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It can definitely feel intimidating. As someone who would categorize myself as a "gym girly" now I will tell you that not one person in that gym started where they are now. They all were beginners at one point, they all fumbled to figure out the equipment, they all made mistakes. Heck I still drop weights, forget how to move stuff, etc. Also, most of us are so focused on what we are doing that we aren't paying attention to those around us. I will also say that most gym people love helping people. We love talking about fitness and sharing knowledge and I am sure many people at your gym would be happy to help you out. A lot of gyms also now have the QR codes on the machines that show you how to use them and some gyms like crunch and planet fitness have preset workouts on the app that you can walk through. My next BIG thing though is going to be about safety. Your diet pre-op sounds VERY calories restrictive and chances are you're not going to have a lot of excess energy for activity at that low of a calorie intake. So many sure you feel up to it. If you feel tried, lethargic, dizzy, have a headache, etc. I wouldn't do a workout. Your body is trying to just function at that stage and might not be up to the excess activity just yet. I am really into post bariatric fitness and just got my certificate in nutrition health and wellness. Reach out anytime on IG @ anastacia_bari_life

I was on ozempic for diabetes and weight management before my sleeve surgery on 4/11/24. I'm in the honey moon phase where the surgery as completely eliminated food noise. Ozempic was a dream drug for me I lost a lot of weight before surgery and I will gladly get back on it if in the future cravings come back and weight gain. I see nothing wrong with it!

This is a major WIN! I love this happy surgerversary! And good job on your weight loss! It's HARD but it's REAL! Everyday is something new!

50% of bypass patients reach at least 166 lbs 18 months after surgery. Based on my starting weight of 271. I'm coming up on my 12 month surgery anniversary (Aug 21st) and I'm already below this statistic as of today! I even did a happy dance (my pups thought I was nuts). 😆 I'm hoping with 6 months until 18 months that I'll be in this category: 20% of patients reach 149 lbs 18 months after surgery. If the above isn't enough, I met up with another friend I haven't seen in 6 months for breakfast this morning, she walked right past me twice looking for me!

I was almost scared to open this this morning as I’m headed to hosptal on 25’ minutes. 😆 That is the absolute worst. I had one near what going on down there so my primary sent me to gyno. He said that wasn’t necessary but it was more comfortable knowing he looks at that All day long. Mine had to be landed and then packed with something soaked in antibiotic several times while it healed it was really bad. He said it just happens in a perfect storm of unlucky events that can bappen ti anyone. This was long before any weight loss surgery. Anyways, I hope it heals real quick and your back on to living your best life real soon.

Usually weight loss & eating more nutritious foods boosts your immune system. Maybe you’re a little run down from the recovery & healing, the physical & emotional stress of it all, from the changed diet/lower calories & the initial more rapid weight loss. Low protein can affect healing but, if I remember correctly your protein intake has been okay. How are your iron levels? Anaemia can affect your immune system too. Sorry lancing the abscess was so painful. ☹️

Soooooo is it possible that with the weight change that our immune system slows down or loses effectiveness? I had an ingrown hair near my groin. Ive had them before but THIS?! It turned into an abnormally LARGE abcess within the matter of days. I went to the er. The doctors were in shock & asked me how i was managing. Anyway a nurse had to hold me as they lanced it. I screamed & cried. I also now have a weird irritation in my throat. Doctor said its probably due to the rapid weight change 😮‍💨

OMG I'm so excited for you!!! I just know you're gonna rock this thing!!! Don't forget to update your stats once you get home and see what your pre-surgery weight is and what surgery you end up with. I can't wait to see you nail this thing!!! Good luck

I'm supposed to get down to 111kg (244lbs) I started at 123KG (271lbs). I've currently lost 4kg (9lbs) since July 15th. My weight has been fluctuating between 118kg and 120 kg for about a week now. I think the other thing about the 12 week diet is I am an NHS patient so it's taxpayer funded and it's a teaching hospital so they are more strict on guidelines before surgeries but also I think they are trying new techniques. I was also asked is I wanted to take part in a trial about dental health on this new pre-op diet which requires everything from blood to a stool sample. I don't mind taking part except now the pretty Spanish periodontist knows I poop!

Hmm...my win is fitting into shorts that I bought last year that didn't even get on one thigh 🤣 and now I can get them on, with some room around the tummy and waist! Added bonus win: the shorts are high-waisted denim, and I haven't worn denim in years and years because of my weight!

Remember the first week is always the hardest on the liquid diet. I didn’t do it for my surgery but I did it myself a couple of time to try to lose weight before I ever thought about surgery. Maybe be a little more gentle on yourself and give your body time to get used to the reduced calories, low/no carbs, and whatever else has been cut from your usual diet like sugar & caffeine & your body used to rely on. The spring cleaning jobs will still be there & who cares if it takes you longer to get through them. (Mine are still there from last year 😂.)

