Kat410

4.5 months post-op.
1. Get yourself in a long-view mentality. Do not get fascinated with the quick drop at the beginning (or lack thereof). Do not obsess over what is happening with the scale on a daily or weekly basis - use it is a tool (and an imperfect one at that).
2. Use this time to change your habits. As much as possible, routinize your food. Move eating to a "background" activity (something that is done out of necessity, versus organizing activities/events around eating). Do as much as you can to completely eliminate unhealthy/non-nutritious food from your diet. Train yourself to love/crave/want nutrient rich food. Be prepared to find new activities to replace eating - walking, exercise, other hobbies and activities.
3. Prepare yourself for how you are going to communicate to others about your lifestyle change. You have the right to communicate however you choose - but think it through in advance and be ready. Be ready for people to have opinions (both positive and negative). Be ready for the overweight people in your life to be curious, jealous or inspired. Be prepared for some of your relationships to change because YOU will change.
4. Take on habits that foster discipline - making your bed every day, weighing/measuring your food, prepping meals, keeping a clean house - any habits that build or foster a sense of discipline where it has been lacking. There will be times when the discipline of keeping your word (if only your word to YOURSELF) will give you a lot of power when old cravings kick in.
5. Empower yourself - do not beat yourself up if you slip, if you make a mistake, if you have strong feelings, if people act like morons. You are making a choice for the quality of your life.
6. Create a point for the surgery that supports you. For me, looking better was not worth it. What was worth it was having my body by useful, make a difference for others and contribute to people for decades to come.

Hey ladies!
I need some shopping advice! 84 lbs later and (at least on tops) I am in the smallest sizes in the brands that I have been wearing for many years (mostly for work clothes - typically Talbots, Eloquii and Lane Bryant). The 14's in LB and Eloquii now fit me and in a month will be too big. I am still a 16 in bottoms (of course my rear and thighs are lagging behind everything else).
I have not shopped for standard sizes in over 20 years and my body will not be a normal standard size - I am loosing unevenly and I know that will catch up, but truthfully my body is somewhat awkwardly shaped now.
Are there any brands that you really liked in the transition? That were curvy-friendly and forgiving for those in between sizes? And, I am not a big spend-all-day-in-the-store-trying-stuff-on kind of person.
Also can I just say I don't understand how I can weigh 250 and be in a 16W. My brain just does not compute that but at the end of the day, regardless of the size I still need clothes that fit.

Hi there! I was in the same boat as you, not having exercised since my mid 20s (fifty years old now). I was not completely inactive given it's impossible to get around NYC and the subways without climbing stairs and walking.

The best thing to start is to walk and take stairs. If you have hills walk at inclines. Walk at a pace that gets your heart rate up. This assumes you have no joint issues and are cleared by your doctor to do so.

I was interested in developing strength and flexibility so I hired a trainer given I probably had a pretty good shot at injuring myself without learning proper movements and form.

I got lucky and found someone who owns a small boutique studio who is trained and educated in different disciplines. Two months later I am without question stronger, more flexible and have better balance.

As others will tell you what drives the weight loss is diet. However as the weight has come off I can now work on my other things I would like to accomplish with my well being.

Update on the Gym Anxiety -
Gym Anxiety No More!
Here's what I did. The best thing I did was hire a great person to train me. There is a small boutique gym about a block from me in NYC that has a devoted neighborhood following. They do a variety of classes based on the instructors area of expertise.
The owners also do personal training. I invested in personal training and I was very honest about my WLS, medical history, weight history, level of activity, etc.

We started very slow - a lot at the beginning was just getting used to moving in ways I hadn't moved in a long time. He gave me simple exercises to do at home.
On Sunday I did a 6 mile hike through a park, including 20 flights of stairs (up) through the park. Not something I could have done 8 weeks ago.

Today we did the first workout where I was able to significantly up the pace. I am 25 lbs lighter than when I started and without question stronger and with more stamina, flexibility and ease of movement.
I am almost certain without the personal training I probably would have ignorantly injured myself because of my cluelessness. It has been the best investment ever, even though it was a financial strain that financial strain would have been nothing compared to screwing up my joints or back.
I know for other people this may not be a big deal, but it was one of those demons and every time I slay a demon more is possible.
Tomorrow is class and Sunday is a 5 mile hike through urban hills and stairs!

Hey ladies!
I need some shopping advice! 84 lbs later and (at least on tops) I am in the smallest sizes in the brands that I have been wearing for many years (mostly for work clothes - typically Talbots, Eloquii and Lane Bryant). The 14's in LB and Eloquii now fit me and in a month will be too big. I am still a 16 in bottoms (of course my rear and thighs are lagging behind everything else).
I have not shopped for standard sizes in over 20 years and my body will not be a normal standard size - I am loosing unevenly and I know that will catch up, but truthfully my body is somewhat awkwardly shaped now.
Are there any brands that you really liked in the transition? That were curvy-friendly and forgiving for those in between sizes? And, I am not a big spend-all-day-in-the-store-trying-stuff-on kind of person.
Also can I just say I don't understand how I can weigh 250 and be in a 16W. My brain just does not compute that but at the end of the day, regardless of the size I still need clothes that fit.

