NeonRaven8919

I've been struggling to keep up with the diet so I thought I would try to focus on all the things that I hope to accomplish from the surgery so that I can remind myself what better times I have to come.
Not just big things like better health but also the smaller things that I think are just as important.
1st: Sleep! I want to lose enough weight to sleep well. I don't have sleep apnoea yet, but my doctor says I'm at risk because of my weight and even without the sleep apnoea, it's still really hard to get comfortable and lying on my back definitely affects my breathing and my spine.
2nd: Activity! I ride my bike everywhere and I enjoy it, but I would love to do other things without pain in my knees. I go to concerts a lot and usually need to stand because no one sits at rock concerts (unless it was like when I went to see the Scorpions last month when the average age of music fan was 56 so it was all seats). Standing for a long time hurts and then I can't enjoy the concert as much as I was hoping. Maybe be able to lose the ebike and get an "acoustic" bike.
3rd: Fashion! Being able to shop at cheaper stores. Plus size clothes comes with a plus size price tag. Years ago, (teenage years) I bought a t-shirt that was a size 16. They had the same t-shirt in the "plus size section" (also a size 16 and the exact same size) and it was £2 extra for the same amount of fabric. And as someone with a more alternative sense of fashion, not a lot of plus size clothes have skulls and flames and vampires and things like that. They tend to make plus size clothes with puppies and kitties and cutesy things. There's nothing cutesy about me.

This week has been disappointing. I didn't lose any weight despite not doing anything different.
I got a dreaded summer cold, so I wasn't motivated to cook. So I ordered pizza last night.. I'm really disappointed in myself, because there's a million better options. But what's done is done. So I'm back on the diet today. I'm still sick, but I can't use that as an excuse. And at least when I don't lose weight and gain, tomorrow, I'll know why.
I've also joined a gym and I've got the induction on Saturday. I used to go to the gym pre-pandemic and just wasn't able (or maybe willing) to get back into the swing of things once they reopened. I do miss the Water aerobics class I used to do. The new gym doesn't have a pool and I can't afford a gym with a pool.
So up and down

@JennyBeez Exactly! The fashion industry wants all the fat people in muumuus. I guess like a scarlet letter for not fitting the ideal beauty standards?

Just had my pre-surgery assessment chat with the nurse. They did bloods, an ECG and a swab for MRSA. I was originally told that they thought I would be a good "day case". I thought this meant, I have the surgery and then I go home the same day and I was worried. But what this actually means is that I have the surgery and then go to a nearby hotel, but as I'm borderline with my sleep scores, I might stay in the hospital. I'm a little relieved that I'm not going home straight after surgery!

Or florals, and 'ditzy florals'. I don't mind me some dark botanical prints with kinda moody vibes or mushrooms, but stop putting flowers on half of plus-sized clothing. Ughhh. Looks fine on other people, but on me it's like my clothes can't decide if I'm trying too hard to look younger, or have given up and aim trying to look like my grandma.

I love (sarcasm) how the fashion industry just decided they could get away with charging a premium -- both on women's clothing in general, and on plus sizes especially. If it was premium fabric or custom-made / bespoke items, sure, but when it's just a few more inches of cheap poly-blend? Pfft.

WooHoo!!! You're doing so well!!! Have you been updating your stats on here? If not, you should. Have you decided on the surgery you want and when you're having it? As for why men are dumb...the only answer I have is because they're men. Can't live with em and it's illegal to shoot em lol But I digress...I love my hubby but he did and still does the same thing. I weighed 270 when we met and was all the way up to 421. Now that I'm 176, he gets in his moods where he's convinced I'm going to leave, l but I just tell him I'm too old, too tired, and I put too much time, effort, and energy into getting him the way I want him to start all over with someone new. Not sure that helps a whole lot, but at least he's quiet after that lol

@NeonRaven8919Exactly!
@AmberFLHe‘s currently on the platform, unsure if the weight loss train is the train he wants at the moment
@JennyBeezRomanncy-love-stuff? What’s that then? LOL!
@SleeveToBypass2023All my stats are up to date right now. Don’t know which surgery as I haven’t had my appointment with the surgeon yet (NHS - it’s never a rush 🙄) I had thought sleeve initially but, after my first group education session, I’m now thinking bypass, purely because of reducing the hunger hormones which isn’t a factor with the sleeve. However, I will listen to what the medical professionals recommend and make my decision from that.
So, I had the conversation with hubby last night and got a lot of things cleared up. It’s not just the WLS that’s concerning him but some other things too like me having knee surgery and not needing him anymore, especially as he has his own disability which cannot be addressed with surgery. He thinks he will be holding me back and I deserve better etc etc. I truly understand where he’s coming from but we’ve been together 22 years, married for 17. His accident happened when we’d been together a couple of years and back surgery made it much worse. We’ve dealt with horrible shitty ex-wives, massively entitled kids, redundancy, depression, illness, disabilities etc. If we can come through all of that and not want to stab one another then I will take that as a win 🤣😂 Life throws things at us when we least expect it, both good and bad. I think we’re OK for now, thankfully, so I can stop eyeing up the pillows in bed, thinking of ways to smother him 😈
Physio was cancelled today due to staff illness. They had a bit of a panic trying to find an appointment for me as I’m supposed to have physio 10-14 days after the steroid injection. As it stands, they found me an appointment for next Monday which will be 19 days afterwards so I will have to see if that’s acceptable. I’m not stressing though as I’m doing the circulation booster and knee programme every day so hopefully that will have a positive impact.

