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Exercise, schmexercise!! LOL!! I do exercise, but skin is skin! Best of luck with the next 2 consults!!

Hi Tammy from Michigan. I haven't been on here in a long time. I too share a similar story. I am open to supporting one another on our journey. I successfully lost almost 150 pounds and kept it off for over 5 years. Through a series of life events and depression I stopped all of my food tracking, stopped exercising, and developed a seriously unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I unfortunately regained 120 pounds. It's been a very difficult thing to come to terms with... especially when blaming yourself, beating yourself up and feeling like it is dam near impossible to loose all that weight again without the surgery. The embarrassment facing the world who had watched my journey and been so proud and supportive.. only to years later look at what I essentially did to myself.. I had to shut all of those thoughts out and take time to look at what got me here. So I'm starting over and diligently making my plans with daily effort to work towards my goal. One week at a time. I can't live in the debilitating self hate any longer. However, the addiction to alcohol and now overeating has been a huge hurdle to get over. Finding support, being open about it and accepting myself is keeping me on track..

A port and a drain are 2 different things. The lap band system includes a port that is implanted under the skin that allows the doctor or his staff to inject fluid into the lap band system in order to adjust the band. The drain you're referring to is a post-surgical drain. Depending on the circumstances, which may or may not be directly related to the type of surgery, the surgeon places a drain into your surgical areas to drain away excess blood and fluid. It's to help reduce swelling and the chance of infection as well as to promote healing. It's usually connected to a little bulb that applies gentle suction and "sucks out" that extra fluid. It's temporary and aside from the minor inconvenience, not terribly painful.

Hi @ChubRub I meant to update. I saw my PCP and also updated my surgeon on everything so I wanted to get results before I came here. I don’t communicate very well but didn’t let my doctor have a chance to say anything bad about the surgery or my surgeon. I just told her what procedures I had, and what an excellent surgeon I had as well. I wanted answers as to why the heck my hemoglobin dropped unexpectedly which I didn’t get a real response from her. I explained to her had it not been for the excellence of my surgeon things would not have gone as well as they did. That I had two blood transfusions due to my hemoglobin unexpectedly being 10.2 she didn’t understand the concept that it needs to be higher for this type of surgery (and should have been because it was the last time I was tested before I had the double balloon enteroscopy) I gave up trying and just got her to do bloodwork for baseline hemoglobin, ferritin, iron etc. last time my ferritin was only 7. My iron was ok though. I did previously have some elevated liver level which I needed to see a gastroenterologist about (according to her) I got the bloodwork results online fast. And the two blood transfusions actually helped my levels a lot. I think because I needed them they help longer. My ferritin actually improved to 39. My hemoglobin is right on the normal range of 11.7 (11.7-15.5 range) so hopefully is helping me heal better. My iron is good. The liver level is borderline high is probably altered by the blood transfusions as well and falsely low and needs to be monitored. My B12 is off the charts which to me should be of concern it’s a water soluble vitamin it shouldn’t be high in the blood unless there’s a problem. My RDW is high. Something I thought weird before my surgery I noticed about something called eosinophils, mine as long as I can remember were zero. This is a type of white blood cells. All of a sudden the numbers spiked ... I find that strange. The same for my others, like lymphocytes not out of range but a sudden spike up. anyway but I digress ... my surgeon is pleased with the bloodwork but did say to have it repeated in three months to have a kind of new baseline because this is from the transfusions. It also helped that my BMI was so low. Otherwise honestly he might not have done surgery. But ... it happened and all in all it went well. And the open incisions are things that happen. And with the Bactigras although difficult bandaging them they are slowly improving. It does annoy me I can’t reach the one in the back to do myself. so yesterday was exactly four weeks after surgery. I actually removed the surgical drain myself last night. It finally slowed enough to come out. I knew it was time and how to remove it but confirmed it with my surgeon. My mom was like you should have been a doctor or nurse ... 🤣 it didn’t bother me in the least. Should it have? My surgeon said I can resume normal routine and I thought what is normal routine. The thing is with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis when I have surgery, especially major surgery, or even things not as major, I need to relearn my new level of normal ... I lose pieces along the way but it is the price I pay but it was a price I chose to pay to start getting rid of the effects of the extra 106+ lbs of weight and fighting it most of my life. This for me was not about cosmetics but most people won’t see it that way of course now I will see some cosmetic things. Like my knees/calves. And that my butt has no volume so right now it’s like sitting on blocks not butt cheeks ... but I’m not thinking about those things right now just continued healing. I don’t know what my bra size will be just that it’s not nearly empty skin now and just looks normal. I trusted my surgeons judgment to base it on my frame size so it’s 200cc silicone (total 370cc size) he removed 2lbs of skin which doesn’t seem like a lot but my weight was under 102 lbs at the time of surgery. I’m still below my goal weight (106lbs) but right now it’s 105.3 but that’s dressed and with Faja and compression stockings. I’m swollen probably because I removed the drain and also ventured out into the heat humidity to get groceries. And admittedly I cheated a tiny bit on carbs but am getting back on track. I am just focused on healing ... why am I rambling ... I think people don’t understand that I live every day with chronic pain and fatigue and I’ve been asked why I don’t look happy about the surgery or results. It’s not that I’m not. They are probably seeing the pain and fatigue and assuming I’m not happy. That kind of pisses me off but that’s the story of my life ... people who can’t understand lifelong chronic illness or why I had this surgery. sorry for the long response that you didn’t ask for 🤣 Edit: I’m finding out from my surgeon where I can find the before and after photos to share here.

