Spinoza

Unbelievable and love the timing! Here's to a healthier and lighter life for the rest of your life.

I love cabbage - I eat it fried in butter, sometimes with bacon lardons too. Probably my favourite vegetable and I have had no problems with it since my surgery. Having said that, cabbage lasagne sounds gross. Is it done with a tomato sauce? I don't think I could eat that, although I would have no problems processing the constituent parts, IYKWIM!!!

Ah I was hoping you would check in @ForMyOhana 134lbs off is just amazing in 10 months - that's a stone a month (I know I'm fixated on Irish measures, but I'm Irish!) Absolutely everything crossed for you hitting that 259 mark before your surgery-versary!!

Thank you guys - all really helpful! Really interesting to hear that you lost so much whilst not really planning to @Arabesque Bumping this up because I'm interested in others' experiences, if you feel able to share.

Yeah I totally get this and my advice is just to lie enough to get through the process. Sorry, I know that doesn't help the person coming behind you - I have no idea how to buck the system. I've met some of the most ill-informed professionals I have *ever* met on the road to WLS. If I had locked horns with all of them I'd have had no energy left for the journey itself.

Actually maybe the correct question is - how did you know when you were done? I am within a couple of pounds of my original (completely arbitrarily chosen) goal weight. Which by the way I never really believed I could reach. I was sleeved 10 months ago and am still losing around half a pound a week on 1200 calories (ish) a day - a bit more at weekends because I drink some alcohol then. I am hungry at times but I can keep that at bay by eating lots of protein snacks alongside my 3 meals a day, which are protein and veg for the main - still not much in the way of carbs. My question is - did you just select a goal weight and stick to that? Did you achieve/maintain this by intentionally increasing your calorie intake once you got there? I'm thinking I could easily go up to 1600/1800 calories a day and probably maintain at that or thereabouts. Or did you just keep going as long as you could, staying on the right side of hunger (AKA deprivation, LOL) and see how low you could go, and does the weight loss then fizzle out? If I did that would I ever be able to up my calories again without gaining? So many questions, LOL. I would really appreciate your thoughts and experiences.

Amazing amazing amazing. What a transformation. I really look forward to the rest of your weight loss journey @SleeveDiva2022

Ah you whippersnappers - this is actually the old timers group from November 2021 Wishing you all the very best on your journey - it's a wild ride, hold on to your hats!

One of the more irritating side effects of WLS! Mine started shedding really heavily around the 5th month and kept going for a couple of months (and I lost a lot in the end). I'm seeing some regrowth at 10 months. Totally agree, a shorter length looks better with thinner hair.

I'm gonna repeat what the others have said - I hope that isn't too annoying! If you're eating 1000 - 1200 calories a day you will be losing fat. Whatever water shifts are happening are making it appear that you're not. This happens to everyone. You have lost 21lbs since your surgery - I lost 17lbs in my first 6 weeks so you're doing better than I did (not that it's a competition, LOL). If you stick to your plan you will see sustained fat loss - it's not possible not to. Keep the faith - I know how disheartening it is not to see a change on the scale but I promise you - if you stick with the programme in a year you'll be here posting how you're at your goal weight. Post here lots - everyone is so supportive and helpful - we are really rooting for you!!!

Ah - Kim just said exactly the same thing except in five fewer sentences

That does feel really unfair. Is there no way it could be considered skin removal primarily to treat your medical condition and, if so, could the surgeon call it something else? I'm sorry I don't know anything about how insurance works. I'm so sorry you've been left with this after all your hard work. Absolutely amazing loss.

I've been wondering when to stop mine! I'm 10 months post surgery and still take a multivitamin and calcium, and B12 spray. I have a sleeve and am eating a good balanced diet now. I think I'll ask my dietician if I can stop them at my 1 year check my my blood test results remain good.

Oh OK you're almost there then. No need to panic. If you have soup mixes leftover just drink/eat those? Good luck with your surgery and weight loss journey.

