Nhope

I had my surgery in August and pretty much lived in flowey shapeless dresses for as long as I could!

I feel less like that now than I did at first, but it was because nothing felt normal and I didn't know what normal was going to look like. I couldn't imagine going back to work or going through a holiday season. And it wasn't so much the food restriction as it felt like eating was a chore...I didn't always know what would go down easily and what would stick in my throat. There were just a lot of unknowns. As time passes, it gets better. I'm better able to read my body's signals to stop eating. I know not to drink something if I'm feeling full or uncomfortable (which seemed natural in the past) because it will only make me feel worse. I was super worried before my surgery and none of the terrible things I imagined have happened, and there are new and surprising challenges every day. It just takes a long time to start feeling "normal." Feel free to PM me if you have other specific questions I might be helpful with, but just remember, everyone's experience is a little different!

I don't know what size you will be but I recommend getting one or two dress/sweater combos that you can wear with leggings. They'll travel down in size with you. But don't throw anything out yet! I'm 4 months out and yesterday broke down and got new jeans--size 20, down from 26 pre-op, but today I was wearing some that are literally falling off me. So hard to balance not wanting to spend money with not wanting to look like I'm swimming in clothes. One exciting thing: I ordered something on line and it was a little small when it arrived, but I knew it would fit eventually, and it did!!

Oh, I'm so sorry that this has been so hard. I hope that being home will bring some comfort even if it is still a struggle. I'm 4 months out of RNY and though I didn't have any complications, I woke up every day for the first couple of months saying: WTF did I do!!! A friend once responded saying: You made the choice to live a better life. Unfortunately, it can take a long time until the better life part happens and the only path you have is your own. Hang in there and try binge-watching some mindless tv!

Your confidence is so beautiful!!! Enjoy your success.

The protein shakes are a culprit for me. Ever since I started drinking them, I know what the expression "shitting bricks" means. I sometimes take Dulcolax stool softener.

Yup, I've made it to the four-month point. About 105 lbs down since the start, about 65 since surgery on August 4. I can confirm that it does get better each week! I feel like I hit a turning point in terms of getting closer to feeling "normal." I'm still cautiously introducing new foods and fine tuning my sense of fullness so I stop before I get uncomfortable (or sick.) I learned a good lesson this past week about why you must eat all your proteins first: I was having a meeting in a cafe and was hungry for lunch so I ordered a kale salad. It was my first time having raw kale, with regular dressing on the side, but I was thrilled when I was able to eat it, no problem. However, I remained incredibly full for the rest of the day, and unable to eat anything else. I guess it just took a looooooonnnnngggg time to digest. I also have healed other physical issues well enough to take a fitness class. When I was about 5 years old, I was kicked out of a ballet class because I was too fat (this was well before the days when everyone had a chance to participate!). So the first class I took now was a Barre Conditioning. It felt like a little redemption. I may be a ballerina yet!!

Thanks! Yes, the walking usually helps and is part of my frustration. I've got the back thing and feet conditions that are slowing me down, but I get out a bit everyday with my dog. I appreciate the pep talk!!

Fellow Warriors: These last few days have been hard in terms of my enthusiasm and energy for post-surgery life, even 3 months out. I've had a persistent bad lower back for a couple of weeks, and all the things I usually do to feel better have not been working. Yesterday my PT told me that this is not uncommon during the body "adjustment period" following surgery. And my bad indigestion has come back after I finished with the 3month course of daily Prilosec that I started after surgery. So much so that yesterday, I had trouble eating solids. I have an appointment on Monday with my surgeon , and I'm hoping I'll have an easier time eating today, but right now, I am just feeling blah about the whole thing. I wish I could go back to sleep and wake up six months later and just be able to go out to the cafe and eat a sandwich... Thanks for listening to me whine!

Don't give up. Go to him and then write to your insurance company about why you need WLS, have his office back up your request. My plan doesn't cover WLS, but I persistently challenged and they came through.

Oops, it's actually only three months out, on the fourth... but I can't figure out how to edit!!

