ms.sss

Ugh. I can't even watch the commercials of it...I will immediate change the channel or mute the TV and look away. Same for Dr. Pimple Popper. And that Financé one. But I do watch Jersey Shore, so...🤷🏼‍♀️

So I was told (and experience it) a little differently (p.s. I'm a sleeve): Its not that the liquids "wash down" food out of my stomach, and makes me hungrier sooner, its that when I have food in there, any liquids I drink will take up the available space and fill me up quick. So much so that I can't eat another bite...and if I do (or take another gulp of liquid) I can feel the material rise up in my esophagus or something and eventually barf. I have found that this phenomenon happens only when I drink AFTER I eat something (i.e., when there is something in my stomach already). But if I down a 500ml bottle of water before I start eating, there is no issue. So I imagine it as food blocking the way to my intestines, and then liquid just sitting on top of it. Anything more added until the food goes on its way will just come back up. For this reason, I don't drink until about 30-40 minutes AFTER I eat, nor do I drink during. But I DO drink right up to the moment I take my first bite. Which is why I rarely order/eat brothy soup with solid chunks in it.

Thanks!

Yay! @Sophie7713 is back! We missed you ❤️....lookin' as adorbs as ever.

I'm another!

9 days from the hospital? Do you have other symptoms that may point to Covid? Edited to add: sorry, I don't mean to freak you out if I did, just doing a process of elimination...

I'm one of those people who never got rid of clothes, whether I got bigger or smaller (unless the clothes were like too tattered or too used). So as I lost the weight after surgery, I had a whole bunch of clothes to "fit back into" at my disposal. As I sized out of my stash, I started buying new stuff, but didn't get rid of the bigger stuff. Hanging on to them was probably a combination not wanting to waste perfectly good clothes and sheer laziness from having to clean out my closet. It wasn't until just last September (one month prior to my 2 year anniversary, which was almost 1.5 yrs into maintenance) did I finally bite the bullet, cleaned out my closet and donated them all. It was alot. Good riddance, I say. Frees up room in my closet for new clothes. On another note, that giant pile of clothes that I donated included clothes that did in fact still fit me, but I got rid of them because I didn't like them anymore. Which is just one of the other beauties of being smaller: I can wear clothes that I actually like, not just because they fit.

Well, I farted lots too, but mine definitely had a smell to them (you're lucky yours are odourless!!). I burped lots too. Eventually, the increased farting stopped, but the burping is still around (not as much as in the first months, but def much more than anyone else I know personally).

Hi @ASampson...i can definitely do that, but I would need to know your Lean Muscle Mass (either in lbs or as a percentage of total body weight). Do you know it?

@OAGBPal: Oooooohhhh....MATH & SPREADSHEET time! I'm not an engineer, just a comp sci geek, but I love me some math & spreadsheets (don't judge me). I always sorta cringe inwardly when I read posts of us comparing number of calories consumed and total lbs lost without taking other factors into account....specifically BMI (there are other factors, but those are beyond the scope of this post). Long ago I tried to push the math of this but I sensed all the virtual eyes of the collective glazing over, so I didn't push it further. But since you seem data-friendly, I present to you this (the fruits of my anality and boredom): I took the liberty of pulling your stats from your profile, and looked up my stats at 2 months post op to do a side by side comparison: **note: my LMM data was recorded at 2 months, 3 weeks...but close enough!) First the obvious: You are a good foot taller than I am, and weighed roughly 30% more than me on our respective surgery dates (Plus you're male and I'm not) While we started off at at a 5-point spread in BMI, at the two month mark, we were reeeeeally close in percentage of BMI points lost (m-17% vs o-16%) Your lean muscle mass percentage at 2 months vs mine at 2 months is higher by 13%. So technically, I was fatter than you. Now, what's not so obvious is that while I was consuming 500 cals at two months and you 1200, if we factor in just total LMM, the difference of calories per lb of LMM is 1.3 calories. Which, when applied to our respective spread in LMM, amounts to 133 calories a day. So that means, based on our makeup of LMM, I was just eating the equivalent of little over 1 tbsp of butter a day more than what you are eating. And when you take into consideration the fact that you are bigger/taller/higher LLM than me at 2 months, that difference of a tablespoon of butter is all but eliminated (if not more) as your BMR is likely way higher than mine was. You burn more calories just existing than I did. Plus you're a man and your metabolic rate is likely more efficient than mine. Sooooooo....when people are shocked with the number of calories me and others eat/ate, consider the context. Context is KING. QUEEN. Ta-da! Added Notes: of course, this is a very simplistic view of it all and assumes that we have the same BMR, exercise habits, medical conditions, etc. etc., But you get the point, I hope. P.S. I also hope I didn't make YOUR eyes glaze over...lolololzzzzz

