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If its not your time to do this surgery then cancel. You will know when its your time to do it. I can tell you that you may come to regret your earlier cancellation. My advice to you is try and chat on here, we understand. We care. Stay off the other sites, they are not doing you any favours. You don't realise that people who have no issues after surgery don't post. If you have a problem, you ask for help. Thats why you are seeing 'bad' posts. I will not lie to you, I had issues. I had very swollen internal cut lines. It took a while to eat easily and initially drinling was tough. I had a great team behind me and I stayed in hospital an extra 4 days. I could see them monthly and weekly if I needed and speak to a dietician everyday if I needed. I didn't. 3+ years after surgery, I can honestly tell you that I love this new me. I am bloody gorgeous lols. Yes I had a couple of months where I struggled but I feel its worth it. I was a disabled woman who hid in her house. I was so unhappy. Now I go on holidays abroad, sometimes alone. Always accept friends invites and totally live a full life. I can eat everything and anything, just in small portions. I will always be thankful to the surgeon who took me as a patient, I had so many weight related issues he could have refused me. Now I live instead of existing

Looks like Covid is getting us all! I hope you are both feeling better, and that this week is a better one. ❤️

So good to hear from you. Yea for me it was when there were “alot of fun things lately” a few times in a row that it started to be an issue. Just watch it that you’re still doing right like 90 percent of the time or whatever number works for you. It was about this time that I started gaining with my sleeve so I’m not trying to be a downer. Just as cautionary tale that about now when the hunger comes back and your feeling good is when it’s easy to get off track. You’re doing great staying in touch here and you will get to wonderland soon I’m sure. Just stay mindful that your not eating off plan too often. Trust me I know It’s easier said than done. I’m off plan way too often and I haven’t lost anything else when I should be losing for sure with the chemo increasing my metabolism. I’m actually scared I’m going to gain when I’m done in 6 weeks. At least the steroids will be done then which are what’s making me so darn hungry. I just gotta kick the carbs somehow and I don’t think I can start Wegovy until after surgery at least. Wish me luck.

Has anybody else seen weight gain after surgery? I’ve been a little lazy to count my macros or weigh myself daily, but I did today and noticed I’ve gained 3 pounds. It’s so weird.

I've been feeling so tired with my gym routine and having to go after work around 3 pm and not getting home till past 430 or so then barely spending time with the kids because I am tired and have no time n I have alot of running around so I decided to try to a morning class. 8 am before work and we'll ladies I think I am into it. It feels amazing that I am debt free Hahaha I've done my workout and I am actually free for the rest of the day .. i can go home early n actually see my kids 🤣 I did a body attack class and attached my chart!

A content warning first... this post is about poop. I have been on the protein shake version of the LRD for 9 days, and while my... bowel had already slowed down today I suffered extremely painful constipation to a point I have never experienced before. I'm actually historically very regular, if anything I tend to have the opposite problem, so maybe I am more surprised by this than I should be. I was trying to... pass the really hard, dry, dark stool for hours, and there was bleeing involved at some point. I am wondering if anybody else has experienced this, and if they changed their LRD strategy because of it. I can't imagine this continuing for three weeks. I wanted to add that I am taking Rybelsus but I had tolerated it very well until now - however constipation is a known side effect so I thought it was worth adding. I have been on it since November, but my doctor increased my dose about the same time I started the LRD. I have contacted the coordinator for my surgery, but other than making sure I wasn't dehydrated I didn't really get much useful advice. Anybody had a similar experience?

I wouldn't say extreme but once my hair stopped falling out and started the growth phase I did notice my scalp is itchier and I sometimes see dandruff, which I never suffered from before. I recently switched to an oat milk based shampoo which seems to be helping with the itch. My hair is really annoying me as it is coming back thick (which it was before) but with a curl/kink to it so the crown part where so much regrowth is happening is all thick, puffs up and out but then the longer parts are thin. I asked my hairdresser to cut it all short a few weeks ago and she refused as she said it has such a kink to it that it would look worse shorter and I just have to try and brave it out another few months.

