ms.sss

omg same. in the immediate years after WLS i would always wear snugger fitting clothes because i felt they "highlighted" my skinniness more. these days (and basically the past 3 or so years), outside of my workout gear and the odd fancy-night-out, i wear way more relaxed-fit clothing. its just waaaaay more comfy, lol. as cher horowitz would say: I know it sounds mental, but sometimes I have more fun vegging out than when I go partying. Maybe because my party clothes are so binding. 😂😂

as everyone has alluded to above, the number on the scale is often not very indicative of your overall progress. i had a goal weight and goal BMI number. turns out neither were where i wanted nor ended being at. its weird because a certain weight number looks totally different on me at different times. at one point in my life 115 looked "fat" on me. 5 years ago it looked malnourished. then 3 years ago it looked awesome. these days (i'm 6+ years out), i go by how my clothes fit me (i.e, body measurements). so long as my clothes still hang well on me, i'm all good! when they start getting looser or tighter, then i'll make efforts to correct. so i guess i'm saying if your clothes start hanging looser on you, that is a better sign of your weight loss vs. the number on the scale. good luck! 😍

both i guess. good cuz my inner fat person is glad that i gave myself a bigger skinny buffer from my happy weight; bad because i didn't do it on purpose and i am actually not entirely happy with how it looks on me (sort of), plus my clothes are effing too big on me and i REFUSE to buy new clothes, because i KNOW i will regain the weight eventually. or hope. (background: i got braces on my teeth back in september, and i discovered that i HATE the feeling of food stuck in my braces, so i have to brush and waterpik my teeth EVERY SINGLE TIME i eat something solid....then i discovered i HATE having to clean my teeth like a gazillion times a day, so i just don't eat. yeah, i know, not the greatest reasoning, but there you go. as a result, i lost like 10 lbs (which is actually alot since i was already 115lbs)....but, since i started adding a morning protein shake and eating higher calorie foods when i DO eat, i seem to have stopped/slowed down the weight loss...so we'll see...) sooo maybe if anyone wants to try, getting braces may be a good weight loss tool for you too. lololololzzzzz.

i skipped puree cuz it grossed me out. i barfed a little in my mouth when i saw the beef i pureed for my first foray into that stage. in the end, i just extended my full fluids diet an extra week then went straight to soft foods afterwards. though others have had great success an joy in this stage, so it cant be all bad?

hugs love and good thoughts sent your way....❤️

my go-to fave was ISOPURE dutch chocolate flavour (its the least sweet of the *many* brands i tried). low carb, not too sweet, not powder-y feeling. blended it up with 2 tsp decaf instant coffee crystals, 1.5 cups water, 1 cup ice and 2 tsp benefibre (for regular pooping lol). had 2-3 of these the early post wls months, then 1 a day in the later months until about 7 months post. recently went back to drinking 1 a day to deal with some unintended weight loss. ISOPURE also has a flavourless zero-carb version that used for cooking...not for drinking though cuz it really isn't that flavourless, ha.

honestly, you really just have to white-knuckle it if you are looking to adopt a low-carb diet long term. it takes about 3-4 days, but if you can get through it, it's soooooooooo much easier going forward. the cravings are no longer as intense and its easier to stick to low-carb. keep in mind though, that if you indulge at any point in time you will likely have to go through another 3-4 days to tame the beast again....which is why as soon as you pass the "no-carb-craving-point" for YOU, then its in your best interest to stay there (i.e, don't eat have high-carb meals, like ever....especially if you have a self-proclaimed addiction to them). with that said, it takes ALOT of dedication and self control to make it a lifestyle. so really, its not that sustainable for the majority of the human race. i myself was only able to keep it up for about 2-ish years, and i gave up after i had a piece of Mr.'s homemade bread, lol. good luck! ❤️

Drink less alcohol (i drink too much, and it really is getting out of hand) Do less exercise (i exercise too much and my body is starting to object...feel like i am hurting in some body part or other like 24/7 these days). Buy less clothes. Eat more often. Read more books. Floss my teeth regularly. Do what i say i'm going to do.

same here. doc gave me a prescription for oxy, but i didn't even fill it. pain was tolerable...mostly annoying. i slept alot. (i was a one night hospital stayer...arrived at hospital at 8am, surgery at 10am, was out the door 11am the next morning) now...recovery from plastic surgery was another story though...yikes. i filled AND went through every last tablet....but i digress.

