Love&Light

This is the one I take: https://www.target.com/p/nature-s-plus-pro-berberine-1500-mg-60-tablets/-/A-89725870#lnk=sametab

@sleevetobypassthank you for sharing. What is the dosage you consume per day if you don’t mind me asking. I am on day 2 of 500 MG.

I recently got diagnosed with stage 1 type 3 Lipedema 1.5 years after my VSG. The reason that pushed me to explore because I had lost weight all overall but my legs didn’t change much compared to the drastic changes I had in the rest of my body. The pain, heaviness and bruising I had before surgery continued. I had originally thought it was related to my weight. My surgeries are booked with a Specialist Lipedema Surgeon, they will take place later this year (hopefully all goes according to plan).
I was wondering if anyone else is going through this too? I would love to hear anything you would like to share.

My pants still fit. A slightly snugger fit. I am adopting a different strategy. One that was mentioned of giving myself a week to incorporate one habit at a time. I get very impatient and want to do everything all at once which is great for the first day or 2 but very difficult to maintain. I am working on sleeping 2 hours earlier first. I also started taking Berberine. Let’s see how it goes.

Thank you for the encouragement and for sharing. It is so easy to fall back into old habits. I set the intention to honor my body and make loving choices

You seem to be on track for that 10 pound regain, which I'm told is normal. You know you ate too much sugar and carbs, so I would start there. Start reducing those until you're back in compliance with your diet. Majorly limit the high calorie cocktails. Move your body more. I would start there. Those are "easy" fixes. Once you're comfortable with that, start getting what, where, and how much you eat back on track. Little by little, you'll get those 10 pounds off and be back where you want to be

My pants still fit. A slightly snugger fit. I am adopting a different strategy. One that was mentioned of giving myself a week to incorporate one habit at a time. I get very impatient and want to do everything all at once which is great for the first day or 2 but very difficult to maintain. I am working on sleeping 2 hours earlier first. I also started taking Berberine. Let’s see how it goes.

Thank you so much @NickelChip @Arabesque and @MandoGetsSleeved for your responses. I guess you all summed it up in one way or another. I stopped tracking as much, I went back to eating habits I had before the surgery and I was feeling sorry for myself instead of taking ownership.
I needed this - I can’t thank you enough. I will give myself grace and start small with incorporating back habits that helped me lose the weight in the first place. I am really grateful for this community. My family and friends do not know I had surgery so it has been a little lonely.
I am looking forward to getting back on track

Happy for this info that was shared

Thank you so much @NickelChip @Arabesque and @MandoGetsSleeved for your responses. I guess you all summed it up in one way or another. I stopped tracking as much, I went back to eating habits I had before the surgery and I was feeling sorry for myself instead of taking ownership.
I needed this - I can’t thank you enough. I will give myself grace and start small with incorporating back habits that helped me lose the weight in the first place. I am really grateful for this community. My family and friends do not know I had surgery so it has been a little lonely.
I am looking forward to getting back on track

Thank you so much @NickelChip @Arabesque and @MandoGetsSleeved for your responses. I guess you all summed it up in one way or another. I stopped tracking as much, I went back to eating habits I had before the surgery and I was feeling sorry for myself instead of taking ownership.
I needed this - I can’t thank you enough. I will give myself grace and start small with incorporating back habits that helped me lose the weight in the first place. I am really grateful for this community. My family and friends do not know I had surgery so it has been a little lonely.
I am looking forward to getting back on track

3 years out for me and weighed myself this morning.... UGH - 10lbs up. Funny, as soon as I weighed myself, I thought of this forum and this was one of the first posts I saw. I think we lose the weight, get comfortable, and "forget" the WHY and HOW we got here. Something I heard over the holidays:
"Wow, I am so proud of you for keeping the weight off" - Me thinking: (as I'm drinking a high calorie cocktail).... I'm pretty much a failure at the moment....
Here's the reality - I lost the weight, got comfortable, quit tracking, eating whatever and whenever I want - Results: 10lbs weight gain.
For me, the trick seems to be: Be a slave to the scale, TRACK TRACK TRACK. and get back into this forum. Tracking and weighing seems to be the only way I don't lie to myself (as if my clothes don't tell me...). Get back on the forum and remind myself daily of what I need to do vs. what I want to do. Going to try and get back to the basics: fluids and protein - skip the boredom/stress snacking and nix the alcohol.
Thanks for these posts and knowing we aren't alone in this journey!

Dr Weiner resources are great as are Dr John Pilcher’s.
Bounce back regain is always a possibility in the second & third year. I believe the average is about 10lb/5kgs so that could be a possibility. This regain can be from not being as vigilant, how you were eating wasn’t sustainable (too restrictive) & didn’t allow you to live & enjoy your life as you want, a change in medication, & your body & new weight set point resettling. And yes, muscle weighs more than fat so some of the regain could be from that too. (Maybe have a dexa scan to compared your fat & muscle mass.)
Start by making one or two changes to your eating & then in a week or two make another change or two. You can start small. Maybe track your food to begin. Then up your protein & fluids if you’re not meeting your goals. Adjust your portions if they have become larger. Then drop some of your sugar or carbs or swap the highly processed refined carbs for low processed multi or whole grain options. Etc. Small changes are often easier to adopt & adapt to than large all encompassing changes.
Doesn't matter how long it takes you to get fully back on track.

I highly recommend looking at the videos on the Pound of Cure channel on You Tube, which go into detail about how to eat to lower your body's metabolic setpoint. Foods that are ultra-processed and high carb push your body's setpoint, the weight it wants to maintain, higher, where nutrient dense foods like leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, make your body want to maintain a lower weight.

