Search the Community

Congrats and enjoy wearing the clothes now as they probably will be getting loose in the coming weeks/months 😀. Did you get all of what you tried on? I still honestly don't see a thin me a lot of the time. I know that I don't have to shop in the plus size shops or sections anymore but I find it difficult to comprehend at times that number of sizes I have come down. In my jeans and trousers I have gone from a UK 22/3XL to a UK 8. I think part of my problem though is also the inconsistency of sizing across different brands, it doesn't always help with a healthy body image. I mentioned it in another post this week about my holidays in the US last week, I found it very hard to find clothes as in some cases even size 0 and XXS was too big, all I came back with was a rain coat, t-shirt and blouse in XS, tracksuit bottoms in a small and a youths small t-shirt and tracksuit top (thankfully the shop had the same tracksuit for youths and adults 😂). Seriously disappointed as I had brought an extra suitcase with me which came back empty though on the plus side I came back with more than half of my spending money. I still do double takes at times when I see myself in the mirror. Today I brough another three suitcases of clothes to the recycling center. It took me three trips to walk there with the full bag each time but it also helped me get my steps in.

@Mspretty86 I am satisfied! I want to work on shaping my body and getting strong. Then hoping that the boobs will make me look curvier. I am a small A where Victoria Secret told me I am an A but I still have gaps because I am all skin LOL I am ready to be a full DD. I am doing my breast aug 3 weeks before I hit a year (I know I know its a no no) but my surgeon only wants maintenance. and the date is perfect since my hubs is taking off to be my caregiver and it happens to be the same time as the kids winter break so I could not pass up the timing. but I am so ready to wear a bikini, tank tops and all the shirts because I look like a teenage boy right now LOL

As silly as this sounds....I think I finally hit maintenance. I have been fluctuating from 160-165 for the passed month. My workouts have been great! My skin is not saggy with the workouts, I have my boobie surgery booked and paid for, so now I am working on how fit I can get these next months because I wont be able to workout for 6weeks (which is going to killlll me!)

Really you need to toe the line in the first 6 months to give yourself the maximum weight loss. This way we learn how we should eat. Our bad habits need to be changed. This is the theory. 0-6 months is the sweet spot for the easiest weight loss. This of course does not allow for real life BUT if you have too much life, you will struggle with this surgery. You can't do what you did pre surgery. That will only lead you back to where you started pre surgery. You need to find a midline you can live with. If you are truly on 1200 calories a day then you will loose weight, especially if you are exercising like you are. Do you log your alcohol calories, your non alcoholic calories ? Some mixers can hide serious calories. And if you drink a lot and log your calories, you are not getting the nutrients you need on such a calorie deficit, How many grams of protein do you need per day ? Every surgeon has different guidelines.

seems everyone's experience differs from person to person! i can drink any amounts (including bubbly and by gulping) right up to the moment i ingest anything "solid". once there are solids in me, i need to wait maybe 30-45 mins before i have any liquids to avoid that over-full feeling (at best), or vomiting (at worst). i don't have liquids and solids together if i can help it. this includes soups. i drink all the broth first before i eat any chunky bits. chilli and stews are hit or miss, depending on how watery/loose they are. i generally eat slowly so i can put the brakes on if i start feeling icky. aside: because of this way of eating of mine, i tend to get a little tipsy-ish at dinners out and parties, cuz i like to drink my alcohol before eating...and the combination of being a cheap drunk and and an empty stomach results in me being and EXTREMELY cheap drunk, ha!

first, you dont mention that you are having any ill effects, but to be on the safe side, and to alleviate any angst, i'd suggest going to see ur doc. second, are you getting these measurements from a DEXA scan (the one where you lie down and they pass an xray type machine around you); or a bioelectrical impedance device (like those that u stand on or hold onto) or skin calipers? (the first is the most reliable & accurate , the latter two, not so much) third: my yearly DEXA scans never matched my at home body fat measurement scale on the same day. a couple times my at home showed more, but the other 4 times showed less ON THE SAME DAY....so i always take the results from at home with a grain of salt (many times over the years, it reported that i was less than 5%...and thats just not true...ever! lol) fourth: my last DEXA scan last year was around 18-20%, if i recall correctly , and my doc was not concerned...i felt fine so i wasn't concerned either.

late night coffee and dessert with some gal pals last night: i ordered this monstrosity: banana and nutella funnel cake with chocolate and peanut butter sauce and peanu-chocolate chip crumble with a side of vanilla soft serve ice cream (not shown) the menu listed the calorie count at 1,380 calories plus another 191 calories for the ice cream for a total of 1,571 calories! i ate maybe 1/4 of the funnel cake itself (but none the ice cream), so maybe 350 cals? pre-wls i probably would have eaten all of it including the ice cream, plus have forkful tastes of my friends' desserts as well. my, how things have changed! i did get a little bit of a loose poop when i got home, but it was worth it, ha! next time, i could do without the chocolate sauce and the crumble topping....

