mcipanda

As the weight is coming off, I’ve heard that compression garments can help guard against gravity. I’m losing a fair amount in my breasts, and I’m worried they’ll start sagging 😱 I know it won’t prevent loose skin entirely, but will a binder help with my breasts? Any suggestions for compression garments for upper and lower body? I’ve looked online for undergarments, but most of the things I’ve found are used for slimming under dresses and such. They didn’t *seem* like they’d word here but maybe? Any ideas welcome!

LOL I say the saaaaame thing! My kids will joke on our anniversary that Daddy needs to wear sunglasses so Mommy doesn't have another baby cracks me up.

Has anyone tried Inspire Protein (bariatriceating.com)? I’m looking at their protein powders and wondering if anyone has thoughts on the taste and texture if you’ve tried it? It’s pricey and I don’t see customer reviews. Plus, they don’t offer refunds or exchanges if you don’t like the product (nor so I see sample packets like they have on Unjury). The one selling point is the flavor selection (huge). Any feedback?

I had my surgery on March 13th, exactly four months ago. At this point, I’ve only lost 32lbs (25 since surgery), which I am totally bummed about. Unlike others, my hunger returned almost immediately. But I have a ton of energy and am able to do so many things I couldn’t do easily before. My clothes fit and I feel more like myself. The down side… My weight loss seems to be dependent on everything being perfect each day (right amount of water, zero sugar, low carb, high protein, high fiber, can’t be sick or injured), which is not easy to do. Even at a calorie deficit, I’m not losing like I should be. Thankfully, of the weight I’ve lost, 19lbs was pure fat. I’ve only lost 2.5lbs of muscle. This is great news and has helped me transition back to the gym over the last few weeks. My heartburn didn’t go away. I actually need to be on omeprezole daily (sometimes twice per day), which is more of an annoyance than a problem. Two weeks ago, right on schedule, my hair started falling out. It’s been traumatic even though I knew it was very likely to happen. When your hair falls out but your weight loss is at a halt, it feels awful. Like what am I doing this for? I know the answer but in my “feel sorry for myself” moments, that’s the question I hear in my head. My body has been changing, and I can see where my skin was stretched out now in the strangest places. This and the hair loss has led to a spike in emotional eating. I’m sure that’s why I’ve been stalled the last 2-3 weeks. Sigh. I feel like a bit of a failure. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change my decision. I just feel like the first six months are critical and I can’t seem to take advantage of them like I want to. Has this happened to you? Did you still make it to your goal? Any thoughts welcome 🙏

Lol! I love the melted ice cream reference 😆 I would tell the kids that they’re your built in parachutes. That way when you’re going 100 miles an hour all day chasing the kids around, you can easily slow yourself down with built in parachutes. 😂

First, you must be so freaked out right now. Deeeeep breaths! I have three beautiful kids as well so I know how you feel. From what I understand, pills such as these should work just fine. They break down in your stomach, yes, but also in your digestive tract. So your body will absorb it just fine. The hormone in the morning after pill will function as intended. Only “XR” tablets (extended release) can have issues so I don’t think you have anything to worry about. 😊

Thank you everyone for your kind words, this made me feel so much more at ease and brave enough to keep at it. I know we aren’t perfect, but sometimes my mistakes feel massive until a fellow soul (who truly understands) gives me a thumbs up 👍 I am so grateful for these forums and all of you!! @Fred in Pa @Hop_Scotch @catwoman7 🤗

Oh no… this must be so hard for you. I’m at the “typical” point right now (4 months out) dealing with shedding over the last two weeks. My hair fills a brush twice a day!! And I still lose clumps in the shower. It has been heart breaking even though I knew it was likely, actually dealing with it emotionally and physically has been so hard. So when you say this is your third time going through this in the last two years, I felt like I just wanted to give you a hug. it’s true there isn’t a whole lot you can do except commiserate, but I hope you know it’s safe to do so here and we understand. Hang in there!

I hope everything went well and that you can go home on Friday the 30th (tomorrow as I write this) to finally sleep in your own bed. It's been a long road and I'm pulling for you!! Let us know how you are doing.

Thanks @Nepenthe44 I'll look into the compression top. Do you recommend any brands or stores in particular?

