Search the Community

Well I have been on both sides of this fence. In 2009 when I had the lapband placed at 232lbs (5'2") I told my (now) x husband (we were married 26 years), my two sons, daughter in law and a couple of co workers that i thought i could trust. Well my x went and told a few friends after they made comments that "chris's looking good". He said and i quote.... Well she's only losing weight because she had SX.....then, of course, others started to ask and I would say from diet and exercise... Which was true. But when i found out what he said and turns out the co works were saying the same things..... I had a person say.... Well i heard you had WLS.... So after that i was open about it. I found some support and a lot of judgment. Grant you it was back with WLS wasn't as well accepted as it is now. Awful comments from my x, x-friends, x-co workers.... and people in general...... Too skinny, i looked sick, i was lazy for having WLS, i thought i was better than them cuz i was skinny now, how people died from WLS, that i would lose all my hair....i could go on and on. So in 2017 my band slipped and was removed. I went on FB and told everyone. Six months later I moved out of state to where no one knew me except my husband and four of his co workers. When i moved here i was 143lbs.... over the next 2.5 years i put on 30lbs. So i decided to do a revision.......It was not covered by insurance. I was going to crossfit 4 days a week and trying to lose for pending wedding in Sept, 2019. So i laid the groundwork....... Told my co workers i had a hernia (true, Hiatal) and it needed to be fixed (still truth). The weight loss started and they just thought it was from dieting for the wedding (still true). I went in on Wednesday and was back at work on Monday. Still, the only person that knows is my husband. Didn't tell sons, family, friends (not even best), or co workers....... THIS IS 100% BETTER. No comments, no snarky looks, no having to explain anything. Now i'm 120lbs and you know NOT ONE PERSON has said.... You look sick, you are too thin, you are lazy, .... etc. Not one person said i would die from hernia sx..... I'm 100% team.... keep your mouth shut....... Even if you tell just one "friend".... it will get out, especially if its a girl. Us bi*ches like to gossip.

@Rosie_flips I’m not really sure you can prepare yourself for getting all your fluids in after surgery. I’ve honestly spent the past 4 days sleeping on and off and I sip water and pedialyte when I am awake. If you are wanting to practice, try taking the tiniest sips of your life, no matter how thirsty you are. I caused a bout of nausea when I drank too fast. The first day I was allowed to have 15 ml of water every 15 minutes. The second day I was allowed to have 30 ml of water every 10 minutes. @JustJazzy I had my surgery Monday and I too am sore as hell. Luckily I only had the sleeve and a liver biopsy, so I can imagine you are much more sore than I am. On day 2, I sat in my hospital room thinking what the hell did I do to myself? And I was almost regretting this. I can say that each day the pain subsides a tiny bit more and it is getting easier. I have been taking liquid Tylenol as frequently as I can and that seems to be helping as well. I’ve also had good luck with ice packs.

I did my pre- pre - op class lol (so many hoops !) It was like the online classes only they went over stuff that you need to bring to the hospital, pick up and drop off instructions, things that may happen after surgery, food basics for the first serveral weeks, they showed pics of the facility, they talked about cross addiction, the incisions and wound care, etc. oh they also mentioned that you should take a picture of your Kaiser card and then have your person who is picking you up stop by the pharmacy and grab your meds while you are getting released. (Great tip!) So ....relevant info..... it wasn’t too bad. I also returned my wheelchair since I am walking better with the weight loss I’ve already had and don’t need it anymore. I have my pre op appointment with the surgeon on Friday (in person). I plan to make some protein sugar free Jell-O shots this weekend. I buckled and ordered some of the clear isopure drinks online because the premier protein isn’t good for clear liquids stage. (Isopure has phosphoric acid in it which I’m not supposed to have, but my phosphorus levels are lowered since May last year and a little bit just during the clear stage won’t kill me). in discussion during the online meeting I also realized that I might be too ambitious. I am getting surgery on Wednesday. My kids are spending the night elsewhere Tuesday-Friday. My plan was to pick them up on Friday but that only gives me a two day recovery before I’m in mom mode. Not to mention I’m not supposed to drive for a week. I don’t think that plan is realistic. So I made arrangements to have them stay with family until mid week the week after surgery. That will give me 1 week of recovery before I have to play referee between my 10 and 4 year old boys.