Do you mean 2025 for your op or a year ago? If only four weeks ago what you are feeling is totally normal and your body is recovering. Hopefully you will soon find a routine that works for you with regards to being able to take a bit more food and fluids but take your time with sipping and eating, baby steps for now and then it will get easier. Try to get your vitamins in, especially now as you are eating less. For me after the op I couldn't stand the smell of certain foods, even the smell of coffee turned my stomach but now all is back to 'normal' and I thankfully am able to drink coffee again. With regards to the weight loss, it is different for everyone, I put on a few kg in the hospital immediately after the op and then slowly started to lose but I didn't see it on the scale or physically for quite a while. It will happen when your body is ready. You have got this, it is early days.

Today was my one month post op appointment and I gave her my phone with the summary of all my macros for the past week since I’ve been on soft food and a “normal” portion size (3/4 cup) and told her my current steps and she was really happy. I was worried that since my stomach was not operated on and I can tolerate foods and the larger portion of the range that I was eating too much for a month out and she said that with my level of activity I actually need to increase my protein a bit and the carbs as well and that my calories were fine to go up with that. She said that my loss is excellent and to keep doing what I’m doing just to increase my protein to 90g. She even said that I can add more veggies and some other foods as tolerated. I was worried about trying like asparagus and corn or rice paper (I’ve been craving spring rolls since I seen a recipe while on purée). I had already done my grocery order for this week and was going after there to pick it up so I added them rice papers to my cart for next weeks grocery run. I went ahead and scheduled my appointment for next month but she said that if I am still doing this well I can reschedule to my three month for my labs. I’m pretty excited! I did not feel like this after my sleeve. I feel like I have a handle on this, I am actually enjoying the healthier foods and the exercise. My energy's and my mood have improved tremendously. .

So I have what I think is Dumping Syndrome or Reactive Hypoglycemia and it is seems like it is caused by 2 things. Taking a shower and exercise. For some reason after I take a shower at night my sugar crashes so bad I have to take glucose tablets to bring it back up. I don't take hot showers (I hate being hot), just warm and it doesn't happen all the time but often enough that I found a pattern and it doesn't happen when I take a shower in the morning only at night. It also happens after I exercise. I eat dinner at 5:00 p.m. I wait at least an hour, hour and 1/2 and I am not a gym rate that I am doing it for hours - 30 minute treadmill, 10 minute rowing machine (I had a total knee replacement so I do this for my knee at a slow pace to get the bend in) and 3 sets of arm exercises with free weights. Literally there are times I have to stop while I am exercising because I can feel my sugar going down. There have been times it has crashed as low as the 50s. I have talked to the doctor about this and the physician's assistant said have protein before you exercise. Well I am having dinner before I do, which is always a protein vegetable and a small amount of carbs. Has anyone else had this issue? I want to exercise but I am afraid every time I do that this will happen and it happens more often than not. I have taken to as soon as I am done exercising to just automatically taking 2 glucose tablets which is adding extra sugar in but in order to have it not crash on me. Thanks in advance for any responses!

lol great minds...(i.e., ice cream!)...it was another unusually warm day for this time of year around these parts, so i made Mr. take me out to get some. they were out of pistachio (my fave flavour) so we went to the grocery to buy a tub (and a box of sugar cones) instead. no keto ice cream for me...this is the full fat-sugar-cream version, ha. this likely will be the last picture of me standing upright today, i think...as i ate the entire thing and the anticipated dumping im about to experience will surely have me regret it in 3..2..1...

That's an amazing gauge; before my surgery (Sept '23), I had to use the last hole, and it was...snug. Here we are now, a week short of 14 months post-op, down 135lbs and I use the 4th hole unless I'm working out, when I use the 5th hole to tighten it up a little to keep the sensors away from the bottom of my (tattoo) sleeve.

