RainbowBrite57

Collarbones --- I really love my collarbones now. Such a wierd thing to notice, but I didn't have them/they weren't visible for so long.

When you go for doctors appointments have them document how that extra skin affects your quality of life, or any rash you get...that's what you need for insurance to pay for a panniculectomy...then when the time comes...have it surgically removed. In the meantime, Spanx or any kind of compression garment can help keep it under control. Congratulations on your progress!

Spanks would totally help- they compress the body. Be sure to use powder or antiperspirant between/ beneath skin folds to avoid rashes and discomfort. Grats on your weight loss!

Hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since I've posted or even visited this page. I need to rant about myself & I know this is a safe, non-judgemental place to do so. I had my surgery on 9/13/20. When I got home from the hospital after a 2 night stay, I was SO HUNGRY. I told myself I wouldn't be a casualty of going off the rails, especially right away but that's what happened.
I hold myself fully accountable. I've most definitely stretched out my stomach although I know it's no where near what it was. My surgeon made my follow-ups for a month out then six months out. The surgeon's office had just switched from doing a month, three months, then six month follow-ups, although I've been told I can make an appointment anytime I want to, free of charge for the rest of my life. I wish I would've made an appointment right away for guidance, instead I listened to the lies my mind was telling me. Now I'm almost 7 months out. I'm down 40 pounds which I'm very happy about but I don't feel like I've "earned" that loss at all.
I know all the things I should be doing. I read & read & read before surgery- on this forum, books, other online resources, etc. I felt so ready. Silly me. I know I can get back on track right this minute & stop any more harm to my health and to my stomach size. I have a book sitting at home that I know will be fantastic at helping me. I ordered an adult tricycle that should be getting put together today or tomorrow. I even bought a $1,400 elliptical trainer I've used maybe 5 times.
I'm just so very disappointed in myself. I'm hoping this confession to y'all will relieve me of some of this guilt I'm carrying around. I feel like crying & if I could kick my own booty. Thanks for listening y'all.

Hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since I've posted or even visited this page. I need to rant about myself & I know this is a safe, non-judgemental place to do so. I had my surgery on 9/13/20. When I got home from the hospital after a 2 night stay, I was SO HUNGRY. I told myself I wouldn't be a casualty of going off the rails, especially right away but that's what happened.
I hold myself fully accountable. I've most definitely stretched out my stomach although I know it's no where near what it was. My surgeon made my follow-ups for a month out then six months out. The surgeon's office had just switched from doing a month, three months, then six month follow-ups, although I've been told I can make an appointment anytime I want to, free of charge for the rest of my life. I wish I would've made an appointment right away for guidance, instead I listened to the lies my mind was telling me. Now I'm almost 7 months out. I'm down 40 pounds which I'm very happy about but I don't feel like I've "earned" that loss at all.
I know all the things I should be doing. I read & read & read before surgery- on this forum, books, other online resources, etc. I felt so ready. Silly me. I know I can get back on track right this minute & stop any more harm to my health and to my stomach size. I have a book sitting at home that I know will be fantastic at helping me. I ordered an adult tricycle that should be getting put together today or tomorrow. I even bought a $1,400 elliptical trainer I've used maybe 5 times.
I'm just so very disappointed in myself. I'm hoping this confession to y'all will relieve me of some of this guilt I'm carrying around. I feel like crying & if I could kick my own booty. Thanks for listening y'all.

Something my doctor has said to me repeatedly - if you need help, ask for it. Don't do it alone. In the clinic I had my surgery, we had a therapy session with a psychologist who begged us to ask for help when it's needed. You're losing weight which is wonderful, but if you feel like something isn't right - ask for help. You've came so far it would be silly to let it go and not continue on your wonderful journey. You can do it, I can do it. Ups and downs, through it all, know that you are on a journey to a better life and better health. Sending hugs and love ❤️

I was told to remind myself that it took years to gain all that weight, so why did I think it was going to go away with a surgery and a few months. It's going to take time and work to learn and change things. Not just what I'm eating but why I ate the way I did.

Unless testing has confirmed it, don’t assume you’ve stretched your stomach.

