EmzBee

Hey all [emoji4] I'm tentatively down for the 15th. Here in NZ getting surgery publicly is super-hard as they accept so few patients per year, so hubby and I are taking out a BML (Bloody Massive Loan) from a family member to get it done. We want to have a pēpē (baby) in the future and this would give us the best chance to do so. (I'd also LOVE to ditch the depression/anxiety and go back to full-time work...).
Had my first appointment with the surgeon early December, booked in with the dietician and psychologist next week. I've tried to lose some weight over the past month, but I've only managed about 2kgs, so last nigjt I chucked out all the food in the house and put myself on Optifast early. All or nothing, baby!! [emoji38][emoji6]

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Hi hi hi February buddies!
So I had my last meeting with my surgeon pre-op earlier this week... we're all go for the 15th (that'll be the 14th your time--as we're ahead here in NZ). He's put me first on the list because of anxiety, so it'll be nice to get it out of the way early!
I had a misstep and a half-day "break" from my pre-emptive pre-op diet. Said goodbye to a few delicious carby things. Surgeon said 2 weeks of Opti, Dietician said three... doesn't matter much, as I'm back on it now anyway. 10kgs down, and after my day off earlier this week I'm back to losing!
I don't know if anyone here is doing Optifast or powdered shakes... but I thought I'd share a few tips and tricks I've learned over the past couple weeks:
Make up chocolate shakes with coffee, or orange low-calorie cordial/juice for different flavours. Make up vanilla shakes with tea, and/or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg and ginger for 'chai' and 'vanilla spice' flavours. Make up low-cal jelly with half as much Water, cool it down, and whizz it up (while it's still liquid) with an ice-cold shake to make a 'flummery' style pudding. Make up low-cal jelly with half to quarter as much water and set in a tray. Cut up into small pieces and add to shakes or tea to get a kind of 'bubble tea'. It's summer over here, but I'm loving making spicy roasted eggplant Soup, roasted Tomato Soup, and zucchini noodles in homemade Tomato sauce for my 2c vegetable allowance! Above all, keep tea and coffee and other mixers in the fridge! And try to stay away from artificial sweeteners as much as possible... diet coke and low-cal cordials in large quantities give me killer carb cravings! Anyways, I hope this might help... if not, sorry for tantalizing you with food talk! 😂

Sorry to hear about the stomach problems Gaby! That sounds nasty

When I went in to hosp. for my tummy issues I was in a room with a lady who had some ulceration around her lower join. She was about 5yrs or so post op, I think. Hopefully your tummy issues are something they can solve quickly and easily

Anyone else fairly dependent on laxitives to keep things moving? I'm taking a laxitive sugar Syrup most days now. I was having some... issues. Like, everything was 'saving up' and when I did go I'd get such intense stomach cramping I had to have a bucket by the loo to dry retch into and it'd take me several hours to feel okay again. Can't believe I put up with that cycle for as long as I did... urgh.

Anyway! I made it to the 160s, woo! I think I need to up my Protein. Stuck to shakes for a couple days and the weight fell off me... likely I'm just not getting enough protein in from food alone.

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Totally agree.. The first 50 have come off pretty easily Just by reducing calories and changing everything i eat
I feel the next 85lbs will take more work than the first lot and that is why I've opted for the bypass to help me with long term maintenance
14 days to go

Sorry to hear about the stomach problems Gaby! That sounds nasty

When I went in to hosp. for my tummy issues I was in a room with a lady who had some ulceration around her lower join. She was about 5yrs or so post op, I think. Hopefully your tummy issues are something they can solve quickly and easily

Anyone else fairly dependent on laxitives to keep things moving? I'm taking a laxitive sugar Syrup most days now. I was having some... issues. Like, everything was 'saving up' and when I did go I'd get such intense stomach cramping I had to have a bucket by the loo to dry retch into and it'd take me several hours to feel okay again. Can't believe I put up with that cycle for as long as I did... urgh.

Anyway! I made it to the 160s, woo! I think I need to up my Protein. Stuck to shakes for a couple days and the weight fell off me... likely I'm just not getting enough protein in from food alone.

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I had that same feeling when I got out of the shower and found I could wrap/tuck a normal-sized bath towel around my body. Yep. My whole body. Woot woot!

gabybab--so sorry to hear about the Endoscopy. Please keep us posted on the followup. I hope you will not need a revision, although if you do the procedure should be minimal, right? Or would it be similar to enduring the whole process over again? That would be awful. I feel you about the lines on the face....no one tells you that you will age substantially. I see it in my hands, my forehead, my mouth and especially my neck. Thank goodness turtleneck season is arriving in the Midatlantic!

