bellabloom

Posting these is hard for me- But if they help someone- I’m all about being real. This is where I came from. Before wls I was at rock bottom in my life. I was overweight, in so much pain, addicted to opiates, in a miserable abusive marriage, terribly unhappy, i could barely work, so hard to walk, so hard to just live. I’d been on or off of a diet since I was eleven. I was constantly binging or starving myself. I’d tried every weight loss plan under the sun and I was totally burnt out. I’d tried therapy, you make it. Perhaps if I’d stuck to therapy that would have worked, but at the point I had surgery I was so exhausted I just needed something sure.
I was totally committed to the surgery although i didn’t follow the rules very well, I’ve never been good at self care. I couldn’t take care of myself well before surgery and i struggled to do that afterwards. It has taken a lot of work to get better at that.
I went in knowing what could happen and that i wouldn’t be able to eat normally again. It was worth it to me at the time.
My surgery had complications but the weight loss was easy due to a severe stricture that I had, plus i was just determined to lose the weight- nothing was gonna stop me. I did really well eating very little for a long time, I was so burnt out on food i was able to break my codependent behavior towards it. Maintenance was really really hard for me, I had issues with wanting to keep losing weight and not being able to stop. I rejected food so hard it was a real struggle to begin eating again and I had to seek therapy for that.
I’m doing well now and so much has changed. I have a very different outlook with food. I’ve also gone through plastic surgery 2x and I’m finished with that. I’m at my 3 year surgery anniversary on dec 4. My start weight was 240 and my current weight is between 130-135. I’m 5’6.
I went from 240 to 120 in about 10 months. My lowest weight was 115- scary. I’ve since gained to a healthy 130 ish. I try not to slide back into the 120s because I look sick at that weight. I don’t try and maintain my weight through dieting anymore, I practice “Intuitive Eating”. While being thin is nice and my weight is something I care about, these days I try not to weigh myself and I focus on overall health and well being. My next goal is to get more active with weight training and exercise.
Surgery is no walk in the park. I had a rough time and I still struggle. But it was worth it for me, as you can see. My weightloss did stall a week or two here and there. I never let that get to me, I just kept my calories low knowing eventually it would start again. During the weightloss phase I tried to focus on my life and stay busy rather than focus on every pound. I definitely ate very very little. I suffered from malnutrition and health problems because of this so I would not recommend it- take your Vitamins and get in your Protein.
Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for choosing surgery. And don’t feel bad if weight loss takes you longer than others. My biggest regret is that I didn’t give myself more love before my surgery. But at least I gave myself enough to try and change my life for the better.
 

I agree with big viff that you didint likely stretch your sleeve. I’m not sure that’s even possible. For example, I eat carbs and fast food and large amounts of food all the time, but I still have restriction when I eat foods that’s are non-sliders.

What you have done is figured out a way to “eat around” you sleeve. Carbs are mostly sliders and you can eat a lot more of them than of Protein. If you want to go back to the dieting, than my advice is to begin by eating your protein first. Focus on low carb and higher protein meals with veggies.

Your body will crave carbs because your body needs carbs. But by putting those last instead of first you can take advantage of your stomach restriction again.

If it was that easy no one on here would be heavy. If we could change our mind like a switch, don’t you think we allWould??? It’s not as easy as willpower, not even close. Even having the stomach removed isn’t enough for some people.
And now to the op- your body lost a ton of weight from a fast starvation type diet (weight loss surgery is just a forced state of starvation) then you got pregnant with a wrecked metabolism and a starved body- and your body sent your cravings through the roof and slowed your metabolism to a crawl to grow your baby, and heal the damage. When we diet our bodies believe that we are in a famine. And they are smarter than us and built to survive- that is how weight gain from dieting happens.
My advice is to take the opportunity to explore other ways of losing weight /weight maintenance other than surgery. Consider eating disorder therapy and a dietician that specializes in eating therapy to help you rebuild your metabolism.
Being thin isn’t everything. It really isn’t anything. Youre a new mom, you need food and you need health and you need to free your mind from feeling like a failure so you can focus on your baby. You are not a failure in any way and you are beautiful whether you are bigger or smaller. Therapy can really help with these negative self image issues we all have. You are not a criminal for wanting to eat fast food.
There are many ways to be healthy. Eating wholesome food to satisfy yourself, getting exercise every day, treating yourself to a new haircut, new clothes, figuring out what you really enjoy eating without guilt or shame, and loving your body the way it is. That’s health. Self care and self love is health. If you want to be healthy on the outside, you have to get healthy on the inside. Rebuild the trust in yourself.
I highly recommend Intuitive Eating to you as an option.

