SarahMan80

I had a small NSV today. I put on a size large t-shirt and it actually fit! This is surprising to me as I am a slow loser and thought it would take longer for this to happen! I've had other victories but this one stuck me as the shirt I tried on has been in my closet for years....and I can finally fit into it!! I can't wait until I shrink into the rest of my clothes!
Many best wishes and small NSV's to you all!

Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of my sleeve surgery. I am so glad I did this, and wish I'd done it years ago! It hasn't been without struggles, and I had hiatal hernia surgery in June 2021 because my sleeve had "slipped" up into my chest cavity. Still... all is good, I am SO MUCH BETTER since having the hernia repair, and I have kept all my weight off. I am just happy, and want to say to those with doubts... YOU CAN DO THIS!!

That's great, congratulations! 🥳

I had the same experience recently. I went to try on clothing and tried on an XL and it was too big. I am now in a large from a 2X and it is very motivating! Now I am motivated to get into a medium for the first time in over 30 years.

Congrats! I remember how fun it was when I started fitting into smaller clothing. NSV's are everything to me. Keep up the good work! I always lost really really slow before surgery. And now almost everything I bought after surgery is too big.
(And as much as I think it's a great NSV, it's a double edged sword. I hate shopping for some things, like bras. Now I'm having to shop again, but its less fun since I'm broke from surgery)
Congrats again, keep up the good work.

I had a small NSV today. I put on a size large t-shirt and it actually fit! This is surprising to me as I am a slow loser and thought it would take longer for this to happen! I've had other victories but this one stuck me as the shirt I tried on has been in my closet for years....and I can finally fit into it!! I can't wait until I shrink into the rest of my clothes!
Many best wishes and small NSV's to you all!

I had a small NSV today. I put on a size large t-shirt and it actually fit! This is surprising to me as I am a slow loser and thought it would take longer for this to happen! I've had other victories but this one stuck me as the shirt I tried on has been in my closet for years....and I can finally fit into it!! I can't wait until I shrink into the rest of my clothes!
Many best wishes and small NSV's to you all!

I had a small NSV today. I put on a size large t-shirt and it actually fit! This is surprising to me as I am a slow loser and thought it would take longer for this to happen! I've had other victories but this one stuck me as the shirt I tried on has been in my closet for years....and I can finally fit into it!! I can't wait until I shrink into the rest of my clothes!
Many best wishes and small NSV's to you all!

I just did this too. I was sitting down and didn’t realize it until I looked down. My legs are crossed without any issues!

I just did this too. I was sitting down and didn’t realize it until I looked down. My legs are crossed without any issues!

No apologies needed -- I'm always interested!

I'm pre-op but have lost 17 lbs. since I started seriously considering this process (and 34 from my high)... today I had to park in a somewhat tight spot, and only had to open my truck door one "bump" to get out. Surgery is in exactly week... I can't wait.

I have a whole coterie of doctors at this point, as I'm sure many of us do, to fix the various systems.

One of them makes me take my shoes and socks off at every appointment so he can poke my feet to see if I can feel the poke. It drives me insane. He insists I must be at least pre-diabetic because I'm so fat, and assumes that I've just gone off and "put a bandaid on my poor diet" for a while to pass his blood glucose screenings. He also insists I tell my primary care physician that I need to be on statins (presumably also because I'm fat). When I point out my cholesterol is just fine, he comes up with some "new fact" or other; the latest was there is something wrong with the SHAPE of my fat cells or some such b0ll0cks.

Well... as part of my pre-op testing, the surgeon pulled my lipids and blood glucose. Lipids were in the bottom half of the normal range (142 total, HDL 53, LDL 67, triglycerides 94, so right exactly where they needed to be), and my A1c is 5.2.

I printed a copy of the results from MyChart and mailed them to the offending MD with a polite but passive-aggressive note. Childish? Perhaps. But cathartic. I cannot wait until they can't use my weight as an excuse for being trash people.

