EmzBee

That's wonderful news, EmzBee. Thanks for updating us!

The otters! Definitely the otters. I love seeing those guys. You can't but help smiling when you see them play. I wish you luck with your test. I know you must be very stressed. Stay strong and think positive!

I love otters but I went last weekend and did the roller coasters... Woohoo fun stuff and 19 k steps in the process. Watch some otter videos and do the rides!

EmzBee, you've been doing so well in your weight loss, but apparently at a huge cost to your overall well-being. We are all hoping that they are able to resolve this so you can start to feel better. By the way, I had a barium swallow when the were diagnosing my leak way back when, and it wasn't bad all--actually tasteless.
As for the celebration, I vote for pampering yourself with a day at a spa.

Ooh yes! Nothing like a good mani/pedi or a rejuvenating facial to make you feel better.

Besides, it’s more fun to do those things now with a slimmer more confident you

In a stunning turn of events, I've been admitted to hospital after my surgeon appointment earlier today.
Almost blacked out when they took blood and put my IV in. Looks like fluids, a Vitamin top up and a stricture test for me. [emoji53]

Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

Thinking of you on the other side of the world, EmzBee!

So sorry to hear that, EmzBee. We will be thinking of you, and please let us know how things go.

Oh no!
Please let us know how you’re doing as soon as you can

Wowee, you do things rather scary, but you're in a Good Safe 0lace Now! May the problems turn out small, would not wish a stricture on anyone, I have fought this battle myself! BUT PLEASE UPDATE us on how things turn out!

Thank you!

I've been in hospital overnight on fluids. Surgeon saw me this morning -- he thinks it's probably *not* a stricture... but we'll just be checking to make sure.
It's weird, though, because my dietician said I shouldn't be vomiting this far out, and I still have periods of being fairly restricted.
I guess because of my mental health problems I get a bit sensitive about the suggestion of things being 'all in my head'. I'm usually one to stick things out until they're unbearable, so even being in hospital for a little thing like vomiting all the food I've tried to eat for days feels like I'm making a deal out of nothing... bleh.
Guess there's no solution for this but to hurry up and wait...

Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

In a stunning turn of events, I've been admitted to hospital after my surgeon appointment earlier today.
Almost blacked out when they took blood and put my IV in. Looks like fluids, a Vitamin top up and a stricture test for me. [emoji53]

Sent from my CPH1719 using BariatricPal mobile app

You're doing fabulously, Recidivist! And like you say, men do tend to lose weight a lot quicker than us ladies do... (all you have to do is look at The Biggest Loser to see that!) And to be honest, I think you 'earned' your quick loss with the complications you suffered early on! You had a real rough run of it for a while there, so it's so nice to hear you're doing so fabulously now! ❤️
My dietitian doesn't like the idea of Keto. *sigh* I'm not sure what to do about it. Since cutting out carbs I've dropped quite quickly -- about 5 kilos in the past two weeks -- and I just feel more satiated going for higher-fat options (and a lot less hungry now I've cut out carbs almost entirely).
We're quite spoiled here in NZ with our meat choices. The last two Sundays I've roasted a full leg of lamb, spiked with rosemary and garlic. I eat hardly any of it, but my husband and I munch on it throughout the week. It's delicious! Especially cutting off and eating the salty, fatty bits straight from the oven... nom! Hehe.
All of our meat here is also grass fed, which is a big bonus. It still boggles me that you'd feed a cow anything other than grass... you don't even have to leave our biggest city, Auckland, to see moomoos snacking on grass! Yesterday hubster and I grabbed a couple of coffees and watched the planes come in to Auckland airport next to a small herd.

I'm sorry, Sheribear--I hope it didn't sound like I was bragging. I'm just sharing my journey with everyone.
I just returned from a 3-day weekend with friends at a resort, which is always challenging. Breakfast every day was three pieces of bacon, and dinners were a protein-rich appetizer (including a delicious lamb dish on the last day). I weighed myself upon return home and found that I'm down three more pounds to 162, just 12 pounds from my goal weight. (Sorry again, Sherribear.)
I've decided to revise my goal weight down to 140. I think I still have a paunch, and I'm wearing 34 pants. (At one point in my adult life I wore a 30.) Also, I weighed 127 when I entered the Army at age 22 (38 years ago). I will admit I was a little scrawny, but I think that means 140 is probably realistic at this point.