yeah, I had actually quit smoking for over 10 years until a trip to Europe in 2019 and started again there. Everyone we met smoked, so I was all, fine. I'll take that cigarette you keep offering me. And here we are 1.5 years later, like I never even stopped. But yeah, I should really quit one day....

you're within a normal BMI. Being at a normal BMI, or within 10 or 20 lbs of it, means losing weight is REALLY tough. I used to roll my eyes at normal weight or slightly overweight women who'd b*tch and scream about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs. Ha! Now I totally get it! on top of that, what you're dealing with are normal weight fluctuations. Weight goes up and down a couple of lbs for lots of reasons - e.g., you had a lot of sodium the day before so you're retaining water - or you have fuller intestines that usual (maybe you ate a lot of fiber the day before - or you're constipated). Those two things can easily cause your weight to go up a couple of lbs. But when that's the cause, it's not true weight and it's usually gone in a day or two.

I had both and nope - I have had no pain at all. I didn't even have that dreaded gas pain. I had small cramps that lasted 5 - 10 seconds and then nausea that lasted 10 - 15 seconds but that was it. I honestly questioned if the surgeons did anything - that was until I tried to drink and then it was like - oh yeah they did. Some mild soreness but nothing bad. I had no pain meds once I woke up and have not taken any pain meds at home. I do have a high tolerance for pain so maybe I am masking it? Good luck on your surgery. Hernia repair is very common with this surgery.

Mine was a week ago today. I feel really good. No pain. The first few days I would get a cramp that lasted 5 - 10 seconds and once passed it would cause another 10 - 15 seconds of nausea but that is long gone. I did dry heave one day so I took a pill for nausea. The first few days my stomach was like - I WANT FOOD!!! either that or it was saying WTF did you do? lol It was hard adapting to drinking so slow and so I wasn't getting in all the fluids. I m doing better now with that. @Jnfinney how are you feeling? You are only two days out so i suspect you are still with the cramps and such. Did you get gas pains? I never had any. My biggest issue was in the bathroom and running to it lol

whoops - sorry - I must have missed something. Mine never revved up after the first couple of months. I lost about 10-12 lbs a month from about months 2-6, then it was down to about 5-8 lbs a month during months 6-12. After a year, it was slow as molasses, although I didn't stop losing weight until about month 20.

I had lower body lift and both arms done last Aug 25. It was tough for the first few days, The arms were painful but the lower part not so much...I had a nerve block for that. I only used one dose of narcotic once I got home. The combo of gabapentin and robaxin on a round the clock schedule is being used more and more post op for pain control and has been effective for me after my RNY, my hip replacement and now plastic surgery. I was in surgery for 12 hrs for all 3 procedures and spent 2 nights in the hospital. I recovered at home alone except for my brother would come over every day at lunch time and bring me food and change my arm dressings. The first 2 weeks I didn't do much except sit in my recliner with my arms elevated. After that, recovery became much easier. I had 4 drains for my LBL and I managed them myself and even was able to wrap my own arms and then get into my compression garments once I got them. My brother drove me to my first post op appointment but after that I drove myself to my weekly appointments. I have now scheduled my next surgery, breast lift and back lift and scar revision on left arm, for Aug 2. I'd love to do it sooner but that's when I could get enough time off from work. My third surgery will be a thigh lift and scar revision on right arm, hopefully in January (depends on work schedule). I wouldn't change anything other than wishing I had done it all sooner! My arms are 10 inches smaller and my hips are 33 inches! I wear a size 2P and will probably be a size 0P after I get my thighs done. I never dreamed I'd have this kind of success when I was at my highest weight a few years ago! Good luck with whatever decision you make and you can do it alone with a lot of planning and determination!

