OutsideMatchInside

@@reducer623 We have both had our coppers around the same length of time. My periods went from heavy to light in about 6 months. I have always had random spotting if I have high activities levels. Lately me between period spotting has lightened up and is almost non existent. I am hoping by the end of the year to be back to normal. Since we don't have hormones to help us, our bodies just have to work it out on their own.

I posted this in the ladies area because mens sizes are more standard and they don't have the issues we have. When I was a size 28, I just wanted to be an 18. That was goal for years to just be an 18 like in college and I would be happy. Pre-op last year I decided I wanted to be a 12 because well, Gucci. As I have been losing I have hitting lower sizes faster than I thought with my weight being higher than I thought, I have to re-evaluate what size I think I will be comfortable at. I have resolved all my health issues already so whatever weight I lose now is just a bonus. I currently wear anything from a 14, sometimes a 12, and I can wear a juniors 13. The last time I was this size was in HS, but I weighed 40 pounds less. I'm pretty sure when I actually lose the 40-50 pounds I want to lose over the next year, I will end up a 10, a European size 10. Maybe even smaller after plastics. I know a lot of this has to do with the level of muscle mass I have, which I fight very hard to keep, by working really hard to keep my Protein up. That was just the back story to my real reason for posting. I think women get too caught up in sizes and what sizes mean to us. I spend 3-6 hours a week trying on clothes at least two times a month. I have to try on every single thing I buy, and wear it within 2-3 weeks because my body is changing so much and everything is shifting. Clothing sizes vary so wildly by cut, material, and manufacturer, that the numbers are really meaningless. Even measuring yourself and going by your exact measurements is useless. Some stores have vanity sizing but a lot of clothes come from asia now and are cut much smaller. Also juniors sizing is very pervasive without it always being crystal clear that it is juniors sizing. What was/is your goal size? Have you adjusted that goal? Are you smaller in the end than what you thought you would be? Do you wear a range of sizes even at a stable weight?

I have an IUD (Copper). I had normal cycles, and I have had my IUD so long that my periods are light again after initially being heavy. I have always had regular periods my entire life, no lady issues, no PCOS anything like that. At first I still has normal periods, then once I dropped a lot of weight (over 100 pounds at about 9 months) I started having periods every 2 weeks almost. It seems to finally being almost normalizing, but my body is still trying to adjust to the weight I am at now. My periods are light so it doesn't bother me that they are every 2 weeks, except for the weight gain or stall that comes with them. It makes it hard to see progress on the scale, even though I can see and feel the inch loss.

I totally appreciate him being open about his surgery. Until more people are willing to share that they had surgery, it will keep being something that people feel the need to hide. I recently found at that 3 people I know had the surgery and never told anyone, lied about it in fact.....the result? I felt like there was something really wrong with ME that I couldn't pull it together and lose my extra weight. If they had shared their story with me instead of keeping it hidden, I might have gotten here a few years ago. It's important surgery, helpful surgery, and the stigma needs to go away. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App A year later, for me surgery seems like something in the past. I don't feel like a WLS patient forever, and I don't want to give other people the opportunity to put that label on me forever. I'm pretty sure 14 years from now, I won't want people commenting on what I am eating and wondering if it would make me sick. I used to work with a lady that was very open about having surgery. People always talked about that when they talked about her, like that was her main attribute and she was less of a person. They never talked about her other qualities, and when she got married, they wondered if she would be able to have children because she had surgery. I'm already a double minority, I don't need another label to go through life with.

@@justhere4theshow No one makes threads about Matt Lauer's eating habits though.

Al had surgery so long ago, I doubt he dumps or even has any malabsorption left. That reaction to him eating or not eating is exactly why I will never make my surgery public. 14 years later and he is still the gastric bypass guy to people.

You can, eat things without carbs and still induce ketosis and shrink your liver. Please stop thinking about things as cheating, it just perpetuates the idea of being deprived. Eating properly is a way of life not a diet. A lot of pre-op diets include lean Proteins, like grilled chicken etc. If you feel like you can't go on just liquids the whole time, a lean Protein is better than going off the rails because you are starving and hit the McDonalds drive-thru. The last couple days you need to follow your plan exactly because you are cleaning your system out. I'm not saying to ignore your pre-op diet, but if you get to the point you feel like you have to eat something, a boiled egg, grilled chicken etc are decent options that won't sabotage you.

I love Taco Bueno and I don't even like Mexican food really. Get the Tex Mex Bowl and order it with no rice. chicken or Quesadilla, and just eat the meat and the cheese. You can eat at any restaurant really. Order a sandwich, just eat the meat. Order a salad with Protein, just eat the protein. It isn't hard you just have to change how you think. Pre-op the issue is going to be, eating like this is not going to make you full but you might as well practice eating to be satisfied and not full now.

@@Bee healthy Are you only using the app or do you use the website also? I am assuming you have premium since you are able to set goals. I set all my targets and everything using the website. Start by setting your goal weight and your calorie target. The app is going to tell you that your calorie target is too low, ignore that. Then set your other goals. My goals are Protein 100g a day minimum. Carbs 10-12% Fat 40-45%

@@kizzmia Box braids should be fine. You just can't have any metal in your hair. I had a sewin when I had surgery, no problems. However, post-op, once you are healed I suggest giving the braids up. That extra weight and tension might make your post-op hair loss worse if you lose hair post-op. Not everyone has a lot of shedding post-op but some dude. The braids are not going to help.