Oh gosh, yeah! That was me, too--thus why I decided to put myself on the liquid diet early. I mean, I know I have an unhealthy relationship/addiction to food, I know it's holding me back big-time, and I know I'm going to fail if I don't commit to the process 100%. So why take the chance?
I heard a bariatric surgeon on youtube say that you basically have one shot to get it right... it's so much freaking money, I've only got one shot anyways... and I'm planning on wringing every last drop of weight loss out of that post-op honeymoon phase! =D
Yep! I think that's us! (I only found this place yesterday, I'm still figuring things out, too Welcome!

I battle these demons all of the time.
I have such a difficult time sitting back and letting life happen to me most of the time, but this time I’m making a conscious effort to relax a bit more and let it come.

Some days I completely lose this battle, but I’m aware it is an issue and I’m working on it.
Just today I bought 2 new pairs of shorts because we’re going on a family trip next month to New Orleans and I realized I had zero shorts that still fit me.
I purposely bought both of them slightly snug so I really hope they fit in a few weeks.
It’s so hard to try to guess what the body will do next month but I’m such a control freak that it was making me absolutely crazy knowing that I had no clothes for the upcoming trip.

Oh my goodness! I just checked my BMI, and it's currently 25 (overweight, which is wonderful). However, 24.9 is at the very top end of normal weight! I have been waiting almost 30 years to be called "normal!"

Hubba-hubba! 🙂

Question: How did you set your goal weight?
I was mathematical about it... initial info said with RNY 'expect to lose around 75% of your EXCESS weight'. I calculated that from my top weight (138kgs) which co-incidentally worked out to be 84kgs; which is where I was when I started uni, and what I managed to lose down to when I started gymming pretty hard in my second year (I'm turning 30 in October... it's been many years since I've seen anywhere close to the weight I am now!)

Just asking 'cause it looks like I'll have to set a 'stretch goal'. I never really considered what it might be like to *actually* be small or within my HWR. And to be honest, the idea scares me a little (especially with the loose skin I have now... I can't imagine what it will be like if I lose another 20 or so kgs!)

So, what's your goal weight based on, peeps? How did you go about setting it? ❤️

Also: I've convinced hubby to try out Keto with me! Anyone want to join? I mean, we're pretty much all following some kind of LCHF/LCHP diet anyway 😂
TBH I'm kind of scared about consuming more fat, but I'm MORE scared about how quickly carbs started to creep back into my diet... so I'm going to try to eliminate them entirely.
Sounds like a 'carnivore' diet can be reasonably good for head problems/depression, and I have eczema/skin issues too, that might benefit from the extra fat (I'm having particular problems around my sugar glider wings and side boobs... thanks, loose skin!)

Thanks Sheri!
Gosh, don't you look lovely 🙂

I guess I've always, always struggled with my weight so I find it difficult to set a 'goal'. Here's kind of where I'd like to get to (I used to play the electric violin in a reggae band). I have no idea what weight I would have been here, though! I'm guessing somewhere between 150-170???

I'm also a bit afraid of eating a high-fat diet, particularly since I've gotten rather sick the few times I have eaten something high-fat. What I'm doing so far seems to be working, so I'm not tempted to tinker with it. (LC/LF/HP and no sugar whatsoever.)

Mine was fairly easy, EmzBee. I was at a "normal" weight up until I was about 32 (which is 28 years ago), and that's when I started gaining. I stayed around 150 pounds +/- that entire time, so that seemed like a logical goal weight. No higher mathematics involved! 🙂

Honestly I’m going off of where I was when I was in my 20’s and before the metabolic syndrome really started when I was pregnant with my daughter.
I’m 5’7”, have a medium build, and I carry my weight primarily in my hips and legs when I’m not obese and carry it everywhere.

In college I was carrying around an extra 10-15 pounds easy when I was weighing 130-135 so it made sense to set my goal for 145-150 being 30 years older. One year I dieted like crazy and was a gym rat and I got down to 120, but that was really difficult to maintain.

Here is me at 140 ponds in 1995 at my sisters weddding. I was 26. Would love to get back to within 5-10 pounds of this.

Well Sheribear life really starts being the Real Thing after 40. Up till then, you basically are doing Market Reaserch. So to continue that line of reasoning, you were still young, a perfect age to have your Surgery! No wonder you basically are doing well now, You Are Still In Your Prime!