[B-side rant]
My view (although no asked 😂) :
If it were any other surgery like knee, hip or even a heart valve replacement no one would bat an eyelash if you needed extra time to adjust or if it needed to be repaired again.
There would be no guilt or shame associated because it would be understood that you can’t stop yourself from using it or the wear associated with its use.
But when it comes to weight loss surgery it seems like you get one chance to have it go perfect and then everything is your fault if it doesn’t.
I have no clue where this ideas come from but I don’t think it helps us at all especially because it doesn’t seem to work like that with almost anything else in life.
Please be kind to yourself ❤️

Don't be so hard on yourself. This wasn't a temporary change it's a lifelong change so there is always time to re direct yourself. Before surgery were you able to pinpoint what exactly causes you to make bad food choices rather it be boredom, emotions or ect.. The first step to addressing the issue is to finding out the issue. From your rant I appreciate the accountability you take and challenge you to use that same accountability to make different choices going forward!

How do you know that you've "stretched your stomach"? Because most likely you didn't. You got used to larger portions and that's normal up to a certain degree. Dr. Matthew Weiner has interesting videos on this on YouTube.
But you did go to the planned appointments?
What "lies" did you tell yourself and why do you feel that you "didn't earn" your weight loss? Weight loss after surgery is nothing that needs to be "earned". WLS is a surgical therapy that is supposed to work for the patient like coronary bypass surgery is supposed to work for the patient. You don't need to earn anything here!
Having WLS is like learning to swim. You can read everything about swimming that's available, you can get lessons on how to learn the best technique, you can talk to people who have learnt to swim until you're blue in the face - but you know what? Most of this stuff means diddly squat the moment you hit the Water for the first time!
I'm curious about the title. Tell us!
There are people who lost weight without exercising. Yes, there are many benefits to exercising like cardiovascular health, bone strength, uplifting your mood etc but if you hate it - you don't need to.
Stop acting like a sinner that needs to do penance, it's so damn destructive and will get you nowhere in the end. There's nothing to confess. We all screwed up with quite a few things in life.
Be kind to yourself, as hard as it might be right now.

Hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since I've posted or even visited this page. I need to rant about myself & I know this is a safe, non-judgemental place to do so. I had my surgery on 9/13/20. When I got home from the hospital after a 2 night stay, I was SO HUNGRY. I told myself I wouldn't be a casualty of going off the rails, especially right away but that's what happened.
I hold myself fully accountable. I've most definitely stretched out my stomach although I know it's no where near what it was. My surgeon made my follow-ups for a month out then six months out. The surgeon's office had just switched from doing a month, three months, then six month follow-ups, although I've been told I can make an appointment anytime I want to, free of charge for the rest of my life. I wish I would've made an appointment right away for guidance, instead I listened to the lies my mind was telling me. Now I'm almost 7 months out. I'm down 40 pounds which I'm very happy about but I don't feel like I've "earned" that loss at all.
I know all the things I should be doing. I read & read & read before surgery- on this forum, books, other online resources, etc. I felt so ready. Silly me. I know I can get back on track right this minute & stop any more harm to my health and to my stomach size. I have a book sitting at home that I know will be fantastic at helping me. I ordered an adult tricycle that should be getting put together today or tomorrow. I even bought a $1,400 elliptical trainer I've used maybe 5 times.
I'm just so very disappointed in myself. I'm hoping this confession to y'all will relieve me of some of this guilt I'm carrying around. I feel like crying & if I could kick my own booty. Thanks for listening y'all.

Hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since I've posted or even visited this page. I need to rant about myself & I know this is a safe, non-judgemental place to do so. I had my surgery on 9/13/20. When I got home from the hospital after a 2 night stay, I was SO HUNGRY. I told myself I wouldn't be a casualty of going off the rails, especially right away but that's what happened.
I hold myself fully accountable. I've most definitely stretched out my stomach although I know it's no where near what it was. My surgeon made my follow-ups for a month out then six months out. The surgeon's office had just switched from doing a month, three months, then six month follow-ups, although I've been told I can make an appointment anytime I want to, free of charge for the rest of my life. I wish I would've made an appointment right away for guidance, instead I listened to the lies my mind was telling me. Now I'm almost 7 months out. I'm down 40 pounds which I'm very happy about but I don't feel like I've "earned" that loss at all.
I know all the things I should be doing. I read & read & read before surgery- on this forum, books, other online resources, etc. I felt so ready. Silly me. I know I can get back on track right this minute & stop any more harm to my health and to my stomach size. I have a book sitting at home that I know will be fantastic at helping me. I ordered an adult tricycle that should be getting put together today or tomorrow. I even bought a $1,400 elliptical trainer I've used maybe 5 times.
I'm just so very disappointed in myself. I'm hoping this confession to y'all will relieve me of some of this guilt I'm carrying around. I feel like crying & if I could kick my own booty. Thanks for listening y'all.

Hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since I've posted or even visited this page. I need to rant about myself & I know this is a safe, non-judgemental place to do so. I had my surgery on 9/13/20. When I got home from the hospital after a 2 night stay, I was SO HUNGRY. I told myself I wouldn't be a casualty of going off the rails, especially right away but that's what happened.
I hold myself fully accountable. I've most definitely stretched out my stomach although I know it's no where near what it was. My surgeon made my follow-ups for a month out then six months out. The surgeon's office had just switched from doing a month, three months, then six month follow-ups, although I've been told I can make an appointment anytime I want to, free of charge for the rest of my life. I wish I would've made an appointment right away for guidance, instead I listened to the lies my mind was telling me. Now I'm almost 7 months out. I'm down 40 pounds which I'm very happy about but I don't feel like I've "earned" that loss at all.
I know all the things I should be doing. I read & read & read before surgery- on this forum, books, other online resources, etc. I felt so ready. Silly me. I know I can get back on track right this minute & stop any more harm to my health and to my stomach size. I have a book sitting at home that I know will be fantastic at helping me. I ordered an adult tricycle that should be getting put together today or tomorrow. I even bought a $1,400 elliptical trainer I've used maybe 5 times.
I'm just so very disappointed in myself. I'm hoping this confession to y'all will relieve me of some of this guilt I'm carrying around. I feel like crying & if I could kick my own booty. Thanks for listening y'all.

I had resigned myself to a very plain Thanksgiving meal this year when I decided to see if there were any good low carb chicken & dressing recipes online. I found one for “Southern chicken & dressing” and it was a huge success! (https://www.mytableofthree.com/low-carb-southern-dressing/)
My mom had laughed & said I’d probably be eating that on my own when I told her it involved almond flour as the main cornbread ingredient. It’s not low fat because it’s made with almond flour, coconut oil, & heavy cream but we aren’t exactly eating much right now. I even decided to sub low fat buttermilk for the heavy cream/vinegar combo it suggested & it was still fantastic. I couldn’t find oat Fiber so I just added the amount called for in more almond flour. I’m not supposed to have onions yet but I used a plain white onion & I didn’t end up with any gastrointestinal distress.
I cooked my chicken breasts in the Instant Pot so they wouldn’t dry out. The dressing was so moist & delicious, y’all!!! I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine was!

I had resigned myself to a very plain Thanksgiving meal this year when I decided to see if there were any good low carb chicken & dressing recipes online. I found one for “Southern chicken & dressing” and it was a huge success! (https://www.mytableofthree.com/low-carb-southern-dressing/)
My mom had laughed & said I’d probably be eating that on my own when I told her it involved almond flour as the main cornbread ingredient. It’s not low fat because it’s made with almond flour, coconut oil, & heavy cream but we aren’t exactly eating much right now. I even decided to sub low fat buttermilk for the heavy cream/vinegar combo it suggested & it was still fantastic. I couldn’t find oat Fiber so I just added the amount called for in more almond flour. I’m not supposed to have onions yet but I used a plain white onion & I didn’t end up with any gastrointestinal distress.
I cooked my chicken breasts in the Instant Pot so they wouldn’t dry out. The dressing was so moist & delicious, y’all!!! I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine was!

I had resigned myself to a very plain Thanksgiving meal this year when I decided to see if there were any good low carb chicken & dressing recipes online. I found one for “Southern chicken & dressing” and it was a huge success! (https://www.mytableofthree.com/low-carb-southern-dressing/)
My mom had laughed & said I’d probably be eating that on my own when I told her it involved almond flour as the main cornbread ingredient. It’s not low fat because it’s made with almond flour, coconut oil, & heavy cream but we aren’t exactly eating much right now. I even decided to sub low fat buttermilk for the heavy cream/vinegar combo it suggested & it was still fantastic. I couldn’t find oat Fiber so I just added the amount called for in more almond flour. I’m not supposed to have onions yet but I used a plain white onion & I didn’t end up with any gastrointestinal distress.
I cooked my chicken breasts in the Instant Pot so they wouldn’t dry out. The dressing was so moist & delicious, y’all!!! I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine was!

Plastic Surgery! The gift that keeps on giving!! LOL!!

