Clark Griswold

OMG this is so relatable (aside from the cheating/abuse part - I am sorry you had to go through that, some people are horrors to put it mildly). You are doing so so well, you should be really proud of yourself and your journey so far.

Happy Thanksgiving to our American members and to all! Let's see those Thanksgiving before and after food pics!

Really struggling this week and for no particular reason. Its hard to articulate, but I feel fat even though I am still losing and am now living an active lifestyle. I cant place my finger on why but having a 'fat' week where I feel like I've gone back to pre-surgery feelings about my size. I was doing so well mentally until this week. Anyone else feel like this randomly

It's such a mindset shift isnt it! The old me used to dread going shopping so much in case they didnt have my size (most places didnt) so literally had to be dragged shopping. Congrats btw, we keep hitting new milestones and I for one am so much happier in my own skin, and i'm only just past half way to my goal.

Great to hear you got on so well on hols! Keep on smashing it

Echo all the comments so far. You are doing so well in spite of the gym, put it that way! You are absolutely killing it so far regardless, and you aren’t even 6 months in! You got this and we are all here to support each other and all on similar journeys so you’ve done the right thing in posting your feelings (and thanks for doing so). Hope you feel better about it all soon

So had my VGS surgery on 13th June and have been keeping track of my measurements since about the 3rd of July 2024. Low waist included, as I am male and I wear most of my trousers/jeans low. Waist high is measured above my hips. 3rd July: Chest = 52 inches Neck = 19 inches Waist (high) = 51 inches Waist (low) = 53 inches Thigh = 31 inches Bicep = 18 inches 27 August Chest = 50 inches (-2) Neck = 18 inches (-1) Waist (high) = 47 inches (-4) Waist (low) = 50 inches (-3) Thigh = 28 inches (-3) Bicep = 15.5 inches (-2.5) So in total that's 15.5 inches lost since around 3 weeks after surgery. This has been especially useful given weight loss has slowed to around 2-3 lbs per week, and is a great motivator for me 😊 Anyone else tracking measurements?

Thank you and good luck for yours!

Amazing feeling isn't it? The 'OMG this smaller size actually fits me' moment is something I was not prepared for. Hope you have an amazing time on your holiday - we just booked to go to Lanzarote in October (scottish) school hols, so cant wait!

Thanks all for the advice on breads! I tried a cracker and gouda cheese at the weekend and that went down ok so assume melba toast would be ok. I tried a wrap last week and it was not pleasant at all, and couldnt keep it down.

How long did it take you all to tolerate bread? I’m 2.5 months post vsg and really struggle to tolerate most breads and especially wraps

I would definitely recommend staying away from platform training shoes like converse and vans as they will not support your feet enough. If possible I recommend what someone said above and find somewhere where they'll measure your feet and take into account your arches and foot width. I ended up going with New Balance running shoes as they suited my foot measurements, and boy are they comfortable to walk and run in.

Thank you!

RE Exercise, i found I was like that at the start and now strategically plan gym sessions carefully around eating i.e. I'll eat then exercise an hour later, so I am getting that energy in before expelling it. I also found at the start of exercise, I struggled at the gym, so I started walking 2-3 miles per day, which actually boosted my energy levels, and hence also enabled me at the gym. You are still doing amazing though, you should be very proud of the progress you've made this far.

Honestly, I am feeling amazing! I have hit a little bit of a slow down on weight loss being 2.5 months post op, but I am now hammering the exercise and still losing inches off my body. When I say a slow down, I mean I've gone from losing 4-5 lbs per week to around 2lbs per week. An example of the exercise, I never imagined i'd have felt comfortable on a treadmill pre-op, and I am about to go onto week 3 of the 9 week couch to 5k program on the treadmill at the gym! How are you doing this week?

Yes I can completely empathise with this, and it kinda feels like a natural reaction to put some sort of negative spin on it or to put yourself down - feels kinda like our old barriers are still up when in reality we should all be really proud of our achievements. And I think that is all to do with the psychology behind it all, which is hard to overcome or reset your thinking both with eating habits and appearance changes - hopefully that improves/comes with time. Let's make a pact that we'll both just say thank you very much next time

You look awesome! And well done you for actually posting the progress pics. How do you feel 1 year on vs at surgery time? I am 2.5 months post sleeve, and do not regret it one bit!

I got a compliment from an office co-worker the other day - something along the lines of "you are looking very trim these days, have you been going to the gym?". I was taken aback by it tbh and awkwardly just said yeah I have - was lost for words! As has been mentioned being at my biggest, I wanted to avoid any comments on my appearance, so to receive unsolicited feedback like this made me squirm a bit inside, but went home that evening with a smile on my face after I'd thought about it all afternoon.

