ms.sss

no pic!

i had my surgery over 4.5 years ago when i was 46 (yes, not quite 50, but still). while i was not quite menopausal, i was definitely peri-menopausal. i lost more than goal by 7 months post op: to that, while i can't quite comment on how menopause may affect weight loss, based on my own personal experience, i can submit MY own account on how menopause affected MAINTENANCE. its been over a year since my last period (im 50 now) - which i guess officially makes me menopausal - i haven't been "regular" for over 2 yrs), and so far has not affected weight (so far! *crosses fingers*) i have been more or less the same weight (give or take 5lbs) since stabilizing about 4 years ago. i think alot of how menopause will affect u is genetic and quite individualized. i have ZERO menopause symptoms. and according to my mom, it was the same for her. you may luck out, you may not. only time will tell. with that said, menopause does not mean weight loss and maintenance is unattainable. you may have to work a little harder than those who are unaffected, but it CAN be done. good luck and enjoy the ride! ❤️

who the heck told u that??

seems like its been a while since i've had one of my "big salads"....too much eat out and take out for the last little while... anyhoo, a salad: 324 cals for the whole bowl. romaine, carrots, tuna, chicharron, sesame seeds, wonton crisps, tartar sauce and vinaigrette. looks like i ate about 3/4 of it.

ahh but u are missing out on the wonderful world of tartares, carpaccios, koi sois, tatakis,....

i think most people (most, not all), are pretty run down and tired after surgery. i was dead man walking for about 2-3 weeks immediately after surgey, and just weak-man walking for the next few months after that. it does get better once you start eating more. worth noting that i'm 4.5+ years out, and i still don't think im as "strong" as i used to be pre-wls: opening jars and lifting every day things are just harder to do now. of course, i'm over 1/2 the weight/size i used to be, so i that explains some of that. hang in there ❤️

lol, i meant that NOT-horrible baby food meat does not exist (cuz they are ALL horrible 🤢)

i honestly think all the good wls advice in my head came out of my own mouth. hahahhahaha 😂 but seriously, this golden nugget came from my NuT, at around 3 months post-op, after i informed her i was not adhering to her guidelines: "Keep doing what works, stop doing what's not." Preach, lady. As for stuff said to me that was very UN-helpful, i cant even begin to choose. Good thing i rarely listen to other people, HA!

im not sure these exist. pureed meat...*shudder*

met the Kid's newest boyfriend for the first time yesterday. she told me their conversation afterwards went like this: Him: you didn't tell me u had a sister. the Kid: that was my Mom. Him: how old is she? the Kid: um, 50 Him: she looks like she's 27 (lol random number, but i'll take it!) Needless to say, he is welcome over ANYTIME. 😂😂

honestly, its not the weight loss that is outstanding between the two pics (which is very evident, btw!), but the projected confidence! Feeling good and looking it for the WIN! Congratulations! ❤️

you can totally work core without lifting (well at least not anything more than your own body weight). google body weight core exercises. i did alot of yoga. oh, and planks are your friend, lol.

i use My Fitness Pal, the paid version, but the free version is good too.

side rice (with ur chicken) vs. sushi rice: somehow stomach capacity is more forgiving when raw fish is involved 😂😂

ugh pureed stage traumatized me too. on first day of puréed stage i blended up some beef. yes, it looked as bad as it sounds. i took a whiff if it and wanted to barf. then promptly threw it in the bin. was so off-putting i didn't eat for the rest of the day. *shudder* i decided i would just extend my full fluids stage another week and went straight to minced stage afterwards. no harm, no foul.

it was a while ago, but i do remember having a blast. i went with a bunch of girlfriends and it was mostly laughs and sad attempts to get up the pole (spoiler alert: none of us had enough upper body strength to get up the pole any significant bit lol). but i do think if i ever do get up that pole, core strength would definitely help to stay up there. i haven't gone since but now that u remind me of it, i'll likely set up another go with pals for more laughs.

i do this too! and agree it makes a huge difference! i used to always eat by "saving the best for last". but after wls, it was like, "why??" why am i eating the less yummy stuff and wasting valuable stomach real estate?? so i started eating the best part first, and i am much happier, lol (and i actually end up eating less so im not so full!)

i had a serious (and extended) case of food aversion. still get it every once in a while now at 4.5+ years out. during those/these times i don't actually feel hungry though...its more like "i should probably eat something", but don't want to cuz i had/have the icks. so i don't. i'm of the (minority) mind that i won't force myself to eat if it will lead to an unpleasant experience. i just didn't/don't want to have that kind of relationship with food (or anything really) with that said there where periods where i ate very little..,but i would always get a window eventually when i did want to eat. and did. with so little calories i did feel very weak and tired, plus my blood pressure went way low, and would get woozy if i moved too fast. this happened regularly for about 3 months and by month 4-5 it was much better, probably because i was eating more and moving around much more. one thing my doc did suggest, which i think did help with the wooziness was increase my sodium intake. which was fine by me cuz i love salty things lol. as for throwing out shaker bottles and never having soup/broths again...never say never: things are always changing and will continue to change no matter what. if you can accept and make peace (sans angst!) with whatever comes and goes, as part and parcel of ur weight loss (of life, really), then the ride will be alot smoother. Good Luck! ❤️

yowza. $1125 USD to own a pair of these babies!

pineapple is a very divisive topping in many places lol. fun fact: "hawaiian" pizza (i.e., pineapple + ham) was actually invented in Canada!

just about!

dupe post.

couldn't resist a deal. picked up these "sock stilettos" at the mall today for $30 CDN. i have absolutely no where to wear them, so i'm just playing dress up at home. paired them with a faux leather skirt which i also bought on a whim a couple years back which i have worn in public a total of ONE time, ha. if it wasn't for this OOTD thread, human eyes would not be laid on like 3/4 of my wardrobe 😂. i need to get out (and dress up!) more. p.s. pro tip: wear super high heels will make you look taller and skinner than you really are! p.p.s. oh, and cross one leg in front of the other one in pictures...makes your butt/hips look like they actually exist!!

congratulations on ur upcoming wedding! the back pain seems to be a pretty common occurrence soon after surgery/weight loss. i already had back and foot pain pre-surgery, but about 1-2 months post op a NEW back pain showed up. as well as NEW foot pain and hip pain (the hip pain actually was the most annoying). like your doctor, mine also said it was due to weight loss (i had lost about 50 lbs by month 2, including the 2wk pre-op diet), and that my musculature was built over years to support my weight so need to adjust to support my changing weight. if i remember correctly it all went away by month 3 or 4. i didn't take any pain medication (but i probably should have), but i did start doing yoga and core exercises in month 3, but im not sure if that contributed to the pain going away or it was just my body finally adjusted. in any case hope all your appts lined up get you up an at em by your big day!