Pearldrop

Oh I feel ya there! I also don't worry about where they sit me at a restaurant. Booth or table, I know I'll fit now!

I'm starting to do things without thinking about the weight implications. I'll park in a spot that I wouldn't've dared to before because I might have trouble getting out of the car if the door couldn't open wide enough. Next time I buy plane tickets, I won't worry about whether I'll fit in the seat.

I've become much more comfortable in my own body these last few months. Even my therapist has been amazed at how much more positive and outgoing I have been, and in turn it's also helped my marriage a bit. There was a point where we were struggling a little, and I realized that my own personal unhappiness was weighing me down in many ways and effecting our relationship.
The loss of inches has also helped me a lot with some other issues, I've been very open on here about being transgender, I have noticed recently that my dysphoria has subsided a lot, although much of that is also from being on hormone replacement therapy as well.
My journey to surgery actually began because of my issues shopping for women's clothes. Back in October, I went out shopping with a good friend, and I couldn't find a single thing that fit and looked good on me. We went to Torrid, Lane Bryant, Avenue, all places that are made often for plus sized girls, but at 6'2" and 325lbs, there wasn't a single thing for me. I absolutely lost it, and cried out that I need a store called "Fat Fucks R Us." While I haven't been shopping for new women's clothes as of yet, I feel much more comfortable and positive about the idea of shopping.

There are so many more available choices now and I don'tfeel like everyone's staring at me. I like shopping for the clothes rather than the clothes shopping for me.
Sad as it is, I also believe people judge others by their externals (most without even noticing it!) so I have no doubt that I am taken more seriously now that I am of average size.

I can't wait until I can shop anywhere. Regular women's sizing will be fantastic. It's so hard to find fashionable, reasonably priced, plus size women's clothing without shopping online. Sometimes you don't have time to order!

This is so insightful! A lot of people assume insecurity in overweight people. Weight doesn't dictate personality 100%, it may mold us to a degree, but an introvert is an introvert.

I feel like I'm taken more seriously.

Im an introvert and often i have to pull extrovert behavior out of my adulting toolkit, now i can just be the quiet person i naturally am without anyone assuming its because im insecure

Definitely more I third of and confident. I was pretty assertive and confident before but now I feel like others also respond more. Not sure if that makes anything. Just more self assured and not consumed with where I’m sitting, how I am sitting, whether or not people can see how heavy I really am…That is all gone. Like a weight lifted emotionally.

Had my rny today about 9 hrs ago and got up and walked about 8:30 and then again a few minutes ago I did two laps. Sitting up and or walking feels much better then laying in bed. Helps get rid of the gas pain which is what really is the discomfort.

I was walking around same day. The hospital I was at had a lovely little recovery garden that made it more compelling. I was planning to go back to work after a week but postponed because while I could walk and was mobile, I was exhausted and could really feel I needed a break to recover. I’m half way through my second week off.

I’ve wondered about this as well. I have bra strap length locs and would hate to part from them. Good thing I looked on this thread and found some helpful info. Thanks everyone!! Doesn’t hurt to try.

@Pearldrop, being in Australia, has already reported back in . Indeed as I'm writing this it's 9:15 AM in Canberra and she's probably strolling around her surgical unit getting her "walkies" underway for Tuesday.

And just found out I get another shower and can start walking in an hour! Yeah

It’s the morning after and I’m feeling good, considering.
i wet the bed last night, I was a little too comfortably numb, and now have bladder control back this morning. I have some pain from the gas, it is manageable at this stage. I’ve taken my drs advice and am having all the pain relief offered. I am able to move around on my own and am having ice chipsand using lip balm. That with the drip is stopping me from being dehydrated. I drank a lot of Water leading up to the surgery so my body was well hydrated prior to fasting so I think that helped. I don’t feel hungry, but would love a coffee. Will see the surgeon later today to see when I’m on liquids.
hope all my surgery twins are doing great.

I’m not telling anyone at work. I’m only sharing this experience with my husband. I’ve chosen to keep it private as it is one of those things everyone likes to give their opinions on, whether you asked or not lols. It’s hard enough without helpful friends/coworkers giving their advice.

Mine is outpatient surgery on Wednesday. It’s all about your physician and health I guess.

Hey y’all. It’s been slightly over a year since I had the sleeve. I’m 5’6”; my highest weight was 266 (size 20 pant, 2x tops), surgery weight was 259, and my current weight is 183. I currently wear size 12 pants, a large in tops (sometimes a medium) . Although I still have some lbs to go, I’m am VERY grateful and thankful for the surgery. I had the surgery for prevention purposes, had no complications either. I changed to a plant based diet and have been very happy and healthy with it. I take a multi Vitamin, Calcium, B12, and Probiotics. I walk and do some home strength workouts.
Thats just a tid bit of my journey, I hope it inspires and encourages others. Enjoy my before and after!

