loli_lotus

Facebook memories showed me this Christmas picture from five years ago. While not my highest weight, there's definitely a difference to be seen. So here's the five years ago pic, one from April of this year (5 months PRE OP), and one from today (3 months POST OP). I don't smile with teeth often, so hopefully that awkwardness doesn't show lol.

About 20 years ago I was prescribed the weight loss miracle pill: Reductil (sibutramine). It was great. Killed my appetite to the point I was eating once a day & I lost weight. But when I did eat I wasn’t interested in prepping good healthy meals. I must have been so lacking in necessary nutrients & Vitamins. And I didn’t sleep - like only getting an hour or so a night for months. (Actually think it contributed to my developing poor sleeping habits which have only improved since my surgery.) when I went off the med my appetite came back as did my weight because I ate in the same way as I had before. Then came the news they were taking it off the market because of side effects they’d newly discovered - anal leakage, cardiac issues (strokes, heart attacks, etc.). Yikes.
It’s why I worry about these medications. What happens when they stop taking them, what long term side effects are they yet to discover & what impact does the reduced food intake have on their general health & is that being monitored?
Yes, we were on a reduced diet & many of us lost our hunger & appetite for a time after our surgery but we were also given guidelines to ensure we met nutritional needs & foods we should or shouldn’t be eating. We also had regular blood tests to ensure we weren’t low in anything & our health wasn’t being affected. All of which contributed to us changing our eating behaviours & helped us learn how to make better food choices. Those with diabetes who are on these meds would, I’d hope, already be aware of their nutrient needs & how to regulate their eating.
But I understand some believe these medications are their their best/only option because they don’t want to or can’t have weight loss surgery. I just wish that when they’re given their prescription they’re also given a referral to a dietician, nutritional guidelines & their health is regularly monitored.
Just my opinion. No judgement. We all do what we feel we have to do which is best for us & our lives.

Dealing with health issues is definitely NOT a love affair with food. I deal with depression, and while I never emotionally ate, the medications I was on to treat it contributed to me gaining almost 80 lbs in roughly 18 months. People struggle with their weight for more reasons than overeating.

I have Addison's Disease, which went untreated for a long time. I assumed I was just gaining some weight in my late 30's, which can be normal with Perimenopause and whatnot. And I was getting to that age. But I ended up with other issues connected to the disease and finally got diagnosed. I had a long road of medication trial and error before finding something that worked and added my surgery to push my weight loss.
I was never obese or even overweight until I was about 37/38 years old. So while I understand that is an issue for many people. That was not my case, that is not my experience. Especially when I was gaining weigh while eating less than most people I know.
I now eat more often that I used and I don't enjoy it.

It's pretty easy, eating the wrong things out of convenience is just as bad as eating things you "have a love affair with" out of desire.
Having some health and autoimmune issues didn't help either.
Not to be critical, but not everyone fits in the cookie cutter that you are placing on obese people.

Completely agree, everyone's situation and journey are different, and we have to be respectful of everyone's story.

I understand where the OP is coming from when saying she did not have a love affair with food, neither did I. I ate because people told me I should be eating at certain intervals, or certain quantities even when not hungry, which ultimately led me to not understand my hunger/full cues and eating out of habit instead. I didn't enjoy eating unless I was trying different things which became eating out more often etc. Not everyone who is obese is thinking about food 24/7 or using food as a coping mechanism.

I gained 100lbs in recovery for an bulimia so I mean this just isn’t true. 
You speak about weight gain, and consumption as a compulsion and love affair as if they are inherently the same things and they just aren’t. No one calls alcoholism a love affair with booze, nor is a love affair with food is not inherently the same thing as binge eating disorder or the compulsive eating, addictive behaviors you describe. That’s not love that’s disordered eating and to many people who experience it it feels more like a prison than a romance.

Further there are plenty of reasons people gain weight or struggle to lose not limited to medical issues or life long yo-yo dieting socialized in people since childhood resulting in an insurmountably low bmr. It also ignores the idea of a body’s set weight which numerous medical studies have pointed to as a valid hypothesis and part of why wls is one of the only weight loss tools with long term sustainable success.

Let’s try to be sensitive that everyone’s story and struggle respect their own personal reflections of it.

You may not think you are criticizing but oh boy, you are.

Facebook memories showed me this Christmas picture from five years ago. While not my highest weight, there's definitely a difference to be seen. So here's the five years ago pic, one from April of this year (5 months PRE OP), and one from today (3 months POST OP). I don't smile with teeth often, so hopefully that awkwardness doesn't show lol.

Sleeved 9-1-22. Hope4NewMe, you are doing great. I have lost 40+ pounds. I am at 158 today. Had several stalls but I guess that is to be expected. My hair is shedding right now, too. My bloodwork levels are good. It does feel good to put on smaller sizes, doesn't it? I gain weight all over and am losing it the same way. Which is good, I guess but it makes it hard to actually SEE changes. Hmmm, smaller but the same shape. You said, "you're brain still thinks I am the same size". Maybe my brain is doing the same thing! I, too, am so glad I had this surgery. Have fun on your cruise!