Oh wow - such different post-op regimes (as ever here)! I needed to inject blood thinners for 4 weeks post-op. My surgeon told me he didn't care whether I was running a marathon by then, I still had to do it. I had no other risk factors than obesity and bariatric surgery.

This might be the most important sentence in your post OP. Do you eat fast food because you don't like to cook from scratch? Or is it lack of time and, if so, could you change that in the run up to surgery? Cooking from scratch takes no more (or not much more) time than ordering and picking up a fast food meal for all, and you can make/adjust all the twiddly bits on the side that make it good for every member of your family. I live with 3 fussy eaters and I work really long hours and yet we can sit down to a meal every evening that has been made from fresh things. That's not to blow my own trumpet - I'm really lazy, LOL. I just have a stock of dinners that I can do quickly and that I can add veg, carbs, protein etc. to as we need it. Now that I'm 10 months post sleeve I just eat smaller quantities and in a different order than the rest of the family. I will eat a ragu but no pasta (family eats all); fish pie without the potato topping; roast chicken/beef/pork/lamb dinner but just meat and a little veg; even bruschetta without the bread; curry no rice, LOL. Etc.!!! Oh and soup is your friend - you do it with bread for your family, none for you. Honestly it's not hard after you get used to it. I wish you the best for your journey.

My hunger came back gradually at around 7 months I think. It's pretty hard to ignore now but usually a small portion of protein will sort it fairly quickly. I love deli meats but bought ones are so salty - I roast chicken and keep it in a tub in the fridge almost all the time. A couple of pieces of that and my stomach shuts up again! As the others have said, enjoy this phase - it does feel strange but it's when I lost weight most quickly and I do wish it had lasted just a little longer. Sigh.

So pleased to hear you're doing so well @Lanitele Hard work but so worth it. And the hard work continues

Just checking in with my November buddies again. I'm 10 months post surgery. Weight lost 111lbs, BMI 24.4 so I've only lost 3lbs in the last month. One week did include a vacation when I didn't track my intake and had a bit more alcohol to drink than usual. Life's gonna be like that. My goal (that I set 10 months ago and never believed I could ever reach) is now 5lbs away and it feels like I'll probably make it. This surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself. How's everyone else getting along? Lots of us must be close to or at our goal weight now. Anyone not doing so well and needing some support?

I think it's human nature (and perhaps in my case just basic nosiness, ha) to want to know how other people got on, even if it does result in some angst. Takes great strength of will not to. Usually you will hear that some people have lost weight more quickly and people have lost weight more slowly than you. Stalls happen to everyone and they can be really rough mentally, but they always break. In the first 6 weeks after my sleeve I lost 17lbs. I hope this is helpful to the OP. Good luck on your journey all.

I feel for you - it's hard enough going through weight loss surgery even when we lose weight at the rate we want to. Do you track calories? It might be worth doing so for a few days just to get a feel for where you are at the minute. Slow but sure can win the race just was well - don't give up, you're averaging a pound a week by the looks of it and that will all add up in the end.

Thanks for posting this, it's really lovely to hear how different people have different journeys but how lots of us do get there in the end.

I am so rubbish at this and have been since day 1. I gobble the first three-quarters of any meal (because I pretty much know what volume of what types of food my stomach will hold after almost 10 months). It's only then that I can get control of myself and slow down a bit. Even then if I'm busy at work or something I just eat the whole meal quickly. I wish I could be better at it. Maybe I leave it until I'm too hungry before eating! I also drink far too quickly. Sorry this has been no use at all has it?

I absolutely cannot wait for this. Gives me hope for this autumn!

Stalls are so frustrating. I hope yours is short lived. We all get them and they always end. It just feels really unfair to be sticking to the programme and not lose anything! I agree with the others - stay off the scales for a week if you can and you should be through the worst of it by then (although I'm sorry to say some stalls last a few weeks). Were you losing well up to 4 days ago?