February 2022 Surgery Buddies

[LaTiaV 111]

43 minutes ago, Dcsjoc said:

I feel like I should have a sign on my shirt when I go to restaurants, can’t eat a lot bariatric patient!!!

When I had my surgery I had a goody bag from the team, it included a Patient ID Card with my name and surgery date. They told me I could show it in restaurants. it is the size of a credit card.

It has a note:

"SPECIAL MENU REQUEST

The above named patient has had Gastric surgery which has reduced his/her stomach capacity to less than 3 ounces.

Please allow him/her to order a smaller portion or make a selection from the children's menu."

I have not used it but your message reminded me of it. I will put it in my wallet, who knows... it may work.

[fourmonthspreop 510]

91 lbs gone! 61 of those lbs lost in the post op phase. 4 months and 8 days since my bypass in FEB. Still lumpy but feeling so much better. I finally am at the point where I have too much energy and dont know what to do with myself half the time...started working out a lot.

If you want to share and had your surgery feb 2022, show me some before and afters!

Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

[SoCalEm 54]

Hi all! Reporting in!

I’m officially down 83lbs since surgery on 2/3/22. Previously size 2XL-3XL and 20, now size Small/Med and size 10. I’ve never felt better or been happier.

I’m stoked about what I see in the mirror but am bummed that the excess skin/fat gives me a muffin-top in fitted clothes. Better healthy and saggy though!

My hair started falling out a couple weeks ago and it’s a LOT. I knew it would happen but it’s unsettling nonetheless.

How is everyone else doing? We’re 5 months past. Can you believe how much life has changed??

[Shikin.k 7]

9 hours ago, SoCalEm said:

Hi all! Reporting in!

I’m officially down 83lbs since surgery on 2/3/22. Previously size 2XL-3XL and 20, now size Small/Med and size 10. I’ve never felt better or been happier.

I’m stoked about what I see in the mirror but am bummed that the excess skin/fat gives me a muffin-top in fitted clothes. Better healthy and saggy though!

My hair started falling out a couple weeks ago and it’s a LOT. I knew it would happen but it’s unsettling nonetheless.

How is everyone else doing? We’re 5 months past. Can you believe how much life has changed??

Congratulations! 20 weeks post surgery and am on the tail end of experiencing the worst hairfall episode of my life. I feel like im balding. I dont think I have enough hair to last this part of the journey. I’ve only lost 70lbs. I’ve been quite good with the food, not so much with the daily movement. I’m losing about 2lbs per week on average now. Will be meeting with my surgeon at the end of October. Hopefully I can meet their target and lose another 25lbs by then.

what is everyone doing about the loose skin and Hair loss? I’ve started scalp treatments, drinking collagen, using firming oils. Not sure if they will work though. Im afraid that it’s a case of too little too late.

[fourmonthspreop 510]

Hey! Glad to hear from everyone. I had my surgery Feb 14 and have lost about 66 lbs post OP and total weight loss 97 lbs in both pre and post op phases.

I am feeling very mehh mentally. I was stalled out for a long time in the 250s but I recently broke the stall which is great but physically I really don't like how I look. I'm having a very hard time embracing the weight loss because my body still looks the same as it did at 340 lbs, just a smaller version now with loose and droopy skin.

I cannot stop thinking about getting my arms done because I have huge loose upper arms with saggy droopy skin. It's 100+ degrees here and I refuse to wear short sleeve shirts never mind tank tops because I am so self-conscious about my arms. I am wearing long sleeve shirts and button-ups for now. I tried a girdle to suck me in but it just makes the loose skin on my armpit/back stick out and looks HORRIBLE.

I am honestly having a really hard time accepting myself. I look in the mirror and still see a huge person and the fact that I'm not at my weight loss goal really adds to it. I'm also losing my hair and my front hair line is so thinned out, if my hair gets oily there's a bald spot on the left front side that is almost impossible to cover up. I just feel so ugly.

I am trying to wash my hair less (because the majority of it falls out in the shower), brush it incredibly gently, and sleep on a silk pillowcase but I'm not sure there's much else to do about Hair loss, just let the thing run its course and it is supposed to come back within a year. Dying my hair dark, dark brown helps it look fuller.

Physically I feel better but still deal with crunching knee pain, I think that's just from having no cartilage in the knee and needs a medical intervention beyond weight loss. The knee pain overall has improved but there's no cartilage in my right knee and it still gets very painful. On the bright side I can run and run up stairs without getting out of breath. I don't sweat unless I'm doing something very strenuous too to the intense heat and long sleeves doesn't bother me too much because I don't really get that hot.

