ms.sss

My towel wrapped all around me today after I took my shower

Exercise NSV today! I walked 5k on the treadmill in 1 hour 7 minutes. I’ve never walked more than 40 minutes on the treadmill so this was a big accomplishment for me. I I entered a 5k that’s in a couple weeks so it’s very motivating. 😊

Doctors' philosophy on this vary from a few weeks to never again depending upon their experiences. The basic issues are:
Healing - alcohol is somewhat corrosive to the stomach lining so one needs to give things a chance to heal first,
Alcohol tolerance - rapid stomach emptying means it tends to hit faster, and with less (i.e., a "cheap drunk") so care must be taken there,
Transfer addiction - we can no longer satisfy whatever addictive tendencies we have with food, so it is easy for transfer that addiction to something else, like alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, etc. What was a casual habit of a glass of wine with dinner occasionally can easily turn into full blown alcoholism.
Liver health - starting as morbidly obese, or worse, our livers are not usually in very good shape to begin with (hence the "liver shrinking" pre-op diets that are often prescribed) and the liver is further stressed from its role in metabolizing all that fat that we are rapidly losing. It doesn't need any more stress from ingesting a known liver toxin like alcohol (not a judgemental thing, just our physiology at work).
My surgeon is also a biliopancreatic (livers and pancreas) transplant surgeon, so he is in the no alcohol as long as we are losing weight camp (and ideally forever) and indeed we sign a contract to that effect - he doesn't want any of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table!
Those are the issues in play, and some aspects bother different surgeons to different degrees, so they have different policies. Check with what your surgeon's policy is, and decide for yourself - we are all adults here.

Just finished my first post-surgery 5K and damn that compression gear is making me look skinnnnnnyy!

Also I finished in 42:53! Under 14 min mile! I’m super excited about that after having two months of not working out (injury+personal stuff happening). Looking forward to my 10K on 5/20, even if I’m feeling pretty nervous too!

And my Weight loss is cug-a-cugging along, got w3ighed at a doctors office yesterday Friday 22, 2019, aI now weigh 11 pounds less than the arbirary one on my State- issued ID, I have one of those instead of a driver's license.
FYI Ohio is one of those states that requires your weight on hunting and Fishing ones, somebody asked Why? Told them I figure its so they can identify your body if something bad happens, like being shot or drowning! Not too worried about #2. since I can swim. just don't plan on doing in frigid waters. and although all my relatives went through Hunter safety courses that might have fooled the State, but not me, there are definitely a few I don't hunt with, know what doofuse they are in Daily Life, and I'm sure it carries over into here also.

A couple of vacation-related ones:
* when buying hiking clothes, everything was a medium or a large. I could measure myself with a tape and order online and things actually fit - I was able to decide which fit me BEST, but they all fit and they even coordinate.
* for 16 days of travel and two extremely different purposes (visiting old friends and hiking) I was able to pack in one medium roller bag. Some of this is being able to mix and match clothes more, but I swear some is just smaller clothes.
* when I landed, I was not tired. I’d traveled for over 24 hours, walked 5 miles through airports, slept 6 hours on a plane, then walked another mile or two at my destination. Not only did I not need a catch-up nap, but I was able to be really active all the way to local bedtime.
* one of the features of this city is neighborhoods built on steep hills, with the shortest route between these enormous flights of steep steps and 45-degree paths. When I used to live here it took weeks to get to a level of fitness to tackle them regularly, and I’d usually end up a red sweaty mess. Now I just get as winded as everyone else, but at the top of the steps bounced right back and was no worse for wear.
* my friends haven’t seen me in a decade and more than one of them has burst out in delighted laughter when they realize it’s me and give me a huge hug, then accuse me of aging backwards. It’s really nice.

22. Biggest victory - getting to this point in my life. Quitting smoking 11 years ago. Getting my Masters and license to practice. Being alive.

NSV for me today— The lady who works at our dry cleaners who I’ve seen for years didn’t recognize me until I told her my name. 😳 93 lbs down, 22 to go to hit my goal!