Nope...I can comprehend the notion of subforums. I can also detect your thoroughly indignant annoyance regarding this issue.
My initial post in this thread was an honest mistake. Get over it and stop complaining. An internet forum is not really the hill upon which I plan to die, especially one that lines another person's pockets via advertising revenue and supplement sales.
You might be a man, but you're bitchin' like a petty old woman.

I was a 16 around 250. I'm not sure how long you have been heavy but the longer you have been heavy the more muscle you have. Some of it is vanity sizing and some it is muscle. I had some clothes left from college, so it isn't all vanity sizing. I was definitely smaller physically, 50 pounds heavier than I was in college.
If you don't want to spend a lot, Old Navy, Gap are good places to start. Old Navy regular sizes are cut large and I think they go to 18, I know they have 16s.
Department stores are nice also. Macy's, JCPenney
My advice is to find some place that has plus sizes and regular sizes. There was a time period I wore both. Honestly that is the most fun, you can shop EVERYWHERE. Find a place that has both makes the transition easier because you are not in entirely unfamiliar territory, you are just switching Depts. This is why Department stores are nicer places to shop than womens specialty stores, you can just transition departments instead of looking for an entirely new place to shop.
Macy's and Penney's has really good sales, so you can find nice items on clearance and coupons etc.
If you have time, go on a week day when the sales people are bored and no one is around and have them help you. They love helping people with a weight loss story in my experience. If not a week day then Sunday afternoon.
If you can, just stop buying pants. You are to the point that is you are still losing, pants in this range are going to show weight loss fast, even if you do no feel like you are losing much or fast. Get dresses and skirts, buy tight to go under them if you are afraid of being cold. If you get pants, you might be saggy in the butt and upper thighs every 2 weeks. Pants are the most unforgiving when it comes to weight loss.
Not sure about your work environment but learn to layer. Get a nice blazer, that is almost too small so it lasts a little bit, get a lot of tight shells, so they last longer or thin fitted tops, they will be loose eventually. Find some belts so you can belt dresses and make them last longer. Buy your sweaters a size smaller, so you can wear them all winter.
Only buy things you are going to wear within the next 2 to 3 weeks. Don't try to shop ahead because you see a deal. Once you are in these lower sizes, a few pounds means a size change. If you buy 14s thinking you will be wearing them all winter or something you are going to be wasting money. You will probably be a 12 by Thanksgiving, 20 pounds should get you there.

If he's not into you now, he won't be when there is less of you, and if he is, it's only because he only sees the surface.

There's your dose of truth and nihilism for your thursday morning. Sorry. Been married 18 years.

So inspiring! Thank you for sharing your story. Life is precious and the opportunity to take control of our health is a gift. I hope to have my body be useful for decades to come. Best wishes and keep on going !

I'm just going to go ahead and say this. For some reason there has been a slight influx of people who either are not getting weight loss surgery or who have had it in the U.S. who come on to the Mexican sub-forum and try to either pass shade on the thought of going to Mexico or try to spread fear by implying it's not safe. This really needs to stop.
Everybody freaks out over a death. This is understandable. However, what people fail to realize is that people can and do die during the most seemingly simple of surgeries. Death is always a risk in any surgery. It's a low risk but it is a risk. If you feel you can't have the surgery even though the risk is low then there's no need for you to come on this board and speak about your fears or misconstrue the risks based on your fear of having the surgery or fear of where the surgery took place.

Stepped on the scale this morning to 199.8. I know it's just barely into onederland but was just so awesome to see that 1!!!! Woot woot.

I hear ya ... I'm not too happy. I knew it was going to happen but didn't realize how bad it could get.

Right now I am using the higher end of a "normal" range BMI.

It may be too low, but if it is, it's not by much. It also may be too high because I picked that number based on what I weighed when I was in my early 20s.

Truthfully I plan to reassess at 200 pounds.

Yes. At 4 months out and have lost significant hair. Fortunately I started with thick hair. Yesterday I went to the salon and chopped it off and went super short!

Your doctor's projections are based on statistical averages. There are several factors which are predictive of where you will fall on the weight loss curve, from genetic markers, age, gender, co-morbidities, etc.

You should discuss this with your doctor. I started at 335, 5'8", 50 year old female with a pre-diabetic A1C level.

The statistical prediction was that I would fall somewhere around 200 lbs but suspected I had some factors in my favor that would put be on a higher end of the weight loss curve.

We shall see, I am 4 months out including 10 day preop diet and down 82 lbs which puts me at approximately 50 pct of excess weight loss.

The biggest benefit for me has been the regulation of hunger hormones due to the surgery. The restriction has been the secondary benefit.