you are very beautiful!!! Very inspiring!!

Helps a lot with the "afters" when you're gorgeous before.

If it was that easy no one on here would be heavy. If we could change our mind like a switch, don’t you think we allWould??? It’s not as easy as willpower, not even close. Even having the stomach removed isn’t enough for some people.
And now to the op- your body lost a ton of weight from a fast starvation type diet (weight loss surgery is just a forced state of starvation) then you got pregnant with a wrecked metabolism and a starved body- and your body sent your cravings through the roof and slowed your metabolism to a crawl to grow your baby, and heal the damage. When we diet our bodies believe that we are in a famine. And they are smarter than us and built to survive- that is how weight gain from dieting happens.
My advice is to take the opportunity to explore other ways of losing weight /weight maintenance other than surgery. Consider eating disorder therapy and a dietician that specializes in eating therapy to help you rebuild your metabolism.
Being thin isn’t everything. It really isn’t anything. Youre a new mom, you need food and you need health and you need to free your mind from feeling like a failure so you can focus on your baby. You are not a failure in any way and you are beautiful whether you are bigger or smaller. Therapy can really help with these negative self image issues we all have. You are not a criminal for wanting to eat fast food.
There are many ways to be healthy. Eating wholesome food to satisfy yourself, getting exercise every day, treating yourself to a new haircut, new clothes, figuring out what you really enjoy eating without guilt or shame, and loving your body the way it is. That’s health. Self care and self love is health. If you want to be healthy on the outside, you have to get healthy on the inside. Rebuild the trust in yourself.
I highly recommend Intuitive Eating to you as an option.

Yes I suppose. It’s just to me, the gym should be a safe place. Women are wearing spandex and bending over etc- we need to feel safe and comfortable. I want to be able to work out without being hit on in a yucky way. I think the gym should be off limits for immature behavior.
But to each their own. [emoji4]
What strikes me about your original post was that at first, you assumed you were being insulted. When In fact, you were being “checked out” in a positive way. For many of us, I thinks it’s hard to let go of the negative assumptions and see ourselves how others see us after weight loss. Letting go of the old body image can be hard, letting go of the defensive mindset. Just something to think about for all of us vets.

I think they were remarking you were hot.
Report them anyway. The gym isn’t the place for locker room bullshit. Assholes.
I’d smile sweetly, walk away, and report them.

Yes I suppose. It’s just to me, the gym should be a safe place. Women are wearing spandex and bending over etc- we need to feel safe and comfortable. I want to be able to work out without being hit on in a yucky way. I think the gym should be off limits for immature behavior.
But to each their own. [emoji4]
What strikes me about your original post was that at first, you assumed you were being insulted. When In fact, you were being “checked out” in a positive way. For many of us, I thinks it’s hard to let go of the negative assumptions and see ourselves how others see us after weight loss. Letting go of the old body image can be hard, letting go of the defensive mindset. Just something to think about for all of us vets.

I found these on my computer today. I don’t have a lot of before pictures. These really made me go- wow.

Proud of myself.
I’m 3 years out.

I found these on my computer today. I don’t have a lot of before pictures. These really made me go- wow.

Proud of myself.
I’m 3 years out.

I agree with big viff that you didint likely stretch your sleeve. I’m not sure that’s even possible. For example, I eat carbs and fast food and large amounts of food all the time, but I still have restriction when I eat foods that’s are non-sliders.

