mcipanda

Dark Souls helped me find the motivation to start exercising by teaching me the power of perseverance and determination through its challenging gameplay.

Great list @omrhsn. I really relate to #1. You should see my credit card bills 😱. I always loved clothes & fashions & had a large selection but now. Clothes, shoes & bags oh my. I’ve filled wardrobes in three bedrooms & have many things I’ve worn once or am yet to wear. Quite terrible & a little embarrassing really.
#4 - I’m still selective as to whom I tell. If I don’t want them to know I usually say I saw a dietician & changed how, what & why I eat. All true. Though I did tell the doctor who shaved some moles (Nevis) off my neck today. We were talking about knee length boots so #1 again. 😆😆😆

I really co-sign both of these! I'm fortunately more addicted to thrifting clothes than buying new, but I still have to stop myself and consider if I really really need yet another pair of jeans (I absolutely don't!).
And #5 - oh boy, yep. I love how I look in clothes and in turn, how clothes look on me (I had no idea that under all that fat was a pretty good "coat hanger" body), but out of clothes is another matter entirely. The loose skin isn't super bad, but it's enough that I'm self-conscious, and I'm now also conscious of how bony I am. I suspect I'm on the cusp of being told I'm too thin, despite still being in a normal BMI. I've basically swapped one body insecurity for another.

I was able to break a lot of bad habits after WLS but I've developed new ones along the way. I'll share some of mine and I'm keen to hear yours too.
Some of the Bad habits before WLS:
1. Spending a lot of money on junk food (fast food, potatoes chips, chocolate etc) specially when I'm at work.
2. Procrastination when it comes to exercising and doing something about my weight. I've reached a stage where I've decided to just let myself go and do nothing about it
3. Avoiding social gatherings if I knew that photos will taken or if it involves any sort of physical activity
4. Eating before going to bed and while watching TV
I'm glad to report that I've broken all of the above and I couldn't be happier.
Bad (not necessarily) habits after WLS
1. Spending a lot of money on new clothes. I can't resist buying new clothes if it fits or I know it will fit me in a month time or so. Yesterday I went to the mall to buy tomatoes from the supermarket and ended up buying 2 polo shirts, 1 shirt and new jeans 🤣. I got the tomatoes of course.
2. I hate looking at old photos of me and I really don't like the way I looked in those. I didn't have this feeling before.
3. I take a lot of selfies and photos of myself now haha. I guess I'm making up for past time
4. I'm not telling people the whole truth when asked how I lost the weight. I only tell them about diet and exercise and even show them my latest cycling records but nothing about the WLS. If only told a handful of people about my WLS because I thought they could benefit from one. One of my friends is planning his WLS next month.
5. I don't like how certain parts of my body look after losing a lot of weight (I don't hate tho) like my armpits which have turned into caves, the loose skins on my belly, my scars. I guess I'm a bit self conscious about those.

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 😊

Hi all! To anyone thinking about getting gastric sleeve, I highly recommend it! Here’s my before & after, still a long way to go, but the best thing I’ve ever done!

@mcipanda I Did get Greek yogurt so might have to start trying some new things but just so focused on getting at least one shakes down and it’s so challenging. Thank you.

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 broke a chair in a bar by sitting on it. Simple as that. The bar owner reassured me that he'd got new chairs given to him by a brewery and they were rubbish because 2 others had collapsed that week but I decided then and there that I needed to get in control of my weight, having been on a diet for about 30 years by then. Never looked back.

I’d always bounced between being a healthy weight & being on the top end of overweight. Then I became perimenopausal, then menopause & I became obese I swear overnight. Couldn’t lose more than a couple of kilos which would come back even more quickly. I battled for a good 4 years. A friend who’d lost a lot of weight told us she’d had the surgery and about three months later I woke one morning & decided enough. Got an appointment with my GP who gave me a referral to a surgeon (the one my friend saw). It was about 5 weeks between the morning I made my decision & my surgery. So very glad I did.
I didn’t have any comorbidities though I knew if I continued at that weight I soon would. I was fed up with my large body because it wasn’t who I really was. My energy was compromised & I felt I couldn’t play with my younger nieces & nephews as I wanted. Looking back I realise I also used to work harder & do more at work or home to prove my weight wasn’t limiting me. Another factor was I love fashion, clothing designs & fabrics & my choice was being restricted by my size (about a US14).
To me the difference between the surgery & medications is you’ll always have the changes to your digestive system but medications are a temporary artificial change. Of course in the end both depend on your willingness to make permanent changes to how you eat, what you eat & why you eat. If you go back to eating how & what you did before you will regain weight regardless of the surgery (you can eat around your surgery if your determined to) or medications.
All the best.

