donnamaria65

Jocie I'm going thru menopause now and I'm horny as heck lol! I lost 110 lbs and a size 12. Sadly hubby's got health problems and I don't get any which is sooooo frustrating, but sadly there's nothing I can do. We did the bunny thing for 25 yrs of 30 yrs of marriage, but I am need some badly lol!!!

Surgery date 12-2-13 @ 262 lbs.
Weight in today 3-24-15 @ 145 lbs.
Total loss and never want to find it again is 117 lbs.

Skinnyme, you look so good and your transformation is incredible and impressive at that. Congrats on losing your weigh and striving to succeed like all of US! You keep doing what your doing ????????????????.

I am 55. Had Roux en Y on April 27. So far no complications and very little pain. Stayed in the hospital two days. Took a little Tylenol the first day home. It was a long process that started in August 2014. If you're just starting out, be patient. Your day will come. Expect to have days that you question your decision to do this. Keep moving forward. I am glad I did.

I am 3.5 months post op and have lost 86 pounds!r

don't take this personal but i had to laugh!! Luv it!! ????

Your honesty is very much appreciated. I'm sorry that you're unhappy with your new body, and I don't wanna sound like a cliche or a repeat of a previous comment by pointing out what you've "gained" by losing. One of the things my therapist pointed out that was something most people struggle with after WLS is that their new body doesn't look the way they expected it to (loose skin, lost breasts, lost hair, things sagging or out of place), and it is a fear I have as i'm 15 days out from RNY...my trainer and PCP think we'll be able to combat the issue with lots of weight training and limiting cardio so I don't burn off muscle mass, but until I get to goal I have no idea what's going to happen. I do hope I can appreciate my transformation, as I'm hoping it will remove the limitations my size has put on my life for the last 28 years
:-\
Again thank you for being so candid, I know it must be difficult.

Thank you for putting this into words. The excess skin, sagging boobs are tough. I have learned to love my new body because of what it enables me to do. But at the same time I am saving up for a full Tummy Tuck and a boob job. People think that when you lose the weight you are magically happier with your body, and maybe for some people they are. I have always been and will always be critical of myself and the excess skin is probably my number one nemesis! Well done on your weight loss, and also for keeping it real on the message boards.

I am naturally very muscular. This is part of the boob issue because when I was an athlete I had pecks not boobs. So I don't have much breast tissue. My arms and legs are very muscular and have been throughout the last year. I met a trainer who was shocked I wasn't on a lifting program already because of how stacked I look in the arms and legs. He agreed I would have to lift like professional body builder to fill out any more of the excess skin. Most women tone muscles but mine are really built like a guys.
I have not been doing formal cardio other than the 7,000 steps I walk daily at work. I do a some light arm exercises. If the weather ever improves, (It's snowing here in my section of Maryland) I will be out doing more things.
I have an April 2 appointment with a plastic surgeon who specializes in after weight loss procedures. I'm not getting my hopes up but I want to see what the options are and how much it costs. My daughter heads to college in the fall so paying for surgery is probably not realistic.
I hope people who read my initial post, especially those who are starting out, understand this issue is part of the journey they need to deal with. I think we all focus so much on the food, and the Protein, and the scale, and the exercise etc. I think many of us assume a smaller body is going to transform how we feel about ourselves. My point is the fact that the new body is different, not necessarily better. You gotta wrap your head around it sooner rather than later.

Funniest thing happened yesterday. Had to go to the apple store with my computer. It's heavy so I placed it in a piece of luggage with wheels.
Well, in order to get it out I had to bend down and forward. Behold my boobs decided to slide right out of the bra. They poured out from the top and when I got up I had this bump on my chest that was not exactly easy to conceal. I had the Genius dude right in front of me and it wasn't like I could get my hands in my shirt and organize things. Jeez, ridiculous situation to be in. When I finally got to the car I couldn't help but laugh, look around and rearrange things. Note to self, when purchasing a bra, I must do the bend forward test to make sure things stay in. Trust me, I didn't see this one coming!

YES, YES and YES! I hate my body too but I love my life. I guess it's an even trade.
I hope you find peace, acceptance and HAPPINESS!
Carol

O my dear , I totally understand you , completely . As a woman my self , it is so hard to except that we are so much more than physical beings. We live in a world that the physical appearance is how we are judged . Then we are brain washed that we judge our selves as others do . I do it to my self . Its not right . On both account. But this is the hurtful truth. Yes we gain our lives. Our families get to love us on earth longer . But there are sacrifices. They are hard pills to swallow. And you are not alone in your sadness . There are many of us who share in this with you. There are no easy answers. For many of us we can not afford to pay to fix our imperfections. I can't . So , I try to be be an illusionist to the world. I try to look the best I can . But it is hard to look at the truth by myself behind closed doors . Sincerely , Kendra