Interesting! @kristieshannon, @S@ssen@ch, what amount/dosage are you taking?

There was another thread on this topic just the other day...i’d include a link, but couldn’t find it quickly so gave up... In any case, I think the cycles/phases of not wanting to eat/food aversion/disinterest is common (for those that have instances of not wanting to eat...some don’t). I’m 2+ years post op and I still go through it sometimes (sans the nausea though, cuz i wont try to eat if i don’t want to). In fact, i just went through several days of it a couple weeks ago, and after my appetite went back to my “normal”

THIS. No more safety pins in sad attempts to close the gaps! And yay to being able to go bra-less and STILL be comfortable! ...BUT there are times I miss my old big boobs...but just my circa teens & in-my-20's boobs which were much nicer than my 30's & 40's boobs which gravity did not smile upon.

Full disclosure: I am one of those people who didn't listen to my Dietitian's advice to up my cals to 1000-1200 at 3 months (and told her so). I always showed her my food logs anyway and she always responded with a version of "you should really eat more". I do realize though that this is just not a safe/healthy/good-habit-promoting strategy. And I cannot in good conscience recommend disregarding medical advice outright without discussion with them. Actually, I think there SHOULD be a warning for a 600 cal a day diet, both mental AND physical. Living on so little cals for an extended period of time WILL have its repercussions. I also want to say that a FOREVER diet of 600 cals a day is certainly a slow walk to an early death. Even if its not forever, and say a couple years, that just can't be good to both your body and your mind. I did a sub-750 cal a day for 7 months. I knew it wasn't forever. In terms of weight loss, yay. In terms of the mental aspect, I *think* I came out pretty unscathed (except maybe for this self-diagnosed food fetish I developed, as well as the unnatural fear of carbs I had immediately after stopping trying to lose weight...of which I am pretty much over now). I don't believe I would have been able to do sub-750 daily beyond a year mark (or not even) safely (mentally & physically). Could anyone? P.S. I'm 2+ years post now and my cal level is about 1800, more if I exercise more (of which again I'm not listening to my dietitian cuz she said I shouldn't go over 1500).

I'm convinced this is a universal thing....from the formerly obese to the never-beens. I have eternally thin friends/fam who criticize aspects of themselves that, as an outsider, I just don't see. I can honestly say I am in the best shape I have ever been in my adult life, but at the same time I still see all the little things that I would love to change....le sigh.

Sounds like you got your hands on one of the "better" dietitians! All WLS affiliated dietitians/NUTs really should tailor their recommendations to EACH INDIVIDUAL (mine did not).

Bwah-hahahahhahahha 😆 Ha! I'll be 50 this year and *I* feel the need to wear super short shorts...I just can't, lolololololzzzz. But if these flappy inner thigh skin collections ever disappear, booty shorts here I come! P.S. @WishMeSmaller you have shrunk quite noticeably in the last month or so! Yay! Lookin' good!

Agreed. Further to this, Arbitrarily assigning a set caloric level at a set date to all patients does not take into account each individual's weight, height, other physiological aspects into account. If one patient is 6 feet tall and 250 lbs at the 6 month mark, and another is 5 feet tall and 170 lbs...why would they both be prescribed the same caloric level goal?