Did you get any answers about the dry skin?

Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me all this! How long were you off work right after surgery? I told them 1 to 1.5 weeks is my guess. But one lady here said she was back in a few days. I don't want to push it if I need to heal more though and my clients are all understanding. My dad passed away last year after 25 years of congestive heart failure then also diabetes and lost one leg then the other. It was extremely heartbreaking and don't want my kids to see that happen to me if there is any way at all I can be healthier. So going to do this. Have 12 dietitian appts. Done two. Already had psychological and was cleared. Have endoscopy Oct 11 and last dietitian appt on Oct 30. Surgery after final approval so they estimate Nov. Hopefully early Nov. Doesn't bother me at all about the holidays. One year I lost 5 lbs from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It's all mindset. But it's when I go back to eating like everyone else I always gain! Sucks. Thank you again! I'd love to be able to text with you if you'd consider that! It's ok if you'd rather not though. Lol! I know I'm a stranger. Lol! You look great and I'm so happy for you. And yes when I'm even at 200 I have the energy for the gym and remember only being able to do the stairmaster for seconds and worked my way up to 20 or 30 minutes. I was so much stronger. It was years ago so can't remember but think I got up to 30 mins and now I love esp the machines and esp the leg machines. Leg day is my fave! Can I ask you, did you grieve your clothes? Even though they are big now I like them. I remember when I lost before I grieved them because I'd raised babies with them all and kept some just as memories. Lol! But will just alter what I can and the rest will buy new. Bet no one ever asked you that one! Lol! Unless you've been there and dropped several sizes before you wouldn't understand. 💗 And do we need to add quote when replying because won't these get too long? Lol! Have a great Friday!! ⚘️ Wow! That's awesome. I'd take even half that loss and be happy. But would sure be nice to lose quite a bit so my low back can calm down. Severe osteoarthritis there. About 240 lbs now. 277 was my highest many years back. Lost 100 through diet and exercise and slowly came back. Then end of 2021 was 265. So did it again. Ate less, moved more and lost 64.5 lbs about 2 years ago and got to 200. Felt sooo much better even there but slowly back now to 240! Blah! Surgery most likely early Nov for sleeve. Said bypass will cause ulcers since only ibuprofen helps my back. Can I ask you about exercise you did? Also that you do now? And did you have any skin removal? May need that around my middle later on. Heard someone with our insurance got that covered also. Praying for that but will save up for it if I have to. Thanks for any advice and info! You look great and I know you must FEEL better. That's what I want. I never sought surgery to look better but hopefully will. I just feel terrible and need some relief and want the weight to stay gone. Using this tool to help me remain smaller.

I was in the same boat, My very highest was 310Lbs then lost 100lbs through WW, had my daughter gained most of it back. Lost 50 ish pounds, gained 75lb back. A constant yo yo of my weight. I got down to 240 when I met my partner, then had our son and gained it all back to 297lbs. At that point I was tired of feeling like crap, being too tired to do anything, not being able to be active with my kids, not being an active partner. So I looked into the sleeve, didn't feel like the bypass was for me, due to certain restrictions with meds. My goal wasn't even to get this small. It was to be at 190lbs which put me in the "normal bmi" and I wanted to have more energy and not to hurt anymore. But then I really got into into fitness and eating healthy. Can I ask you about exercise you did? I started with walking around 6weeks post op, just 30min during my lunch break, about 2 ish weeks later I started incorporating weights and workout videos. Very light 5lbs or just body weight. Then at about 3ish months post op I joined my gym and I hit the ground running and never have stronger and fitter in my life. Also that you do now? I work out 6days a week. 3 days lower body/cardio, 2 days upper body/cardio 1 day HIIT training/cardio each about an hour to hour and half a day. If you need assistance what to do workout I am super willing to give you some things that helped me. And did you have any skin removal? I have not, I am getting my boobies done in January lol but nothing else. Its so expensive! so I have to do it in parts. Right now I am working out as hard and heavy as I can to tighten up as much I can. This tool was THE BEST DECISION ever! I wish I would have done it sooner. I got my life back.

