February 2024 Surgery Buddies?

[NickelChip 1,212]

7 minutes ago, RonHall908 said:

I'll gnaw on some turkey Jerky. It takes a lot of chewing to get it down to where it's safe to swallow.

Given the troubles I've had with dry food, I think it will be a while before I risk eating Jerky, which is a shame because I love it. But I do like those roasted, salted edamame Beans @gracesmommy2 recommended! My order of them arrived the other day and that little bag is very satisfying!

[BlueParis 117]

3 hours ago, NickelChip said:

Weighed in this morning at 199.8 lbs! Finally under 200!

I'm going to NYC this weekend, so lots of walking will be a guarantee, but I'll have to be mindful of hydration and not give in to the temptation of grazing all day on little snack foods. I've already chosen my dinner from the menu of the place we're going Saturday, a lentil Soup. Afternoon tea on Sunday will be a nice treat.

I'm so so so happy for you! welcome to W(one)derland! I hope you'll enjoy NYC!!

[LisaCaryl 96]

5 hours ago, NickelChip said:

Weighed in this morning at 199.8 lbs! Finally under 200!

I'm going to NYC this weekend, so lots of walking will be a guarantee, but I'll have to be mindful of hydration and not give in to the temptation of grazing all day on little snack foods. I've already chosen my dinner from the menu of the place we're going Saturday, a lentil Soup. Afternoon tea on Sunday will be a nice treat.

Congrats!!!!!

[BlueParis 117]

Roh! (this is French for discontentement) I've just got home from Athens and got on my home scale - I'm back up at 70.6kg (155.4lbs).

I know from the Athens scales that my weight hasn't budged since the 15th - so 9 days. My brain knows that this was going to happen but my heart is upset (Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connait point ... The heart has its reasons that reason ignores.).

This means that since I left home 15 days ago I've only lost 1.9kg (4.2lbs).

Breaking back into the 60's is really important to me and I just can't make it. So I'm upset ( and tired and overworked right now I think, my flight was delayed - I left where I was staying in Athens at 3.45 am, my flight was slightly delayed, and luggage delivery took a whole hour so I had to go straight from the airport to a meeting with very very little sleep). I'm home now but just have time to do laundry and unpack and repack because I leave for the UK early tomorrow to see friends in London before a conference in the north next week.

I just want it to be the summer and to be on holiday already. I want to spend more that 24 hours in my own home. And I want to see a number starting with a 6 on the scale.

I'm doing the best I can with food. I'm walking and being as active as I can. I'm just so so disheartened. I think I just need a nap.

[RonHall908 130]

36 minutes ago, BlueParis said:

Roh! (this is French for discontentement) I've just got home from Athens and got on my home scale - I'm back up at 70.6kg (155.4lbs).

I know from the Athens scales that my weight hasn't budged since the 15th - so 9 days. My brain knows that this was going to happen but my heart is upset (Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connait point ... The heart has its reasons that reason ignores.).

This means that since I left home 15 days ago I've only lost 1.9kg (4.2lbs).

Breaking back into the 60's is really important to me and I just can't make it. So I'm upset ( and tired and overworked right now I think, my flight was delayed - I left where I was staying in Athens at 3.45 am, my flight was slightly delayed, and luggage delivery took a whole hour so I had to go straight from the airport to a meeting with very very little sleep). I'm home now but just have time to do laundry and unpack and repack because I leave for the UK early tomorrow to see friends in London before a conference in the north next week.

I just want it to be the summer and to be on holiday already. I want to spend more that 24 hours in my own home. And I want to see a number starting with a 6 on the scale.

I'm doing the best I can with food. I'm walking and being as active as I can. I'm just so so disheartened. I think I just need a nap.

The stalls aren't fun. But I've been reassured by the baritastic dietician and doctor that it is part of the process. It's just a tough thing to swallow when the number don't move. Sounds like you need a little rest from traveling. But, I understand work. The past month my sleeping habits have gone sideways. I'm constantly waking up at night. I wear a bipap for sleep apnea. Also have a smart watch that help tracks sleep. My REM sleep has been less than 45 mins a night.

[NickelChip 1,212]

@BlueParis I think the hardest part about this process is accepting that the weight loss happens over a full year, or sometimes even more! The stalls make it feel like it will never happen, even though it will. Just not as fast as we want. But you'll get where you want to be eventually if you keep doing the right things.

