February 2024 Surgery Buddies?

[BlueParis 117]

4 hours ago, NickelChip said:

Or is it just so the shoppers from other EU countries try on the clothing in what they assume is their size and it's always tight? Because if that's the reason, I have to applaud that wicked sense of humor.

So I studied in Berlin for 2 years - when I left Paris I was a size 34… and as the years went by I was still a size 34 in Berlin… and then I got back to Paris and realised I’d gained a size … insidious indeed!
But yes, French women and esp Parisienne women tend to be pretty small! The average BMI for a French woman between 30 and 50 years old is 23.2 and for a Parisienne woman between 30-50 years old it’s 21.1! I’m still the fattest woman in my office and friend group by quite a bit - I think (but I’m not sure) that weight is also highly correlated to level of education here and I work in an office with 95% of PhDs … that might explain it..: that or the fact that black expresso and a cigarette is considered Breakfast (also guilty of this).
It’s hard because you have to « enjoy » food and the wine and the cheese and the pâtisseries at social occasions but you’re also judged very severely for being even the tiniest bit overweight - so basically you have to starve in private.
Things are slowly changing but up until about 5 years ago it was basically mission impossible to find any clothes over size 42 ( American size 10) on the high street. Fat people (esp fat women) are despised. I was treated so badly when I was fatter, with so much disdain, so much rudeness, so much disregard. In French public space women’s bodies exist to be desirable and desired. To put it crudely if you don’t look « fu**able » enough you’re not welcome in public spaces… ( also see parralel with female headscarves being forbidden in public spaces and even wetsuits for women being forbidden on some public beaches ( must be swimsuit or bikini) because wetsuits were seen as Islamic propaganda)…

In France women’s bodies belong to the male gaze. It’s a complicated issue.

[NickelChip 1,195]

Yeah, it's only slowly changing here so that we can find larger sizes in regular shops. I have been a bit bigger since my mid-20s, which is when I developed a thyroid issue. So when I was working in a finance office in downtown Boston years ago, I was always one of the biggest women at a size US 16/18. I was going to a wedding and went to all the department stores in downtown on my lunch breaks, but none of them had over a size 14 in the dress departments, and when I went to the (cramped, disorganized, shoved in the very back by the hot, smelly bathrooms) "plus size" department, they had no dresses! It was like oh no, fat girls don't go to parties and only need stretchy-waist track suits and sweatshirts with rhinestone-encrusted cats on them. I was prepared to spend a pretty penny on something new, and I ended up wearing the one dress I already had in my closet. And as I got larger, I stopped caring about what my clothing looked like as long as it wasn't tight. If I found one top I liked, I would just buy it in every color and be done.

Funny thing, though. Today, I put on a pair of US 16 trousers (which were tight a few weeks ago but perfect today!) and I realized I am back to the size I was in my mid-20s. But I am no longer the largest woman in the room, or even close. Our whole population is getting so much bigger. Now the department stores carry 16s, and even 18s sometimes, on the main floor, but even that tends to exclude a lot of customers. Portion sizes in restaurants are so large, and food ingredients and additives are not to be trusted even in the grocery stores. I think we have an environment that is destined to make most people overweight and unhealthy. And yet, we still discriminate against obese people.

[gracesmommy2 35]

@Noelle74 congrats on your weightloss!

@BlueParis you look great btw and thank God I’m not French! 😂 I can’t imagine living somewhere where I felt ashamed of myself constantly because of my weight….. not that I haven’t in the past here in the states but never consistently as you’ve described. It’s interesting bc I’m fairly educated and a registered nurse to boot and still managed to become obese even having a very extensive knowledge of nutrition. I feel like a lot of “skinny” people just think that fat people are lazy and have no self control when often that isn’t the reason (or at least the only reason we are fat).
For me at least, my obesity is multi-faceted….

a) I love food, particularly yummy fattening food and sweets and I DO lack self control when it comes to overeating. See d) below lol

b) I also have diagnosed PCOS which makes me insulin resistant so I don’t metabolize carbohydrates like a normal person and they make me gain weight fast as opposed to someone who isn’t insulin resistant. This just makes it difficult to maintain a healthy diet for me and others like me in the long term bc you almost have to steer completely clear of carbs ALL the time. And I mean most carbs….bread, fruit, etc.

