Biddy zz 🏳️🌈

One thing I really did notice - the weeks where I lost no weight, I often really noted a drop in size! I followed a recommendation to have a set of lengths of string, and cut them to length (or colour a line) weekly as you use them to check size - one for upper arm, one for thigh, hips, tummy, neck etc. I really noticed my coloured line creep when I wasn’t losing weight...

I think most of us has it to some degree or another.

I lost 100 lbs and have a bit around my middle, both above and below the belly button. Saggy under my tiny butt cheeks. Slightly saggy underarms (less so now I have real muscles growing there!)

I have decided to live with it. But I am older. For younger folk, or if it really bothers you, there are many skin removal surgery options. I think there is one of the forums here just for the discussion of those options...

I’d be keen to hear mor about your calorie intake too. And Protein vs fats vs carbs...

many have success by kicking off some 16/8 “intermittent fasting” - last calorie containing food by sau 8pm, mo food each day until noon. So you get 16 hours of not investing any calorie-food at all, so you have no insulin in your system for about half that - insulin’s key purpose is to stop fat breakdown. I have seen a few here kick back into weight loss with this and it is pretty simple change... just an idea.

Week 2 I was pretty wedded to the BariatricPal Store Protein Soups.

Sounds like you’re doing well...

I remember a friend’s child asked me once “why do we all get together to eat - to put food in - but we don’t get together to poop - get the leftovers out?”

Cute question!! The cultural preoccupation with eating, especially in a time in human history where we westerners have SO MUCH FOOD available, is powerful.....

Not just Fluid although your weight gain will certainly be fluid - did you have keyhole surgery? If so, they actually carefully pump a whole load of air inside you! They use the jet of air to separate your organisation inside to move them aside and make the keyhole surgery easier. They suck some out as they close up but surgeons all leave more or less of it.

It slowly dissolves over the next few days, but this is ‘gas pain’ and it is probably the worst bit of the recovery - mine hurt like hell up in my left shoulder, front and rear.

Just get up as soon as you can, and walk. You have to walk it out. As you move about, your bodily organs absorb the gas and you go back to normal!

Oops - and I meant underwear, not underwire! My bra needs an underwire but thankfully my underpants do not!! 🤣😂🤣

I have never heard this before. I didn’t really carry neck-weight, though, so I guess it is possible.

Weird things happen - I have dropped a shoe size, and I didn’t expect that!

I can’t advise you as to what kind but I gotta say, new undies are THE BEST THING in this weight-loss journey! I LOVE my new underwire and have a rainbow of options now! So many in fact that I have to exercise undie-buying-restraint!

(I was a bit obsessed with butt-lift capabilities at first. Now I have no butt fat, but a bit of muscle from many many squats, I am delighted to just be in regular non-lift varieties. A good advertisement for butt exercises!)

Start working out as soon as you can! But wait 1-2 months for heavy weights.

This surgery gives us a chance to turn around our previous bad decisions around food and exercise. An extra tool. But that is all - we have to drive our new habits and the sooner you start, the more likely that will be ‘bedded in’ when you get to your maintenance phase.

You might have some plateau as you build muscle, because size-for-size it is heavier than fat. But muscle tissue is way better for you - makes you stronger/healthier, it also burns more calories even at rest, so over time building a bit of muscle is great for keeping off the weight.

I have never exercised, played sport. Now I run 3x a week, gym 4x a week and I really genuinely like it! And I REALLY like seeing (lady) muscles on my arms and legs! Makes me so proud, reminds me I have WORKED at this, not just taken the easy option.

2 hours ago, BlueAngelEyes said:

Im what you call a debbie downer! I had my surgery may31st and regret every day i wish i wouldnt of done it. I didnt do all the research i should of just listened to the docters counceling class. Major mistake wish i would have never done this. Maybe it will change when im thin and wearing fun pretty clothes and feel sexy again but for now my attitude is it sucks!!

Give it time! I have been hanging out on this site for more than 18 months and have lost count of the people who feel like this in the first few weeks. But be reassured, it passes! You are in the toughest phase. Pain from surgery, still feeling yuk from the chemicals they used to put you to sleep, and all you favourite coping mechanisms that involved comfort eating have been taken away - no wonder you feel like ****!

BUT it passes. The weight loss starts. You need smaller clothes. People start to tell you you look great. And you just feel better and better!

As hard as it is, the very best thing you can do is try and use this time as a ‘reset’ time. Remember how bloody awful you feel - so later when you are tempted to make bad eating choices (and you will be!) you can think ‘I did not go through THAT horrible thing just to cheat on it!’ Now is your best time to be slowly learning new eating choices.

But it is hard - hang in there my friend! It does get easier...

I start every day with that I call my ‘forever breakfast’ - 1 scoop of any vanilla Protein powder (I hunt for brands that are not too sweet), 1/2 c Water, 1 tsp coffee powder, and 7 ice cubes - in the NutriBullet and voila - coffee slushie, velvety smooth!

Takes me 10 minutes to drink it.

This is the hardest part! And of course we will all (if things are working well) generally advise you that our chosen surgical option is the best one!

To be honest they are both potentially great surgeries. But if I were you, acid reflux would make the RNY the automatic first choice. With a sleeve your stomach is smaller than before but still long and narrow. With RNY your actual stomach surface is very small indeed - so you dramatically reduce the amount of acid you make and have going into the digestive system. Have you got a surgeon that does both?

Since your weight is lower end of the scale, some surgeons would probably advise a sleeve for you as the first choice (cheaper, no need for supplements). But the acid reflux really suggests RNY and I think most surgeons that do both options would steer you that way. These days, though, way fewer surgeons do both! So you kinda have to decide and then pick your surgeon!