Don't know how many of us are still left reading these forums but I miss you all! Just hit my 4 month mark and I'm down a little over 50 pounds, yay! Before surgery I was just hoping that I could hit that goal before my cruise and I did! I have another month before I sail so maybe I'll hit 60 pounds down and that will be the best. Weight loss has slowed down but I did expect that. I'm hoping to keep losing at about 10 pounds per month now which is what I did this month and I also lost 7 inches. My hair is definitely thinning so I cut my almost waist long hair to shoulder length and I actually love it. Scary to see the loss at my temples but I know its temporary so I'm trying not to stress too much. I had my blood tested and all of my levels are good but they do want me to take a little more Iron because they want me to be above average. I finally tried on a smaller pair of pants and was surprised to see that I could fit into a 14 and its not even tight. I haven't been this size in over 10 years. My brain still thinks I'm the same size to its nice to be able to put on clothing and see proof of loss. I had to buy ring adjusters because my wedding ring was getting scary loose so now its tight and safe again. I can't believe how much has changed in just 4 months and I'm so happy I had the surgery. I hope you all are well and come back and visit sometime lol

Facebook memories showed me this Christmas picture from five years ago. While not my highest weight, there's definitely a difference to be seen. So here's the five years ago pic, one from April of this year (5 months PRE OP), and one from today (3 months POST OP). I don't smile with teeth often, so hopefully that awkwardness doesn't show lol.

“No spoon” days are days where you either don’t have the energy or “spoons” to make food or do daily tasks like shower, fold the laundry, or pretty much anything outside of existing. It’s based on Spoon Theory.
“Managing spoons” is very common among those in chronic health condition circles like the lupus, fibromyalgia, POTS, and more.

Ok, so I have been obese just about my entire life.
Here is my take, obesity is a problem at all ages and comes with a plethora of other issues. (mental and physical) But, lets think about us as adults for a minute, how much there is to understand. The rules, the regulations, the understanding of nutrition, counting calories, monitoring Protein and Fluid intakes, being sure to take all our vitamins... etc!
Now, as a child do you think you could keep up with that? Do you think we could have even understood the seriousness of all of it? Of what could happen if we don't take Vitamins and become deficient in something? Even, the potential complications from surgery short term or life long?
As a child, I feel like it would be up to the parents to monitor and regulate foods, vitamins and comprehend everything that the child would have to maintain.
So, why doesn't the parent just do that before surgery is required? If the parent is prepared to do that after surgery than why haven't they before surgery is even needed? If healthy habits are established at the parenting level then they (parents) already understand healthy diets and regulation of calories etc. Which in turn would naturally be passed down to their children.
I am not saying this is perfect and some kids refuse to eat anything but mac n cheese.. but those kids aren't going to succeed with WLS anyway if that is the case so why?
If the parents do NOT understand healthy eating habits, then how are they prepared to help their child any differently after surgery?
As adults, we fail and we have the capacity to understand why.
I just don't believe a child is able to maintain this lifestyle without a parents who are prepared to basically do the same exact thing.
Although, I do believe some children may really need the help of WLS I just do not believe they can maintain it without the parent taking complete control (up to a certain age).

Me as a child or teen I really don't think so. When WLS first became a thing, my best friends dad had bypass and it damn near killed him. He went from 700 lbs to around 100 and in a wheel chair in less than a year. Everything that could have went wrong did. Life long complications. I remember it scared the **** out of me! I remember it was a sole reason I waited so long to have surgery myself. Every time I considered it, he crossed my mind. He was the only person I knew for years that had it and it destroyed him.
Then, as time went on I knew other people but literally NONE of them were successful. For whatever reason, lost and gained it all back, didn't loose, didn't follow the plan, didn't understand. I don't know but I know that every story I was aware of was not a positive one.
Then my doctor actually suggested it, I started looking into it again. Researched the best surgeon around, researched every potential risk, benefit. Read for months on these forums and every article I could find online. Talked to people I knew, and had very transparent conversations about why they didn't succeed. I learned, and realized that I wasn't those people and decided to move forward.
Here I am, 9.5 months later. Kicking a**.
But me as a teen, I don't think so. I don't think teens are mature enough(and I was a VERY mature teen) to deal with all the changes and I don't think the parents are prepared to take control or they already would have.

I would consider another PCP as well. This one is obviously not knowledgeable about WLS. People who've lost large amounts of weight often have heavier bones and muscles than those folks who've never been obese. You needed that extra infrastructure to hold up all that weight. You do lose some of it as you lose weight (along with the fat), but you're going to have more of it than someone who's always been normal weight (excess skin is also extra weight (maybe five lbs or so), but you've had that removed). The PA at my bariatric clinic said you'll probably look about 10 lbs lighter than what the scale says, because of the extra bone and muscle weight you have.
plus as others have said, why in the h*ll is this PCP complaining about you having a 28 or 29 BMI, when you've lost a ton of weight? They should be overjoyed. They must not be aware of your past medical records (??)

