ms.sss

I almost made it. Almost. Wanted to reach 135 lbs, but got down to 136.5 instead. Still, I lost 10.4 lbs for the calendar month of April, and I am totally fine with that 😎. I didn't increase my strength training regularly this month either. There were a handful of times I went longer than 30 mins, but that was it. I really hate strength training 😒. Thanks again @GreenTealael for doing these ♥️♥️♥️♥️ P.S. I reached my 6 month milestone on the 24th of this month! Still amazed at how fast it all went by. My post about it here:

Me. Too. 😂

I had gastric sleeve surgery on October 24, 2018. So that makes today my 6 month post op anniversary. It's been a crazy experience so far, this weight loss surgery thing. I am still amazed sometimes at how much my life has changed for the better. I started off at 235 lbs on Oct 10, 2018 (start of my 2wk pre-op liquid diet) and am now 138.1 lbs, which means I lost 96.9 lbs (or 41% of my TOTAL body weight) since October 10th. Crazy. Went from a BMI of 43.2 (morbidly obese) to 25.4 (almost a normal 25!) Chest-Waist-Hips measurements (in inches) went from 48 - 431/2 - 491/2 to 35 - 29 - 361/2 Off all prescription meds, no longer pre-diabetic nor do I have a fatty liver anymore. And Mr. is so very happy that I stopped snoring (like a freight train, apparently) the day after surgery. I feel stronger, more confident, more energized and more.....AWESOME. Of course there are some downsides: Alot of my hair has fallen out (but I *think* it has stopped and new teeny hairs seem to be spouting...but this may just be wishful thinking lol) My arms are pretty saggy. Though I am already shopping around for surgeons to get this fixed, hopefully by the fall. I am trying to wean myself off of my PPI and it is proving to be an unpleasant task. I've only been at it for a week and a bit, so I'm still holding out hope that it will turn around soon. I have a love-hate relationship with my toilet as far as pooping goes. But for the record, I would still do this all again in a heartbeat. I am more than pleased with my progress so far and credit it with the following: ** Disclaimer: the following works for ME, and may not jive with others' way of doing things...** Tracking and recording EVERYTHING I eat and drink Weighing myself every morning (and track fat, lean body mass percentages) Take my body measurements once a week Try to get 70g of protein a day (don't always make this) Drink at least 2.5 litres of water a day Keep net carbs to less than 20g per day Go to bed on an empty stomach Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep at night (don't always make this either) Exercise of some form or another for at least 1 hour every day ...and when I can, get said exercise in before I have my first meal of the day. I had already surpassed my doc's projected goal for me back in January, and I am about 18 lbs from my own personal goal and am pretty excited about it , though I may be more excited about getting rid of these bat wings.

Stick to your diet plan. Exercise. Drink your water. Take your vitamins. Get some sleep. DON'T CHEAT. Losing weight will never be as easy as it is the first few months, do what you can to lose as much as you can during this time. It will only get harder later.

You look waaaaaaay too young to be a grandma!

#27 Dream Vacation: Any place by an ocean I haven't gone to already. Oh, and the vacation duration needs to be at least 2 months. I love long vacations where you basically become a local. #28 Learn Something New: Not exacty "learning", but more discovering...Learned/discovered that I now hate Diet Coke. Went to the movies yesterday with fam and friends (watched Avengers: End Game...note to those who plan on watching it: it's THREE HOURS LONG!) and accidentally took a sip out of my friend's Diet Coke instead of my sparkling water. It was tasted soooo sickeningly sweet to me I almost spat it out. Which is funny because before surgery I would drink 1-2 cans/glasses of the stuff daily. #29 Do Nothing: Will save this for the weekend...gots stuff to do

I meant to post a before and after/progress pic earlier but I just got around to taking a picture this morning. Here it is...same dress, different bod:

First meal of day: Shrimps, grilled salmon, grilled veggies and tzatziki. Ate it all.

A watch (or other wearable) with a timer. Helped/helps me space out my bites, or remind me to eat. I swear I use my smart watch more for the timer alone than the other gazillion features it has put together.

I bring a bottle of Sparkling water and some beef jerky in my purse.

I meant to post a before and after/progress pic earlier but I just got around to taking a picture this morning. Here it is...same dress, different bod:

Ah, who am i kidding? Anything while pooping makes me happy 💩 I'm thinking of updating my avatar to be poop now....