You should get your lean mass tested so you know exactly how much you have and base your protein intake off of that. People that have been over 300lbs for a decent amount of time have more muscle mass than someone that is in the 200s and hasn't been obese for that long. If you have a lot of muscle mass it will help you lose more weight faster and keep your RMR/BMR higher forever. You eat for your lean mass maintenance not your weight A lot of people that advocate eating 60ish grams of protein get stuck eating 1000-1200 calories a day forever because they have ruined their metabolism and have very little muscle mass left. The leaner you get the more protein you need to prevent muscle loss. There was a study published about this in 2011. Consult with a Dr. Have your RMR tested, and have a DEXA scan if you can have one. Understanding the science behind what YOUR body needs is better than taking random advice from people on the internet (hey, even including me), when people have wildly varying needs based on their body composition, activity level, and dietary needs. Consult with professionals that can help you tailor something to your specific needs.

Goldfish crackers were nasty back in pre-school in the 70s (and all food processed food in the 70s/80s tasted better than the processed food now), so anything that tastes like goldfish crackers has to be nasty by association. So I guess I am not missing anything. I really don't get the national love affair with crackers or popcorn, at all.

I have never had a cheez-it in my life. Do they taste like cheetos?

@@Lexigurl82 As a single person that has never been married but ends up dating divorced people... Please work on yourself and become a whole person before dating. Get to know yourself, your likes and dislikes. Learn to love and value yourself not considering other people. If you are confident and self assured you will attract people that value that, instead of people that want to diminish your shine. Good luck, it is hard out here.

Yes it's not politically correct, but I do tend to agree. It's amazing that certain drugs work better in one race than another. We are all people and deserve the same rights and protections, but we have to recognize biological realities too. Right, it is just a biological fact, not prejudice. Different people in different areas of the world have adapted to their environment over the centuries and their bodies and blood process certain foods better. Just like it is no coincidence that as soon as western style eating and fast foods show up in countries, the obesity rate explodes.

I think at your stage probably 800-900 with high Protein low carb is the goal. 28lbs in the first month is great, I started at 358 on day of surgery and I don't think I lost 28lbs in the first month. My weight loss didn't speed up until after 6 weeks when I could eat more calories. At a year out, I have to eat a minimum of 1500 calories a day or I stall out. My BMR is about 1750 and I burn an additional 500-1000 calories a day above that on activities.

@@CowgirlJane I totally agree. People have really varied nutritional needs. Based on blood type, age, ethnicity etc. Years ago I read Eat Right for your Blood Type and it outlined some of these differences not just by blood type but also ethnicity.

I was not miserable at all. I live alone and was able to take care of myself. The two people I know that had hysterectomies had worse recoveries than me. It helps if you have a high pain tolerance, which I do, but I was in very little pain. The worst pain was my shoulder ache from the gas they fill you chest cavity with.

Almost everything you listed you don't need. The thing you will probably need the most you don't have on the list which is lip balm. Although, I didn't even need that really, when I woke up and said my lips were dry the nurse put vaseline on them for me. They provide everything for you at the hospital. If you are going to a hospital that doesn't, I wouldn't let them cut on me.

Depending on your skills, screw it. Have the surgery and if she fires you, then get another job. The year is almost over, might as well do it now and not delay. This is all if you have a skill set where you can quickly acquire another job. Just look for another job. Do you even want to work for someone like this?

@@Hopefully A Butterfly When I was your size I purchased most of shapewear at Avenue. A 4x should work for you and provide you enough control. If you are really squishy, a 3x might be better. http://www.avenue.com/en_US/easy-up-easy-down-firm-thigh-slimmer-230122658.html?dwvar_230122658_color=101#start=4&cgid=shapewear-thigh-slimmers http://www.avenue.com/en_US/firm-control-legging-230124221.html?dwvar_230124221_color=101#start=5&cgid=shapewear-thigh-slimmers Just make sure you get the maidenform brand, not the avenue brand. maidenform offers a lot of support, the avenue brand not so much. If you live near an outlet mall you can try the maidenform store, but I think they don't have above 2x in the outlet stores. I have only shopped at them since I have been smaller.

I am very sorry you have had so many issues. I do think that it is important that all perspectives be shown so people can learn the good and the bad. When I did my research I knew the worst can scenarios and I decided I would rather die fast, rather than dying slowly like I was being super morbidly obese. At a year out and still losing, I eat whatever I want. What I want has really changed, and even when I do eat off plan, it is a one off and go right back to how I normally eat. I'm not on a diet. I have a different way of eating. People who think of this as a "diet" are going to make themselves miserable. A new or better way of eating is a better way to think about it. I don't even eat like a bariatric patient, I eat like a normal health conscious person. Early on, yes there is a specific diet you have to follow to heal properly and safely, but this isn't a life where you follow a diet for the rest of your life. If people follow the proper steps post-op, don't skip steps and don't think they can just eat "normally" in small portions, you learn to eat properly, and it because natural instead of a diet. I don't "exercise" in the sense of what people consider exercise. I am infinitely more active. I walk a ton. I don't go to a gym. I do yoga some of the time. I lift weights at home. When it cools off I will be starting crossfit but that is to get stronger not to lose weight. People can lose weight with almost no exercise if they can control their food. Honestly it is easier and faster to lose weight without exercise because you don't have as many calorie deficit concerns and you aren't over stimulating your appetite (if you have one) with exercise. I think anyone that had all the issues you had early on would have a negative perspective of surgery. I thought previously by your posts you were further out from surgery. I think once you are healed, at around the 6 month mark, you might have a different opinion. I hope so, and good luck.

@@Hopefully A Butterfly Get some shapewear for your stomach so you have support and it doesn't pull on your back. Something high waist and thigh slimming. Wear it all the time, it will make it easier for you to workout and be active.

On my program I was allowed starting at 6 weeks. I didn't have room until 6 months, and it wasn't until 9 months that I really added salads as a part of my meals. I have a salad for my afternoon snack.

Thank you for sharing that bit of history with us. I have to ask, is it a Pokestop?