blackcatsandbaddecisions

I learned my lesson- my program told me to take before pictures and measurements prior to sleeve surgery and I didn’t. But this time I will, so I’ll be able to see if I lost inches from this. Well, I’ll take the measurements, as I was filling out my preop paperwork I realized the center uploaded my pics into the system. 😱. I spent most of the weekend being like do I really look like that? Holy heck. I’m used to seeing myself from better angles in kinder lighting. 😓

I messaged my obgyn to see if she would put in an order for my blood work I need and she very kindly did that- saves me the out of pocket cost to get that run though insurance for sure. Having an obgyn who has also had a sleeve is awesome.

Surgery is next month- kind of freaked out about it. The recovery is going to be difficult because I won’t have my core or my arms to help me. I’m trying to decide if I’ll stay in the city that my surgery is taking place for a few days or brave the 2 hour drive home. They said I’ll hopefully get two drains out at one week and the final two out at two weeks. I wish I didn’t have to have drains at all because they kind of freak me out but oh well.

I’m also curious to see if my pant size changes at all. My goal isn’t to reduce that, but I know they will be removing a lot of skin from my abdomen so it’s possible. If so I guess I’ll just buy all new pants yet again. Just running through new clothes nonstop over here over the past few years. The pants are especially annoying though because I have to find tall sizes and those are almost impossible to get second hand. It will be worth it in the end. I’ll see if I feel brave enough to post a before/after that actually exposes my abdomen. I always like to try to share as much info as possible with the forum, because I know how much I appreciated it when I was going through the sleeve process!

I am getting a fleur de lis Tummy Tuck, arm lift, and breast lift (no augmentation). Paying 24k out of pocket in Portland, Oregon. I’ll update as I get closer to the day of surgery!

I felt so guilty when my son was a baby because I had no lap to hold him on. He's 11 now and for the first time in his life he can sit on my lap. But now he's about as tall as me and doesn't really want to be held. Lol

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Forreal, I think the biggest thing I want out of WLS is a lap for a cat to sit in. Currently, when I go to an animal shelter, the super snuggly cats will look at me and be like "okay, I guess I'll make do" and climb up on my shoulders/chest/upper stomach as a sort of last resort, but they always look up at me like "ok, seriously, this lap is not the correct shape human, let's work on this."
But the cats that will sit in an available lap, but don't need it will just pass me up and that breaks my cat lady heart.

Having armPITS, not arm flats

I am out of surgery! Total nerve wracking, spent all last week concerned 😟 was making a huge mistake. They removed over 5 lbs. currently staying overnight (surgery center can do 23 hour care) and so grateful I picked the center that had that. Nurses are the kindest that I’ve ever experienced, such a good experience. Not in a ton of pain really, but just more stinging and uncomfortable. i made it, it’s done!

I learned my lesson- my program told me to take before pictures and measurements prior to sleeve surgery and I didn’t. But this time I will, so I’ll be able to see if I lost inches from this. Well, I’ll take the measurements, as I was filling out my preop paperwork I realized the center uploaded my pics into the system. 😱. I spent most of the weekend being like do I really look like that? Holy heck. I’m used to seeing myself from better angles in kinder lighting. 😓

I am out of surgery! Total nerve wracking, spent all last week concerned 😟 was making a huge mistake. They removed over 5 lbs. currently staying overnight (surgery center can do 23 hour care) and so grateful I picked the center that had that. Nurses are the kindest that I’ve ever experienced, such a good experience. Not in a ton of pain really, but just more stinging and uncomfortable. i made it, it’s done!

Finally went diving!! (First time since surgery!)
Pleased to report that:
1) I went down from an XL BCD to an XXS!
2) Went from 18-20 lbs of required weights to 6! (8lbs if i wore a wetsuit)
3) Speaking of wetsuits…i used to wear a Men’s XL, and now a woman’s size 2 (though if they had a size 1, it probably would’ve been better)
I was NOT all sweaty and tired lugging all my gear around on land, got in and out of the boat with little to no effort, AND was looked cute in pictures lol.
WIN!

