teacupnosaucer

....dang. that is all LOL

Zip, zero, zilch. The first couple weeks post op I often found myself thinking "maybe I should have just stayed fat", but as the pain faded, so did the regret. I'm very lucky in that I was able to go through a VERY comprehensive program where I saw a psychologist, dietician, and nurse over many months, so I was well and truly prepared for what was ahead and I had the tools to make things work for me. I'm also lucky in that I've had no complications whatsoever. But even people I know who have had LOTS of complications, once they got through them (which took a few months, not going to lie) their regrets faded, too. So no major regrets whatsoever, and I'd never take back this choice. However, sometimes I do feel little brief pangs of regret: 1. When I go out to all you can eat places and there are so many things I want to try but I can't. The other day a bunch of us went to all you can eat sushi and I was looking at yam rolls and agedashi tofu and edamame and and and... then got an ala carte order of tuna tataki. Was still delicious and satisfying, but I do feel sad sometimes I can't have that kind of variety/volume anymore, even on special occasions. 2. When it's hot out and someone nearby opens a cold can of soda covered in condensation and you hear that PSSHT noise. I can watch it go by at restaurants and fast food joints without issue, but the sound of a can being cracked open has me craving a Pepsi every time! I do miss Pepsi some days. I'm not going to lie. But then I go to a store and they HAVE MY SIZE and I don't have to hopelessly dig to the back of the rack and get disappointed when they don't carry anything for me, and when I go shopping with my friends I don't have to stand around feeling miserable that nothing in the stores they shop at will ever fit me and why am I even there. Or I will need to chase after someone but rather than getting winded after ten feet, I'm able to sprint down the block without issues, or run across a soccer field, or dance the night away! It's a worthwhile trade, but you do have to mentally and emotionally prepared for what you're about to do. Because it's a big change, and it is HARD. You need all the support and preparation you can get!

It's a tie! The first night after surgery the nurse overseeing my care never gave me any pain meds (which should have been scheduled) or offered any pain meds when I said I was in pain, just told me "you can't expect to be pain free after having THAT surgery"... so I spent my first night in horrible pain, alone and upset and feeling judged and abandoned. Of course, that nurse didn't realize my mom is also an RN and thus I knew what she was doing wasn't appropriate and knew how to make a formal complaint through the proper channels. Musn't have been her first offense, either, because she doesn't work there anymore Other worst experience... second day of my pre-op liquid diet I farted and... yeah, bad idea. I **** myself at Costco. My mom had to go run and buy me a new pair of panties. I guess at least I was somewhere new panties could be bought at all!

I have to say, a slow weight loss to me seems very normal but not getting that first month "bump" seems very strange indeed unless you're starting at say a BMI of 30 or something! Have you talked with your surgical team about it? Or your dietician? If you're tracking, maybe you can post a day of food journalling for other members to look at here in the forums. People often have suggestions when they can see specifics. (For example, some people who are stalled are eating WAY TOO LITTLE, whereas others are eating snacks they think are appropriate but are in fact way too calorie dense, thus out-eating their restriction since the volume is small but the calories are very high!) Introducing exercise definitely helps, especially if you find something you can do consistently and enjoy. Whatever's going on, I hope you figure it out. I feel like not losing a pretty substantial amount of weight during your honeymoon phase is pretty much unheard of unless there are SERIOUS unaddressed issues, so try not to lose heart just yet. But do seek support and advice from the forums, somebody might have the magic key for you to make it all work.

Hit my goal weight this week! Husband found this old full length picture of me from a work picnic in 2014, around when I would have been my highest weight. And here's me this weekend on my way to a swing dance formal! 227 lbs vs 138 lbs. Just shy of seven months post-sleeve and nearly 90lbs gone! Even my feet are skinnier!

Just a plateau. Sucks at the time, but as long as you don't let it psych you out, you WILL get through it. Track your food, get your water in, exercise, hit your protein goals, and the scale will move.

It really depends on your starting weight and how much you have to lose! After my first couple weeks losses, ever since I have consistently lost about 1 lb a week. Sometimes 0, sometimes 2, sometimes even up a pound or two (usually my period LOL), but averaging out to 1lb a week. I'm seven months out and at my goal weight. I could have gotten discouraged that I wasn't losing 5-10lbs a week like some and sabotaged myself because why bother if I can't have drastic results pronto, but I've just stayed the course and puttered along at my own pace, and it's all come off anyway! As long as you're following your plan and not consistently GAINING, my recommendation is to stay the course.

My personal wish was to buy myself a kate spade new york party dress. One of the really pretty dressy ones. I'm at my goal weight but I still haven't bought one because they're soooo expensive and my weight is still changing. I want to wait until I maintain at a certain size to drop that kind of cash! I have also been buying myself pandora charms for my bracelet every 25 lbs lost. still have to get one for my 75 lb loss! And this wasn't specifically a reward for losing weight, but my family is going to Disney World this December and I can't wait to be there and have tons of full length body pictures I will actually like! LOL

I have revised my goal as I went on. I started with the conservative goal WLS calculators suggested for me based on my highest weight and surgery, which was 160 lbs, then when I hit that, revised to 150 lbs which is the smallest I remember being since puberty, then when I hit that I went to 140 lbs which puts me at a "healthy" BMI, now at nearly 7 months out I've beaten THAT goal, so I'm going with 135, which sits me safely within the healthy BMI range and gives me room for a little regain as can often happen after the honeymoon phase. One thing I DIDN'T do was set a timeline for any of my goals, ie be 160lbs by 4 months out or at my goal weight by 8 months out. So many of the people that do that wind up losing slower than they want and then self-sabotaging. The pace of weight loss is so unpredictable and inconsistent I think putting a deadline on it is setting yourself up for disappointment and failure IMO. As long as I'm following the plan and living a healthy active lifestyle, I'm letting my weight come off at whatever pace it likes. My attitude seems to have worked because I'm losing very steadily!

