anaxila

I recommend total, radical honesty and candor. Tell them everything. Tell them you’re scared, intimidated, new to gyms, prone to being turned off, etc. Tell them why you are there and what you want out of it. Tell them what hurts and what’s hard. You will get out of this what you put into it, and candor is the first step.

Sweatiness is highly variable. I am a cyclist and runner, and I always sweat like I'm dying. But I have friends that finish a run or a ride looking fresh as a daisy and completely unmussed. I sorta hate those guys. :D
Out-of-breath-ness is generally related to heart rate, and the recommendation to get a heart rate monitor is a good one. I generally shoot for zone 4 / orange zone in cardio. But how out of breath you feel is also slightly variable by person. Unless I'm sprinting, I can almost always carry on a conversation while running. On the other hand, my cycle coach knows if we're all chatty we aren't working hard enough, but she's a mean one. Personally, I know if I can't talk, I'm working too hard, but if I can sing more than a line or two I know I'm not working hard enough. Yeah, I'm a joy to hang with. :D But I run with friends who don't ever feel like they can talk and run at the same time, despite the fact that their heart rates are in the okay zone.
The other factor to consider is your underlying fitness. If your legs & butt are feeling it, but your cardio isn't there, then keep working your legs hard until they catch up with your cardio capacity and you can push them both together.
And above all, HAVE FUN!

I had extensive skin removal surgery following RNY. I did it in two rounds (upper / front, then lower / back), two years ago. Aside from RNY itself, it's the best decision I ever made.
It's nearly impossible to find useful information about cosmetic surgery online. The majority is either advertisement or scare-mongering, and most of it is not relevant to a bariatric patient. The only way to learn is to schedule consultations with local surgeons, get an assessment and quote, and - most importantly - look at their book. All of these consultations should be free of charge. If they're not, skip to the next option. They will all have photo albums of similar procedures they've done on past clients, and can talk you through the similarities and differences between yourself and those other people. They all have different techniques and different experience, and the good ones will want to make sure you have a realistic assessment of what you can expect in terms of final outcome. Don't assume that the first surgeon you meet is going to be the right one for you. Shop around.
In terms of finding good candidates, I would start by asking the team that did your bariatrics surgery. They likely know which surgeons in the area do a lot of post-weight loss surgeries and can make a recommendation.
Good luck!

As many have said... you just need to suck it up and go. I recommend finding the least popular time to go for the first few trips, to minimize contact with your fellow gym-goers. In most places / at most gyms, this means NOT going first thing in the morning or anytime between 5-7pm. This is when the most serious and focused athletes are there, and I totally understand that they can be intimidating. However, on the flip side... the most serious and focused athletes are worried about getting their workouts done and getting on with their day. They are not noticing you / watching you / gossiping about you. They are focused on their own crap.
Having said that, if you can do in the middle of the day or late at night, it's likely to have a more chill vibe. There's also a HUGE uptick in gym attendance at this time of the year - increasing in December, peaking in January, starting to drop off in February. So it's almost guaranteed you won't be the only newbie in the joint at any given time.
Personally, I'm a serious gym rat (I'm there 8-10 times a week, depending on weather), and I go out of my way to welcome new and lost-looking people. Don't assume that the fit person next to you hasn't been an unfit newbie in the recent past. You're me, just a couple of years removed.

I had extensive skin removal surgery following RNY. I did it in two rounds (upper / front, then lower / back), two years ago. Aside from RNY itself, it's the best decision I ever made.
It's nearly impossible to find useful information about cosmetic surgery online. The majority is either advertisement or scare-mongering, and most of it is not relevant to a bariatric patient. The only way to learn is to schedule consultations with local surgeons, get an assessment and quote, and - most importantly - look at their book. All of these consultations should be free of charge. If they're not, skip to the next option. They will all have photo albums of similar procedures they've done on past clients, and can talk you through the similarities and differences between yourself and those other people. They all have different techniques and different experience, and the good ones will want to make sure you have a realistic assessment of what you can expect in terms of final outcome. Don't assume that the first surgeon you meet is going to be the right one for you. Shop around.
In terms of finding good candidates, I would start by asking the team that did your bariatrics surgery. They likely know which surgeons in the area do a lot of post-weight loss surgeries and can make a recommendation.
Good luck!