Had my surgery in 2018 and 2019 I had only lost 80 lb. Since then I've had a tummy tuck again. So that means I have less bile in my stomach. Since then I have not lost anything and this is the year 2021 . I have not lost anything since then and why am I not losing. I am eating right but not getting a lot of exercise because of this pandemic covid-19. So I am walking my dog and doing what I can around the house to keep busy and trying to burn off calories but nothing has worked. I don't have the money to go to a exercise gym so my plan is to workout at home but I don't like doing it alone. Don't have a lot of friends. And don't know what to do I consulted my doctor and he said it's because of this covid-19 after this it will come off. I'm just getting stressful in getting down on myself cuz I don't know what else to do. I want to be thinner I want to look good. And I want to be healthier. I'm doing everything correctly but why am I'm not losing anything I know everyone says this two to three weeks stall will pass and then our bodies won't start losing more body weight. And went through the two to three weeks tall and my body has not lost anything since then. And I am getting frustrated. I'm thinking about not eating and starving myself to lose the weight. I eat very small as it is now drink the shakes that I should be 4 meals breakfast lunch and dinner and I haven't lost anything since. I was down before my second surgery at 219 and then I gained 10 lbs back and now I am at 232 and maintain that weight for now. Not lost anything since then. But my hair is still coming out. Im down on myself . don't know what else to do? Why can't I be thin. I want to lose another 40 lbs . be under 200 lbs I'll be good. But can't lose fast enough ! Help me please, tell me what can I do!

I overdid it tonight at dinner and for the first time since my surgery exactly 8 weeks ago. I ate an entire 330 calorie (50 carbs, 12 protein and 10 fat) burrito tonight. I was expecting to eat half but since I never felt the full feeling I usually get, I kept eating. Several things are wrong with this but mostly I’m bothered I kept eating because I wasn’t forced to stop How did my pouch handle that intake without me getting terribly sick?

I didn't try alcohol until nearly a year post-surgery. Everything changed. Before surgery, I could drink wine or mixed drinks and develop a lovely mild buzz that would last for about an hour or two. After surgery, I had to give up wine and mixed drinks because of the new effects they had on me. I'd feel nothing for about 30-45 minutes after drinking, then suddenly feel extremely inebriated -- overwhelmed -- and the whooziness would last for several hours, plus sometimes I'd then get a bad headache. And diarrhea (TMI). These days I only drink one can of beer (Guinness Stout) at home. I wouldn't dare drink away from home because of the possibility of severe inebriation. A blood/alcohol card listing weight and BAC showed that hypothetically, a person of my weight would reach a BAC of .10 after drinking just one and one half glasses of wine! If and when you're ready to introduce alcohol back into your life, definitely drink at home first so you can find out how the alcohol now affects you. About a year ago, a woman posted that she drank alcohol at a party and felt completely fine driving home but during the drive she suddenly became overwhelmed by drunkenness and had to pull over and lie down in her seat. She got a DUI.

I just got the sleeve on 3/10/21 and I have been miserable because I can’t keep anything down. I’m currently sipping sugar free pedialyte and I can’t keep it down. This has been a nightmare. I’m vomiting everything 15 minutes. I’m so sorry for your pain and I hope you and I are both soon healed.

I just looked at my stats... it was closer to 7 months I guess. But really I think I was just lucky. I stuck to the diet. I had my good weeks and bad weeks. Long stalls. But when it came off it came off. Also worth noting... the theory is I gained due to prolonged sleep apnea that went undiagnosed for up to 7 years or so. I treated the sleep apnea too. 18 months out and I am up about 10 pounds. I maintained until recently... I am up 10 pounds from my low.

I had my first surgery in 2018 and the second in 2019. I then had my lapband removed, had weight regain and now will be having the sleeve in April. My arms still look fine but when I’m ready to have another surgery down the road I’ll discuss it with him.