this is pretty much it. i lost weight at a consistent rate until i made efforts to stop (i lost roughly 10 lbs a month from months 2-7...and while months 1&2 had larger drops, they were not indicative of my average rate of loss). i lost another 10-15 lbs after that over about 4-5 months trying to figure out how much exactly i needed to eat to keep me at a constant weight without gaining nor losing (which honestly is harder than losing weight man) i finally sorta stabilized at 115-120 for the next 4 years. basically i stopped losing weight when i started eating enough calories to sustain me and my lifestyle choices. now here's kicker: i am now 6 years post op and recently lost about 10 lbs in 2-ish months, again because i was/am eating less than i am expending. so i guess i'm saying it doesn't matter how far out you are, you can still lose weight if you are at a caloric deficit for YOU and YOUR lifestyle. ...and the only (easy) way you can really determine if you are in fact in a caloric deficit is if you track your intake and compare to your weight/body composition (which you'll have to track too) over time. but i get it, this is not for everyone...just offering a strategy that has worked for ME all these years.

you are ready when you are ready. it took me 2 extra years and 2 (self-inflicted) surgery postponement/cancellations until i finally bit the bullet and had it done. oh and i even gained an extra 35 lbs during those indecisive years for good measure. only u can decide if ur ready. i will offer a suggestion though...maybe go though with the process to the official approval step (if u get one) and just postpone ur surgery date instead of cancelling altogether. this way if u do decide to go through with it, you don't have to start at the beginning. also, *raises hand* i am 5'2" as well! this is what weight loss looked like on MY 5'2" frame. (the collage below is from my first year progress pics plus a couple pics after my plastics and 2nd & 3rd yr anniversaries. i am 6+ yrs out now, and pretty much look the same as my last pic...but i do weigh about 10lbs less today)

ok here's a weird one lol. went to yoga, pilates, nail appt, botox appt, then grocery shopping this morning/afternoon. i didn't eat before i left (which is normal), then came home around 3:30pm still on an empty stomach (not so normal)...and only realized i was STARVING when i finally got home omg. it was slim pickings in the fridge/pantry and was too hungry to order out, so just threw together what was available: 1 avocado, 3 tbsp of 4-day old cannedtuna with mayo (yikes), chilli oil & ginger-scallion sauce. 511 cals for it all. spoiler alert: it wasn't very appetizing. ate like 2/3? (basically until i wasn't hungry anymore). and was done. kinda wish i just waited and ordered something yummier. feels/felt like such a waste of stomach real estate, ugh. oh well. at least im not starving anymore.

ok here's a weird one lol. went to yoga, pilates, nail appt, botox appt, then grocery shopping this morning/afternoon. i didn't eat before i left (which is normal), then came home around 3:30pm still on an empty stomach (not so normal)...and only realized i was STARVING when i finally got home omg. it was slim pickings in the fridge/pantry and was too hungry to order out, so just threw together what was available: 1 avocado, 3 tbsp of 4-day old cannedtuna with mayo (yikes), chilli oil & ginger-scallion sauce. 511 cals for it all. spoiler alert: it wasn't very appetizing. ate like 2/3? (basically until i wasn't hungry anymore). and was done. kinda wish i just waited and ordered something yummier. feels/felt like such a waste of stomach real estate, ugh. oh well. at least im not starving anymore.

hmmmm...i was diagnosed with fatter liver maybe a year or so before my wls. it was basically reversed by the time i had my 3 month post-op follow-up. honestly though, i don't really know how "bad" i had it - im sure my doc told me but i probably wasn't paying attention - in any case, i didn't even notice any ill effects from it when i did have it. sorry...i realize that wasn't really much help.

breastmilk??

so here's my take on it: its all about relativity others have been so used to your bigger size for so long that when you change that long-held view is such a short amount of time, its jarring and surprising to them. compared to your previous morbid obese self, your regular overweight size seems tiny...despite the fact that on paper you are actually indeed overweight. i started at 235 lbs, and when i got to 150 lbs 5 months later, everyone around me were calling anorexic or starved human or cancer patient or every kind of slightly uncomfortable comment you can think of. but i mean, i was still overweight and like 25 lbs from goal. geez, man. now 6+ years later, i am 105 lbs (and well below my initial goal weight) and no one even bats an eyelash...and this is 45 lbs less than when they were all worried for my existence! its ridiculous because *i* actually think i'm the thin side these days and everyone else just keeps telling me i look awesome (which i do, but still...lololololzzzzz 😂😂😂) long story short...the only opinion that matters is YOURS. nod and pat the head of others who have something to say and just keep on truckin'. good luck! ❤️

ummm....HR!!!!

i HEART your stepmother and sister!!!