c) Like @NickelChip has pointed out, at least here in the states, its like you’re set up for failure from the get go if your busy……it’s soooo difficult to eat healthy on the go if you don’t prep ahead. Good luck “grabbing” something while you’re running around that’s easy, cheap and isn’t processsed to death and horrible for you lol. And I swear the food in European countries is better than here and less processed. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Who knows?

d) I’m flat out a food addict……I have no doubt. I mentioned one time before, I was a heavy smoker until January. I only quit because my surgeon made me. lol. I have tons of alcoholics and drug addicts in my family. I’m someone that truly believes that addiction is partially genetic. My addiction just happens to be food and tobacco. Not to say that you can’t overcome this. It’s just something that is and another hurdle to jump.

I mean who knows, maybe if I lived in France I’d be shamed into being skinny? But that just sounds like a miserable position to be in. I’m glad you’re getting tiny again @BlueParis so you don’t feel that way and for your health and cerebral palsy.

For now I’m with @LisaCaryl and @NickelChip, I would like to be healthier and it would be nice to be able to buy clothes in the regular store/department and not the fat lady store. At 288# I had gotten to where I never wanted to leave the house bc I was ashamed of what I looked like. But I’m in an 18ish now and at least no longer feel like I have to hide my giant fat self inside anymore. So that’s definitely a win for me right!?

@LisaCaryl keep us updated on your knee…..Hope it’s ok, you probably need an anti inflammatory but they’re harsh on the stomach so be careful!
@RonHall908 I wish I was like you with your exercising! I envy that strength and drive you have bc I’m lacking that.
I did however get my Pilates bar today and did the workout that @NickelChip posted. Now I just have to keep up with it. We’ll see 😉

[RonHall908 130]

13 hours ago, gracesmommy2 said:

@RonHall908 I wish I was like you with your exercising! I envy that strength and drive you have bc I’m lacking that.
I did however get my Pilates bar today and did the workout that @NickelChip posted. Now I just have to keep up with it. We’ll see 😉

It's not something that has been easy for the past 15 years. I used to workout several days a week for a long time, but I was just more into weight lifting, not so much cardio or anything like it. Since I've lost a lot of weight, that same drive has kicked started again. Also, I know this is going to need to be a long term thing to ensure I don't go back to what I was doing before. I have knee replacement surgery in October, so I'm trying to keep the knee strong for better recovery.

Edited June 14 by RonHall908

[LisaCaryl 96]

Welp.... I did it... barely, but it was so nice to see this number! It's been over 20 years since I've been under 200 pounds. (my feet aren't as dirty as they look in the picture! lol)

As for the knee, the doctor said he's pretty sure it's sciatica. I would have never guessed that. I have had problems with my sciatic nerve before, but always in the lower back/buttocks area. He explained that the nerve goes down through the back knee, and that's where my pain and swelling are. He saw some arthritis in the x-rays, but not enough to be causing this pain. He's got me on a six-day steroid pack. I'm praying it works because this pain is horrible! Let's hope I can keep the weight down while on steroids!

Hope you are all doing well!

Edited June 14 by LisaCaryl

[RonHall908 130]

12 minutes ago, LisaCaryl said:

Welp.... I did it... barely, but it was so nice to see this number! It's been over 20 years since I've been under 200 pounds. (my feet aren't as dirty as they look in the picture! lol)

As for the knee, the doctor said he's pretty sure it's sciatica. I would have never guessed that. I have had problems with my sciatic nerve before, but always in the lower back/buttocks area. He explained that the nerve goes down through the back knee, and that's where my pain and swelling are. He saw some arthritis in the x-rays, but not enough to be causing this pain. He's got me on a six-day steroid pack. I'm praying it works because this pain is horrible! Let's hope I can keep the weight down while on steroids!

Hope you are all doing well!

