SleeveToBypass2023

There's also compound (which is when the semaglutide and tirzepatide are mixed with either B12, saline, or niacinamide to make it so it's not completely the same as the original so it can be sold for a lot cheaper than the name brand). My cousin and my friend really like going that route because there's never a shortage and they don't feel they're contributing to any of the national shortages that keep happening. They're also A LOT cheaper, and if you have HSA or FSA, they will pay for the compounded formulas (they both use their FAS to cover the costs).

Awww thank you so much You're so sweet!!! I appreciate it.

LOL thank you. I just don't want to start any political (or religious, for that matter) debates in here. I know my particular political leanings can be viewed as controversial to some, and I want this to continue to be a safe space without the issues politics can, and usually does, bring. But I like that you liked my views

Thank you!! I thought about changing my highest weight, but that's not what I was when I had my surgery and I wanted to track my progress from my surgery weight. I did keto to lose the weight my doctor wanted me to lose, and it was amazing for that short amount of time. Taught me a lot about watching calories and especially carbs. Also taught me about making some better choices with the alternative foods that are out there. So I'm glad I did it. And it allowed me to lose the weight I needed to rather quickly. I needed to lose 30 pounds and I lost 33.

As someone who has lost 200 pounds in 2 years, I can 100% understand and sympathize with the loose skin situation. And being married doesn't really help. My husband is a good man, and he loves me, but he struggles with how much thinner I am now (he's what's known as a chubby chaser, and he loved it when I was around 260-270 pounds) and with all the loose skin (there's A LOT). He tries not to show it, but I can see it in his eyes and on his face. It makes it hard to keep my confidence up, but I know he loves me and I know he's happy with how much healthier I am. The weight and skin are things we talk about and are working through. It takes time and patience, but if you find the right person, it can work. They are allowed to feel a certain way, but they aren't allowed to make you feel bad about it. Remember that. You did this for you and your health. If they love you, they'll understand and be willing to communicate and work through their issues. If they get disgusted and give you a hard time, they aren't the one and you just move on.

I have a cousin and a close friend who take the shots. One takes semaglutide and the other takes tirzepatide. They both love them. It's expensive, and they have to take the compounds because insurance won't cover the name brands (but they pay $250/mo for sema and $325/mo for tirz, so not horrible) but they love it. Both say their diabetes, head hunger, and high cholesterol are completely gone. But they will have to stay on them forever, otherwise they'll gain back what they lost. My cousin went off and within 3 months gained everything back plus an extra 15 pounds. So now she's back on and will be staying on.

Thank you so much!!! And I just edited it out because I figured it might upset some people. But IYKYK 😏

My b12 was over 2000 at one point. Definitely cut that down. No need for it to be that high. I get what I need from my multivitamin so I stopped taking extras and after a few months it was down in the normal range and has stayed there. As for the D vitamin, yeah definitely cut that down, too. Other than that, you're doing awesome and your A1c is amazing!!!

I personally don't. I typically do cardio, core and strength training, and weight training. I think I'm going to try adding in some beginner yoga on my rest days and see how it goes. I go pretty hard and get sweaty on my work out days, so I'm hoping beginner yoga will be a little easier on the sweating and still give my body a good stretch and a gentle work out while not pushing too hard.

That's 15 pounds per month, or 3.75 pounds per week. You're more than on track. And I'm glad to hear you're doing well. I know the feeling about being anemic. I've been fighting that since 8th grade. Thanks for updating!!!

Bendy...I like that lol

Literally THIS ☝️

I came on here to say essentially everything @NickelChip said, but she beat me to it. Just screenshot her post and you'll be good lol But I will echo that it would be exceedingly rare for you to stretch your stomach out, and with how little you were eating, there's no way that happened.

I've never heard of hot yoga. I want to start either yoga or pilates but I would need the waaaaay beginners stuff lol I'm not flexible or limber AT ALL. But I've heard such good things about both, and I was told yoga would be really good on my rest days, so there's that....

Hi!!! Why have I never seen you on here before? We have so much in common. I'm Wiccan, my son has adhd, autism, and ptsd. I'm not specifically physically disabled but I have systemic lupus and MS, so that causes A LOT of physical and emotional issues. It helps that the guilty feeling isn't just me. It still annoys me, but I'm glad it's not some crazy head trip that only I'm on lol

I hit my original goal of 200 and moved it to 195. I just hit my next goal of 195 and moved it to 190. Let's see how long it takes me to hit 190 now!!!! The question is, will I actually hit my secret goal??!?!

Awesome, thanks!!

😅😂🤣 omg that comment was literally EVERYTHING!!!!