Congrats! You look awesome!
I, too, worry about sagging skin. I went from I want my breasts and arms done to oh hell no I need my face done. I can tuck the other spots up. My face is showing lines I never had. I have a long way to go (68 pounds) and I'm afraid I will look scary. I'm having a terrible stomach problem and have an endoscopy on the 5th of November. I'm worried I will need a revision. My stomach burns down lower in my stomach and makes me feel nauseated. I had gerd before surgery, so I'm really scared about this.
Bonus, I too feel so much better about myself. I just broke the threshold to just obese. lol
But having had had a bmi of 54 I will take it.
Way to go February friends!

I hear you 100%. It seems like we are all in the same boat. (And the boat is still afloat!!!! )

Now that I'm at goal weight, I'm obsessing a bit over the saggy skin all over my body (neck, arms, abdomen, thighs, butt--and even low-hanging man-boobs). When I feel a bit depressed about it, I try to think about these things:
1) I now have cheekbones.
2) I now have a jaw line.
3) I no longer worry about people seeing my face from the side because I have no jaw line and my chin seems to be attached directly to my chest.
4) I don't panic when people are taking pictures and try to either get out of shot or try to stand in the most flattering pose possible while sucking in my gut.
5) When boarding a plane, I no longer worry that everyone is thinking, "I hope the fat guy doesn't sit next to me."
6) I can now eat in public without worrying that people are looking at me and thinking, "How disgusting. If he had more self-control he wouldn't be so fat."
7) My pants now stay up on their own and I don't have to tug on them every 15 minutes. (The men will understand this.)
8) I FEEL FANTASTIC!!

Amazing! Go you!!
I seriously believe that killing the pre-op diet is key. Lose the 'easy' weight pre-surgery, so that you have the 'tool' of surgery to lose that more stubborn weight that's been hanging around for longer
I've just turned 30, and I'm smaller than I was when I was 17. It's amazing to go out in public and not have to worry about if they'll have chairs that will support my weight or if I'll feel comfortable at a table. I went back to my hometown a month or so ago and walked everywhere. The city felt so much smaller than I remembered, because I could travel everywhere by foot!
Keep us updated with how you go, Mikey! And stay away from those TimTams 😂😂😂

I went hard on the Optifast and lost 40 pounds pre-surgery.
3 months post-surgery I was down 85 pounds
6 months post-surgery I was down 121 pounds.
I've gone from a BMI of over 50 to around 28.
Best of luck! You've got this! 🙂

I started my own strict diet 7 weeks ago shakes and tuna all healthy...and I've got two weeks left until surgery..as of today I'm down 53lbs
80-90lbs from my ultimate end goal

I went hard on the Optifast and lost 40 pounds pre-surgery.
3 months post-surgery I was down 85 pounds
6 months post-surgery I was down 121 pounds.
I've gone from a BMI of over 50 to around 28.
Best of luck! You've got this! 🙂

Hey@november11, wow! You're surgery date is going to come up so quick! All the best! [emoji4]

If you have a question for Sheri directly, I'd suggest you reach out to her via direct message.

I'm really proud of the community us February peeps created here together and it's important that it remains a community (rather than a hierarchy) so everyone continues to feel that their personal journeys are valued and important. We all have setbacks and we all have successes -- no one journey is more valuable than support and friendship we've built together over many, many months of sharing our journeys, and I'd hate to see any one of our February members start to feel excluded.

Obviously we all know this is a public forum, but we do put some fairly sensitive information (and pictures!) out there for all to see. It can be confronting when someone else comes in and we realize those intimacies we've shared have traveled further than we expected.

Perhaps there is a Novemeber group you could join, or better yet, start one! With your enthusiasm I'm sure you'll develop a thriving November community!

Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey@november11, wow! You're surgery date is going to come up so quick! All the best! [emoji4]

If you have a question for Sheri directly, I'd suggest you reach out to her via direct message.

I'm really proud of the community us February peeps created here together and it's important that it remains a community (rather than a hierarchy) so everyone continues to feel that their personal journeys are valued and important. We all have setbacks and we all have successes -- no one journey is more valuable than support and friendship we've built together over many, many months of sharing our journeys, and I'd hate to see any one of our February members start to feel excluded.

Obviously we all know this is a public forum, but we do put some fairly sensitive information (and pictures!) out there for all to see. It can be confronting when someone else comes in and we realize those intimacies we've shared have traveled further than we expected.