I'm married with a husband who works tons of hours and two active teenagers. They are self-sufficient for Breakfast and lunch, but if I want everyone together around the dinner table, it's still up to me to cook dinner for the family. I found this a little challenging at first and some nights I ditched, but when I do that it seems everyone scatters and just makes a sandwich when they feel like it or runs out for take-out. I really enjoy our family dinners because it seems like the only time everyone takes a pause and sits down together to connect. So, I had to get back to the kitchen, even though I'm still early in my post-op diet and not eating what they do.
I know I can't be alone in this position, so I wanted to share something I found that REALLY makes it much easier to manage. I've subscribed to Hello Fresh, the program where you can get ingredients delivered to prepare complete meals. This particular service allows you to choose which meals you would like for the week. They send everything you need (outside of kitchen basics like olive oil, salt, pepper, butter, etc) in the exact portions you need to complete the meal. Each meal comes with a step by step recipe and they are not heavy prep, often cook in one or two pans and most are ready in 30-40 minutes total.
I'm not trying to sell the service, but just wanted to share that it can really take the burden of planning, shopping and [largely] cooking family meals that you can't eat. I would suggest looking into something similar in your local area, if it's available, if you're struggling as I was. This is not something I would normally even consider, but it's worked out quite well for this part of my journey, I may or may not continue it longer term.

I survived my first family event today. The nice thing about Covid is I haven't had to worry about gatherings. But today was a special birthday for a relative so we had a BBQ with about 20 people.
I was asked to bring an Angel food Cake, so I made that....and I didn't eat the part I cut off like I normally would. I had one small bite, the rest went in the compost.
I'm only 3 months out. Not everyone there knows I had the surgery, but no one commented about the fact that all I ate was a chicken burger (that I brought) and some pickles. I used a dessert sized plate like I do at home. Timed my bites, and as expected could not eat it all. I didn't have any of the other food there. There was no desire, I was full.
A little later I had dessert. I was still "full", so just had a small bite of cheesecake (no crust or topping) and a sliver of the angel food cake with 3 fresh strawberries that I brought for myself. There is no way I could have ate more than that.

Today I had an A-HA moment. I went to get my hair done and the owner came up to me and said "You lost weight! You look great!!" and I *almost* said...yes I had surgery 2 weeks ago. And I caught myself. I thought *surgery* didn't do this. *I* did this. I've only lost 13 pounds since surgery. I've lost 45+ on my own since January. Actually I don't even know why I would tell her about surgery. I haven't told anyone except my kids LOL. But it was weird that it was the first thing I thought of. But I'm glad I realized it quickly and gave the credit to *myself*. I'm the one doing the hard work. Yay me!

Thank you to everyone for your support. I truly appreciate it. Reading the kind words made a really dark time manageable.
I wanted to give an update. I reached out to my mother in law who lives in another state. She'll be coming into town on the night of my surgery. She will pick me up after my surgery and stay for a few days while I recover. She's a loving and caring woman but, it was still tough to ask for something so big. She understands how difficult her son can be. As far as getting to the hospital, I've exhausted every possibility, and taking an Uber seems to be the easiest.
Nothing has been resolved with my husband. He still refuses to be a part of the process. He still insists if I exercise, I'll lose weight. I'm done trying to explain and plead my case. He just doesn't get it. I need to focus on myself and my goals right now. I'm in therapy. The suggested strategies for getting some peace are working.
I have one final appointment in a week to complete my 6-month requirement (yay!) and then it's the waiting game for insurance approval.
Sleeve and tube removal here I come. 😁

I feel this post so hard. I started my journey on 10/5/2020 so it's been almost a year for me. I was diagnosed as diabetic and that's what started it. I"m 47, and I was 311 lbs. Surgery was March 3, 2021 and I am down 111 lbs. I'm right at 200 lbs exactly and ONEderland is teasing me. I NEVER thought I could feel this way. The whole time I was going through the process, I kept thinking... I know it happens for others, but it just won't work for me. I have had an amazing year. Probably one of the best years I've had in decades. I got to ride roller coasters this summer with my girls. My wedding rings fit again. I've started running and I'm prepping for a 5K. I can go shopping in the "regular" side of the store. I BORROWED A SHIRT FROM MY TEENAGER!!! I feel so much better, but TBH, I still can't believe it.
It's a process, and it's a mental game just as much if not more than a physical one. Have patience, follow your plan, and work on YOU. You can do it!