I had thought about it for years and even asked a doctor about it once but he poo pooed the idea and referred me to yet another dietitian. I lost the usual 5 stone after two years of hard work. This weight came back slowly, so I did weight watchers, 5 stone off again, slimming world, ditto. Always struggling to keep it off and always on a diet. Stopped smoking, had a bad accident and gained 5 stone. People began to stare at me. Getting very embarrassed
Then Covid, gained more. Became Diabetic. Had frightening chest pounding when exerting myself a tiny bit. I became aware that the UK government had me in isolation because I was obese not because I had COPD. I did this to myself and my husband who had to isolate with me.
When we were finally let out I was too embarrassed to go out and found it Impossible to get around a supermarket. No clothes fit me anymore. It would have taken me years to gain enough mobility to make any difference and help me to diet again. Rang my nearest private clinic and tada! Job done.

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A lot of potent medical reasons-makes complete sense. The psychological frustration/angst of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin is what I’m hoping to remember, too, in those years ahead when temptations to let my eating habits loosen a bit.

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.

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.

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 had the sleeve, I’m a really picky eater so I primarily am eating sugar free popsicles, Protein Shakes, and fruits. My doctor said no carbs for at least 6 months and that’s mostly what I like to eat, so I am limited in food choices. I think my food restrictions due to pickiness are what caused me to lose so much so quickly. I don’t like veggies, meat, or legumes, so I really am limited in what I eat. I will say my energy is super low and haven’t been able to work out at all because I get dizzy really easily. I’m not sure if my age is a factor in weight loss but I’m 23.

The first week is tough. I was able to get up and walk to the restroom and around the house a little before sitting back down again. By week 2, I could be up and walking for 10-15. Give yourself the downtime you need right now and don’t stress too much. You’ll be up again in no time so long as you don’t go beyond the limits your body is telling you to stay at good luck!

Love that you can have any/all non starchy veggies. Sounds like it isn’t much but it really is!
For the shakes, I treated them like mini meals.. At Breakfast, I made a coffee shake using latte flavored Protein Shakes and sipped slow. At lunch, I made a Peanut Butter banana chocolate milk shake with banana extract, a chocolate Protein Shake and PB2 peanut butter powder. For dinner, have a Protein shake and some fajita seasoned sautéed veggies. For a snack, try having a strawberry banana shake (Fairlife) blended with ice.
I was really afraid of the 2-week diet, but it flew by. The key is to keep it interesting. Have cauliflower “rice” with veggies, for example. My biggest worry was the doctor opening me up, seeing my liver covered in fat, then closing me up and saying “nope.” It happened to others on these forums, so the fear kept me in line. It was also a great prep experience for the weeks after surgery when you can only have liquids.
Hope some of this is helpful

Hi there, welcome 🤗 I know how you feel. My youngest daughter caught me on Google searching for “woman in her 40’s with no friends.” I have acquaintances, but the friends in our lives are more my husband’s than mine. So I get it. That’s why I started coming here. I feel like this is a forum where you can vent, ask questions and commiserate with people who understand you and this decision. Not everyone agrees with WLS. Everyone here is on your side.
Feel free to jump in, ask questions and make new friends. Especially if there are folks having the procedure around the same time as you. I love chatting with my March 13th buddies Hope you’ll stick around and support us so we can support you!

The woosh effect is very real!

Oh! Funny, my surgeon made a point to tell me I have a “darn beautiful liver” which totally cracked me up. It made the two week pre op diet all worth it! Lol

Hey everyone- quick update: I’m starting purées today and doing good. Applesauce and puréed Cuban black Beans going down without issue. Happy to focus on moving into food Proteins this week. Anybody else on purées or similar yet? How are you doing? What are you eating?

I had a similar experience in my mid-20’s and now, six weeks post op, I worry it might happen again. After my first baby, I lost 40lbs and started getting more of the attention you’re talking about. I didn’t realize how worthless people thought I was until the weight came off. It made me angry. I was angry at men for their stupid comments, unwanted stares and for thinking I would be even remotely interested in them. But it wasn’t just the men. It was cashiers, bank tellers, services I wanted to hire, flight attendants, etc. They looked me in the eyes when speaking to me. They stopped at my seat faster on the plane. I negotiated a better rate for a car repair when previously, they would tell me they don’t “offer discounts.” Oh, I see now… you DO offer discounts; just not to overweight people.
I let the insecurity get to me and started to sabotage my own progress. I felt like I couldn’t trust anyone. At least when I am heavy, I can see who you truly are because you don’t see me. Being heavy suddenly felt safe, and it wasn’t long before I was back over 200 again.
15 years later and I’m still worried about what will happen when the weight comes off, but I realize that my worth is not defined by other people. It can only be defined by me. We can be angry at these people, or we can pity them. I can feel scared to be seen or I can take control of my presence, own the space I occupy and refuse to let other people make me feel uncomfortable. Yes, easier said than done but I’m getting better at it.
I hope you’re able to come through this and own your own space, too. The insecurity stems from a deep rooted sense of low self worth (in my case), so I’m working to believe that I deserve to be here. Sending you the best of wishes. We are all here for you.

Yay! Welcome to the other side 😊 Let us know how it went when you get a chance.