Vanessa Correal

On 5/12/2024 at 8:52 AM, ChunkCat said:

Hi Vanessa!

Is there something particular that has made you sad, or is this the weight loss blues (which are totally valid BTW)? I find empty theaters so soothing. I just wish they'd turn the movie down a little. I keep meaning to try going to see one with earplugs in, I hear that helps sensitive ears.

60 lbs that quick is amazing! My weight loss has been slower, but we all have our different paces... Have you struggled with depression before surgery? Sometimes surgery and the weight loss journey can trigger it. You are not alone. Thank you for posting and letting us know what you need. I will just say that if you were on medication for depression before surgery, you might want to touch base with your provider. Our surgeries can sometimes change the way we absorb our medications. I had to change mine around because I wasn't absorbing them properly and was slowly going through withdrawals, which was NOT fun! Thankfully all is well now, I knew to watch for that issue and we caught it quickly!

I dont know what it is exactly. I work a lot and I study. I’m a nurse. I got into a fight with my mom and the guy I like isn’t interested in getting into a serious relationship. It’s a lot to deal with. I feel just lonely because I go through all of these new moments by myself, no one truly understands what this surgery has changed in my life. My body and the relationship I have with food is constantly transforming with time. I was using a weight loss drug that included an antidepressant, so I think it could be related. But I’ve always been depressed in my life, it’s just that I feel lonely going through all of these new changes. Losing weight isn’t easy, but people never really understand how much effort you have to put in, even if you have a tool like the surgery. I try to follow my diet as much as I can, but sometime let myself have some meals/snacks that I like. I’m stressed because I don’t know if I’m eating too much. My mind never shuts up, and it’s so exhausting.

im just writing my thoughts, thank you for you answer

On 5/12/2024 at 7:15 AM, BlueParis said:

You're not alone Vanessa. I'm sorry you feel this way at the moment, but this feeling will pass. You've lost 60 pounds, that's an amazing feat you've achieved! I hope you enjoyed your film. Take care.

Yes it’s a lot of lost weight! I really liked the movie, and it helped me. Thank you for the answer !

I just wanted to share this.
It has been really hard for me in the past few days, I’m sad and depressed. Today I went to the gym, I slept in. And right now I’m sitting alone at the movies theater. I bought a little kids box of popcorn and I put butter on it. I took a small iced tea (which I used to drink every meal but I haven’t drank it since my surgery) and a little bag of candies. I have lost 60 lbs since January 29th. I have been really good in my diet since my surgery. But today I feel like this is what I need. To treat me with something because I feel like I’m drowning and I can’t save myself. I feel lonely, but going to the movies always helped me before surgery. I’m alone in the theater room so it’s even better. Please don’t be mean. I just wanted to talk.

On 2/13/2024 at 4:42 PM, AmberFL said:

Just wanted to come back after I had my surgery! I healed up well, I am walking everyday, already down 2 pants sizes, I have more energy, my kids are happy to have a mom that is happier, my husband is happy to have his confident wife back who slowly starting to love herself again. Is this hard? F*%$ yes!! The discipline to not eat junk food or overeat is a mental game. But I meal prep, I track and my dietician is probably annoyed with me I email her all the time LOL. But my life is much easier, I wake up with ease, not hurting as bad, and excited to get up get some cute clothes, do my hair and makeup. I know my experience isn't like everyone's but I am so happy I did this!

HIII! I had my surgery on the 29th of january !!!!! I'm home since that day, still on soft food but honestly I don't really follow it because my body tolerate litteraly everything so I just track all my food for now. I don't really meal prep since i'm always No big changed for now. I'M sooooooo happy for you!!! Let's keep talking if you want, just to share each other's experiences !