Hi everyone. Posted about a week ago about wanting to do a pouch reset after being in a stall for almost 3 weeks and because I had started to fall back into my old eating habits (not counting calories, not eating Protein first, eating junk food, eating as soon as I felt “hungry”, etc). Looked it up online and the first day I did Clear Liquids only, followed by a few days of Protein Shakes. Here are some realizations, good and bad, which I hope help anyone that is thinking about doing this:
1. It was ALOT easier this time around!! Lol. Had two do a 2-week pre-op diet when I started this back in January and that was SUPER hard. I suffer from Migraines and got one almost everyday. This time around, it was SO much easier and no migraines!! 🙂 I’m assuming it’s bc of our small stomachs that don’t need as much food so my little sleeve was mostly content. So that was nice to experience.

2. I realized that most of the “hunger” I had been feeling was mostly head hunger and not real hunger. I still can’t seem to tell the difference and it gets me in trouble sometimes. Before I did this, I had started to experience a lot of hunger, which also made me eat crappy and I thought I had broken my pouch or something was wrong. I think it was just really head hunger and I was giving in to temptation. It’s taught me a lot.

3. It was nice to take a break from cooking and thinking about what to eat. At least for me. It was nice that I knew I would be having a Protein Shake and that I was all set. Even though I am almost 5 months out, I still worry about eating out or what my meal will be if I am out. Definitely gave me a break from that but it also made me realize that it’s not a big deal and that I shouldn’t worry so much.

4. I broke my stall!! I obviously know that it’s because I was in liquids but after the scale not moving, it was nice to see a change. I am still a slave to the scale and worry about the number WAY too much! But I’m working on it lol. Rome wasn’t built in a day 🤪

5. Of course it’s harder on the weekend, especially if you have family or commitments. I turned down an invitation to go out with friends on Saturday because I thought it would be best for me. And of course my family was already used to me eating regular foods so it was harder for them when they were trying to eat and I was having my shakes.

6. The biggest issue, for me at least, was how easy it was to keep going and how obsessed you can get with the regimen and the scale, if it’s going down. My personality is one that if I commit to something I will do it 110%, which can be bad at times. I ended up being on shakes longer than I wanted to because I was feeling ok, was seeing results, and because it was easy overall. I ended up doing it for 6 days instead of 3 and truthfully, could’ve kept going. But as we all know, I’m sure it’s not the best and no one can live off shakes forever and we all need to learn how to eat healthy and in moderation. So definitely can be a slippery slope depending on the results and your personality.

So I hope this helps anyone thinking about doing this or anyone that has been struggling lately with overeating or not eating well. You can definitely “reset,” you can definitely hit pause and re-evaluate things, and your pouch will be ok 😊

Weight is such a hot topic button for all of us former fatties. I was really, really good about tracking my food, measuring my portion sizes, and weighing myself weekly for about the first four years. Then, gradually, those habits fell away and I fell back into old, bad habits--eating when I'm bored or anxious, eating slider foods, drinking fancy high-calorie coffee and juices, and not getting on the scale even though I could feel my pants getting tighter. Finally I faced the fact that I was headed back to obesity unless I took action. The last week in December I started tracking my calories and measuring my portions, and slowly but surely the weight came off. I figured I had been eating about 1800 calories and I cut back to 1200--not every day, because some days I just want that cookie, but many more days than not. I lost 8 lbs and I'm back at my loose pants weight, 137-138. It was slow and boring but worth it. I'm still tracking and weighing myself each week and intend to continue.
You can do it, emk101009--

Welcome to the team. I have found this place to be informative, friendly, supportive and a safe place.
i hope you find what you need here to assist you. I echo Ash’s advice, a therapist on your team really helps.

I had parakeets as a child, how fascinating that you have an aviary, thanks for sharing that.
I was abused as a child as well, and losing the protective 'fat layer' can be a scary thing, previously losing weight sent me back to adding the layer back on from the attention I was receiving - not this time. Those abusers are all dead now.

Where did you get that you should be down over 40 lbs at 5 weeks? It seems to me that you had unrealistic expectations from this surgery.

Stop focusing on the scale, esp if it doesn't do body fat, because if not, then you are a missing a rather important metric. I've been stick at 258 for the past 5 days now... but my body fat has dropped .7%, so if I didn't see the body fat dropping, And all the working out, muscle building, eating right, hitting my Protein and Water marks, and still not losing weight, I'd lose my damn mind. Hell, even having the body fat % numbers dropping, it's still frustrating.
If you are eating too much, **YOU** need to fix that. This whole process isn't easy, it requires major changes.
Also, stop worrying about what you "should" have lost, there is nothing and no one that can tell you exactly what you should have lost, because no-one is the same, everyone loses as different rates and from different parts of the body first. Just focus on the things **YOU** Personally can control. Your protein intake, your water intake and how much exercise you are actually doing.

General basic exercise "requirements" are 30 mins a day, for normal people. WLS patients really should be hitting 60+, every single day. And muscle building **SHOULD** be part of your exercise program. Fat loss and Muscle building. It's far too early to start feeling like you failed. Take control of the process and get back to the struggle. It's worth it.
Good Luck
You got this!

Unless you are ok with everyone at work knowing, I’d keep it to yourself. Co-workers are gossipy. If you tell a few, pretty soon they will all know