Surgery was one year ago today. Down 170.4 lbs, weighed in this morning at 168.6. 24 BMI.

You are amazing! I also took up running post sleeve (not nearly to the level you have, I’m more of a 5k runner) but I’m so grateful to this surgery for letting me discover that exercise doesn’t have to be a punishment.

Back to black clothes in the summer heat 😝 but at least it’s a thin spaghetti strap maxi dress and thin shawl

175 lbs down. Work outfits, and swimsuits.

I eat carbs, never had any problem with Pasta, rice, potatoes etc.
That being said I don’t eat any starches generally until dinner time, because it makes me sleepy in the afternoon otherwise. It also helps me limit the amount I eat. I am still maintaining at my goal weight around 18 months later so my strategy is working thus far.

Yes, I also weigh less than my husband now, which is amazing. He and I are almost the same height but for most of our marriage I was twice his weight. Now I’m ten pounds less. It was fun playing on the teeter totter at the park last weekend and being the light one for once!

He weighs almost the exact same amount of weight that I’ve lost, and I can barely pick him up for a second or two. It’s incomprehensible that a year ago I was going about my entire life with that weight on me. How did I even walk? Now I know why I was so exhausted all the time.

So I know this is “exercise” but it’s actually quite fun and engaging too, I bought an echelon bike and I take peloton classes with it. I find that the time zips by because the instructors are chatty, the music selection is good and it has a lot of variety. Plus the echelon bike is like 1/4 the cost of a peloton.

And for those who said they want to start running, I would have bet that mega millions jackpot I would never be able to run a mile in my life, but I bought a used treadmill off Craigslist and downloaded the couch to 5k app last year. Now I run at least 2-3 miles every day and have run in 5ks getting my time down to sub 28 minutes. It’s possible, even in your 40s and beyond!

Ok I know I’m being petty but I’m feeling petty today so here goes. So far I’ve lost 150 lbs and I’ve decided this is how the comments from coworkers/acquaintances goes:
1-50 lbs: nothing
50-100 lbs: have you lost weight? Keep it up!
100-125 lbs: wow you are looking great what’s your secret?
125+ lbs: said in a disbelieving voice “how much more weight are you planning to lose? Aren’t you done yet?

I know that this is a problem that is great to have in the sense that a year ago I would have given anything to be this weight so please don’t take it that I’m not happy about losing or that I feel like people shouldn’t comment. But I’m still overweight, and regardless of if I was a normal weight or overweight or heck if I was obese I am getting tired of people making comments like I don’t have the autonomy to determine my own goal weight. And realistically it’s been so long since I was a normal size I honestly have no idea what my true goal would be because I will know it when I get there (hopefully!)

I tend to make a lot of jokes so I’ve just started saying really implausible amounts (I want to lose 200 lbs more and be lighter than air, I want to hit my birth weight of 9 lbs again and get back into my going home from the hospital outfit, etc) but in my head all I can think of is please stop commenting on my body for five minutes thanks.

anyway this is a first world problem I am well aware, and I know I’m just being salty but here I am.

I'm 4 days out from an arm lift, J lift, and breast lift that included replacing and downsizing old implants. Basically, I have sutures from about an inch below my elbow, up my entire upper arm, down through my armpit, and continuing along the curve of my breast with only about an inch or two gap from the other side. Then anchor incisions on the breasts as well. Apparently, one of my old implants was ruptured as well so took a bit longer than planned.
I'm doing pretty good - the only challenge is some tingling/loss of sensation in my thumb and index finger on my right hand (dominant). Dr. isn't worried and think as swelling in the arm goes down it will improve. Otherwise, I feel a bit like a stuffed sausage but not too bad! I was able to shower and switched to Tylenol today. Hopefully, the swelling will go down little by little over the coming days although I realize it will be months before my results are final. So far I can tell the arms are going to be MUCH better. Even all swelling the contour is significantly better. The "j lift" should mean no more skin pushing out under my arm from my bra, and my chest feels like its going to be the right size.
Once closer to final I'll share some pics. Too much effort right now

I eat carbs, never had any problem with Pasta, rice, potatoes etc.
That being said I don’t eat any starches generally until dinner time, because it makes me sleepy in the afternoon otherwise. It also helps me limit the amount I eat. I am still maintaining at my goal weight around 18 months later so my strategy is working thus far.

