GreenTealael

Disclaimer: I don’t have slippery slope foods, so this may not work for you. I am a person who can have anything in moderation. Not everyone can do this and I fully acknowledge and never suggest this especially for people in the beginning. It just doesn’t work for everyone. Yes I eat cookies. But my cookie path is very narrow. I don’t like soft, iced, stuffed, loaded or kitchen sink cookies. I like biscuits, wafers and thins, etc. As for bread, I knew very early that I would not give it up completely. I do eat regular types (baguettes, ciabattas, bagels, croissants, etc) but often low or zero carb breads for balance. Also to be noted, I maintain a higher weight. It’s the trade off.

So funny! Congratulations on your progress ❤️

I can fixate on a food/drink for a few weeks/months then almost never eat it again. It’s challenging so I try to switch things up before I get to that point. Since you have a narrow palette at the moment, I would suggest logging/tracking your meals to make sure you are not missing any important micronutrients. If you have access to your dietitian or nutritionist, ask them for help to balance your meals. p.s. I use an airfryer for most meals because it’s more convenient.

6+ years post op: I have a routine. I always starting and ending my day with a cup of tea. Everything in between depends on how hungry I am, however it is mostly liquids. For instance I didn’t eat today until 6pm because I was busy, so I won’t reach my protein goal (I usually do) but I will still easily reach hydration goal. Typical snacks are fat/carbs: nuts, cheese, fruit, cookies, chocolates Typical meals are mostly protein/carb combos: -breakfast sandwiches (egg/bread) -cold salads (egg, chicken, salmon/ vegetables/crackers) -meat and potatoes (chicken, lamb, turkey/ mashed/baked/fried) -soup

Brunch date. Milk oolong tea (SF) and a Cinnamon roll, probably 1000 cals but I ate one bite before I decided it was a terrible choice (so much sugar) and didn’t eat anymore.

I don’t know. That would take more research to figure out because the SELECT Trial was conducted on the basis of participants being 45 or older, having preexisting cardiovascular disease and a BMI of at least 27 but no diabetes (link 1&3) However some of the improved cardiovascular metrics occurred before significant weight loss (link 2 explains). Interestingly, on Novonordisk’s website under their R&D pipeline (link 4) Semaglutide is not listed (yet) as being in trial for cardiovascular disease as a primary treatment. If anyone else has more info please chime in! https://www.novonordisk.com/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=166301 https://www.tctmd.com/news/full-select-results-affirm-cv-risk-reduction-semaglutide-nondiabetics https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563 https://www.novonordisk.com/science-and-technology/r-d-pipeline.html

Expansion on the use of Semaglutide: “The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, which has helped millions of Americans shed pounds, can now be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or who have obesity, federal regulators said Friday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change requested by drugmaker Novo Nordisk that expands the use of semaglutide. The decision was based on the results of a study that found that Wegovy cut the risk of serious heart problems — including heart attack, stroke and heart-related deaths. Higher-weight patients with heart disease but not diabetes were 20% less likely to experience those problems compared with patients who took placebo, or dummy shots, the study found.” https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237133257/fda-approves-wegovy-heart-attack-stroke-risk#:~:text=Hourly News-,Wegovy approved to lessen heart attack%2C stroke risk in overweight,have obesity%2C the FDA said.

Congratulations! What are we having done?

Dupe

My revision surgery was scheduled for a few days after my birthday (so I was full swing into the preop diet) but my boyfriend planned a tour of the Ben & Jerry’s factory. Well I broke protocol (not recommending this) and enjoyed EVERYTHING. Naturally I had to resume the preop diet schedule right afterwards, but this was worth it for me.

Also, You look fantastic !

Congratulations, It’s been one hell of a ride! ❤️

Dupe

Oh I forgot to answer this part. My biggest “YAY” moment was when I realized I could buy any bra I wanted (not just tactical grade special order sizes from Plus size stores). When I traveled (mainly overseas), I always packed too many because of my irrational but not improbable fear of my bras breaking (they did every few months) and not being able to find my size (44H). Now wherever I travel I can just bring one bra/bralette or maybe just pasties. This is still my favorite thing about losing the extra weight.

Yes they (we) do! Its even more effective if you let them give you tips on how to be more like them. This is where people really shine. 😂

I know for a fact both Starbucks and Dunkin will customize drinks with sugar substitutes, try it and see how you feel about it. My journey has been nice and easy (joking). Minor inconveniences but nothing that couldn’t be addressed. I’m almost 7yrs post op and life feels really normal. I’m grateful for that.

I had surgery during the Keto/intermittent fasting boom and I relied heavily on that excuse. Was I really fooling anyone? In retrospect, I doubt it. Now with the rise of highly effective weight loss medication and it’s media coverage, people will think whatever they want anyway, despite your well thought out excuse. You can always remain vague and say your health is improving and then immediately switch the conversation to focus on something else. I absolutely love the “enough about me, what about you?” pivot.

I had surgery during the Keto/intermittent fasting boom and I relied heavily on that excuse. Was I really fooling anyone? In retrospect, I doubt it. Now with the rise of highly effective weight loss medication and it’s media coverage, people will think whatever they want anyway, despite your well thought out excuse. You can always remain vague and say your health is improving and then immediately switch the conversation to focus on something else. I absolutely love the “enough about me, what about you?” pivot.

Unfortunately both the before and after visualizer pics do not represent what I actually look like which I find hilarious. But I thought others may find it interesting to use as a predictive tool.

I personally think the right path is the one you can stay on the longest that does not feel like a burden. Are these challenges helping you or are you just counting down the clock? Are you someone who can have things in moderation or need to cut things out completely? I would start there. I would 1000% recommend replacing your sugar syrups/creamers with sugar free versions or a protein shake. I did this from the start and I never went back to using sugar in drinks (There were 2 times when I couldn’t get a substitute once on vacation and once at a local cafe. I used 1 packet of sugar to take the edge off a heavy Oolong tea but I knew I would not use sugar regularly so i made peace with the decision). If you don’t want to use a substitute, that’s ok too but it may or may not impact your progress. Good luck!

I’m assuming you wanted the burger on the toast, right? If so, the jam on the side is hilarious 😂

As far as expectations the only important measurements I can think of is the waist to hip ratio. It is used to measure visceral fat as it directly corresponds to several health concerns but besides that it’s totally individualized. I did take a lot measurements before WLS and a few years later after plastics (but it was mostly for tailoring clothing).

Nice dress and the lighter colors really highlight your radiant and dewy skin!

Enjoy your Bikini Vacation!

Enjoy your Bikini Vacation!