For me, the head hunger never went away after both my surgeries. I also never lost my real hunger at all, so I had A LOT of work to do to retrain my brain. I eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks per day. I know I'm eating enough, so when the urge to eat a specific food hits, or the desire to eat outside of those specific meals, I know I'm not actually hungry. My old habits are creeping in. I was a grazer as well as a binge eater. I was able to eat more than most men I know. In 1 sitting, I ate an appetizer, a 24oz porter steak with 2 sides, and a dessert in full by myself. That was on top of a full breakfast of 4 eggs, 2 sausage patties, 8 pieces of bacon, and 2 hashbrowns, a lunch of 2 roastbeef and cheese sandwiches that also had bacon, pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes on them, and multiple snacks throughout the day. If I craved it, I ate it. If I was bored, I ate. If something sounded good from a commercial or even just a conversation, I ate it. I rewarded myself for things with food. Everything in my life revolved around food. Had a bad day? Food. Had a good day? Food. Had an argument with someone? Food. Kids or hubby drove me nuts? Food. So learning that food was necessary to live but not necessary to be happy and fulfilled was a big deal. That took me the longest. I need food to fuel my body to allow me to live the life I want, but it's not the thing that drives me or controls my happiness anymore. It's just fuel. No more, no less. Once you learn that lesson, it becomes easier. Not easy, because the head hunger is always there in some form. But ignoring it and taking stock of your body's actual needs becomes easier.

I had so much pain after my sleeve. I was miserable for the first 2 weeks. I couldn't meet my fluid intake because I couldn't tolerate cold liquids at all. I was living on my pain meds and later tylenol. So I completely feel you on this. If your surgeon already knows how you're doing and says you're fine, then there's not a lot you can do. You can call them back and tell them the same stuff again (emphasize that it was initially managed but now it's not) but I'm guessing they'll tell you the same things they said last time. Sleeping propped up or in a recliner was my saving grace. I, too, am a side sleeper so finding a comfortable position the first 2 weeks was really tough. Also, I was falling asleep all the time in the beginning, so that made it worse. That's normal (sleeping a ton in the beginning) so don't worry about that. The only thing that's not negotiable (in my eyes) is the multivitamin. You absolutely HAVE to have it. If you can't tolerate the one you have, find a liquid one or chewable one in a flavor you might like better. While not preferred, maybe even gummies (they have yummy flavors, and that might help in the beginning). A capsule might also help since they have no flavor at all. Tablets can be rough in the beginning due to size and flavor. If the premade shakes are too much for you at times, try an unflavored protein shake powder. Add it to milk (I personally do almond milk) and then add a non sugar sweetener to taste (I use monk fruit sweetener because I hate Stevia). Protein and fluids are the absolute MOST important things right now (next to the multivitamin). It's ok to not hit the goals in the beginning, but you want to get as close as you can. Instead of regular broth, try different flavors of bone broth (richer taste and higher protein amounts). Try different shake flavors. Taste buds absolutely change after the surgery, so it's normal to not like the flavors you loved pre surgery (that's why you shouldn't stock up before the surgery). I also got a lot of the sugar free water flavoring powders in different flavors (you can get them at any grocery store) which gave me variety when getting in my fluids (I still use them now because I despise plain water).

While 2 scoops of icecream 3 days before surgery won't cancel your surgery, you definitely don't want to do that again. Your stomach need to not have the solids in it, especially this close to surgery, because of the anesthesia. If you have food in your system, it can cause dangerous problems for the surgery. You also want to think about low to no sugar icecream for after the surgery. I don't eat sugar and I am still able to have it. I get Rebel icecream from WalMart. Very low to no sugar, lactose free, very low to no carbs, low calories, absolutely delicious. My favorite flavors are coffee chip, butter pecan, and orange cream. My husband's are birthday cake, triple chocolate, and cherry something (I can't remember the name). They have other flavors, too. One thing you want to remember, and this really helps me stick to my diet, is there are delicious, healthy, compliant alternatives to the things we love. Icecream, bread, bagels, pizza, cinnamon buns, chicken nuggets, etc... There are ways to make good choices, but you have to want to make them. Being compliant, particularly post surgery, is so so important. WalMart, SafeWay, and Kroger brand stores (Krogers, Fry's, King Soopers, etc) have them. Look for Real Good Foods, Legendary foods, and Atkins.

I'm almost there!!! Holy...freaking...crap!!! First goal: 200 pounds - HIT IT!!! 2nd goal: 195 pounds - HIT IT!! 3rd goal: 190 - ALMOST THERE!!!

I wonder if we'll ever get used to it. I know I'm not yet lol

I bought a pair of green Calvin Klein capris in size 14, with no give, no elastic, no stretch at all anywhere. They weren't fitting yet (mostly in the stomach area, pre-hysterectomy), so I kind of hid them in the back of the closet. Today I pulled them out and tried them on and OMG they fit PERFECTLY!!! I actually cried. I got them at our local thrift store here called The Arc (it's my favorite and I love it so much) and just never had the chance to wear them until literally right now. I am still shocked that I'm in an actual, legit size 14. I was a size 30 at my highest weight, and this just absolutely BLOWS MY MIND. I had to clean out my closet AGAIN and get rid of the size 18 and 16 stuff and the last of my 2x tops (they're listed on Facebook Marketplace). I suspect once I get my skin surgeries and Tummy Tuck, I'll be in a size 12. HOW is this my life now???? lol

I'm almost there!!! Holy...freaking...crap!!! First goal: 200 pounds - HIT IT!!! 2nd goal: 195 pounds - HIT IT!! 3rd goal: 190 - ALMOST THERE!!!