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Happy Monday! I'm approaching my 4-month post-op mark at the end of this week and happy to say the long stall I had in month 3 is behind me and I'm back to losing at a good clip. I had been worried that it would be a permanent slow-down, but it wasn't. This morning, I hit 60lbs lost since my highest weight, which was almost exactly a year ago when I went back to my weight management team after a long absence and seriously discussed entering the surgical program. I'm going through a patch right now where food is just not at all appealing. Maybe it's the start of the hot summer weather, or just the fact that cooking and eating such small quantities is tedious. I don't know. But nothing sounds appealing and I get a few bites into a meal and really don't care if I finish eating it or not. No real hunger, and the head hunger from the beginning has quieted down, too. At least hydration is going well. I ordered a swimsuit online for an upcoming trip to the waterpark with my kids and tried it on yesterday, size 16 US. It fit! It even looks reasonably good! I'm finally down to a weight I legitimately haven't seen in half a lifetime, and I can finally see the difference more. In the early days, I think I still had a memory of being the weight I was before, like I never fully recognized getting bigger, so losing that weight was just bringing me in line with what I believed I had looked like all along, if that makes sense. But now, at 15 pounds less than the very lowest I had ever managed to get with nutrition and exercise alone, I find myself surprised to realize my silhouette has changed and that I'm looking smaller, or that I can easily sit in a seat at a theater or a booth at a restaurant. 6 more pounds and I will be "overweight" instead of "obese" for the first time in about 25 years! The big challenge coming up is family vacation. We're doing water parks and amusement parks, and the food choices are sure to be dismal. I have no desire to eat the junk food, so my bigger concern is really that I won't get in enough healthy foods over the week. Especially fruits and veg. It's so hard to get healthy food when you travel, and I still get enough issues with my stomach that I've bought some discreet vomit bags to keep with me in case something doesn't agree with my tummy on the road.

Thank you @SleeveToBypass2023 @Bypass2Freedom and @JennyBeez for your kind, supportive comments. All are very much appreciated 😄 @SleeveToBypass2023 I know my carbs are a little high but they are around half of what they were a couple of weeks ago! I’m trying to reduce the amount slowly but surely. I have to be careful as I did high protein/low carb around 12 years ago and lost 8.5 stones. Unfortunately this wasn’t sustainable for me which resulted in gaining back the loss and a couple of extra stones, just because I could 🙄 I need to try and find a balance between carbs and protein so it’s a constant work in progress at the moment. @Bypass2Freedom 💜 @JennyBeez oh, it’s definitely a learning experience! I’m happy that I didn’t end up sabotaging myself by listening to that little voice saying ‘it’s not working, have a pizza/chocolate bar/bag of crisps to make you feel better’. These small wins will all add up to something more substantial, I know they will. Salt is a sneaky little thing but it will remind me to be more aware. I will be glad to have my dietitian appointment in August, just to discuss everything. I’m weighing and recording everything that goes in my mouth on the Nutracheck app. I’ve changed how my nutrient choices are recorded so it shows my salt intake now, as well as carb, protein and calories so I can make adjustments as and when I need to. I would love to be someone who doesn’t have to think about food!

Right now, I'm back to walking/stairs and some aquafitness twice a week. I bought a recumbent bike and it was awesome for a week but because of the body positioning, I've been told to lay off until I stop straining this one particular area lol. And some light stretching with a resistance band that avoids my core as much as possible -- I mean, I can't avoid it completely because everything's connected but I focus on arms and legs until I feel my core start to open up / stretch gently out and call it quits while I'm ahead. XD It's good to establish a 'new normal' for yourself in terms of blood pressure, so I'd suggest using your mum's machine a couple times a week just to get a new baseline. I've been lucky/unlucky that my post-op care-team, my personal PCP/GP and my endocrinologist have all been scheduling follow ups and tests for me with just enough of a gap that I feel like I've been seeing someone every 2-3 weeks -- and my official 3mo follow-up is in another week. (Even my local pharmacist is great, and prods me to use their blood pressure machine whenever I'm in to pick up prescriptions, questions how I'm reacting to such-and-such.) Hormones were definitely kicking my rear all last week, concentrating all my normal-level reactions into heightened states. Less than fun, I've had better weeks but eh.

