AZhiker

I lost a lot pretty fast. That is not the way it is with everyone, and in some regards, I wish the loss had been slower. It is a huge mental adjustment to losing so much so fast. I went from pant size 24 to 10. Bra 42DD to 36B. People don't recognize me and I hardly recognize myself. Body dysmorphia is real - I feel like I am in someone else's body. It's a bit surreal. Sometimes I feel a bit lost - like where did I go? I think I look old and wrinkled - shriveled and saggy. People tell me I look younger, but I don't see it. Without clothes, I think I look 90 years old. Anyway, I just try to focus on all the things I can do now, even if I do look funny! I must say, it is fun to shop for cute clothes. I hated it before - so shaming. But gosh darn it! I can't find jeans that fit. My thighs are hollow on the inside now and even size 10 have way too much fabric in the thigh area so they look more like English riding pants on me.
Bottom line - you will lose at the rate that your body wants. Going slower is not bad - it might even be better for all the mental and physical changes that happen. I am also getting pretty tired of people asking about my weight loss. Some are concerned that I might be sick and others are just nosy. That is getting old.

I lost 100 pounds in the first 6 months! Unbelievable, really. What I gained was also unbelievable - a whole new life! No shortness of breath with exercise, no asthma, no GERD, sleep apnea resolved, no joint pain, so much energy! Able to get down on the floor and GET UP AGAIN! Down 12 clothing sizes - WOW! Being one of the smaller people in the room instead of the biggest. The list goes on and on. It is a new world for me and I am so excited for you!

I would suggest two videos for anyone remotely interested in WFPB lifestyle. "The Game Changers" and "Forks over Knives" are the two that piqued my interest initially. They just made sense. Michael Greger was the medical consultant for "The Game Changers." I have really liked his books, "How not to Die" and "How not to Diet." They are practical and all evidence based. My favorite cook books so far and the magazines that are put out by Forks over Knives. The recipes are really pretty good, no artificial ingredients, and nothing so exotic that I can't make most of them right from what I have in my panty. The Forks over Knives website has some great recipes, as well. My family (all carnivores) actually like most of what I throw at them! The "How not to Die Cookbook" is also good. I am having so much fun with new recipes and new ways to prepare food.

I make my own cheesy sauce that is great with Pasta or veggies like broccoli. I do not use the processed products, as I don't think they taste that good, they are expensive, and I try not to use processed food products as a rule.
To make a cheesy like sauce, I soak cashews for 30 to 60 minutes in hot Water. Then I put them in the blender with a cooked yellow potato, soy milk, a small avocado, and sometimes some tofu.. Add a good amount of nutritional yeast and some miso paste, pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. The avocado taste does NOT come through, but the fat makes it "creamier."
I will admit that the Beyond Beef burgers are pretty tasty. I might have one of those once a month or so, but not often. My Protein comes from a wide variety of legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, tofu, tempeh, soy milk/yogurt or Nancy's Oatmilk yogurt which is pretty high in protein. I easily get 60 grams a day. Sometimes I will add a half scoop of Protein Powder to a smoothie or yogurt bowl.

I have found that WFPB, combined with IF (intermittant fasting - I do 8/16) is the ideal eating plan for me. I can eat as much as I want, never feel hungry, and still keep my weight stabilized. I have plenty of energy and mental sharpness, and although weight loss did not drop my cholesterol at all, WFPB dropped it 70 points withing a few months, along with significant lowernig of my LDL and triglycerides. I feel healthier now than ever before in my life.

Just got my labs back. I have been eating WFPB for about 7 months and the results are pretty impressive. First of all, my Protein, Calcium, and Iron levels are well within normal limits, which proves to me that plant sources are perfectly adequate to meet these needs.
Best of all, My lipid panel has just blown my socks off. Here are results from pre-op, 6 month and 12 month labs. Please note that I was at goal, having lost 100+ pounds at 6 months.
CHOLESTEROL: 223, 219, 153!
TRIGLYCERIDES: 133, 56, 34!
HDL: 64, 71, 78!
LDL: 132, 137, 68!
CHOL/HDL: 3.5, 3.1, 2.0!
The disappointing part is that my Vitamin D level has continued to drop, in spite of daily supplementation and plenty of outdoor time. I am sure this has to do with my fat malabsorption since surgery, so I guess I will be taking the super doses for a while to get it back up.

