Lillimint

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?

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?

Hello fellow losers! You know how you read that Sleevers lose 80% of their desired weight...well, that's me! I would LOVE to lose another 10-20 pounds, but I'm down 82 pounds and feel GREAT! I did not work out and still don't...but I have been so happy with my results. I keep saying that I am going to get serious and start tracking again...and lose a few more pounds, but then something comes up (like visits, vacations, happy hours, dinners out) and I am just happy to stay below 200 pounds! One-derland!

How is everyone doing. This chat has been very quiet for along time. Well we are all now 1 year out. I’m doing ok. Still not where I thought I would have been but I guess it’s at least healthier. I am 101 lbs down. I still want to loose another 35 lbs but am seriously loosing hope. The scale just doesn’t want to move for months now. Very disappointing. I had a total hip replacement one month ago so I can’t really do crazy exercise right now but all in all I am doing fine. So how is everyone doing? Hopefully everyone is doing good and is healthy n safe where ever you are.

I hit a couple of major NSVs today. I’ve lost 100 lbs (or near enough to count), and finally dipped down into the 100’s. I am pretty pleased with myself, and I am so glad that I had the surgery.

HW = 299
CW = 199.4
SW = 280.0
Surgery Date = 07/23/2020

I follow my program of eating healthy extremely well. Cravings are at a minimum, but the weight loss isn’t a complete breeze. I feel like I need to make a conscious effort to stick to the plan. I’m a slow and steady loser, and weirdly each pound lost always feels like it’s going to be the last. Not sure why, because I am not a pessimist by nature. The body dysmorphia is strong, and I have absolutely no sense of how big or small I am now. I feel much better than before, and my clothes are getting looser, but I don’t *feel* like I’ve lost much weight. How very weird! It’s not disheartening - just kind of a clinical observation that my brain can’t quite figure out what’s going on.

My initial goal weight was 165 lbs. I picked that weight because it was a goal just beyond what the average weight loss for my height was. I honestly didn’t think it was attainable. But now I do. I’d like to shoot for maybe 140 now.

I initially didn’t think I was going to be interested in plastic surgery. However loose skin, age and gravity are not a winning combination. It’s on the table now! I’m glad I don’t have to think about it anytime soon, though.

Other observations:
* I log my food meticulously. I focus on high Protein and low carbs, and feel like it’s a good day when my protein intake is > carb intake. I pretty much ignore the fat intake, but I am eating healthy so it’s just not a concern.

* I’ve averaged about 1100 calories/day since the new year.

* I don’t think I would have been this successful if i hadn’t been teleworking since the pandemic started. I live alone so I cleared out my kitchen of all temptations.

* I walk 3.5 miles a day and I’ve grown to really enjoy it. I rarely miss - only if there are monsoon-like rains will I stay in.

* I wear a Fitbit, and I think the most important and useful feature is the reminder to walk throughout the day. I typically average about 15K steps/day.

* I have started jogging a little bit, and have been ASTOUNDED that I can do it. I’m super slow, but I can do it. This morning I jogged over 3 miles without dying a single time. 😂

* I do not like jogging.

* I was going to the the gym, but stopped because of the crowd of ‘New Years resolution’ people who didn’t seem to be very good with the mask-wearing. I’ll pick back up with that once I get the vaccine.

* I have become more limber, and a lot of my aches and pains have receded or disappeared. I love that I can cross my legs now.

* My hair fell out. A lot. Started at about 3 months and it was just shocking. It was particularly bad around my temples, and around the crown of my head. It is growing back as seen by the scraggly hair sticking out in all directions. I am so pretty. 😱 It seemed to stop falling out pretty abruptly about 2 weeks ago.

* Eating Breakfast is still a struggle. I’ve always hated it and I still do. I almost always rely on the Fairlife shakes for breakfast.

* I eat a lot of chicken, shrimp, salad, and Morningstar frozen vegan options. I am not a good cook, and as much as I think about food I guess I am just not willing to spend much time preparing it. I like the salad kits that most grocery stores have now.

* I take a tremendous amount of joy in cleaning out my closet of clothes I can no longer wear. My closet is so empty! It is seriously so awesome! I’m not ready to do much shopping yet, though. I don’t need clothes for work (yet), and I’m hoping to still lose more weight.

* I weigh myself every morning, and I think I’m always going to have to do this. It’s an accountability thing for me.