A loss is a loss!! Especially if you've been struggling with pain (and pain killers). Honestly, even if it were a gain, the fact that you're learning from it and identifying where your problems were this week would still make it a plus, in my book. This is a life-long journey you've (we've) started, and we're going to keep re-negotiating things with our bodies and our digestive systems -- so anything that teaches us is at least a small win, right? Sodium has been a toughie for me post-op. So many food items take out sugars/carbs or fats but really seem to up the sodium to make up for it. I was always a little sensitive to sodium, but post-op? JEEBUS, the sodium headaches if I'm not careful. (Looking at you, sugar free drink crystals)

@JennyBeez That is definitely the right way to go with it! I am so used to doing weights when I am at the gym, so it will be really weird going in and focusing on cardio (which I bloody hate), and body weight! What kinds of light exercises do you do? Definitely take it easy lovely! I am sorry to hear that your weekend wasn't great - sometimes everything comes all at once doesn't it? We are our own worst critics, and definitely see things 10000x worse on ourselves, as others may perceive them. Just make sure to get some self-care time in and remind yourself of how far you have already come ❤️ You got this x I haven't even had an appointment with my Dr yet - I don't think I am due to until 3 months post-op! But I did use my mum's blood pressure machine yesterday and it was ever so slightly high which is strange! I will be extra careful when standing for sure - and even more so when exercising, I don't want to pass out 😅

Oof, I'm still on cardio and working in light resistance training with bands (no weights yet). I keep re-straining my abdomen just doing simple things like twisting slightly when bending to get something out of a drawer at my desk, so my team has cautioned me not to start any actual weights until that pain leaves and stays gone for at least a week. :S My Monday is doing pretty good, but my weekend was awful (hormones, heightened body dysmorphia, heightened reaction to thinning patches of hair). This morning though, I found one of my matte eyeshadows is just the right colour to hide the most noticeable thin patch at my temple; I lost more weight this week than last even while fighting menstrual hormones and emotions; and several regular customers have complimented me this morning about both my hair and weightloss so even if I can't look at myself in the mirror without anguish, at least I'm getting some external confirmation that a lot of it is in my head. (@Bypass2Freedom I hope you're keeping an eye on your blood pressure too! After losing as much weight as you have already, it's not abnormal for blood pressure to lower even if it wasn't an active problem for you pre-op. Just make sure you stand up / raise your torso & head slowly after you've been exercising for a while)

Happy Monday everyone! I just wanted to start a post to just check-in and see how everyone is doing, regardless of what stage we are at, pre or post surgery I feel that after complaining that I wasn't feeling full, now that I am on proper food, I am feeling it, and boy is it a struggle 😂 On the plus side, I feel a lot better in myself already, and I am going to go back to the gym! Just body weight stuff and light cardio to begin with, and maybe 2-3 times a week. I notice that I am getting dizzy spells lately, probably due to struggling with eating much, so I will be mindful of that! I've had some people comment on my weight loss already - which admittedly was quite nice - they were friends and I don't mind hearing it from them, but they were just proud of me regardless, which made me feel quite good. I hope everyone is doing well ❤️

Ok, so a couple of things. First, let's look at things a little differently when it comes to that pound you lost. You LOST A POUND!!! Which means you DIDN'T GAIN A POUND!!!! WooHoo!!!! Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves that ANY loss is still a success. Some weeks will be better than others. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Next, you know where you went wrong with the foods you ate, you know you retain water when you have too much salt, so now you know what to avoid. Sometimes, the best way to learn is by trial and error. There's nothing wrong with experimenting with new foods. Just read the labels carefully and make adjustments accordingly to how much of that food you eat and what you eat the rest of the day to compensate for it. Finally, if I were to make a suggestion, I might say to lower your carbs a bit. That seems like a pretty high amount, and unless you're carb loading for intense workouts, I don't think you need to be over 100 carbs per day. PERSONALLY for me, I never go over 50, and that's on weight training days. But again, that's me. It just works out the best for my body. But I, too, had to experiment until I found the sweet spot for my body in regards to calories, carbs, healthy fats, protein. All in all, give yourself some grace, take note of what your body did and didn't do this week, and make changes as needed. You're still doing great, and you'll get to where you want to be. Don't worry about that.

