Molly23

It’s been over 2 years since surgery. I’ve been stalled for a bit and didn’t think there would be too many NSVs anymore. Today I wore a bathing suit for the first time since I was in high school 16+ years ago! I forgot how much I enjoyed swimming and I really didn’t care about people seeing me or what they thought about the way I look.

1 hour ago, GreenTealael said:

Buying 2 yrds of fabric instead of 5 yrds (scared of running out) to complete a dress project for myself

Being able to fasten back zippers without help

Love this one!! Definitely relate to it big time! Even squeezinga top out of 1 yard sometimes!!

Would love to see pics of your handmade clothes! Are you in any sewing Facebook groups?

1 hour ago, sideeye said:

Even when I'm sleeping, the way my face presses against the pillow - totally different pressure points than I've had in the last decade.

All of the fat underneath my cheekbones vanished, I now have a notable angle/shadow there, and my dimples have abruptly become really obvious.

It's super weird.

I remember when I first started feeling like this it was so bizarre. My dimple is so prominent now that it makes a crease in my makeup lol. Things I never would have though would happen. Even now a solid 6 months after being my lowest weight my collar bone seems to stick out and sometimes gets irritated with a coat brushing against it. I wouldn’t trade it for putting the weight on that’s for damn sure. I honestly forget sometimes how far I’ve come but those little things are reminders of the hard work. Congrats for all of your hard work! I agree that it’s a weird feeling but it’s also an incredibly exciting time! You should be proud of everything you’re accomplishing!

I had a random NSV yesterday. I got a plus size clothing catalog in the mail and there was a cute jacket on the cover. Then I realized I’m two sizes smaller than the smallest size they sell. I’m happy that I can shop in a wider variety of stores now. Also, I love seeing that plus size stores are making more trendy fashionable clothing. It was one of my biggest frustrations about being overweight.

I had gastric sleeve. The insurance company was billed over $17,000. I paid $500 deductible out of pocket for the surgery. That doesn't include the co-pays for the doctor and nutritionist visits that were required before surgery.

On 5/14/2018 at 3:10 PM, HRHMKB said:

I'm a week post body lift/tummy tuck. I am feeling pretty good. The pain was intense for the first few days. I have four drains in and still fill them up with Fluid. I expect them to be in for a few weeks at least. The results so far are amazing, though. They took off 15 lbs of skin/fat. All insurance covered. I'll be looking at an arm lift in about 6-8 weeks.

You look awesome! The surgeon did a great job! Congrats!!!

10 hours ago, BigViffer said:

@Molly23 - Hot damn girl, you look fantastic! Great job so far. Now that the first year is over, it starts to get hard in a different way. Keep doing what you are doing.

Thank you!! I’m definitely realizing that I have some adjusting to do. I’m excited to lose the last few lbs and work on maintenance though!

Just over one year out from surgery and I’m so close to my first goal weight. I feel really good where I am but I do want to tone up some more.

Started at 311lbs, size 24.

Now I’m 180lbs, size 8.

6 hours ago, trimarie1083 said:

Thanks for the educational advice . I know I have been cheating slightly with sweets but trying to offset with gym . What is NUT ?

NUT is a nutritionist. Mine is super helpful figuring out when I’m questioning my eating and I can be honest with her. She’s also available by email which helps a lot when I have questions that come up between appointments.

I have mentioned weight loss surgery to guys because it's hard to explain how little I eat sometimes. I've had a positive response about it and some curiosity which doesn't bother me at all. I haven't disclosed anything about loose skin or even mentioned it after they've seen it to be honest. The guy I've hooked up with hasn't mentioned it at all so either he hasn't noticed or doesn't care. I have a very minimal amount of extra skin but it is noticeable, at least to me. I thought I would be way too self conscious about it and want to hide my body but I'm proud of where I am and I feel good. It's not perfect and I don't think it ever will be so all I can do is live my life in the body I have. Besides, it's a lot more fun when you can let go of those hang ups.

My nutritionist only allowed Decaf tea for the first three months. No coffee, decaf or regular until the 3 month mark. I stopped drinking it about 3 weeks before surgery because I have bad withdrawal headaches and didn't want that during recovery. Coffee was the only craving I was having towards the end of the 3 month time frame but it wasn't too bad.

If you're starting a workout routine it's expected that your appetite will increase and you may even gain a couple of pounds. This is more likely due to building muscle and even possibly some Water retention. Make sure you increase your water intake when you workout more. My NUT recommended adding in some healthy starches to help sustain workouts. I know that we are all programmed to think that eating less is how we lose weight. However, if our body doesn't receive the correct nutrition to sustain exercise it will try to hold onto any fat it has.

I'd recommend reaching out to your NUT to review what you've been eating and any adjustments they might have. If your diet is okay it's possible that you just need another week or so of consistency for your body to start responding how you might expect.

It does look irritated and likely infected. The redness, draining, and separation of the incision are concerning. I'm not a doctor but none of those things were present with my incisions so I recommend seeing your doctor ASAP to resolve it quickly if necessary.

I did experience a rash on my chest post-op that I felt embarrassed about mentioning to my doctor. They had to prescribe a medicated powder but it helped a lot to know that it wasn't a big concern to them.

I've had Migraines on and off since puberty. I can usually attribute mine to my monthly cycle or dehydration. Post op I've had some days that it was difficult to get all of my required Water in and it usually results in a Migraine the next morning. Not getting proper Protein can also do this now. When you initially change your diet it's possible that you'll experience headaches or migraines because it's a change to your normal intake. I changed my diet drastically with the guidance of my NUT about 6 weeks before surgery which I think helped the transition to the post op diet.