As I have been preparing for surgery, I found the Pound of Cure book on Amazon and implemented many of the basic changes it recommends, such as cutting out processed foods, breads, sugar, and artificial sweeteners, and eating more vegetables, fruits, and beans. I lost 15 pounds in around 3 months without counting calories or ever feeling hungry. And I can also say that in the past several weeks, as the holiday treats have infiltrated my house, I have not been as good about eating that way, and to no one's surprise, my weight has shifted upward. I will be returning to better nutrition as soon as the last of the ham, sweet potatoes, and pie from Christmas dinner is out of the house!
I recommend starting with these videos that I've linked below (and then, if you're like me, binge watching the rest of Dr. Weiner's channel). I find his advice to be a common sense approach to nutrition that you should be able to implement long-term without a lot of pain. Hope this helps!

Mando,


I can’t even explain how much this post means to me! Thank you for posting it!
I thought I was the only one in this very rocky annoying boat.
7 months out for me - I’ve lost 73lbs. Dropped 6 dress sizes, and yes I will even agree that I look great! However……
I am 7lbs from my end goal… since before Xmas I have been bouncing up and down the scales 2-3lbs and can’t seem to shift anything.
i have days I loose a lb - get excited and then jump back on a few days later and it’s back there again ?
I have had very supportive family and friends however they don’t understand why I’m so frustrated. Because they just see that I’m ‘skinny’ now and should just be happy.
i am happy.. but I want to reach my goal.
I have adjusted my meals. Increased my protein intake. Increased my water intake… I’ve started exercising (mainly walking and sit ups)
I can see a difference in terms of my body is changing still, I’ve lost 1/2 inch in my waist, but nothing has moved on the scale. So although I look more defined I still want that scale to change!
I think this is just the final mile and it’s a struggle when you see the scale move every week for the past 6-7 months for it to stop is a bit of an anticlimax. But it’s gotta stop at some point right?
Maybe this is the weight my body is comfortable with and I need to get used to us… the only comfort is that I haven’t ‘gained’ weight …
Keep going you will get there…

I know most folks here can relate - I'm well over a year out and these last 10lbs to my "real" goal are just killing me. I jump back on the bandwagon for a week or so and lose 2-3 lbs and then gain them back for no apparent reason (other than hormones and such) which of course puts me in a mood to just give up and go back to normal maintenance... then again, lose/gain the same 2-3 lbs over the next few weeks. Particularly when everyone is commenting on how great you look and "WOW, you are killing it, you look smaller every time I see you." No dammit - I want to lose at least another 10-20 lbs...
I know what I need to do, just can't seem to get in the right headspace for more than a week or two.

I have a wonderful husband who has always been supportive. He loves me for who I am. I love him for who he is.
I had wls first (over 2 years ago) , and he was my biggest cheerleader. He just had his 6 months ago and now I am his cheerleader.
We did struggle in the bedroom because we were both so big before. Things just don't work the same, not to mention how we had no physical stamina.
So in that respect, our relationship has changed 100 percent for the better!
Otherwise, our relationship is no different than it ever was because it has always been a good one!


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I tried a series of micro needling on my neck…didnt notice a difference. I next tried botox in that area and there was a subtle improvement. Too subtle for the cost though…not convinced its worth it.

I’m having it on my face next week again by the cosmetic physician (supposed to be yesterday but doctor had to take unexpected leave). She’s using dermapen which is supposedly more advanced & a deeper treatment than the roller used in micro needling. Having it for my open pores & the acne scaring (had cystic acne). Friend had a series of micro needling treatments for loose skin on her face after her weight loss but she said it did nothing ??‍♀️.
https://facemedstore.com/blogs/blog/dermapen-vs-derma-roller

I finally did get fillers about 4 weeks ago. Found a cosmetic physician with almost 20yrs experience & had a long conversation about the concern with my allergy. I felt very confident with her so we went slowly - 1ml one week & a 2nd ml the next. She filled the two depressions in front of my ears which were almost void of fat. Happy with what she did. Very subtle. In fact no one has noticed except if I point it out which is what I wanted.

Thank you all for sharing. Reading the comments has been more helpful.
I lost a lot of weight on my face particularly mid face volume. I am not near my target goal yet but I was looking tired and haggard. I got botox and dermal fillers recently and it made such a difference. It's subtle and I am very happy with the results. My injector was mindful to inject in a way that he could build on gradually. I have not had dermal fillers or botox before.

I am so sorry. I am in the same boat. We have been married for 12 years. We grew distant over the years as I put on weight. We have grown more apart after WLS. I too suggested counseling and his response was "I am fine and don't need to see a therapist". I have been seeing a counselor for the past 9 months. I have made progress but don't know how to proceed as I don't want to lose custody of the kids despite me being the primary caregiver / guardian (The legal system in my country grants custody to the father unless he forfeits). I am with him just for the kids. I feel stuck.

I am so sorry. I am in the same boat. We have been married for 12 years. We grew distant over the years as I put on weight. We have grown more apart after WLS. I too suggested counseling and his response was "I am fine and don't need to see a therapist". I have been seeing a counselor for the past 9 months. I have made progress but don't know how to proceed as I don't want to lose custody of the kids despite me being the primary caregiver / guardian (The legal system in my country grants custody to the father unless he forfeits). I am with him just for the kids. I feel stuck.

Thank you, I believe that too. There’s someone out there who will appreciate all of who I am and the journey I’ve gone through. For now though I’ve got to just take care of me and get through this.

Yep.... was married 26 years..... Same here, it got worse after PS. But, mine was never supportive of my WLS ever and never supportive of the PS..... I begged for the last few years to go to counseling, but he would not go. He regrets that now, but what's done is done.
I have a wonderfully supportive husband now..... So happiness is achievable.