ms.sss

Nothing wrong with caring about your appearance, nor wanting to feel comfortable with what you see in the mirror. We all know that its not helpful to worry about something that may or not happen in the future, but we do it anyway. Maybe the goal is not to stop worrying, but to deal with the worry a little bit better. There are a myriad of things you can do, and something in there is bound to ease the anxiety (even if just a little)...just need to find it. Since you didn't ask, I won't list them out, but Google is your friend. To the question you did ask: My greatest fear was dying on the table. When I woke up from surgery my first thought was "Yes! I'm alive!" My current greatest fear is still also dying. After over 15+ years of being MO, I am so grateful to be in a body that allows me to enjoy so many aspects of life that I want lots and lots and lots of more years to do it.

For Ontario, the requirements are one of either: BMI of 40+, or... BMI of 35+ with 2 documented co-morbidities (i.e., diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc) If you qualify, your PCP has to refer you to the Ontario Bariatric Network, and if they approve you, its all pretty straightforward from there. In Ontario, it takes about 8-12 months from date of refferal to surgery (if attend all your appointments) Check out the OBN's website for more info: https://www.ontariobariatricnetwork.ca/ (or ask your PCP) Good Luck!

@WishMeSmaller: thought i’d add another endorphin-producer suggestion: SWIMMING! I had my first lesson of a swim class I enrolled in this morning (aside: i already know how to swim, I just want to swim PROPERLY and basically look as smooth and effortless as Mr. & the Kid...i am currently a very ugly, inefficient and “splashy” swimmer so I joined to learn proper form, lol...but I digress...) Anyhoo, one of the drills we did was laps with a pull buoy, which basically nullifies the use of your legs and forces you to rely on your upper body and core...and man, what a workout! Cardio and arms and back! I didn’t feel it in the core as much as i thought i would, but i think its because I wasn’t doing it properly. May be an option for you while u wait ur injury out? Your foot can get a break from gravity and excessive use, while still getting some exercise in...

Got distracted this AM, and just remembered I had to eat something (i still find it fascinating that this happens sometimes...) Apples, cheese & pistachios (plan on eating it all): 291 calories

That plate is interesting! Is it a painter’s palette?

My scars are still very noticeable in most areas (at time of this writing I am 10 months post plastics) Arms: these are what I consider the worst of my scars. They are the darkest and widest here. And the most raised. Oddly enough though, the parts of the scars that span both my armpits are almost totally gone. Weird. Tummy: this scar is dark, and for some reason is healing better in the middle (the part above my crotch) than at the sides (near the flanks). Boobs: the scars here are the best healed, while still dark, the are not as dark as the arms & tummy, and they are almost pretty much flat here. The scars around my nipple are also almost totally gone. All the areas that are still raised are the itchiest (doc says this means it is still healing?) Now I knew going in that it would take me longer than most for my scars to fade, which I am cool with. Most others you will find will have scars that are virtually invisible at the same stage as me.

Phew! Just had a marathon dinner seating! The fam just spent the last 3+ hours eating and drinking and chatting at the table! That was a long one, even for us, lol Had a glass of wine, about a 3/4 cup of beef stew (beef, carrots, peas), a slice of peach-ricotta-tart (about 1/10 of the whole) with some pistachios on top. I made the tart from scratch, btw, and am quite proud of it! 724 calories for everything I ate (the wine and dessert took up the majority of the cals!) P.S. I also feel like i should put it out there (for the new folks) as a reminder that I am 2 years out and my weight loss phase days are long behind me, and have been maintaining my current weight for well over a year. Dunno why I feel the need to explain, but whatever... P.P.S the "593"g on the scale includes the weight of the bowl...forgot to zero the scale before I put my food in it...oopsies (The bowl weighs 488g).

Hey! This is actually an excellent point, something I never even thought about until i read your post. I just realized that my social circle remains pretty much the same post-op as it was pre-op (though I did make a couple, new, honest-to-goodness friends on this forum ❤️). Aside from the BP pals, everyone I interact with regularly knew me as obese (and most of them also knew me as a skinny person before the obesity). It definitely would have been refreshing and welcome to have a friend who didn’t talk to me about my weight loss all the time during weight loss phase, and just shoot the sh*t about regular stuff. I’m 2 years post op now, and its not so bad anymore because everyone is pretty much used to me already, but it would have been nice back then. Great advice 👍🏼

My go-to snack was beef jerky. I aways had a ziploc of the stuff in my purse everywhere i went (often i would make my own so i knew exactly what was in it...) oh, and i also carried around a tiny tupperware of protein powder...