Two weeks is the usual length of the pre surgery diet. But there are difference in what format the diet actually takes. Some are all liquid like yours (can be shakes or milk based drinks or other liquids) or two shake meals & one meal. Mine was keto. It, as @ShoppGirl said, can be influenced by your staring weight & how much weight they want you to lose to reduce the size of your liver before the surgery. It may be your general health status. It can also just be your surgeon’s preference. My two friends & I were each on a different pre surgery diet but all were two weeks long (2 of us had the same surgeon .) Each of us were in different places (health, weight) when we began.

Amazing OP! you have done so well. Fab photos and faaaaaab weight loss.

once you get that far out, you have to play around with different calorie ranges to figure out about how many calories you need to eat to maintain your weight, and how many to lose. That range really varies for everyone depending on sex, age, activity level, metabolic level, how muscular you are, what weight you'd like to be at, etc (e.g., you can eat more if you're fine with weighing 180 lbs as opposed to 130 lbs). I can maintain my current weight by eating about 1600 calories - although I can eat a bit more if I'm exercising a lot. To lose, I have to go below 1600. And since I'm pretty close to a normal BMI, I'd have to eat quite a bit less than 1600 to lose a somewhat noticeable amount each week (otherwise, I'm losing just a couple of ounces - and it's hard to distinguish that from normal fluctuations). There are some women on here who can eat 2000 calories to maintain, and others who can only eat 1200. It's really sort of trial and error given how far you're out from surgery. Maybe start with a range - like 1300-1500 and do that for a couple of weeks. If your weight isn't budging, drop the range down by 100 calories. Rinse and repeat until you start losing weight again. P.S. if. you're losing inches but gaining weight, it could be that you're putting on muscle. Or if you've recently started doing more and/or heavier lifting, it could be that your muscles are holding on to more water (since they need water to repair themselves). If that's what's going on, once your muscles are used to that level, your weight should start dropping again.

Technically not mid-week at this point, but I decided checking in here is a good place to start after a hiatus from the site for a while. I had my sleeve surgery last summer and the weight loss has slowed down significantly, but I am now within 5lbs of my first 100lb goal! Went from a size 24/26 to a 16/18. I was recently diagnosed with premature ovarian failure (peri / menopause before the age of 40, typically genetic) after YEARS of trying to get a diagnosis from clueless OBGYNs and I think the drop in hormones is contributing to the slow crawl. I’m battling through it while doing all I can naturally to stop the negative effects that come with perimenopause and menopause (I haven’t decided on HRT yet). Once summer break is over, I have an appointment with a terrific functional medicine doc who did extensive blood work to see where my problems are at the moment. I’ll also be joining a gym and shifting my focus from aerobics to strength training. Hopefully it’ll help me lose some more stubborn weight while also maintaining bone density and sculpting my new shape a bit.

I have lost 60 something pounds in 1 1/2 years. I think I identified why, but not sure. My WLS dietitian insisted on keeping me at 1000k all this time, even when I told her I was lifting weights. So since December, I have been at the same weight. 3 weeks ago I increased my calorie intake because after all my research I concluded that I was starving. Now, I have gained 2 lbs. currently eating anywhere from 1400 to 1600. I workout 4x a week and walk an avg of 8k steps. While I am measuring and I am loosing in inches, the scale is going the wrong direction. I DON’T know what to do or where to go from here! Don’t get me wrong… I will continue on my journey. I do celebrate my small wins.. but I am a bit frustrated that I am having such a hard time loosing the last 20. For reference I am 42 5’7 and weight 204 started at 267 and lowest in December was 198 (So close!!) lol Anyone else have gone through this?

@Bypass2Freedomsharing your workouts would be so great, thank you ☺️ I generally sort of notice weight loss when I’ve lost around 3 stones, so documenting it has helped. @catwoman7I will be honest and say that it’s so very hard putting myself in front of hubby with a camera when the size of a house. Hubby reminded me of something today which made me stop and think - when I’d lost loads of weight years ago, I would happily have my picture taken. Hubby said I would have given our 4 year old granddaughter a run for her money when it comes to posing etc (she’s a diva, what can I say 🤷‍♀️) and he’s looking forward to that time again. @SleeveToBypass2023aw, what a lovely thing to say, thank you ☺️ I won’t forget the bike 😉

I can't get over the 12 week pre-op diet. That's so crazy to me!!! I mean, I started off at 421 pounds and didn't have to do that. As for the gym, that's just how it is. Nobody cares who is in there. When we go, we have our own things we're focused on. I know for me, I just hope nobody comes over to talk to me lol It's good that you're starting slowly. Moving your body is essential. And yes, you messed up, but as long as you see it, admit it, correct it, and don't repeat it, you should be fine. You still have plenty of time to hit your target weight. How much are you suppose to lose?

