach = 47.5" Current Weight 196.2 lbs Bust = 43", Waist = 35", Hips = 46", Stomach = 46"

Thank you! It definitely boosted my confidence! It is so weird to have these intrusive thoughts like "is the surgery still working, am I still going to lose weight" - but getting to this point makes me realise that all is well and I am on the right track!

Definitely get a new one! Ah that is amazing! Well done!

That is so heart-breaking to hear - I hope that you feel comfortable to wear it again, as you should!

Thank you for taking the time to read it 🖤 I'll admit I cried when reading it too! I hope it does - we are all on such a complex and personal journey, I think it's so important we take the time to praise ourselves and reflect. Thank you🖤

Prior to my WLS I remember having this overwhelming feeling of pressure & guilt all mixed into one, because I felt lazy - why couldn't I just go to the gym and make a change for myself? And that feeling of pressure and negativity just stunned me into doing nothing. I swore that post-WLS I would do my everything to never be like that, yet here I am - yes I am losing weight, I am eating better, but I have been to the gym like 5 times in 2 months...why can't I just do it? I feel like I am really just putting a lot of pressure on myself right now, but I just think I need to make a change and get into better habits. Sorry guys - just needed to vent! Anyone else struggle with this kind of thing?

I completely get that feeling - I hope that your day starts to improve and you feel better x

So my bf also seems to have started the "mourning" process 😂I've always had astronomically sized boobs (38GG) and I am just watching them slowly deflate 😅 I swear to god when I lay down they almost touch my mattress, so I am just dealing with that fun new thing 😂 He has this idea in his head that 'fake boobies' are those old-style, unmoving, plastic type deals. I have had to tell him again and again that plastic surgery has come such a long way, and that fake boobs can look so realistic, that sometimes you wouldn't have even known they were fake if not for the scars! Either way, time will tell! He is more of a bum man though, so lets just hope that doesn't deflate too much 😅 BUT - I know my man will love me regardless, he loved me at my absolute heaviest when I couldn't even do that myself, and he loves me and finds me just as attractive now. I like his male gaze 😍