FifiLux

Follow the advice of the medical team you are dealing with for the surgery. Talk to them if you have concerns but, as we all got varying advices pre and post-op, do not compare yourself to others you read about here or on other forums. Your team knows what is best for you.

I never thought of this and considering I have allergies to some meds in addition to the sleeve I went ahead and ordered one, thanks for the idea. I ordered one from a French company (Qoeur) as I felt it was understated, matched my style plus if I like it I will order other bands to switch with outfits. It arrived today so I am now off to create my profile

Good for you taking care of what you need to be comfortable with your body, it is what we all deserve. I'm a couple of months away from my three year anniversary and for me I find I am able to eat more over the last few months and it makes me feel anxious. My problem is more from boredom so I pick at food, not big portions or binges like years gone by but I still know I shouldn't be doing it as I am not hungry but at times I can't stop myself. I try to distract myself by going out to gym, doing housework or browing online (costing me a fortune in online shopping 😄) but they only work sometimes. I have only gained a couple of kg and still around my original goal weight but there have been weeks when I bounce up again and it takes a few weeks of strict eating to get back. I don't want to go down the GLP1 route and also don't think I would even qualify due to my BMI so I am trying to do my own mental reset at the moment and take more pauses before reaching for something to eat to see if I really need it.

If you are still having the problem I recommend you reach out to your surgical/dietican team to discuss with them and see if they can give some guidence as everyone is different. Maybe, for your body, you need to stay on liquids a bit longer to give your stomach more time to recover as everyone heals in their own way.

I don't drive so can't answer that. For work I also have an office job and had they allowed me homework (they point blank refused) I could have returned to work within a few days but as work were so unflexible, and it would have meant me having to get buses and carry laptop each day, I took a 3.5 week sick cert and one week annual leave. I was ok to go out for walks around my block after the first week but I took it easy for the few weeks, just going to physio/massage or for walks as I felt like I was walking like the Michelin man with my arms out away from my sides plus if someone happened to knock against me (which did happen a few times on the buses) it was sore.

I had an arm lift in October with lipo at the surgeons suggestion, as he said it was the best way to not have a fatty, disproprotinate area at the elbow post-op, so not sure how it compares to without. I only had drains in for the overnight in hopsital, they were removed before I was discharged and I had no issues with my recovery and minimal pain, it was more just uncomfortable than painful. My arms are great in comparisson to pre-op but the surgeon has said he can go tighter again if I want a revision, but he couldn't go tighter at the time. I am not interested in a revision as the downtime is not worth it as far as I am concerned for possibly just a few cm and the scars being reopened and doing that process again. I am happy as is.

Everyone is diffrent but you can hit stalls on and off for at least one year so what you are experiencing is totally normal. I was 14 months of slowly loosing, ups and downs, until I reached my target weight. A week, at this stage of the process, is nothing to be concerned about I am sure, I think I stalled for more than one month at least twice. If it makes you feel better just do a search on the forum and you will see hundreds of posts asking (sometimes panicing) about the same thing. Don't let it worry you and just keep to your plan/new ways and I am sure the loss will start again in weeks (if not sooner).

I am not sure yet that I would do it again, probably 80% to that point. I had my sleeve surgery in July 2023 with serious complications, so much so that it is still not over yet and I am due one more procedure in February which will hopefully be the last. I had just let myself get to the point where I didn't regret my decision to have the surgery and then almost two years to the original date I suffered complications (clip failed and my stomach leak was back). I think once I know I am clear of all complications I will be able to not regret the surgery and the question about doing it again would probably be a yes just with a different surgeon/hospital. Just make sure you are happy with the surgical team and have a good support system in place. I had researched my surgeon of choice, met with her and went through the detail with her etc but then, without advising me, the surgeon on the day was different. Most of the support team were the same but the surgeon I ended up with would not have been one I picked. I had a second choice that I cuold have advised of had the hospital contacted me in advance to discuss, even if it meant changing the date. There are no daily challenges as such but I do feel the cold more now that I have less fat to keep me warm and having to check menus in advance to make sure there is something in a restaurant I know I can eat (more down to my fussiness) but all the positives (new wardrobe, able to know I can slip into a seat with ease, I walk with a lighter step, not feeling like I am being judged by everyone for being the fattest in the room etc.) outweigh the challenges. What I saw as challenges/hurdles at the start were more just about me getting into the right headspace to make the changes I needed in my eating habits (less, slower and regular) . Some of my good habits went out the window this Christmas but only by the new standards I hold myself to, still did not over eat or over drink the way I would have done years ago and I know that going back to my good ways from Monday (hey it is still the new year weekend) will be easy and get me back on track. In other years I would be starting some crazy new year diet cycle that would work for a few weeks and then I would be back to not being able to maintain the discipline and gain back what I lost. I have no cartilidge in either knee and was at the stage of having to consdier knee replacement, was getting regular injections for the last few years, but since I have lost so much weight the pain in my knees has eased considerably, they now just ache sometimes if I have been walking a lot during the day but nothing like the pain before so I am hoping I don't need the knee replacement for many years (if at all).

Looking great

It is different for everyone as to which ones they find easiest to use and best for detail (geographical as well as food wise). Personally I use MyFitnessPal and ended up paying for the premium version.

Morning of op & 6 days post op

All has gone well thanks. No real pain, just a bit of tightness or itchiness at times, usually when I've moved a bit or it is coming round to the time to take my paracetamol. I can see better shape in the upper arms but the elbows arts quite swollen, I'm guessing from liposuction and drains. Have my post op check up in a couple of days so hoping to get a good report.

So as the title says.... tomorrow is my arm lift day 😀 I am trying to keep calm and positive by being as organised as possible. I had my pre-surgery appointment last week with the nurse and anesthesiologist and they were horrified when they heard what I went through with my sleeve surgery and both were very reassuring (as was the plastic surgeon when I had my pre-op with him two weeks ago). I still have ongoing complications from the sleeve surgery, still have a drain inserted at my stomach until January and most days have bad abdominal pain (my gymo and GP both think it is adhesions following all the trauma my body went through) but nothing that will impact the arm surgery. Taxi booked for the early morning to get me to the hospital for 7am, scheduled for mark ups on each arm at approx 9am and then to surgery. I will stay overnight (though can stay longer if I, or they, feel it is needed), have a friend bring me home Wednesday and I plan to sit in my recliner chair or lie in bed for a few days until my post-op appointment next week. 🤞 🍀 🤞

I think that it is not just buffet related as anywhere you eat out these days you are likely not going to get a good ratio of price vs what you manage to eat unless you can order just a starter and even those are sometimes too much for me. If your family and friends support you and you do not want to go to a specific restaurant just tell them that or if you choose to go it is you are then deciding yourself that the experience is worth it (either for time spent with others or the flavour etc.). Also you are not obliged to eat, you could always have something yourself beforehand and then join the group, maybe even pick from someone elses plate :) Also consider if you want to give business to a place that does not let you take home what you have paid for. You have to make the choices that are best for you and that includes changing pre-surgery habits that likely contributed to weight gain to being with and in a lot of cases that comes down to food choices. It is hard but you can do it. Personally I have not come across any places that don't allow left overs be taken home, though I am not in the US plus even before surgery I would never go to a buffet as too much risk of cross contamination from other customers. Sometimes when I eat out I don't mind leaving food behind on the plate occasionally if it doesn't suit me to ask for leftovers because I don't want to have to carry a container around town or whatever.

My arm lift surgery is in two weeks (21st Oct) and I hope in a few months I am smiling like you are :)