I am 10 weeks post op and have only lost 20lbs. It’s so slow and I have been fighting cravings every day for the last six weeks. I started exercising, built muscle and the hunger set in. Today I caved, had some sugar free candies and a slice of medium ham/pineapple pizza (no crust) and a half cup of Fairlife chocolate milk. I ended with 77 carbs!! Normally I try to keep it below 40. I’m sitting here and I feel like there’s this little disordered eating voice in my body laughing at me like “muahaha! Today we regain control of you! It’s only a matter of time before we stop this train and back it up!” I can literally sense my body storing fat. Okay not literally… but it feels that way. im about to hit my first big milestone once I go under 180 and I wonder if I’m self sabotaging? Do I really think I deserve this? What if I’m one of the statistics that doesn’t lose their weight? Ugh I’m so scared that I’m going to mess this up. Please tell me I’m not alone? Does anyone ever feel this way? 😢

@ms.sss and @Fred in Pa, hear you both on the topic of addiction. I agree with Fred... addiction is sneaky. My brain will tell me "one piece of candy is not going to kill you" and then five pieces later, I start to feel the guilt sink in. I know 5 pieces won't kill me, but it's 100 calories more than I promised myself I would eat that day. Like @ms.sss said, addiction is a slippery slope. Right when you *think* you've beaten it, it comes crawling back out to remind you that you're not in as much control as you thought. Of course, this doesn't go for everyone. But it certainly goes for me. Someone above said, why eat carbs when there are so many healthy options out there? I swear to you, I don't wake up *wanting* to eat carbs. My brain starts rattling the cage with unbearable thoughts of eating. These thoughts invade the movie I'm watching or work I'm trying to get done. Why does my brain do this to me?? I don't know. As my brain runs the tin can along the bars, I find myself wishing I could just have some alcohol or SOMETHING to shut it up. But those things don't work, either. They're just another version of the addiction I've had to deal with all my life. These forums have helped me more than I can explain. Just being able to type out these words makes me feel a little less "broken" and a lot more human because I KNOW some of you will see me. ❤️

If this happened to me, I would feel like the rug had been pulled too. Being overweight as a woman means feeling like you’re not good enough, that your worth is tied to your weight. When you start losing weight and this happens, it would make me feel like I’m not good enough no matter what I do. I would feel so defeated like, where do I go from here? But since I am outside looking in, I can tell you that you DO matter and your weight does NOT define your worth or value. If your husband isn’t attracted to you and apparently never was, you have to decide for yourself if HE is good enough for YOU, if this type of relationship is what YOU want. How you go about figuring this out is up to you… a counselor, therapist, etc are all great options. I also wonder, from experience, if he is a little insecure himself (about you and your weight loss). At this point there are probably few people who know you as well as he does, and he would know what to say to derail you even if he doesn’t realize it. Just thoughts, may or may not hold water. Just know that you have done incredibly well, you should be so proud of what you’ve accomplished!!

My mom had bypass and has struggled with malabsorption ever since. Mainly vitamin D, B12 and Iron. I think there is a lot to learn about these surgeries because everyone is so different.

I was able to sleep on my side. Doc said do what feels right for me. I had a pillow under my side belly but it was so nice to just lay vs sit. Other tidbits: 1) your digestion is gonna change. Constipation or diarrhea, bad smelling gas, etc. be prepared and ready to address the biome that is your gut, 2) “hunger” feelings might actually be gas. You just have to feel it out. 3) some people know when they’ve eaten enough, others find out the hard way (vomiting, foamies). I get the hiccups. It’s so strange, 4) you may be SO wiped out with such a low calorie diet. I felt drained for the first 8 weeks, which is not unusual, and 5) the mental/emotional struggle is REAL. Get a therapist if you don’t have one! 😂

There was a case of a woman on 600lb life who went the opposite direction (anorexia) and got so thin the doctor wouldn’t do skin surgery. This really upset her because of all the extra skin. Once she gained back 15lbs and saw a therapist, he did the surgery. There was zero fat under her extra skin… the doctor was shocked at how bad her anorexia was. So I don’t think the loose skin goes anywhere and definitely wasn’t “eaten up by the body.”

Oh wow I didn’t know.. I need to look more into this. Thanks Tomo!

