kristieshannon

If I’m out to dinner and plan for a glass of wine I order it first and complete it before my meal arrives.

Tuna with enough Mayo to make it moist was my go-to at first. I also did well with cottage cheese.

Ugh. WTF is wrong with people? What you set for your goal is between you & your doctor. Mine, for example, set my goal at 155 which is above the BMI requirements for “healthy”. She prefers the Smart BMI calculation which does take in to account age & race. By any measure, I am more healthy at this point than I have been at any point in my adult life.

Weight gain is a really common side effect of depakote! Let your prescribing doctor know that you are working towards weight loss surgery, and ask them to prescribe a medication with less likelihood of weight gain-there are definitely other options. I’m a psych nurse, we use depakote sometimes for a mood stabilizer and it also used to treat seizure disorders. Either way, there are other options that your doctor should be willing to prescribe.

Try various textures, temperatures, and sweet vs savory. Not sure if you have it in your area, but pho broth saved me during the liquid and puréed stage. It was warm and savory and went down easy and had a decent amount of protein as well.

If I remember correctly I was cleared to eat (well chewed) meat at around 4 weeks. However, I was only able to eat very small amounts to at first. Now at 19 months post op I can eat 3-5 ounces, depending on what meat it is. Ground beef and steak, and fish I can do about 5. Chicken about 4, and pork 3 max. Hang in there-the things I was really worried about missing I didn’t miss at all. I was sure it would be torture to live without my Coke Zero but from day one post op I completely lost my taste for it. Like you mentioned, my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner.

As catwoman said, I wasn’t given a calorie target that early on. I was told 70-80g protein per day, at least 80oz fluid, and to keep my carbs grams less than my protein grams. After the protein and liquids there wasn’t room for much else. Looking back at my MyFitnessPal entries I averaged 600-750 cals over my first 4 months.

I’m 19 months post op and still use this size of reusable food container for snacks. I take 5 pre-measures portions of nuts or seeds as a snack for work each day, and also use them for cheese cubes or salad dressing. They’re great portion control!

I’m nearing maintenance (at my doctor’s goal right now, contemplating dropping my goal to 145). I usually have a couple drinks a week. Sometimes more on vacation. No big deal, as long as you & your doctor don’t see it as a problem, go for it.

I did really well. My husband travelled to Miami with me and cared for me post op. I had a rough couple of days then progressively felt better and better each day after that.

I had five consultations. Three would do all three procedures together, two wanted to do them separately. I ended up choosing one of the surgeons who would do them all together.

I had all three done at once and am glad I did. One recovery, one block of time off work.

I would totally do that!

I’m down 134, from 286 to 152.

Yes, I did in January. I had a tummy tuck, breast lift & augmentation and an arm lift. There was some pain post op, but only the first few days were rough. Yes, I have scars. They’ll fade over time and I’d take them any day over the loose flappy skin.

-No more blood pressure meds -No more CPAP -Buying cute clothes that I like, not just what fits me -I can wear high heals again without my feet being in severe pain within minutes -No red face and huffing & puffing with the smallest bit of exertion -More confidence in general -I can fit comfortably in a kayak, canoe, and airplane seat. So much more. Life is good.

Thank you! I even curled my hair and put on lipstick for the first time in a year 😂

Two in one day! My husband and I flew down to Phoenix to visit a friend in her new retirement home. Dinner out tonight at an amazing steak house, and I’m loving the opportunity to show off the new bod ❤️

Loving the button fly jeans now that my belly is flat and not at risk of popping the buttons! Got these Madewell jeans at a thrift shop for $9.99. I love a good bargain :)

I was told 8 weeks as well. I hit that on Thursday-I’m so excited to go back to my kickboxing gym!

I had plastic surgery in early January. My surgeon said not to get the vaccine 30 days before or after surgery. Reason being, a vaccine creates an immune response with possible inflammation which can impede healing. I’m a nurse at a large public health hospital and was able to talk to our doc heading up the COVID response team. He agreed this is best practice. I ended up getting my first vaccine just shy of 4 weeks post op and did just fine.

OMG you look amazing! Super cute bikini, too :)

I was really worried about the drinking while eating thing too. It’s really ended up being a non issue. I occasionally take a small sip of water while eating, but otherwise am just fine drinking before eating and then again 1/2 hour afterwards. I was also really worried about missing drinking my fave, Coke Zero. Again a non issue, I don’t miss it at all.

OMG. So adorable! And the after effects are cute too! I’d love to have that kind of volume. I might have to try overnight buns :)

I’m so there with you. Although I loved the weight loss, I really struggled with my loose skin. Last summer I spent all the warm weather days in long sleeves because of my bat wings arms. I had plastic surgery last month, a tummy tuck, breast lift & augmentation, and arm lift. I’m looking forward to being far more comfortable this summer! However-now I’m getting fixated on my thighs. They don’t match the rest of me! They are saggy, baggy, and disproportionately chunky compared to the rest of my body. I’m scared of the thigh lift procedure-looking at before & after pics on Real Self it doesn’t seem to make a dramatic difference like other procedures, and I believe thigh lifts have the highest rate of post op complications. I’m trying hard to strengthen my legs hoping that I’ll see some improvement. In the mean time I’m working on acceptance of my current state.