Luna Girl

I know you might not have lost a lot of weight but how do you feel? Everyone always asks how much weight have l lost. I don't weigh myself regularly my surgery was on April 15th but I went from 11 meds to 4 meds, I can walk my dog at the park without getting out of breath after a few steps. My A1C is almost normal. You have to not stress the actual weight loss but the good things that come with the surgery. Hang in there.

I'm 3 years out, and over 2 years in maintenance.
Like some above, I weigh myself every morning (to make sure i'm not leaning to far above or below my happy weight range); I track everything I eat (to keep eye on caloric intake), get some exercise in (run min 5K 2-3 times a week, plus other random activities here and there: dancing, hiking, swimming).
I've figured out that at my current activity level, i can maintain my current weight at around 1800 cals a day.
Other random things I do that I *think* contribute to MY maintenance (or could just be habit now and may not actually be making a lick of difference, lol):
I try to keep bread, rice, Pasta intake low. I don't completely avoid them, but they don't have main billing in my diet, or even supporting cast. More like nameless extras with non-speaking roles, lol I make it a point to never eat to full. I may not always succeed, but I try. I wear tight pants. Don't laugh, but having tight pants on when I go out for dinner helps to ensure that I won't overeat to over-fullness, when it's easier to do so cuz I'm just sitting around a table for hours with food, you know? I always share Desserts (or get a mini/micro one) cuz I know dessert is my downfall. I don't eat before noon if I can help it. If my weight goes above my happy weight range, I cut some calories until I until I'm at the bottom of said range (luckily this hasn't happened in over a year...knock on wood) I do my running in the morning so its done and i don't get a chance to procrastinate throughout the day. That's all i can think of at the moment, but I'm sure there are a whole bunch of other things I do....

I have always thought to myself this is too easy… I had vsg 2/24/21 I am down 80 lbs since surgery and 104 lbs overall since 10/31/20. Some of it is luck and some of it I feel is good choices and embracing the lifestyle changes as well as mindset. I listen to a few wls podcasts and belong to a few wls groups. I go to support meetings offered by my surgeon’s office and spend a lot of time researching. Celebrate the NSVs and keep making new goals. Tracking helps me meet my goals, measuring everything helps me learn proper portions. Walking and weightlifting are also contributing to my weight loss. I did have 1 hiccup- gall bladder had to come out 5 months after vsg- but I did have a history of gallstones and the rapid weight loss probably was what caused my gall bladder to become inflamed. Hoping it continues to feel easy and I can stay on track for the long term.

UPDATE:
Just wanted to drop an update on my monthly measurements.
I lost another 10.7 inches this past month!! Which brings my total since surgery up to 45.5 inches lost total!
Total loss for each area I measure are as follows:

L. Thigh: 3
R. Thigh: 3.5
L. Calf: 2
R. Calf: 1.5
L. Ankle: .75
R. Ankle: .5
L. Bicep: 3
R. Bicep: 2.75
L. Forearm: 2
R. Forearm: 2
L. Wrist: .75
R. Wrist: 1
Neck: 1.25
Breasts: 5
Hips: 8
Waist: 9.5
Really Happy with the progress so far!

Let me start by saying that my husband met me when I was thin but he married me when I was heavy so I know he loves me no matter what. At the same time if I ask him he is honest about my size. Well I haven’t lost any weight on the scale for over a month now but I have been doing crunches because I have what I like to call a spare tire. Last night I asked my husband if my spare tire is getting better because I’ve been doing crunches for a while and he said it’s not quite a spare tire anymore and I said so is it more like a doughnut he said well not a doughnut either, maybe just tread. I thought it was funny and was glad to hear that even though I am not losing weight it is redistributing. I increased my crunches today to try and get rid of the tread but don’t want to get my hopes up too much. The NP already told me with the loose skin I probably will not have a six pack without surgery. But going from a full on belly to spare tire to donut to just tread is still HUGE. I’ll take it.