On 2/13/2024 at 1:44 PM, rrs said:

You sound so much like me it’s scary. Im 26, a nurse with no health problems. I had my surgery on 1/4/24. I had issues with self confidence, I’ve always been bigger and that really are at my self confidence. However I went into this with nurse brain, it’s quick low complication surgery, being young you’ll recover well. I was obsessed with information, and I thought it would be amazing. I was so excited till about 2 weeks post op, and then the severe depression came. I was not ready for the emotional challenge. Right now, I wish I had never done this, I would give my left leg to anyone who could help me stretch this or transplant a new one, anything. I lay awake thinking that I should have made one last try at something different ( I tried ALOT of things). Don’t under estimate when they tell you it’s HARD! I did, I thought about it medically, and not enough of how I could react to this. I don’t want to sway you either way, most say it is the best thing they’ve ever done, but just be ready. I wish someone had done that for me

I did it on janurary 29th... Part of me is regretting it but the other is just giving it a chance. I havent lost much weight so far, maybe like 6 pounds some thing like that. My mental health is just okay for now, but It's just frustrating to not being able to eat whatever I want... If you want, we can talk about our challenges ! i'm here for you if you need anything

Holaaaaa! I just wanted to ask if some of you never actually tracked down your food after your bariatric surgery ? Does it work ? Did you gain weight again ? I know everybody is different, i'm just trying to learn about other people's experiences !

4 hours ago, ms.sss said:

it really depends on what ur goals are...

rapid weight loss? sustained weight loss? maintenance? muscle building? fat loss? carb reduction? fats loading?

anyway...i used the following calculator to determine my optimal macros based on a modified Keto diet (kinda like Atkins II, sorta). it worked for me until it didn't...the macros i was aiming to maintain was really not sustainable (for me) in the long run.

im 5+years post op now and don't look at macros anymore (haven't done so since year 2)...now i just keep an eye on total calories (no matter how they are comprised).

i've been able to maintain below goal weight this entire time just on maintaining a caloric limit alone....but thats just me...ymmv.

but anyway, here is the calculator:

https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/

good luck! ❤️

I'm on my second week post op, in my puree stage right now. It's just that I,m buying groceries and I'M trying to keep an eye on the calories, Proteins, sugar and fat but i'm not about the limits. I'm kind of confused at this point. Also, i'm not really counting my macros, i just want to be able to have an idea about what I eat while learning to eat healthy and in a balanced way again.

HI! I wanted to know what are the max/recommended amount of fat, sugar/carbs, sodium, Protein, etc. we should have in our food ? Like what's the max i can have in one day or one meal/snack ? Or should I have ...? Waiting on an answer from my nutrition team but I need ya'll help meanwhile.

Hi guys !

I had my sleeve on january 29th. So i'm on day 6 post-op. I'm on puree stage until monday. I have sooooo much trouble getting my Proteins in and it worries me. I know it's normal but because i'm home, I go to bed late and wake up really late too. Usually, I wouldn,t do that because of work and school but my surgeon didn't want me to keep doing those for obvious reasons. So..... Any tips for getting my proteins ? (I'm scared of the hair loss.....) I can only eat 1/4 cup for now, it's a little easier and i'm not nauseous nor did I vomit so far. I'm kind of lucky and hopefully my luck will keep going.

THank youuuuuu

Hellow

I'm getting my surgery on monday. I'm nervous but also excited. I'm looking for some recipes ideas for all the next phases coming up post-op.... i will be at home for a month but I will continue to attend my university classes... So I'll have lots of time to try to cook new things (I'm a nurse, so i never have this much time to myself)...

January 29th :)))

1 hour ago, Lily2024 said:

Hi Vanessa, I'm also 5'9 and started at 262. I had a 2 week liquid only diet, and a couple of days of that were pretty rough but I made it through without any slips. I'm 3 weeks post op now and the things I thought would be hard don't seem to bother me, watching others eat my favorite foods is not an issue. What's been harder for me is the expected emotional roller coaster, probably hormonal, and the changes that have happened so quickly. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm tired and emotional because I had a big surgery, and I'm eating very few calories. So when I walk on the treadmill and go too fast, too long, I have to rest for a day and I don't like that. I know it's temporary, I'll start feeling better soon.