thats exactly what I say! its way too much effort to go somewhere else, we have 3 kids, too messy, and plus I am the dating scene is not for me! HA!

I've been struggling to keep up with the diet so I thought I would try to focus on all the things that I hope to accomplish from the surgery so that I can remind myself what better times I have to come.
Not just big things like better health but also the smaller things that I think are just as important.
1st: Sleep! I want to lose enough weight to sleep well. I don't have sleep apnoea yet, but my doctor says I'm at risk because of my weight and even without the sleep apnoea, it's still really hard to get comfortable and lying on my back definitely affects my breathing and my spine.
2nd: Activity! I ride my bike everywhere and I enjoy it, but I would love to do other things without pain in my knees. I go to concerts a lot and usually need to stand because no one sits at rock concerts (unless it was like when I went to see the Scorpions last month when the average age of music fan was 56 so it was all seats). Standing for a long time hurts and then I can't enjoy the concert as much as I was hoping. Maybe be able to lose the ebike and get an "acoustic" bike.
3rd: Fashion! Being able to shop at cheaper stores. Plus size clothes comes with a plus size price tag. Years ago, (teenage years) I bought a t-shirt that was a size 16. They had the same t-shirt in the "plus size section" (also a size 16 and the exact same size) and it was £2 extra for the same amount of fabric. And as someone with a more alternative sense of fashion, not a lot of plus size clothes have skulls and flames and vampires and things like that. They tend to make plus size clothes with puppies and kitties and cutesy things. There's nothing cutesy about me.

Girl thanks! Girl this thread is about grief I post what I grieve but 4 months in and I'm down close to 100 pounds and Run 5 miles daily trust me it don't get no more creative. It dosent stop me from wanting a hamburger 🍔 or a shake tho! I will never go backwards I worked to hard for this body. #bariatricbabe 😂😂.

I grieve the convenience of high fat/sugar/calorie foods. The ability to go anywhere with friends or family for a meal and not have to worry about 'will I be able to find something I can eat?' and cruising the menu online first.
I grieve being able to go to my comfort foods for emotional comfort rather than having to actually work through it. Even though I'm happier, overall / in the long run, when I first sink into a bad mood that first little while is rough.
I don't really grieve the particular foods themselves (yet?) -- but I think that's a mental block on my part at the moment; so many foods have been giving me problems that the idea of many food types make me feel ill, and the idea of anything greasy or fatty makes me downright nauseated.
(Seriously, I had a conversation with my mother last week about pepperoni and her stomach issues when she eats pizza, and just picturing pepperoni had me breathing through my nose trying not to gag lol)

(I do grieve that on excruciatingly hot days at work, when the guys make a run for iced-capps , there's no soothing ice slushy to make my afternoon more bearable.)

Have you ever thought of making your own clothes? I’m just thinking it could be a win/win for you - get the clothes you actually want to wear (no cutesy puppies or kittens here either 😉) plus it would keep you busy and occupied so distracting you from food both short and long term.
Congrats on your losses so far. It’s immensely difficult when you’re putting yourself under pressure because of someone else’s expectations (your surgeon in this case) Just think about YOU, not him. You’re doing brilliantly and that’s all that matters 😊

I've been struggling to keep up with the diet so I thought I would try to focus on all the things that I hope to accomplish from the surgery so that I can remind myself what better times I have to come.
Not just big things like better health but also the smaller things that I think are just as important.
1st: Sleep! I want to lose enough weight to sleep well. I don't have sleep apnoea yet, but my doctor says I'm at risk because of my weight and even without the sleep apnoea, it's still really hard to get comfortable and lying on my back definitely affects my breathing and my spine.
2nd: Activity! I ride my bike everywhere and I enjoy it, but I would love to do other things without pain in my knees. I go to concerts a lot and usually need to stand because no one sits at rock concerts (unless it was like when I went to see the Scorpions last month when the average age of music fan was 56 so it was all seats). Standing for a long time hurts and then I can't enjoy the concert as much as I was hoping. Maybe be able to lose the ebike and get an "acoustic" bike.
3rd: Fashion! Being able to shop at cheaper stores. Plus size clothes comes with a plus size price tag. Years ago, (teenage years) I bought a t-shirt that was a size 16. They had the same t-shirt in the "plus size section" (also a size 16 and the exact same size) and it was £2 extra for the same amount of fabric. And as someone with a more alternative sense of fashion, not a lot of plus size clothes have skulls and flames and vampires and things like that. They tend to make plus size clothes with puppies and kitties and cutesy things. There's nothing cutesy about me.