I've been thinking about it and one of the things I think makes it hard for me right now is that part of my brain never really accepted or acknowledged the size I was when I reached my highest weight. I look at myself in the mirror now and even though I haven't been this weight in 25 years and the last time I was close to it was 7 years ago, in my head, this is what I looked like all along, so I don't see the difference.

I'll admit, I saw a photo of myself from last summer and was shocked at my size. Did I really look like that? But I look at myself now and all I feel is the frustration I had in my mid-20s of "when will I lose this weight" because it feels like the last 50 lbs never even happened. I'm just back to a place where I recognize what I'm seeing in the mirror instead of pretending it's not there.

@RonHall908 I'm also struggling with sleep. I started tracking with my Fitbit and I don't get what I thought I did. I go to bed around 10:30 and I don't have to be up until 7:00, so I always thought I was getting plenty, at least 7 hours and close to 8, but in reality, I wake up at 5:00 this time of year because of the sun coming up. In the past 3 weeks since I started tracking, I've averaged 6h7m and only hit 7h twice. For comparison, my tracker says I've had an average of 1h9m of REM and 1h13m deep sleep, with 45m awake and 3h44m light sleep.

For the most part, I'm energetic. I get over an hour of walking in almost every day, with 38m in the moderate zone according to my tracker. I don't drink any caffeine. But I do have about 30 minutes between 2:30 and 3:00pm when I can barely keep my eyes open. After that, I tend to have a second wind and am wide awake by the time 9pm rolls around so going to bed earlier isn't a great option. I try to relax and read, but I still don't fall asleep until close to 11pm, and I can easily stay up until after midnight if I don't stop myself. Maybe this is just what my body wants?

[RonHall908 130]

17 minutes ago, NickelChip said:

@BlueParis I think the hardest part about this process is accepting that the weight loss happens over a full year, or sometimes even more! The stalls make it feel like it will never happen, even though it will. Just not as fast as we want. But you'll get where you want to be eventually if you keep doing the right things.

I've been thinking about it and one of the things I think makes it hard for me right now is that part of my brain never really accepted or acknowledged the size I was when I reached my highest weight. I look at myself in the mirror now and even though I haven't been this weight in 25 years and the last time I was close to it was 7 years ago, in my head, this is what I looked like all along, so I don't see the difference.

I'll admit, I saw a photo of myself from last summer and was shocked at my size. Did I really look like that? But I look at myself now and all I feel is the frustration I had in my mid-20s of "when will I lose this weight" because it feels like the last 50 lbs never even happened. I'm just back to a place where I recognize what I'm seeing in the mirror instead of pretending it's not there.

@RonHall908 I'm also struggling with sleep. I started tracking with my Fitbit and I don't get what I thought I did. I go to bed around 10:30 and I don't have to be up until 7:00, so I always thought I was getting plenty, at least 7 hours and close to 8, but in reality, I wake up at 5:00 this time of year because of the sun coming up. In the past 3 weeks since I started tracking, I've averaged 6h7m and only hit 7h twice. For comparison, my tracker says I've had an average of 1h9m of REM and 1h13m deep sleep, with 45m awake and 3h44m light sleep.

For the most part, I'm energetic. I get over an hour of walking in almost every day, with 38m in the moderate zone according to my tracker. I don't drink any caffeine. But I do have about 30 minutes between 2:30 and 3:00pm when I can barely keep my eyes open. After that, I tend to have a second wind and am wide awake by the time 9pm rolls around so going to bed earlier isn't a great option. I try to relax and read, but I still don't fall asleep until close to 11pm, and I can easily stay up until after midnight if I don't stop myself. Maybe this is just what my body wants?

I wake up at 3:30 am every morning. Work starts at 5 am. It's hard for me to go to bed at 9 pm. But I try anyway, only to toss and turn. I don't like taking meds to sleep. I may need a new sleep study just to see if I need the bipap. They did tell me that I may not need it after losing a lot of weight. They suggested that would be about a year out. As I mentioned in other posts, they warned me about exhaustion so that is definitely where I'm at. I hope it gets better soon. Being tired all the time isn't fun.

[BlueParis 117]

Thanks @NickelChip @RonHall908 I know the stall is normal and expected but it’s not making it easier for me to deal with … ( scales still hadn’t budged this morning making it 10 days …).

Im sorry to hear you guys are suffering sleep wize and hope you get things sorted soon, are your bedrooms cool enough ?