Do you have any loose skin ?

the hardest part for me is whenever I feel like eating something, i can't eat it, before i could eat whatever I was feeling like having in that moment. Others eating in front of me isn't a issue either. You've got this !!!

On 1/11/2024 at 2:47 PM, NJ-LV said:

do you have any recommendation for the collagen ?

I'm getting surgery on january 29 th.... they told me on the 19th my official date and I started my liquid diet yesterday. I had my last meal on saturday... i went to all you can eat sushi Sooooo.... I'm on day 2, it's going great. Not easy but i'm okay for now. Any advices ? Also, I'm a 5'9 woman and my weight is 262 pounds. I'm 26 years old, anybody have similar numbers to me ?

On 1/8/2024 at 10:57 PM, Arabesque said:

I echo it is your decision & your reasons are your own too. But if you go into it, still questioning your decision & aren’t completely ready to make the changes you have to make, it is highly likely the surgery won’t be successful for you in the long term.

I hazard to say that 80% of our weight loss & then 99% of our maintenance is all down to our commitment & willingness to do the head work & make the permanent changes to our eating & relationship with food. The truth,& it’s a hard truth, is some people do regain a significant amount of weight again if you’re not 100% in, you’ll more likely experience this.

I didn’t have any comorbidities but I knew they were in my future. I was almost 54 & menopause had done a number on me & my weight. I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to be the size I was emotionally, psychologically, physically & yes aesthetically too. I woke up day & said enough. Made an appointment with my doctor that day & about 5 weeks later I was being wheeled into surgery. Best decision. Haven’t looked back. Happily maintaining at 4.6yrs.

But you have time to make your decision & you can only do what’s best for you at this time. Maybe ask your surgeon for a referral to a therapist & talk through your thoughts & feelings with them. And if you decide no now, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it in the future, All the best what ever you decide to do.

PS - The Hair loss is nothing in the big picture. Yes, it can be frustrating & depressing but it only lasts for about 3 months +/- . The hair your’re shedding is hair you would have lost anyway. It’s just your natural Hair loss cycle is accelerated for a while. Your new hair is still growing as usual at its normal rate. It’s the stress of the surgery, dietary changes, hormonal flushes, anaesthetic. So don’t stress yourself more by overly worrying about the loss - you may make it worse. Many experience hair loss after pregnancy and other surgeries too. I lost a lot with a stressful time at work. So it could happen with many things. The only person who noticed my hair was a little thinner was me & my hairdresser. A year later it was pretty much back to how it was.

Thank you so much for your guidance and for sharing your story... I think that either way, I'll have to change my habits with or without de surgery. But I really do think that the surgery will be one of my reasons to keep going because I don't want to go through all this journey for nothing... I'll think about it, it's just a big decision, most likely the biggest one I've made so far in my life.. So I don't know why but I put a lot of pressure on myself..

On 1/8/2024 at 10:52 AM, AmberFL said:

Girl! I could've written this myself!!!! My life is insane, I work full time, am in school full time, and have 3 children.

I am 266lbs and 5'9 now. When I started my journey I was 297 and my highest weight was 325 at one point in my life. I have always been told the same, that I look good, I don't need to lose the weight or I can do it myself. I do not have any health issues but you know who does? My mom, brother who is only 27, my grandma. All high blood pressure, diabetes, unable to have the surgeries they need because they need to lose weight. I refuse to allow myself get to that point. I have been doing Weight Watchers on and off since I was 12yrs old, I have gotten down to 210 and I looked and felt amazing.

All of your fears are the ones I fear as well, but the outcome? being a HEALTHIER me for myself, children and husband. We deserve the best version of me! I have thought about how I will most likely get treated differently being thinner, I even confessed to my psych that I know being smaller will help me find a job easier once I graduate. He actually agreed. Its so unfortunate in our society but life is just easier for those who are thinner. I hate saying that out loud but its true.