Ok ready to post my final before and after photos. Before is around 350lbs, 3 or 4xl shirt. My highest ever confirmed weight was 356 and this was very close to that date in 2014. The other is today, wearing a size medium shirt. Surgery was June 12, 2020, weight 334lbs, 6’4” BMI 40. I hit this weight (193) about 10 months post op and have been maintaining fairly evenly since (up a couple down a couple etc). For anyone on the fence about surgery, do your research but don’t let the scary stories you read here overwhelm you or give you a false sense of their frequency. Yes, bad things can and do happen in any endeavor. No one has a crystal ball, but the statistics of health issues from being obese and the statistics of coming through gastric surgery safely and enjoying positive results speak for themselves. I never dreamed I would feel this good again. I didn’t even think I was that fat…. Just a “big guy.” Looking back at old photos I’m mortified. Looking forward I’m so optimistic and full of life and joy. I feel like this is the “me” that has always been in there, hiding, hoping, waiting to come out. What “you” do you have inside longing to come out and face the world?

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?

I considered wls for many, many years, but never seriously. When I was a new RN in 1997, it was fairly new and I saw people die from it, so I was always scared of it. I also never had insurance that concerned it, so I knew I'd have to pay out of pocket, and I was overall healthy, so I figured I could do it on my own. I had my son in 2010, and that's when I really started to gain a lot of weight. I had done WW before I got pregnant and had lost 45. I was down to 263. After he was born, the weight started piling on. I was sick all the time and got diagnosed with asthma. I was in pain all the time. My liver enzymes increased slowly year by year, until 2020 when my doctor decided I needed to see a liver specialist. That same January, I had my gallbladder removed and that surgeon offered to biopsy my liver and it showed Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis, with hepatic fibrosis. As a nurse I had seen people die of liver failure and it is awful. This scared me to death. That surgeon recommended wls, and he was one of the only doctors who had ever acted compassionate and non-judgmental about my weight. He told me I had very little chance of losing it and keeping it off on my own. I took his advice and made an appt. That day with a bariatric surgeon. I saw him in March and he recommend gastric bypass. I started getting the required testing and had just had my EGD when the hospital decided to let a bunch of staff go due to COVID. That surgeon was one of them. I decided to go to a different hospital and surgeon and this one recommended Loop DS. I had not heard of it, but he said I was a perfect candidate with a BMI of 69.9 and since I was paying for it myself, as it was a newer procedure that insurance didn't usually cover. I researched it and decided to go with it.
My high weight was 393 pounds. I am 5'3". I was 368.8 on the day of my surgery, July 23, 2020. As of today I am 226.4. I never thought I'd be even close to this weight again. I am hoping to lose at least 200 pounds total. I am getting close.
I was close to borderline diabetic, had just been diagnosed with hypertension, and had liver disease. I could barely get around or keep up with my active 10 year old son. My hypertension is gone, my blood glucose is normal, and my liver enzymes are now normal, so I have reversed my fatty liver disease. I turn 50 on August 2nd and this will be the best birthday ever! I am so happy I had this surgery!
I can't get my befores to post right now but I'll put them here once I do. Here is me today.  
Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

Saw that this thread was revived and figured I'd throw in an update 3 months later...
Short Story: Yep, I am still drinking.
Long Story: About 2 months ago, I noticed that I was sleeping poorly (increasing regular insomnia, if i did sleep, i would still wake up tired, I went from getting up bright up and bushy tailed at 6am to dragging myself out of bed closer to 10. I was getting more headaches.
Mr. said it was because I was drinking too much...though he says this for EVERYTHING. I have a headache. You are drinking too much. My period is late. You are drinking too much. It's raining tomorrow. You are drinking too much.
Anyhoo, he said why not cut down anyway and see what happens....for science? Ah! he knows me so well, any opportunity to create a new spreadsheet and make some observations over time! LOL. So I stopped drinking for 10 days (it was supposed to be a week, but I'm an over-achiever). By the 2nd night I had the most glorious sleep, and woke up like a Disney Princess with birds singing and everything. and by about day 4 my regular headaches were easing up. By the end of the 10 days they were gone.
Well what the eff. The man may have been on to something (I'm never going to hear the end of this 🙄)
So of course I wasn't going to stop drinking forever (I'm a realist as well). So I did a bit more experimenting (and tracking) and found that on those days that I drink at night, I would generally have poor sleep. I haven't yet figured out the cause of the headaches, but for now I'm going to lump it with the extended period of bad sleep before.
So these days I try not to drink past 6pm if I am home. Though patios have opened up in my area so I may not be as home as often!
And I suppose I'm just going to keep doing my thing until something comes up again that spurs me to do some re-evaluating and adjusting.
Bonus Story: I have been smoke-free for 74 days. I was scheduled to get my 1st COVID vaccine shot and read about blot clots, so I figured I would try NOT to poke the bear and stop smoking a week before and 28 days after it just in case (because as we all know, smoking causes blot clots! why increase my chances?). Well after the 28 days, I figured hey, I don't miss smoking, so let's just not start again. So I didn't (yet!). #patsSelfOnTheBack.