I've gone through several "phases" of vitamin use in the 2+ years since sleeved. In my first few months, many vitamins gave me really severe nausea after taking it. I didn't vomit, thank goodness but I sure felt like crap. At various points, I've taken the bariatric versions but find I feel and do fine with the regular ones. I've also taken the expensive "organic" and "all-natural" ones. I really don't notice a big difference other than the hole in my wallet. My "go-to" is Women's One-A-Day. I get the giant one from Costco and it lasts me quite a while. As I approach menopause, I will probably change over to a 50+ or silver version, but other than that, I have no plans to change. *I also take calcium citrate +3, a hair/skin/nails formula. No issues.

I feel it's time to tell me story as best I can and hopefully it will give the new comers some hope and take away their worries or anxiety about surgery. Okay I have a very dysfunctional childhood and I think maybe subconsciously I turned to movies and food as a way to cope until alcohol came along but all those things combined made me gain weight massively in my teen years. As a child I was tiny but after my father passed and my stepfather came in the picture; he was a tyrant; life changed dramatically. Anyway fast forward to the end of high school I had reached over 250lbs and by 21 I was 320lbs and my weight fluctuated over the years between 300-320 until I finally found a way to get bariatric surgery.. I always believed surgery was for the rich people and I was never rich... But I found out randomly that health insurance would cover most of surgery and I'd never had health insurance before because here in Australia we have an amazing Medicare system that covers pretty much everything to do with doctors and hospitals except for elective surgery like bariatrics; unless you're like super morbidly obese and even then it can take 3 years and numerous hurdles.... So I researched and researched for months and months and spoke to multiple surgeons offices until I found the perfect surgeon; I needed to get health insurance first then do the waiting period which I used to save up the gap and that gap covered absolutely everything from first meeting until surgery and hospital was covered. I met the surgeon and his doctor and got information and told them I wanted ROUX EN Y BYPASS; and we all agreed that was the best decision as I had bad type 2 diabetes and it would only get worse. I weighed in at 322 there and then and I just wished and hoped the surgery would help me to get down to at least 200 maybe 190; I just wanted to be healthy and happy and of course to look better and feel better in myself. Anyway from first consultation until the surgery day was about 4 months had a few meetings with surgeon and he does a very direct approach no need for all the tests and stuff just my medical history and some blood tests and a big discussion was about it and he was ready to go. I was advised to do at least 2-3 weeks low carbs/protein shake diet before surgery and to try lose at least 10lbs; but I literally woke up one morning 2 months before surgery and decided there and then to kick start my journey and started on protein shakes and I actually found a brand and flavor that I actually loved. It tasted just like chocolate milkshake even though I only used water to mix it up i tried a few different brands but they were either too bland or no taste at all I like flavor and I like a little sweetness in my shakes... And I've been using the same shakes in bulk powder form for months without any issues at all... So I started on shakes and they literally filled me up and I was determined to show the surgeon I meant business. i was amazed how quickly the weight came off because I was ONLY on shakes Max 600cal preop; I dropped so much water weight it was amazing. By surgery day I had already dropped from 322 to 257lbs and the surgeon was so proud. i went into the hospital early without only water that morning so my sugar was actually low so they made me wait a few hours longer and I went in to surgery I think 3pm and next thing I know I was awake in ICU a few hours later and surgery was done but oh boy was it painful for me; I'm not sure why but I was in pain for like 2 days luckily I was given good drugs through the IV and slept most of the 2 days... By the 3rd day I started drinking a small glass of protein shake and was sipping water each day; here in Australia the surgeon is very cautious so I actually spent 6 days in hospital was fine I had my own private room and bathroom and was really well looked after.... By the 3rd day they finally took the drain out and I had a shower for the first time and a