Yes, things are sagging big time for me too and I'm still at 195 lb. In fact, given that reality I have moved my weight goal from 150 to 170.
Perhaps a breast lift would help. I am not a big believer in plastic surgery but in our case, I think we have a medical reason. Just as someone in a crash that needs reconstruction, we need help. It's not like we can workout to the shape we should be. Plastics are expensive but I have come to the sad realization a breast lift for me is a necessity. I went from a 42 DD to a 38D but things have gone south in a major way. With an additional 25 weight loss expected things are bound to get even worse. I'll see how that goes and then consider a Tummy Tuck. I'll have to wait until I stop losing weight for any of this to happen. My surgery was only 4 months ago.
Surprisingly my bat wings don't bother me as much as my breasts. Even my tummy is not so bad because I wear Shapewear. I am fortunate my knees look fine but I am more of a Bermuda shorts kind of girl. Love shorts that hit at the knee or right below. The other area that is seriously annoying is the flab between my legs. Wearing a dress will always require shorts as an undergarment. When the weather gets hot that's going to be horrible. I also noticed when I try pants the fabric has to be fairly heavy or with lycra or the sag/bumps on my legs are visible right through. Yikes!

****warning- this is not a warm and fuzzy post******
I am just shy of 11 months post op. I am down 92 pounds from surgery, 105 from my first appointment. I have been between 152 and 157 for the past 2 months now. This is where it seems I will end up. I went from a 22 pant to size 10. A 2x shirt to a M. I even dropped a shoe size. I was able to drop a good portion of my heart medicine and I no longer feel like I'm going to die walking upstairs. A year ago I would never have been able to walk around campus like I do now. (I'm a college lecturer at a large university) All should be good, but in reality, I hate my new body.
I don't think I'm alone. I think this is one of those "dirty little secrets" many in the WLS community feel but maybe don't verbalize. While I am thankful my health has improved, the mirror has become even more of an enemy. I didn't have wrinkles before, because my face was full. I had boobs, because as we know they are mainly fat. My legs were big but I still wore shorts, something I won't be doing this spring and summer. I had an ass, one that didn't sag and one that protected my tailbone that is now permanently bruised and inhibits sleeping on my back.
I know this a negative post and I don't mean to be such a "debbie downer" about this experience. But I think it's important to talk about the tough stuff. The reality of what it might feel like a year out for many people. It's not all "kum by yah" and being thinner does not solve all of our whoas. I miss my boobs. I hate plopping my saggy skin into a sports bra and positioning it to resemble boobs. I hate the fact that the skin on my legs hangs over my knees. I hate the wrinkles on my face and the skin under my chin. I hide my body from my husband more than I did before. I don't smile when I look in the mirror like I assumed I would. Maybe someone warned me about these things- but I must not have listened because I was not prepared for how I currently feel.
Was the surgery worth it? Yes because my health is still the priority. But this reality, well my friends, it sucks.

Hello everyone! I am introducing myself to this forum for the very first time as a member; I have been a lurker for over a year, and I have to say that many of you have been so inspiring and helpful in my decision to get my surgery, and have been a helping hand (without knowing it!) through all of my pre-and-post op trials and tribulations. So, for that I am 100% grateful for your honesty about your stories and how supportive you are to one another. I am not much of a social person in my real life, so joining this forum is just another one of the lifestyle changes I am making to continue on a path to success.
My name is Amy, a 28 year old student nurse from CT. I am happily married for 9 years to the love of my life Jorge, and we have a beautiful handful of a 2 year old name Jillian. I have struggled with my weight for most of my life, as many of you have. Even when I was younger and weighed my (now) goal weight, I was always teased for my size and thought of myself as the dreaded F-A-T girl. Many people say "wow, I wish I knew back then how thin I actually was" but in reality, a 12 year old at 150 lbs carries herself much differently than a woman of the same weight. So of course, like many, I was barraged with insults and self-esteem issues from a young age--and as anyone who has been there can vouch, food can sometimes be your only friend.
Even with my size of 250 lbs at age 26, I was an active and healthy woman. I had recently lost 30 lbs (down from 280) and boom--after 7 years of trying while combating the dreaded PCOS, I finally got pregnant with my miracle baby! However, as little girls tend to "steal their mom's beauty" she definitely changed my body. Unfortunately my health started to deteriorate shortly after giving birth, and I found that my gestational diabetes decided to stick around for the long haul. I delivered at 315 lbs.
I never realized until I saw pictures how big I really was. I do believe that body dismorphia is more common than we think and is not just for those who have anorexia...I would look in the mirror and say "wow, I look really nice today, and my clothes fit perfectly" and see pictures of that day and see a person I do not recognize. I decided to look into a surgical option after many failed attempts at low-carb, weight watchers, paleo, portion control--you name it. My sugar, my hormones, and eventually my blood pressure and heart were all out of wack. That's when I met Dr T. and his team at Backus Hospital in Norwich, CT, and they started started me on a track to a brand new life.
I am currently 3 weeks post op gastric bypass, down 30 lbs (20 lbs since my surgery date), and I am ready to be part of this wonderful community of brave men and women who are fighting the good fight as I am. I am having minor complications with getting my nutrition, but I hope to rectify this by reading your threads and getting good advice. Thank you all for taking the time to read this novel. I cannot wait to take this journey with you all.
Sincerily,
Amy

Hello, I had the bypass 4/8, so I'm a little over 2 weeks post op and my starting weight was 342 lbs and now I'm down to 324 lbs. I'm not gonna lie its not easy but if you put in the work you will succeed. They weren't joking when they said the surgery is just a tool. My reason to have surgery was due to being diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes. I didn't want that for myself. So when I got diagnosed with that last June that was my wake up call that I needed to make some changes. I hope you decide if this is best for you because I don't have any regrets.