This would be my guess. Another theory would be increased carb consumption leading to fluid retention? (Since I've been eating more carbs, my face/body looks softer or "puffier". I'm the same weight as when I was barely eating carbs, but I look bigger (to me), including my boobs.) 🤷🏼‍♀️

I lost roughly 120 lbs. I took measurements, and the widest part of my right thigh measured at 29" two weeks before surgery. After the loss, they measure at 17". As a whole, my things look ok-ish (to ME), but the upper, inner part near the crotch was pretty saggy/flappy. I had a tummy tuck last year and the upper, FRONT part of my thighs smoothed out quite a bit, but the upper, INNER part is still pretty "un-firm"-looking. I don 't think any amount of exercise will rectify this. Only a thigh lift I think as its all basically skin and not fat. I don't hate them THAT much to warrant a thigh lift, but if I ever get a butt lift it will probably give it some help. P.S. I used to run almost every day (sometimes twice a day). Now, though, I run much less, BUT I either run, walk or hike every day. Better than nothing. P.P.S. regardless of the state of my thighs, I still wear short dresses/skirts, city shorts (but NOT fitted short-short shorts because they accentuate the flappiness of my inner thighs), and bikinis. So its all good. P.P.P.S. Im 2+ years out, 1.5+ years from plastics

Gonna add one more thing: during weight loss phase, I noticed that a good nights sleep helped. I'm a borderline insomniac (self-diagnosed, lol) and on average, I tended to lose at a slightly faster rate on the weeks that I averaged more nighttime sleep hours (yeah, I tracked my sleep too).

...or too fast? Try slowing waaaaayyyy down and see if that helps

I think its common to go through phases/cycles of food aversion? (I *think*) I had a big case of it the first 2 months. It got better, but would still be a regular occurrence throughout the next several months. I still get it sometimes (I.m 2+ years out). In fact, I sort of had it just a couple weeks ago and it lasted almost a week.

I am probably the worst scar healer on earth, (or at least in the top 10) lol. I had mine done a year ago also (TT, Breast Lift, Arm Lift), and the majority of it is still very dark and some raised. I did have 2 rounds of steroid injections the past couple months as well on various places and I have to say it has made a HUGE noticeable difference. But they are still probably still worse than most other people who are way further out than me. I was prepared for this as I have a long history of hyperthrophic scarring. The eventually fade, but I know it will take years for me. Tummy tuck: Darkest at the edges, less dark above my pubic area. They were pretty raised at the ends, but since the steroids, they are almost flat. There are a couple small 1/2 long sections along the middle that only have thin white line. Belly Button: dark, flat thin line...from far away it looks like I have a dirty belly button, hahahaha. Breast Lift: Again, darkest at the ends close to my sides, as well as the t-junction at the bottom of each breast. The ends were raised, but not anymore since the steroids, but the t-junctions are still raised (I plan on getting another round for these guys in a couple months). The scars around my nipples are both thin skin-coloured lines (just a little lighter, but not white). Arm Lift. Ugh. These are the worst of them all. They are dark, wide, and before the steroids super raised (think bungee cord). They have lighted up dramatically since the steroids (all of the areas treated have), but still dark compared to "normal" healers. At least they are flat now! For some reason though, the scars in my both my armpits are invisible. These areas were the fastest to heal and disappear (I wonder if it was because of the "moisture" in that area...lol). But even with all my scars, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I know they will fade eventually. The tummy and breast scars are hidden even in my tiniest bikini, but yeah, my arm scars are in full view when I lift my arms to go "Whooooo!" hahahaha. When they are down, you can't see a thing...except for one small section on my right arm from the back, even when my arms are down. But no biggie. P.S. On a related note, I also had 2 sections of my scar "cord" cut as it was affecting the mobility of my right arm. I'm all good now. P.P.S. Sorry this was so long.

I looked up what I was eating at 6 months, and for the 4 weeks immediately after my 6th month anniversary, my average daily range was anywhere from 500-750 cals a day, with NET carbs maxing out at 25g per day. HOWEVER. At the 6th month mark I was 130-ish lbs, (and I'm, 5'2") so 500-700 cals for me would be a little different than someone who is bigger/taller (or smaller/shorter). Further, I wasn't constantly hungry, so being able to sustain this at the time would have been easier for me than for someone who was. Whatever caloric level you are comfortable at, and able to maintain during weight loss phase (be it 700 or 1200 or whatever), so long as you are at a deficit, you'll find that you WILL lose weight (barring any medical conditions). Good Luck!