I had extensive skin removal surgery following RNY. I did it in two rounds (upper / front, then lower / back), two years ago. Aside from RNY itself, it's the best decision I ever made.
It's nearly impossible to find useful information about cosmetic surgery online. The majority is either advertisement or scare-mongering, and most of it is not relevant to a bariatric patient. The only way to learn is to schedule consultations with local surgeons, get an assessment and quote, and - most importantly - look at their book. All of these consultations should be free of charge. If they're not, skip to the next option. They will all have photo albums of similar procedures they've done on past clients, and can talk you through the similarities and differences between yourself and those other people. They all have different techniques and different experience, and the good ones will want to make sure you have a realistic assessment of what you can expect in terms of final outcome. Don't assume that the first surgeon you meet is going to be the right one for you. Shop around.
In terms of finding good candidates, I would start by asking the team that did your bariatrics surgery. They likely know which surgeons in the area do a lot of post-weight loss surgeries and can make a recommendation.
Good luck!

I e just started back at the gym, and like you I was nervous about the judgement. The people at my gym are so focused on themselves and their workout they don’t have time to judge me 😊

I know it's easy to feel like everyone is watching you when you're doing something out of your comfort zone, but honestly, no one is watching you when you're at the gym. They're more focused on what they're doing than what you're doing or what you look like. Start with something you feel comfortable doing, like walking on the treadmill. Someone else mentioned this, as well, but go during your gym's quiet times. My gym is very quiet on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

As many have said... you just need to suck it up and go. I recommend finding the least popular time to go for the first few trips, to minimize contact with your fellow gym-goers. In most places / at most gyms, this means NOT going first thing in the morning or anytime between 5-7pm. This is when the most serious and focused athletes are there, and I totally understand that they can be intimidating. However, on the flip side... the most serious and focused athletes are worried about getting their workouts done and getting on with their day. They are not noticing you / watching you / gossiping about you. They are focused on their own crap.
Having said that, if you can do in the middle of the day or late at night, it's likely to have a more chill vibe. There's also a HUGE uptick in gym attendance at this time of the year - increasing in December, peaking in January, starting to drop off in February. So it's almost guaranteed you won't be the only newbie in the joint at any given time.
Personally, I'm a serious gym rat (I'm there 8-10 times a week, depending on weather), and I go out of my way to welcome new and lost-looking people. Don't assume that the fit person next to you hasn't been an unfit newbie in the recent past. You're me, just a couple of years removed.

Everything here is useful for making home weights on a budget.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Homemade-Weight-Set
I also second the suggestion of using resistance bands. I’m sure you could MacGuyver something, but I have this relatively affordable set from Amazon and am very happy with them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/7245456313/
Google can help you identify what to do with them, but this book has also been helpful.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FM5HM0E/
Good luck!

I am almost 4 years post op RNY and I don’t eat anywhere close to a bariatric diet. I am a runner and triathlete now, so I eat quite a lot of carbs as fuel for athletic performance. I work closely with a sports nutritionist who struggled mightily to get me to break from my obsession with Protein and embrace the carbs. I have to eat about 6-8 meals a day to keep myself properly fueled, which is a bit annoying but a small price to pay. I am not able to tolerate much sugar or fats (ice cream, pie, cake, Cookies, brownies), but otherwise eat whatever suits me in the moment LOL.