Thank you everyone who responded, I needed that logical thinking and reassurance. @Fred in Pa i really appreciate the recommendations around exercise before and after. I’m going to try that. Also thanks for sharing your pizza moment. It makes me feel less the villain of myself and more human. @summerseeker I’ve been following along with your posts since I came here back in February and am always given a level head after reading your responses. You’re right that I shouldn’t make food the enemy; I just want to eat less overall while taking in good stuff. @summerset my team has me on 90 protein, 40 carbs and around 25-35 fat per day. I have been given the goal of keeping all of that within 800 calories until my fifth month I believe. I’m not perfect, I often go slightly over or under the 800. When I started adding exercise, my routine blew up because of the hunger Fred mentioned. I’ve been struggling to modify my intake to support exercise without exceeding the limits until I speak with my dietician again next month. I will email her today and ask if I should adjust these limits given my added activity. @learn2cook you’re so right about therapy. I do have a therapist I’ve been seeing for many years. I didn’t realize I had disordered eating until I started this process, but now I realize it has been there since I was a kid…. And she knew it too… I need to journal again. That’s a great idea. It helps calm that voice that torments me in my head, the one that simplifies food to “good” or “bad” and attempts to label me the same way. @catwoman7 great thoughts around starting weight and loss rate. It’s so hard not to compare myself. On the one hand I know losing slower will help with skin elasticity, but I also feel like I’m failing or doing something wrong until a friend like you reminds me of the reality. Thanks for that 🙏

Hi there, I’ve been under general anesthesia five times in my life so far and it’s no big deal. I always think well, if I’m gonna go, let it be this way! No pain, no dreams, nothing. Brain zzzzzz. seriously though, you fall asleep and wake up. It feels like no time has passed. My biggest issue is feeling nauseous afterward, so my team made SURE I didn’t feel that way with special medicine and Valium. my anesthesiologist was also amazing… he explained everything and answered my questions too. You’re gonna be okay, friend!

Just leaving this here for you: bony knees! omg I haven’t even lost a full 30lbs yet and I struggle to get comfy in bed because my knees knock together. Goodness what will happen with my butt goes too?? 😭

I met my hubby on World of Warcraft back in 2005. We have three kids together now and still game. All of our kids are gamers too. We stopped playing WoW shortly after Battle for Azeroth. I switched to Heroes of the Storm (MOBA) and played competitively until 2020. I personally enjoy MOBAs, MMORPGs, turn-based strategy games like CIV 5, world builders and tower defense. Currently playing Arknights and beta testing a newer PC game called Palia. Glad to see there are other game lovers here too:)

Congratulations! How did your weight loss progress? I hope it was smooth for you! I bet you’re so much more comfortable now and happy 😊

Years ago, I considered it but decided on a last ditch effort to try medical weight loss instead. I also exercised and got down to about 185 (I’m 5’3”). I was able to wear clothes that I felt were “me” after years of wearing crap. I swore to myself I would NEVER get back over 200 and for 7 years I worked to keep it that way. When Covid hit, everything changed. I lost my job and was the sole provider for my family. The scale moved up, finally breaking 200 last year. At that point my clothes started getting tighter and I fell into a deep depression… the worst I’ve ever been… even having thoughts about not being here anymore. I felt like a total failure. For me it was very much like life or death. After one very difficult night locked in my own mind, I decided to have the surgery. It was January 25th. I would do it no matter what it would take, financial or otherwise, and thank goodness insurance covered 80%. I’ll never forget the day I made that decision. It was the first time I felt hope in a really long time.

There was a lady on here that ate 5 flaming Cheetos only 9 days post op so it happens. The thing is, you know it was a slip so just don’t do it again. The biggest reason isn’t really calories, it’s the fact that your new stomach is healing. Don’t want to accidentally mess cause a medical issue ya know? I know the protein shakes suck. Could you thin out yogurt with milk maybe? I’d talk to my doctor to see what I could do instead. Good luck!

I started at 209 and weighed 201 the day of surgery. Today I am 8 weeks post, 5’3” and 183. So I’ve only lost 18lbs since surgery day (26 since I started). Like you, I feel like it’s going super slow. My body is sensitive to EVERYTHING. If I don’t poop on schedule, I stall. If I don’t drink enough water or get enough protein or get a cold, I stall. If I have artificial sweeteners, I stall. I suppose one good thing is that my skin has a chance to bounce back. I’ve not been to the gym, but I haven’t been sedentary either. Just have to keep at it and make sure I’m measuring everything. Hope to get to my first goal soon (170). Crossing fingers.