Perhaps there is a Novemeber group you could join, or better yet, start one! With your enthusiasm I'm sure you'll develop a thriving November community!

Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Ugh.. so was really happy last week. I can visually see a huge difference, but feel frustrated this week. So I am back at the gym after gallbladder surgery and today I am up 5 lbs from last week. I haven't changed anything except working out, and I have only gone twice this week. Just needed to vent. I am posting my before and current pictures because I still have a ways to go, but need to remind myself how far I have come! 

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So I am finally posting the before and during pictures. Can’t wait to post the after. The first picture of my husband and me was taken in April of 2018 and helped me to confirm I NEEDED help. The second picture was taken this past Sunday at a play. Also , NSV Fit in the seat comfortably. Also, please pretend my eyes are open.

Check out my hair growing back! I lost a lot of hair all over, but I’d say almost 80% of my bangs fell out.

And Sheribear you'll remain my FAVORITE O CITY GIRL- Happy Happy Happy Birthday from ME in another O State- OHIO!

So good to hear from you EmzBee!

Hey I’m an October bday girl as well, although I surely won’t be turning 30! 🤣🤣🤣
However I will be turning 51, which is awesome because it will mark the first bday I’ve had since I turned 28 where I’ve had a normal BMI.
I’m so happy that you get to start your 30’s like that because I spent my ENTIRE 30’s and 4’s. Obese and MORBIDLY obese.
I love that you’re planning a bday celebration with activity and not centered around food. That will definitely help you reach that challenge goal.

Emz- Congratulations! I bet you can hit that 19 pound goal. But if you don’t think of all the success you’ve already achieved. Glad to hear from you!

Great to hear how everyone's going! Even although I haven't been posting much lately, it's been good having a big ole catch-up... I got really behind on our wee thread.
How are our other infrequent February posters? You all still out there?
September was a slow loss month for me, but I finally today lost a total of 60kgs! Only 9kgs (19 pounds) to go and I will have lost HALF my body weight. How crazy is that?!

Also, I turn 30 next week. If you'd told me I'd be seeing my 30th in 60kgs lighter this time last year I wouldn't have believed it. Heck, if you'd said I'd be 20kgs lighter I would have been stoked! So crazy just how much life can change in a few short months.
Hubster and I are thinking of climbing Rangitoto here in Auckland for my birthday. That, and going to see the Joker movie (mainly because I know my husband is desperate to see it. Lol.) Hoping I can lose my 19 pounds by my 9-month check-in in November... probably a bit of a tall ask, but hey, I'm always up for a challenge 🙂
Sending you all positive thoughts! ❤️

Great to hear how everyone's going! Even although I haven't been posting much lately, it's been good having a big ole catch-up... I got really behind on our wee thread.
How are our other infrequent February posters? You all still out there?
September was a slow loss month for me, but I finally today lost a total of 60kgs! Only 9kgs (19 pounds) to go and I will have lost HALF my body weight. How crazy is that?!

Also, I turn 30 next week. If you'd told me I'd be seeing my 30th in 60kgs lighter this time last year I wouldn't have believed it. Heck, if you'd said I'd be 20kgs lighter I would have been stoked! So crazy just how much life can change in a few short months.
Hubster and I are thinking of climbing Rangitoto here in Auckland for my birthday. That, and going to see the Joker movie (mainly because I know my husband is desperate to see it. Lol.) Hoping I can lose my 19 pounds by my 9-month check-in in November... probably a bit of a tall ask, but hey, I'm always up for a challenge 🙂
Sending you all positive thoughts! ❤️

Great to hear how everyone's going! Even although I haven't been posting much lately, it's been good having a big ole catch-up... I got really behind on our wee thread.
How are our other infrequent February posters? You all still out there?
September was a slow loss month for me, but I finally today lost a total of 60kgs! Only 9kgs (19 pounds) to go and I will have lost HALF my body weight. How crazy is that?!

Also, I turn 30 next week. If you'd told me I'd be seeing my 30th in 60kgs lighter this time last year I wouldn't have believed it. Heck, if you'd said I'd be 20kgs lighter I would have been stoked! So crazy just how much life can change in a few short months.
Hubster and I are thinking of climbing Rangitoto here in Auckland for my birthday. That, and going to see the Joker movie (mainly because I know my husband is desperate to see it. Lol.) Hoping I can lose my 19 pounds by my 9-month check-in in November... probably a bit of a tall ask, but hey, I'm always up for a challenge 🙂
Sending you all positive thoughts! ❤️