I had my surgery Monday. Tuesday while in hospital I found out my son died in a car accident. I’m grieving so bad and reaching out to you all for prayers

@JAKE H I did it......

For @ms.sss…I have a bunch of swimsuit pics. Bikini and one piece. Here are a couple😊

Remember how we used to look longingly at knee high boots knowing if we tried them on it would be a struggle to do the zip up over our calves? Well, now I look longingly at knee high boots knowing if I try them on they will be so big around my calves I can put my hands down the sides. Until today! I found a pair of stretch faux suede knee high boots that actually fit. Whoo hoo! Doing happy dance.

So this was originally a one piece suit that I altered into a bikini? tankini? I like it better this way

(Also I had to hike to this spot -I don’t normally hike- so that’s me on a big rock in the rainforest being bitten by every bug just to get a photo 🤣)

Just wanting to share my story and current status at 1 year in. I started the journey in June of 2020 after considering it for years. Having surgery was something that was in the back of my mind for years. I have a co-worker/friend who had gastric bypass about 3 years before me and quite honestly, she is the reason I ended up taking the plunge - Gastric Sleeve was the best choice for ME. Watching her journey and seeing her success motivated me. I appreciated the fact that she was willing to share her experiences both positive and negative. Prior to my meeting with the surgeon, she gave me a ton of insight on what to expect with both positives and negatives. Physically, I knew I was ready for a change. I needed to make sure I was also mentally ready for the change. I WAS!
I started with a BMI > 40. I'm currently 80% complete towards my goal. I hoped that I would be at goal by now, but I'm ok that I'm not. Much of that is based on decisions that I've made with regards to how/what I eat and drink. I WILL get these last 20 off and hopefully another 10. I don't know how long it will take, and at this point, I'm not overly concerned if it takes another year.
What's my life like now? I can move better,I can buy clothes anywhere, I'm confortable in my own skin (loose that it is!), and I have a newfound confidence in most everything that I do. I eat pretty much anything I want - Just in much smaller quantities. I've been lucky - So far, there's nothing that really upsets my stomach or makes me sick unless I eat too much (has only happened a couple of times). I drink alcohol when I want it - Some weeks I may have a drink or two a day, and then other times, I'll go weeks without a drink. Again, I'm ok with that - it works for me. Some weeks I gain, some weeks I lose. I've been horrible about tracking - However, if I see a gain, I start back just so that I become aware of exactly what is causing it. Again, OK with that. I DO get on the scale often. It works for me. Keeps me accountable.
Every once in awhile I get frustrated with the restrictions (OMG, I ordered veal piccata the other day and it was AMAZING - I wished I could eat the whole darned thing at one sitting!!) - However, I choose to look at the upside now on this one - I ate it for 3 days!. Good food choice: NOPE - Worth it: YEP!
For those just starting the journey, it isn't always easy - it isn't always fun. For ME, it's the best decision I've ever made for myself. It's definitely not a quick fix and I would encourage anyone who is using food as a coping mechanism to really look deep before you take the plunge. This surgery certainly doesn't "fix" anything like that. it's a tool (and a great one, but remember, the change is only to your stomach, not your brain) - I happen to be one of those people who just loves food, cooking, and the social aspect of it. Having the surgery has allowed me to continue that and still keep me in check with smaller portions.

Hope this gives folks some insight into what CAN happen. We're all different and will have different experiences.

My husband is very active, and I was previously very active too, but over the years as I gained weight, I could no longer keep up with him. He and a friend went on a week-long mountain biking trip and while he was away I started plotting my plan to be able to do the trip WITH him the following year. I called a surgeon, and was able to get in for my first class within a day or 2 of my call. When I picked my husband up from his trip, I told him all about my appointment and that I was going to have WLS. He was (and still is!) so supportive and so excited for me!
OH yeah...the next year, we went on that mountain biking trip TOGETHER!!! It was during Covid, so we had to modify the route (campgrounds closed), but we did it!!! I looked super cute in my biking outfits too! LOL!!!