Tomorrow is my 4-month surgeversary, and since I usually don't do technology on Saturdays, I thought I'd write my update today. Here's what I can now do that I couldn't right after surgery: -Go out to eat and have grilled salmon -Stop the post-surgery Prilosec -Actually feel hunger -Wean myself off of sugar substitutes -Eat cooked fruit & veggies -Cook more complex dishes for myself -Eat some salad. Here's what's different from before my surgery: -All of my old clothes are way too big, so I have some new ones -I was able to buy dress boots in a regular shoe store, not in a plus-size or wide-calf specialty place -I can try on clothes in a store that are too big and have to go down a size -I can see a tattoo on my hip that I hadn't been able to see easily for awhile -I had to readjust the seat in my car because now I can get closer to the steering wheel if I want to -I can sit more comfortably in the armchairs in my PTs office Here's what I'm currently struggling with: -I am incredibly happy to be losing weight fairly rapidly at this point, but I'm a little freaked out as I approach the 100lb loss mark. Why? Because I still have a lot more to go. And because it's weird to think about losing so much weight in less than a year. -I find myself worrying about calories even though I almost never top 900, and get in all my protein. I can too easily slip into the mindset of trying to eat fewer and fewer calories, which in the past has led to a deprivation/binging cycle. I don't want to do that anymore.

So far I'm having trouble with raw veggies, but as soon as I am able, I'm trying this! It has lots of my favorite ingredients.

When I'm lying down I can feel a weird bump at my diaphragm, between the ribs. I don't know if it's always been there and I just haven't felt it for so long or something new!!! I also think that my pee smells funny/different. Hmmmm

Wow! You are a mountain goddess!

I didn't (still don't) have huge food lust before or after surgery and during the all liquid phase EXCEPT in the 2 weeks before, I passed a sign every day advertising Tuna Salad Subs. I wanted one so badly I could taste it. I didn't give in, and that craving has passed, but at 1 month+ out, I really, really, really, want something crunchy, but know better than to push it!

I gave up sugar substitutes several years ago and it was great for my health--I stopped getting bad headaches and they have stayed away. I tried to only eat things sweetened with real sugar, little or no corn syrup, etc. Both before and after my RNY surgery, I've "had" to go back to the sugar substitutes for things like my SF jello and pudding, which have been essential. My thought is that when I'm able to eat more food and more variety, I'll wean off of them. However, I've noticed that I've been getting more headaches, and though it might be unrelated, I'm trying not to add any more fake sugar in my diet. My NUT said to keep sugars under 15 grams and fat under 5 grams (per item, not per day). I just bought non-fat chocolate syrup, that has 7 grams of sugar per serving and I'm going to try it with my non-fat, low sugar milk. Has anyone else figured this out? Have you found a "good" artificial sweetener? I reluctantly use stevia...I just am not crazy about the taste.

I have this experience with some foods like omeletes, though other kinds of eggs are fine. The first time I try something, I just eat a few bites, then I wait for about 5 minutes. If everything feels like it's going down okay, I proceed, but still slowly. The minute I feel like something is just hanging out in my esophagus, I stop, and then try to not freak out as it kind of travels up and down. I haven't vomited, but it's felt awful until it clears up. Just go slow!!

Here's what I know about stalls: -Everyone has them -They are often a natural "famine" response that your body has in reaction to rapid weight loss -It's not what I'm eating at this stage (one month out) because I couldn't possibly eat less! -I need to be more careful with drinking water -Weighing myself everyday doesn't help -It doesn't matter what I know, stalling makes me crazy!!!!!!

Wow! You're doing so well and looking amazing. I just read this on someone's facebook feed: Don't look back at the past. You're not going in that direction.

Today is the one-month anniversary of my surgery and while everything has progressed as expected, it has been a tough month of change and adjustment. However, to highlight how far I've come, here are the things I can now do: -Take my morning meds in less than 10 mins -Sleep in any position -Be up and about all day -Fit into many clothes 2 sizes smaller than I started -Eat more solid proteins -Sleep without acid reflux -Donate many of my clothes that were like-new but now too-big to a relief drive for Hurricane Harvey survivors. These are all very good things, and I have to just keep paying attention to the very good things!

The way I'm thinking about it is this: the goal my first 3 months is to heal the surgery site. Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it's ok! So any food or drink is my medicine during that time (along with all the other stuff prescribed.) Losing weight is a bonus, but I want to focus on the part about healing. In the long run, gotta learn how to eat again...

Not shallow at all!!!!! I have a similar experience. My hair is my thing and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't experience any hair loss, and trying to remember that it's temporary!

For me, day 3 was the roughest, then it started to get better. Try to walk a little a few times a day. Heating pad for the gas pains. Drink what you can, but realize that your insides you are really, really raw! Sending you strength!

I think gall bladder issues are really common following dramatic weight loss. I had mine out when my RNY was done. Don't wait if they say remove it, a bad gall bladder is far worse than the surgery to remove it.