BM which was like sticky black green like a baby; oh the shower felt amazing on my poor sore belly; I think I had 5 incisions sites and a very tight bloated belly. Each day I would walk the halls of the hospital and say hello to the nurses and other times I would rest and watch TV but by like the 5th day I was feeling really good and was ready to go home but because I lived over 2hrs from the surgeon and hospital they made sure I was 110% fit and healthy; they checked my blood sugar and blood pressure multiple times a day and they said everything was fine, by the time I left the hospital they had taken me off multiple medications and it felt Great. The ride home in my mates car was a little rough but it felt Great to be home and in my own bed my big bed not the single bed in hospital... It's hard to remember everything I went through its been over 8 months since I left the hospital but I do know I was still a little sore when bending or carrying shopping bags for the first few weeks I had to be careful.... Showering was amazing my bandages on my incisions came off on their own after like 3 weeks.. I was given a guideline diet but Ive always been a strong independent personality so I just chose to do things my way; of course I was glad for the surgery and the surgeons advice but I felt is my body; my life I need to do it my way so maybe I was lucky but I didn't even think about food for months like literally I lived off shakes and yoghurt for months before I really started actual food and of course the weight kept coming off everyday it was amazing. For the first 3 months I think I was on maybe 500cal a day with next to no carbs or sugars... I didn't feel hungry at all... Shakes kept me going... Every couple of months I had to buy new clothes, I couldn't believe how much I changed one month to the next and people who hasn't seen me in a few months were shocked ever time they saw me.... i never kept it secret from anyone; I was proud of my decision to finally change my life and possibly extend my life, I was enjoying the complements and I was lucky I don't think I stalled for more than a week and I never had any complications at all except for diarrhoea BM for a while and sure I threw up a few times when trying different things or eating too quickly... i started drinking regular coffee by 3 months and my surgeon said it was fine as long as I don't get dehydrated.. I was drinking tea as well and by 6 months I actually decided to treat myself here and there with some sugar free energy drinks and it has not impacted me or my weight loss one bit. Now I'm over 8 months out I can eat most things just small portions; I've even had bread a few times just have to take it very slowly... I've had pasta a few times and even had some chocolate over Easter without any issues at all and still continued to lose weight... i will admit recently I've had some treats here and there but that was once I got in to maintenance mode... I've pretty much been in maintenance now over 2 months and pretty much sit around 165lbs but just this week I've seen 163lbs on the scales... i don't log my food much now but I do keep a mental tally of my calories and such and I do still check my weight regularly to make sure I'm doing well.. i had the RNY bypass and it was 120cm and it was amazing; I've had a blast and I've lost pretty much 50% of my original weight. FROM highest of 322 to the lowest 162.8lbs just the other day.... i felt the need to share my story everything has been positive for me. It has totally changed my life and transformed my life and the way I see myself... I'll be 36 in 3 weeks but I feel better than I have in 20 years... i want everyone to read my story and see it is possible to have the BYPASS without any issues and also my 3 months blood tests were perfect so no issues with vitamins either just have to remember to take them everyday.. The one issue I will say was my hair did get thinner and would grow slower but never fell out.... I'm sure in time it will get better I've gone from being the FAT friend to the SKINNY friend... i look and feel amazing and my BMI has gone from 43 to 22. I've dropped 159lbs or 72KGS in 10 months including my preop... From 146KG to 74KG and below every goal I thought I wanted. I don't mind because most people will bounce back 10-20lbs anyway plus when I do start to build muscle that will add a little weight because right now I'm kinda skin and bones LOL feels weird saying that about myself but its pretty good... I'm really hoping I'll meet someone soon and start a family and live a long long life 😁😁😁 So if anybody is curious about RNY BYPASS don't be afraid... Success is possible!!!! A few pics before and after