Well, I was very active on this forum and doing VERY well post-operatively until COVID hit and I got really busy trying to help my district reopen our schools safely... then all hell broke loose in my life! LMAO So... this is another long self-accountability post. Post Op: I got down to 124 long before my 1 year anniversary and stayed there for quite a while. I survived the initial COVID lockdown and while others were really struggling with diet and staying on track, I was doing mostly very well. Sure, I had my challenges, but I kept them in check. Overall the lockdown was actually great for me and my family. The bad: I had managed to get my husband to stop hoarding cans of food and other food stockpiles before I had surgery. But with the lockdown and the ongoing threat of having to quarantine for 2 or more weeks if anyone in the household got sick... we ended up with more "disaster/survival" food than ever before. I hate having this much crap in the house. The good.... during lockdown I was doing great cooking healthy meals and sticking to my diet. And walking. A LOT. I got to the point where I was walking 6 miles every day... minimum. I felt GREAT. I didn't get my normal summer vacation though. I worked the entire summer. Even when I took time to drive to visit family... it took 2 days to drive there, I spent 4 days there. Drove back in 2 days. And the entire time I was on zoom meetings and my bosses were calling me for this and for that. So, no recovery time from the school year. And then school resumed. Life was more chaotic than every before. Even when we had kids in full remote. But once students returned to campus? OMG... I have never been so exhausted in my life. See... I am the sole person responsible for keeping my staff/students COVID free and that means a LOT of COVID tracing. I had help..... but I was the expert and the brunt fell on my shoulders. I went from walking 6 miles a day and eating very healthy to being so exhausted that I went home from work and collapsed into my bed... from the moment I went home to the moment I had to get ready for work. And food? I started eating what I can and when I could. I am NOT a breakfast person so I would go to work... get so busy that I didn't have time to eat my healthy snacks throughout the day... and then it would be suddenly 1-3 pm and I am finally eating breakfast (I start my day at 6).... I would scramble to find something to eat and end up with something I shouldn't.... and then in the evening while collapsed in my bed I would graze while watching TV or playing on my computer. Too tired to do anything else. And yes... sometimes that included the horrible canned food that I was so sure I needed out of my house before surgery. That went on for a few months. Still... I survived that. Christmas break should have been "recovery" time... but my son brought a girlfriend home for Christmas. Which meant more stress when I needed a break the most. January came and we returned to work without kids for a couple weeks. Best decision ever. It gave us time to clear the COVID peak. Then we slowly retuned kids back to hybrid (which we had been doing since September). This time? Not so bad. Do we still have COVID cases? Of course. But I am not doing constant contact tracing as I had been for so many months prior. But by now the damage to my new post-op lifestyle diet and activity level has already been done. I am still struggling to get back into a walking/exercise routine. And more importantly I am struggling to eat what I am supposed to, in smaller portions and at correct times. The evening grazing is my biggest problem now. So where do I stand? I was 124 when this started... lowest weight ever (well, since early 20s lol). Then by January I realized my weight had creeped up to 131. Not so bad, right? I mean... it is normal to regain that 10 pounds from your lowest, right? *sigh*. But then yesterday I realized I was 138. Now to be fair... I was boated and today I am back to 134.5.... but I don't EVER want to be more than 135 again if I can help it. I figure yesterday's weight was the warning to get my diet back under control. NOW. What have I done well despite everything? Well... I don't drink my calories. Still doing really well with that. I do struggle with drinking straight water all the time... but I now enjoy vitamin water zero, Gatorade zero, and propel. I do this well. I try to always have a water bottle in my hand or nearby. Its funny because I know my stomach has stretched out a little, but I can still only drink up to 6 sips of water at a time. What's with that? LOL I mean... I can eat more food, but I can't drink more water??? Shouldn't it be the other way around??? LMAO And most of the time I do get my full 64 ounces in. I still get dehydrated easily though... so I really have to be careful to have that water bottle in hand when moving around. I won't even go to the office next to mine without it in hand if I can help it. Work food: Well... that was a huge problem for a while. But when I returned from winter