Forsythia

Howdy kids. I'm down 75 lbs. 95 from my highest weight ever (sleeved on Cinco de Mayo - 5/5 - if you recall). My labor day goal was to be 235. I'm 240. I thought 235 was a stretch, but I'm pretty close. Hell, if I lose one more lb and get into the 230s before then I'll be happy.

I am four months out. I was told I should be averaging between 800 and 1200 calories per day. I work out pretty intensely (I can be in the gym up to 2 hours some days) and typically get near 1200 on gym days. But not always. Yesterday the tank just didn't want more than 800 (and I swam for 40 minutes). On my off days I stick to around 800 or 900.

Who's a BAMF now? Oh, that's you, Miss Mary

You had to buy a ring snuggie for your wedding band/engagement ring because they fall off your finger. I will get them resized once I am done losing weight!

Try upping your calories since you work out 5x per week. I try to get close to 1200 calories on my work out days. On non-workout days I typically get less - 800 to 900. Body is happier this way. I started out in my program over 300 lbs. So I wouldn't say I was low BMI or anything. Also, here is an electronic hug. *hug*

I say that my husband has Hobbit feet. Because Hobbits have hairy feet. I'm picturing you as this petite tiny thing with hairy feet!!!

I'm still actively losing. But as a person who has gone from 335 at my highest to 240 currently, I have loose skin, especially on my thighs and on my sides by my boobs. Also some in the upper arms. It doesn't bother me that much. I thought it would bug me more in fact. How much of my day is spent naked? 15 minutes in the shower and maybe another 30 minutes if my husband decides to have his way with me. LOL. That's 45 minutes of active naked time and of that 45 minutes, if I am thinking about my skin during naked time with hubs, I'm doing it wrong. Besides, this is a man who married me when I was fat and was still into me. You can't control how other people react to you, you can only control you. So if you are okay with you, the other people around you will most likely be okay with you as well.

The initial seminar was free, But all of the pre-op nutrition classes were not covered according to BCBS. They basically wrote half of the cost off and placed the rest on me. However, my surgeon's office never charged me for a co-pay for nutrition classes. They said that most likely the visits would not be covered by insurance. So I knew that going in that I was going to get a bill. My psych eval was covered by BCBS. I only had to pay my regular $30 co-pay for that. But everything else hit my flexible spending card hard.

Have you considered trying to go back to basics? shakes, chicken broth? Unseasoned foods? See if something more bland doesn't upset your tummy. Maybe you are adding some spice or ingredient that your body doesn't like w/o realizing it? If you are eating/drinking a lot of dairy, you might have developed lactose intolerance and not realized it. I have not had any issues since I got home. Just about everything I've tried has agreed with me. Log your food on myfitnesspal to see if you notice any patterns or commonalities. And don't be afraid to contact your doctor or surgeon if it persists.

I'm an Old Navy kind of girl for basics. I went there the other day, bought a pair of Sweetheart skinny jeans in a 20 (If you know your ON the Sweetheart is the fit for those of us blessed with birthing hips and a small waist). They are almost too big in the waist. An 18 was a touch too tight. I wanted them to wear now since all my pants are literally sliding off my ass. But I did end up getting an 18 in a pair of jeggings. I also, went to Macy's and got a pair of $95 Jones New York pants for $16 on clearance. So now I have this one really nice pair of fancy business pants. LOL. I'm taking them to Indiana this weekend to have my mom hem them since she sews. I'm gonna wear the hell out of them. Funny thing is that I'm not even close to skinny, but my parents have never seen me this small. They are gonna freak out, but in a good way.

In the hospital before I left, I was given this "jug o' water" (okay, maybe it wasn't a jug.. it was this plastic thing with a lid and a handle). It had a straw in it. I had to drink it in order to prove I was ready to go home. My nut said some people do better with them, some people do worse with them. Try using one to see. If it gives you gas, stop. If not, use the straw.

I'm a pretty boring eater. I almost always have the same things each day. Mornings are a shake or iced coffee with a scoop of Protein powder, then later Greek yogurt. lunch is typically a lean cuisine/Atkins/weight watchers smart ones meal. Protein Bar for a snack, gym, then dinner seems to be whatever meat is in my fridge that I can forage. LOL.

Try unflavored protein in broths and soups. Not sure if you are allowed coffee or not, but I scoop unflavored into my iced coffee with a little sugar free vanilla syrup. Make sure if you are adding it to soup, to do so after you let it cool for a few minutes so it doesn't curdle.