Thank you everyone. That’s a really good point that was made, whether or not he even looked at my records. It is certainly frustrating that doctors just seem hyper focused on one measure. I am giving thought to moseying on down the road to another doctor. And, my husband had the snip, so I was able to stop the pill and hopefully my BP continues to go back to normal. He also reminds me that BMI is not an accurate measure of total body composition. 😊

The BMI is a flawed guide, with "guide" being the operative word. I'm *JUST* in the "normal BMI" range now, and I'm a US6-8/AU10-12, at 5 foot 7 inches. My collarbone, neck tendons, chest bones all stick out, I can see my ribs, my muscles and tendons in my arms etc. I can even see my hip bones through the loose skin. I look skinny - I know I do, because I get a shock every time I see my full-body reflection, and I've been called skinny by others. But my BMI and the Hip/Waist ratio markers all suggest I'm not. My Hip/Waist ratio tells me I'm still quite overweight! It really doesn't take body shape into account as I've never had an hourglass figure - I joke that I'm shaped like a plank with tits. Straight up and down.
So don't take the BMI to heart, and I think it would be a good idea to tell this doctor your history. Some doctors don't think beyond their charts, unfortunately.

Facebook memories showed me this Christmas picture from five years ago. While not my highest weight, there's definitely a difference to be seen. So here's the five years ago pic, one from April of this year (5 months PRE OP), and one from today (3 months POST OP). I don't smile with teeth often, so hopefully that awkwardness doesn't show lol.

Had my surgery on June 21 and just had my six-month surgeversary. Everything has gone so smoothly. I didn't even realize it was 6 months until someone reminded me. Anyway - 6 months in and I'm down about 110 pounds (including the pre-surgery liquid diet). Here's a Before taken in April and an After taken a week ago (with the help of some shape wear, because extra skin is a real thing)...
 

If you are the type to get munchies, I'd avoid it or try to find a strain that doesn't give you the munchies.
I typically never get the munchies, so I was only worried about coughing or an edible hitting too fast. I want to say I waited a month out to use my concentrate vape and had a half a Gummy two months out. I still worry about the dosage of edibles so I just stick with my vape.

Best Christmas gift ever-the first time my weight has had a “2” in front of it in 20+ years. That’s the only time in my life stepping on a scale has resulted in a smile!

I'm a fan of the FA movement and I prefer it over "body positivity" because I feel like the latter is too often co-opted by straight-size people and take the focus away from prioritizing the people who are actually being marginalized because of their bodies, i.e. fat and disabled people.
However, if I'm putting in a vote it's for the real focus being on body NEUTRALITY, because that's what is really needed -- deconstruction of personal and social attitudes that assign moral value to body size, which then leads to social, employment, and medical discrimination. Part of this is deconstructing the attitude that fat automatically equates to unhealthy.
If anyone else is interested in exploring more of this idea, I highly recommend the podcast Maintenance Phase, which does deep dives into diet and wellness culture and most importantly, talks about all the ways that statistics have been misinterpreted and twisted to spread and reinforce myths about fat bodies.

Not sure I would classify Soup and yoghurt and Protein Shakes as slider foods. I think of those as foods without much nutritional value (carbs like crisps/chips, or sugary things?) If you're not filling up maybe go back to basics - Protein first in every meal, veg next, and your soup/yog/shake after that if you need more so you feel fuller for longer?

Facebook memories showed me this Christmas picture from five years ago. While not my highest weight, there's definitely a difference to be seen. So here's the five years ago pic, one from April of this year (5 months PRE OP), and one from today (3 months POST OP). I don't smile with teeth often, so hopefully that awkwardness doesn't show lol.

I can't believe it. As of today, 7 months and 1 week since my surgery, I have officially lost 100 pounds!!!! I was 388 the day of my surgery. I cried this morning when I weighed myself. My next goal is to hit 270, which is what I weighed when I met my husband. After that, my last goal is to get to 200. Once I do that, I'll have to maintain it for a while and then SKIN SURGERY!!!!!
There's no magic cure, no pill or food or drink that just magically makes the weight melt off. This is the result of the sleeve surgery, Keto, working out 5-6 days per week (and alternating between cardio and weight training), and staying on track with what, and how much, I eat.
No one thing works for me, it all has to be combined into a partnership for my mind and body. Surgery alone isn't enough. Keto alone won't work (at least it didn't for me). Working out by itself helps a little, but not enough. It ALL has to work together, and the key is to stay motivated and dedicated. Stalls suck, and they get frustrating. But as long as I keep my eyes on the prize, I'm actually gonna get there!!!! I never thought this was possible, but here I am