- I’ve never been one for much sleep and suffer terribly from insomnia but still try to avoid sleeping pills like the devil. My usual Paris setting is up at 6.45 - coffee coffee coffee shower - out the door at 7.45 to get to the office until 19.30 - then out and about ( drinks and food or theatre or whatever) and then home round 10/11pm and then 1.30-2am I head to bed. So I’m usually on under 5 hours a night. I struggled against it for a while and finally just accepted it. If I get 4 hours I can function. If I try to go to bed earlier I just get really annoyed at the fact I’m not sleeping and end up all wound up and exhausted.
But… since surgery I’m in bed at 11pm sometimes earlier and asleep by midnight so that’s a good in for me! @NickelChip maybe if your job/life allows it just try and go with the rhythm for a few days - just follow when your body says it’s tired and nap if you can?

I’m on the train to London actually under the channel right now as I type! Always so amazed by it!

[BlueParis 117]

I managed to duplicate my post! Hopefully it’s sorted. ( 291km/h is 181 miles/h)

Edited May 25 by BlueParis

[BlueParis 117]

I'm still stalled. It's been 12 days. I just want to cry the whole time and stuff my face with food. I feel like this is it. That the scales will never budge. I'm having such a hard time coping. I just feel like staying in bed and crying. I'm exhausted and the weight still isn't moving at all. I don't know what do to. I feel like giving up. I'm really really struggling.

[LisaCaryl 96]

2 hours ago, BlueParis said:

I'm still stalled. It's been 12 days. I just want to cry the whole time and stuff my face with food. I feel like this is it. That the scales will never budge. I'm having such a hard time coping. I just feel like staying in bed and crying. I'm exhausted and the weight still isn't moving at all. I don't know what do to. I feel like giving up. I'm really really struggling.

I’m so sorry to hear this. I wish I had some words of wisdom for you, but honestly, I don’t. During these days of the stall, are you still noticing that your clothes are fitting looser? I was told not to be so dependent on the scale but more on noticing the weight coming off as far as how I feel in clothes. I don’t recall if you have a dietitian or someone that you check in with? If you do, you may wanna contact them or contact your doctor and talk this over with them. I don’t doubt that more weight is going to come off, I’m more concerned about your mental state. No giving up, OK??

[BlueParis 117]

9 hours ago, LisaCaryl said:

I’m so sorry to hear this. I wish I had some words of wisdom for you, but honestly, I don’t. During these days of the stall, are you still noticing that your clothes are fitting looser? I was told not to be so dependent on the scale but more on noticing the weight coming off as far as how I feel in clothes. I don’t recall if you have a dietitian or someone that you check in with? If you do, you may wanna contact them or contact your doctor and talk this over with them. I don’t doubt that more weight is going to come off, I’m more concerned about your mental state. No giving up, OK??

@LisaCaryl Sorry, I didn't want to worry you! I'm close to giving up on trying to make healthy food choices is what I really meant. I'm feeling slightly better this evening although I'm freezing again because of the cold and rain in the UK. I think I'm just so so done in by all the traveling for work - I've still had less than 30 days at home since my surgery at the end of Feb and I know I'll be travelling pretty much non stop till mid July - and I'm so over the cold and the random hotel rooms and the living out of a suitcase. My partner is also travelling a lot so we barely see each other which normally we're fine with but the last 7-8 months have been especially bad travel wize. I think I just need a few good nights sleep in my own bed... I get home on wednesday evening and have a week a home before fmying off. Thankyou.

Clothes feeling looser is a hard one because I travel light so basically just swap out one work dress for another from my suitcase when I'm home without trying anything on. I do have a dietician from the clinic I was operated at but the contact is just through whatsapp.

I spoke to my partner earlier about how down I am (partner is not a GP or a psychiatrist but is a doctor.) and he thinks that it's just really because all this travelling and rain and cold is shitty and to keep upbeat and work i have to find something to get the negative emotions out on so I'm going with the lack of weightloss. The rational person inside me knows that this stall will pass but the emotional person is just so over the struggle allready!

[RonHall908 130]

14 hours ago, BlueParis said:

I'm still stalled. It's been 12 days. I just want to cry the whole time and stuff my face with food. I feel like this is it. That the scales will never budge. I'm having such a hard time coping. I just feel like staying in bed and crying. I'm exhausted and the weight still isn't moving at all. I don't know what do to. I feel like giving up. I'm really really struggling.

