southernsoul

Wow, you look great!!!

Wow! I have no idea what could be happening, but it looks awful! I hope it doesn't hurt. I had marks like that on my hip right after surgery, but they didn't hurt. I joked that I had clearly managed to piss somebody off even while unconscious, lol. Good luck in figuring it out!

I think this is great. Most of us have different behaviors, different eating triggers, different health issues, and different cultural perspectives surrounding food and eating. There is not one single path to obesity & there's not a single path to overcoming it, either. You always post the most thought-provoking things!

Wow!! You look wonderful.....great job!!

Thank you, bearman! I agree, getting the head right is absolutely crucial & this is a great place to find inspiration & assistance when we need it. I wish you great success with your surgery & postop process!

This week will mark 6 months since I had VSG surgery. It’s been a strange and wonderful 6 months in a lot of ways. The biggest factor that finally got me on the WLS track was my mobility. I blew out my left knee many years ago (twice, actually) and have had several surgeries. My leg is permanently bent from arthritis, and at 320 lbs I limped very badly and my mobility was extremely limited. Eventually, my right knee began to break down & last year my orthopedic surgeon told me that we needed to plan on double knee replacement surgery for this year. I knew that the longer I could hold that off, the better it would be, so I started looking into WLS instead. My ortho surgeon told me that for every 10 lbs I lose, I’ll take 40 lbs of pressure off my knees. With that kind of ratio going on, I knew I needed to do everything I could to lose weight & keep it off. I have been active on this site since last March, and I have learned many valuable things here and made some great friends. My postop experience has been really good, and I’m very thankful that I didn’t have a lot of complications. I haven’t struggled to stick to a smart eating plan, and I haven’t had any major episodes of craving or binging on carb-heavy foods. I have occasionally indulged in sweets or crunchy salty Snacks, but the volume I take in now is very small. I feel like when I give in to those temptations now, it’s more like it should have been all along…have just a little, enjoy it tremendously, have no guilt afterward, and then pick right back up with smart food choices. I don’t feel the need to stuff my face and my portions are well within a reasonable amount. On average, I eat between 800-1000 cals per day, 80-100g of Protein, 60-80g carbs, and 30-50g of fat. I feel like I have control over what I eat. There is no food that I define as something I “can’t” have, so maybe that’s part of why I don’t feel a longing for certain foods. I haven’t had soda yet, but I had pretty much stopped drinking soda more than a year before surgery. I've had a few sips of champagne twice, but that’s the only carbonated drink I've tried. I enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail 2-3 times a month. I used to eat refined carbs, especially potatoes and bread, at every meal….and I mean literally EVERY meal. I don’t know if I've just gotten used to not having those foods on a regular basis or if my body has gotten the sugar/carb imbalance back under control, but I don’t even really miss those things. When I have indulged, it’s been only with really excellent versions…like freshly baked bread or a few bites of Pasta made from scratch at a nice restaurant. So far, I haven’t even been tempted to have plain old sandwich bread or a hamburger bun or pasta from a box. I try to keep in mind that things may change as I get farther out, so I need to remain open to changing my habits as needed. I exercise regularly, and I have been genuinely shocked to discover that I enjoy it. I focus on the positive things, and I don’t beat myself up for small stuff. I have way more good food days than bad food days. I have way more weeks where I get to the gym at least 3 times than weeks where I slack off. I am far more active in regular activities…I stroll around the mall, I walk around downtown, I walk more around my school campus, and I don’t avoid going places where I will have to walk. Six months ago, I could not stand or walk for more than a few minutes without pain. Today, my leg is still bent and I still limp a little, but it’s so much better than it was. At almost 90 lbs down, I have taken nearly 360 lbs of pressure off my knees. I can walk and stand for much longer, and I can enjoy activities for a lot longer before I start limping. Because I still need to be very careful of my knees, at the gym I focus on weight lifting and strength training instead of using the treadmill or elliptical. I love being able to see improvements every single week, either in the amount of weight I can lift or the number of reps I can do. My handicap hang tag expired about a week ago, and I felt good enough and confident enough to make the decision not to renew it. That was huge moment for me, and one I am so thankful to have achieved. In general, I’m a person who doesn't feel a lot of anxiety or worry. I was a pretty happy person preop, and I’m still a pretty happy person. I never questioned or second-guessed my decision to have surgery once I was postop, because there’s really no going back. There’s only forward, and I knew it was completely up to me to make that be good and positive or filled with doubt and self-sabotage. There are a lot of places in this world where I could receive negative messages about myself…my own head does NOT need to be one of those places. I try to treat myself the same way I think I should treat others…with respect, kindness, and the benefit of the doubt. I don’t beat myself up over stumbles and I try not to measure myself against someone else. I deserve my own best efforts, and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of living that philosophy over the last 6 months. Each of us has a path to travel, and I know that my experience is just that…my own experience. For me, WLS was a great decision. My ability to participate in my own life has improved dramatically, and I'm so grateful for that. I’m excited to see what the next 6 months will bring!

Hmmmm, good question. i guess I always think that if you're feeling the romance then sex is a natural part of that, but I don't personally feel like sex if I'm not feeling affectionate or close to my hubby (which is how I think of romance). Can you be more specific?