There are really no downsides to the RNY. The worst is you might have to take supplements. You will have to take Vitamins, but some people need folic acid or B12 tablets too for example. But honestly, that isn’t hard! And there is a genuine benefit to RNY - research suggests RNY is more likely to result in long-term weight loss - lose it and keep it off. Although regardless of surgery, THAT is all about you - changing your eating style, using the post-surgery phase to deliberately make new habits and stick to them.

Good luck!

Just before I plateaued, I started to really worry about how I was going to STOP losing. But - well, it just happened by itself.

It was emotionally hard giving up the ‘every day 100 or 200grams lost’ satisfaction, I can tell you! I did consciously pick up my diet a small amount - fruit or yoghurt after dinner - and relaxed a bit around the odd snack. I have been pretty stable for 9 months now...

I remember the night before the big day.

So exciting as you start a whole new life - this is a decision I Celebrate every single day.

Go well, and remember - sip sip sip, walk walk walk!

This was a fantastic read. I remember my excitement - “omg I am overweight - yayyyyyy”

IMAGINE what 24.9 is gonna feel like, and push on through! You got this!

Mine too! And I am 18 months out - work is stressful just now and the cravings for those calming sweet treats, or those carbs chips/crisps are right there.

But - I take time to admire myself in the mirror, delight in my change, and try and calm myself with that instead 😁

I loved the way you dealt with that slip-up - you are still with8n your day’s calories. Good work!

3 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

And I guess surgeon's do what they are most comfortable with. I believe Blossom Bariatrics in Nevada only does VSG, they must not care to do RNY after all.

I guess. And my guy had converted many of his band patients years back, so he stopped. And now half his work is converting vsg patients... and some badly shaped RNY stomachs too, I might add.

Nope - one ‘reaction’ could be badly timed coincidence though?

I never took much to the Optifast shakes but loved the solid bars. Maybe try one of those and see how you go...

Yep - once I was fully on solid food normal diet, they became a way better alternative for me than crisps! But remember to log the calories - nuts are good for us but the fat packs a calorie-rich package!

Hi there

We aren’t far apart - I started at 234, and am now 135-137 - nice and stable now for 9 months. I hit my goal, which was 154ish, in 6 months. I did work the thing pretty hard and seldom strayed from the eating plan, and honestly my loss was no slower than anyone else’s.

I had previously had a gastric band which broke and I had slowly regained about 7-10lbs a year and was approachingbpre-band weight so had a bypass. I knew this was my last shot, so went for it! Totally reshaped my eating and started exercising. Started with an electric bicycle and, once some weight was off, started the Couch 2 5k app to start running. I run 3x a week now, cycle 3x a week, and gym 3-4 times a week. I love having lovely curves muscles now!

You can do it - pick up sheer bloody-minded determination to bust a gut for 6 months over this (not literally of course!) and you’ll not be far off being able to try on every outfit in every shop!

Hiya @jb1809

My surgeon only does RNY now - mostly because of the reflux issues but also the much higher incidence of weight regain with sleeve. Myself, I am a band to RNY revision. And the RNY is SO SO SO much better - a doddle by comparison!

Sure, the surgery is a bit of a drag, but I love ‘working’ the RNY. I reached and surpassed my goals, but mostly this time, knowing it was my last shot, I have changed. My new style of eating - well, I am just starting to like it. I went on a 5 mile walk during the week (had some time to kill before a flight so walked to the airport, saved $50 on the cab as well!) and half way, needed a toilet stop, rationalised having it as a burger place, along with a burger. And was a bit surprised at how little enjoyment this once-staple-of-my-eating gave me! I so prefer the light feeling of eating healthy now. And the added taste to a salad from pomegranate seeds, or spices, or lime dressing, or olives. I never thought that would change!

But - no lie here - it took consistent work. And I guess will require effort, some days, for a while yet!

Good luck with it. You know you can lose weight - throw yourself in hook line and sinker, I reckon!!

Hi @Rappahannock

9 days out - woo hoo!! Congratulations and welcome to the losers bench!

I am 18 months out (bypass, but the journey is pretty similar). You have a good eating plan? I didn’t as my surgeon just said ‘three meals a day, don’t snack EVER AGAIN’. But I got some off this site somehow and they sure helped.

Even now, I eat off a small plate. I keep my portion size small - if I don’t it hurts. I imagine stretching my wee pouch and I certainly don’t want that.

The Mediterranean diet - pretty closely describes my eating habits nowadays. But instead of being like a jail sentence as it was when it was ‘a diet’ now it is because that is the food I love! I have a beef burger (well, 1/4 of one) every now and then and mostly think ‘did I really used to love this sort of heavy, dense stuff?’. I love it that we chan change!

Best of luck on your journey! Just one idea - in your signature, maybe add your weight, or your BMI? People can help you better when the inevitable questions arise, if they get a slightly fuller sense of your path...

This is GREAT news! Sip sip sip, walk, walk, walk. Best advice ever. The Protein will come, but I remember the days when it was tough getting it in. My morning coffee/whey slushie is so central to my day now!

I am 18 months out and this IS the best decision I have ever made, bar none. I am well below my goal, I run and cycle and go to the gym (and I LIKE it!).

If you work this, the rewards are huge. Welcome to the losers bench!

Anyway, last night was the first. And man, I was STARVING head-hungry at about 8.45. But I rode it through! And for me this is a definite calorie reduction. Often late evening I have a bowl of muesli and yoghurt with fruit. Or Peanut Butter and jalapeños (or pb/cinnamon/mashed banana, or pj/jelly) on seed bread toast.

But no more.....

woke 5.30am, got up, did my usual work emails, reading (I know! It is Sunday!) and then my ‘forever breakfast’ of a coffee/whey powde slushie. Bang on 12 hours of no eating. I think this will appeal, once my heard learns not to yell for food in the evening!