The last time I was talking about having a stall after nearly 3 weeks. My weight all the sudden dropped. But, I can also tell that I'm losing inches. Even when the weight doesn't move. My energy is all over the place the past week or so, I feel like I could do a triathlon, sometimes I feel like I just did a triathlon without doing anything. I assure you it's normal. I'm seeing this first hand, also this is what I get told by the doctor, dietician, nurse and exercise specialist. Two of them have had gastric bypass. The other two have been in the bariatric field for several years.
The Dietician told me my stomach is like a new baby, since I'm only 3 months post op. There's several more months ( or longer) for our body to get it figured out. Right now it's brand new. I know how tough it is to see the scale not move, but I also know this is still early in the process. I'm trying to look at it like I have a brand new 3 months old stomach and there's going to be growing pains. Try not to be hard on yourself, it's a process and it takes time. That's what I keep trying to tell myself. I know it's cheesy and a line from a movie. But, like Rocky Balboa, if you get knocked down the only thing you can do is get up and keep moving forward.

[BlueParis 117]

I'm still stalled but feeling better.

I spoke to my clinic who said it is normal because I've lost more than goal at this point and had a lower BMI to start off with.

The clinic has said the stall may last up to a month which means I'm half way through the stall trying to be rational about it.

I managed a decent walk ( 15.4k steps) yesterday in my raincoat that helped.

I'm still in London for work and it is grey and raining but I bailed on my hotel and came to stay with my little brother (who lives here for his work) and it's a bit like being home. I hadn't seen him in a few years because we're not that close but he made me airfryer spicy tofu and asparagus for supper, offered to look over some work excels with me and to top it off he washed, dried, folded my laundry from my suitcase whilst I was asleep and woke me up with coffee in bed this morning. (I suspect he's been talking to my partner). He's made me feel very cared for and also said that even without weightloss in the mix he gets very very down when he has a bad stretch of travel for work and the weather is ****. He helped me find friends of friends to stay with when I have a week in Budapest in 10 days time so that I'm not all alone at a hotel again. And we realised we'll both be in Boston for work next month and can meet up there and we also sync'd our work travel agendas and found out we'll be in Singapore in October at the same time as our brother in law ( sisters husband) and so all three of us can stay together!

For my job the travel is going to be wild until the end of this year (wrap up of a 5 year worldwide project) and so I'm just going to have to "hack" it as much as I can.

I get back to Paris very late tonight and might see if I can move enough meetings around to take Friday off work and just spend 3 days for myself in Paris.

Hows everyone getting on ?

[RonHall908 130]

54 minutes ago, BlueParis said:

I'm still stalled but feeling better.

I spoke to my clinic who said it is normal because I've lost more than goal at this point and had a lower BMI to start off with.

The clinic has said the stall may last up to a month which means I'm half way through the stall trying to be rational about it.

I managed a decent walk ( 15.4k steps) yesterday in my raincoat that helped.

I'm still in London for work and it is grey and raining but I bailed on my hotel and came to stay with my little brother (who lives here for his work) and it's a bit like being home. I hadn't seen him in a few years because we're not that close but he made me airfryer spicy tofu and asparagus for supper, offered to look over some work excels with me and to top it off he washed, dried, folded my laundry from my suitcase whilst I was asleep and woke me up with coffee in bed this morning. (I suspect he's been talking to my partner). He's made me feel very cared for and also said that even without weightloss in the mix he gets very very down when he has a bad stretch of travel for work and the weather is ****. He helped me find friends of friends to stay with when I have a week in Budapest in 10 days time so that I'm not all alone at a hotel again. And we realised we'll both be in Boston for work next month and can meet up there and we also sync'd our work travel agendas and found out we'll be in Singapore in October at the same time as our brother in law ( sisters husband) and so all three of us can stay together!

For my job the travel is going to be wild until the end of this year (wrap up of a 5 year worldwide project) and so I'm just going to have to "hack" it as much as I can.

I get back to Paris very late tonight and might see if I can move enough meetings around to take Friday off work and just spend 3 days for myself in Paris.

Hows everyone getting on ?

The bariatric center I go to told me the same thing about stalls. But they also added that little things could prolong them. Like I mentioned in another post about the pre workout and post workout fueling (eating). The stalls still happen, but at least I feel a little better from having more energy.

That's great you're staying with your brother. That's what brothers are supposed to do! Sounds like you have a good one.

You have a very interesting job to be able to travel all over the world. I'm sure there's times the traveling is too much. But, wow. All the places and different people you get to meet and work with.

I hope the stalls don't last too much longer for you. From my own experience with them, they are tough to get past, even when you do see other positives going on. I wish you good rest and safe travels!