Wow! That's awesome. I'd take even half that loss and be happy. But would sure be nice to lose quite a bit so my low back can calm down. Severe osteoarthritis there. About 240 lbs now. 277 was my highest many years back. Lost 100 through diet and exercise and slowly came back. (Had lost 100 lbs 8 years before that and gained it back too.) Then end of 2021 was 265. So did it again. Ate less, moved more and lost 64.5 lbs about 2 years ago and got to 200. (Had lost around 60+ twice before that and gained it back over some years too). Felt sooo much better even there at 200 but slowly back now to 240! Blah! Surgery most likely early Nov for sleeve. Said bypass will cause ulcers since only ibuprofen helps my back. Can I ask you about exercise you did? Also that you do now? And did you have any skin removal? May need that around my middle later on. Heard someone with our insurance got that covered also. Praying for that but will save up for it if I have to. Thanks for any advice and info! You look great and I know you must FEEL better. That's what I want. I never sought surgery to look better but hopefully will. I just feel terrible and need some relief and want the weight to stay gone. Using this tool to help me remain smaller.

Snap, almost ! I have had my ovaries and a huge cyst removed this week. For some reason they left them 28 years ago when I had my hysterectomy. I now have a new belly scar and have lost my belly button. I have gotten to my own target weight at last. I wonder if its the missing belly button, the cyst or the deplorable hospital food that accounts for the big weight drop. Hope you are feeling more like yourself today, I am, even though I am walking around hugging my tummy like I am about to loose my insides.

Omgoodness. I'm so thankful I'm not the only one! I had a sleeve to mini bypass done on 19th August and at week 3, I developed hives. Initially it was thought the hives were a drug allergy but they weren't. I can have totally clear skin then have a tepid shower and break out again. I break put at work or where my dog lays on my lap. I think of an itch spot and I'll look to find a welt. Lortadine is useless and the mild steroid creams I have are also ineffective. My surgeon has said no to steroid injections too. I'm going crazy with the itch. I wear gloves at work, I flare up, my watch band, I flare up. I've had to change to a heavier fabric scrubs to avoid the "slinky" material ones my organisation has because my skin didn't agree!

I had IBS pre surgery, I flip flopped being either loose or constipated. Now I am just seriously constipated. Its a big deal to live with.

Detested eggs pre surgery and now eat them every day. Loved cooked salmon but can not eat it, just the thought of it makes me want to vomit. Avocado is also off. It took me almost two years to want chicken again There are other things that are just impossible for me to eat because of the surgery. Cheap white bread, pasta, Curries sob... Anything with skins, tomatoes, peppers, grapes I craved a jacket potato with cheese and baked beans and had it last night. I separated it into two portions and ate both eventually. Yum. Zero side effects. Another tick on the chart for me.

Yea. I’m almost 6 weeks. Post SADI but I’m revised from sleeve and it’s pretty much the same. It goes from constipation to loose stool and back again. Takes a while to figure out what combo of fiber, stool softeners and laxitives work best for you. The protein, vitamins, and lack of adequate fiber in your diet as well as pain meds and I believe even the anesthesia take a toll for a while. I am still on two stool softeners a day and soluble fiber plus I was low on magnesium so I’m taking that which also helps with Bowel function. I am trying to wean off the stool softeners now since I am eating a bit more fiber and the NP said to cut back one dose at a time and to do a few days taking it every other day before cutting it out. Just in case anyone else wondered how to do that. I tried to just cut out one dose and ended up needing a laxative. Hopefully her way works.

I’m pretty sure dry skin can also be from l not enough protein I’m using my phone so I’m not sure which surgery you had but if it’s bypass and increasing, your fluids, doesn’t work consider whether you just need more protein than the average bypass or if your activity is high, talk to your team, but they told me I needed to increase my protein because of my level of activity. Also, if your activity is really high, you may actually need to increase your carbohydrates. I would definitely talk to your team about your activity and your food intake. I know that increasing carbs sounds scary and counterproductive, but I’ve been on here for about four years now and a lot of people found that when they exercise level was high their body thought it was starving and was hanging onto everything until they increased their calories and then it started dropping so I would definitely ask if that could be an issue. Daughter it’s just the three weeks stop which isn’t exactly at three weeks, but it does happen to pretty much everyone.

Thank you for your encouragement! I am at a plateau in my weight loss journey. Somewhat discouraging. I am exercising, measuring, and getting my protein in. Worried I am not getting enough hydration (noticed some dry skin on my legs). Wishing you continued success throughout your journey!