@BlueParis depending how much milk you're using in tea and coffee, that's a decent source of protein. I don't know if you have ultra-filtered milk available in France (in US, the brand is Fairlife, like the protein shakes, but it's just milk that has been filtered to lower carbs and amp up the protein, not supplemented like the shakes). I started buying Fairlife milk and make a 1L thermal container of hot tea every morning, with between 125 and 250ml of milk in it, so my morning tea alone gives me between 7 and 13g protein. I would try adding a slice of smoked salmon to the bagel, but that's just because I love that combo. The omelet seems very healthy and the pannacotta sounds delicious. You might consider adding more beans/legumes to your rotation. I am getting so tired of meat. I've just ordered a vegan cookbook to help me discover new recipes that are based on plant proteins (not the fake meat, processed plant products but real foods). Maybe bean soups and stews, lentil curries? Your stall will break eventually, but in your case, because you're already at a "normal" BMI, it may be a lot harder and slower from here on out. Don't lose hope! After barely losing weight the entire month of May, I'm losing at the quickest pace since surgery, 9 lbs in 16 days! That's been a real surprise. I am eyeing my next milestone, which is 5.6 lbs away, the point where I will cross from an "obesity" BMI into just the "overweight" category. I have never looked so forward to being called "overweight" in my life! I'm also noticing I'm just not very interested in food. Even though I can technically eat a bit more now than in the beginning, I don't really want to. I'm not hungry and chewing is a chore. I'm sick of meat. I'm tired of thinking about protein. And while I do still enjoy going out for a meal, I am exhausted by looking at the plate and seeing 4 days' worth of food in front of me. I'll be going on a family summer vacation next week and have no idea what I'll manage to eat. We're going to amusement parks and water parks, so the typical fare will be pizza and hot dogs, which sound terrible. I'm stocking up on protein bars, which I find a bit better than shakes, though not something I want in my diet normally. But better than a hot dog! So if anyone has a favorite protein bar, especially one that won't melt in my bag on a hot day at an amusement park, please share!

It’s been a really frustrating week. It took me right back to the feelings I had when trying yet another weight loss regime and getting nowhere 😡 I have been trying new things this week plus sticking to my eating plan. However my weight has been all over the place, even though my calories have averaged 1400 per day, my protein intake around 100g and my carbs between 100 - 140g. I’d forgotten a couple of basic things - my body doesn’t do well losing weight when I’m throwing down a handful of pain killers 3 times a day and I didn’t check my salt intake. I retain water like mad when I have high salt foods which a couple of the new things I’d tried this week had (looking at you low fat sausages 👀) But, lesson learned with that, especially as I had bookmarked these sausages when I had to complete the liver reduction diet (allowed on my NHS trusts plan) Better to know now and not later when I know it would have sent my in to a proper flap! Overall, a whole 1lb down this week. Not a roaring success by any means but I did stick to plan and I didn’t fall headfirst into things I shouldn’t! Plus I am at a lower weight now than my initial reported weight to the clinic by the GP so that’s a positive 😊 Onwards and Downwards!

Looking pretty fine there @Lilia_90. Actually @GreenTealael started a thread the other day where a few of us have started sharing our maintenance stories which you may find interesting. Link below. 😁 What you have gleaned already is certainly true: there are many different ways of successfully managing your maintenance. As I say, & say very often, the only right way is the way that’s right for you. In the beginning you may find you are a little more controlled about what you are doing but over time you become more flexible in your food choices, eating style & how often & how much you eat of certain things. As you progress you continue to learn more things about what you can & can do. Well that’s how I was & am now. Certainly more flexible about some things. Bring in maintenance didn’t stop me going out & socialising with friends & family. I just was & still am very conscious about what I chose to eat, how much I ate & ensured I still ate slowly. Sometimes you have to make the best decisions you can in the situation. They may not be perfect but you can’t beat yourself about it. It’s not like you’re doing it everyday. I don’t track, but do random checks especially when I introduce new foods or new recipes. It may be checking calories or looking at ingredients & swapping some out, weighing serves t check portion sizes (weighed my cooked vegetables last night as I’ve added some extra ones & wondered if I needed t adjust the portion) or changing the cooking methods. I usually weigh a few times a week. I do this as previously if I thought I was gaining I wouldn’t get on the scales - it’s not true if there’s no proof. So weighing myself every second or so day keeps me honest. PS: It takes time to get past the body dysmorphia & being able to see how you really truely look now with your weight loss. Even with the evidence of body measurements clothing sizes, photos, number on the scales it can be hard to see the reality. Those fears of looking ‘sickly thin’ are very real with the dysmorphia. Doesn’t help when people around you may still be playing catch up too: Oh, you’re so thin. Don’t lose anymore weight. You look too thin now. Try to ignore those comments & in some cases you may need to tell others to butt out & mind their own business. In time & with regularly looking at the evidence you’ll come to accept & see how you look now. Though I still am surprised sometimes by how I can comfortably fit in small seats & squeeze through tight spaces. Understanding the space I physically take up in relation to the physical space around me.