2 minutes ago, mergte said:

RNY: 9/1/17
HW: 262
SW: 258
CW: 176
GW: 160

Gorgeous! You're glowing. You look so much more comfortable, confident and happy! Congrats!

2 minutes ago, 336Mike said:

@molly23 Great job!! Looking fantastic!

VSG 10/11/17 HW= 360 SW= 292 CW= 224.2 GW= 220 (6'5")

Thank you!!!

7 minutes ago, frust8 said:

Good Golly Miss Molly, you sure do look good and even more important feel good about yourself . Congratulations my dear.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you so much! So thankful for this surgery!

My weight loss has slowed down a lot lately but I know I definitely need to hit the gym more regularly. So excited to be close to goal. The last time I saw the nutritionist she thought that 170lbs would be a good goal for me and we could reassess once I reach it. Today I'm 184lbs and I have my one year surgery anniversary coming up April 20th. Trying to crack down to hopefully be 170 by my annual check-up. Regardless I'm really proud of how far I've come and I know that I can get there with the same focus I've had the last 10-11 months. In the last week or so when I've seen old pictures I don't even recognize that person. Surgery was the best decision I've made!

December 2016

February 2018

2 hours ago, JerseyJules said:

Well today marks the 1 year anniversary of my surgery! I guess they call that a surgiversary? I couldn't be happier with the way I look and even happier with the way I feel! I was afraid of the unknown and was worried I would get sick or look sickly and not look like a man, but as you can see with proper nutrition and a sustainable diet plan I retained all of my muscle and size and am a decent sized man for my frame. I feel like I reversed my aging process by 20 years and I admit the new found fox whistles I get from the ladies (and the guys) are pretty good for the confidence. lol

Im getting a new tattoo today marking the year long journey and will probably record a video or go live from the session later today!!

Happy Surgiversary!! You’ve done an amazing job, you should be proud! Keep kicking ass! You’re a great inspiration

36 minutes ago, BelgianGuy said:

Two years ago, I had the Sleeve.

Since then I have lost more than fifty kilos, I have gained all my confidence back, found a girlfriend, a new job and it basically transformed my life.

I have, through those two years, sometimes gained one or two kilos back when I was on holiday abroad, when it was around Christmas or my birthday, I might have had a bit of wine, even ate fries and a burger, but I've never fallen into excess again and so far could always lose the bit of weight I had taken back in a few days.

I still bike three times a week, I walk rather than taking the car/bus/metro (when it's possible to do so), I still drink a lot of Water, eat healthy and follow strictly the same diet that has been working for me during two years.

Before:

 

After:

  

Amazing job!! Love to hear success stories of people who are in maintenance. Thank you for sharing!!

39 minutes ago, Itsjustjustin said:

One year ago today I had my surgery down 150.

Amazing!!! Congrats on your success! You look fantastic!

My nutritionist hasn't had me focus on calories at all but rather Protein grams. When I was tracking my food consistently though I was around 1000-1200 calories daily. I was losing about 2lbs a week for the first 6-7 months or so. My nutritionist wanted me to increase my workouts and also start eating some starches to be able to sustain my energy for exercising. This has definitely made my weight level out and I've been in a stall for about a month now. Hoping that I'll be able to lose at least another 15lbs and tone up some more.

One of the best things I can say though is to just take it a day at a time. You'll be able to make adjustments in the types of foods you take in to still be healthy but stay in maintenance rather than losing. I would recommend that you cross that bridge when you come to it though! Best of luck!

I belch like a trucker but I did before surgery so maybe I'm not the best example lol. I do notice that it's harder to do quietly or hide. It's much more painful to hold it in. I'm 9 months post op and I need to take 3-4 gas-x most days because the gas on the other end is uncontrollable when I have it. That might be my only negative thing since surgery.

Walking is the most helpful thing. Otherwise, used gas-x strips or chewable tablets. Just make sure you don't use the gel caps. My surgeon said gel caps are a no-no after surgery, for at least 6 months.

20 hours ago, DianeJarrett said:

Ladies, I mightily admire you for embracing your extra skin. I think that is fantastic. But I am not in your head space at all. I just had a big breakup with my guy and I will, someday, be showing this body (hopefully) to someone else. I don't want them to see my boobs down to my knees and my stomach too. My arms and legs, I'm hoping I can fix, and my booty too. I will eventually get boobs lifted and the tummy tucked, I know that. I have to do that for me. I am not as confident as you both are without it.

Has anyone else gotten their arms, legs and booty back?

I'm with you! I have a small amount of extra skin but in my research it takes the skin an additional year after being at a stable weight to recover. If it still bothers me then I will look at plastic surgery options.

Check out the plastic surgery board, theres a lot of women who have posted their experiences with pictures. It has been very helpful for me to know what my expectations should be if I make that step. It's your journey, and your body so you need to do what makes you happy! Best of luck!

On 1/16/2018 at 3:23 PM, NervouslyExcited said:

So I have PCOS & I started birth control pills pre-op since I was advised to wait 18 months after surgery before trying to get pregnant. Anyways since the weight loss I’ve started my cycle on my own a week ago (still bleeding) & I’m still taking the pill & supposed to start my cycle Sunday (with the pill.) Has anyone gone through this or is going through this??? My nutritionist told me it would take several months for my body to get adjusted!

Yes! I have PCOS and I have been on the pill for about 11 years to help with some of the symptoms. I had surgery in April and at least 6 of those 9 months I have had 2 periods. It was usually every other week for me. My PCP said this wasn't abnormal because fat cells store hormones, so when we lose weight the cells shrink and the hormones get released into the system. It puts your body into overdrive to regulate the hormones. Once your weight stabilizes your cycle will become more regular (at least that's what I've been told). I'm currently in a stall and it's been pretty stable so that seems about right. Unfortunately you just need to wait it out until then.