Exactly as others have reacted. What is your definition of a normal size? I can eat about a recommended portion size and that took me well into my 3rd year. Sometimes it depends on what I’m eating or if I’m feeling hungry & then I can’t eat the whole portion. Not unusual to have leftovers in my fridge. As an example I can eat about 3ozs of protein plus a cup of vegetables for dinner, 2 golf ball size rissoles/meat balls & cup of vegetables, about 2/3 of 2 scrambled eggs, a tub of yoghurt, 1/2 a large apple, 8 macadamia nuts, 8-10 grapes. If I go out to eat I can eat about 3/4 of a main meal in a fine dining restaurant when meals are pretty much recommended portion sizes. In Australia our servings aren’t as large as some of the American servings though they are getting larger in the casual eating places. For example, I ordered a small salt & pepper calamari meal at a pub & took half home for dinner. This is an Australian site (below) but I’m sure there’ll be US sites about recommended portion sizes to give you an idea. However, you need to work out what size portions will provide you with the appropriate nutrients and calories your body needs to function effectively and for you to maintain your weight. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes Your nutritionalist will help advise you on this too.

Everyone is different. I am almost 6 years out. I made it to my goal weight about 1 1/2 years after surgery using the Fast Metabolism Diet for the last 6 months of that. I went back up 15 pounds but my body is happy here. I have never thought about calories. I have always concentrated on how many ounces I eat at a meal. I never go above 3.5oz total. 2oz protein & 1.5oz. I also eat 5 times a day. 3 meals & 2 snacks like cheese or fruit. You have to figure out what works best for you.

Such good advice above. I so love this forum. 😍 OP I hope you can judge yourself less and forgive yourself a few lapses - you are human, as are the rest of us. You have done the best thing you could for your health and have gone to enormous trouble (and expense?) to do it! We ALL have slips and do things that we know aren't good for us. If we can look back and analyse why we did what we did then sometimes that can help us avoid the same mistakes in future. I am 3 years post sleeve and I carry protein-based snacks wherever I go - usually nuts or seeds in little packs that I can carry in my bag. If I am hungry (and I do get fierce hunger at quite short notice a couple of hours after eating) and I'm in danger of eating something I shouldn't, then I will eat those. I know they will help stop me eating the rubbish that my head wants but my body doesn't need. It works a bit for me so I hope will help you. I never leave home without them. In addition I have stock phrases to 'explain' (not that I have to but - yunno) why I am not indulging in the delicious sugary fatty rubbish along with everyone else. I learned those phrases here. Oh I ate before I came! I'm just not hungry right now. I'm doing strict keto so I'm avoiding sugar at the minute. And so on. IME people completely lose interest if you say 'a thing', LOL. I wish you the best of luck. You've stumbled a little this week, that's OK, it's a marathon not a sprint. I hope you can use some of the resources suggested above. It's hard. It's hard every day, even after WLS. Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. We are all here for you.

I'm back in the US for two weeks at the end of this months (I'm a Montana girl no matter how long I've lived in the UK) and I'm hoping I can hit all the thrift stores while I'm there. There's a few thrift stores here, but not so many that have plus sizes. I'm guessing I'm a UK 20 (US 18) now so still a plus size.

I think I was just so happy to be out of the stall, that the possibility of going back into it a week later sucked the spirit out of me. I didn't have the emotional energy in me to even feel properly upset -- or maybe, some part of my brain is trying to protect me from that? But clearly I am still having the feelings somewhere deep down -- cause last night, man, the nightmare I had about anxiety and eating half a box of Fruit Creme Peek Freans in the dark. I've gotten through enough mental health issues in the past that the logical part of my brain knows I'll get through this kind of shut-down phase, but sometimes its just harder to waddle through the mire.

I know I’m over reacting and not giving myself enough grace but I have gained a pound this week and only lost 6 lbs in a month. I’m so frustrated! I really wanted the weight to fall off after surgery and I have come to terms that it will be a slow process (even though I’m eating so much less than I was). I have even been trying to walk more. I know there is nothing really to do but keep going and it will get better, it’s just so disheartening to not to see the scale going down, especially at 5.5 weeks out.