-jumped right up on the tailgate of the truck today!
-fit in the space between the stairs and the wall in the barn to chase baby chicks. Always had to call the kids before.
-RAN from spot to spot at my son’s cross country meet
-couldn’t move a heavy piece of furniture that I’ve always moved by using my weight. Just stood there confused until I figured out the why.....then I started grinning.

Oh yeah and my feet dont hurt anymore when I walk. Plantar arch problems all just gone. Also running to catch the bus doesnt leave me light headed and huffing for an hour after and stairs are no longer dreaded torture devices.

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I have two that are the same. My son came and gave me a big bear hug and said mommy I can reach all the way around you now!!! I can touch my hands together.

My boyfriend has never said much accept being super supportive in all I try to accomplish but after my son said that I noticed how much better I fit in his arms. Cuddling has never felt better as he can easily wrap his arms around me.

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Went to a pumpkin patch with my kids. This is one of our family traditions and I’m glad they are “too cool” for it yet.

For years people would Comment on my weight...as a teen, when athletic, I was told I looked too masculine, or my grandmother would tell me (while underweight) that I needed to diet or I would end up overweight and over 300 lbs like my dad's mom....which, eventually, I got there. As an obese adult, strangers made rude comments in stores, restaurants, where ever. Their kids picked fun as they did too. And it only got worse the heavier I got and didn't matter if my kids were with me or if I was solo.
Fast forward and now I get from strangers questions like "do you have cancer", "are you sick", and on 2 occasions the automatic store door wouldn't open and I was told if I ate more I wouldn't have that issue. Or one man said "let me show you where the Cookies are, you need to eat those and not that rabbit food"...
Recently I was hospitalized for 3 days incase of emergency surgery for bowel obstruction. My intestines had flipped, but flipped back on their own. I used to have chronic IBS-D now it's IBS-C. So after discharge I was prescribed an rx and 4 OTC meds to help me with keeping regular and avoiding bowel obstruction and surgery. While picking up the OTC meds, a rather large woman and her 18-22 y.o. daughter were on the same aisle...of course, observing my purchases and out loud the mother told the daughter "the reason why she's that thin is because she buys all that stuff to sh!t herself to death...she is anorexic ..don't let me ever catch you doing that. That woman is mentally ill." They walked away. I was left standing there in awe that , that even happened. My husband was like wtf?
Well Saturday we had my daughter's 18th birthday. It was just us 4 and my dad. He hasn't seen me in like 2 months. And in front of my kids, he says "you do not look good. You look sick. You have taken this weight loss thing too far and you have got to stop. You're face and eyes are sunk in, your bones are sticking out and you need to gain about 50 pounds".
I am 148 now. My HW 325. SW 311 3/9/20. I do not think nor does my bariatric surgeon feel that I've lost too much weight. Heck, his GW for me is 136. I am 5'6". I don't know what people are seeing but my point of this post, as long winded as it is, is that the negative comments just never seem to end. I thought for sure that I would lose weight, get healthy (point of surgery...healthy and save my life, not skinny) and feel great about myself. But it seems no matter what size you are, someone, somewhere always has something negative to say about one's appearance. Does it ever end? People suck. That's why I'm a cat person.

Congratulations on your weight loss and your very supportive husband! Makes all the difference in the world when the people closest to you "have your back"!! Awesome Post! 😊

I'm sure they hate me at doctors offices. It used to seem like it was too much trouble to them to have to switch from the "regular" cuff to a "large" cuff, now they have to switch from the "adult regular" to the "adult small." And usually they have to look for that one!

This ☝️is the reason I went forward with the surgery. Wanted to "live" again with my family! Best feeling in the world! So happy for you!

Here are pics from my vacation exactly one year ago ( The first three in the Yellow shirt) and from my vacation last week. I had my first consult with my surgeon about 3 weeks after I got home from vacation last year. What a difference a year makes!