What you have done is figured out a way to “eat around” you sleeve. Carbs are mostly sliders and you can eat a lot more of them than of Protein. If you want to go back to the dieting, than my advice is to begin by eating your protein first. Focus on low carb and higher protein meals with veggies.

Your body will crave carbs because your body needs carbs. But by putting those last instead of first you can take advantage of your stomach restriction again.

You haven’t experienced what the op has gone through. You haven’t experienced pregnancy post wls. You are still in early days and think it’s all smooth sailing. And it’s all about choices. I’m sorry to tell you, it isn’t that simple. In a few years things will likely be different for you too.
I hear a lot of fear in the tone of your posts and I understand it is scary that maybe what you are getting out of surgery right now won’t last, and you may regain. It’s terrifying. It terrified me and scares me still at times. But being crude and rude to people on here isn’t the answer. If you are having success, good for you. But it’s a good idea to listen with an open ear because some day you may be struggling too. Wls is not a permanent solution. The restriction most people get is temporary. Somenever get it at all.
No matter how much weight you have lost- it doesn’t give you the right to judge others. The op is on here asking for support not to be told she’s a failure by her own lack of willpower. I’m sure she is trying as hard as she can.
For some reason your statement “I’ve seen you around Bella bloom!!!!” Makes me chuckle. I’m like, the dark specter of bariatric pal... lurking...around...every....corner... with .... a smile.

Come to think of it, I could be one of the people in the new's being sued for sexual harrasment..lol
I was raised when there was no political correctness...lol I think I have harassed a few people in my time. It's my warped sense of humor that gets me in trouble.
For me it's not a big deal.
Trust me, I have had worse happen.

If it was that easy no one on here would be heavy. If we could change our mind like a switch, don’t you think we allWould??? It’s not as easy as willpower, not even close. Even having the stomach removed isn’t enough for some people.
And now to the op- your body lost a ton of weight from a fast starvation type diet (weight loss surgery is just a forced state of starvation) then you got pregnant with a wrecked metabolism and a starved body- and your body sent your cravings through the roof and slowed your metabolism to a crawl to grow your baby, and heal the damage. When we diet our bodies believe that we are in a famine. And they are smarter than us and built to survive- that is how weight gain from dieting happens.
My advice is to take the opportunity to explore other ways of losing weight /weight maintenance other than surgery. Consider eating disorder therapy and a dietician that specializes in eating therapy to help you rebuild your metabolism.
Being thin isn’t everything. It really isn’t anything. Youre a new mom, you need food and you need health and you need to free your mind from feeling like a failure so you can focus on your baby. You are not a failure in any way and you are beautiful whether you are bigger or smaller. Therapy can really help with these negative self image issues we all have. You are not a criminal for wanting to eat fast food.
There are many ways to be healthy. Eating wholesome food to satisfy yourself, getting exercise every day, treating yourself to a new haircut, new clothes, figuring out what you really enjoy eating without guilt or shame, and loving your body the way it is. That’s health. Self care and self love is health. If you want to be healthy on the outside, you have to get healthy on the inside. Rebuild the trust in yourself.
I highly recommend Intuitive Eating to you as an option.

I agree with big viff that you didint likely stretch your sleeve. I’m not sure that’s even possible. For example, I eat carbs and fast food and large amounts of food all the time, but I still have restriction when I eat foods that’s are non-sliders.

What you have done is figured out a way to “eat around” you sleeve. Carbs are mostly sliders and you can eat a lot more of them than of Protein. If you want to go back to the dieting, than my advice is to begin by eating your protein first. Focus on low carb and higher protein meals with veggies.

Your body will crave carbs because your body needs carbs. But by putting those last instead of first you can take advantage of your stomach restriction again.

