roundisashape

I don't know if you can eat salads yet, but they've become a good standby for me. I usually don't herk up lettuce and chicken (and I'm learning pretty quickly whose grilled chicken I CAN'T handle), and almost everyone carries it.

Good luck to you - it's an experience!

Thanks, Susan! I got one of those, but that dratted hole under the straps foiled my plan!

Thanks! I've tried the clear straps, and they just make me look dented, lol.

Thanks, all! I work in a casual environment but figured I'd put a denim jacket on with it since it's always cold. It sounds like I can get away with not roasting in the jacket for errands later, though

I appreciate it - I really am new at this whole "dressing cute" business!!

Does this include calories burned during the post-exercise trip to the ER?

I commend you - hot yoga scares the crap out of me.

If I can't verify it against the label, I just pick the highest calorie option and move on - better to overestimate and quit eating early, right?

That's hilarious - I was just grousing about this yesterday! I'm blaming the Biotin, it's making my armpit hair grow like ragweed but I still have a 2-finger-width part in my hair. So not fair!

I found a cute dress on clearance at Target, it fit (as in, went over my body - I'm not sure if it looks okay, lol), so I impulsively tossed it in the cart. Anywho, the back leaves me pretty exposed and I've been having trouble figuring out what to wear under it. No luck finding a bra that doesn't show but still keeps Wilma and Betty where they belong. Yesterday, I found a sports bra in almost the same color as the dress.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but below where the straps come together but before the zipper starts, there's another hole. In this pic, it's covered completely by the purple bra. With my hair down, MOST of it should be covered (between the straps, not the bottom hole), but it'll stick out when I move.

Question is, honestly, is it tacky to wear the dress with this bra? I really just don't know if this is okay or not. Still outgrowing the "gimme the biggest tent in sporting goods and cut a neck hole for me, please" stage.

@@likelike, Generally I don't, but I do still use sugar in my tea in the morning. Sometimes I just need my go-go juice, lol.

@@tiarowley, I know some surgeon's offices are less informative than others. Everyone's advice to check in with them is great - they get paid to make sure you understand! . I've noticed a lot of hospitals and bariatric centers post their guidelines on their website. If you really can't get anywhere with their office, I'd say take a look at some other good hospital surgical sites and check out their post-op progression information. Hopkins has it for sure, but it might not match what your surgeon's intentions for you are.

In the meantime, sugar free Clear liquids, broth, and Jello are pretty universally recommended immediately post-op. If you're on full liquids, now's when you can start on those Protein shakes.

Congrats on your sleeve!

Edited to add: Sorry, you were asking about amounts - with liquids, it's less the amount than the speed. Just keep taking in any of your liquid choices all day long, at a speed that's comfortable for you, as long as it adds up to at least 64 ounces.

Mine do a great job keeping my knees warm, lol. Then again, they did that BEFORE I was sleeved, so I can't blame that on the weight loss.

It'll be 7 months this week for me, and I've gone from a 50DDD to a 40D. Not in love with the look right now since my boobs are disappearing faster than my belly, but once they catch up with each other I think it'll be okay.

When I first read the tag line, it registered as "chicken torso" and I thought gee, I've never seen that cut before!

I'm kind of the same way. When I was younger I'd lose from my waist first. Now my belly is the only thing stopping me from going down another size and most of my pants make me look like I'm wearing a saggy diaper, lol.

There's no real way to target fat from a specific place, but I've been working with a trainer to build core muscles so everything pulls in tighter. My back is hosed too, from a car accident back in April, so I've chosen to work with someone who can show me things (and help me vary anything that doesn't feel right immediately).

I was, but I committed to continuing therapy and I think that helped.

Fiber gummies help some, too. Also, are you taking the stool softeners when you feel like you need them, or every day? I had to start taking them as part of my daily routine.

I'm paranoid about poop issues - took too long to fix them, and gave myself a fissure. Unimaginably painful. If you can't get it straight on your own soon, please don't hesitate to see the doc. I'd go through any embarrassment in the world to avoid that pain again!