So choose your hard- WLS and losing the weight once and for all? OR stay on the path of yo yo dieting, and just hope you don't get those health issues?

I chose my hard- WLS and lose my weight so I can be healthier and active for me and my family!

I am having surgery on Jan 24th! Day after my birthday!

Youre the main reason of my post, i was looking for people who have similar thoughts to mine and I wanted to know if I was overreacting since i'm sooooo anxious about everything. Reading you made my choice of the surgery a little easier and it helped me to believe that maybe it is actually what I need. The way I see it is that if I decide to change my lifestyle without the surgery, I'll have to make sacrifices but with the risks of falling back in my old habits. On the other hand, the surgery is my way to force myself to change my lifestyle because I know that my journey will make me not wanna go back to the past. Sometimes I need to put myself in situations to make me do things.. I don't know if that makes sense. But either way, i'll have to change my habits so I just have to decide if i want to do it with the surgery and have kind of a purpose of not making it worthless or without the surgery... Thank you so much for sharing your story..

4 hours ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

First, I'm wondering, why are you having the surgery? It doesn't sound like you're unhappy with how you look, you didn't mention if you have any comorbidities like joint pain, decreased mobility, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc, and you don't have stats (bmi) that would cause a lot of concern.

Second, I've only seen 2 or 3 people on this entire site that have trouble with losing too much weight. Increase your calorie intake, maybe cut the workouts to half, and that shouldn't be an issue. But it's exceedingly rare.

Third, you will likely have some regain. It's just par for the course. Not everyone does, but most people do to an extent. If you stick to the plan and move your body, it should be minimal, but it's unfortunately a reality.

Lastly, you will shed hair. A lot of it. Most people do. There are a lucky few that don't, but it's a reality the majority of us can't escape. It happened with my first surgery and with my revision. I used volumizing and thickening shampoos and conditioners, cut my hair shorter (it was down to my butt when I had my surgery and I cut it to just touching my shoulders), and styled it a bit differently. And it was fine. Not one person could tell (except me) and once the shedding stopped, it started to regrow fairly quickly. It didn't come out in clumps, it was basically excessive shedding that I mostly saw when I was washing my hair in the shower. It's not like I was losing hair throughout the day and it was all over my clothes or anything.

Hellow, thank you for your answer. I'm not unhappy with myself; let's say my self-love is at 75%, sometimes I feel a little down but I have never hated my body or my looks. The lowest my weight has been is 200 pounds and I looked like I was weighing 180 at the time (it was 7-8 years ago). I'm lucky enough to say I dont have any health problems at all, and I dont have difficulties moving around. I can run easily at work for any code happening.

I think i'm going the surgery firstly for my health. I know it is a good option. I'm just confused about if it the best for me. I'm also doing it because I know I will be gaining weight throughout the years of life. I'm young and I might not feel it now, but with time, I will have more and more health problems.

HI!!! First, i wish you all a happy new year

I had my first appointment with my surgeon a few days ago, i have some blood tests coming up in 2 weeks. So my surgery should be in 3 months. I'm 26 years old, height 5'9 and weight 260 lbs. My surgeon said i should be getting the sleeve. Okay, that being said...... I'm terrified.

I'm scared about the Hair loss because my hair is part of my identity and my self-love..... I can't stop thinking about it. Second, I'm scared of losing too much weight? I don't know if i'm over-reating.... but I've always been overweight so I don't know how I would react to my new body. People around me have always said that my weight looks good on me... Third, I'm wondering if I had tried enough before getting it ? I don't know if I should try to exercise and diet again one last time before getting it since I have to change my lifestyle anyway if I do this surgery.? I never really tried any diet and exercise program consistently in my life. Everytime I tried to do something, i would give up shortly after starting it.

I'm a nurse and a university student, so my life is kind of crazy. My sleep schedule is crazy, my work schedule is crazy...

Honestly, i'm just writing down all my thoughts because I feel like no one around me can understand what i'm going through.... and I'm looking for some advice or some guidance... Only my parents & brother know...