I am only allowing weigh-ins once a month from here on out because I was obsessive about it and the number makes me incredibly depressed. I am not concerned about my diet or my movement - I follow what I'm supposed to be doing well so there's no sense in stepping on the scale every day. And the last two times I've checked the number went down from my previous stall.

All the loose skin, lumps, nothing is flat or smooth and I'm still in my 20's, haven't had kids and am just so upset I did this to myself. I am obviously very happy about the weight loss but it's like now that a lot of weight has come off, I am now mentally dealing with the shame and regret I feel in letting myself get as heavy as I was. In the moment, I didn't think about it because I was so disconnected from my body - I always thought it's not that bad but now that I see how much my body has changed, I feel ashamed of myself.

I am really working on "owning" my body at this point. I want to have a plastics consultation to see when and how they'd be willing to operate on me but until then, I just need to realize what's changed for the better. I just wish the body dysmorphia and self-hatred would go away but as everyone says, it doesn't. You still have to put the work in and that's my main priority right now.

Anyway, sorry I am kind of venting here. Thanks if you made it this far. I'm incredibly interested to hear how everyone is doing too, physically, mentally, etc.

[fourmonthspreop 510]

My arm flab for reference

Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

[LaTiaV 111]

hi four months,

Those jeans look good.

[Ccosta0425 20]

On 7/10/2022 at 2:26 PM, fourmonthspreop said:

My arm flab for reference

Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

You look great! I had mine Feb 8 and

am now down 90lbs 10 more to go for my big 100 lol but the loose skin is killing me I feel like nothing is tightening and it has me very self conscious. I got loose skin on my legs belly arms I hate it. I haven’t had any Hair loss yet thankfully but the loose skin is killing me. I keep wanting to find a good wrap or something to hold my belly in because I just hate how it hangs. Anyone using some type of tummy shape wear and if so want to drop names or where u got them?!?!?!?

[SoCalEm 54]

On 7/10/2022 at 7:35 AM, fourmonthspreop said:

Hey! Glad to hear from everyone. I had my surgery Feb 14 and have lost about 66 lbs post OP and total weight loss 97 lbs in both pre and post op phases.

I am feeling very mehh mentally. I was stalled out for a long time in the 250s but I recently broke the stall which is great but physically I really don't like how I look. I'm having a very hard time embracing the weight loss because my body still looks the same as it did at 340 lbs, just a smaller version now with loose and droopy skin.

I cannot stop thinking about getting my arms done because I have huge loose upper arms with saggy droopy skin. It's 100+ degrees here and I refuse to wear short sleeve shirts never mind tank tops because I am so self-conscious about my arms. I am wearing long sleeve shirts and button-ups for now. I tried a girdle to suck me in but it just makes the loose skin on my armpit/back stick out and looks HORRIBLE.

I am honestly having a really hard time accepting myself. I look in the mirror and still see a huge person and the fact that I'm not at my weight loss goal really adds to it. I'm also losing my hair and my front hair line is so thinned out, if my hair gets oily there's a bald spot on the left front side that is almost impossible to cover up. I just feel so ugly.

I am trying to wash my hair less (because the majority of it falls out in the shower), brush it incredibly gently, and sleep on a silk pillowcase but I'm not sure there's much else to do about Hair loss, just let the thing run its course and it is supposed to come back within a year. Dying my hair dark, dark brown helps it look fuller.

Physically I feel better but still deal with crunching knee pain, I think that's just from having no cartilage in the knee and needs a medical intervention beyond weight loss. The knee pain overall has improved but there's no cartilage in my right knee and it still gets very painful. On the bright side I can run and run up stairs without getting out of breath. I don't sweat unless I'm doing something very strenuous too to the intense heat and long sleeves doesn't bother me too much because I don't really get that hot.

I am only allowing weigh-ins once a month from here on out because I was obsessive about it and the number makes me incredibly depressed. I am not concerned about my diet or my movement - I follow what I'm supposed to be doing well so there's no sense in stepping on the scale every day. And the last two times I've checked the number went down from my previous stall.

All the loose skin, lumps, nothing is flat or smooth and I'm still in my 20's, haven't had kids and am just so upset I did this to myself. I am obviously very happy about the weight loss but it's like now that a lot of weight has come off, I am now mentally dealing with the shame and regret I feel in letting myself get as heavy as I was. In the moment, I didn't think about it because I was so disconnected from my body - I always thought it's not that bad but now that I see how much my body has changed, I feel ashamed of myself.