I had a really bad week last week nutritionally. I gained back about half the weight I lost in the last two weeks. I just didn't stick to the milk diet I'm supposed to be on. My surgery date is 7th of October and the bariatric doctor gave a diet he thought would be easy to follow so I can quickly lose weight before surgery. So protein shakes and chicken or beef broth and this is what I'm supposed to have for 12 weeks. Last week, I was sick, I was on my period and a little depressed so I went for comfort food. Starting to panic about trying to hit the weight target the doctor set for me, I thought I would try going to the gym. I've not been to a gym in years and I have memories of PE class and school bullies screaming back to me. But I went in. The staff member was great about showing me around, all the bulky gym buff types that I thought would be bullies because of every high school movie I ever saw didn't even look at me. I think I just assumed that being a fat person I would laughed at judged, but I was no different than anyone else. I was just there to work out just like they were. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Some of the equipment is intimidating and I have no idea what it does, but starting slowly, I think going in at least twice a week for now is a good starting point.

Thank you! I think it is just something that us bigger boobied ladies are going to have to come to terms with 😢 Though I also haven't worn a padded bra in years and years, so I can imagine how strange that must be for you! Definitely don't let it bother you lovely, weight is always going to fluctuate and you are still clearly doing all the right things Oh wow that is amazing! I hope you get some of the answers you are seeking - I know it is definitely something I will look into a year or 2 post-op!

Congrats on passing your test My boobs look smaller (😭) but whilst I have gone down a couple of band sizes the cup size is still the same DD just doesn't look it, I think I am closer to a D but it depends on the bra. My bum is also smaller/flatter which isn't so bad. Today I was on a day off work so I went to the shops and got myself a couple of padded bras, never had to do that before but already they make me feel better. I know feel like my boobs are a bit of false advertising, like something out of a JP Gaultier advert. 😀 I have travel for work and vacations next month so trying to build up my wardrobe bit by bit. I put 1kg on during the week, no idea how but as I am still under the surgeons target weight I am not letting it bother me too much. The health system here covers some plastics post weight loss surgery and I hadn't thought it would be something I would be interested in but I think I will enquire about when I have my next surgeon appointment in January to see what areas they do the plastics on and what the requirements are.

I had my husband take photos of me - all four sides -- every month on my surgery date from the night before my surgery until the day I hit maintenance. It's great having that documentation of my journey. Plus when you get to the point where the weight loss slows down and you're not seeing differences from month to month, you can look back at photos taken three or four months earlier and DEFINITELY see the difference. It helped keep my motivation up!

I've heard/read of this before - so yes, some people do seem to develop lactose intolerance after weight loss surgery. You could try something like Fairlife milk. It's ultra processed although it has higher protein and less sugar than regular milk, and it's lactose free. There are other brands of lactose free milk on the market, too.

Very happy this week! The London gain of 3.5lbs has gone plus another 6lbs has joined it this week so I’ve hit my 2stones loss target 😊 Hubby has documented this by taking pics and I can definitely see a difference - my backside isn’t as much as a shelf now 😉 I will post pics when I gain more confidence but they are definitely worth doing for your own records, even if you hate and despise your photos being taken. I’m sat here with my feet on a circulation booster, with my feet and calves twitching away. I’ve got it for both me and hubby in the hope that it will help both of us with our circulation and start helping me strengthen my muscles around my knees. We had a chat yesterday and agreed to rejoin our local gym. I know I won’t be able to do cardio like the treadmill etc but I certainly do need to spend some time on the resistance machines and hopefully the free weights. I want to try and get some muscle tone going and avoid masses of sagging skin if I can. I desperately miss going to the gym so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m due at physio next week for knee exercises so we’ve said we will begin 1st Sept (helps with keeping monthly finances straight too) Lots of NSVs this week…can now take my wedding/engagement/eternity rings off when in the bath. That certainly hasn’t happened for a long, long time. I’m finding more clothes to wear when ‘shopping in my wardrobe’. I’ve actually had to buy a BELT for my jeans 😮😮😮 I bought 3 pairs in the sales some time ago. 1pair fit fine, 1 I could just about fasten but not breathe, 1 I couldn’t fasten for love nor money. Fast forward to Saturday and it’s now 1 too big, 1 fasten easily and 1 fasten but can’t really breathe!!! Hopefully a belt will let me get some more wear out of them before they go off to the charity shop pile. It’s our wedding anniversary in September and I’ve set myself a target of wearing a dress that I wore for our wedding anniversary dinner 2 years ago. It’s a lovely dress and I felt fantastic when wearing it so hopefully it will fit again. I would like to lose another 10lbs or so before trying it on so fingers crossed 🤞🤞 Hubby knows what I’m aiming for and is all for it. Need to remember to record my food diary next week, ready for the dietitian appointment the week after. I record everything now but not the moods pre- and post- eating which they need. I’ve already recorded a dietitian diary just before I began my weight loss journey so hopefully she will be able to see the differences. Have a fantastic week everyone 🤩 Onwards and Downwards!

Really appreciate your kind words SemperVeritas. It is good to hear that taking semaglutide was a helpful and positive experience for you. Yes, being obsessed with thinking about food is horrid and is driving me battier. I just want the thoughts to stop. Even now I think that my doctor will say no just because he can. I am still classified as obese (Loathe that word) and doubt that I would lose any more weight but maybe if it can help you it can help me. Kinda scared to try it and scared not having it too. Crossing my fingers for tomorrow - about 12 hours from now. Thanks again.