break, I also changed office locations. Where I am now I was able to bring in a mini fridge. That is helping a ton. Before if I brought a lunch bag in and put it in the shared fridge I risked having my food supply thrown out. I have had people actually open my lunch box and throw up perfectly good unopened healthy snacks. So... it was pointless even trying to keep healthy stuff there. Now, I can now buy foods that I am allowed to eat and keep them handy. I also have a small tub with a lid for healthy snacks that do not need to be refrigerated. And it helps that things have calmed down enough that I am at my desk m ore throughout the day. This helps me because I am able to eat the right foods, in the right portions, and at the right intervals. I am also making more of an effort to use the stand portion of my sit stand desk. Before COVID I was standing all the time. After COVID I was too tired to stand and didn't do it much. I am starting to do better with that again. I also found a lunchtime walking buddy. We do get very busy so we don't always get to do it... but we are walking at lunch as much as we can. I now have a pair of sneakers under my desk to make sure I can get out when I can. Still struggling with the evening/weekend hikes. Dealing with my daughter is still making it hard to get back in my routine.... but I am getting there. The big challenge now? The evening and weekend eating! I am on Spring Break right now and I am DETERMINED to get that back on track. So... where am I starting? I have decided I need to do a pouch reset diet first. I know I have stretched my stomach a little more than I should have and I think if I can, I really need to let it shrink back down a little. The longer I wait, the harder it will be to accomplish. I went out of my weight to have the surgery, I should let it do it's thing. So, yesterday morning I finished off the small (normal bariatric portion size) piece of Italian Sausage that i had leftover from the night before... but after that I did clear liquids and I have been on clear liquids for about 24 hours. Since yesterday wasn't truly a full clear liquid day... I am going to repeat clear liquids again today. I have my supply of zero calorie drinks, broth, and sugar free jello on hand. Then I will slowly advanced through the "post op diet" stages. And with that... I know I need to resume measuring portion sizes and recording my meals. ALL of my meals. Honestly... I don't think my portion sizes are what is getting me... it is the frequency of which I was eating in the evenings (especially later at night). That... and I know I am eating more carbs than I should. THAT is what I really need to tackle again. BTW, while I was resorting to occasional canned food during the height of the stress... I cut it back out a while ago because I knew it was harming me. But I still hate seeing all the stuff I shouldn't eat in my house. I seriously worked SO HARD to get my husband to agree to stop hoarding "emergency food". And I really don't think I will be able to get him to stop again. Oh... and my biggest vice before surgery was Pepsi. I LOVE my regular Pepsi. I haven't drank ANY since about 6 weeks before surgery... and that is good. But my daughter still buys it and drinks it around me. Most of the time it isn't a big deal... but when I am stressed it takes all my willpower not to give in. And I swear I will never give in... but it is hard sometimes! I will say... I am VERY proud that I didn't give in between September and December when my stress level was through the roof... I did eat cake though lol... but that was a safer option because I don't crave cake like I did Pepsi. With sweats... I go through periods where I crave them but then can go weeks or months without eating any. Anyhow... don't need anyone to criticize me for doing a pouch reset diet... I have made up my mind and have decided this is how I want to start getting back on track. It will help me lose a couple quick pounds and then my goal is to maintain somewhere around 130. again, I am 134.5 today... so not really doing this for a crash diet. I just want to give my pouch a chance to shrink back just a little. And I know going forward from this... it is essential that I follow a bariatric diet for life. I just got derailed and need to get back on track. By the way... I actually saw my bariatric nurse practitioner two weeks ago... despite everything, she is thrilled with how I am doing. She was happy with where my weight was. She was happy with all my labs. My bilirubin was high... but it has been (I have a benign liver disease). My cholesterol was 101... 100 is the normal high... so I do need to keep an eye on this. I have been off my cholesterol meds for 6 months so I need to make sure to keep it in check. Other than that... everything else was VERY good. She was impressed that even my Vitamin D was really good (lots of people are deficient even without surgery). Anyhow... determined to complete a 10-14 day pouch reset diet then resume a normal bariatric lifestyle diet!

