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hiya! and congrats on the weight loss and 18 year maintenance! thats awesome to your questions: (1) can't really comment for U.S. surgeon recommendations as i'm up in Canada and had mine done up here. though sometimes when i read U.S. prices posted on here, it seems like prices up here are cheaper than the U.S., and its in Canadian dollars so thats like monopoly money for you guys. 🤷🏻‍♀️ (2) I had a breast lift in 2019 no implant nor fat transfer (a had an arm lift and tummy tuck as well...all 3 in one shot) and i actually stayed the same bra size before and after surgery...the bras just fit differently on my lifted boobs. I technically should be wearing a 28D (my torso circumference is on the small side of normal), but since 28D is like finding a unicorn in the stores, i mostly have 30Cs in my closet. so while the bra size remained the same, i fill them out better now....i used to just stuff all my boob material in the cup of a full coverage bra. Now, i can wear those demi-cup style bras without looking like im carrying two bowls of jiggly pudding on my chest ahhahahha. And i can wear those triangle bikini tops and NOT look like i'm spilling out the sides NOR do i have the separated-elongated cleavage look anymore, if that description makes sense. AND i can go commando and not wear a bra at all and still remain relatively perky. good luck! ❤️ p.s. i'm curious as to the reasons why you are not pleased with your thigh lift?

hiya! i remember you from a post about a year ago I remember you were concerned about the number on the scale back then and were resolved to take measurements vs weighing since you are a body builder...did you end up keeping records? you didn't mention in this post what your current weight is, but at 5'6" (assuming age 25 and weight of 266lbs) your current calorie intake is well below your BMR, even if you sat on your couch the entire day...which you aren't. so if your calorie count is indeed accurate, its not an issue with your intake. besides the number on the scale, how do you FEEL? joints better? sleep better? move better? less winded? off any meds? pull out the measuring tape and compare from your measurements last year...like a poster suggested a year ago, as a body builder, the tape will tell you the truth more than the scale will. have you taken pics of yourself this past year? can you see a diff? i know its difficult, but really try not to go down any shame spirals, stress is not a friend of health and weight loss. ask your team for advice and guidance during your appt next week. good luck! ❤️

sip sip sip. i carried a water bottle/insulated cup (and yes, i used a straw...i know people have been told not to use them, but i did...ymmv). around day 2-3 i realized warm/hot water went down easier than cold/room-temp so i started sipping that. was able to stand colder water again by week 2, and also in week 2 i accidentally found out i could gulp water...i was so thirsty and didn't think, so yeah. was able to drink large amounts of water no problem after that.

1 day 1 week 1 month 3 months 6 months 1 year, 2yrs, 3yrs, 4yrs had my last regularly scheduled appt at 5 years post (about 4 mnths ago). Also worth noting that i had labs (bloodwork) done each time (except the 1 day post one) and i had dexa scans/checks before surgery for baseline and every year until 5 years post.

i was allowed coffee (black only...no sugar or milk, ofc). though i think they told me not to drink any 12 hrs before surgery...but i think that was all liquids, not just coffee...i don't remember? further, they served me both coffee and tea in the hospital after surgery...with cream and sugar packets for some reason. i take my coffee and tea black anyway so i didn't bother asking if it was a mistake. 🤷🏻‍♀️

like a lot of the folks here, i only had to do 2 weeks. it was 3 shakes a day for two weeks. i had to go back to do the math, but figured out you wrote your initial post on day 2 of your liquid diet, yes? Most will tell you that the first 3-4 days are the worst of it. If you white knuckle it those first couple days, you'll likely find it gets much, much easier. I'm sure there's some science to it, but essentially your body gets used to the lower intake and does something else instead of whine loudly lol (google ketosis). But you have to try to not "cheat" during those days or you may just reset the clock, and have to do those 3-4 days of discomfort again. Doing math again, today should be day 4 for you...how are you doing? In terms of the 4 week road ahead of you, it does sound daunting, but maybe if you could break it down to week long increments it may be easier to bear. just get this friday and you'll have one week under your belt. then look forward to the next friday. or if a week seems too long, just get to the end of the day. whatever it takes to shrink the seemingly endless void into small manageable parts (with small victories along the way). ...and if you fall off, get up and start again. no need for shame spirals or self-flagellation. good luck! ❤️

omg repurposing leftovers is one of my fave things to do! a sample of my "Leftovers MacGyver-ing" (yes i take pictures food every. single. day. ...almost...i have an album titled "random food pics" on my phone hahahhaha) in order of appearance: 1. leftover baked potatoes into chunky cream of potato soup with bacon and cheddar 2. leftover cheesecake into cheesecake brownies 3. leftover dahl and sweet potato fries into curried sweet potato soup BONUS: also used leftover pita bread to make the croutons on top. 4. blueberry yogurt that was about to expire into yogurt bread

breakfast/brunch of champions lol: 1/2 a sausage and egg breakfast sandwich, a hash brown, 4 Pringles chips and some ketchup. 375 calories for the plate, at it all.