You can't control where you lose weight. Trust me, if you could I wouldn't have these sad skinbags hanging off my chest :P. Just try and remember that even if you lose the "good" fat in your body you're also losing the stuff that makes you sick and sore and unhappy. And like the above posters said: you can do workouts to build your butt muscles, or you can go buy one. Paying for a lift is my eventual plan for my boobs (RIP).

I don't wait a half hour after drinking to eat. (I try not to drink while or immediately after I eat though!) I drink through a straw all the time and have since nearly immediately after surgery. I very occasionally have carbonated drinks... but never pepsi or coke bc I know those were my addiction before! I got back to my swimming routine before I had my 6 week checkup with the surgeon.

I actually walked into the ER. The orderly bringing me accidentally brought me into the wrong theatre... saw someone out on the table in the middle of a procedure and was like "huh that doesn't seem right..." Probably would have terrified the **** out of me but I'd just had a couple ativan so I was juuuuust fiiiiine.

Face to face! 5 months post surgery and 80 lbs down!

I love finding twinzies! that was always my favorite when I was pre-op, seeing what other women my size look like post-op and dreaming about what I could achieve. I'm so excited I get to be that person for someone else!!!

Sleeved March 22nd, highest weight 227lbs, surgery weight 196, down to 154 now. 4 pounds from my original goal of 150lbs so I'm revising lower. when I was obese 150 seemed so far away and unreachable... and now I'm there in four months! I know I can do more than this now. I'm absolutely loving my life now. I can't believe how much better 2017 has been to me than years before! I have so many new friends, I do so many activities that I'd have never even thought to try. I have a whole closet of cute dresses and lululemon I never could have worn before! tracking has been kind of on and off, but overall I've still been eating healthy, not drinking calories, not eating out as much as I ever used to, trying to avoid bringing tempting junk food into my house. still working on getting enough water in during the day, and making a point of being more consistent about taking my vitamins. I've been really good about keeping up activity though, so that's a win! I have lots and lots to work on, but even so, what a change!

I think part of the issue is all our lives fun HAS been food. I know it was for me! I couldn't do a lot of activities because of my lack of endurance, low self esteem, and body pain, shopping was miserable... why wouldn't I find fun in something I COULD do and find rewarding: eating out, going for drinks, having a big popcorn at the movies? it's true. food isn't as fun anymore. it's not fun to count calories. it's not fun to be protein first all the time. it's not fun to skip soda at the theatre or dessert at dinner or fried anything. but it's fun to play soccer with my husband and go dancing and shopping at the mall with my friends. it's fun to go to the beach with my kids. if I look at my life according to what used to make it worthwhile: all the great stuff I got to eat, then yeah my life kinda sucks now. but the truth is, I have a much fuller life otherwise at this smaller weight and healthier body. I get to do so much! this journey is hard work. it REALLY isn't enjoyable at times. that's when you need to focus on the rewards.

I never never never thought I'd see even this weight again, so it has been pretty amazing!

thank you so much! and hey, our starting weights/heights are super close! I always love meeting my wls twinsies haha.

you will be thankful for them as you continue on your journey, promise! <3

Thank you! Before and after pictures are a great motivator.

My clinic dietician actually scolded me for not eating ENOUGH carbs once I was on solid foods and made it a goal for me to eat whole grain crackers or toast once a day. I try to choose options that also have protein if I can. Follow the advice of your dietician and/or surgeon, as plans vary wildly.

Took some progress photos this am and realized that between today's photos and my "starting" photo I've lost 50 lbs exactly! I say "starting" photo because I've actually lost about 70 lbs overall but don't have a pic of myself in my undies at my highest weight. So here I am on January first weighing in at 207 lbs (after already losing 20 lbs), and here I am today, July 8th, at 157 lbs. I had sleeve surgery on March 22nd and have lost 39 lbs since my surgery day weigh-in. Without makeup or my hair done or striking a pose these aren't the most flattering pics but I love them as a straightforward comparison so I'm taking the plunge and sharing them here. No matter what, I'm feeling amazing! Strange how sometimes I look at myself and don't think I look different at all, and other days I barely recognize myself! This is my reminder to you all... TAKE PROGRESS PICS!!!! I know it can be hard to look at a straight on photo of yourself in your underwear, especially at your highest weight, but I promise they will be priceless tools for you to measure your success as time goes on! I only wish I had a pic of myself at my highest to compare to, so I could really see how far I've come!

I like the twisted cherry, crystal sky, and roadside lemonade flavors of Nectar. adding some extra citric acid to the roadside lemonade is the best! i do the chocolate truffle, strawberry mousse and vanilla bean torte ones either blended with ice or in smoothies with yogurt and fruit.