OMG. I came here exactly for THIS. I've lost almost 100lbs and I still have about 37lbs left. I'm kinda worried about losing more because I am SOO bony now it hurts to sleep cause my hips have no cushion and they dig into my MEMORY FOAM mattress. I can't even contemplate laying down on the hard ground. My collar bones stick out and are very prominent, and I have to be careful when sitting on a toilet seat cause my tailbone whacks the back of the seat if I don't sit a bit forward. I'm freezing ALL the time. I was always cold even at 300lbs, but now it's intolerable. (My thyroid has been tested & is fine.) Let me be clear, I am in no way already skinny. I still have heavy rolls (not just skin) on my belly and significant back and thigh fat still. But all my joints are extremely bony. My question is this: is this normal for thinner people or do I just genetically have a big frame bone structure? OR... is that we really do get "big bones" from being obese for so long? I know the concept of big bones is mostly a myth, "I'm not fat, I'm big boned" but I'm wondering if our bone structure adapts to our extreme weight. I've been morbidly obese since I was 12 so I honestly don't know what my bone structure should be like and if this is normal. (My mom & both grandmas are/were also morbidly obese their whole lives.) Highest weight: 2010, 320lbs PSW: 2019, 287lbs Current Wt: 192lbs, Goal Wt: 155lbs

Went out for lunch today and ordered the steak tip salad. Here’s my before and after. I barely touched it at the restaurant because I ended up eating one of my bfs potato skins and I got full quick 😕 I ended up finishing the salad at home, it was my only meal for the day. Plus a pineapple matcha latte with almond milk!

I'm not at all woo-woo-y 🤣. I think I'm more self conscience about the scars, then my skin? Even if I heal well it will be a year they will be quite visible at least, and will always be somewhat. The further out I get from WLS the fewer people knew fat me. So my arms current arms might be written off to age, but a surgical scar might make people wonder. Your arms do look fantastic, which of course makes it harder for me to decide

Hope you are feeling more positive 👍 This is my day 4 of postop. I read your post and felt the same. When in pain and exhausted, you can loose your way. BUT YOU GOT THIS! I wanted to share this great recipe:https://bariatricbits.com/pureed-classic-egg-salad/ Little things can make you smile and I was struggling with what to eat before Bc I was surrounded by fake salad eaters and I felt uncomfortable eating what I wanted Ed and not salad and now post op I was stuck . My food will be different but my simple pleasures will be plentiful bc I won’t be a diabetic or obese or any other health related issue that causes me to sit out of the fun or spend more time with doctors then I do with friends. I would also rather eat 4oz of chicken, steak and turkey then a salad any day!! Hope that made you laugh! Have a great day!