I haven't dated in YEARS. I met someone I'm really interested in and our mutual activity ends tomorrow. Basically, he was standing outside alone before lunch and I went up to him and said something to the effect of “I’m going to make an ass of myself, but if you'd like to do something after all of this is over, give me a call.” He graciously said thanks and that he’d see me tomorrow. He was pretty cool about it all (although we'll see how awkward tomorrow is). Pretty sure he won’t call, but that’s ok. Just proud that I did it. I haven't been that forward with a guy since high school. In some ways, its better if he doesn't call - I'd be like the dog that actually catches her tail - what the heck would I do next. I've been out of the game for at least a decade at this point!

But, in the end, I actually feel good that I did it, even if nothing comes of it.

A nurse called from my dr office....she said the PA suggests slowing down, chewing more (like everyone suggested) and likely chicken and red meat could be hard right now- also make sure food is wet- I said to my coworker ugh wet meat- like a cat LOL
She also recommended I take a second dose of PPI at night for a week or so until my stomach feels better...so I am going to start that immediately and just SLOW down and keep trying things one at a time. baby steps it is.

It's a really personal question... For those of you who can't understand, ask yourself WHAT question would be too personal for you. Your sexuality? Your money status? Your marital situation? I'm sure there is something that if asked would make you wince. Take that feeling and apply it to this situation. It doesn't have to do with being ashamed, embarrassed, etc. It can be a whole host of reasons.

well i decided i needed a new coat as they were having a 70% of sale so i went to the rack grabbed a 2x coat tryed it on (was in a 4x ) and i was swimming so i tryed an xl nope still to big i bought the large after i tryed on a medium which i thought was to tight so i went with the large first time i have bought a large anything (except food) since 6th grade been a few years for sure !!!!!!😎

Guys this is unbelievable and has literally brought me to tears I'm 8 days post op just had my week check up weigh in and on surgery day I was 374 today I weighed 354 I lost 20 pounds this week I'm so excited about this journey I started in October at 406 pounds my heaviest ever
Sent from my BND-L34 using BariatricPal mobile app

So for a couple weeks I’ve been licking chips, which I know sounds absolutely crazy but just getting the flavor gives me the best satisfaction, I know I have to watch sodium when I do this. But that’s the only cheating I’ve been able to do this far!

How is everyone able to cheat so easily on the post op??!! I am so scared to even have my puréed :( so scared that I’m going to choke or it’s going to get stuck and I’m gonna end up vomiting. Ugh!

I was amused to read through all of these comments. Honestly, what I really read about was a bunch of people being "normal!" A little wine at a wedding, a diet soda here and there, "a" slice of pizza, a square of cake at a party! Handful of Goldfish. You reckless beast! This is okay, right? We didn't get to be morbidly, sickly, obese behaving this way. It was whole bags of chips consumed without thought, large slices of sugary deserts, giant plates of restaurant foods consumed with ease along with endless breads and appetizers, buffets, fast food trips on a daily bases, half a pizza in one sitting (whole pizza?) Oh, the awful things we did to ourselves that brought us to this point in our lives. I've spent so much of my life feeling bad about my choices I don't want to anymore. I actually feel good about myself when I walk away feeling just fine about having a taste of a treat my husband is having. Once a week we light a fire outside in the pit and we make a s'more. I enjoy the whole process, get it all ready and take 1 maybe 2 small bites and hand the rest of it off to my hubby. We go to dinner a couple times a month and I order up a drink..(something lite on sugar). I take responsibility for it, I watch my calories, I savor my indulgence and if the scale isn't moving than I know what I have to do.
I guess my point is...don't hate yourself for doing normal things. What you did before wasn't normal.
My confession! I had my best friend over, she brought a bottle of vanilla smirnoff. I had some sugar free orange junk to add into it. Tasted like orange creamsicle. We have a lovely spa out back so her and I marinated in it all evening sipping our drinks and laughing. Next morning I found my clothes laying on the grass and our husbands were telling some ridiculous tales about us. The fire department even showed up because apparently our fire pit was burning a little too bright that evening. It was fun! I felt normal. I didn't turn into a raving drunk or eat like a maniac there after. I woke the next day, did my work out, cleaned my house, ate all things healthy and had no regrets. Well, finding my clothes laying about the yard was not a happy discovery.
Don't forget to still have fun!!! Cheers!