I run and do my spin classes in the middle of the day, before lunch. So I go home from work, (live super close), get changed and run for 20 minutes then do a spin class for 20 minutes. I have a latte and coffee prior to my workout, have my Protein Shake and cheese afterwards.

For me I am always hungry in the evenings, the morning and afternoon are kind of a non event for me. I usually take one rest day from exercise a week, I don’t normally Notice a change in hunger levels that day.

Took my kids to theme parks on vacation and there was never a single concern that I wouldn’t fit on the rides. They had to have a person step off the ride due to his weight and I felt so bad for him. Wondering if you’ll be able to get the bar down is such a horrible feeling.

We were just riding the kiddie rides because my children are young but it was amazing that I was able to take them there and not spend any mental energy on worrying about fitting. Also it was hot but I wasn’t a sweaty mess, nor did I lose energy halfway through the day! And the pictures of us on vacation are nice family photos without me trying to hide behind walls or people.

I’m with @ms.sss: taboo schmoo-boo. Go the Botox.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of the idea of young girls & young women getting Botox & fillers but once your life starts to show on your face I think it’s certainly worth exploring. I got my first lot last year (Dysport not Botox) & I love it. I actually went in to explore filler but because I have a bee allergy was advised against it (the neutraliser causes the same reaction in your body as a bee sting so I’d likely have an anaphylactic reaction). I also am ‘under dosed’ so I still have some forehead movement & I feel it looks more natural. I also get it in my chin to reduce the length of some of my marionette lines & reduce the old lady chin dimpling. The only down side is mine doesn’t last long - about 2 months as I process it more quickly. ☹️
But the only way to truely get rid of the droopy facial skin is surgery & I’m not interested in that … well at the moment. Ha!
I look at my face & I think yeah I have wrinkles & droop but I am 57. I’m supposed to have them & I’ve earned them. But I have cheekbones now, one chin, my eyelids aren’t as hooded, I have a jaw line & people say they can see the family resemblances with my brothers, nieces & nephews. Best of all is that I actually look like me now. My face isn’t distorted by layers of fat. That’s how I look at it though.

just realized I said the loose skin was really bad on my arms and legs. I meant my stomach and legs. My arms have some but I never had really big arms for my size so it doesn't bother me there. But my stomach and legs are bad, and my back around my waist and upper back. I'm not gonna lie. Sometimes I look in the mirror and it makes me feel sad. After losing so much weight, it would be nice to look in the mirror and see a nice, toned body, but whatever. My face is actually what bothers me most, because I have the under eye bags that run in my family now and wrinkles I didn't have before. I always heard "you have such a pretty face if only you'd lose weight." Well now I don't have that. Sigh. But my husband still thinks I'm beautiful, although he always has even at my highest weight.
I've done so much soul searching over the years and there was a time that I felt that no matter what accomplishment, I would never be good enough because I was still fat. At some point I realized that was ridiculous and accepted myself fat or not, so I went into this with a pretty good attitude about my body, but that doesn't mean I don't look in the mirror sometimes and think wtf!!?!
But then I put my size medium or large clothes on and feel pretty darn good, because I wear an AVERAGE size now.
Like you, I'll probably not get plastics, except possibly a panniculectomy because I have issues with that area. I have a consult next month. The rest of it, I'll just have to live with. And like you said, it is better than those extra 200 pounds I was carrying around.
I am proud I was able to lose over 200 pounds, and I know you know that feeling. There aren't a lot of people who have that much to lose!
I think it sounds like you had realistic expectations and again, what you have accomplished is amazing!

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I am getting a fleur de lis Tummy Tuck, arm lift, and breast lift (no augmentation). Paying 24k out of pocket in Portland, Oregon. I’ll update as I get closer to the day of surgery!