summerseeker

I had no idea how far this surgery would take me. I also didn't want to dream too high. I had crashed and burned to many times before. I thought that if I lost 60lbs then that would equal what I managed to loose once with Slimming World and again with Weight Watchers and again under my doctor. I smashed through that target very quickly. Then 100lbs came and went. I used to watch the Greatest looser and always wanted to say I was in onderland as I don't ever remember being that weight. My scales clunked down to that dream target too. Now, I am in a place that I am happy in my body. I could happily stop loosing but very occasionally the scales go very slowly down. I posed your question to this forum a while ago. Many answered and told me that my body would tell me when it was at the right weight. It seems like it will. BTW, My NHS doctor wants me under 140lbs but the NHS here will not remove my loose skin so they can go fish . My surgeon and his team are over the moon with my progress. I know I paid for my own surgery but they could have turned me away, I was very unfit. I will always be grateful to them. Good luck at achieving any weight you decide on

Go to your local doctor and ask him / her to look into this for you. You need a second opinion as others have said. Your own doctor will find you one. If you do not have faith in the original ones, run away. A regular stricture is an easy fix and I am so sorry that you are having so many problems

If you didn't know, Ghee is just butter with the solids taken out. It burns at a higher temperature. Do what the Asians do - make it yourself with regular butter. Much cheaper

I have my ears pierced 4 times and a nose piercing. I love jewellery. I am thinking about a tragus piercing, I love the look

I have at most, two small slices of bread a week so I have butter on it. I fry my one egg a week in oil. I am not on a diet. I have just changed the amount that I eat

Loved this discussion. Its true, every day is a school day

I rarely disagree with an opinion on here but on the point of exercise I do. Before surgery I was too disabled to exercise. Staying indoors during the covid years had added lots of weight on my carcass. [ it was a government decision to keep certain people with certain illnesses indoors ] I was too old and too heavy to even begin basic exercises. After surgery it took a lot of bravery on my part to start walking. Everything scared me after being indoors for 2 years. At about 8 months out and 100lbs down, walking became easier for me. The only exercise I do is cooking, cleaning, walking, shopping and volunteering in a charity shop for one day a week. So I have done zero exercise and lost 150+ lbs

I could use soy sauce and fish sauce and made the most of it with Chinese and Thai vegetable dishes. I had 3 weeks of milk and non root vegetables. I needed to be creative. Aged balsamic vinegar was also a godsend. I had it on salads and roasted vegetables.

Pro's - I am no longer disabled, diabetic or have high blood pressure or lymphoedema. I have become a ultra confident person instead of a house mouse. I am all the things that I always want to be The only con that I can think of is my saggy skin but hey ho, I live in the UK. Its usually wet and cold and when wrapped up in clothes, I look great

You need patience, Getting to grips with the major diet changes either pre op or for about 6 weeks post op, you need patience and perseverance. Neither are easy. We have never had to eat in this way before. Everything has rules to be obeyed. Nobody has the same rules as you. You will need a lip balm and if you can get it biotin dry mouth spray. I always have wet wipes in my bag and I did use these Spare underwear If you are having a long car journey after surgery, a pillow is great to put on your stomach as it stops the seat belt from squishing you. I really regretted getting rid of my recliner chair as I had to sleep sitting up in bed for a month. I had nasty reflux. Some people buy in protein drinks but do not buy too many of the same one because our tastes change after surgery. I made broths and froze them. You will be asleep or be walking in the hospital. You will need nothing for that. Read up about Stalls

Have your team ruled out a stricture ? Any time that liquids are being vomited back up, alarm bells should ring. It is a easy fix I believe. Lots of us have issues with nausea and not wanting to eat foods and drinks that were our go to ones before surgery. I didn't do Protein drinks but have read on here that there are ones with sugar substitutes that really give people problems. My husband is diabetic so we have lots of sugar substitutes and every one of them make me vomit. I use real sugars if I need any. Lots of us find we are intolerant of dairy, nuts etc. Our new stomachs are really fussy. I also had a filthy taste in my mouth from the ketones for months. I still take Lansoprazole 30mg twice a day and when I need it Gaviscon I could not face the puree stage, just thinking about the texture made me heave so I missed that stage all together and stayed on homemade soups, yogurts, cream cheese, pate until I could go on to foods that were squashed with a fork. One tip that I was given was to have my drinks warm. My stomach accepted them better. I never drink plain water, I have never liked it. I add a little fruit juice or add Bovril or Oxo stock cubes.