Massive congrats on your progress so far! I remember your initial profile pic, and you can so tell you have lost in your face! It's funny as I am the same in that respect - seem to have visibly lost in my face first, and folks I haven't seen for a while (and don't know I've had WLS) ask me if I've done something to my face as its different (good different) haha. I totally agree with the new normal takes some time to get used to. I am at the 2 month mark now and still have to remind myself that I will lose more weight, albeit I have slowed now to about 2-3lbs per week, even with exercise everyday. RE the out of breath part, I was the same - would struggle to walk up an incline for 2 mins without being out of breath and sweaty, now I can do it no problem. Keep up the great work, I am sure the stall will move soon.

Well done! I used to hate the gym, more so the feeling of self consciousness and thinking people are looking at me. My surgery date was close to yours & I've been back at the gym for about 3 weeks now as well as walking on non-gym days and am loving it, feel so good after each workout. Keep up the great work, you're smashing it!

Totally agree with Bypass2Freedom here. I couldn't really do much around the house until about 2 weeks post op and had to rein myself in a bit. Plenty of rest is the order of the day, but did manage to get out for a simple 1 mile walk around the day 10 mark.

Thank you! Yes eyes bigger than my stomach I've encountered a few times. My dietician said to chew things 20x before swallowing which helped me realise I am full, which has worked to an extent. Yes very much looking forward to the social aspect again. My family love eating out for birthdays etc.

hi all, I posted this in the pre op forum for June buddies, but thought I'd also post it here in case it helps anyone. Here's my experience so far after getting the Gastric Sleeve procedure on 13th June 2024... Immediately after surgery It was pretty rough for me, I woke up in a lot of pain, so much so that the nurses had to give me 30mg morphine for the pain. I was in a recovery room for the first 24 hours (standard procedure for the private hospital in the UK i went through) After the initial 24hrs I was moved back to my room where I felt a lot better. Even able to eat an ice pop and a small cup of Tomato Soup (sipping of course) and sipping Water every 5-10 mins. Week 1-2 I quickly moved onto the liquids phase, in which I must have taken in around 2-300 cals per day through Protein Shakes and watery Soups. I must admin this phase was the hardest for me, managing the pain meds as well as trying to drink as much liquids as I could in a day. It just so happened there was an international football (soccer) tournament on in Europe in my first 2 weeks' recovery so was engrossed in that! I also started walking 1 mile per day and upping that to almost 2 miles by the end of it. My weight loss was drastic in this phase but my word I was lethargic/got tired v easily and not up for doing much. Week 3-4 Puree stage - finally I felt I was able to get some proper food in me, and a few days after starting this phase, my weight slowed right down - the dreaded (but expected) 3 week plateau kicked in. I went around a week and a bit without any weight loss, despite me sticking to the recommended diet. I am not going to sugar coat this, it was a bit disappointing standing on those scales after a week, but I knew this would happen so meh I guess. Still walking 2 miles per day during this phase and now feeling I have a lot more energy. Week 5-6 Week 5 started with me starting to lose a pound every 2 days or so, so my body seems like it has adjusted to the inro of more foods for the 'soft foods' stage. I also started back at the gym doing some cardio work on top of my walks, and oh boy I have so much more energy for it! I am now around half way through week 6 and had my first appointment with my nutritionist and he is blown away by the progress I have made/am making. He gave me further chewing tips to make sure I am not overeating as I have been sick a couple of times when I've eaten too quickly and not realised I'm full/satisfied. He is now happy for me to start introducing more fibred meats and more complex foods, like a little Pasta and a little bit of rice, to test the waters. Struggles so far: Reminding myself I have a new stomach not eating what family members are eating e.g. Sunday dinner Eating too fast resulting in vomiting Extra attention from people who have noticed a loss in weight (47lbs and counting since pre-op liver diet). Since I've been overweight most of my adult life, I carried a lot of shame internally, so its in my nature not to talk about myself/get photos taken etc Wins so far Losing a lot of weight and all the benefits that go with it. Being more present with my family. Having the energy to do everything they want to do (I have a wife and 2 kids, girl 11, boy 7) Clothes! I have dropped from XXXL to XL already. Which was a surprise when I packed to go to a 5 day getaway with my fam in week 5 Mental health - the mental benefits come as such a relief. I no longer feel down about my weight (although I know I still have a ways to go) Confidence - generally just feel I can be more myself - hopefully some here will resonate with this. Would be great to hear of your experiences so far, especially if you had your procedure in April/May/June/July!

Same here in the UK, had to fast from Midnight before surgery. I was grudgingly allowed a small glass of water about 2 hours before surgery (i was parched) but that was it.

Hiya, I certainly do feel a lot better about myself that's for sure. Oh nice, I bet you cant wait for the holiday! It was very strange but empowering walking into a clothing store and not having to have fingers crossed they have your size. Nutritionist said to start introducing textured foods now and ease into 'normal' eating. I actually crave salads at the moment and healthy things as opposed to anything bad, which is a 180 from my previous way of looking at food. My mouthfuls vary tbh. for example I made the exact same thing for lunch today as I did yesterday - a 1 egg omelette with grated cheese and small pieces of ham. Ate the lot yesterday bar about 2 mouthfuls and today I haven't even managed half. I am so glad you're feeling better for it too