January Sleevers ❄️

[bewell 222]

@@Eli Alexander

I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese

The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

[bewell 222]

I just got back from Bali, Indonesia. Still in Singapore where my hubby works.

I'm so happy I was able to navigate the food and restaurants. My husband who is very thin and tall can eat like a horse. At a restaurant he'd order 2 appetizers, a main course and I'd order something which I just nibbled at and then he'd finish it. He gained 2 pounds and I lost 3!!!

I did have a few incidents of acid reflux and vomiting up when I tried something that didn't work (watermelon in this case) or ate just a few bites too much. I feel like a baby, still trying to figure out what I can eat and can't eat. Simple stuff like vegetables or fruit. But I'm figuring it out and I am so happy with this surgery! I really didn't want any sweets or carbs.

The best however is I was able to wear shorts and a tee and walked around a lot. I didn't feel self-conscious like I was the biggest person on the island. A real gift.

[bewell 222]

@@Veronica Page

Thanks for your honesty. We can bare it all here and know people won't judge and we get it. We've all been there, done that.

Best wishes to you!

[619Raf 111]

619Raf Sorry about your ulcers. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia so I am on a lot of meds. I have to be very careful not to take any nsaid like Ibuprofen, or steroid etc. etc If I need something for pain I take Tylenol, so not to get ulcers. Make sure any meds you take are not causing the problem.

I also have fibromyalgia and have been on a lot of meds in the past. I am very careful now. I try not to take any meds unless I am really bad.

[Eli Alexander 316]

Congrats on losing while traveling bewell. It's been three months since the surgery for me, and my stress isn't really from the dieting or surgery. But no matter what the stress, I don't have good ol food to fall back on. That's fine, I'm learning as I go. And the weight loss has been fantastic. Also, I just got back from my 3 month follow up and was so pleased to see every test they did turn out perfect except for being a little low on Iron. My blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol and everything else has returned from borderline dead to healthy as an ox. My birthday is at the end of May and I'm on track to lose 100lbs total (26 pre surgery) by my birthday. What an amazing gift I can give myself.

[bewell 222]

@@Eli Alexander

Eli you are doing amazing!! And making the changes you want. Congrats and so happy so see people do this at 40 instead of 64 like I did.

You've got your entire life really to live it fully and healthy. So happy for you.

[winter1023 14]

I am so proud of all of you. Eli it sounds like you are really getting your act together, wisely. I am soon to be 65 and it is never to late. "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." That's what we are all doing and this time it will stick, because we are getting our emotions under control instead of it controlling us. YEAH

[Eli Alexander 316]

Thanks bewell and winter. Age is a funny thing, a lot of it is just perspective. Some days I feel like I'm crazy to quit my career and go back to school cause I've used up all my second chances. Other days, I feel great, like I've got an eternity grow and explore. I try to focus on that second type of thinking cause the first just leads to boredom and grey skies.

I started packing today. I haven't moved for a decade, so I'm realizing just how much stuff one can accumulate over time. I've already been donating all my old clothing that I've grown too small for. For the most part, that's a happy time, but giving away my tailored suits hurts a little. But now that I'm packing I'm realizing I can furnish an entire Salvation Army.

It will feel good after I move to have some new clothes and furnishings to pair with my new, skinny, school-boy life.

[Swampdoggie 477]

@@Eli Alexander how brave are you! I would love to take a new path. But I'm chicken and have a kiddo starting college in 2 years. Congrats on a courageous and surely awesome journey.

[Eli Alexander 316]

Thanks swampdoggie. I'm in a different situation in that I don't have any dependents to worry about. There is good and bad with that. A perk is I can be more self-indulgent and greedy in my choices. But you get other perks like seeing your kid go off to school, graduate and marry. What I'm doing is much easier knowing I'm not risking anyone's future but my own.

[Veronica Page 488]

So I decided last night hey I'm going to try eating some KFC with my family last night. Why not what the heck. I got some grilled chicken cause the fried skin is SO good I can not stop myself. I didn't have any sides and though I only had a drumstick I did ok. HA....work up with morning and was 3lbs heavier. Must be a sodium overload I can hardly bent my fingers they feel so full and heavy. Geez something are just cruddy. I hope every hard a great weekend and that the upcoming week is great for them as well!

[Swampdoggie 477]

@@Veronica Page Iive and learn right. I had barbecue yesterday. No bread, no slaw, just the meat in sauce. Man, was so good. And almost no activity. 2 lbs up today. Gonna be a very low carb day for me today and lots of liquids.

[619Raf 111]

I completed my first 5k yesterday and then ruined by eating a piece of cheeseburger and fries!! Mind you it was not a lot and I took half the bun off. Bad choice I woke up 3 pounds heavier!!! ????. Well lesson learned now to get back on track!! Hope everyone has a beautiful week!!

[Eli Alexander 316]

Congrats on the first 5k! Hey, those are the days you can see weight go in the wrong direction and still smile. When you exercise so much more than normal, your body demands exactly what it needs. Sure, you could have found better ways to eat, and hopefully next time you will, but just doing that activity is a huge accomplishment. You may take an extra week to lose the weight gain, but your body will be better for it. Stronger, more muscular and better apt to lose in the future.

My brother is a bike racer and told me that all the cyclists agree you never lose weight during the race season. It's just too hard contending with what your body requires. But it's during e offseason that the racers get so thin they can fit into toddler clothing. What I take from that for my exercising is I don't expect to lose much on my most vigorous workout days. But it's exactly those vigorous days that set my body up for big losses on the more normal workout days.

Two weeks ago I went on a monster ride, over 60 miles with a mountain. I burned almost 5000 calories, but only lost 0.2lbs that day cause of all the food, salts, power bars and shot blocks I consumed, not to mention a glass of wine that night. But in the two weeks since that ride I've lost 9lbs. Sure, I exercise daily, but 500-1200 calories usually. And I've been good on my food intake. But I personally think that huge workout day jump started my body to burn more calories and that's why the last two weeks have been so prosperous. I'm planning another huge days soon.

Anyway, my point was, congrats on the 5K and don't let the immediate weight response mean more than it should.

[Swampdoggie 477]

I saw my surgeon today. Went in because I've been so nauseated - barfing -and had a crazy bellowing stomach for the last 2 weeks. Figured it was my lyme meds but was a little worried about a leak or obstruction or kidney trouble.

Seems it's a little of both (lyme and bariatric). I've been losing about 2 lbs a week (averaged) and he wants me to slow down, to up the carbs. Wow, that is so hard to wrap my head around. But he said ill feel better and metabolize what I'm eating better.

Well, while I thought this sounded like fun for a little minute he wants me to up the carbs with gatorade, blech. Apparently this is to have better control over the amount and to not get into bad carb habits. I feel like I have this little window and now I'm going to boof it up, and with what? Gatorade. Ugh. And start another new med at $150 for 30 days (well, go back on one I'd stopped). I hate my insurance.

On the plus side we did an upper GI and everything looked good so no leak or block. Still have to have gallbladder function testing.