It IS a lot of food. Most days I cannot even eat all that is on my food list. It is a completely different way of thinking about food. There are a lot more carbs, for sure, which has been the hardest thing for me to get my mind around. But I love it, I have energy to exercise, and I feel very satisfied (physically and emotionally) after a bowl of cooked cereal or granola. The other thing I have discovered is that to lose a pound or two, I eat MORE, not less. This completely derails any feelings of deprivation and subsequent "make - up binge." To drop a few pounds, I decrease the highly dense foods (like nuts, nut butters) and increase the vegetables - like add some extra raw veggies to my daily snack pack,or eat another big salad, or steam up some more greens, or eat an extra apple. Filling up with less caloric dense (higher fiber and higher Water content) really does fill the belly. I am NEVER hungry. I really do not need to count calories, either. I do make sure to get at least 60 gm of Protein a day.

DO NOT BUY A TIME SHARE!!!!! You'll never get rid of it. The financial advisor we went to for dinner was already my own advisor. He just invited us to the dinner since we had not been yet.
Anyway, my protein is very adequate and comes in small packages throughout the day. Here is one day's worth of food and where I get the protein. I think it adds up to about 75 gm of protein.
19 - cooked whole grain Cereal with 1/2 c pea protein milk and a small banana. (Cereal made from steel cut oats, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, quinoa, slivered almonds, raisins, unsweetened cranberries, cinnamon.)
6 - homemade Soup with Beans, legumes, lentils, quinoa
7 - millet/chick pea casserole
1.6 - apple and orange
7.6 - 2 mini fritattas made with potato, mushrooms, brocolli, chick pea flour, pea milk, nutritional yeast
4 - 4 veggie sushi rolls
2 - 1/2 c sweet potato
1 - 2 cups of fresh greens, steamed
.8 - 1 c cooked radishes
1 - 1/2 c cooked mushrooms
.7 - 1 brazil nut
7 - 1/4 c nuts/seeds
9 - 1/2 c plant based yogurt
.5 - 1/2 c fresh berries
4.3 - 1/4 c. homemade granola (various whole grains, almond flour, almonds, seeds)
.6 - veggie snack bag (1.5 c of raw celery, cuke, peppers, radishes, carrot, purple cabbage)
4 - 1/2 c Golden Milk (plant milk with chai spices)

I had a great experience tonight. My husband and I attended one of those retirement seminars at a fancy restaurant where they give you a free meal if you listen to the spiel. The meal was salad, filet mignon or salmon, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, rolls, carrot cake. I explained that I was vegan and gluten free, hoping to at least get a salad and maybe a baked potato. Well, this place went all out. It was amazing! Besides a nice salad, I got a large plate, LOADED with grilled veggies - without butter or a lot of seasoning. At least half a pound of asparagus, sliced sweet potato, Tomato halves, and a good cup of fancy mushrooms/garlic cloves - all grilled to perfection. And more than a cup of fresh berries for dessert. It was so beautiful to look at and so delicious. My tummy was soooooo happy.
After meal time disasters in other situations (like a wedding where everything either had butter or cream sauce, and the vegan dish had wheat) with no dairy free dressing for the limp salad - it was so disappointing and made me feel like I could never eat out again and be happy. But tonight was so delightful. I actually felt sorry for all the others - mine was so beautiful. It's so nice to feel energized by food and not "drugged" feeling by the meat and fat.
I have been 100% WFPB for several months now and feel great. I am getting 60-70 gm of Protein a day, 50-60 gm of Fiber, and averaging about 1500 calories. I am maintaining my weight and generally feel overly stuffed most of the time, as the volume of food is a lot. Many days, I cannot even finish all that is on my food plan for the day. One definitely does not go hungry eating this way! If I need to drop a pound or two, I just cut back on nuts/seeds, and increase the veggies. There is never a need to restrict the amount of food - just the type of food.

I would suggest two videos for anyone remotely interested in WFPB lifestyle. "The Game Changers" and "Forks over Knives" are the two that piqued my interest initially. They just made sense. Michael Greger was the medical consultant for "The Game Changers." I have really liked his books, "How not to Die" and "How not to Diet." They are practical and all evidence based. My favorite cook books so far and the magazines that are put out by Forks over Knives. The recipes are really pretty good, no artificial ingredients, and nothing so exotic that I can't make most of them right from what I have in my panty. The Forks over Knives website has some great recipes, as well. My family (all carnivores) actually like most of what I throw at them! The "How not to Die Cookbook" is also good. I am having so much fun with new recipes and new ways to prepare food.

I was 63 years old when I had surgery and lost 100 pounds in 6 months. I went from a 42 DD to a 34A. Basically "rocks in socks." Pretty ugly, but only without clothes! During the past year, however, my fat seems to have redistributed a bit. My weight is the same, but I seem to be a bit more filled out. I will never have breast surgery, as a well fitting bra works just fine, and I am not out looking for a relationship. Being older, I think, adds a different perspective. I am so happy with who I am and my brand new body that can do all the things I've not been able to do for decades. Being morbidly obese was a lot more funny looking than my new wrinkles and sags, so I'll take skinny and saggy anytime!

All I can say is that I am 2 years post bypass. I lost 100% of my excess weight in 7 months, am keeping it off, and am not deficient in Vitamins or minerals. The restriction is much less now than it was a year ago. I focus on whole, plant based foods which allow a tremendous amount of volume. I can eat basically as much as I want, and control weight by monitoring the grains, nuts, nut butters, and seeds. Those are the most caloric dense foods I eat, and it is easy to tweak caloric intake up or down by adjusting those.
I think the people you know who have had bypass and are Vitamin deficient are the exception to the rule. Are they taking their supplements? The malabsorption part of bypass gradually goes away, but bypassers are still supposed to be taking their vitamins unless directed otherwise. You do not see all the other bypassers out there who are doing fine, look great, and are not deficient.
I had bad GERD, so bypass was my only real option. But I would have chosen it anyway. This is major surgery and I only wanted to do it once, and get all the weight off once and for all.

I was 63 years old when I had surgery and lost 100 pounds in 6 months. I went from a 42 DD to a 34A. Basically "rocks in socks." Pretty ugly, but only without clothes! During the past year, however, my fat seems to have redistributed a bit. My weight is the same, but I seem to be a bit more filled out. I will never have breast surgery, as a well fitting bra works just fine, and I am not out looking for a relationship. Being older, I think, adds a different perspective. I am so happy with who I am and my brand new body that can do all the things I've not been able to do for decades. Being morbidly obese was a lot more funny looking than my new wrinkles and sags, so I'll take skinny and saggy anytime!

All I can say is that I am 2 years post bypass. I lost 100% of my excess weight in 7 months, am keeping it off, and am not deficient in Vitamins or minerals. The restriction is much less now than it was a year ago. I focus on whole, plant based foods which allow a tremendous amount of volume. I can eat basically as much as I want, and control weight by monitoring the grains, nuts, nut butters, and seeds. Those are the most caloric dense foods I eat, and it is easy to tweak caloric intake up or down by adjusting those.
I think the people you know who have had bypass and are Vitamin deficient are the exception to the rule. Are they taking their supplements? The malabsorption part of bypass gradually goes away, but bypassers are still supposed to be taking their vitamins unless directed otherwise. You do not see all the other bypassers out there who are doing fine, look great, and are not deficient.
I had bad GERD, so bypass was my only real option. But I would have chosen it anyway. This is major surgery and I only wanted to do it once, and get all the weight off once and for all.

38? You haven't even lived half your life yet! Even though you look saggy now, wait at least 6 months after surgery for plastics, IMHO. Skin actually does start to tighten up on its own. I was 62 when I had surgery and even with a lot less elasticity and collagen than you, my skin has tightened considerably. Waiting also gives your mind a chance to catch up with your body.

Estroven Double Strength was my life saver through menopause. The hot flashes and night sweats woke me up 10-20 times each night. I thought I would kill my whole family before I jumped off the bridge myself! costco is where I got it and used it twice a day for a while, then just in the evening.

I went from 3X scrubs to SMALL! Yes, it still seems incredible. I look at other people who are wearing the same small scrubs as I am (they are all the same brand and style, as they come out of an automatic dispenser at work), and I still just can't envision myself as being as small as they are. But I am! It truly is a very odd mind game.
Just as odd is that when i was fat, I never thought of myself as being anything but a bit overweight - not morbidly obese. I look at old pictures now and just cringe with embarrassment that I would even go out in public. That was also a mind game. I see patients now who weigh what i used to weigh, with BMI's of 40+, and I still have a hard time believing I was actually that big, but I was. Denial is a very powerful defense mechanism that tries to protect our egos from reality, I suppose.

I went from 3X scrubs to SMALL! Yes, it still seems incredible. I look at other people who are wearing the same small scrubs as I am (they are all the same brand and style, as they come out of an automatic dispenser at work), and I still just can't envision myself as being as small as they are. But I am! It truly is a very odd mind game.
Just as odd is that when i was fat, I never thought of myself as being anything but a bit overweight - not morbidly obese. I look at old pictures now and just cringe with embarrassment that I would even go out in public. That was also a mind game. I see patients now who weigh what i used to weigh, with BMI's of 40+, and I still have a hard time believing I was actually that big, but I was. Denial is a very powerful defense mechanism that tries to protect our egos from reality, I suppose.

Estroven Double Strength was my life saver through menopause. The hot flashes and night sweats woke me up 10-20 times each night. I thought I would kill my whole family before I jumped off the bridge myself! costco is where I got it and used it twice a day for a while, then just in the evening.

I have found that WFPB, combined with IF (intermittant fasting - I do 8/16) is the ideal eating plan for me. I can eat as much as I want, never feel hungry, and still keep my weight stabilized. I have plenty of energy and mental sharpness, and although weight loss did not drop my cholesterol at all, WFPB dropped it 70 points withing a few months, along with significant lowernig of my LDL and triglycerides. I feel healthier now than ever before in my life.

Children of alcoholic parents often get stuck in a care giving role of responsibility for the parent. They end up being thrust into a parental like role, which is enabling and unhealthy. You are NOT responsible for your mom, for her decisions, for her lies to the doctor, for her weight loss or lack there of, or for her long term success or failure. You are only responsible for YOU. For heavens sake, go to your OWN follow up appointments and let her go to hers. You are each on your own journeys in this. She is not going to stop drinking or smoking because of this surgery, and she may well develop complications because of that. You are not responsible for that - SHE is. She has you wrapped around her little finger. You can love your mom and wish the best for her, but you cannot live her life for her. You have one big job right now and that is to take care of YOU! Get yourself out of the house and back to college. You are putting your own success at risk by trying so hard to ensure your mom's success - but that is HER journey, not yours.
I strongly suggest you get to some Alanon meetings and learn how to be supportive without enabling, and how to take care of yourself. Please do this, or get some kind of counselling. Alcoholism is not a benign disorder. It deeply affects all members of a family in profound and damaging ways, You are on a whole new path now - a path to a healthy, long, happy life. You will be making many dietary and lifestyle changes, and I can tell you are determined to do this well and be successful. I truly believe you will achieve your goals in this. Be warned that your mom is probably going to try to undermine you, as her own progress slows down because of her compromises. You need to be as far away as possible so you can disconnect yourself from her issues. Your own life is complicated enough, and a responsible young lady like you does not need to be looking out for Mom. She is a grown up and can look out for herself and make her own choices. Please use this time to get healthy in every way - including mentally and psychologically. Some counselling regarding the alcoholic influence will be very helpful. Very best wishes to you.

I went from basically living on Aleve daily to absolutely no joint pain at all! I already had one knee replacement before surgery, and the 2nd one was coming up soon, from the bone-on-bone pain. But now the joint space has opened up and doc says I may never need the 2nd knee replacement! There is no pain in my knees, hips or back now. Amazing, My inflammatory markers are down, as well. Interestingly, I used to get a butterfly rash on my face whenever I was under stress. Lupus test was always negative, but there was obviously some kind of autoimmune reaction happening and I never get that rash now,

Sure seems like overkill to me. I was offered a sleeve or bypass, and we decided bypass was the best option because of my GERD. There are absorption issues with bypass and a lot more with DS. Most people lose all the weight they need with the sleeve or bypass. What is the actual reason your surgeon wants you to have DS? There needs to be some solid rationale for this. If you feel something is fishy or his motives are simple financial, please find someone else. You need to fully trust that your surgeon has your best interests in mind - not just his own.

WHY? Weight loss surgery is weight loss surgery, with the same challenges and victories for everyone. We don't need to know someone's race, age, gender, or sexual preference to offer encouragement, advice, and support.

WHY? Weight loss surgery is weight loss surgery, with the same challenges and victories for everyone. We don't need to know someone's race, age, gender, or sexual preference to offer encouragement, advice, and support.