BarrySue

The biggest issue I'm seeing is people actually denying their weight is a problem. "Weight is just a number, it doesn't determine true health" or "I don't trust BMI, it says I'm obese and I don't believe that." So many people think they just need to hit the gym and eat "super" foods, and I want to shake them and say QUINOA will not help you, no matter how much you exercise, you can't train away a bad diet, and for the love of god, BMI isn't accurate, but unless you're a special athlete whose physician has done alternate means of testing to determine your bodyfat ratio, being obese probably isn't a good sign.

I dropped nearly all the weight by the 12 month mark. Since then, it's been a lot slower and had I been following the diet here in Europe, I'd have lost more (I've been here 3.5 months and only lost 8 pounds, but it's from all the physical activity, as I've been eating and drinking bad stuff like CRAZY and need to get back on board when I return home).
I had a lot of complications my first few months, hated food and developed an intolerance/nauseous reaction to almost everything, so the first 100 lbs were gone in less than six months. I'm a picky, fussy eater who never cooks and is very busy, so I just found the right foods and stuck to them hell or high Water, lol.
I rarely ate full meals during my first year because that simply didn't work for me (I'm so busy and always on the move). I just found the right combo of stuff at CVS/Walmart/gas stations (high protein/low carb nutrition bars, this special milk called Fairlife (it filters lactose and sugar out, Protein added, I used it like a Protein shake because regular Protein made me nauseous), Protein Gummies, fruit/veggies on the go (snack packs that would have sliced apples with yogurt/sugar free caramel, or diced watermelon, or carrots with Peanut Butter, etc), protein gummies, and TONS of cheese. I also eat fast food pretty often, but I limit it. Chili from Wendy's, hot dog with chili from checkers with only a tiny fraction of the bun, cheeseburger from mcdonalds with the bun pulled off, taco bell pretty consistently (I either get crunchy shell or peel away most of the flour tortilla).
I didn't do hardcore exercise (but between school, work and internship I was working 90-100 hours/wk), although I did walk everywhere. Walked as much as I could, because I knew I could sustain that.
My biggest tip is to BE REALISTIC about your preferences/likes/habits/behaviors. I didn't try to completely change myself, because I knew I'd fail if I tried to be one of these "make ten meals, freeze them in tupperware, use cauliflower crust and complicated healthy recipes and go to the gym every day" people. They are WONDERFUL, they are successful, but they are not me. So I tweaked/adjusted things, creating a plan I knew I could maintain. There wasn't really a wagon to fall off of. I still eat fast food, I just skip the fries and pull the bun/breading mostly off. If I want dessert or a snack, I indulge, taking a few bites and then toss the rest in the trash or give it to a friend. That way, I'm not obsessing over it, I've satisfied the craving, and I haven't binged/gone overboard.
In the end, you'll find what works best for you. You may be one of the people who takes great joy in completely changing everything, establishing brand new cooking/exercise routines for yourself, etc. Whatever the outcome, just find something you can LIVE with.

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

About 14-16 weeks out I started eating popcorn. They have great 100 calorie bags I could buy at the vending machine for a snack, and they were a great way to keep from binging on more dangerous things while I adjusted to my post-sleeve dietary habits. Almost 18 months out now I still eat it pretty often, although I prefer microwave light pop versus some of the really saturated/cheese dust coated brands they sell at gas stations. Those things can have 400+ calories per bag!

Shrimp, tuna, hardboiled eggs, cheese, and fairlife milk (I feel like I'm the damn company spokesperson, but it was the only way to get me to my Protein goals every day).

(RN and comprehensive sex educator hats on)
There is nothing structurally different at any point in the intestines for a sleeved patient. For the lower intestines including the rectum, sigmoid, and descending colon (the parts that could potentially be involved), there is no structural difference for a RNY patient either. I don't know much about duodenal switch, but I wouldn't imagine that they've rearranged anything that far down the intestines.
So structurally, there's nothing changed that would affect the act.
However, there are bowel habit changes that may need to be considered. Many people have Constipation which of course can result in retained stool that you might want to address beforehand due to hygiene or comfort issues. Constipation also has the complication of creating or aggravating hemorrhoids which can cause pain and bleeding with anal intercourse. Other people have varying degrees of diarrhea post surgery, and sometimes with some stool incontinence (hence the warning "never trust a fart"). So this could create a hygiene issue which again you might want to address beforehand.
While I know the topic may be shocking to many, I believe it's important for adults to be able to discuss sexual matters and their bodies without embarrassment. Our societal discomfort with the subject of sex is a holdover from our puritan roots, and I believe it should be reversed.

It just all depends on how stretched out the area is. If it's been overly stretched due to age and long term obesity, there's no amount of lotions, potions, wraps, Vitamins or strength training that will bring it back or even minimize it.
I'm a perfect example. I'm in my late 40's, yo yo dieted my self to 235, a lot of which I carried in my stomach. I've done well with strength training to minimize the areas I could (arms), but the only way my stomach is ever going back is with surgery. My upper stomach is relatively flat from exercise, but the skin from my pannus area is pretty bad. I have a had a surgical consultation to have it removed, but still on the fence about it. I still look okay in clothes Anyway, see pic below of my arms and my stomach.