oddly enough, my skin folds & skin rubbing bothered me more when i was overweight vs. AFTER the weight loss. my issues were all centred around sweat and moisture, so for me, it was all about keeping dry. i used non-talc baby powder (the johnson and johnson cornstarch baby powder is whar i used most) in my "problem" areas: between my thighs and my under boobs. worked great so long ad i was vigilant about it (if i wasn't, i'd get itchy and rashes, and worst case, i'd get open sores). but like i said, as i lost weight it actually got better so i ditched the powder.

*raises hand* 5+ year tracker, here. been logging my food intake since day one. im not as anal/precise about it as i was in the beginning, when i weighed and measured EVERYTHING. even spices and items with single digit calorie counts. now i kinda eyeball my food to determine portion size and sometimes just log a guesstimated calorie amount for an entire sandwich instead of breaking down the ingredients. i don't log when im on vacay anymore. but i DO still log. (oh and i still weigh myself every single morning- if i have access to a scale) for what its worth, personally i believe my tracking habits in the earlier years contributed to my successful weight loss and maintenance...if my weight started going in a direction i didn't like, i would know (because of my daily weighing) and i would generally also know why (because of my daily food tracking and activity monitoring), and be able to take appropriate action before it got out of hand, you know? at this point though, for me its more of a habit/hobby. i sorta feel like i'm pot-committed...i have all this data from the past 5 years and i feel like i should just keep going cuz it would be kinda cool to have like 10, 20, 30 years of data someday? i dunno. maybe i am still anal. in any case, i reached goal in 7months, and maintained below that goal weight this entire time. I am 5+ yrs post op i realize this M.O. is not for everyone and for some (most?) this level of effort would be more detrimental than helpful. bottom line: you know yourself best. do what works, don't what doesn't. good luck! ❤️ p.s. sorry this was so long

11 days for me (after i had plastic surgery a year later, it was 13 DAYS omg). i ended up doing a glycerine suppository. my pro tip would be to keep up efforts to stay regular, and start taking action after a certain amount of days to avoid discomfort/pain/annoyance/etc. In the first 6mnths postop, I took 2 tsps of Benefibre every day with my morning protein shake and drank ALOT of water. If i didn't poop in 3-4 days, I'd take a miralax, if that didn't work after a day or so I'd take Milk of Magnesia, if that didn't work after a day, I'd do a glycerine suppository. if that glycerine suppository didn't work after 1 hour, I'd take another one. Luckily, I have never had to figure out what to do if that 2nd suppository didn't work, as to date, it always did, phew. these days (im 5+ years post op) i no longer take my daily benefibre, and am more or less regular (poop every 2-3 days), but i do get the occasional bout of consitpation, during which i'd employ my old M.O. described above. its funny-not-funny that pre-wls i had the opposite problem, i would poop like 2-3 times A DAY (sorry, TMI!! lol)

it really depends on what ur goals are... rapid weight loss? sustained weight loss? maintenance? muscle building? fat loss? carb reduction? fats loading? anyway...i used the following calculator to determine my optimal macros based on a modified keto diet (kinda like Atkins II, sorta). it worked for me until it didn't...the macros i was aiming to maintain was really not sustainable (for me) in the long run. im 5+years post op now and don't look at macros anymore (haven't done so since year 2)...now i just keep an eye on total calories (no matter how they are comprised). i've been able to maintain below goal weight this entire time just on maintaining a caloric limit alone....but thats just me...ymmv. but anyway, here is the calculator: https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/ good luck! ❤️

a couple of my long list of clothing weaknesses is denim and jumpsuits (i have waaay too much of both!) but just to stay on brand...i give you my latest purchases: a denim skirt, and not one, but TWO denim jumpsuits! now need to figure out where and when to wear these....

I'm grateful that stomach stretching was never on my list of worries, lol. but man, you still have quite alot of restriction still! even more than me, and i always considered my stomach capacity to be on the small side...yours is absolutely minuscule for 6 yrs out! ❤️