Calories wise, you seem to be getting enough. My calories range from 1200-1500. Looking at what you eat, I think you're where you should be. If you have a nutritionist that you can talk with, I'm sure they could point out if there's any issues with what you're doing. I think the stall is just one of those things that we have to deal with, no matter how well we do the right things for success.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Thank you all for your messages re my stall! I'm still stalled ... no suprise there. I'm going to try and track what I'm eating this week as I haven't really been tracking at all. Just trying to be sensible and go with the flow. I'm still being very conciencious about everything I put in my mouth and reckon I'm averaging about 1200-1300 calories a day max. I know I could eat more protein but as I eat so little meat its a bit complicated esp when I'm travelling. I hate protein shakes and anything with an artificial taste, I'm really not into processed foods. I do love carbs. I know what I'm eating is far from perfect but I'm also trying to "live" as normally as I can without getting ultra focused on food because 1) I just don't want to 2) I know that it won't be substainable for me to track/only eat specific things/100% certain avoid things long term 3) food is a real source of joy for me as is cooking. Cooking is my way of calming down and disconecting my brain after work but I'm an improvisation whats left on the fridge cook not a planning cook 4) I've very scared of being too "strict" on food and ending up with a transfer addiction as I have a very addition prone personality and I already smoke (cigarettes daily and weed probably 2/3 times a month) and drink (much much less than before the surgery when I was drinking too much) and even though I haven't touched a Benzodiazepine (xanax) in 3 years and 8 months (go me 😌) I had a big enough issue with benzo abuse to have to take a month of work to come off them. I'll try and track properly tomorrow and for a few days but for example today from memory I had ( I also had water) Breakfast : 1/4 bagel with butter, coffee with semi skim milk Mid Morning : 2x Coffee with semi skim milk Lunch : Palm sized bit of omelette with courgette, red peppers, kale, onions, cheese, about two tablespoons grated carrot salad Mid afternoon : Tea with semi skim milk and sweetener, bit of brie cheese about twice the size of my thumb Supper : Palm sized bit of omelette with courgette, red peppers, kale, onions, cheese Herbal tea Before bed : About 4/5 teaspoons of vegan pannacotta (soy milk, sweetener, orange flower water, cornstarch, pistachios, maple syrup) Herbal tea

@Alix2050 You're almost there! Fingers crossed you make it below 200 this week!

Not sure if you would like it but you could add high protein/greek yogurt to the jelly, before it sets, so that it sets like a pudding texutre. You would get a higher protein amount if you also included some protein powder into the mix. This is how I have made it; 1 packet of sugar free jelly 250ml boiling water 300g greek yogurt 30g protein powder (I alternated between vanilla and natural) To make: In a just/bowl add the boiling water and jelly sachet. Mix until well combined and set aside, just to let it cool for a couple of minutes. In a blender add the yogurt, protein powder and jelly mix. Blitz until smooth. Pour into ramakins /small bowls and cover, let set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. One large bowl is about 50g protein so it will then just depend on how you portion it out but MyFitnessPal (or similar) can calculate that for you. I found the above one on Instagram and I am sure you could find similar if you wanted to have a look. The rest of the time I just had broth, made out of stock cubes with protein powder in it. The liquid phase isn't that bad or too long (if you only have to go through it once, I had to do it three times) so I just had the yogurts. puddings and broth/soup.

As always, you say exactly what needs to be heard. Thank you Yes, I've been struggling with body dysmorphia for a while now. I was having a hard time not seeing 421 pound me, even as I hit goal after goal. Now, I see stick thin, too skinny me. It's like a never ending roller coaster that I can't get off of. But I'm going to wait 2 weeks, then weigh myself again and see where I'm at. And I'm going to pay close attention to how I feel, how I look in my clothes, and how they fit me. Thanks again for everything you said.