If it was that easy no one on here would be heavy. If we could change our mind like a switch, don’t you think we allWould??? It’s not as easy as willpower, not even close. Even having the stomach removed isn’t enough for some people.
And now to the op- your body lost a ton of weight from a fast starvation type diet (weight loss surgery is just a forced state of starvation) then you got pregnant with a wrecked metabolism and a starved body- and your body sent your cravings through the roof and slowed your metabolism to a crawl to grow your baby, and heal the damage. When we diet our bodies believe that we are in a famine. And they are smarter than us and built to survive- that is how weight gain from dieting happens.
My advice is to take the opportunity to explore other ways of losing weight /weight maintenance other than surgery. Consider eating disorder therapy and a dietician that specializes in eating therapy to help you rebuild your metabolism.
Being thin isn’t everything. It really isn’t anything. Youre a new mom, you need food and you need health and you need to free your mind from feeling like a failure so you can focus on your baby. You are not a failure in any way and you are beautiful whether you are bigger or smaller. Therapy can really help with these negative self image issues we all have. You are not a criminal for wanting to eat fast food.
There are many ways to be healthy. Eating wholesome food to satisfy yourself, getting exercise every day, treating yourself to a new haircut, new clothes, figuring out what you really enjoy eating without guilt or shame, and loving your body the way it is. That’s health. Self care and self love is health. If you want to be healthy on the outside, you have to get healthy on the inside. Rebuild the trust in yourself.
I highly recommend Intuitive Eating to you as an option.

You haven’t experienced what the op has gone through. You haven’t experienced pregnancy post wls. You are still in early days and think it’s all smooth sailing. And it’s all about choices. I’m sorry to tell you, it isn’t that simple. In a few years things will likely be different for you too.
I hear a lot of fear in the tone of your posts and I understand it is scary that maybe what you are getting out of surgery right now won’t last, and you may regain. It’s terrifying. It terrified me and scares me still at times. But being crude and rude to people on here isn’t the answer. If you are having success, good for you. But it’s a good idea to listen with an open ear because some day you may be struggling too. Wls is not a permanent solution. The restriction most people get is temporary. Somenever get it at all.
No matter how much weight you have lost- it doesn’t give you the right to judge others. The op is on here asking for support not to be told she’s a failure by her own lack of willpower. I’m sure she is trying as hard as she can.
For some reason your statement “I’ve seen you around Bella bloom!!!!” Makes me chuckle. I’m like, the dark specter of bariatric pal... lurking...around...every....corner... with .... a smile.

If it was that easy no one on here would be heavy. If we could change our mind like a switch, don’t you think we allWould??? It’s not as easy as willpower, not even close. Even having the stomach removed isn’t enough for some people.
And now to the op- your body lost a ton of weight from a fast starvation type diet (weight loss surgery is just a forced state of starvation) then you got pregnant with a wrecked metabolism and a starved body- and your body sent your cravings through the roof and slowed your metabolism to a crawl to grow your baby, and heal the damage. When we diet our bodies believe that we are in a famine. And they are smarter than us and built to survive- that is how weight gain from dieting happens.
My advice is to take the opportunity to explore other ways of losing weight /weight maintenance other than surgery. Consider eating disorder therapy and a dietician that specializes in eating therapy to help you rebuild your metabolism.
Being thin isn’t everything. It really isn’t anything. Youre a new mom, you need food and you need health and you need to free your mind from feeling like a failure so you can focus on your baby. You are not a failure in any way and you are beautiful whether you are bigger or smaller. Therapy can really help with these negative self image issues we all have. You are not a criminal for wanting to eat fast food.
There are many ways to be healthy. Eating wholesome food to satisfy yourself, getting exercise every day, treating yourself to a new haircut, new clothes, figuring out what you really enjoy eating without guilt or shame, and loving your body the way it is. That’s health. Self care and self love is health. If you want to be healthy on the outside, you have to get healthy on the inside. Rebuild the trust in yourself.
I highly recommend Intuitive Eating to you as an option.

I had a bypass. Had to have it reversed and converted to a sleeve. I had complications with the bypass and my awful surgeon chose to take care of it that way. I ended up with major scar tissue and had to deal with a stricture for 6 months. Anyway I'm good now but just experiencing this dump ing. My surgeon said sleeve patients can have dumping. Basically I have an intolerance to sugar and dairy and carbs and also get sick from too much at once
Today I haven't had any carbs and have had no issues. It's rough to not have any carbs though because I drop weight super easy and I definitely can't lose much more!