Excellent Point!!!! Lots of us who were/are obese seem to have the habit of chasing the "full" feeling. As @NickelChip alludes to, we would be waaaaaaay better served to think of the cue to stop eating as "no longer hungry" vs. "i'm stuffed and done now"

½ an everything bagel with about ½ a cup of tuna salad (tuna, ceasar dressing, sour cream, green onions, cilantro and spices) 270 calories...ate it all!

1/2 a three cheese quesadilla with a heaping tablespoon of sour cream (and a side of curious kitty!) 291calories ate it all!

lunch! ½ a bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, avocado, onion and sumac. 599 calories, ate it all!!

was not exactly in the same situation as u, but here's my anecdotal input nonetheless: i had a breast reduction way back in 2006 i was 34 and was only starting to get overweight (probably maybe 150-160 lbs back then) but had ginormous boobs. best decision ever. my back no longer hurt, i stopped hunching forward, my bras didn't leave railroad tracks on my shoulders, no mote safety pins to keep my shirt closed...all of it! yay! had wls in 2018 (boobs ginormous again as i was then 235 lbs). a year later at 115 lbs, i had a breast lift - kinda like a breast reduction ? but more skin removal vs tissue removal - and again, best decision ever! this time though, it was more for aesthetics. but still a good reason to get one! long story short, the breast reduction in 2006 improved quality of life. the breast lift in 2019 improved how i looked naked. keep in mind though they are different procedures, one is usually covered by insurance while the other is considered a cosmetic procedure and is usually self pay. after u lose the weight, will you still be considered a candidate for a reduction? who knows...maybe, maybe not. personally, (and im just a stranger on the internet so what do i know??) if the large boobs bring suffering to a point that its affecting quality of life, get em done if u have the means and resources to do so. life is soooo much better when aren't in pain all the time.

not american, so no thanksgiving pics to share, but here are some thingsn i've prepared/eaten the last week or so (NOTE: i'm currently in an effort to gain weight - the horrors! lol - so my food choices may be a little off-the-bariatirc-norm...) 1) bbq pork and seasoned rice one-pot-rice-cooker-meal. my portion: 266 cals...ate almost all of it 2) homemade chilli topped with cilantro and feta cheese, home focaccia and sliced avocado sprinkled with sumac: 599 calories for whats shown. ate everything except the foccacia (too chewy for me!!...mr ate it instead) 3) more of my homemade chili, some cheddar cheese, more cilantro, and some Tostido's Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (my fave!!!) 276 cals...ate it all! 4) homemade guacamole with the above mentioned focaccia that i slow toasted to make crisps with cheddar & cilantro & sour cream: 370 cals...ate all except 2 the focaccia crisps. 5) homemade crispy pork belly...omg THE. BEST. CRISPY. PORK. BELLY. EV-AH!!! this pic is of the entire slab. i had roughly 1/2 cup volume of it. ate it all!! 250 calories! 6) junky snacks: - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 1 chocolate : 123 calories - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 3 sour keys candies 103 calories yep, ate all it ta-da!

not american, so no thanksgiving pics to share, but here are some thingsn i've prepared/eaten the last week or so (NOTE: i'm currently in an effort to gain weight - the horrors! lol - so my food choices may be a little off-the-bariatirc-norm...) 1) bbq pork and seasoned rice one-pot-rice-cooker-meal. my portion: 266 cals...ate almost all of it 2) homemade chilli topped with cilantro and feta cheese, home focaccia and sliced avocado sprinkled with sumac: 599 calories for whats shown. ate everything except the foccacia (too chewy for me!!...mr ate it instead) 3) more of my homemade chili, some cheddar cheese, more cilantro, and some Tostido's Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (my fave!!!) 276 cals...ate it all! 4) homemade guacamole with the above mentioned focaccia that i slow toasted to make crisps with cheddar & cilantro & sour cream: 370 cals...ate all except 2 the focaccia crisps. 5) homemade crispy pork belly...omg THE. BEST. CRISPY. PORK. BELLY. EV-AH!!! this pic is of the entire slab. i had roughly 1/2 cup volume of it. ate it all!! 250 calories! 6) junky snacks: - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 1 chocolate : 123 calories - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 3 sour keys candies 103 calories yep, ate all it ta-da!