A new week beckons… Laid in bed this morning, just taking stock of how I’m feeling and I actually feel happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve had that happy feeling for no apparent reason. The first part of my WLS journey is completed and now out of my hands for now so I’ve mentally put that to one side. I’ve started back at the gym and I’M LOVING IT!! I know the gym isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I truly enjoy it. I found something that works for me and can sustain it, which is really important for anyone trying to improve their fitness. I’ve been 3 times this past week and I’m not pushing it as yet, no matter how much the little devil on my shoulder is telling me to 😈 I’m aiming to go every 3rd day at the moment but will re-visit that in a few weeks time. Granddaughters party went as well as could be expected with other little kids there! I didn’t go mad food-wise - a burger, handful of mini sausage rolls, 1 Jammie Dodger, a cupcake and a small piece of cake. I actually threw a piece of quiche away which is a first for me and left the crisps, coleslaw etc alone! I know it may seem a lot but compared to what I would shovel away previously, it’s actually quite restrained! My body shape is changing, even if the scales aren’t particularly moving right now. I went through my gym stuff and tried on a pair of leggings that are size 18/20 and they fit! That was a bit of a surprise, especially as I couldn’t get them up my thighs previously 😮 Various other items are now ether too big or now fitting whereas before they were too tight. The jeans that were fine a few weeks ago? Can now get them off without unfastening them! I actually had to buy some smaller things this week. I’m not a fan of bras, they dig in and I find them uncomfortable. So I prefer the crop-top bralette type things (I’m a C cup at most) I’d noticed that I wasn’t feeling as ‘secure’ as I had before so decided it was time to update. I got a couple of vest tops with built-in support and a 3 pack of bralettes from M&S, all in smaller sizes and all fit - yay! It’s the simple things really that can give such a boost 🙂 Hairdressers tomorrow. I’m having a bit of a crisis with my hair at the moment. When I was accepted on to the Bariatric Pathway, I decided to grow my hair (all part of the ‘New Me’ vibe) Previously I had pixi-type cut and now it’s a short bob, just about at the bottom of my ears. However it’s lacking any body and looks really thin. I know my meds can play havoc, especially as I started a new injection back on November which can cause hair thinning after a few months. My hair hasn’t come out in clumps or anything, I’m just finding lots of stray hairs on things. I know that WLS also causes Hair loss, so I’m now floundering a little. I’m going to have a chat with my hairdresser and see what she comes up with but I’m really erring on the side of ‘chop it off’…sigh…it’s not easy being a woman at times is it?? I plan to tackle more of my wardrobe this week and get that thinned out. Has anyone else gone through their clothes and thought to themselves “what were you thinking?” Yeah, I’m having a bit of that. However it’s more of a case of I’ve bought something previously and it has remained unworn. This is what happens when you’re the size of a a house - you buy something because it fits, not because you actually like it. I definitely will be a damn sight more discerning moving forward. Have a fabulously productive week everyone 😉 Onwards and Downwards!

Not to dis on your friend, but that's just not how this works. The ski slope chart itself may be about what your weight loss looks like for many people, but I promise you, you are losing fat the entire time. You just can't overcome basic physics. Think about it. If you eat less calories than you burn, your body has to make up that difference from somewhere. Even the leanest people on the planet have something like 40,000 plus calories of fat stores. This is what your body uses to stay alive when intake is less than output. Do the math: Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), is made up of your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), your Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT), and your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). The average normal sized person has a resting metabolic rate somewhere between 1200 and 1800 calories. It's even higher for overweight and obese people. This is just an estimate, but yours is probably somewhere around 1900-2000 based on your height and current weight. EAT obviously can vary quite a lot from basically nothing if you don't workout, to well over a thousand calories per day if you exercise a lot. NEAT is important as well. The basic idea is that very few of us are completely sedentary. We are moving around cooking, cleaning, doing chores, etc. This is what we sometimes call "Activities of Daily Living". This tends to add another 15% to 20% to your overall calories for most people. The point of me adding all that is because very few people really understand how many calories their body needs per day just to stay alive. If your body needs 3000 calories per day and you are only consuming 800, then the rest of your energy needs for the day have to come from your tissues. If we do things right, the vast majority of that will come from fat, though no matter how hard we try, some of it will come from muscle tissue. Regardless, (and here's the point of all this), there is never a period of time when eating a very low calorie diet like we do after bariatric surgery, when you just lose water weight, or stop losing fat. Early on, you will lose a lot of water weight, but what you are losing is not JUST water. Later, you may experience stalls, but that's not a period of time when you stop losing fat. Instead, you may be putting more water weight back on (this IS part of the healing process), but you're still losing fat underneath that water gain. Note that there will be other times when your weight plateaus or even goes up some. This is 100% normal and not a cause for concern. If you are following the diet plan your surgical team sent you, you WILL lose fat. It's impossible not to. This is why I said it's just not healthy to weigh yourself daily. Scales LIE. They don't measure our amount of fat loss, they just measure weight, and weight is made up of so much more than just fat.

