Spinoza

Oh I love that! Plus it looks absolutely delicious.🤩

Eughhhh. I hate when store bought food doesn't even try to live up to its promise. Yeah I agree, chuck that second portion - life's too short!

Loving this thread. @Bypass2Freedom you look so good. And you KNOW you look good. Love the hair. And - happy first birthday in your new body. I had my surgery almost 4 years ago but honestly I still cannot believe that I can walk into a clothes shop and buy something because it suits me, or I like something about it, or it flatters me - rather than just because it fits. I haven't really changed my style - just adapted. Was always a jeans and tops gal but perhaps now wear dresses a bit more. I like getting gussied up! Enjoy every minute of your new look(s)!!!

You look amazing. Loving the lighter hair. The skirt is coming through as tiny posies of flowers for me! 🥀

Princess Teia(lael)!!!! Looks like loads of fun. If your BF is actually a Star Wars fan that's the perfect birthday isn't it?

I think the soft food stage might be a tiny bit early for crispy pepperoni? But it sounds so lovely and it IS a long time since I was at that point. I was super wary about troubling all my staples and stitches back then. You've got to get creative after WLS for sure 😍

Honestly the variation in post op dietary advice never ceases to amaze me. I had very few rules - 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks puree were I think the only guidance I was given. I got most of my information here! I am an outlier in that I adored the puree phase. My first proper food, not yucky protein shakes, for about 2 months. My pre-op 800 calorie a day diet had to be extended when my surgery date was cancelled and I had to be in a state of preparation for a cancellation (that took weeks!) I made family dinner and then just pureed that in a blender with extra gravy. No fibrous veg but I had everything else. I hope you can make it through.

Also I've never heard of cake donuts.

OMG I think I gained weight just looking at that photo. Scrumptious. Gotta have a treat once in a while!

Not 5+ years post op but I also have foods that definitely sit badly in my new stomach, 3.5 years on, mainly (but not only) carbs. Pasta, bread, crisps (chips for some of you) but also lettuce, seeds, and some meat products (offal especially). I get full quickly and stay uncomfortably full for a long time. I don't eat white carbs often - my usual diet is fairly low carb these days - but sometimes nothing else is on offer.

There are calculators that will help you ballpark estimated weight loss. I loved doing that before my sleeve. They're based on large numbers of people who have the various surgeries, but they are just averages. So some people will lose tons more and some tons less, for various reasons. Based on those my average predicted end point (based on thousands of people with the same starting BMI/weight but with a multiplicity of different variables, as Spartanmaker says) was around 200lbs (I started at 276 and would have honestly been thrilled with that). In the end I bottomed out at 138 and have maintained for a couple of years at 6-14lbs above that (albeit with a degree of effort because I like this weight and have invested a lot of money in a wardrobe that I just don't want to replace one size up, LOL). Sounds like you're already doing amazingly with your pre-surgery loss and that's all weight you won't need to use your sleeve to lose so you're ahead of the curve. The exercise you're doing sounds great too. I think you've got this. Can't wait to hear how well you do!

Amazing. Love the photo!! 🤩

I have absolutely loved seeing your journey unfold and I'm beyond pleased for you that you've done so well @Bypass2Freedom! Enjoy the benefits of all your hard work and best of luck with transitioning to maintenance. I know you'll ace that too. 😍

Hope it went really well @SpartanMaker

OMG it looks lush and I can almost taste it - almost making me wish for colder days. I'm a massive soup fan too 😍

Best of luck to all of you. My surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Hope it works out really well for you guys too.

Incredibly honest post. You know that your current approach won't (can't) help you reach your weight loss goal and stay there. It's so good that you're stepping back and evaluating that before your prime period for weight loss flashes past (which it really really does - mine is already way back in the rear view mirror, LOL). I live in Ireland where access to proper bariatric therapists is limited, as i think it probably also is in the UK. But I echo the advice above to find one and work on what's going on in your head so you can make the most of what you've changed in your body. I really hope that you can get back on track. We are all here to help - all human and have all made mistakes as we went along. Lots of us have hit little blips when we find we *can* do things that we shouldn't. What matters is that we stop and call those out and get back on the horse. Keep posting and let us know how you're doing.

OMG that just looks soooo good. It's the butter melting...

Ha! Absolutely love me a random plate of things that might not 'go' together normally but that we just want to (and CAN) eat at the time!!!

I had a big old holiday dinner with my family at exactly your stage. Checked with my dietician beforehand and she cleared me to have some wine even though it's not normally recommended at that point after a sleeve. Did it and got through it. It's totally doable. I think from what you say that you're leaning towards going rather than looking for reasons not to. I hope you really enjoy your wine tasting. Think it'll be absolutely fine if you take it carefully x

Looks so good!

Oh that sounds awful. Did you have visible patches of hair loss? Mine was just repeated episodes of major hair fall. I hope you can get it treated.

Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for sharing - proves it can be done. It can be disheartening to hear more of people who regain everything, although I know there are many reasons for that. Any tips for the whippersnappers here regarding long term maintenance? 🤩

All good advice here. I'll just offer a big old shedload of sympathy. It's hard.

I lost my weight throughout 2022. I had three distinct phases of hair loss, each a few months apart, and each lasting several weeks. It has taken until now for my hair to fully recover, but it has. I feel your pain, it's really demoralising. Trying shorter cuts can help while you wait for it to grow back. I know lots of people swear by various supplements, and treatments onto the scalp/hair itself, but I'm not sure there's much evidence that they work.