Had surgery on March 25. Lost 35 pounds before surgery and 20 in the last month since surgery. Have had no problems. Hardest part now is drinking enough Water and eating enough Protein. Once you stop drinking the Protein Shakes it gets very hard to eat enough protein because at this point I am full after 3 or 4 bites. Last night I made these delicious chicken meatballs. Ended up only able to eat one. It is a huge adjustment from the way I used to eat. I miss eating some foods but overall am thrilled that I did this.

Hello.. i am 27 ..had the bypass on april 8th ..i was nervous when i was waiting to go to the operation room ..but it was peaceful .. i am 3 wks post op ..started at 402 ..im at 380 .. very excited to continue my journey ..my head hunger is a bitch but it makes me that much stronger .. make sure u follow the rules and u will be fine ..good luck

I'm 28. I had gastric bypass on 4/6 and so far I'm doing great. Im down 18 lbs since surgery (47 lbs overall). I haven't had any bad reactions to any foods I've tried but my eating is pretty limited to a list of acceptable folds my doctor gave me.
I am having a difficult time getting my liquids in everyday and some days I am beyond tired and feel like I'm struggling to get things done. My doctor said the fatigue periods should end after 6-8 weeks post op. Right now I'm just doing the best I can and going through the motions of healing and relearning how to eat and drink again. Everything's so different but so far, not at all in a bad way.

Had surgery on Tuesday. I was nervous but everything went fine. The worst part was the gas. I was never so happy to fart in my life. TMI I know. :-) that was the only time I hit the pain pump was with the gas pains. Finally the next day I walked the halls about 5 times vs the two after surgery and got that stuff to moving out. Went home around 5 that day & slept all night. Felt 100% better when I woke up. Today was my full liquid day which includes cream Soup, tasted so good. However I'm so scared to overeat right now. All in all I've had a good recovery so far.

I am 3 weeks postop. I was a nervous wreck the day of surgery. I was lucky enough to be the first case of the day. I didn't have much wait time.
I knew it would be hard. It is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. Probably the hardest thing I have ever done. That being said it was the best decision for me. I stated out at 323. I'm down to 290 already.
It is a learning curve. It gets better every day. Just remember to take small sips of Water all day. Try to get your Protein in. I'm still struggling with protein. Good luck!

Hi @RebeccaAR. I'm scheduled to have gastric bypass on May 7th, two weeks from tomorrow, yikes! I go from being super excited, to nervous, to scared, to unsure, and everything in between. Like you, I originally wanted the Lap Band, then the gastric sleeve, and finally decided on the bypass due to my surgeon's recommendation. I have diabetes and sleep apnea. My main reason for having the surgery is to hopefully reverse my diabetes and prevent further complications.
I left my initial appointment with my surgeon in tears. It was such a mix of emotions! I was sad that I had finally "succumbed" to weight loss surgery. I felt like a failure for not being able to reach my weight goal on my by myself after having lost 100 lbs on my own (with diet and exercise). On the other hand, I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and it's so exciting!
Fortunately the process has been quick so far. My initial appointment was on Feb 20th. I got all but one of my pre-op requirements done by the end of the next week. The first challenge was my surgeon's strict liver-shrinking diet, which I have been on since Feb 21st. Today is my last day of the liver-shrinking food diet, tomorrow I start the liquid diet. The next 3-4 weeks are probably going to be the most challenging of my life, so now I'm back to being scared! Ugh!

Thank you both. I have similar problems like both of your stories. Hyperlipidemia and back hip and knee pain. I know it's the right decision. I'm going to have bypass, but it's such a scary thing. You're whole life is about to change for the better but you know how people hate change lol. Although I think I'll be very happy with this change once it's done.

hello...
I been heavy all my life. went through school being teased a lot. Ive always been active. I have back , hip, neck , shoulder and emotional pain: doctor said pain will go away if I loose weight. I just kept getting bigger and bigger...One day in 2013 a lightbulb must has went off. I looked at myself and said "Oh my god" when did this happen? Talked to my doctor about surgeries since all attempts to loose weight failed. Next thing I knew I had gotten a gastric bypass on June 17th 2013. Aside from marrying my husband, the bypass surgery is the best thing I ever did. I love clothes. All the pain is still here though. I went from 297 ibs. to 160 lbs. size 24 pants to size 13 pants. Yahooooo..

Had my surgery Dec 23rd.
Sept -started classes- 301
Dec before surgery 275lbs
April 23 222lbs
My goal is the range of 195-205
Jean size 36
Shirt size LT or XL
I am almost ready for body sculpting!