Congrats on the scale

A month after I tore my meniscus. I have such burning pain in back of my leg, from my butt to my calf that I had to go to the ER. I had a pocket of Fluid build up in back of my knee where the tear occurred and it was pushing on the sciatic nerve causing the burning pain. I took some meds and it cleared up in 2 days. Felt like I was sitting on a hot plate.

Edited June 14 by RonHall908

[LisaCaryl 96]

4 minutes ago, RonHall908 said:

Congrats on the scale

A month after I tore my meniscus. I have such burning pain in back of my leg, from my butt to my calf that I had to go to the ER. I had a pocket of Fluid build up in back of my knee where the tear occurred and it was pushing on the sciatic nerve causing the burning pain. I took some meds and it cleared up in 2 days. Felt like I was sitting on a hot plate.

Thank you, and oh my gosh, that sounds like torture! I'm glad it cleared up for you!!!

[NickelChip 1,195]

@LisaCaryl Well done on reaching one-derland!!!

Ugh, I'm on a short dose of steroids right now, too. A little risky with bypass but I had no choice because I got poison ivy over 90% of my face over the weekend and it turned into a weepy, burning mess. Prednisone was my only hope as I literally couldn't leave the house looking the way I did and I was afraid it would lead to scarring.

From what I've read, taking the steroids for a short period of time has minimal lasting impact on weight. Just avoid salt and drink plenty of Water. Keep an eye on your tummy for any upset as it can cause irritation.

[LisaCaryl 96]

1 hour ago, NickelChip said:

@LisaCaryl Well done on reaching one-derland!!!

Ugh, I'm on a short dose of steroids right now, too. A little risky with bypass but I had no choice because I got poison ivy over 90% of my face over the weekend and it turned into a weepy, burning mess. Prednisone was my only hope as I literally couldn't leave the house looking the way I did and I was afraid it would lead to scarring.

Thank you! And whoa... that sounds horrible with the poison ivy! I hope the steroids knock it out quickly, you poor thing!

[gracesmommy2 35]

@LisaCaryl yay for under 200! And I hope the steroids help your knee. 😘

[BlueParis 117]

I’ll get back to everyone properly later - it’s 8.30am here and I’ve just landed in Paris after a very very early start… just wanted to share this - cattle class on Air France.

[BlueParis 117]

Got home. Got naked. Stepped on scales. Back at 70.4kg. So up 1 kg (2.2lbs) since last Friday .One full month of being stalled today. Starting to get very very very fed up. No way am I consuming over 1000 calories a day even counting every drop I drink, every splash of milk I put in a coffee. So p*ssed off at still seeing a 7 on the scales. Doing my head in. Going to have a nap and reflect.

[NickelChip 1,195]

@BlueParis Oh, what a nuisance! The long stalls are so hard. I'm sure it's just that your body needs some time, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with emotionally. Will you ever have a point where you don't have a lot of travel, or is that pretty much your normal schedule?

[RonHall908 130]

6 hours ago, BlueParis said:

Got home. Got naked. Stepped on scales. Back at 70.4kg. So up 1 kg (2.2lbs) since last Friday .One full month of being stalled today. Starting to get very very very fed up. No way am I consuming over 1000 calories a day even counting every drop I drink, every splash of milk I put in a coffee. So p*ssed off at still seeing a 7 on the scales. Doing my head in. Going to have a nap and reflect.

I've been stalled for 3 weeks. I contacted the dietician and had her look over my food logs on the baritastic app. She told me stalls can last a month, sometimes more. She went on to tell me I wasn't getting enough Fiber. So, I bought some Flaxseed and going eat more fiber foods to see if that was the thing keeping me stalled.
How many grams of Protein and carbs are you getting per day? I'm curious, every doctor or nutritionist seems to have a variety of how they do things. I believe you had the sleeve which would be a different nutritional guideline than mine since I've had gastric bypass. It's frustrating to work on doing the right thing, only for a lingering stall.
It has been getting really hot in Oklahoma. Mid to high 90's. I have a hot job as it is. Sweating all the time, I thought just by the heat and sweating I would lose a few pounds. It truly is a marathon

[LisaCaryl 96]

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.