indyjeff

So...4 months out and (almost) 4 stones down...the before and after photos are at 3 stone off, I look SO different again, just need to take a pic.

I have lost 12 inches off my waist and 14 off my 'mum tum' (its flabby flap has gone from 3 inches of sag to under 1/2)

I am lighter than my other half...therefore no longer the heaviest in the house *high 5*

I have lost the combined weight of my 4 year old, the cat and 2 of our hens

I buy a UK size 16 off the peg (previously a 22)

I have just applied for and got a job which I wouldn't have dreamed of even applying for 5 months ago...start tomorrow eek!

My 4 teens are super proud of my new look and (though they aren't consciously doing it) are actively spending more time with me around their friends...and my 4 year old is thrilled with my new energy levels.

I'm away to take climbing instruction and have joined 2 groups to learn that and ukulele...and am involved with sorting a 20yr reunion for my high school (a stark contrast from my previous very anti-social self)

I have legs...really nice ones...I have always totally viewed them as my worst asset and had no idea that these shapely beings existed beneath my previous tree trunks.

My boobs are no longer my best asset...this really worried me pre-op as I was massively defined by them...you know what??? I don't care (and neither does he)!

I can go buy vintage clothes...and they fit...and they look amazing (hand knitted 70s dress from a charity shop is my absolute favourite buy)

The skin looseness is nothing like I thought it would be

Learning that food is fuel and not enjoyable is hard and the mental process behind it isn't a nice one...but the feeling of accomplishment helps more than I could have ever believed!

I love yoga!

This is the best investment I have ever made in myself...I am just so, so happy! yes...there are negatives, but they are far outweighed by all the zillions of good stuff :D

I decided that I had to do something after I realized that I was continuing to have health issues that was attributed to my weight. Without telling anyone, I signed up to begin my journey and started my journey in Feb 2016 to a much healthier and happier life.
My stats were as follows:
HW 325; SW 289; CW 268
57 lbs down in total
21 lbs down since surgery (1.5 months)
I was sleeved on 12/21 and recovery went well. I couldn't have made a better decision.
Sharing my progress with you all...
Wishing everyone a successful journey and stay tuned for more updates.
Sent from my iPhone

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

Amazing! You look so beautiful! Congratulations on your new healthy lifestyle!

I hit my surgiversary on January 6, 2017 with 100 lbs lost. I had a total of 4 surgeries last year which slowed my weightloss down. One of those surgeries was losing my gallbladder on Oct 1, 2016. Since my diet was small portions with high Protein, low carbs, and low fat, it wasn't a problem for me after my gallbladder surgery. I incorporate my daily activities with walking and when the weather is good, I ride my bike. Since my weight came off at a slower rate, I don't have a lot of sagging skin. I need to tone my arms. That's about all. A nurse practitioner told me that I need to only eat Protein and not worry about my veggies because I get nutrients from my Vitamins. I think that is bad advice. We get told all the time, protein first, then veggies, then carbs. That is what I follow. My protein is sitting at 60-65 a day. Since I'm high protein, I have felt so good through this process. I throw in my Fiber by eating oatmeal bars or chia seeds or veggies. This has been a great journey. It's gone by extremely fast. We all have our habits whether we admit them or not. Just be sure you always stick to the reason why you chose to have weightloss surgery. The best advice I can give you, is keep the inside of your body as clean as possible. Indulge in special occasions but get right back to your basics. Be sure to take your Vitamins daily and if you fall off the wagon, go back to your basics and look through all your nutritional paperwork that you were given. Don't ever give up on yourself once you hit your goal. Stay clear, stay strong, think healthy. If you've come this far, don't ever fall back. We always had this smaller version of ourselves inside the bigger version, so don't forget that you don't want to cover up your smaller version. People will get jealous of you and they will ask you, are you losing weight, it's your choice if you tell them the truth. Be careful of who you tell, as they may tell everyone. Remember to choose your food choices wisely and if you get bored of Protein shakes, buy the powders and make your own. Research other protein supplements to get your protein in. Continue your journey and pride and reward yourself for your accomplishments!
I have 10 more lbs to go until I hit my goal and I know I'll accomplish it. Thank you for reading my post. I love myself and so glad my inner self is here!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

@@vegbeth It takes time. Getting your Protein and Water in should be your top priorities and definitely don't go overboard with exercise until you are eating enough calories to sustain it. You will just work on gradually increasing your calories as you get further out from surgery. I wasn't even on solid foods until 30 days post-op. But I did push pretty hard to get up over 800 calories right after that so I could start doing some longer walks and then 1100 calories so I could start running and strength training. Once you are over 1000 a day, you should be able to start doing more serious exercise and just gradually increasing your calories as you increase your workout intensity.

@@Momcat - You are quite welcome. We are here to help you succeed, as others who came before me helped me out.

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

@@indyjeff - you are welcome and I very much enjoy the input of @@OutsideMatchInside and @@JamieLogical and others who really do some interesting research.

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

Awesome topic! Thanks everyone! I thought I was eating too much compared to others on this site at about 3 months out (800-900 cal /day), but have been struggling making through workouts lately. Lots of reassuring info in this thread...
PS - I had actually stopped coming to the site regularly because it seems like everyone asks the same questions over, and over, and over again (search function anyone?). Big thank you to all the veterans for chiming in!