Thanks, all! It was a pretty good day

In November 2013, before I had surgery, I posted this:

"Today was rough. I had to travel to DC for work - three *full* trains each way, crammed in like cattle (on two of them, standing room only and the escalators were broken almost everywhere). My boss is a runner so i spent most of the day trailing a few yards behind like some yappy little dog. Plus, since I don't normally have to dress up, I had to buy something appropriate. It's my own hangup, I know, but I always swore I wouldn't ever cross the line and buy elastic waist pants. Last night, I had to cave and buy elastic waist pants because nothing else fit right. I doctored up the outfit and felt about as cute as a 300 pound 5'3" 35 year old can feel, but it still hurt to buy those stupid pants."

Yesterday, I had to make the exact same trip. It was hot, and the AC kept going out on the trains - basically the same setup.

The difference? Over 80 pounds.

I kept up yesterday. Wore a dress *with a belt*! It didn't fit much better than last year's outfit, but that's because I bought it 2 weeks ago and it was getting too BIG already . I fit in all the seats, and I sure didn't last year - didn't even have to sit on one hip to avoid infringing on someone else's seat.

The best part? You know when you get on a train, you always try to find a row where you can sit alone if you can, and if not you scan for the best possible seatmate. Yesterday, more than once, I was chosen as the best option and people sat next to me when they had a choice to sit next to someone else. That NEVER happened before.

It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but it's days like this that make up a life. Life is hard enough without having your body fight against you every step you take - the weight loss achieved from the sleeve has just made everything easier, and that's what I wanted it to do. I can't wait to see how things continue to change for me.

Yesterday I was floating on a bit of a high and decided to go shopping at a couple of stores that I only ever shop online at...only to find that not a damn one carries anything that would go over my head in the store. Frickin' really???? According to http://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity/, 28.3% of Maryland adults are obese. Seems like a lot of people to not be selling clothes to.

4 lemurs here - I'm not going to go pick them up but you've made me think. It seems obvious, but I never consciously considered it either.

May we all recover from the abuse we put ourselves through!

No, but thank you for the reminder - I got a sample with an order of Protein and forgot about it! We can try together .

What is this "sex" thing of which you speak?

I really need a boyfriend, lol.

Did anyone have a large bust before surgery and have them get smaller. I have a large bust and am worried about buying bras after surgery. My bras are 50+ bucks each...i cant imagine buying a new size every couple of weeks.

Mine are going down but not that fast - I've bought a couple of bras twice, and been sticking with the comparatively cheap Just My Size or Playtex for now. I've also been buying a touch small so they feel snug on the most loose setting to make them last longer. I treat those babies like gold, lol. Bras that are too big let Thelma and Louise droop, which is pretty much a guaranteed Migraine.< /p>

Oh boy, yeah - mine thinned out a LOT. People can notice the thinning on top now, so I had to move my part around and I've been either wearing a ponytail to cover it or using thickening spray to "poof" it up some. Getting plenty of Protein, taking Vitamins, extra Biotin, etc but it hasn't slowed the loss any, just helped me grow new flyaways faster. I'm just over 6 months out and it's finally starting to slow but hasn't gotten back to a pre-op level of loss yet.

Ugh, that stinks! It's one thing to tell a friend that you don't want to sit in the booth, but a different animal when you're dealing with clients / customers / colleagues and don't want anyone who doesn't already realize it to know that you need some accommodation. I haven't had the restaurant experience with work, but the chasing-my-skinny-marathon-running-colleagues-around experience, absolutely. Very frustrating.

You're getting closer to a major life change, though! Keep looking forward, before you know it you'll be able to strut right in there and grab a booth without thinking twice!

{{hugs}}

Ooh, got one: I'm short, but I'm not a damn dwarf. Why do I still trip over pants labeled "short"? Men can buy pants with specific inseam lengths and we get "short" "average" and "tall"...and they don't work for everyone.

And why do plus sized designers assume that everyone over a size 10 has freakin' gorilla arms?

(edited because i kant spel)

I had one that looked kind of like an hourglass - can't remember what it was called, but it just ticked me off. I never got the hang of it, I guess?

I want one of the ones with a handle!

Almost every day, I have a little fruit for a snack. Not much, but a few berries or melon chunks, 1/2 of an apple, 1/2 of an orange, a mandarin, etc. My PCP recommended adding a little fruit to bring up my potassium levels without going on supplements, she said they can be tough on the tummy. I particularly like it on the way home from the gym since sometimes I feel a little woozy when I finish exercising. My calories and Protein are on track and carbs don't seem to impact me in a huge way, so I consider it part of eating in a balanced way.