I don't have chronic fatigue. This is something that has been going on for a week. And I am still working 65 hours a week, but am just not myself.

I dealt with this the first 4 weeks after surgery, then it seems like my body got used the calorie deficit and not eating etc and now my energy level feels like I am back to square one.

I am upping my food a little, adding more Water, etc. But damn, it's so frustrating.

Update on the Gym Anxiety -
Gym Anxiety No More!
Here's what I did. The best thing I did was hire a great person to train me. There is a small boutique gym about a block from me in NYC that has a devoted neighborhood following. They do a variety of classes based on the instructors area of expertise.
The owners also do personal training. I invested in personal training and I was very honest about my WLS, medical history, weight history, level of activity, etc.

We started very slow - a lot at the beginning was just getting used to moving in ways I hadn't moved in a long time. He gave me simple exercises to do at home.
On Sunday I did a 6 mile hike through a park, including 20 flights of stairs (up) through the park. Not something I could have done 8 weeks ago.

Today we did the first workout where I was able to significantly up the pace. I am 25 lbs lighter than when I started and without question stronger and with more stamina, flexibility and ease of movement.
I am almost certain without the personal training I probably would have ignorantly injured myself because of my cluelessness. It has been the best investment ever, even though it was a financial strain that financial strain would have been nothing compared to screwing up my joints or back.
I know for other people this may not be a big deal, but it was one of those demons and every time I slay a demon more is possible.
Tomorrow is class and Sunday is a 5 mile hike through urban hills and stairs!

You look fantastic. Thank you for sharing.

OK - so here's the update on my gym anxiety!

I did some soul searching and initially the most important factor in deciding what I was going to do and how I would approach this is having a plan that I would actually COMPLY with. As a busy New Yorker, where my primary form of exercise is commuting to work and walking to the park on Sundays it was critical that I would not have to take a subway to the gym, a subway home to change, deal with changing at work, etc because that is almost something I certainly would not have followed initially.

It turns out there is a boutique personal training studio/fitness studio two doors down from me. I asked around the neighborhood, checked them out, spoke with one of the owners on the phone and decided to do a mix of personal training and weekly classes (personal training 2x/week, classes 1x a week). The owner was generous with his time, I was open and honest about my current health/level of activity and lack of knowledge in how to approach fitness.
Today was my initial assessment and the person I am working with is great. I am happy, proud and inspired to have taken this step on. I have a new context for my fitness - which is there is really no place to go but up (which I hadn't really considered before, but it's kind of cool to get that is one of the benefits of starting at zero).
There are a couple of things that made a difference in taking this step - and it was a big step for me. The first thing was being honest with myself about what I would and wouldn't do at this point in my journey. The second was acknowledging that I don't know what the $%&# I'm doing and deciding to take the coaching from someone who does know what they are doing. Then finally giving up my drama about being too out of shape to exercise.
The experience of working with the trainer today was outstanding. I communicated openly and honestly and he did the same. I asked about what realistic expectations. The experience of being in the class. He communicated openly about what he saw that I could build on and where I was starting at scratch. We discussed medical history, past injuries, my current diet, what sports I had played in the past, what my goals were. I even conquered my fear of squats.
Here we go! Onward and upward!

I am so with you. I remember the first time I crossed my legs in ages and it was like.... OMG!!!!!!!!!!
No one else cares or notices, but for me it was a big milestone.
Another one is no longer having anxiety about getting up off the floor.

Congrats on your crossed legs, on to the heels :-)

I suppose different surgeons have different expectations...the staff at the bariatric surgery practice was pleased when I had lost 55 pounds at my 6-month follow-up appointment.
You lost 52 pounds in 6 months...at that rate, that's 104 pounds yearly. Your weight loss is to be commended, so keep up the good work and keep working at it.
Good luck to you.

Shopping in my closet was one of the great NSVs of the first six months!

I was wearing a 24w when I had surgery and had some old items in my closet down to a 20. It was empowering to size down when what I was wearing no longer fit me.

Now the days of shopping in my closet are over and I have an interim wardrobe.

If you're measuring carbs or sugar, watch the bread and butter pickles. Loaded with massive amounts of sugar.
I am not sure how much in the store bought variety, but my dad makes them home made and I have witnessed the pounds of sugar going into a batch first hand.

When your thighs NO LONGER RIB TOGETHER WHEN YOU'RE WALKING!!!!!!
#PraiseGod
#Yessssss
🕺🕺🕺🕺[emoji126][emoji126][emoji126][emoji126][emoji126]

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

How long have you been on the internet?
I used to participate in usenet forums in the early 90s. This is nothing.
That said, in person - people disagree, fight, argue and say nasty things.
On an online forum - people disagree, fight, argue and say nasty things.
In an online forum there is no repercussion or real consequence to doing so.
So, take the good with the bad and participate in whatever way works for you.