Sosewsue61

@Junebug1973 how are you? Can you give us an update, we are concerned?

Awesome job Molly! You look great!

Good luck!

@BDME bellabloom has an extensive history on here, she has been through a lot, suffered an eating disorder during the process, etc. Her journey as an individual is not most people's. You can do a search on her posts and get a clearer picture.

And depending on those genes, some people have skin that bounces back, and waiting 1-2 years after maintaining to see where things settle before doing plastics makes a difference in that outcome. Everyone looks better with some muscle building, while exercise won't make the skin firm, muscles fill it out some.

Do your best. I used a free app called Baritastic to track my food. The pre-op is mainly to make you aware of your food choices, to examine your relationship with food, teach you nutrition, and for you to gradually stop bad habits. You have to look at how you use food - are you hungry or bored, anxious, stressed, etc so you can change from using food to solving those issues to solving them without food. It's hard, but your head needs fixing first or you will resort to these behaviors after the surgery. Stopping junk carbs will keep the cravings down, if you keep going back to them it just starts all over again. Give up one thing each week and build on that - I quit soda 1st thing - none, not even diet. Then - no fast food - none, zero. Then gradually let go of starchy carbs - no rice, etc. You may lose a few pounds, or stay the same. The most important thing is to realize food is just food, it will always be there, there is plenty of it, you will have a bite or two of your favorite foods during maintenance. This diligence is forever. You can do it.

Loose skin is a matter of age, genetics, how long you have been obese, how much you have to lose, and where you carry your weight. That's it. No lotions, creams, massage, exercise (it's not a muscle), or binding is going to make the damage go away.

There is no info about you on your profile. Age, weight, height, HW, SW, pre-op weight loss, medical issues So we can't begin to weigh in on your situation. What kind/duration of liquid diet did you do post-op, etc?

Anesthetic after effects? Pain meds?caffeine withdrawal? Ask your doc if it keeps up.

Welcome and good luck.

Good girl. You can do it. We all make mistakes here and there, it's getting back on with getting on.....

Go straight to the kitchen and throw the crap out. Stop bringing it in the house. Since you are on a more strict budget now, you can't afford the junk now anyway. Sugar, pour the sugar out!!! It will only make you want more if you keep putting it in your tea - get some sweetner or something, switch to crystal light. You can do this, you know how. Go check out some books from the library on mindful eating, getting through a divorce, find a free support group. Chin up, it will get better if you take action. Just take one, and build on it. Good luck.

@Mariel0718 how did surgery go?

Ask for a scopolamine patch before being put under - for nausea it works great! I took my own decaf tea bags that I like, biotene for dry mouth, chapstick, slippers and a robe for walking the halls. A leisure bra because it won't rub on the incisions, I wore the same outfit home that I came in, (well except for undies), phone/charger, shampoo n conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant - that's really it. Good luck! You will soon be on the other side.

Take a deep breath. Calm down. Food isn't disappearing from your life forever, you will have many more healthier thanksgivings to come. Pretend it's next thanksgiving and you are wearing designer jeans and a great shirt - are you going to care about the food then? NO a big fat NO!!!! Are you truly hungry? Or is just the sight and smell of food making you think you want food? Is your stomach gnawing - it could be acid reflux. Can you contact your bariatric team or your NUT? Do you have a support group that meets anywhere? I like Isopure ready-made drinks - they are tart rather than sweet shakes, or protein water 20. Everyone's surgeon has a different program. Just follow the one you were given. You are healing and this part takes time. Go binge watch something on netflix when people are eating or take a walk, call a friend, get a pedicure, anything....paint by number Hang in there.

I mix ready-made protein Isopure punch half and half with crystal light lemonade. It is tart and clear, so easier to go down than thick sweet shakes. Please get your liquids in, don't worry so much about that hour wait time right now, make it 30 minutes instead. You can do that once you get better at drinking all your liquids, and are on solid protein. Some people supplement one proein shake a day even years out to make sure they get enough protein in. I am not losing fast either right now, we are not consuming many calories and we are healing, and we all lose differently. Try to relax.

My surgeon insists you quit smoking 6 weeks before surgery, he is actually fond of saying he won't operate on a smoker - EVER no matter when they quit!! You knew the rules when you signed up. It sucks, it sucks for all of us to do the liquid diet. Stop horsing around. It will prepare you for the mindset that food can't control your life, you have to do that. Keep your head up, go for a walk, read a book, don't watch tv with commercials, stay away from fast food - food is not going to disappear from your life, take a bath, etc. Good luck. You are almost on the other side.

Just by coming on here and spilling your guts, so to speak, you know you want to solve this. You took the first step, now take the second one - you know what to do. Action precedes motivation. Do something, change something - #1 stop going to DD!!! Make your own coffee w caramel premier protein, #2 - track your food intake, even the bad stuff, #3 - protein first, then veg, #4 - vitamins, #5 - water. Counseling might be a good idea, or group support at least, or appt with a NUT. Come on here to vent. Go look at your before pictures, and now - pat yourself on the back - you did this! And you can revise and get back at it. Go did out your before jeans and try them on - do you want to go back to that?

Good luck. It gets better. Do you have an anti-nausea patch or medicine? It helps. Also try warm tea, or room temp water or cystal light, or popsicles - sometimes you have to experiment with the temperature. Keep at it.

Congrsts all and good luck!!

Did you tell your Dr you ate pizza, crackers, and candy? The sleeve is a tool, but your head didn't have surgery and only you can control it - not your sleeve.

Frack.....not losing sh**! Been at 200.5 just sitting there. 4/10/17 - 232. Pre-op 219. SW 10/24/17 - 209. Appt 11/03/17 - 204

Might need a little salt too - try broth. I go by the looks of my skin on my hands - if I can pinch it and it isn't supple - I need hydration now. It's a full time job in the early weeks - drink - protein - drink - protein, etc repeat.

Normal. I wouldnt say intimmated but I'm not that motivated by food, not hungry but I eat because I need the nourishment - not fond of passing out. What are you trying to eat?

Congrats everyone!