Congratulations on your weight loss and your very supportive husband! Makes all the difference in the world when the people closest to you "have your back"!! Awesome Post! 😊

So I have experienced some good NSV's like many of you during these past few months. Stuff like fitting in restaurant booths better, fitting clothes better, not having to worry so much about weight limits on certain things, the car seatbelt not making that dreaded sound cause it was pulled out too far.........lol.......etc. But this weekend I had something else happen that took me by surprise.
So since surgery on May 19th I lost 62 lbs and since March the total is 81 lbsl! Even though those numbers sound good and I can see some changes in me, whenever my husband says stuff like, "Wow, I can't believe how thin you've gotten!" etc. I always reply with how I don't see it and how I still have lots to go. He always says I don't give myself enough credit, etc.
Anyway, this weekend we were out and about and we decided to stop and have lunch and as I approached the restaurant door, I was taken aback by the figure/person I saw in the reflection. It was almost as if I didn't recognize myself for a split second. It was strange. I usually wear my old baggy clothes still but this day I decided to wear leggins that actually fit and were NOT baggy, I had my heel boots on, a nice sweater, etc. I was feeling really good about myself.
Well, the next day we were out again visiting a lake/park. This particular lake has different boat rentals like kayaks, canoes, etc. Things I could never do cause of my weight. So we went inside to inquire and, low and behold, I was actually UNDER the weight limit!!! I was so happy I could barely contain my excitement!! So we walked outside, me in front of my husband, and he again commented on my weight loss and how I've been looking and so I told him to take a few full body pics of me so that I could see what he sees. He took one of the front and back. Now, taking a photo of my whole body has always been a HUGE NO NO and everyone knows it so I was scared to see the results. Well when I looked at the pictures I actually burst into tears!!! It was such an unexpected reaction from me that it caught us both off guard. My husband was asking and hoping they were tears of happiness and I told him YES! That it was the first time in decades that I could actually stomach seeing a photo of myself that I was Ok with.
I cried some more and hubby comforted me and told me how proud he was of how well I was doing and how happy he was that the surgery was finally helping me lose weight when so many things I tried never did. He said he was happy I was getting healthy, that I was off some medication, and my labs were coming back great. He also reaffirmed that my weight was NEVER an issue for him and that he loved me always, no matter how big or small I am and I told him that I always knew that but that it was always an issue for me. Which is why I had the surgery.
I guess it was the combo of the catching a glimpse of myself in the reflection, the better fitting clothes, learning I can now kayak and then seeing myself in the photos that it just really hit me. I have a ways to go still, like I always tell him, but I am FINALLY starting to feel happy with what I am seeing. It feels really good!!

Hi all! Just wanted to introduce myself. I am a few days short of my two month post op anniversary (RNY). So far I have lost 66lbs (starting weight 470, highest weight 515). I am still on the chopped diet but I have been working in whole foods here and there. Still playing the "what's going to stay down" game, but enjoying the journey so far! I was kind of expecting a little more weight loss at this point but hell, any is better than none! I have hit a few stalls in the process but nothing longer than a few days. I look forward to "meeting" some of you!
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Wow!! You look stunning! That dress..just gorgeous on you! ❤️

well, it’s been one week,
I went to my Back doctor, because I had spinal stenosis in the lower back for about three years,
Tried having surgery, but I couldn’t because when I went into the operating room, when they flipped me over, I stopped breathing, so the operation was canceled,

All I could do was walk about 100 feet then my back would hurt so bad, I would halve to sit down, I also couldn’t stand longer than 10 minutes at a time. Because of the pain,
I also had arthritis pain in my knees, hips lower and upper back, I was a mess.
Had my surgery, and yes it hurt, and yes, I had to change,
I went to my back doctor, and he said I lost 24 pounds. I said wow.
The first thing I noticed was my ankles, they weren’t swollen anymore. They looked kind of skinny,
My back pain stated to go away, my arthritis pain went away,
I showered yesterday and dropped my sock and I just reached down and picked it up, haven’t done that in a while. Rechecked today and yes, I have no problem picking up items off the floor.
Went to the store, and walked around the whole time, feet are tired, but my back doesn’t hurt at all.
After all this after one week, what’s to come in the future.

Its been a while!! But he is an updated pic from this last weekend of the girlfriend and i. i know i know. i am one lucky dude.

