ms.sss

@anaxila, if its not too much to ask, would you mind posting a pic of your arm and scar? I am scheduled for an arm lift myself in December. I know I scar easily and take a long time to heal, but like you, I don't care about the resulting scar as much as I care about ridding myself of these bat wings of mine (I had a breast reduction 15 years ago, and the scars are still visible, but I prefer them over the disproportionally large breasts I had back then any day). Anyhoo, I'm curious what a 2 year old scar looks like. I understand if you are uncomfortable with posting a pic, so no pressure if you don't want to! ♥️

I agree with the other posters, the decision to get plastics should be based on your opinion alone. You need to do what makes you feel awesome, not what other's think. P.S. if i read correctly, you had an arm lift in 2010? If so, the absence of scars on your arms are pretty impressive!

Slow it waaaaaaaaay down. You could try to take a bite or two, put your fork down, wait 10 minutes. If after the 10 minutes you feel any fullness/tightness in your your stomach or chest, wait another 10 minutes, if not, take another one or two bites. Rise and repeat until you finish your pre-portioned out meal OR when 20 minutes have gone by and you still have fullness/tightness, whichever comes first. I know this sounds tedious, but it may help you avoid the pain of overeating, and allow you to learn your body's new tolerance levels. Hopefully, once you get to know your cues and limits, you will be better able to navigate at a higher speed limit. P.S. It still takes me a relatively long time to eat my meals at 8 months out. I learned that my stomach seems to fill up on smallish amounts of food, so I need to wait for it to digest or whatever before I put more in it. If I don't, I will start to hurt and possibly barf. And I hate hurting and barfing, so I do what I can to avoid it....i.e., eating slowly.

I put the noodles in a strainer and run water over them (for like forever)...do you have a tip to make the rinsing more effective??? I feel like I'm wasting some much water rinsing this stuff!

I'm almost 8 months out and I'm still not eating that many calories (i'm barely reaching 900, not for lack of trying). You are about 1 month out..at that stage MyFitnessPal tells me I was doing 300-400. (but i remember I was going through a food aversion thing though) Also, I have been able to drink well over 2L (67.6oz) since month 2... We all have different needs, you will learn what works for you and what doesn't. So long as your labs/checkups come back good, you feel good and are losing weight and/or inches, then you are golden. If one or more aren't, adjust as necessary. EDIT: forgot to add a disclaimer, that this works for me, and may or may not work for others, and also I am not advocating to ignore your medical professionals, just a reminder to listen/pay attention to our bodies, as well as our medical professionals, and make informed decisions based on the information you gather from all

Ooooh this is a good idea. I always dry them with paper towels, but this is a way better idea (and saves on paper towels ). Thanks!

I delayed my process twice. The first time for 6 months, the second time for 2 months. I just wasn't ready at the time. When I finally committed to go ahead with it, I never looked back. Best decision ever. Sorta wish I never delayed it those times, but like I said, I just wasn't ready yet. Sometimes the thought of something new/different keeps us staying put, sometimes the thought of things staying the same makes us move in a direction . Weigh your options and do what is best for you. More of the same, or a stab at something else? Good luck!

Am behind on laundry this week, so it was slim pickings in the closet this morning and I had to settle on a pair of pants I haven't worn in about a month...granted, they were a little loose back then, but still wearable-ish, and when I put them on this morning, yeah, they were still loose, but it seemed OK to wear (they are a old-school size 8's, i.e., pre-vanity sizing). They. Just. Fell. Down. Luckily, no one was around to witness my humiliation, especially since the underwear I'm currently wearing is also about 3 sizes too big for me (like i said, I'm behind on laundry!). I need to buy new clothes.

I think genetics plays a big part of it too...years ago when I had a breast reduction my surgeon told me I have hyper-pigmentation and that I will likely have scars that won't fade to my liking. He was right. Its been over 15 years and the scars are still visible...a lot better than before, but it took a while (1-2 years) to get to an acceptable level for me. Its been almost 8 months since my sleeve and my scars from that are still dark and raised. I knew it would be this way and I'm good with it. (Now that I'm getting plastics at the end of the year, I will probably end up looking like a verifiable Frankenstein naked. Mr. and the Kid suggest I get some tattoos not just as a cover up, but to increase my street cred. LOL)

Agreed. Some people can handle seeing the daily fluctuations and get on with their day, but for some others, that occasional 1/2 pound overnight gain causes anxiety and stress. Know what helps and what doesn't help you, and behave accordingly. I weigh myself every morning at the same time, wearing nothing at all. lol. Works for me

*raises hand*

nailed it.

Oh, I am brightened to read this. I am almost at 8 months and while I thought my hair loss stopped, I was sorely mistaken. While I love my short hair now (cut off in month 3 when I got sick of seeing my shed hair everywhere), I still would like the option to grow it out long again someday. I'm glad that yours came back after an extended period of loss...gives me something to hopefully look forward to myself.

I was intrigued with the idea of greek cream cheese after reading all this and found this site with instructions to make your own Looks easy.... https://lifeshouldcostless.com/diy-how-to-turn-greek-yogurt-into-cream-cheese/

Wow! I see a difference, and you look great! Going to the gym is magic. LOL. Congrats!

This was key for me. My mindset changed early on that parties/get-togethers were about the company and not about eating the food.

Earlier on, I could only drink a few sips of sparkling water at at time. It made me burp like crazy and I swear I could feel it travel through my stomach and intestines. Now (almost 8 months post op) I can drink sparkling water just fine, and in pre-op quantities. I suspect I do have issues drinking carbonated alcoholic drinks, but that is probably more because of the sugar content than the carbonation (a lesson I learned the hard way )

So last night I was so tired that I fell asleep on the couch around 6pm and woke up 12 and a half hours later. And I didn't get up to pee the entire time! It made me realize that I can hold my pee in waaaaaaaay longer than I used to. I remember having to go almost every 1-2 hours (even at night). Yay bladder control!!!

I didn't go to any weddings until recently, but I went to many a dinner party and get-togethers at peoples homes and restaurants/bars. In the beginning I brought protein powders along with me in a mix cup and just added water at my destination. When I got to solid foods, I'd check out the menu before I went to a restaurant for stuff I could eat and if there was nothing I cared for, I'd just eat before hand and drink water when I got there. If it was at someone's house, I would make/bring a pot-luck style entree and/or appetizer that I could eat. Also, I always have beef jerky in my purse wherever I go. But back to weddings, since you mentioned it specifically: it may prove difficult to eat a full-on contraband meal at the table...so maybe eat beforehand and bring some small snacks in your clutch to munch on between dances just in case ...or if the invite allows it, mention that you have special dietary restrictions, and the caterer may be able to fix a special plate for you. EDIT: remember, this is not forever, it is just just for now while you are in weight-loss mode and taking full advantage of the rapid-weight loss stage

Ooooh. This is a good one...never thought of it!

Right back at cha.

I timed my bites with the timer on my watch, and still do (I'm 7.5 months post op). In the earlier months it was about 15 mins minimum between 1-2 bites. Now I do 7-10 minutes between every 4-5 bites. Oh, and put down your fork/spoon/whatever between bites. And in the beginning, eat at the table and not in front of a screen or on the go to get yourself into the habit of slowing down.

Being on the receiving end of advice/comments/opinions from fellow bariatric patients is a lot easier to swallow/accept than from my mother-in-law