Lani789

Same thing. Eight pounds more when I came home. It took about a week to lose it. I wish I knew ahead of time it could happen since it was disappointing. But it is all good now.

My daughter hasn't seen me in a few months. She reaches over to put a hand on my leg, then stops and says, with hand on my leg, "what's this?"

"A muscle." Silence.

You're 59, wearing shorts, and someone tells you that your butt looks good. Never happened when I was in my....wait, it has never happened.

I decided when I started this journey in May 2015 that I wanted to live. I wanted to physically live to see grandchildren, but I also wanted to fully engage in life. I have been doing that pretty well for 60 years but I didn't want to decay bit by bit as I saw family members age with health issues.

So I had surgery in late September.

Part of the process was going to be a trip to Europe with my just graduated college child. She has been my biggest supporter (this morning - mom, I can Heimlich you now as she wrapped her arms around me for a hug).

We just got back from three wonderful weeks in Great Britain. I climbed every one of the hundreds of steps in each castle. Walked five to 10 miles a day. Had a flat in London that was two flights up. Up and down stairs in the tube.

At one cathedral I thought I had reached the top, only to find another staircase even twister and steeper than the first few. I looked up and could see no end to it. I turned away and started back down. I stopped. Did I do all this to not go to the tip-top of the cathedral? Of course not. I deserved the whole experience and that included the breath-taking view from the very top.

The best though was passport control when I arrived. The immigration officer looked at my passport, then me, and said, well you've lost a lot of weight. Good job.

I smiled and told him thanks. And made a mental note to get a new passport. I have many more trips ahead and although I enjoyed his noticing, I want all future immigration officers to see a face that matches the passport!

Oh, and I lost five pounds!

I've moticed it tales about 50 pounds lost for others to notice. They might comment on hair or an outfit, but weight loss doesn't click as the reason a person looks "good" until they hit the 50 pound mark.

I tried them all since I can't stand the milk type shakes. Love the black tea. Try synergy nectar powder. Also non milky and easy for me to get down.

I'm 59 and everything is deflated but a twenty something guy told me I looked good recently. I had the drippy parts covered, but it still made me feel good. All spare change going into "plastics" jar.

I am never going to look at my dogs the same way again. Good thing I had the surgery, survived, had little discomfort, and am now able to outrun my pack of dogs.

It is a process. I felt like a failure at keeping it off (but a champ at losing) until I learned about ghrelin. So I started reading more. And thinking more. I started down the WLS road by doing the needed medical tests and still wasn't 100% in until one test revealed what turned out not to be problem (but could have been). And that doc said thinner would be better in any case.

So I did it. I think even with research I couldn't appreciate what this would be like. The craving for certain foods is gone and the quantity - no question. Mentally there is a lot to deal with. I was angry when I watched people shovel it in at restaurants.

I'm working on me first which I don't think I ever did. I was always the good one who took care of others. But now I'm first and that means at least 90 minutes a day to swim, do strength training, run, pilates, etc. This applies to both at work and home - me first.

In the meantime it is strange to go clothes shopping in sections I was afraid to step into before. I am taking the first year to solidify food and activity changes. I don't want to be in that small percentage that gain post surgery. I think the fun I've had since surgery will continue (and my goal is running one 5k per month in 2015 and on track so far who thought running=fun?), plus things like fitting into rides and airplane seats, will keep me on the right track.

Keep researching. You shouldn't do this if you aren't ready.

And when child does a subtle brag on social media by telling her friend to step back while taking pix of the two of us...so the whole body shows.

New underwear becomes critical.

I remember my surgeon saying you can still have a piece of cake for your birthday as long as your birthday isn't every day. Change birthday to any celebration and you understand you can still have things, just not all the time.

To clarify these were packets of the powder. I mixed as needed with bottled Water. Since I don't like lumps I also carry a small strainer to strain it.

I had the individual serving of nectar. I put three of them into my Blender Bottle. No trouble with TSA.

Same thing as telling the lash lady...my hairstylist knows due to hair loss, my trainers, and that is about it. I just told a friend who has a friend who is slowly killing herself with weight complications. So I told her about the surgery and I am meeting her friend soon to casually bring up the subject.

Anyone have any good openings to casually bring up bariatric surgery?

It is done. Be angry, but be successful. Don't share numbers with this group. When people ask I say it isn't about a number and most retreat when I continue on with it all about health. Then I start boring them to death with ghrelin and their eyes glaze and say how nice and move on.

Also agree go to a good store. The owner looked at me walking in, brought pair after pair all the while telling me what makes a good shoe. I love them. New Balance BTW. I now run in them. I'm 59 and I run. The shoe makes the difference.

The formula is a good guide. I am exactly at the six month mark and I am at 65% excess weight gone. That has allowed me to really workout so I have transformed fat pounds into muscle pounds. At my age I consider each muscle pound a victory. I hope to report a major Pilates breakthrough this week!

I started with a c25k app and I'm finally on week four or five. Omg it cued me to run for 8 minutes. Yes I did 1, then 2, then 3 minutes in the previous weeks, but 8? Sounds like serious stuff now!

I am actually liking it. I was the pudgy one who never did sports or PE (always had an excuse) in school. Now at 59 I like running?

I have been doing strength training for a few years so the owner sent me to the best place to get shoes and socks for running. Bless him for that. I sweat but don't hurt after 35 minutes. It took me 47 minutes to do 3.12 miles on the treadmill so now I have a base time to improve on. And I think I'm ready to move outdoors (was too embarrassed before!).

See if your scale does body fat. I didn't lose for about six weeks but I started watching body fat and sure enough, that was dropping. I was running and swimming and strength training, so all those growing muscles were pushing out fat. Then in one week I dropped five pounds.

Dang, that felt good! I wished it happened every week, but I'll take an average like that. Focus on the goal!

Yikes 390. I had that once and the nurses felt so bad. It happened pre-op again this time, so when the doc started to give me drugs I kept saying I don't feel it. It is just really burning. Oops!!! The surgeon was not pleased as everyone rooted around looking for another vein. I woke up to two IV tubes. One was hooked up and the other a spare in case it happened again.

Here is hoping this weight loss makes it easier to get to veins.

And yes I gained 8 pounds. I told the surgeon that bit of info should be disclosed as a possibility!

Too often we put the needs of others before our own. This surgery taught me my needs are important (gee do you think I stuffed my frustration with being "needed" by everone else by stuffing my face?).

I matter. My physical and emotional needs matter. Do the surgery. I was on my own. Took taxi to and from hospital then sat on couch for two days. Walked a mile slowly on day three. So have him home because he wants to, then he can go back. But don't put this one off!

Thanks. Again, great work and what a difference.

I was recently in a six week stall after four months of losing. Pre surgery my mind would have said, I knew this would happen. Go eat (fill in the blank) because darn it, you tried.

Post surgery me was still disappointed the scale wasn't changing. I added Water aerobics. I started a couch to 5 k running program. No movement. Heck...now what. I went back to liquids and really pushed them for three days. Hello! Down seven pounds in nine days. The body was changing but the scale wasn't ready to show it!

So keep switching things up. I now swear by increasing fluids. Oh, and I half walked, half RAN 3.106 miles Saturday to practice for a real 5K. And I liked it!

liquids baby all the way!

So awesome! The first time I went in I didn't know where to start! I have only tackled Kohls. I can't imagine a big department store. At least at Kohls I found the casual wear but there is another section I haven't even tried.

Does anyone else feel like they will throw you out?