At about 6- 7 months out. I had lost about 75 pounds. I was going on a overseas holiday and was trying clothes on and started looking in mirrors. I avoided mirrors for decades. My arms were the first noticeable signs that the surgery worked. I had about two inches of saggy skin under my arms. At about 12 months out, I sent for some good quality leggings, just to see if........... Well they did fit. I had regular sized legs for the first time since junior school. No more of the detested wide leg trousers and jeans for me. My ankle boots go over the top of my trousers these days, I never could do this before because they didn't zip or lace all the way up. Another holiday when I was 15 months out and I realised I had the gap in my thighs that I had always dreamed of. This old bird now wears mini dresses over my swimsuits on the beach and by the pool. I could never have imagined that. I have a lot of sagging skin on my upper arms but my lower legs are just a bit wrinkly. I look great in clothes but am fairly sure that at my age I will not be having surgery to rectify the saggy skin. I knew the skin would happen as I was old when I started this journey. I never put me of doing it. Saggy skin does not ache, feel heavy or weep. It is correctable if you want too.

No I do not need them at all. It was such a chore getting the socks on every day. I feel blessed. This surgery gave me so much more life back

Some foods are easier to eat than others. We call them slider foods. If you were eating these then they just slide all through.

I had a lot of adhesions too and I was also super worried. I was butchered by a surgeon aged 17. My surgeon did not seem worried about it but said he had to work through a lot of it on one side of my tummy. My surgery was longer than most, I expected to have to pay extra money for his time but he did not charge me extra. When I was overweight the adhesions would pull and tear and hurt me badly, I have had no pain since my surgery. I hope you get a positive outcome

Ask the surgeon this question not the online community. Its like Chinese whispers online and lots of the opinion is supposition. My pennyworth would be - get the surgery. Skinny women do not get saggy bellies after pregnancy, they don't eat for two

I really get this. Its your body and if you need a lower buffer weight then its your business. If your hubby did not know you had intentionally dieted, Would he have said anything ? I can tell you now that my husband would not know. We have been away in Spain for 2 weeks so my husband saw a bit more of me than usual. I was laying in bed without covers and clothes, it was so hot. My hip bones and ribs were prominent. My skin hangs off me, its not pretty. He said I think its time you gave up trying to loose weight now, you are skin and bone. My local doctor wants me to loose at least 40lbs more to get in a healthy range. I am happy where I am, I look good in my clothes. Who is right ? Me ! So congrats on your loss and bugger everyone else

Hi, I am looking in to arm surgery too. I would like the boob done but a t my age is it really necessary ? At a Spire hospital near me they charge £5.000 for that. A friend has just had the boobs done and that cost £9,000. There is lots of bad press about Turkey and I think I would be too scared to try it. The arm surgery alone is big surgery and my friend couldn't lift for 6 weeks after her surgery. The thing thats holding me back is not the cash its how long I will need to rely on someone else until I heal. Good luck with your journey and please keep me posted, I am very interested

It depended on where I was when going through the stages. On puree I would blitz it but when on soft foods I would smash it with the back of a spoon. I still eat it now, its good

It took me for ever to reach my goals. Like 3 + months. They just told me to do my best. Protein yogurts were my saviour, 2 of these and a pint of milk a day and I had all my protein. Drinking seemed to take all day and all my waking night too. I had my surgery in coldest winter, so hot drinks were easiest for me to manage, although they did get cold before I drank it all. After meals if I found myself thirsty, I would suck a popsicle , its a fluid. Once you can drink your ounces you will feel amazing. Its really worth while persevering, it does get easier soon I had to keep going back a stage because eating 'normal' foods was so difficult for me

I had lymphoedema because of my weight and I also had major problems when walking. I would be so out of breath and my heart would hammer in my chest. I was classed as disabled. I relied on a stick. Housework was difficult, It would take a week to clean my home, a room at a time. I ironed a shirt and sat down, panting. Now since surgery I am super active, can clean the house in an afternoon. I can walk miles without stopping to rest. My lymphoedema was in my arms and legs, I was very embarrassed about the size of them. Although I do not have the most beautiful ankles now, I would say they pass. My arms have a great deal of loose empty skin. At my age, I am wondering if I should have corrective surgery or not. I have been on 3 overseas holidays in very hot climates since surgery. My ankles and calves have never swelled and they always did before, especially on the plane journey. Its good not to wear the ugly socks. Good luck with your decision making

Its rare but I got it with the sleeve. It was not bad enough to take me to the ER but was really debilitating all the same. If I am really careful in what I eat and take my PPI twice a day and use sodium alginate after foods it keeps it at bay. I would have got the gastric bypass if I knew beforehand.

I could not do the puree stage, too grossed out. I made soups with lentils, bacon, carrots and sweet potatoes with mild chilli/curry flavours. I could regulate the thickness with stock or milk, add yogurt or cream cheese. I had lots of milk with banana and peanut butter blitzed in

I am just so genuinely sorry you have more surgery to go through. Be strong.

Also, hate to tell you @summerseeker, what friends & I call Sahara dessert mouth or Egyptian mummy mouth, is a common affliction of women once we pass a certain age. Sigh! Oh no, I can not be getting old. Inside I am only 21 Lols