Always always always consult your OB-GYN! Your body is going through a lot of intense changes that can wreak havok on hormones, but that doesn't mean WLS is the cause! Definitely check with your specialist to ensure everything is in good working order down there. Be careful not to let WLS overshadow other potentially unrelated health issues.

Babybell cheese is 5 pro.
.5 cup cottage cheese is 10 pro.
.5 of a large Wendy's chili is 11.5 pro.
Greek yogurt used as sour cream in chili.
Homemade meatballs!
Sausage or bacon for Breakfast.
eggs with havarti and hot sauce, if you want more Protein scramble with Greek yogurt to make them fluffy.
Shrimp! They go down easy anytime that I'm having an off day.

@@BarrySue, what a wonderful story! Congratulations on your new life!

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

I do think it is pretty common. The sad part is, most people will be able to eat the foods they love again in the future. You might just find you no longer love them and that is ok because they did not help your situation anyway.
For example, Ice cream and Spagetti were my two favorite things. I thought it would never be able to live without them.
On the night before i started my liquid diet we went to Buca's for dinner and i got my fill of spagetti. I never craved it again after that. I have in fact tried it again and i literally could care less if i ever eat it again.
Now that was a food that was my favorite ever since i was a little girl. I would always look for it on a menu and of course coming from an Italian family we had it once or twice weekly. Now....i really could care less.
Ice Cream. It was my vice. I loved it and I still do but everytime i eat it i end up rolled up in a ball with my gut in horrible pain. I believe it is the fact that it is so cold and has lactose. Mostly the cold thing......I cannot eat it at all and since it has made me feel like crap so many times, it is best just to stay the heck away from it.
I have found fresh fruits to be so much more fulfilling for me and you get the nutritional benefit from it.
You will get past it...if you think that food is just there for energy and no longer the thing i live for.
Best of luck to you!

Today
I
Hit
My
Goal
Weight.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

This is not the victim olympics or a contest about who is allowed to hurt the most.
This is a WLS forum. So yes, people will delve deep into all manner of weight loss issues despite there being other things happening in the world. There is no need to marginalize or insult people for perfectly legitimate concerns, nor fall back into the tired old "millenial" generalization (which is one of the most inaccurate, backwards, ridiculous labels when you examine the facts).
BP is not a hugbox, but that isn't a moral imperative to be a jerk. Placating and justifying someone's bad decisions is not the same as having a little compassion for someone terrified of the after-effects of weight loss.
I don't view it as "trite" or "shallow" to be hesitant about weight loss due to excess skin. As women, we face a unique struggle in terms of our appearance. We are judged for what we are AND what we are not. We can feel unattractive and have rude comments made about our chubby cheeks, and be conversely nervous that we will have rude comments made about looking saggy, sallow-cheeked, and old (one of the biggest comments on the appearance of extreme weight loss folks is "they look so old now"). Yes, we all have health reasons, but I have a hard time believing many women who get WLS don't also crave feeling beautiful. In our society, beauty means power. Beauty means value. Beauty means avoiding the discrimination, bias, cruelty and dismissal that comes with inhabiting a large body. Should appearance mean these things? No. But that is the reality of the world we live in. We have all suffered so much under society's expectations of what we should and shouldn't look like, is it really a surprise people question the results?
So many of us have deep issues with body image and self-loathing. We are accustomed to viewing ourselves as undesireable. Surgery, hard work, pain, sweat, tears, only to fear that you will still hate the person staring back at you in the mirror? Terrified you will never find love? Worried that you'll go from a "big gal" that some men say they prefer, to a scarred and wrinkled mess that you fear is no one's preference?
That is not shallow. That is not trite. It is legitimate fear. And it can be overcome, but it takes work, time, love, and support. You don't need to kiss anyone's ass, placate, or justify anyone's delusions. You can always scroll past those threads. But damn, a little compassion wouldn't be remiss.
**Edit: Check the forums for how many threads contain "my spouse/partner says they won't find me attractive anymore if I lose weight."

I had surgery to be pretty. I'm sure I am the only person that had surgery for vanity reasons... okay I mean, I was prediabetic and in a lot of pain and couldn't handle steps, yadda yadda. But me looking at myself in the mirror and hating what I saw was what pushed me over the edge. Being jealous of people who were living full and happy lives did it as well.
I worried some about hair loss and loose skin, because I'm a self pay patient. Skin removal is not always covered by insurance-- in most cases, in fact, I don't believe it is. So I would be looking at an additional expense if I went through with it.
So, yes... people will ask about loose skin because they're thinking ahead. Can I afford to have it removed? Do I want another surgery? Is this decision NOW worth what I will go through in a few years? i have a friend who had RNY who lost a ton of weight but can't afford skin removal, despite the fact that her pannus is beginning to be bothersome. It's a valid question that people ask, and asking here is research.
A little something to remember while you're judging people for looking at the whole picture.