2 years post op here, and I still burp a ridiculous amount (and often times ridiculously loudly). I don't burp as much as the first few months post-op, and now it is for the most part limited to about 30 or so minutes after I've eaten or drank something. Things that are *supposed* to help: eat slowly take small bites avoid drinking from straws refrain from talking while you eat don't chew gum stop smoking avoid carbonated beverages avoid/limit foods that cause gas/bloating (this list is LONG.) aside from the 1st three above, I do/partake in the rest of this do-not-do list (and my diet pretty much consists of stuff that is found on the gas-causing-food list), so I really only have myself to blame. Sigh. On the bright side, my burping never was/is accompanied by pain nor discomfort (unless I eat too much or too fast), it really just annoying at this point. If your burping is causing you alot of discomfort or affecting your quality of life a little too much, you may consider implementing the list above (and speak to your doc). Good Luck!

you got a deal, lol...from their website:

A Sharper Image food scale?!?! Someone be fancy. LOL. (....as I go to the Sharper Image website and see what things I want to buy but totally don't need...) Edited to add: What the? Sharper Image retail stores closed in 2008?!?! I totally missed the clearance sales!

@WishMeSmaller, I get it. The need for "girl time": Check. The need for endorphins: Check. The need to wear some cute clothes and feel awesome: Check. If any of these are lacking in my life, there is a noticeable difference in my day-to-day demeanour and over all mood. And my poor fam often pays for it (sorry, fam!). You are right, in that sometimes it helps to just get it off one's chest. Feel free to wallow, you are entitled to it, we can't be happy-happy-go-go all the time...that is just not realistic, nor sustainable. Sleep some, try to move about as best you can when you are awake (i know that it will be limited due to your injury), but mostly, try to be kind to yourself and know that this is just one of many lows points that we all have to go through in life. I read something many moons ago about treating yourself the exact same way you would treat a loved on when they are feeling blue...words to live by. In the meantime, maybe, for girl time (if you can't hang out with your girlfriends), you can lean on the copious amounts of estrogen on here.. , I personally have found this forum to be a significant source of comfort and entertainment, like minded individuals, and all. As for the lack of fitted clothes and the accompanying feeling of awesomeness when you rock an outfit, I found that leggings and tank tops never fail to make me feel "all that". Or just doing my hair and makeup, even on days I have no intention of leaving the house (eff you covid). Whatever you choose to do, know that you are not alone in this constant over-your-head feeling of crapiness and the mad desire to eliminate it. ❤️ Holy Crap. My girlfriends and I have a 5+ year old WhatsApp group called GNO...and here I thought all this time I made up the term, LOLOOLzzzz. Soooooooooo funny to see those letters outside of our group!!!

Will let u know as soon as i get my hands on another pineapple...

I like the plaid pattern...i always like my plaid thin striped and equally spaced, haha. Though...i think you could go a size (or two?) smaller...theres a bit of bunching at the waist

Whats on the apples?

First pic, dinner as meant to be served: Grilled Lemongrass pork with cucumbers, pickled veg, white rice & Nuoc Cham sauce & some homemade chicharron made from the skin/rind removed from the pork shoulder. Skipped the rice (surprise, surprise). 141 calories. Just a few bites of leftovers which i fully intend on finishing later after a bit more digestion, lol. 2oz chicharron: 334 calories (had this before main meal which explains my low consumption of the rest) Also, a coffee martini (not shown) while I was grilling : 141 calories 616 calories total

27g cheddar + 1/2 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 10g dried cranberries = 191 calories Ate it all...totally hit the spot. 😎

LOLOLLzzzzz

+10000000000000 on all of the above WEAR. AN. EFFING. MASK.

+1 on trying to find something else to "comfort" you other than food. +100000000000000000 on the slippery slope of "having just one cigarette". I had been smoke free for 8 years until one day on vacation last September, I thought I would "just have one". Then I thought well i can "just smoke while on this vacation". Fast forward 1 year and despite "quitting" 3 times for about a month at a time, I am back to smoking like I never stopped all those years ago. Le Sigh. Sooooo...be careful when putting your toes back into old habits that got you to where you don't want to be. ....but obviously, YOU know yourself the best, and can endeavour to recognize your limits, and try not to toe the line if you don't need to. Personally, it's not worth it. Good Luck!

DEAL! Lol

Is it weird that it looks like a calzone to me? I see food everywhere...😂

Dinner at Casa Ssss: potato rösti & smoked salmon, with sour cream and capers. Passed on the rösti and just had the salmon and toppings: 154 calories. Ate it all! (Still have my leftover meatball shiratake meal in the fridge..it’ll have to wait till tomorrow)

Im in Ontario, Canada and in my province (not sure about other provinces..), if you have documented evidence of skin issues (rashes) on the abdomen, immobility or back issues due to midsection bulk, or weight loss of over 100 lbs, then provincial insurance will cover the cost of a panniculectumy. I qualified under the 100 lb loss. Pannilectumies are the only procedures covered (I had to pay for the muscle tightening and flank lipo portion for a legit tummy tuck). My surgeon did all the application and approval work. Its kinda a funny story about the tummy tuck though, it was literally a last minute decision (like 1-hour-before-surgery-kind-of-last-minute).