Today I was walking through the center of town (closed to cars) and was people-watching... how easily they moved, how energetic they seemed to be.
I'm having a lot of trouble reconciling the idea that a year from now, if I stick to the plan and keep working the way I know I can, I could be that way.
I've been so obese for so long that I can't imagine a life where I can just... go to a store and buy pants. Or just... decide to sleep somewhere else without having to pack up my CPAP. Or just... run for the sake of running. I literally cannot imagine it. It should be a source of motivation, but it's impossible for me to wrap my mind around it. And then I get all overwhelmed.
I've failed so many times before, that I don't dare let myself hope.

Lol. Yea. After a lifetime of clearing my plate, and then some, it's still hard to get used to this. Lol

I have not bought clothing in a long time since I’m not going anywhere special but my youngest daughter convinced me to buy it for a date night. I didn’t think I could fit it but she said it’s small and you’re small (as if that’s how it works 😩) well she was right. I think it is a generous cut.
 

I was due to have the gastric sleeve operation on 30th April.. I cancelled..I am now scheduled on 31st September..I'm having a hard time coming to grips with the surgery fees...Whilst I can afford it, I feel guilty that I'm spending that money on. ME....IM ANGRY with MYSELF...angry that I have to resort to surgery to lose the 40kg I had put on the previous 2 years...ANGRY because I don't recognise my reflection in the mirror...I don't want to look like this anymore...ive become a functioning alcoholic...ive become sad and lost over the loss of two people who have tragedy checked out of this life....Ive just let myself go...So I've come to the conclusion...that if I don't do this surgery I will die....
So I'm resetting my Life Clock...I am worth more than the price of a surgery...I just didn't think I had the energy or strength to do anything about changing my life's path...I'm an optimist...I'm a Libran..I can see light at the end of this tunnel...I can see me...and I can see the person in that reflection..Its ME.. I look forward to my journey...
Bless to everyone on their
Tasmania Australia
Sent from my SM-N980F using BariatricPal mobile app

Congratulations!

7 months and 6 days post-op, and I’ve hit my goal! I lost around 70 lbs pre-op (and over 50 of that before surgery consult in late October of last year - COVID scared me into finally getting motivated to really do something about the weight). Pictures are from fall of 2019, second is about 2 weeks post op, and then the last is from early this week. Thinking of adjusting my goal down another 10 lbs or so as I still want to lose some more, but this is the lowest adult weight I have been. Need to start saving for plastics. I will say, the changes are more noticeable now - even 5 lbs can make a difference. I also started doing strength training about 10 weeks post-op (once I was fully vaccinated) and that has made a MASSIVE difference. I did a body scan and from late March when I started to mid-July (my most recent scan), I lost 35 lbs, which I knew from my scale, but I actually gained 6.5 lbs of muscle and lost 17% body fat. Want to continue to build that muscle and tone and now thinking lose another 10 or so. We shall see. But for today, I Celebrate hitting my goal, especially since everyone at the surgeon’s office said not to set it at that, as most folks only lose 60-70% of their excess weight. Of course, they also only want me to eat plant-based, and that’s not happening either. It’s definitely Fri-YAY!

Um, yes? But the only thing that bothers me is most of what they eat has wheat in it and I developed a wheat allergy after surgery so when they make a mess and don't clean it up I complain because if I am forced to clean up after them I'll end up with giant rashes due to my allergy. It gets really irritating! I'm actually surprised that I don't feel like cheating most of the time. I mean, yeah, the fact that they buy chocolate and keep it in candy dishes makes me always grab at least two of them a day when they're there (85 calories for those tiny little chocolates) but I fit them into my diet so I don't feel like it's cheating (I'm almost 19 month out so my diet is a lot more lax then someone just starting out).