I don't say this alot, because it seems its not the "norm" among bariatric patients...but i consider myself one of the "lucky ones", who can seem to eat whatever i feel like and am still able to maintain my weight with little to no effort (my food log is packed with "non-diet" foods...which i need to do because my restriction is still very much in effect). i too was concerned about continually losing weight to the point of death, but it turned out all right in the end (so far). not having to worry about calorie intake (based on my natural eating habits) is something i will forever be grateful for...even if it doesn't last forever. you will find yourself hard pressed to find someone who lost too much weight to the point of medical concern around here. i can think of exactly 1 member on here who self-identified as going below healthy BMI for an extended period of time (dont know what her status is now, as she has since dropped off the forums...and at the time she was at 18 or so BMI...which was at the "top-level" of underweight...) anyway, this is my long winded way of saying enjoy the ride and try not to worry (unless of course your team is worried?)...more often than not, your worry will become a non-issue when things are all said and done. if u continue to be one of the "lucky ones" who put little effort in maintaining weight and health in the long term, yay it really is a blessing and not a curse, years out. good luck! ❤️

i had a bit of difficulty getting my protein shakes the first 2 weeks, i used protein powders and i had to water them down ALOT to get it down. i probably only consumed maybe the equivalent 1 cup of a pre-made protein shake the entire first 14 days post surgery. it was a issue of aversion for me...it was just so unappealing and gag-inducing. that and i was just so exhausted that there just wasn't enough awake time to drink. my water consumption wasn't that great either, probably sipped maybe less than 2 cups a day (warm/hot water cuz it felt better)...and i did this from a 1oz medicine cup all day long...soooo annoying omg. first two weeks i probably had less than 400 calories each ENTIRE WEEK. but magically (on day 13 to be exact), i accidentally found out i could could gulp down water...i was so thirsty that i forgot i was supposed to sip...and it was wonderful lol. so much more satisfying than those sad sips from the stupid medicine cup. after that i was gulping down litres of ice water. and protein shakes cuz i just would water then down alot with ice water and down them. solid food on the other hand took a little longer master...but that's another story. now i drink lots and eat lots (avg 1800 cals a day) for a bariatric patient, but not quite like a "regular" person, lol....and im 5+ years out. long story short: hang in there, it gets better by increments. keep in contact with your doc and team, and there is no need to worry of they aren't. good luck ❤️

i often brought the following on road trips/vacays during weight loss phase: - beef jerky - frozen grapes and blueberries (if u bringing a cooler) - chicharron/pork rinds (if your calorie goals allow it) - protein powder

here's my personal anecdote : when i called goal, i looked skeletal and gaunt. many people told me so (which i found annoying), but more importantly, *i* thought i looked gaunt and skeletal. fast forward about 1.5 years after that, and while i actually weighed 10+ lbs LESS than when i called goal, i looked waaaay healthier...and, dare i say, HOT. lol. i was exercising regularly and my body didn't have that frail look to it, and my face gauntness filled in. granted i did also have plastics done: tummy tuck, breast lift and arm lift, but those procedures only took of 400g of weight off me, so says my doc. fast forward another couple years (im 5+ years post op now), and while i still weigh 10+ lbs LESS than goal, i STILL look healthier now than those early days of maintenance. Mind you, i do look a lot "softer" now as i only exercise a fraction of what i used to do before. I do think rapid weight loss does a number on one's looks in the short term, but i think most people will find that as time goes on, things move and settle a bit so we dont look so sickly. (and yes, i can see my bones in places, lol)

oh, and dinner last night: unbelievably slooooooowwwww cooked lamb curry over some rice. 253 cals for my bowl, ate it all

The diy Boursin love continues.... fresh out of the oven: Spinach-Boursin Quiche!

I'm 5+ yrs post op now, but thanks to MyFitnessPal and my anal logging efforts, I can tell you exactly what I was eating on my 5th week post op! I focused on trying to get my protein in, for sure. Aimed for 70g, didn't always make it, but gave it an honest-to-goodness try. I do remember that i didn't eat much in the early months, due in part because of my of my restriction, but also because i had some serious food-aversion going on at the time and I just really didn't want to eat. I was however, surpassing my daily water goals easily (2L) all the time. I very much enjoyed drinking water, which I definitely preferred over actually eating. Below are screenshots of everything I logged/ate during my 5th week post op. Averaged 454 calories a day that 5th week, which i realized later was on the low side, oopsies. Though i stayed at about his calorie level until about month 3 or 4 when I averaged closer to 600 a day. By month 7 I was averaging 800 cals a day. Today, 5+ years later, I average about 1800 cals a day.

omg these "Boursin"-carmelized-onion-tarts were a hit! (thanks for the idea @Arabesque), they are totally going on the pot-luck contribution rotation for future gatherings... I made them into individual tarts, because I love hors d'oeurves-type presentations...plus i don't have to cut into anything to serve! is funny because they ate a few before i took a pic of the pan, and then a couple more before i got them on a plate. they were that delicious! I candied some bacon as well to put on top of them, but there were only 2 left by the time the bacon was done. Imma gonna make some candied-bacon-chocolate chip cookies later instead. i also didn't get a chance to put some of the seasoned arugula on top for garnish...i'll just eat it as a salad later. yum!