This whole thing is a science! LOL I am a worker-outer? a gym rat? a gym go-er? well you know what I mean. I work out lol I lift 4 days a week, 1 day only cardio and 1 day F45. I eat anywhere from 1300-1600 calories a day. Depending on the day. One days I do not work out I eat less around 1200 cal. I am only 6.5m out and have hit my goal weight, but there are days where I get scared that I am eating too much. From what I have learned in my very short journey is that our body needs the food in order to grow our muscles, and give us energy for our workouts. Your body will balance out, you will notice your body change now too. I noticed that when I allowed myself more calories my legs and booty got thicker which I have been trying to achieve for months but it wasn't happening lol Just track everything and if you find yourself eating A LOT of not great things then you can look back and see why there is a gain.
P.S I eat a "bad thing" everyday, I am not super restrictive and deprive myself. I have learned that everything in moderation in order for me to keep this as a life long thing. Tracking has really helped me stay accountable!

Why are men? In General.
But im Happy for you with the jeans!

Currently in the hospital bed! Just met my surgeon and gave me some info and told me see you tomorrow!
Starting weight: 109.5 kg

Let's do this!

I cannot wait to just get it done and start feeling better 😌 I hope this surgery helps you a ton! I bet everything is rlly different there, they are going to take rlly good care of you and you will be back on ur feet In no time!

Just hoping to connect with fellow gastric sleeve patients and hopefully understand and learn from each other!

Some of us do gain during stalls, so try (try! lol) not to worry too much about that either. ❤️

I just want to say, kudos to you doing so well on this extended liquid diet. It probably gets easier as it goes on, but I'm sure you'll have tougher days and easier days. If you ever need to vent, we're here for ya! But seriously, it sounds like you're really killing it already!

Great ideas. Just keep in mind if you wear readers you will for sure need them for that diamond painting. Even still my eyes were bugging out after a while. Them things are tiny. I had that for another surgery and I did it through the recovery but ended up giving the book to my neice after that. And Netflix is really great because there are not any food commercials. They do have food on the shows but at least it’s not like a sizzling burger that they are tryin to make your mouth Water in order to sell you one. Puzzles are another thing I’ve heard some people say they did during their recovery. And of course journaling. Lots of emotions to write about.

Yea. It’s almost meditative for me. I never would’ve believed that if someone else told me but a therapist suggested I try some kind of craft and a friend of mine in assisted living said she always wished that she had learned knitting or crochet when she was younger so she would have something to do and I figured what the heck I will give it a try. I am hoping it will work as an alternate behavior when I have head hunger post op. 🤞

Thanks for your really honest post. I can see this happening to me and others years after surgery - there are just so many pressures to eat and drink things that aren't good.
It sounds like you're ready for a change and to lose some of that regain if possible. I agree that there will be headwork as well as diet work to do. Arabesque's post is super sensible and I hope you can take all of that on board. I would just add, returning to the basics of Protein first, veg second for a few weeks might let you see a loss again. Maybe set a time limit of 4 weeks adhering strictly to that and see how you progress?
I like a glass or two of wine at weekends but if you can cut out alcohol completely (empty calories) then do. If not, then minimise. Think about why you need to have a few drinks in order to socialise online and think about what joy that socialising brings to your life (Vs the joy of being at your ideal weight). When you start losing weight again hopefully this will reinforce your new choices.

I've been knitting since 2010 and crocheting off and on for about the same time. I started while I was university since I couldn't afford my tv licence and I needed something do.
I did much better in my exams the year I took up knitting. I think it was because it involved my hand-eye coordination rather than just watching tv

You look great! Really good progress! I haven't had the surgery so no "after" yet, but I will be sure to post after pics!

Hi!
I got approved for the surgery in May of 2024. Doctor first told me that I would most likely have to wait until 2025 because of how the long the hospital waiting list is. Suddenly, I got called last week saying they were able to do it in October of 2024.
So this is the first day of a 12 week liquid diet to lose 10% of my body weight before the surgery.
My birthday is coming up and I have wedding that I'm going to next week!
I'm happy that this is happening this year, but I also feel bummed because I feel like this is bad timing.
I'm really happy that this journey is starting. I've always been overweight and so was my mother. We were the only one's in the family who were. We moved to the UK when I was 14 and my stepfather was also overweight and he passed away in 2022 due to pneumonia and other weight related complications.
My mother had gastric bypass in 2008 and due to surgical complication, they couldn't fix a bowel perforation and she passed in 2023. She and my stepdad were the only people in my life who were really supportive of anything I did. I fell a little bit alone going through this now, but I'm feeling optimistic at the same time.
Just looking for other people to share my story with.