Hi everyone. Soooo, here I am 6 months post VSG. Started at a BMI 33, reached goal at 3.5 months so kept changing goals and here I am at the 6th month mark having lost much more than anticipated and ready for maintenance (at a BMI 20 as of today, 126.7 lbs/57.6 KGs). I don’t want to bore you with too many details, other than that I bounce between a fear of becoming sickly thin (currently feeling that) and an all encompassing fear of gaining weight and going back to what I have become, it is kind of mind boggling. I read many many stories of how WLS patients gained all the weight back and then some, about them seeking revision surgeries or GLP treatments and it really freaks me out and my mind starts telling me to keep losing weight just so I don’t end up back where I started. I want to change that and start focusing on success stories. I have come across people with successful outcomes many years out but there isn’t many of them to be honest, and what I have noticed with successful WLS patients is this: - They made 360 degree changes in their lifestyles (cut all the junk, took up exercise and became very “clean” if you will). OR: - Still have fun but track their calories and weight DAILY. Very few have just lost interest in food and don’t do any of the above and remained successful. Given my history being at a low BMI and athletic my entire adulthood and only becoming overweight the past few years I can be very disciplined and committed. However I am human and I love going out to eat and trying new foods and restaurants, so for you the successful lot please enlighten me on the following: 1. What are your golden rules to successful maintenance? 2. How did you manage the mental shift (navigating fear and uncertainty) while transitioning to maintenance? I can’t seem to quiet my thoughts and anxiety around WHAT IFs? 3. How much indulgence do you actually allow yourself? I really need to strike that balance right now. Every single tip would be helpful. And to celebrate my 6 month anniversary, here’s a little before and after for y’all:

Hey all, does anyone have any tips on the regrowth? I had my surgery 16 months again and it feels like it's taking forever to be healthy again and to grow. It looks brittle and thin with some breakage. I know I need to up my protein and water, has anyone taken anything to help it? I'm taking Collagen, but I don't think it's helping anymore. I have different lengths closest to my hairline. Part of it I believe is from the surgery and the other part I know it's from Lightening my fringe in August. Now the hormonal acne. Wow, that started in January. I've never had this bad of acne before and it's pretty painful. It'll come, stay like a week one or two will go away and come back and repeat the process. Annoying. I know the hormones change after surgery, but I wasn't expecting hormonal acne 😄

I'd personally let it continue. Most of us have a rebound gain after we hit bottom - 10-20 lbs is pretty common, usually during year 3. Some people even gain more. I purposely went below my goal to account for it, and I'm really glad I did, because yep - I put on 20 lbs during year 3 (have put on about 10 more since then, which I am NOT happy about...) and yep - I looked way too skinny at my lowest weight (esp in my face), but my fat shifted around after awhile and I looked much better. Then the gain started...I sure as heck don't look too skinny now!

I thought about that. I just worry I'll start looking too skinny an sickly. That happens if my weight goes too low. Maybe I'll go 2 weeks and then weigh and see what it looks like.

Happy 10 day post-op! Im sorry to hear about your belly button discharge- do you have an incision close to it that caused it? I am also about 3 weeks liquid phase including pre-op. Im so sick of it. My fluid intake for water/sugar free gatorade is okay. I’m no where near 1.5 L a day but its slowly getting better and im definitely drinking more now than I was the first two days. Did you develop an intolerance to lactose after your surgery?

I got it on the 5th and an anesthesia newbie like you. Recovery has been smooth so far except for a belly button discharge and odor which the surgeon says happened bc the nurse cleaned it too vigorously maybe. Fingers crossed for that to resolve with clotrimazole. liquid phase for 3 weeks .how are you doing with your fluid goals

Hi! I just got sleeved on June 7th and am a little over a week post-op! I was very nervous because I had never been under general anesthesia so I had an irrational fear that it wouldn’t work on me, lol. The surgery went very well and the recovery is not as bad as I thought! The worst part were the gas pains that lasted about 3 days, but I feel significantly better now. My one tip: get a heating pad!!! Good luck to everyone! If anyone got sleeved on the same day as me/around the same time lmk, I would love some bari-buddy twins :)

Sorry @BlueParis! Stalls suck balls! I hate them too. 😘

I'm sorry about the stalls. No matter how much we know they will happen, it doesn't make it any easier. I know in the past, the closer I got to my goal weight, the slower it would come off. @BlueParis this could be the case with you? How are things feeling... your body? Your clothes? My dietician told me that these things will continue to change even during stalls.