loridee11

I'm 4 days out from an arm lift, J lift, and breast lift that included replacing and downsizing old implants. Basically, I have sutures from about an inch below my elbow, up my entire upper arm, down through my armpit, and continuing along the curve of my breast with only about an inch or two gap from the other side. Then anchor incisions on the breasts as well. Apparently, one of my old implants was ruptured as well so took a bit longer than planned. I'm doing pretty good - the only challenge is some tingling/loss of sensation in my thumb and index finger on my right hand (dominant). Dr. isn't worried and think as swelling in the arm goes down it will improve. Otherwise, I feel a bit like a stuffed sausage but not too bad! I was able to shower and switched to Tylenol today. Hopefully, the swelling will go down little by little over the coming days although I realize it will be months before my results are final. So far I can tell the arms are going to be MUCH better. Even all swelling the contour is significantly better. The "j lift" should mean no more skin pushing out under my arm from my bra, and my chest feels like its going to be the right size. Once closer to final I'll share some pics. Too much effort right now

Local Dr in San Jose who sadly is retiring this month

Tummy tuck done on Wed. I'm actually feeling really well - no pain meds as of today but of course still taking it very easy. I had skin only fleur tummy tuck as most of my extra skin was vertical. I have an incision from just below my breasts down to my mons, and a small horizontal incision, maybe 5 inches. Overall things look really good, especially for 3 days out. I'm swollen of course, but my belly button area is already 1.5 inches smaller than before (every place else is up due to swelling still) I tried the garment today and I'm still too swollen (I bought a stage 2) so I'll try again after the drain comes out on Tuesday. My only concern is how it will fit on my thights --- while the measurement was right I have a lot of loose skin there but we shall see. I'll try to take some after pics once the drain comes out.

It's been just over 3 years since I had my RNY (12/31/19). I am so glad I made the decision to do this. It's not easy and there are challenges, but I feel so much better in my own skin. Stats: 5'10; 44 years old Starting Weight: 336 Surgery weight: 292 Lowest weight: 155 Current weight: 172 Wins in 2022: Last year I really wanted to focus on strength and stamina. I set a bucket list goal of climbing Kilimanjaro (I did it in June!) and spent the first half of the year getting in shape for that. That included regular hikes, but also yoga and strength training classes to build muscle and flexibility. I also did a lot of time on the treadmill at incline (I hate the treadmill - but it served it's purpose). In the second half of the year I wanted to keep growing strength, stamina and flexibility but in a way I enjoy so I started HIIT classes. They are a great workout, give me cardio and strength in one which is a huge win. I also still do yoga once a week and try to hike when I can. At the end of the year I am the strongest and healthiest I can ever recall being. I also did a TON of traveling in 2022 which was great for my mental health. I got to see Equador, the Galapagos, Costa Rice, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Alaska, Victoria CA, Little Cayman, and other places in the US West. It's been amazing. Goals for 2023: In addition to continuing to grow on my physical fitness gains from 2022, this year I need to work on my relationship with food. In general I eat much healthier than I did pre-surgery (I was a total carb addict and rarely ate Protein or vegetables), however I still struggle with emotional eating and moderation for trigger foods. I am very consciously NOT dieting. There will be times I eat Pasta or sweets but I don't want to eat because I'm bored or <insert any emotion here>. I also want to be aware of the scale, I really want to stay between my low weight and where I am now, but not ruled by it. I'm not sure exactly what this will look like, but will figure it it. I also start a new job in a couple of weeks. I'm super excited about the role and the challenge it will present. It will mean a lot less time to travel, but I'm ready to take on something new. My goal (aside from doing well at the job) is to find a way to balance work and life in a more sustainable way that I have in the past. I hope all of you have an amazing 2023 and good luck in your journey's! Lori

That's amazing! I'm not a runner so 33 miles may as well be 1,000. Way to go!

Maybe I'm in the minority, but at 3 years out I still struggle sometimes with my image of self - I often "feel" like the biggest person in a room even though I know I'm not. It seems to be exacerbated when I don't do the self-care things like regular exercise or eating well. When I'm in routine with exercise and healthy meals my mind set seems to settle and I just think less about my weight than I ever have. Having said that, I just started a new job and it is a mind trip that they will never know the obese me I was for most of my life. Lori

Thanks all for sharing! I tend to meal prep since it's just me and it's easier to cook once or twice a week than every day. That's really the only reason my days tend to be fairly similar. As many of you hinted at, I am really trying for that healthy relationship with food where I enjoy in moderation. Glad to see that seems to be working for so many!

Good luck! I am sure it will make a huge difference in how you feel even if the inches don't change.

For the arm compression garments, it looks like it is sized based on your ribcage, not your arm diameter. Am I seeing that right? Did you have any issue with it being too tight or too loose?