Totally forgot about these blog entries. Its been over a year since I did a little write up about my (body) plastics, so I feel compelled to do one now, since I am seriously contemplating moving forward with facial plastics (but this is a topic for another blog entry later). Sooooo....here we go: Tummy Tuck: Overall, I am very happy with the results. My abdominal muscles are pretty visible at rest (more so when I'm low-carbing). No muffin top when I'm wearing tight low-waisted stuff...well, at least from the front. The area around my waistband from the back is not nearly as tight looking. I suppose if I had a full lower body lift, this would have been addressed. I kinda wish I did have a lower body lift, but then I look at my scars and think, nah, i'm cool. My TT scar is still pretty dark. At least it's flat now, thanks to 2 rounds of steroid shots, but nowhere near as UN-noticeable as others on my same timeline. I've said it before, I knew I would scar badly based on my history, but still. The scar though is easily hidden even in my smallest bikini, so I'm good. But if I wear a high cut one, you can see the ends of the scar on my hips...so, I just don't wear high cut ones. The only people who see the scar in its full glory is me, Mr. and my doc. Now i'm going to nit pick here, but I'm allowed to since its my blog, LOL. What I am a little bummed about (just a little) is that I my abdomen is actually not a flat as it was pre-plastics. I have a visible roundess on my lower abdomen. I attribute this to the fact that all the other places have been thinned out and it just looks more pronounced to me now. Doc said this is normal because there are organs there, but still. If I am wearing a fitted dress, you can see when I've eaten. Its sorta fascinating sometimes, cuz I can actually see it get smaller as my body digests. Today my waist measurement is 26". Which is weird because *I* think it looks smaller, but I was actually 25.5" pre-TT. Breast Lift: This is still by far the surprising winner of my procedures. The difference (to me) is amazing. And the fact that I can go bra-less for days on end and still be perky makes me happy. The scarring is at the same level as my TT, and if I wear a string bikini top you can see the scar ends at my sides, if I lift my arms up. I LOVE that I have no "side boob" oozing. There is no excess skin spilling out anymore near my armpits when I wear a fitted tank/bra/tube top. There are times I wish I had a little bit more boob (and got some implants), but then I remember how much they annoyed me before, and it passes. Today my bust measurement is 33". It was 32.5" pre-BL. Arm Lift: I also love the overall results of my arm lift. I always hated my arms, even pre-WLS, and getting these done was my #1 wish. While not as drastic an improvement as my breast lift (in terms of both looks AND quality of life), I am really happy with the shape and size. My biceps are more noticeable at rest with all the skin gone, but I do have to say my triceps need to flexed to be seen....but this is likely because my triceps just need some more work (I HATE tricep work...dips and extensions SUCK.) The scars here are the worst of them all, and while the 2 rounds of steroid shots have greatly improved them, there is still along way to go before they go unnoticed. I was always self conscious about the size of my arms when I was bigger (and actually even when i was "normal" sized", and then self conscious about thier flappiness when I got smaller after WLS. Now I so totally fine with wearing sleeveless stuff even with the scars. You can't see them unless I raise my arms, but I am a "Whoo"- girl, so people will see them regularly, LOL. Today my arm circumference is just a smidge over 10". It was 10.5" pre-AL. Would I do it all again? HECKS YA. What would I do differently?: Listen to my doc about NOT doing to much too soon. My stupidity probably added 2-3 months to my total recovery time. NOT smoked. Did more self-massages as I was instructed to break up the scar tissue. I know I did less than what I should have because it really hurt me to do it. Had I done it as prescribed, I probably wouldn't have had to have 2 sections of my scar on my right arm cut due to reduced mobility. Now these two sections where he made incisions are darker than the rest of my scar. Asked for a V-shaped TT incision vs a straight one (so it would be hidden if I wore high cut bikinis) Did my rounds of steroid shots earlier. I was scheduled to have it done 3-4 months post op, but then Covid happened, and I ended up getting them done 13 & 15 months post op. Asked for some lipo on my lower back while I was on the table. Really though, I am super happy with getting the plastics, thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is interested, and the minor annoyances of the process and 1 year results are completely overshadowed by how awesome I think my bod looks now. I am not interested in doing any more body plastics work now (or ever, we'll see). I can live with the rest of my perceived imperfections (i'm looking at you ass, and inner thighs, and lower back). Next UP: doing something about my face!