Hello, I’m new here so a little history first; I am currently 33 years old and had my surgery about 11/12 years ago when I was around 21/22 old (@ 23• stone) years when I had my surgery done. I lost a large amount of weight very quickly due to the surgery and was soon at my ‘starting going to the gym weight of 15 stone in around 2 years! That was without even exercising much apart from normal day to day tasks and no change in diet apart from the starting liquid one.,My weight range over the years has varied between 13.5 stone to 15.0 stone due to going to the gym 3/4 times a week for about a year which led to around a stone of muscle. I did however have some problems, the first being a blockage which required a nights in hospital but no surgery thankfully. I also developers a increase in alcohol consumption due to the increased desire for it over the year, maybe 3/4 pings a night I was drinking most days and more at the weekend. Out the blue about 7 years ago I had the sudden onset of Generalised and Social Anxiety. The anxiety would be way worse If I was hangover or after a heavy night out. This developed into vicious circle to a point about 5 years ago where it spiralled out of control and was drinking 6/8+ pints a daily/all day. Thankfully I’m a sell employee property landlord. During this time I had quite multiple periods of longish abstinence (with medication from my GP for help with my anxiety) with the longest one (just over a year) which ended just over a year ago and was drinking heavily (8+ pints) again during July/August/September 2019 but stopped again. In the past when I went on my every/all day alcohol sessions for long periods of time I never put on any weighteven though I was consuming 2000+ extra empty calories plus loads junk food and takeaways. In fact I would sometimes lose weight?! I don’t until now own scales so always ‘weighed’ myself based on how my clothes fit. In late February I started again heavily but this time I started massive weight gain I couldn’t believe it and that alone caused me to quit (with the help of my GP for some Diazepam from my GP for the 1/2 weeks of horrendous anxiety I get when stopping. I am worried about the random weight gain as it’s never happened before in the past with a massive calorie increase due to alcohol (beer/cider). I thought I might have diabetes as I was really thirsty, quite hungry all the time and putting on weight but went to the GP and see did a diabetes, liver ,kidneys, bloods etc and all came back completely fine. It also been a weird weight gain as it’s mainly in my upper body and I also have dry skin, it goes white/dry when I itch myself on most my body. I bought the Withings Body + scales so I can start logging my weight and also body fat % and was surprised to be 16.5 stone! It’s about 2 stone over my idea weight (no gym) and I’ve last that much in 3 months!! Has anyone personally post op noticed a sudden increase in weight randomly? or tied with something else like alcohol? Also any diets to kickstart the weight loss? I have heard of the pouch reset diet, is it any good? Please help, I hardly have any clothes that fit now! Cheers

recovery from both surgeries is about the same. I've never seen any anecdotes about recovery from sleeve being easier than recovery from bypass. bypass: statistically, bypassers lose more weight, but we're talking a few lbs, and besides, those are just averages. Some sleevers lose a lot more than bypassers, and vice versa. It comes down to the individual and how committed they are to their plan. There are people on here who've been wildly successfully with both surgeries, and people who have failed both surgeries. It comes down to commitment. If you stick to the rules, you'll lose the weight. weight loss is faster with bypass, but not by that much. And they equal out after a few months. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you're going to have loose skin no matter how fast or slow the weight comes off and no matter which surgery you have. I don't think it makes a difference at all which surgery you have when it comes to loose skin. there is malabsorption of vitamins with the bypass, but deficiencies are rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins (you'll have to take vitamins with the sleeve as well) (p.s. the malabsorption that Mikey mentioned - the malabsorption of calories with the bypass - that is temporary. Lasts maybe two years tops. Your system gets smart and at some point is able to suck every calorie out of whatever food you eat again. I'm talking here about malabsorption of vitamins. That is permanent, but if you keep on top of your vitamins, you're very unlikely to have problems with this) only about 30% of bypassers dump, so don't count on that happening. I, unfortunately, have no trouble at all eating sugar. I wish I did, but...no. sleeve - I'm not sure why people think this surgery is less "drastic", although many do think this. Cutting out 80% of your stomach and throwing it on the garbage doesn't seem much less radical to me than sectioning off your stomach with staples and moving your small intestine up. They're both pretty radical... stomach stretching - this actually isn't very common, from what I've read. If it happens, it's due to chronic overeating - day after day of overstuffing your stomach. Which hopefully you would not do after going through something as drastic as surgery. We all have our days, but you'd have to really work at stretching your stomach. the only things that really should be strongly considered when making a decision is if you have health issues that would make one surgery more appropriate than the other. If you have GERD, go with bypass. If you have diabetes - well, either surgery can help with that, but the bypass tends to be more effective with putting it into remission. Otherwise....??? It really comes down to personal choice. as far as your past eating disorders go, if you're still dealing with those, or are worried about those coming back, therapy is the best way to deal with that. Surgery doesn't really help with that. There are many bariatric patients who work with therapists, and there's nothing wrong with that!!