Liquid in, liquid out. If you are using a powder and making them at home with milk, consider switching to soy milk or almond milk or lactaid milk. You might have a lactose issue. You might try a pre-made one as most of those don't have milk/milk derivatives in them.

I sleep on my side. When I got home from the hospital after two days, I put my body pillow on my tummy and eased myself over on my side and slept like I normally do. I was also able to ease myself onto my side in the hospital. I didn't really sleep there though. Too many nurses and orderlies coming in and out of my room to take my blood sugar every few hours and change my catheter bag and add in new IV Fluid. Maybe I'm a overachiever. LOL.

I went in the hospital at 294 and came out 306. So yeah, you gain a bunch of weight due to the IV fluids.

Also depends on how long you have been overweight. I'm 37 as well. I've been fat for 31 of those years. I'm down 75 lbs post surgery. So far, the loose skin I have is on my inner thighs and in the side boob area. I would have figured it would be on my stomach, but so far the weight loss there is slower so the wrinkly loose skin is not happening there as much as it is in those other two areas. I will say that overall my skin feels looser. Like, my butt is jigglier and looser, but does not have that telltale drapey, loose look, it just feels like there is less there. I try to combat this by lifting heavy weights twice a week (on the two days I do straight cardio), and lifting fast and light once a week (via a body works plus abs class at my gym). I swim two other days. I try to stay well hydrated and put lotion all over my entire body. Like my butt, my boobs, my tummy. Everywhere. Edited to add that you may loose your boobs and butt. I've lost a lot in the boobs, not as much in the butt but still some. It's still a round bubble butt though, just less of it.

I didn't find this place until after my surgery. Honestly I didn't even think of coming online for pre-op support. I was getting all the info I wanted and needed from my program. The thing about the innerwebz is that you are more likely to hear from people who are having issues. There are literally thousands of people who had successful surgeries who never logged on line. People who are having issues tend to seek out support from wherever they can find it. But someone who had an easy time of it is much less likely to be posting on forums. As for me I had a super easy time of it, except for the one time my 12 lb cat jumped on my tummy when I was four days post op. So I post letting you all know my experiences and for the camaraderie of other people who have had the surgery since I am keeping it on the low low irl.

If you don't click on the finish logging for the day button, you won't get the message. It will still log all your food, but you just won't see the message.

I don't pee as much anymore either, but I chalk that up to my blood sugar going from out of control to normal.

I'm personally closer to 1200 on most days since most days I work out. But that is per my NUT's guidelines. She said we should be between 800 to 1200 per day. So that is what I do. @@Ria1202 I figured misery would love company. I don't count gains though, only losses. Gain's don't phase me too much because I know I'm on plan.

Ria, take your measurements while you are weight training. Dollars to doughnuts that you lose inches in your bust/waist/hips/arms/etc while using weights. If it makes you feel better, I gain 4-5 lbs of water every damn month because of my period.

You said you were on a strict liquid diet. This may be the cause of the continued diarrhea. Keep an eye on your other symptoms, temperature, if the rash comes back. Once you are back on more solid diet the loose/liquid stools hopefully will go away. If not, touch base with your doctor again.

I had a pre-op diet, but it was not a liquid diet. It was basically atkins phase one. Lots of Protein, low carb. I took it as permission for me to eat lots of steak. I lost 18lbs on it. Wasn't really trying. My surgeon didn't have any difficulties getting up under my liver (and no one who uses my hospital has to have a liquid diet). So it must work.

Right out of the surgery, the staff gave me a goal to walk a lap around the floor at least 4 times that day. So I did. I told them it was easy (I was in very little pain) so for the next day they made me do it 8 times. It was still pretty easy. I would get winded toward the end of my lap. So it's not like I was running marathons or anything. It was a bit harder in the real world. I had to walk with my husband to the bus stop to go home - that was actually a challenge - I found myself walking much slower than my normal pace, and it felt like there was an elephant on my lungs - the staff said my oxygen levels were good, but that I was just taking shallow breaths as a defense mechanism due to the surgical trauma. But I did it. So really, walk as much as you can without causing yourself any pain. The hardest thing to navigate that first week for me was steps. I live in a 3rd floor walk up condo. They advised me to limit taking them but, I had no way to leave my house to walk otherwise! I did try to stay out for awhile rather than go up and down them (sometimes that meant stopping in a Starbucks to sit or finding a park bench). Oh, and they are gonna give you one of those breathing devices - make sure you use it several times a day, it helps clear the lungs of that heavy elephant on your chest feeling and gets your oxygen levels back up on par with normal faster.