Back in December of 2019, my wife (Girl friend at the time) decided to have sleeve surgery. I did the typical "You know this can kill you right?" and various other vocal concerns. But, knowing she is intelligent and having trust in her, I told her she has my 100% support. I got to see her go thru 6 month program, see all her paperwork and homework, and also learn while she learned. She had her surgery on Sept 20th of 2020. Since then I have been able to learnt he eat better myself since I did not want to eat terrible in front of her.
As weeks went on after her surgery and I see her pain going away, and her smile getting bigger, I started thinking. Maybe I was all wrong about it. So At end of December I filled out the online forum for the program and waited. 2 weeks later, I get "the call" saying I have been accepted into the program. The whole time thinking I might go thru with it.
Over the next 6 months or so I get upper endoscopies, ECG, blood work, have group sessions with head docs and nutritionists. During all these I keep getting more and more excited about the possibilities.
August 6th I complete the program and wait for the call with a surgery date. Aug 13th my phone rang and the screen said "Stomach Cutters" (what I named the contact). She said September 16th, you are scheduled for the Sleeve surgery. By this time, my "maybe" of getting it was, "I want this now". I was super excited. I was all set for this!
September 2nd I started my 2 week liquid diet. That night, I had a work function cook out... I made it thru. Stayed strong. Sept 4th, I have a friends campout pot luck ... stayed strong, made it! by the time The morning of surgery hit, I had lost 25 pounds on liquid diet and was ready.
Surgery at 7:30am, Recovery room by 9am, room by 11am. Then I slept most of the day and night on and off. Met with my surgeon early next morning he said my liver shrunk so much during liquid diet I had one less incision. Great news. I was bored so walked around the unit a bunch to keep moving. Then got told I was discharged at 1pm.
Rest of Friday, Saturday and Sunday was all about rest, sip sip sip, and recover. My wife, is nothing less than an angel. Support at home is amazing. My daughter who lives with us was amazing as well.
Come Monday (4 days postop), I was back to work full time and ended up working 50 hours my first week. (Desk job at home that week for recovery). By day 7 out I was on pureed foods and by day 11 I was on soft foods.
I get 40-60g Protein a day, 48oz Water a day and I am feeling great!
Regrets? Yeah, not doing this 15 years ago!

Insurance paid, I made my first contact with the clinic in February of 2020, had a zoom appointment in March, then did six months of check ins to satisfy insurance requirements. Insurance submitted in October, approved next day. Surgery date 11/10/2020. My out of pocket ended up being a few hundred dollars. I was well above the BMI cutoff, but I’m such a cheapskate that if I’d been below I would probably have stuffed a bra full of sandbags. 🤭

Well at least the government got something right for the military. 👍

My total out of pocket expense for the surgery was $158. I have Tricare (retired military). I paid some co pays for appointments along the way but that is pretty much it. Very happy with Tricare!!!

I have BCBS but I started the process in January and just had my surgery 2 weeks ago... so, it felt like forever! It wasn't just the insurance hoops, but the surgery center was understaffed and my outside Dr. didn't talk to them, and lots of little things.
I would say to prepare, clean out your pantry (if you live alone) so you won't be tempted by things that are not good choices. Also, have food that you can eat after surgery ready to go - Protein Shakes, yogurt, sugar free Jello and ice pops. People always say don't buy too much because your tastes will change, but my tastes didn't change at all really. I loved sweets before, I still love sweets. I was hoping I wouldn't like them any more.
But you need to have the food ready to go because you can't carry heavy things like canned Soup, Protein Drinks, etc right after surgery.
Have your house clean and your laundry done and your dishes washed because it will be hard to do these things for a few days.
Pick up all your prescriptions ahead of time, except for those they give you the day of surgery. Get Miralax and Laxative Suppositories, because the Constipation is REAL.
Buy a few Water bottles (the reusable kind) to keep in the fridge so you can rotate them as they get warm, since you can't guzzle water after surgery, and you may not want warm water.
Start tracking your food and water on an app like MyFitnessPal or just pen and paper in a journal.