A friend of mine posted this on FB & I think it's a really important message. The things we say to ourselves MATTER, in the same way that the words we direct at other people matter. Why are we so often willing to treat ourselves with less kindness and consideration than we would extend to someone else? http://www.upworthy.com/first-these-women-were-offended-then-they-realized-who-was-being-offensive?c=ufb1

I'm 6 months out & there's nothing I've come across that I makes me sick or that I physically can't tolerate. I was never a pizza person, so that's not a big deal for me. I was a huge bread & potato eater, but that's been an easier adjustment than I expected. It seems to me like it's easier to make good choices now. Partly it's because of the reduced volume, but also I feel pretty motivated by my progress. If I really want a taste of something I have it, but I don't go off the deep end eating a ton of non-nutritious crap that will fill my sleeve & not benefit my body.

I'm so sorry to hear of your mom's diagnosis and the stress for your family. Absolutely, get a second opinion and see what happens. But even if you cannot donate, I have a feeling your mom would not trade your new chance at a healthier life for the ability to have you as her donor. I wish you all peace and healing at this difficult time.

I didn't have exercise or nutrition classes, but I can tell you that at my first surgical consult my surgeon wanted to know why I thought I wanted the sleeve & what I knew about it. He wanted to know that I had gotten good information & that I was basing my choice on accurate facts. The length of the process is different for everyone, sometimes depending on the process your insurance company requires & sometimes depending on other things, like you surgeon requiring that you lose 10% beforehand. Personally, my time frame was about 6 months, but only because I had a specific date in mind that worked with my school schedule. My insurance company had a 90-day process of various appts & tests I had to go through, and that actually took about 4 months to complete. Once I was done with the preop requirements, the approval submission took about 2 weeks. Once approval was received, I scheduled surgery for the date I wanted which was about 6 weeks later. Good luck to you!

It sounds to me like you're talking about a woman who has known you for 9 years, clearly likes you just fine already, and is indicating interest in potentially more. If your weight has not been a determining factor in the success of your friendship, why would you think that it might be a factor in the success of a now-turned-romantic relationship? Because you'd be getting nekky? She's probably already figured out that you're not a skinny minny. If you want to get to a different place before starting something new, then tell her that...while you are enjoying her company before you are separated for several months. Everything you said about needing to focus on self-care makes perfect sense, and I'm willing to bet that if this woman has been your friend for years already she's probably smart enough and mature enough to understand that & appreciate the honesty.

At 6 months out, I'm starting to see the loose skin forming. I knew going in that I probably wouldn't be able to afford plastics later. As much as I know my skin will look weird, I wouldn't change a thing. I feel so much better now than I did 6 months ago. I can move and walk so much better & I'm in much less pain. I am participating in my own life much more fully than I was before. I have worked hard to make good food choices & I am able to exercise in a way that was impossible for me before. Absolutely no regrets here!

When I got divorced in 2006 I decided to try online dating. Since I had been married for 20 years, I hadn't had a date with someone new since 1984...which was a little freaky to think about. In addition, I weighed about 270-280, so I knew that I would likely be passed over my many men. I probably went out with 10-12 men before meeting the man I'm married to now. There's really no way to know why someone suddenly stops calling or seems to flip the switch from being interested to not interested, and I'm not even sure the "why" really matters. They are just not in the same place anymore. When it happens, try not internalize it as though there's something wrong with you. Most of us aren't great at having uncomfortable conversations where we try to let someone down gently. We often choose to avoid & hope the situation just resolves itself. Not the most mature way to handle things, for sure, but it's very common. Just accept that something has changed (or was never as "there" as you thought it was) and move on. The right person will stick over the long haul & not leave you wondering about how he feels.

I have been seriously neglectful of gym time over the last couple of weeks. It's been a crazy couple of weeks, for sure, but I still should have made a better effort. I'm going back tonight & get myself back on track. On the positive side, I have been keeping up with the ab challenge at home, so at least there's that. My abs are sore, so I guess that's a good sign. We have hubby's office party tomorrow night & I have a cute new outfit planned. I have 2 skirts, one smaller than the other...let's hope I can wear the smaller one now!

I started with spinach salad around 4 months, since cooked spinach went down just fine. It was fine & I've had a variety of lettuces since then with no issues, However, I usually eat the Protein off the top first & don't have much room left for much of the greens.

You look wonderful...congrats!! My 6 months is next week & I'm excited to pass that mark, too.

Sounds like it was as pretty as it was delicious. Life is too short for regrets...onward you go!

Mindfulness in all things, including and maybe especially eating, is always a good idea. Thanks for the reminder!

Wow, that's amazing!! Congrats!

I felt like I had been run over by a bus. I stayed in the hospital for 2 nights & was glad to finally get sprung 2 days after surgery. The whole first week was uncomfortable & tiring. Take it easy, be gentle with yourself, & let the healing happen. Good luck!

Wow, sorry you're having such a rough time. My surgeon is kind of a weird nerdy guy, but he's not an ass. I know there are threads here for patients by state, so maybe try looking through the FL threads? I'm not sure how many surgeons would see a patient postop who was sleeved by another local surgeon, though. On the bright side, now you're postop so the amount of times you see him will get less and less. Good luck!

I would agree...call your surgeon's office right away. At 2 weeks out you should be taking in & retaining more nutrients than it sounds like you are. Call the doc & let them know what's happening. Hope it gets better soon!

I waited about 8 weeks to try a half glass of wine. in the last 4 months since then I've had a glass of wine maybe 4 times & maybe 3 vodka cocktails. I always make sure I've had enough Protein for the day & I always keep a glass of Water going at the same time. Drinking alcohol hasn't given me any problems, but it does seem like I feel the effects quicker. That may be because I'm drinking less than I used to preop, though, and not because of the surgery itself.

I did! Thanks. You are looking great, by the way. Your profile pic shows a lot of weight loss in your face! Oh, thank you!! It's hard to see sometimes, so I really appreciate that.