Mine took 10 months for completion. I had to do all the pre requirements, and when I was done, I also had to fight with the insurance company. It would have only taken 6 months otherwise.

From first appointment to surgery date was about 6 months for me. All surgeons are different. Mine wanted a TON of prereqs. 10% weight loss with dietician and nurse visits, lots of testing, psychiatrist, fitness and healthy cooking classes, etc. Some will just schedule you. I remember thinking it was an unfair pain in the butt at the time....but all of the prerequisite hoops I had to jump through have been invaluable. It was a much bigger undertaking than I imagined, and I've appreciated the support.

I'm actually two years post op. I had surgery before he did. 5/21/19 and he had his 8/6/19 and he died 11/29/19.

It'll be 5 years in September 2021. Wow. For a long time I practically knew how many days it'd been since surgery, but tonight I had to actually stop and think about it, and check with my husband. I checked back in because I am having awful pain after eating and decided to look around and see if anyone has anything similar. I'm measuring, avoiding drinking around eating times, avoiding carbs but I either have unbelievable acid fumes spewing from me or just pain. ANYHOW... I gained about 10 pounds this year, thanks to a weird knee issue and my gym being closed due to Covid. And beer/wine. I am still eating at about the right amount, less lately due to the pain I have after eating. Honestly never had a vomiting problem until about 2 months ago, now I vomit maybe once or twice a week. Anyhow... mostly I am happy and good, although I'm about to go back on protein shakes for a week to see if I can shake a few pounds off and get some control over the pain issues. OH and I ordered a recumbent bike today... Also just saw my profile. 183 was as low as I got... never could get below that.

Im a year and a half out from my surgery and OMG it gets so so hard sometimes. Covid hasn't helped things either since I've been stuck at home around food and our LOVE-HATE relationship 24/7!! Cravings? CHECK! Stress? CHECK! Anxiety? CHECK! Unhealthy food (at least for me) stocked up?? DOUBLE CHECK! I just ordered more protein shakes/snacks to help alleviate some of this because i don't want to punish my husband or kids by taking away their treats. I know i haven't been making smart food choices lately so im just ashamed more than i can even describe. I was going to therapy but since the pandemic began its Tela-Health video appointments and the office is INSANELY backed up.. i refuse to see another dr because of the distance plus i don't like having to explain so many times what my issues are.. I just wanted to vent to my Surgery Siblings because it feels like everyone around me doesn't understand why it is so hard, stressful, and heartbreaking to be stuck around food all the time because EVERYONE in my family is skinny and don't gain weight at all. I look at a candy bar and gain 10 lbs lmao Thanks for letting me vent!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

A lot of people talk about head hunger, which I am just starting to recognise now (I am 10 weeks post op). I didn't feel any "hunger" or similar physical feeling for a long time, but I do feel empty in the morning. It is really hard to explain. Sorry I can't say anything to help here. If you are feeling hungry have you tried small sips of water? I remember being told that often hunger is actually thirst, but your brain doesn't recognise it from years of bad habits. Just a thought. Good luck with recovery, I am sure you'll do well 🙂

Mr.'s eating habits aren't the greatest, never has been the entire time I've known him. He eats ALOT...of everything, except maybe vegetables (which he will eat if its the only thing there). And he's a big snacker too. And drinker. BUT...he is super fit, and runs/swims/rides/works out/plays sports ALOT. According to his BMI, he is overweight, but he is in no way fat...his body fat percentage is like 10-15%. There have been times over the years that he decides he needs to lose like 10 lbs, or gain some muscle, or whatever to prepare for a race, or some sport season or whatever, and he just does. So annoying! When we met, I was "normal" sized and ate what I think was probably more than what a "regular" person would (this is based on comparing what I eat to those around me). I'm not sure if how he ate had any real effect on my own choices that lead to my obesity. I just know that after the Kid was born years later, I ate/snacked more, and moved less. Now that I'm post-wls, he still eats the same way as he always does, and I just eat my way. The house is filled with a whole bunch of food that I don't eat, and I even cook a whole bunch of food I don't eat either. The Kid eats alot too, but she is blessed with his genes and is an athlete herself. I don't feel right forcing my way of eating on them, so I don't. If anything, I sorta influence them a bit, because they eat alot more salad because they often eat my leftovers. Oh, and they probably eat more now when we go out to eat (pre-covid) because they my leftovers there too, along with their own entrees. LOL. So I suppose the short answer to this is: no, MY eating habits don't seem to be influenced by the eating habits of those I live with. But they may be being influenced by me. P.S. Unrelated, but I will say that his exercise/activity habits have greatly influenced me post-wls. He always encouraged me to join him with his various activities, and I almost always said no. Now, I almost always say yes (ok, maybe not "almost always", i probably say yes 60-70% of the time....he asks me ALOT! lol)