I had back pain (lower first then went to upper) for several weeks after surgery, and also hip pain while we are at it. My doc AND masseuse AND chiropractor all suggested more or less that it was because of the weight loss and my body was adjusting to my new proportions and centre of gravity, and should go away once my body got used to it (and i got in some exercise). And yep, by my 2 month mark the aches and pains were gone

#26 : Five things that make me Happy Pooping Spreadsheets Music Summer nights Pooping

same ♥️

So I had consult appointment with the first of 3 plastic surgeons I've lined up to meet and got some unexpected feedback. First he said that I "did not have that much excess skin". Which to me is just crazy talk. He said that yes, I am a good candidate for an arm lift, but that I did not have what he would call bat wings. ??? Second he said that based on what he sees from my previous breast reduction (circa 2006) and my laparoscopic scars from my sleeve surgery last October, that I have "pigmented scarring" and that I will likely have significantly noticeable scars after the procedure. 😞 He told me to go on RealSelf.com and find examples of this type of scarring and see if I was willing to live with it. Third, we also talked about Tummy Tucks and, and upon examination, said I could be happy with just a mini tummy tuck instead of a full one because my abdominal muscles are quite tight and that my excess skin is all below my belly button. Which is good news as a mini tummy tuck is much less expensive than a full one. Fourth, I thought it would be a separate procedure, but a reduction of the size of the mons pubis is included in the tummy tuck/mini-tummy tuck. Again, good news as this makes the total less expensive. Will be getting his quotes on the various procedures combined, un-combined, etc by tomorrow, so i'll see if the prices don't make me pass out. 2 more surgeons to see....

Excited for you Dont forget: walk, walk, walk, & water, water, water ! Good Luck!!

Gurgled then, still gurgle now sometimes. I could barely get to 500ml (17 oz) the first few days, sipping from my teeny measuring cup. But by the end of the following week, I was able to GULP down 2+ Litres (68+ oz) with not much effort. Give it time, it'll all get easier eventually

First meal of the day: Leftovers! Grilled chicken, grilled sirloin steak, old white cheddar cheese, homemade tzatziki sauce (Spinach & Kale salad w/ homemade low-cal dressing not shown). Ate it all. Took me well over an hour, but I ate it all.

I finally ran out of my stash of skinny clothes I have saved over the years, so I figured I'd go mall shopping this morning for some new summer threads. So I reached for size Small tops. NOPE i'm an Xsmall (if not smaller!) Then I went for size 6 dresses. NOPE i'm a Size 2. Tried on size 29 jeans. NOPE i'm a Size 26. I'm holding up these clothes and am amazed that my body managed to get into them. I mean they are tiny. And to me, I don't look anywhere near that tiny in the mirror. The other thing is that back when I was able to fit into these sized clothes , I was weighed much, much less than I do now. I mean, I remember being 105 lbs when I fit into size 4 pants back in high school. Stores must be using vanity sizing more and more...

Yes, I totally recommend the journalling/food tracking! As for the Biotin, I started taking it about 3 weeks ago (from a tip on this forum :), not sure if its doing anything, but i guess i can't hurt. The label says not to take for more than a month, so I'll do another week then check in with my PCP if I should/can continue *crosses fingers*.

#25 Stretch Heading to the gym now for Hot Yoga...will get like an hour’s stretching in there

My first class after surgery was a little after 1 month which was in early December (when I was cleared by my doc). I didn't go regularly until about month 2 (January)...I mostly go twice a week, but there are weeks when I only go once. I do both 60 and 90 mins, it all depends which day I end up going to the gym, as they offer different session lengths on different days. I used to go once in while until about 5-6 years ago and am glad to be doing it again. Though this time around I wear my jacket for about 30-40 minutes into it because I'm so effing cold and it takes me a long time to start sweating.

Ultimately, it is up to you on what you eat or not eat. Your success on this path you have chosen will be determined entirely by the decisions you make Good Luck!

I led a very sedentary life for about 15 years before surgery (which directly explains my massive weight gain during that period). Today, I do at least one hour of some sort of exercise every day, and while I wouldn't go so far as to say I LOVE it, it has just become part of daily life that I just DO. Like breathing. Or getting dressed every day. With that said, I do hate weight training which is why I only do it for about 20-30 minutes 1 or 2 times a week (a necessary evil though, to maintain/build muscle mass. Boo.) I do find that I prefer going to classes. Something about being around others makes it less boring. I enjoy Zumba and Hot Yoga. I started going to a Cardio Pump class which is ok (but is basically weight training disguised as aerobics) so I don't think I'll last long there. I have gone to a few Spinning classes, which I like so far, but I can't keep up with the rest of the class yet so I am working on it. When I can find someone to go with me, I'll go climbing/bouldering at a gym nearby, but partners are hard to find, and climbing/bouldering can get expensive! I also do a lot of walking, which I thought would bore me out of my mind, but turned out to be my favourite form of exercise. I put on my headphones and just head out the door and come back an hour later. The time just flies by it seems...which is a good sign In short, find something that you like to do, you will more likely stick to it and make it part of your everyday life. Try out different things until you find the activities that work for you. And it doesn't have to be just going to a gym or classes...you could join a sport team, take up running/hiking, swimming...the options are endless. Good Luck!