carmencat

Best I have ever felt. [emoji173] October 2017
Sent from my SM-G975U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I’ll start!

I’m channeling my inner Elle Woods today ?

There is likely going to be a bit of a learning curve to figure out what your maintenance calories are.
If you track your food intake, this process can be a little easier.
Step one: figure out what your average daily intake is (by tracking calories) and weigh yourself regularly (to determine how this intake amount affects ur weight)
Step two: if you are gaining or losing over a specific period of time, drop or add some cals, monitor for a while.
Rinse and repeat until u find ur sweet spot.
As u get further out and your activity levels change, you may need to reevaluate again and again.
It took me 2-3 months to figure out my maintenance calories, and i lost a further 10+ lbs in the process. Since then i’ve been happily maintaining my current weight for over 2 years. I decrease cals when I exercise less and increase when there is more. Its an ongoing thing.
Good luck! ❤️
P..S. Full disclosure: i don’t always eat healthily, but i generally always stay within my calorie range (on average).

Exactly as @catwoman7 said. There is no wrong or right amount to lose each week. Yes, there are averages & ranges but treat them only as a bit of an idea of what you MIGHT lose not what you will. There are too many factors that influence your individual rate of loss & it will change day to day, week to week, month to month. Remember you’ll lose at your own rate & every pound you lose is a win.
Congrats on what you have achieved so far.

there's your problem - you're believing what you read online. Just don't. NO ONE loses 5-15 lbs a week from weight loss surgery. People who are on shows like "My 600 lb Life" might lose somewhere at the lower end of that range, but even THEY aren't going to lose 15 lbs a week.

the average WLS patient (and I am NOT talking people who start out at 600+ lbs, like on those shows) loses somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month - and then it drops to about 10 lbs a month (give or take) after that. And for lower BMI patients, it'll be even lower than that. Yes - you will find people here and there who do not start out at over 600 lbs who might drop 30 lbs the first month, but they are outliers. And NO ONE loses 15 lbs a week (OK - maybe the very first week when most of that is water weight - but after that, no. It just doesn't happen).

I started out at almost 400 lbs and lost 16 lbs the first month. 12 lbs the second. And then around 10 lbs, give or take, for the next six months or so. And I lost every molecule of my excess weight - over 200 lbs.

You are doing fine. Readjust your expectations a bit. If you are following your program, and you're seeing a general downward trend, you're good.

your rate of weight loss is fine and perfectly normal.

This helped a lot, thank you so much!

I was having a great deal of trouble losing weight from my arms and saddlebags. I started researching things and everything clicked. There are many videos on YouTube about it and I started reading about the different texture that skin has when there is lipedema under the surface. Im in the process of trying to obtain a pump to help rid my body of excess fluid and break down scar tissue in my legs.

Hello. It’s been a while since I posted here but I have been busy figuring out how to get past a months long stall and some sugar addiction. First, I found out that I have lipedema which is a connective tissue disorder. It’s an abnormal collection of fat that is no longer in it’s original spongy condition. It is literally scar tissue and adhesions under the skin that do not let go of fat easily. I have huge amounts of it on the lower body and some on my arms. The change that worked for me was specific exercises using a vibration plate on the fat deposits and other mechanisms that can be found on the internet. Second, I ended up switching to healthy keto and that made a great difference in the movement of the scale. I’m down a few pounds now and I no longer have the sugar cravings. I also have gotten better about setting limits on other people monopolizing my time. I’m prioritizing myself and it is really starting to show. I’d be happy to share more if anyone is interested in the connection between stalled weight loss after Bariatric surgery and the condition known as lipedema. It’s not a broadly known condition but it is starting to get attention. I can share some of the resources that I have used in the past few months. To learn more, start here: https://lipedemaproject.org

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?

Im down about 40 lbs in total and about 25 since surgery... feeling great but still learning how to eat differently!

How are are all the March surgeries doing? We’re about two months out how is everyone feeling and how much have you lost so far? Any regrets? I’ve lost 50 lbs so far and I’m feeling good!

I had gastric bypass on 5/7/2021. I began my weight loss journey in August 2020 when I attended my hospital’s bariatric seminar. My insurance required 6 months of diet before surgery approval.

My fist dietitian appoint was mid-October 2020. Prior to this appointment I had very little motivation to lose weight. I was 280+ pounds (5’ 7.5”) and depressed. My ankles swelled every day, I had trouble moving, none of my clothes fit well and my wedding rings didn’t fit at all. I had gone off the rails.

Between October and March 21’ I managed to lose 45 pounds. I attribute my success to my husband also taking charge of his health and being a great partner.

My packet was submitted in March and approved 1 week later. My surgery was scheduled 7 weeks form the approval to my disappointment. It was a long 7 weeks! I didn’t gain or lose weight during my wait. I was officially 237 at my pre-op appointment. I managed to lose 10 pounds prior to surgery on the liver shrink diet. I was 227 the morning of surgery
The surgery went fine. I had some nausea and dry heaving the first few hours. I was able to get water down but not much else. The drain really caused me trouble so it was removed 12 hours later. I ended up only staying 1 night in the hospital because I was determined to get released early. I walked all the time and really kept my RN on his toes. Thankfully the doctor agreed with me that I would recover better at home. The next evening I was discharged and could sleep in my own bed. I followed the diet exactly for nearly 8 weeks. I went on a cruise with my family and 95% ate to plan. I would have a taste of dessert but let me tell you I sure paid for it. Dumping is real and it affects me. I seem to dump if I eat too fast, too much, or an item too high in sugar (hello chai tea!). I learned many lessons that week I’m thankful for. The surgery did exactly what I needed it to do- deter me.

I have had trouble with constipation. I am taking 3 colace per day and benefiber each morning. Seems to help but my body likes to hold onto waste. I might go back to miralax to help move things along. I’ve always had trouble in this area but now it’s more consistent.

On Saturday I hit “onederland” and weighed 199. I never thought I would get here. I weigh myself each day and I am fluctuating between 198 and 199 this week.

I have a heck of a lot more energy than I did a month ago. I am moving my body every day and using my elliptical at least 3 times a week.

I have changed sizes! Last summer I wore a 20 and now I need a 12. It blows my mind. It’s hard to describe how I feel. I can see the change but I don’t believe it’s me. People I haven’t seen in a year take a look at me and their mouth drops and tell me they didn’t recognize me or make a comment like “omg you have lost so much weight!” In a way it feels good to be validated but at the same time I hate the attention. Honestly if I didn’t lose another pound I would be happy. I am under 200 and I feel/look great! I can move without pain and I have energy. Heck I mowed the yard today! I’ve had some negative comments too- mostly from my parents- “you’re starving yourself, don’t loose too much weight, and I think you’ve lost enough” It’s painful so I don’t speak with them much.

I feel my weight loss has been slow but I remind myself how far I’ve come. 80+ pound weight loss is nothing to bat at! I’m doing a great job!

I hope to be better and update this thread monthly! Thanks for reading.