I wouldn’t call loosing 60lbs in 5.5 months slow @rene50. It’s about the same rate as I did & I was almost 54 when I had the surgery. My doctors, dietician & I were all very happy. It was way faster than any weight I’d lost previously so it was all winning for me. Remember, the more you have to lose the faster you’ll lose at the beginning so if you compare your rate with others consider their starting weight first. While genetics will contribute, so too do many other factors including age, gender, metabolism, existing health conditions, etc. While none could be called morbidly obese, I have/had many paternal aunts & cousins who battled with weight & one brother who also struggles (my other brother never has had an issue). I had decided I would always have a weight problem too. I now understand that keeping the weight off will be a constant battle for me to maintain the lifestyle changes I’ve made to lose the weight. If you haven’t, you may find it helpful to speak with a therapist @MotoZen. They may be able to offer some strategies & help you work through the concerns you understandably have which could hinder your progress after surgery. The mental work is just as important as the physical changes you’ll make. I hope you find success with your surgery.

I've lost 159lbs and very little skin issues but I do drink a ton of water everyday

I’m definitely a picker and I have a big problem with ice cream. I can eat a pint in ten minutes. I’m not a foodie but boy I love junk. I had an eating disorder when I was young and oddly enough I feel like the idea of getting surgery is kind of triggering it a little. I’m not purging but definitely binging a little more then before I decided. The bypass punishes you if you eat sweets. That could be a positive or a negative. I think if I put it in a pro and cons list it would be better. Bypass: Pros- I will lose more weight, I will keep it off easier, discourages sweets by causing dumping syndrome. Cons- faster weight lost causes more loose skin, chance of malnourishment increased, my history of purging could cause me not to be deterred by dumping syndrome Sleeve: Pros- less drastic, faster surgical recovery, slower loss = less loose skin Cons: may not reach goal weight, stomach pouch can stretch that’s what I come up with so far.

I guess I'm a slow loser,probably genitics and age. I'm very happy with 60 pounds in 5.5 months. Now, I'm only losing a pound a week. My surgeon told me that losing slowly is best for excess skin. I think he is right. Even at my age, I'm not looking at surgery. A little flabby in tummy, thighs and arms but swimming is helping a lot. I'm still 20 pounds from goal, but feeling good that I'll make my goal.

I've been researching plastic surgery for several weeks. I've built a list of surgeons that I'm interested in (Sauceda, Cardenas, Galvez, Katzen, Michaels, Agha, Capella), but I'm still looking around. One of the big problems I'm running into is a lack of male before and after photos from all surgeons. From what I gather, roughly 95% of skin removal surgeries are for women. I guess a lot of the guys don't care as much about their loose skin, but THIS guy does. A lot of women have INCREDIBLE results, but obviously I want my body to have a masculine shape. The photos of men are much harder to find and I've seen far fewer amazing male results. Are there any surgeons that specialize in reconstruction after massive weight loss that have a reputation of doing incredible work on male patients? I think I'm pretty comfortable with all the surgeons I've listed, but I suspect I have several months to continue researching before I commit to anything and I might as well use them to find the best possible surgeon. Thanks!

it was painful for about a week - after that, it was just discomfort. I think it took a few weeks for the discomfort to go away. The numbness took about a year to start wearing off - although I'm still numb in some areas two years later (esp along the incision lines - but in some other spots, too). I've read that can be permanent in some people. I'm used to it, though, so it doesn't bother me. For the longest time I was numb from my navel all the way down to my pubic area - but again, that started wearing off at about the year mark. The swelling can get bad, too - esp at night. It was pretty significant for the first two or three months - after that, just slightly and not as frequent. I think the swelling might be one of the factors in the pain... I can't remember how long I wore my binder - maybe three weeks or so? After that, I wore a girdle pretty much 23 hours a day for several weeks. At some point I started just wearing it at night - and I did that for several more months. The incisions do look scary at first - but the ones on my LBL are pencil thin and are mostly white now, so they're barely noticeable. And of course you can't see them at all when I have my underwear on. The ones on my arms and down my sides are thicker and redder - but it's only been a little over a year, so they should fade more. They don't look awful or anything - but they're more noticeable. But I'd have to hold my arms up in the air for anyone to see them, and how often do people do that? And at my age, I'll never walk around with a bare midriff, so I don't really care about the scars down my sides, either (well, part-way down my sides, anyway....). The arm and side scars won't get any thinner...but they should eventually be mostly white. I've heard that scarring on arms is often the worst because the skin is much thinner there and you pretty much have to move your arms, even if you limit your movements. So there's more stress on incisions there.