Hi everyone, It has been awhile since I have posted. We have been very busy around my house. I will be 6 weeks post-op on Tuesday. I can officially transition over to regular texture foods as of then. My dietician did tell me to not attempt over 1/2cup per meal. She said that is my max goal for a couple more months. Daily goals: 60-80g protein, 48+ ounces of fluids, 500-700 calories, eat 3-6 times per day. Obviously do not eat 1/2 cup 6 times per day though. Lol I am excited about being able to go to the gym and start an exercise regimen. I also do not need protein shakes anymore as long as I am meeting my protein goals. So happy about that. I have found a new product, Nurri, it is an ultra-filtered milk (shelf stable) with 30g protein and only 150 calories. It is honestly better than Fairlife and comes in a can. I have been drinking that for my breakfast and while I take all my meds. I slowly take my meds over the 30 minutes or so I drink it. @draikaina8503 hope you are feeling better. @Justarwaxx the foamies are the worst. I’m glad it has only happened to me once. @ShoppGirl the target heart rate formula is interesting. I can walk across the room and my heart rate would be higher than that. Those goals don’t really work for me but if it’s great if they help you. @Voca my date was also 8/6. Hope you are doing well. I can’t remember who asked about weight going up and down. That has not happened to me since my surgery, but in previous dieting for sure it happened. I have had a couple of days where my weight did not change. I am more of a slow loser so I weigh every day to keep myself honest and to see if something I did the day before might contribute to loss or even a stall. It works for me but might not be good for everyone. I have tried chili from Wendy’s and McAllister’s Deli and they were okay. I do not really count those as “eating out” since they were chili and I could have had almost the same from a can. Last night I went to dinner with some friends for the first time since surgery. I had not told any of them about my surgery and then they were all worried about what I could eat. I had already looked at the menu before going so I knew what my options were. Really not super WLS friendly. It’s a wood fired pizza restaurant. I ordered the best protein option pizza and had only the toppings from 2 pieces. They were small pieces and the entire pizza fit on a single plate. My choices worked because today I am down 1.3 pounds. It made me happy that I knew I made the right choice. I was also not bothered by them eating other foods and seeing them finish their entire meals. They were all super supportive and asked if we needed to go somewhere else. I recently went through my closet and started pulling clothes that are too big and adding in fall clothes. I had previously done a big purge of clothes that did not fit and I did not want to keep so my clothing options are a bit limited right now. My cousin had the gastric sleeve about 18 months ago and she gave me all of her clothes so that has been a huge help. It was like getting new clothes for free. Haha My NSV is putting something on that did not fit a month ago and now is loose. That is a great feeling. Looking at the scale and saying I have lost 25 pounds since 8/6 and that does not seem like a lot to me but knowing how a certain shirt or pants fit before and now they are loose or even too big to wear. That helps keep it real for me and helps to keep me motivated. Hope everyone has a great week and keep focused on those small goals and successes.

The resistance bands I use have helped a lot with my arms too though I still have flappy bat wings of course. I get complements about my arms which is amazing but that’s because I don’t wave my arms about too much so they can’t see the saggy skin 😂.

I'm super jealous of your toned knees! I have so much thigh sag that the skin sags over my knees, and sadly, I will never feel comfortable wearing anything above the knee. My arms, on the other hand, are surprisingly decent. I have a little bit of arm flab, but no more than your average 40-something lady. I never thought I'd be comfortable wearing sleeveless tops, but I've gotten a little into weightlifting in the last 6 months and am actually at a point where I am ok with showing my upper arms in public.

No one sees my saggy, baggy thighs @ms.sss LOL! Wish you could get rid of the lose skin with exercise or weights. Actually it’s mainly my inner thighs so no shorty short shorts. I do wear longer closer to the knees ones which show off my toned knees.

100% I had to shift my mindset that instead of loosing weight, how do I want to feel? Okay I am at a "healthy BMI" but am I really healthy? Am I really putting things in my body that is healthy? Am I working out my body in a way that it will make it stronger? Its NOT easy at all to change our mindsets! I have moments that I am unhappy with myself think that I can do better or more. Its my head playing tricks on me! I think you have a great approach!

I love what mom said that is so true we can be hard on ourselves....in other bariatric groups I belong too, I noticed a mindset amongst many that they were never satisfied. I will not be adopting that mindset and was glad I could listen in on groups early post op...I feel it's so unhealthy to never be satisfied with weight loss. Once I obtain my goal weight f**k it I am then in "maintenance" mode and I will allow myself 10 pound fluctuation. I'm not interested in loosing more after the goal weight. *it's unreal how much poop in the colon weighs..3,5, 10 pounds lighter

Sorry you're in pain. I don't know if I've lost enough weight to justify skin surgery. I love to see it before and after if you're comfortable with that. Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk