Krestel

She is sooooo a role model for us all! In fact because she is human and flawed we like her all the more. Not to mention she is THE most supportive and helpful person on bariatricpal.

You are so photogenic both before and after ur weight loss. Inspriring, Im also at around 8 months and loving the feeling.

Anyone use a meal delivery service? What do you think of it? I might be moving back to the US for a while to take care of my father and need some advice. I probably won't have time to cook on my own if Im working as well. He and his wife also have a very different lifestyle/food needs than I do so it would be just for me.

I know what you mean. My response was trying to read everything I could get ahold of. BUT try to keep it simple at first. I still keep a food journal which ive included a pic of. Note that it's not very detailed...but for me it's being honest with myself and aware of what im doing and feeling. I am so far from perfect that i wonder why i am still losing weight considering how much "crap" I am eating right now.

After transitioning to normal food, i didnt have much of a problem with anything. I did take small bites and chewed well.

Even if you are looking into WLS (and I totally agree with the list above), let me suggest one thing you can do already starting now. Keep a food journal! It doesnt have to be detailed but should just be something for yourself of what you eat and when you eat it. This is THE best first step that I did on this journey and everyone can do it. It also showed my doctor that I was serious about the process and showed me where my weak spots were. I started this as a New Years Resolution two years ago and am still doing it.

It could also be low blood sugar having an effect. I know I get really cranky when I havnt had at least something at regular intervals. I also was never good at eating on time. Also since the hunger isnt there the same as before, forgetting to eat is very easy. For me I drink meal replacement or protein shakes no matter if Im hungry or not and it keeps my blood sugar on an even keel.

Sounds like you're doing fine. I didnt have any issues with drinking either after surgery. The more you drink the better! Also, dont be sorry about being a newbie. That's what we're all here for. Im sure you will "pay it back" when you get to be the veteran as well. We are never truly knowledgable and are constantly learning how to deal with all of this. So, keep asking away!

I agree with you here. The artificial sweeteners also caused me to have problems appreciating natural sweetness as well. The best side effect from dropping them from my diet was my face clearing up. I have no idea why this happened but it does. Every time I went cold turkey on diet drinks, my skin started getting better. Maybe a very slight allergic reaction, I dont know.

Doesnt it feel awesome?!?! Way to go...and dont forget to enjoy the journey. PS. You're the firsf person Ive seen with gastric plication. I had never heard of it before and had to google it. Why did you choose that surgery? Just interested.

I started soft pre-op diet approx a month before surgery. I did one meal replacement shake for breakfast and one for lunch then had a smaller meal for dinner (usually chicken, some steamed vegetable and a side sallad) and a small snack in the evening. I also drank protein shakes since I found one that I really like. (It tastes like milk without the fatty consistency.) Actually, I was very glad I did this. It proved to me that I could eat this way and feel like im living a full life.

Being able to breathe while putting on shoes feels really good! ...and I cant wait until I can get back to real sports as well. Even though im 47, Im finally able to get that foot surgery that ended me playing volleyball in college. Although I suspect that I will have to get a breast reduction to ever play again. Having a G+ cup isnt cuting it for running or dives etc. Btw, the looking at the mirror thing is a bit difficult, so dont get down on yourself when you lose weight over it. Ive lost more than 100 lbs and I still cant really "see" any difference in myself. I can manage to look at myself in the mirror without feeling immediate depression, but it's only my clothes size that tells me Ive lost weight. Im a year out (and 7 months post-op) and can only start to see any changes now. Not because there arnt any, but because my mind cant wrap itself around it. Oddly enough my body remembers feeling lighter and wants to go back to sports, but my lungs still havnt caught up.

Ive broken the plastic bults on mine and one other and boy was it embarrasing. So I hear you on that one.

It took me a week to be able to pee on my own after surgery. So I was on a catheter the whole time. If you have ANY problems not being able to pee, see a doctor immediately. Believe it or not, having too much urine stored im your bladder can be life threatening.

I just drink plain carbonated water and it seems to keep me away from wanting sweet or sweetened drinks. Ive detoxed from sweet flavors and it's really difficult to even want a normal pop when Im eating out.

I hear ya. So I'm taking a sewing course soon on how to alter clothes. That way I can change all my post surgery clothes to the right size when needed. Also, I will get the right fit for me and not just the generic size. If you have a sewing machine, why not try taking them in yourself?

I just experienced being able to fall asleep on the couch with enough space that my 100 lb labrador could comfortably stretch out there and fall asleep as well! I never even expected that...

I so totally agree about "slow losing" not being slow at all. I have lost / am losing weight at about the same rate. (In the beginning it was more though.) Still, I feel like I need to get used to my new body more even though im 7 months post-op. Im about 12 lbs from my first weight goal of 176. (I started at 312 lbs about a year ago.) It seems like yesterday that I just found this forum and was on the operating table. Sometimes things taking time helps us get our heads around it even when we think it should take less time.

You are a monster! Amazing job. My stats are approximately the same as yours but it took me a year. Although, I cant say that ive been perfect like you though.

1 hour walking the dog at the very least 4 times a week (often before going to work). I do this more for my head than my body to be honest.

I so hear you here. The weight yo-yo is what got me as well, and Im looking forward to the exact same thing, being a healthy (and normal) adult! I just hope after all these years that I still have the chance to do the things I loved to do when I was a teenager like volley and basketball.

Im about 7 months out and I still do meal replacement shakes about 2x daily. Heck, I still like them. It keeps me from grabbing junk during the day and stress eating for lunch at work. My blood sugar seems to be on an even keel as well. BUT i do water them down half way otherwise I could never deal with how sweet they are. In all, Ive taken off about 110 lbs during the last year both before (44 lbs) and after surgery (the rest) if that gives you any indication. I do however need to get some (coffee latte flavored) protein smoothies going because the shakes can be quite expensive for the ones I like.

This sh*t got real! (sorry, I couldnt help my self.) Prunes...prunes, I say. They are a nice sweet treat and help with the constipation. When I got out of surgery, slightly watered down prune juice was amazing.

Good idea. I think that's something I need to do as well. At least it will be another flavor to add to the mix.

I feel so guilty about the amount of clothes that im getting rid of, that Im making 2020 my No Buy Year! Im only 3/4 done with cleaning out all my old clothes, and I am absolutely disgusted with myself. I bought not only doubles of everything, not tripples but five times as much clothes for my highest weight! I was so scared that I would never be able to find pants and shirts that I liked that fit me, so apparently I hoarded as much as I could. So much so that I was hiding it from myself. You see in Sweden (and much of Europe) in normal circles, there arent many people who are as heavy as I was and being heavy is really looked down upon MUCH more than in the US where everything is supersize this and that. So even buying clothes online took me forever. So basically I just bought clothes when I was in the States and brought home mammoth amounts of pants etc...especially one or two types of cargo pants. In fact i had so many that I lost track of how many I had and just squirreled them away and forgot about them. Then when I went back to visit my family in the States, I bought new stuff again. This went on for years! So now, Im making a massive pause in my retail therapy and am going to try a No Buy Year! I do have some caveats, but only big purchases that Ive been thinking about for over a year. It should be interesting to see how my fingers itch to buy stuff online.