What an incredibly smart comment. And totally correct.
Here is what I've observed in others and even with me:
At first, when you're losing and feel so in control of things, you get almost evangelical about weight loss and healthy habits. You feel like you have the tiger by the tail, so why shouldn't others go the same route you did to lose weight and be healthy? You want to take aside every fat person you see and recommend WLS. And sometimes, it's shameful to say, you even may look on them with disgust.
As time goes on and people settle in to their new way of life and they really start to understand the struggle it is to continue to lose or maintain what you've lost even with WLS, you tend to soften a little and actually feel empathy for them, because we know how hard it is, with or without WLS. I no longer feel the need to reach out to them anymore and talk about WLS, though, because I think they know they are obese, and only when they are good and ready will they do anything about it. Just like all of us did.

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Have my appmnt tommorrow, everything been great lostvalmost 100 pnds first year and kept my 116 pnds fona year already... one thing I cant handle anymore are Protein Shakes Yuks!!
hope my doc help me with more options...
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Yes, absolutely. The WLS definitely helps you keep the weight off. You are what's called a "yo-yo dieter". That means you are able to diet, but you go back to your old eating habits, which causes you to gain back the weight, plus some. The reason you gain back your weight is because you are still hungry, even though you have lost the weight. The reason is because you are overeating, which caused you to gain weight. Overeating also causes your stomach to stretch. The stomach stretches naturally. But if you continue to overeat and stretch your stomach, it can stretch so much that it doesn't shrink back to normal size. Stretching the stomach that much is causing an empty space, which needs food to fill it so that you aren't hungry. You have to eat more food in order to feel satisfied; and when you eat more, you gain more. The hunger pangs that you feel are from the irritated walls of your stomach. Your stomach walls are irritated because they have been stretched beyond normal capacity. Many people have different reasons for overeating in the first place: Depression, boredom, marriage, divorce, etc. People like to eat, so it's normal to want to chow down on a lot of food. If we didn't like food, then where would we get the motivation to eat? Who wants to chew and swallow something if it isn't fun? No one.

I, myself, am a "yo-yo dieter". I lost over 30 pounds in 2 months a few years ago. Then the holidays came, and I got clumsy. I got so clumsy that I eventually went back to my old ways of overeating, and put the 30 pounds back on, plus another 30 pounds. It's like I went without my "crack", and once I was able to have it again, I went overboard to make up for lost time, lol.

The WLS is the most effective method for losing weight and keeping it off long-term, because it is actually shrinking your stomach. When the stomach is small, it cannot take in a lot of food. Not being able to take in a lot of food helps the hunger pangs feel less aggressive. When they cut out 90% of your stomach, they are also cutting out the part of the stomach that produces a chemical called ghrelin. Ghrelin is known as the "hunger hormone". Even though they cut out this part of the stomach, that does not mean all the cravings disappear completely. It does help with the cravings, but they can still remain. The reason is because a lot of overweight people are emotional eaters. Some people overeat even if they aren't hungry. But the WLS definitely helps you make better decisions and keep the weight off longer.

I've never lost this much weight in my life. After my WLS, I lost 60 pounds in just 4 months. I feel like I've lost almost half of myself (in a good way, lol). I used to be so hot natured before my WLS. Now that I've lost all this weight, I always feel cold. I actually don't mind it much, because I hate being hot, and because it reminds me that I'm losing a lot of weight.

I definitely recommend this surgery. In just 4 months, I have regained so much energy, confidence, and most of my health issues are nearly gone. I feel great.

I'm only 4 months out, so I can't speak from experience. Hopefully some of the vets will pop in and give you their real world experience. I can share my research with you though.
The evidence is indicating that surgery gives us a "do-over" in relation to set point. Our bodies have a tendency to get used to a weight, and fights like heck to maintain by flooding our systems with hormones and other mechanisms to drive us to eat high calorie, fatty, sugary foods as well as slowing down our metabolism in order to hang on to fat stores and maintain what the body thinks is a good weight. While they're not sure *how* yet, the evidence points to the surgery re-setting that point and making it a little less of an uphill struggle to maintain.
Notice I said a LITTLE LESS. This still requires a lifestyle change. The sleeve doesn't really stretch, so the volume restriction is always there to a degree, but it's still possible to "eat around" the restriction by eating the wrong things, or grazing constantly throughout the day. So we do have to radically change our relationship with food, and get and stay active for it to really work long term.
Hope that helps.

A lot of people don't think to check the carbs in the Soup because it's ... soup. Thick chowders use a lot of flour or other thickeners that make them higher in carbs than you expect.

Thank you so much for chiming in @@LipstickLady! I think cutting the mashed potatoes is a good idea and I don't eat them that often... All great advice. Thanks!
PS - Always enjoy your posts!

Thank you so much for chiming in @@LipstickLady! I think cutting the mashed potatoes is a good idea and I don't eat them that often... All great advice. Thanks!
PS - Always enjoy your posts!

Hi all want to post another update. A week away from my 3 month surgiversary and 30 kgs (about 60 pounds) down. I feel so much better and things are starting to get back to normal. The days where i fell down and regret having this surgery have reduced tremendously. Overall i just feel great! ????

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I can't believe it's been 6 months. This surgery changed my life completely
I've dropped 8 dress sizes, lost 105lbs and am now only about 38lbs from my stretch goal.
HW - 140kg or 310lbs
SW - 132.5kg or 291lbs
CW - 92kg or 202.5lbs
GW - 75-80kg or 165-176lbs
Height - 6"2'
Surgery date - June 7th 2016