Dumping ABSOLUTELY HAPPENS AFTER SLEEVE SURGERY. I have a sleeve and I dump often. I have dumped on all kinds of things. High carb food with fats seems to be the most likely to do it for me. In addition, eating too much for my stomach or eating and drinking together- that can trigger it.

I dump frequently. It hasn’t helped me avoid trigger foods but it definitely makes me wary. My dumping is hard to predict and catches me by surprise a lot.

I can tell I’m going to dump within ten minutes or so of eating. My heart starts to race, I get shaky and super nauseated. I sometimes get so sick I literally cannot move, and sometimes I have to urinate about 5-6 times in a row. The nausea is so intense it floors me. I don’t get diarrhea, just the heavy nausea and fluttering heart and dizziness. It’s a horrible feeling.

I’ve seen my doctor and he confirmed this is dumping. You can get dumping with any part of your stomach removed. It’s frequently seen in people that have had stomach cancer.

I don’t know why sleevers think they won’t get dumping. I most definitely do, even three years out and it has not gotten any better at all.

I can dump on pure Proteins although it is much more likely for me to dump from high sugar items.

Posting these is hard for me- But if they help someone- I’m all about being real. This is where I came from. Before wls I was at rock bottom in my life. I was overweight, in so much pain, addicted to opiates, in a miserable abusive marriage, terribly unhappy, i could barely work, so hard to walk, so hard to just live. I’d been on or off of a diet since I was eleven. I was constantly binging or starving myself. I’d tried every weight loss plan under the sun and I was totally burnt out. I’d tried therapy, you make it. Perhaps if I’d stuck to therapy that would have worked, but at the point I had surgery I was so exhausted I just needed something sure.
I was totally committed to the surgery although i didn’t follow the rules very well, I’ve never been good at self care. I couldn’t take care of myself well before surgery and i struggled to do that afterwards. It has taken a lot of work to get better at that.
I went in knowing what could happen and that i wouldn’t be able to eat normally again. It was worth it to me at the time.
My surgery had complications but the weight loss was easy due to a severe stricture that I had, plus i was just determined to lose the weight- nothing was gonna stop me. I did really well eating very little for a long time, I was so burnt out on food i was able to break my codependent behavior towards it. Maintenance was really really hard for me, I had issues with wanting to keep losing weight and not being able to stop. I rejected food so hard it was a real struggle to begin eating again and I had to seek therapy for that.
I’m doing well now and so much has changed. I have a very different outlook with food. I’ve also gone through plastic surgery 2x and I’m finished with that. I’m at my 3 year surgery anniversary on dec 4. My start weight was 240 and my current weight is between 130-135. I’m 5’6.
I went from 240 to 120 in about 10 months. My lowest weight was 115- scary. I’ve since gained to a healthy 130 ish. I try not to slide back into the 120s because I look sick at that weight. I don’t try and maintain my weight through dieting anymore, I practice “Intuitive Eating”. While being thin is nice and my weight is something I care about, these days I try not to weigh myself and I focus on overall health and well being. My next goal is to get more active with weight training and exercise.
Surgery is no walk in the park. I had a rough time and I still struggle. But it was worth it for me, as you can see. My weightloss did stall a week or two here and there. I never let that get to me, I just kept my calories low knowing eventually it would start again. During the weightloss phase I tried to focus on my life and stay busy rather than focus on every pound. I definitely ate very very little. I suffered from malnutrition and health problems because of this so I would not recommend it- take your Vitamins and get in your Protein.
Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for choosing surgery. And don’t feel bad if weight loss takes you longer than others. My biggest regret is that I didn’t give myself more love before my surgery. But at least I gave myself enough to try and change my life for the better.
 

I love it!! Super hot

Omg you are breathtaking. Love your eyes

All these photos are so great. It’s so nice to see people changing their life and fighting for their health and hopefully mental well being as well. here I am 3 years after my sleeve.