Wow. How supportive and welcoming. I am DEFINITELY concerned about the extra skin possibility. Im in my 30s and dont want to go from a cow to a deflated elephant. To call people stupid and whiny for daring to care if their self esteem and possible depression or living misery of feeling ugly and abnormal will get better or potentially worse is judgemental and none of your business. Mental health is a part of being healthy too and if you say you didn't care about what you would end up looking like after surgery and you were only doing it to get rid of....diabetes/apnea/joint pain blah blah etc, then you have to be lying. What is with all the Fatty divas on this site? This site is supposed to be here for questions, concerns, support, not being a jerk and complaining about peoples personal issues or struggles. Guess what. You were fat just like everyone else. It doesn't make you a leader or rock star because you got cut up before other people did.
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@@JupiterinVirgo
As a person that has lost over 170 lbs and has to deal with skin every day. You are really ignorant as to what living with excess skin is like.
My need to remove skin is not just vanity. The skin I have is painful. If I don't clean my belly button very carefully multiple times a day it gets infected.
Skin is something worth worry about. I spend a lot of money on Shapewear to hold it in so it doesn't hurt when I move. I have to be careful and spend a lot of $$$$ buying bras so they work with my skin issues. I have to deal with balancing wearing shapewear all the time and not ending up with constant yeast infections.
Vanity come dead last in my concerns about my skin. I wish I had thought about the skin issues and considered them long before I let myself sit at over 300 pounds for half my life but now I am paying the price.
It isn't a frivolous concern, the health benefits far out weigh the skin issues but there still are skin issues and they are serious issues.
Next time post your rants, in rants.

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

So, I'm 18 months post-op, currently studying abroad in Europe this semester. It's not my first time through the continent.
I studied there in 2014 while topping 350 lbs, and it was awful. I didn't fit into the cute cafe seats, or the theatre, or the train seats, or the airplane seats, or the tiny narrow corridors, I didn't fit ANYWHERE! I felt as though people stared at me in France, giggled at me in Belgium, and to a group of German schoolchildren, I was the largest woman they'd ever seen.
My feet hurt. I was in agony trying to keep up with my classmates. I felt uncomfortable and didn't want to go out and socialize. Groups of young men made fun of me. I kept to myself and failed to bond with my classmates because I felt so incredibly uncomfortable. I was exhausted with the walking, walking, walking, and in historical sites with lots of stairs, I simply couldn't go. I slowed down my group and couldn't enjoy so much because I was in pain from the physical demands.
This time with a BMI of 30 instead of 60? Oh boy.
I've hiked mountains, walk uphill a mile every day to class, walked 5-10 miles a day without feeling tired, stopped noticing whether or not I'm being watched, talked to strangers and made so many friends, built relationships with my peers, and I no longer need to examine the seats in theatres or restaurants to determine whether or not I'll fit in them before entering. Men approach me (and boy if that isn't crazy new to me). I no longer manage my entire life around obsessing over whether something with be too physically demanding. I'm having the time of my life.
Getting the sleeve was definitely the best decision I've ever made, and I'm excited to rediscover the world in ways I never had the chance to when I was 350+ lbs!

I'm young, healthy, never used anesthetic during dental work because I had high pain tolerance.
The sleeve is by far the most excruciating pain I've ever known. I could barely move for two weeks. I had to call 911 twice when I couldn't get up off the floor because even the slightest bend in my torso was agony. Slept upright and on my back for two months. Incisions hurt for two months. It was torture.
It just happens. You never know how your body will respond. You will get through this, you will survive, and the pain will be a distant memory and not matter anymore. Now that I'm closer to my goal and living the life I dreamed of, I'd do it a thousand times over.
All you can do is hang on and remember that this too shall pass. The pain is not permanent. It will eventually end. And you're suffering through this for yourself, for your children, for a better life.
Hang in there, friend. It sucks right now, but it gets so, so much better.

I went from size 32 to size 12, 353 lbs to around 180 now. Still have a ways to go, but I feel much better. I lost almost everything the first year. The last four months I've been traveling through europe, eating and drinking unhealthy stuff like crazy, but I've still shed 8 more pounds because of all the walking! When I get home, it'll be back on the bandwagon.
**I don't share photos publicly because of my job, but feel free to inbox me for the results <3

I went from size 32 to size 12, 353 lbs to around 180 now. Still have a ways to go, but I feel much better. I lost almost everything the first year. The last four months I've been traveling through europe, eating and drinking unhealthy stuff like crazy, but I've still shed 8 more pounds because of all the walking! When I get home, it'll be back on the bandwagon.
**I don't share photos publicly because of my job, but feel free to inbox me for the results <3