So I had plastic surgery 3 weeks ago tomorrow. My surgery included belt lipectomy/360 Tummy Tuck, and breast lift with augmentation. Recovery has been tougher than I expected due to fatigue. I went back to work (RN in a large clinic) last Monday. The fatigue was unreal. On Tuesday, one of the doctors I work with decided I should be checked for anemia. I popped over to our lab and had a quick blood draw. I had finished lunch about 45 prior to getting the blood drawn. The next day when I received my lab results, I was surprised to see my blood glucose was 59. 😲 I do not dump, so I have been eating more simple carbs and sugars to try to keep from losing more weight. I had been eating some candy on Tuesday prior to lunch. Apparently, I have reactive hypoglycemia. No more simple carbs and sugars for me, except small amounts with meals. The bummer part of this, (aside from feeling extra crappy with low blood sugars), is that I am really anxious about not losing any more weight and don’t know how I am going to keep the weight on without the extra calories. I guess I need to increase healthy fats to make sure I keep my calories up. With that said, I have lost about 3 pounds since my plastic surgery. I never thought I would be stressed about losing weight. 🙄🤷‍♀️ I have an appointment with my surgeon’s office in a week and I am looking forward to discussing this with them.

My labs also show some Iron deficient anemia. I was not iron deficient nor anemic prior to plastics, so this is directly related to blood loss in surgery, and fairly simple to correct with diet and iron supplements (I don’t normally take any iron supplements).

Over all, I am doing very well post-plastics. My pain has really been minimal since about day 3 post-plastics. I have had a bit of trouble with my incisions separating (dehiscence) in a few small spots. My husband is a wound nurse, so we have been managing the wound care with pretty good results. I am thrilled to have breasts again after going from a 40 DD to a 34 A. 😬😬😬
Anyhow, here are bikini pics to show off my post-plastics body…swelling included. 😂

Dusted off my running shoes and a pair of running pants this morning.
According to my fitness app, it has been 118 days since I last went for a run (yikes!). Finally went for one this morning, and whoa, I'm outta shape. Got winded after like 20 mins so we spent about an hour "resting" at a lookout instead. LOL.

I did very little exercise while in the weight loss phase because I needed a hip replacement and could barely walk. I had my hip replacement when I was about 130 lbs ( 2 yrs ago today!) I can now walk as far as I want to and have no problem maintaining my weight at 108 lbs. I had the gastric bypass. I walk every day and have no problem doing 6-7 miles.

Just another onederland post. 198.4 this morning on the seven month anniversary of my surgery date. 140 down total. Feeling great, no longer obese, and 33.4 lbs from goal!

Trying to fall in love with Protein Shakes again (It’s too hot to eat 🤣) It tasted like a Starbucks Frappuccino
*not shown was 2 oz of Water, 4 oz of almond milk & 4 oz of ice

Poached salmon (wine then cream) and as usual this is not my plate

Love the foods! Do you make your own kimchi???

Just took this after PS in a swimsuit photo this afternoon. As you can see both upper and lower belly bulges are gone :)

Coming up on 2 years post op and life has never been better. The gastric sleeve opened up a world to me that i thought would never exist. Ive learned so much about health, nutrition and exercise, that i wouldnt have if i didnt take the first step with the sleeve. I have a healthy relationship with foods now. I try to keep myself to the 80/20 rule. But i probably am closer to 90/10. Make good choices 80% of the time, and enjoy some of my favorite things the other times. Its funny tho, a lot of my favorites have no become healthy choices. So that makes life easier. I started this journey first just focusing on losing the weight. So for the first year i ran a lot and set a goal to run a half marathon. i completed that last may and then began to switch my focus to putting on muscle. This was hard because it meant i had to up my calories which for anyone in our situation, is a scary thing. So i bought a WHOOP strap and really dialed in how many calories i was burning and spoke with my nutritionist about a plan to get where i wanted to go. (whoop strap is apparently the most accurate fitness tracker out right now and ive found that my apple watch says i burn 800 more calories then the whoop says. just a heads up. IT wasnt easy but ive been doing it and got on a great routine. My lowest weight was 208. i now hover between 225-230. i weigh every few weeks but dont get too obsessed with the scale anymore. i know that if i stay within my calories that im fine. Its been a process and i had to learn a lot. it wasnt all easy but 110% worth it. This surgery opened a whole new life for me. I am extremely greatful.