i'm one of those that had a 3-fer. I had breast lift, arm lift and tummy tuck all in one knock out. i too tried to decide if i should space them out. since my surgeon said he could do them all under 6 hours (his max under time), he left it up to me. i initially decided just to do just the arms and boobs but then at the very last second decided to add the tummy tuck as well. i'm glad i did cuz my recovery was a bee-yatch...though all of my own doing...but i digress...and i'm glad i don't have to go through that again. in all, am super pleased with his work. my arm are nice and slim (i live in sleeveless shirts), my boobs are like teenager boobs (i can go bra-less no prob), and my stomach is (almost as) flat a board (i have 20 year olds in my yoga class who compliment on my abs on a regular basis...btw im 52). if you have the means and the desire to get plastics, go for it. its a total game changer. the hardest part is the recovery, but if you take it slow and do as your doc says, you'll be up and at em (and looking hawt) in no time. good luck! ❤️

Yes, Core Power is a Fairlife product. They actually make a number of different products, so it can be confusing. Fairlife Core Power Elite is 42 Grams of protein in a 14 oz serving, for 3 grams per oz Fairlife Nutrition Plan is 30 Grams of Protein in a 11.5 oz serving, for ~2.6 grams per oz Fairlife Core Power (Regular, not Elite), is 26 Grams in a 14 oz serving, for ~1.88 grams per oz Finally, they have "Fairlife Ultra Filtered Milk", which also has more protein than regular milk. it has ~1.6 grams of protein per oz. If you compare that to an 11.5 or 14 oz serving respectively, it would have ~19 or 23 grams of protein. For comparison, regular milk has about 1 gram of protein per ounce. Edited to add that all the "shakes" (in other words everything except the milk), are flavored and at least to me taste about the same. As such, I'd recommend Core Power Elite for most folks here since it has the most protein for a given volume. I use the milk religiously for everything I'd use regular milk for as an additional way to get more protein per day.

New Week New Wins! Ladies and Gents look forward to seeing your weeks Wins!

i still love my decision to get an arm lift...BUT it does take some work to keep them looking toned. i've been up and down in keeping up with my arm appearance maintenance over the years, but lately i've been on an upswing (thanks yoga and pilates addictions!): (and yeah, the the arm lift recovery was the hardest/longest/most problematic for me from the 3 procedures i had. PRO TIP: take it easy and don't do too much too soon!!! heal first, THEN exercise omg. Eventually though, you will be able to "wave your hands in the air and shake em like you just dont care"!)

@Mspretty86 The healing is going great! They look fantastic, I am definitely a full DD which is what I wanted. I still have scabs on my under boobs where they placed the implant, I still wake up swollen but it goes away in like 5min of getting up which is great. I still cannot work out which sucks but hopefully today when I go see him he clears me at least start walking or something. No new bras yet I am still in my post op bra for 8 weeks minimum he said. I have shopped for lingerie and actually wore some for the misters bday and man oh man was that fun LOL He is very much liking them however he's more looking than touching HAHA! He's nervous that he will mess something up, but he's been amazing this entire experience.