I had RNY on 12/31/2019. Since then I've lost over half my body weight. I've focused on exercise and building strength and stamina. And in June, I went to Tanzania where I successfully summited Kilimanjaro on June 24th. I truly believe the surgery made this possible. I just wanted to share with others who may understand. Next up is plastics and then I need to figure out my next big challenge. Any suggestions? Lori

Hi Tek, The hike itself was pretty amazing. I did an 8 day Lemosha route - the longer route allowed for greater acclimatization to the altitude which caps out around 19,500 ft on Summit day. Most days we hiked between 5-8 miles with lots of elevation gain --- hike high and sleep low. You pass through 5 different climate zones, from cloud forest to artic, so each day looked a little different. You are camping, so tent sleeping in mummy bags the whole trip which was it's own challenge. Summit day was definitely the hardest. They like to have you hike it at night, so they woke us up at midnight to eat a little something (you are already at 15,500 ft so not much of an appetite) then start hike around 1:30 am. It's cold --- I think when we went it was around 15 F and windy as you get higher. It's only a little over 3 miles, but due to the steep climb and elevation, we didn't reach the summit until around 8 AM and we were a pretty fast group. The sunrise on the mountain was just beautiful (see pic). Once you reach summit you stay just long enough to get pics, then they hurry you as they don't want you at that elevation for too long. The climb down was really hard --- you are already tired and it's steep and hard on the joints even with hiking poles. Once you hit base camp, you rest then hike down further. I think we did another 6 miles and stayed at high camp that day. Last day was about 7 miles down which was again pretty hard on the joints, but at that point you just want a shower and a bed so it's not too hard to push yourself. I was fortunate to be able to stay in Tanzania and do some safari's and go to Zanzibar to relax on the beach for a few days before coming home. Definitely a once in a lifetime trip. In terms of training, I did lots of local hikes, but I'm in Northern California so while I could do distance (10+ miles) elevation was hard. So in addition I joined a gym about 4 months before the hike and started taking weight training type classes and yoga classes to build strength and stamina. Then after the hour class I would do an hour on the treadmill at a 12-15 incline. I feel like I was in pretty solid shape for the hike.

Thank you so much for all the great advice! I live alone so I am worried about trying to do much. I'm trying to find someone to stay for the first couple days, and my plan is to have at least a week worth of meals cooked and in the fridge. I'll also have someone come in to walk the dog for the first week or two (fortunately I have a backyard so it's just for exercise). I will move a small step stool into the kitchen and invest in a shower stool ( and probably use dry shampoo for the first couple of days at least). And yes, I'll share pictures when I get closer

This week I'm going to make: - Chicken Pot pie - minus the pie --- so kind of a chicken stew. The one I like has Thyme and Dijon as the base flavors. - Vegetable au gratin: It's cauliflower, broccoli, leek and chicken dinner sausage in a Sour cream (I replace 1/2 with greek yogurt and use lower fat versions) and cheese sauce. - Thai chicken salad for lunch's.

You are doing great loss wise- but water is CRITICAL! You really need to be getting in a MINIMUM of 64 oz, and realistically more. It does take focus, especially as you are getting used to it, but I find when I drink enough water my weight loss picks up. I also find I just feel better - my joints and energy. Best of luck!

My surgeon wanted my goal weight to be mid-overweight range. They weren't worried about being in the normal range, but wanted me far enough away from Obese that if I had a little bounce back I wouldn't fall back into obese. My personal goal moved around a lot, and actually ended up just above my original goal... From 150 to 187 (dr goal) to 167 (half my previous weight) to 160. I'm pretty happy where I am (although body dysmorphia is a *itch). I may try to hit 150 so that if I do have a little gain further out I end up right around 160.

I know some people experience changes in what they like right after surgery, but has anyone experienced a change more than a year out? Over the last couple months I've noticed that I don't seem to be tasting salt like I used to and it's making a lot of foods much less enjoyable. Wondering if it's just a weird thing or potentially related to surgery?

I have heartburn post Bypass. My surgeon says its rare (bypass is actually a cure for people with bad heartburn) but it does happen. It's not as bad as before surgery and I manage it with 1 pepcid in the am.

FOllowing! I think I'll want a thigh lift as part of my round two (I haven't had round one yet) so I'm following. Thanks for sharing your journey and good luck!

This Pumpkin chili is amazing! Use ground chicken instead of ground pork: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/pumpkin-chili/ Huge batch, but you can cut it in half. Lori

Collarbones --- I really love my collarbones now. Such a wierd thing to notice, but I didn't have them/they weren't visible for so long.

I find carbs are slider foods - they break down so small they pass right through. Dense protein, even chewed well seems to sit longer in my stomach.

congratulations! You are doing great. I completely understand how hard it is for the brain to catch up with the body. I am still struggling. I think being aware of it is a great first step though.

I've been all over the place. I started at 150 because for some reason I've had 150 stuck in my head for ever. Even in high school when dieting that was my goal. So that was my goal when I first started (it is pretty much mid-range of healthy BMI for my height). Then at my 6 month my Dr said she'd want me at around 185 (still overweight) so I changed it to 172 (top of healthy BMI). Then I moved it to 167 (exactly half my pre-surgery weight) since that was so close to 172. Now that I'm there, I've gone back to 150.... We'll see if I can get there and if I'm happy. That may be a little on the low end for my body type and height....

I'm just over a year out. I am not a big fan of most meats, so a piece of chicken or turkey and a veggie is just not something I enjoy, so I tend to do a lot of stews or mixes. I generally cook 2 a week then alternate lunch and dinner (I'm single and cooking for one). So my meal plan may look like: Breakfast: Protein coffee: Coffee with protein powder, collagen powder, fiber, a little half and half and sugar free torani Lunch: Ground turkey taco (no tortilla) - ground turkey, beans, onion and taco seasoning. I may add a little greek yogurt and cheese or I may not Dinner: Chicken "pot pie" - Chicken breast and veggies in broth with a little fairlife milk, thyme and dijon cooked into a creamy consistency. No crust. I only recently started snacking, and that may be 2 tbs of popcorn with a 1/2 T of butter and some low calorie flavoring added.

My go to is Spinach, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple juice (just a little, also add water to get the right consistency) and protein powder, collagen powder and fiber supplement.