She’s been making these since about age 6 or 7. Simple no-bake recipes like these are perfect for younger kids; they can easily manage them on their own (with an adult nearby when using the mixer), especially if just rolling into balls or bars. I had a food blog for many years, and both my kids were helping out (and I use that term veeeeery loosely 😂 because basically it meant everything took 20 times longer and was 50 times messier) by the time they were 3 with little things like mashing foods, stirring batter, shaking liquids, kneading dough, rinsing fruit and veg, helping with grocery shopping, etc. Both had their first nylon knife and peeler sets by age 5, could read recipes (kids cookbooks) and make them without any help by age 6, and my daughter cooked and served an entire plant-based holiday meal for us by herself last year. She’s been obsessed with watching Kids Baking Championship and Chopped Jr. for years now. Since kids summer cooking camp was cancelled this year, we got her a monthly subscription service for a kit that includes ingredients, recipes, a video cooking lesson, a new kitchen tool, and fun dinner conversation starters – takes some pressure off of me, plus I don’t have to cook as often, win-win!

breast lift, arm lift, and lower body lift. He also extended the arm lift most of the way down my sides (longer than he does with most people) to get rid of "side boobs" and some of the excess skin high on my chest that he couldn't get to with the LBL (the other option would have been a fleur-de-lis cut, but he decided to do this extended flank instead for a couple of reasons - as in it also took excess skin off my back & sides that the fleur-de-lis would not have). actually, now that I think of it, I don't think the breast lift was all that painful - the least painful of the three for sure. It was the LBL that was really bad - but that's not uncommon. But I love the result and I'd do it again! I had my LBL done in August of 2018 and the arm and breast lift done in March 2019.

It’s all Rundholz. I love their designs. It used to make up a large part of my wardrobe but unfortunately their XS is too big on me now. Sigh! I grabbed this jumper & skirt for winter & two loose dresses which are more summery. From the last drop. My favourite boutique calls me when it comes in so I can preview buy before they promote it. There are only a few stockists in Australia. Thank you @Sophie7713. The gown is actually a glorious steel grey. I still have it as it was too beautiful to give away.

I know nobody has a crystal ball 🔮 (I wish!) but if you were about 50# from your goal weight, would you be comfortable scheduling a procedure or procedures (tummy tuck, skin removal, etc) in about 6-7 months from now? This doctor is very popular and books about this far out, so I would love to book now just to get on his schedule. For the record, I had my VSG in May and I’m almost 50% to my goal weight. Weight loss has slowed to about 2# per week, so by my calculations, I should be at goal in 6 months as long as I can sustain that weekly loss.

Required fuel (yes, I'm referring to the bariatric "c" word: carbs! 😂) for distance cycling and running: raw vegan superfood squares, loosely inspired by these two recipes.

Mushies start tomorrow. 2 days earlier than I thought. And thank goodness because I’m going nut. Yesterday I had French onion soup at an alarmingly fast rate. And put some croutons in it. And today I had two chicken wing flats - with the skin off. I’m concerned I’m going to mess something up. Have to get my head straight.

I hit my one year anniversary at the end of the month and have lost 95 lbs—more than I ever expected to, tbh. Quarantine and not being able to get out to the gym definitely moved my weight loss into low gear in March— only 10 lbs in the four months since—but frankly, I am grateful to have lost anything rather than gained over the past few months, like most of the world. I'm now about 5 lbs from my most recent goal but I'm thinking I will set that goal about 10 lbs lower, since I still have a lot of extra pudge. (It's funny how I don't feel like my shape is stunningly different even though I'm 9 sizes smaller.) I definitely feel like a deflated beach ball, skin-wise, but I also do feel like things have tightened up a smidgen over the past months, so maybe that will continue. With the pandemic, and being inside most of the time, nothing much has changed in terms of lifestyle or social stuff. It's still a rather solitary experience. It will be interesting to see how things are when things finally return to normal.