ms.sss

@FluffyChix, yep you definitely have your MO glasses on. The person in these pics is positively SKINNY. I'm not sure I always have my own glasses on, but I think I convinced myself I know exactly what I look like, and recognize what areas of my bod could use some improvement and what areas are awesome. The main difference is that I don't seem to have the associated self-loathing I carried around on my back like before. I mean, yeah, my arms are flabby*, my legs are thick and my butt non-existent, but these facts don't bring me down so far anymore. They are annoying, but no longer depressing. *full disclosure, I am getting plastics to address my batwings EOY so my laissez-faire attitude about them may be taken with a grain of salt.

I *sorta* remember the literature that was provided to me pre-op said that months 2-6 post op, I was to aim for 800-1200 calories with at least 60g protein. In reality, at my 4 month mark, MFP tells me I was averaging 500 cals and 50g protein (**this is actually surprising to me as I actually thought I was averaging closer to 65 until I checked just now!**). My nutritionist was aware and was not overly concerned at the time. I'm almost 9 months now and MFP tells me I average about 1500 cals & 75g protein a day. But, I am also no longer trying to lose weight, and I exercise way more now. The increase in calories is more due to higher calorie foods choices (i.e, fat) rather than volume as my stomach still can't take in too much at time yet. Oh, and I'm pretty short (5'2") so that factors in to my stats as well. Try using this calculator if you are into ultra-low-carb eating (just make sure to put the minimum grams of protein you want to achieve). But if you are carb-friendly, it may not be for you: https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/

My new fave summer treat: (relatively) low-cal/low-sugar Chocolate-Peanut Butter "frozen dessert". I like it because its not sweet...more a dark chocolate flavour vs a milk chocolate, and the peanut butter to chocolate ratio is not too much, just enough to taste. 100 cals per 1/2 cup; 6g protein; 8g NET carbs; 3.5g fat. I had this after dinner, and as I was pretty low on calories still, I added 1/4 cup of whipped cream (not shown).

@GreenTealael has the GERD disappeared?

Visiting a client site today. Funny how I used to find no joy in having to choose something to wear for work, and now I almost (almost) wish I could go to office everyday so I can wear (and buy!) cute clothes. Wearing my most favourite pair of "work" shoes...can wear these all day long AND they make me 3 inches taller (I have them in black too ) EDIT: OMG. I just noticed my shirt is a little too see-through in this picture... )

Aw man. I didn’t mean to post the shoe closet pic I thought about it then changed my mind...i guess I didn’t properly delete it. Oopsies. Anyhoo, full disclosure: those aren’t my shoes nor my shoe closet (I can only wish). They belong to a pal o mine....and she has an insanely large shoe collection. What you see is only one wall of THREE walls of shelves of shoes. Crazy.

Day 18: Easy Sleek Arms challenge done Harder Toned Arms challenge done My triceps (and shoulders) are really sore today as the Kid and I did just a little over an hour of lane swimming last night, so this was particularly difficult today 😬 Shoes: Got my trusty flip flops on while out on a pal's porch, while we enjoy the last rays of sunshine of the day....

Right?!? So much better than having to blindly fasten those "4 hookers" bras and miss one then have to start over again...

btw...you don't need HealthyLife2's legs...your legs are pretty awesomely nice and trim on their own...

Strapless Bras. I can now wear one and it actually holds my boobs up...like a regular bra! Not like before, when my trunk and boobs were so big that strapless bras preformed no more than glorified pasties. (side note: I just realized that almost all my posts today have been about boobs. yikes.)

Nice dress...are you going out somewhere special or do you look this fabulous all the time?

This is what I put on to go to the grocery store earlier today. It's actually a swimsuit coverup...but its the only tank-like summer dress I own that fits me at the moment (...and the "arm up" pose is to camouflage my batwing 😉... I should walk around with my arms up all day 😂 )

First meal of the day: "Egg taco" shell a la @FluffyChix, grilled chicken, spinach, carrots, cucumber, shredded cheddar cheese & Peri Peri Sauce (the entire thing is 167 calories, 20g protein, 1.8 net carbs, 8g fat) Ok, so this was delicious. A little too delicious that I took about 4 bites that were too big and too close together (i.e., one after the other with no break in between), and now I am too full. So the leftovers are going into the fridge for now and I'll take another crack at it (slowly!) in a few hours....looking forward to it...#yum.

@GreenTealael : don't see any swelling or puffiness from this picture, except maybe from your envy-inducing rack. (seriously, wth, how did you manage to keep the boobs?!?!?)

@KT1981 (fellow October sleever!), congrats on reaching your 9 months and your weight loss! Think about it, you basically lost the equivalent of an entire 5'9" supermodel, LOL. Based on your weight loss rate and reported eating habits changes, I have no doubt that you can reach your ultimate goal of 135 in 9 more months. No doubt at all. Just keep doing what you are doing ♥️. In 9 more months it will be April 2020, and I expect to be completely healed from my plastics (scheduled at the end of this year), and be in the throughs of training for my first ever triathlon (crazy, right!?!?!) that I want to swim/bike/run with Mr & the Kid next summer. Oh, and be totally shopping for more clothes.

SAME!!!

We are almost surgery stat twins. Same height, starting weight (I was at 235 lbs) and same surgery date! EDIT: oops, I see now that you were sleeved in 2017 (I was 2018)...but the same still applies... If it eases your concern at all, I'm not sure that dropping your current calories to lose will automatically mean you will have to live permanently at a lower maintenance calorie level later on. I was basically at 500-600 calories for the first 6-7 months post op (I was even below 300 the first 1-2 months). I'm almost 9 months post-op now and in maintenance, and MFP tells me I've been averaging about 1500* a day and my moving weight average is actually still going down (albeit at fractions of pounds), so I actually still need to up that amount. *NOTE: this 1500 is an average, I don't actually eat this much every day. I seem to tend to split my days between low cal days and high cal days. So I'll have days where I eat what I call "normally", (800-1000 and low carbs), and then there would be days where I would eat much higher calorie/higher carb foods (like when I go out to eat or go to parties/get-togethers/etc, or if I have a relatively higher snack day, lol)

Wow! Looks like you are one of the lucky ones whose skin is snapping back nicely! Good job! *hugs to your mom ♥️

Well...we took this pic with me attempting to hold up the plate to my chest. Based on this, I'd say: very small egg breasts. Though the teeny egg boobs are still way more perky than my own. 😂

gonna make me one of these tomorrow!

Had brunch with friends this morning and guess what was on menu? Boobs! 😂 Ate all the greens and one of the boobs (a.k.a Smoked Salmon Benedict sans the english muffin topped with caper nipples)

whoa. this pic of your side profile is GORGEOUS ♥️

B-side: I used to get told I look like Leah Remini (from King of Queens...never watched it though), when we each were both younger (which is really weird because I'm asian, lol).

It's the hot girl Matthew Modine was after in VisionQuest! You (and Linda) are purrrrty

@sillykitty great thread! ♥️