I am almost 4 years post op RNY and I don’t eat anywhere close to a bariatric diet. I am a runner and triathlete now, so I eat quite a lot of carbs as fuel for athletic performance. I work closely with a sports nutritionist who struggled mightily to get me to break from my obsession with Protein and embrace the carbs. I have to eat about 6-8 meals a day to keep myself properly fueled, which is a bit annoying but a small price to pay. I am not able to tolerate much sugar or fats (ice cream, pie, cake, Cookies, brownies), but otherwise eat whatever suits me in the moment LOL.

Everything here is useful for making home weights on a budget.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Homemade-Weight-Set
I also second the suggestion of using resistance bands. I’m sure you could MacGuyver something, but I have this relatively affordable set from Amazon and am very happy with them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/7245456313/
Google can help you identify what to do with them, but this book has also been helpful.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FM5HM0E/
Good luck!

Sweatiness is highly variable. I am a cyclist and runner, and I always sweat like I'm dying. But I have friends that finish a run or a ride looking fresh as a daisy and completely unmussed. I sorta hate those guys. :D
Out-of-breath-ness is generally related to heart rate, and the recommendation to get a heart rate monitor is a good one. I generally shoot for zone 4 / orange zone in cardio. But how out of breath you feel is also slightly variable by person. Unless I'm sprinting, I can almost always carry on a conversation while running. On the other hand, my cycle coach knows if we're all chatty we aren't working hard enough, but she's a mean one. Personally, I know if I can't talk, I'm working too hard, but if I can sing more than a line or two I know I'm not working hard enough. Yeah, I'm a joy to hang with. :D But I run with friends who don't ever feel like they can talk and run at the same time, despite the fact that their heart rates are in the okay zone.
The other factor to consider is your underlying fitness. If your legs & butt are feeling it, but your cardio isn't there, then keep working your legs hard until they catch up with your cardio capacity and you can push them both together.
And above all, HAVE FUN!

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

For comparison's sake, I had two major plastic surgeries.
1) Brachioplasty (arms) and abdominoplasty (belly from hip to hip and up the middle).
2) Thigh lift (inside the leg from knee to groin and then along crease to outside of hip, ) with the completion of a circumferential body (backside, from hip to hip connecting abdominoplasty).
These were done in day surgery (no overnight stay) and cost me $25k all in. However... I live in Wisconsin, about 40 minutes outside of Milwaukee.
Still, I had to pay 100% out of pocket and I cried when I got the estimate because I thought I'd never be able to justify it. But my husband said we'd find a way and he's a miracle worker so it happened. Best money I ever spent.

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

Gross gross gross. Yes, you should be offended. But don’t let it derail you. You will be unconscious for the most important part of your relationship with this troll. If you’re getting good service from the rest of his team, stay the course.

I had it done. Absolutely worth it. Aside fromtje original bariatric surgery, it’s the best decision I ever made.
Like the other commenter, mine was done in combination with other procedures so I can’t give specific guidance on price for the body lift. However, I had that done, along with a thigh lift, arm lift, and vertical shaping with the Tummy Tuck portion of the body lift. Two surgeries, $20k all in, done by a fantastic local surgeon who has a lot of weight loss clients.

I had it done. Absolutely worth it. Aside fromtje original bariatric surgery, it’s the best decision I ever made.
Like the other commenter, mine was done in combination with other procedures so I can’t give specific guidance on price for the body lift. However, I had that done, along with a thigh lift, arm lift, and vertical shaping with the Tummy Tuck portion of the body lift. Two surgeries, $20k all in, done by a fantastic local surgeon who has a lot of weight loss clients.

I’m about 3.5 years post-surgery, and I don’t follow the Bariatric diet at all. I became very active (swimming, biking, running) after surgery and my food intake was all wrong for my athletic performance and training needs. So I switched over from a Bariatric nutritionist to a sports nutritionist and never felt better. It’s important to balance your macronutrients to fit your activity level, watch your caloric intake, monitor your weight, yadda yadda. But no, you don’t need to eat like a new patient forever.