I am really working on "owning" my body at this point. I want to have a plastics consultation to see when and how they'd be willing to operate on me but until then, I just need to realize what's changed for the better. I just wish the body dysmorphia and self-hatred would go away but as everyone says, it doesn't. You still have to put the work in and that's my main priority right now.

Anyway, sorry I am kind of venting here. Thanks if you made it this far. I'm incredibly interested to hear how everyone is doing too, physically, mentally, etc.

I’m having an awful time with Hair loss too. I posted a plea for suggestions to hear from others coping also. I already had very thin hair and loss to begin with and I didn’t expect the loss to be so profound. It might just come with the territory, like the loose skin. A kid I know calls them angel wings. That makes it sound better.

I can empathize with the lumps and saggy skin. It crept up on me overnight and now I can’t stop poking at the spare tire of flab. All I see now is the muffin top and there’s nothing I can do on my own to make it go away.

It helps to focus on the things I can do now and all the possibilities we have. There’s so much more we can do in our healthier bodies and you’re fortunate to start this weight loss journey so early in life.

Take care.

[Living_My_Best_Life 8]

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe it's already been nearly 27 weeks since my sleeve surgery on Feb. 1. So far, I've lost 79.6 pounds since my starting pre-op weight. I feel so much better and energetic without the extra weight, and I love being able to fit into smaller clothes. I saved a lot of my work clothes from past years, so I'm now able to wear those clothes again. I still have a long ways to go before I reach my goal weight, but the positive aspect of this is that I feel so much better than I did before the surgery. My weight loss is slower than many others, but I still see the weight coming off regularly, so that keeps me going. I also went on a two week vacation and didn't do very well sticking to my eating plan, so that slowed me down for a while, too. Overall, though, things are really good.

I hope others are doing well, too!

[LaTiaV 111]

Hello,

I am 6 Months PO, feeling very good today, I had issues with reflux, had a couple of endoscopies and seems like I am fine but for some reason my esophagus is still inflamed, but I feel a lot better now. Hair loss seems to be slowing down, I cut my hair very short because it was awful to see it coming off in the shower, now I can see baby hairs growing but they are very thin. I have lost 83 pounds, I used 2X and 1X size clothes and I still cannot believe I can use jeans size 10. Hungry is back, I cannot eat much at a time but I feel like eating too often, I need a to find way to control that, for now, I put my highest weight pictures in the refrigerator hopping they remind me what happens if I get just one more snack. I have to travel for work and that takes me out of any routine. I have to organize myself better during those weeks.

No regrets, I hope everybody else is doing well.

[Ccosta0425 20]

3 hours ago, Living_My_Best_Life said:

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe it's already been nearly 27 weeks since my sleeve surgery on Feb. 1. So far, I've lost 79.6 pounds since my starting pre-op weight. I feel so much better and energetic without the extra weight, and I love being able to fit into smaller clothes. I saved a lot of my work clothes from past years, so I'm now able to wear those clothes again. I still have a long ways to go before I reach my goal weight, but the positive aspect of this is that I feel so much better than I did before the surgery. My weight loss is slower than many others, but I still see the weight coming off regularly, so that keeps me going. I also went on a two week vacation and didn't do very well sticking to my eating plan, so that slowed me down for a while, too. Overall, though, things are really good.

I hope others are doing well, too!

Keep it up as long as you feel better that’s what matters. Everyone loses weight different I’ve just started slowing down losing weight now which it’s been 6 months since Feb 8 so I figured it would by now. I’m down 100lbs exact since surgery still got more to go but I’m feeling great and that’s what matters keep it up!!!

[Shikin.k 7]

I was wondering, do you have a “target weight” to achieve? I’m 5’4”. I’ve arbitrarily decided on 75kg/165lbs as my target for the year so that I can get a referral to the assisted reproductive tech clinic (there’s a max BMI of 25 to subsidised procedures where I live). My surgeon just says to continue with losing whatever weight I can. But I don’t know if I setting a target will work for me.

I’ve lost about 40kg/88lbs these past 6 months. The weight loss has starting to slow down because I’ve started to eat things other than Protein and it’s frustrating. I don’t want to backslide.

