Lillimint

I’m glad to see this thread popping up again! I was reading it OBSESSIVELY this time last year. ? I’m doing well…far better than I imagined I would do. I’m still glad that I’ve done the surgery. I’m down 145 lbs from my pre-surgery weight of 299, and surpassed my original goal. I’ve reset my goal to 145 lbs, so just another 8.4 lbs to go. I honestly don’t know if I’ll hit my new goal, but I’m okay with that. I feel good, I’m off all prescription meds, my resting heart rate is waaaaay down, and a 4-mile daily walk has become a pleasurable habit. I love that my legs look muscular, that I can shop for regular sized clothes and can tie my sneakers without a fuss. I still am very uncomfortable with having non-healthy foods in the house, and don’t trust myself with tempting foods being close by. I worry about ‘boredom eating’ so I’m working on that. I am trying to adhere to the philosophy of making good choices most of the time. I am in the process of figuring out what “most of the time” means to me. I’m working from home so it’s been a slow process of encountering my friends and coworkers. I can see the shock in their faces at my weight loss and just say that it’s been a ‘year of health’ for me. I am continually surprised at all the diet advice / opinions I get from people now, and so much of it inaccurate! I’ve been told that walking for exercise is useless (!), metabolism never changes (I am 55 and it most certainly has), the types of calories consumed doesn’t make a difference (I wish that was true so I could go back to eating more carbs!). It’s all stuff that we’ve all heard before. I’m thankful that I’ve had the past year to log my food and figure out for myself what works. @IWantTheDream I know a hip replacement is in my future, and I worry about that. When did you know that it was finally time to get it done?

Congratulations! You look fantastic, and you should be very proud of the journey you’ve been through over the past year. It’s hard work and it shows! Doesn’t it feel great to be able to enjoy being healthy?

This was THE most frightening thing about the first week or two after surgery. The math just didn’t work out! I had a lot of anxiety about dehydration, but every day became a little bit easier. I could take bigger sips, and the routine of continually drinking started to become less cumbersome. Now I’m 8 or 9 mo the post op, and I’ve got a good routine down. I can take several big gulps at once with no problem. It’s not as much as before, but it’s still very satisfying.

That is so awesome to hear! Congratulations on your hard work - you should be very proud of yourself! I love seeing when other folks reach their goal. I find it to be inspirational and motivating. ?

Congratulations! You should be proud of what you’ve achieved. It take lots of work and commitment to get this far. I can empathize when you say you need to learn to be kind to yourself. I’m sensing that I’m moving into needing to work on that area myself now that I’m so far along my weight loss journey. (I’ve still got 40 lbs I’d like to lose, but I’ve lost 110 lbs so far! ?) Again, great job on your awesome progress. I bet you look fabulous!

I appreciate the multiple pics. I had not anticipated getting plastic surgery. Not until a couple of weeks ago when my skin decided that it was going to run away and elope with gravity. I don’t find the scars bothersome or at all (on me or others), but I had no idea that there was so much to be done to make them fade. The whole thing is just fascinating. Skin is so weird.

Absolutely! I’ve lost over 100lbs now and my brain can’t figure it out. I swear I don’t *feel* like I look any different than I did 50 lbs ago. But I know that’s not true. One of my friends saw me last weekend, squealed, and used the word “skinny”. And today I noticed that my leggings were getting saggy in the butt, and I know they fit perfectly well just a week ago. Judging by the scale and my baggy clothes my weight loss is completely on schedule. It’s like my brain is glitching. I’m pleased and happy with my weight loss. Now my brain needs to stop being an a**hole and catch up! ???

You look super fantastic!!! Great job and congratulations! From the side view I can see your abs and your stomach is so flat. Clearly you’ve put a load of work into yourself. Also...is that a THIGH GAP that I see!?!?! ???

@Moon2408 It’s called Ketoconazole 2% shampoo. Directions: apply externally 2times a week. I honestly don’t know if it was the thing that led to hair re-growth or not, but I figured why not give it a try? My insurance paid for it, which I was a bit surprised about.

It’s probably time to visit your primary care physician and discuss your new reality. Are you on blood pressure meds? Other meds? Those might need adjusting. I went through the lightheadedness and my PCP reduced my blood pressure meds, with the goal of stopping them in another month or so. I think you get a different perspective and information from your PCP. The first time I saw her my hair had started falling out and she gave me a prescription for a shampoo. Didn’t know that was available (all I had gotten from the Bariatric center has the advice to take biotin). I’m not sure if the shampoo helped, or if it was the biotin, or just time, or all three but my hair is now growing back like mad. As an added benefit, I love seeing my PCP because she raves about how much healthier I am becoming.

You have the loveliest legs! They look like they’ve been sculpted. You should be seriously proud of your efforts.

That is so awesome! I’ve loved seeing my BMI go down, and I think that’s going to be a HUGE milestone for me to get under 30. I can understand the emotion. Great job!!!

I’m 55 and I live by myself. I prefer to do a lot of things on my own, and I’m used to it. I had a friend drive me to surgery and pick me up. Other than that I was on my own and I was fine. There was pain, but it was manageable. I never did take any of the prescription pain meds. Getting into and out of bed was slow and awkward, but still manageable. There was actually nothing I absolutely *needed* another person to do for me. Hmmmm...I don’t have a dog, but I would have needed help walking a dog. But not letting one in and out of the house. I’d stick with the surgery date that you have, and maybe just ask your parents to be available by phone for moral support? When I was in the recovery room after surgery the nurse was very attentive and texted my friend a bunch of times letting her know my progress. I didn’t expect that, but it was nice and would probably be comforting to your parents.

I’m so pleased to hear that y’all are doing so well, @Swjtes and @IWantTheDream! Congratulations on your progress. I can’t believe that it’s been over 6 months!!! I have also managed to drop below the 200# mark (about a week ago), and I’ve lost over 100 lbs. it’s weird to think that I’m way closer to my goal than I am to my highest weight. Does that make sense? I’m enjoying walking every day, and I’ve even started jogging. I never thought I’d do that! I love seeing and feeling the muscles that I’m developing in my legs. I’ve heard people talking about how pleased they are to see their collar bones again, but for me I think it’s my knees. LOL! I’m happy for y’all!

That’s amazing! Congratulations on your weight loss as well ! ‘Disbelief’ is an excellent way to describe the feeling. Hopefully my brain will catch up, but I’m not too terribly concerned. I’m also not very focused on the number on the scale. I have a vague idea that a pant size of 6 or 8 would be great, but even that isn’t a hard goal. It’s mostly this feeling that I’m not done yet with the weight loss. Not having an absolute number in mind feels more low pressure and it’s working for me. I need to check out Pinterest for recipes. I have so much time at home, and I am getting a little tired with my monotonous diet. ?