I was in horrible pain when I woke up too. At the very beginning the gas pain was overriding my surgical pain. That quickly changed. They kept wanting me to take pills for the pain which I knew wouldn't kick in for a while. I'm also already on a low-dose narcotic for back pain so I knew my tolerance to pain medicine was built up. I finally made sure my nurse knew that & begged for my next few doses of pain medication be delivered through my IV. She was able to do that & it helped so much. If you haven't asked for something stronger or told them the amount of pain you are in, please do. I hope things get better for you!

Although I read about other people in our lives not being supportive or downright jealous of us having our surgeries, it sure hurts when it happens to you. I'm especially surprised with how my co-workers are treating me. I'm a happy-go-lucky person who's always willing to lend a hand to people I care about & I am very tenderhearted as well so this is hitting me especially hard.
My co-workers are being rude when asked about covering my shifts while I'm off for surgery. I work at a little library with a small amount of staff and our jobs are really not that stressful so it's not like they are going to have to expend a whole bunch of energy or break a sweat working my shift. A group of co-workers even approached our director expressing "concern" that the surgery is too dangerous and that I shouldn't have it done which really baffled me since no one ever brought that up with me. Now I know that they just don't want to cover for me & are worried I'll be out longer that anticipated. I came in on Monday walking on a cloud because I finally got my surgery date & no one could be bothered to show any enthusiasm at all.
I have a co-worker who I've worked with for 5 years & I considered her to be one of my best friends. I've planned her work bridal shower and baby showers. I went to the hospital to see her first-born. She gripes constantly about her husband & I'm right there supporting her. We've done plenty of stuff together socially as well, so she's not just a work friend. In the past I've asked her for very small favors here & there and she's rarely helped me out but I asked so infrequently that it never really bothered me. I, of course, have helped her happily whenever she needed me. Well, her true colors are shining now that the surgery is approaching. I've been careful not to talk her ear off about the surgery because I can see that being super annoying. Whenever I bring it up now she just grunts in response and goes right back to talking about herself. I've asked her for two small favors in regards to the surgery and she's too inconvenienced to do either one. I am really, really hurt by her actions.
Another friend is acting jealous & responded to the news of my surgery with "I'll be interested to see how it goes for you". I haven't told friends on social media yet and now I'm definitely not going to. This will be a road I walk down with my husband on one side & my mom on the other cheering me on. I'll be just fine and I will succeed in spite of everyone's attitudes towards this huge step in my life. I'm really glad I found this community & I'm really glad you've read this far! Thanks for letting me vent!

Congratulations & I hope you are feeling better! I, like you, spent so many hours on this site & on the internet as a whole. I made myself a binder with different categories that I refer too often. Best of luck to you!!!

This may not be a popular line of thinking but here goes:
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I think that alot of WLS folks believe that those around them would naturally share the same opinions and thoughts they themselves have about it, because, I mean, its a good thing, right? Why wouldn't anyone and everyone with a heart and a brain support and cheer someone on who wants to better themselves (for whatever reason)? The reality is that not everyone will think the same way as you.
Yes, one may get disappointed and hurt when those who we care about aren't on the same page, or react/behave in a way that we don't like/want/expect. Whatever their motivations are, in the end the only thing you can control is YOU. You have 3 choices (in terms of relationships, or anything else for that matter): work to change it, accept it, or leave it (and know when to do which). Anything else is doing a disservice to yourself.
I know, easier said. But I think the sooner one can recognize what things help and what things don't help (and act accordingly) for any situation, the sooner one can exist in peace and contentment, no matter what situations or people cross their paths.
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Good Luck!
P.S. Re: Dating...take it easy and try not to put too much pressure on yourself...like attracts like. Again, I know, easier said. Good Luck! ❤️

I was in horrible pain when I woke up too. At the very beginning the gas pain was overriding my surgical pain. That quickly changed. They kept wanting me to take pills for the pain which I knew wouldn't kick in for a while. I'm also already on a low-dose narcotic for back pain so I knew my tolerance to pain medicine was built up. I finally made sure my nurse knew that & begged for my next few doses of pain medication be delivered through my IV. She was able to do that & it helped so much. If you haven't asked for something stronger or told them the amount of pain you are in, please do. I hope things get better for you!

I can’t believe surgery day is tomorrow, I’m a little anxious about what’s to follow after surgery. (Mainly the pain)