Oh also, how’s the Hair loss? Mine was TERRIBLE in June/July.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Shikin.k

[Shikin.k 7]

On 7/15/2022 at 8:43 PM, Ccosta0425 said:

You look great! I had mine Feb 8 and

am now down 90lbs 10 more to go for my big 100 lol but the loose skin is killing me I feel like nothing is tightening and it has me very self conscious. I got loose skin on my legs belly arms I hate it. I haven’t had any Hair loss yet thankfully but the loose skin is killing me. I keep wanting to find a good wrap or something to hold my belly in because I just hate how it hangs. Anyone using some type of tummy shape wear and if so want to drop names or where u got them?!?!?!?

I am using Spanx for tummy control. I get them on asos.com when there’s a 20% off.

[Shikin.k 7]

On 7/10/2022 at 10:35 PM, fourmonthspreop said:

Hey! Glad to hear from everyone. I had my surgery Feb 14 and have lost about 66 lbs post OP and total weight loss 97 lbs in both pre and post op phases.

I am feeling very mehh mentally. I was stalled out for a long time in the 250s but I recently broke the stall which is great but physically I really don't like how I look. I'm having a very hard time embracing the weight loss because my body still looks the same as it did at 340 lbs, just a smaller version now with loose and droopy skin.

I cannot stop thinking about getting my arms done because I have huge loose upper arms with saggy droopy skin. It's 100+ degrees here and I refuse to wear short sleeve shirts never mind tank tops because I am so self-conscious about my arms. I am wearing long sleeve shirts and button-ups for now. I tried a girdle to suck me in but it just makes the loose skin on my armpit/back stick out and looks HORRIBLE.

I am honestly having a really hard time accepting myself. I look in the mirror and still see a huge person and the fact that I'm not at my weight loss goal really adds to it. I'm also losing my hair and my front hair line is so thinned out, if my hair gets oily there's a bald spot on the left front side that is almost impossible to cover up. I just feel so ugly.

I am trying to wash my hair less (because the majority of it falls out in the shower), brush it incredibly gently, and sleep on a silk pillowcase but I'm not sure there's much else to do about Hair loss, just let the thing run its course and it is supposed to come back within a year. Dying my hair dark, dark brown helps it look fuller.

Physically I feel better but still deal with crunching knee pain, I think that's just from having no cartilage in the knee and needs a medical intervention beyond weight loss. The knee pain overall has improved but there's no cartilage in my right knee and it still gets very painful. On the bright side I can run and run up stairs without getting out of breath. I don't sweat unless I'm doing something very strenuous too to the intense heat and long sleeves doesn't bother me too much because I don't really get that hot.

I am only allowing weigh-ins once a month from here on out because I was obsessive about it and the number makes me incredibly depressed. I am not concerned about my diet or my movement - I follow what I'm supposed to be doing well so there's no sense in stepping on the scale every day. And the last two times I've checked the number went down from my previous stall.

All the loose skin, lumps, nothing is flat or smooth and I'm still in my 20's, haven't had kids and am just so upset I did this to myself. I am obviously very happy about the weight loss but it's like now that a lot of weight has come off, I am now mentally dealing with the shame and regret I feel in letting myself get as heavy as I was. In the moment, I didn't think about it because I was so disconnected from my body - I always thought it's not that bad but now that I see how much my body has changed, I feel ashamed of myself.

I am really working on "owning" my body at this point. I want to have a plastics consultation to see when and how they'd be willing to operate on me but until then, I just need to realize what's changed for the better. I just wish the body dysmorphia and self-hatred would go away but as everyone says, it doesn't. You still have to put the work in and that's my main priority right now.

Anyway, sorry I am kind of venting here. Thanks if you made it this far. I'm incredibly interested to hear how everyone is doing too, physically, mentally, etc.

I hope you’re feeling better. Loving yourself starts with the words you use in yourself. Remember that you are still the same you, your body still works the same way, just with lesser inertia. Before and after pictures that I take just for me help. Of course I see that my skin is sagging everywhere, my boobs aren’t perky or high, but I also see that I have smaller thighs, I can see the veins popping on my forearms after my workout, something that I would never have noticed before. Small things like that make me happy. Give your skin some time to recover. Your collagen will work for you.

I’m almost 40. Been overweight my whole life so I accept my skin and its folds are just like the surgery scars- they tell my story. Find what makes you happy with yourself, even if it’s just your more defined clavicle. And hold on to it. You’ll get to a place where you give thanks to your body for the home it is giving to your self and soul.