Unless I someday go off the rails, I really don’t consider any food a “cheat”. If there is something I want, I can plan around it, change my daily intake to accommodate it and eat a few bites to satisfy my craving. I also just substitute. For instance, my Nextdoor neighbor brought over chocolate covered Reese’s Rice Krispie treats for my husb. Because they were there, I wanted them. But, if I had one, I’d have eaten the entire plateful. So, when he ate one for dessert, I ate a tablespoon of natural Peanut Butter. It tasted exactly like his treat smelled so I was satisfied.
Otherwise, if I know I want something a little higher in calories, I just do all low cal/no carb Protein to allow for the higher cal/carb lunch or dinner. It’s pretty easy. If you’re already at your daily limits, you can just wait until the next day and plan it in. The food will still be there.
Nothing is really off the table.
“Cheating” thinking is just self defeating thinking in that you’re talking about cheating yourself.

Alright, let’s chat about real life. I struggled with drinking my calories but have gotten it pulled back a lot. However, I’ve substituted those calories with slider foods. So, I’m taking action and going back to counseling and I think I really need to up my Water intake. So, if you are struggling, like me, think about this honeymoon period and making the most of it. I know I want to do the best I can. I’m excited that I pulled out slacks today! Size 20 slacks and size 16 blouses. Some xl blouses because I’m thinner up top. This is really exciting but I know I could use a few more pounds to fit into some of the awesome clothes that I have. Wish me luck guys. It isn’t all sunshine and roses and everyone’s journey is different but I’m working through it all.

I just want to brag a little bit....

Today marks 6 days post op and today has been my BEST day yet!!! I finally feel normal again! I put makeup on, left my house for awhile and felt great!! Decided to weigh myself for the first time and I’m down 14 pounds in 6 days! Wahoo!!! I’ll admit, I was in a slump for a couple of days post op feeling a bunch of negative emotions. Today I’m feeling great! Not to mention, it’s the first day post op that I haven’t had to take anything for pain or nausea!!!

Ps....I’m choosing to remain private about my journey with WLS...only telling close family and close friends and I’m so glad I have you guys to relate to!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I finished my first half marathon yesterday! Finished in 2:12. Had two packages of Stingers chews, Water, and nuun for hydration. I'm glad it's over as my hips and right knee are mad at me today! It was a beautiful day, and I was able to run with my wife, so it couldn't have gone better

@ms.sss
wow, nice healthy good lookin' family glad they are all supportive
must be hard to keep up with them, but you are catching up
look at you go!!
kathy

@Healthy_life2
LOL, that would drive me crazy too! unfortunately I will never have that problem with my DH.
I married him 28 years ago when he (me too) were heavy. He doesn't want to change (love him
anyway)!!!
It should be illegal for ANYONE to be able to eat and eat and..... with no repercussions!!🤣
Your maintaining, look great, but as with most of us - it will always be a struggle. "all of a sudden"
i've been dealing with portion control!! Concerning your friends gaining back weight after WLS,
that's sad in itself - I understand why they might feel self-conscious to be around you. I can relate
to those feelings, but unfortunately all of you have lost your circle of friends. Touchy subject
kathy

I use a glycerin suppository to melt the hard poos. They are inexpensive like 3 or so bucks for 100ish at wm. BUT weird if you are not used to putting anything in your butt. They are small so it doesn't hurt. You just poke one in and then go do housework or something and 20-30 mins later everything is like soft serve. I probably have to use it 3 times a week. If I don't poo by night time then I'll use one or if I eat a heavy meat like steak or chicken breast I will use one in the morning. It's simple and doesn't cause any cramping and I like not having another pill to keep track of or remember to take.

So here's my before picture at my max of 304lbs- 21stone 10 for the uk people

and now my latest picture , 88lbs later!

Ta da! I'm 63yo today! Lost 50lb in 3 months. Feeling good and enjoying life.